Fistandantilus is inextricably linked with Raistlin Majere, but he is an ambitious and complicated character in his own right. Let’s learn a bit about the Dark One himself, Fistandantilus! Buy Mists of Krynn: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/139444/DL15-Mists-of-Krynn-1e?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
He is the most powerful sorcerer on Krynn. He made deals with gods to further his ambition. He is Fistandantilus.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about The Dark One himself, Fistandantilus. I would like to take a moment and thank my collaborator patrons, the Heroes of the Lance, and invite you to consider becoming a patron or member of this channel by visiting the links in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. This episode is informed by many sourcebooks and the Dragonlance Wiki. I may miss some bits of information or misspeak in the presentation. If you have any comments or corrections, please add them below.
Discussion
It is unknown exactly when Fistandantilus was born or when he took the Test of High Sorcery, save that it was in the Age of Might. What is known is that he was supremely gifted in magic. After his Test of High Sorcery, he took the Red Robes and seemed content until he became intimately aware of his own mortality. He was infuriated at the thought of all of his vast magical knowledge being wasted and turned to dust, in death. He beseeched Gilean, the god of Neutrality to allow him to continue living on Krynn, but alas, having actually created humans, Gilean intended them to have limits. Fistandantilus was counseled to accept his fate. Refusing to do so, Fistandantilus called out to Takhisis herself, demanding to be able to look upon the Black Moon. She granted his request, and transported him to the Abyss where he glimpsed the future and his lived past. She gave him the Bloodstone, a magical artifact that would extend his life by transferring the victim’s essence into his body.
With his continued existence, his means of immortality secured, he renewed his devotion to magic and learned all he could, even crafting new spells. He became close to Highmage Gadrella, a black robe who recently became head of the Tower, and was instrumental in convincing local lords to allow the construction of four more Towers of High Sorcery. In 2018 PC he fought alongside his colleagues of High Sorcery in defeating the renegade war mage Malock. When the orders demanded the destruction of Malock’s fortress of Zhaman, Fistandantilus convinced them to keep it as an invaluable place of study, as it was rumored to be indestructible.
Fistandantilus would live and work in Zhaman for a thousand years, until the end of the Third Dragon War in 1018 PC. In that time he would assist the Emperor of Ergoth and Vinus Solamnus in a couple adventure campaigns. For a time he was even the Head of the Tower of Palanthas.
Exactly when his ambition to become a God is also unknown, but at some point before traveling to Istar in 100 PC, he had determined this course of action. Fistandantilus and the fall of Istar are also linked for it was due to his machinations that Beldyn became the High Priest because of the prophecy of the Lightbringer. Fistandantilus was manipulating Istar for two reasons. He could study about the portals to the Abyss in secret and he could find the one true cleric he needed to help him open the portal. However…. When the Lightbringer came, with him came the hatred of darkness. This would include the Wizards of High Sorcery. Fistandantilus offered the new Kingpriest Belindas the seeds to destroy the groves surrounding the Towers of High Sorcery in trade for becoming his personal advisor. Beldinas consented but during the lost battles, the towers and portals would be abandoned and destroyed. In his effort to secure a portal, Fistandantilus would drive his apprentice Andras Rannoch insane and have him jump to his death to curse and seal the gates until the Master of Past and Present returned to open them. Ironically, unknown to Fistandantilus, the portal in the Tower of Palanthas was removed to his old stomping grounds, the fortress of Zhaman. Secure in his belief that a portal was now saved for him, he began work on corrupting a holy priest.
In 1 PC, knowing of the coming Cataclysm and political upheaval to come, Fistandantilus purchased the Gladiator Pharagas for protection. When clerics began disappearing, Fistandantilus chose the only remaining holy priest Denubis, who had just completed transcribing the Holy Discs of Mishakal, to open the portal. Learning that the portal in Palanthas was no longer there, he traveled to the Great Library to question Astinus about its location. Astinus denied him the knowledge he sought until Fistandantilus made a bargain he could not refuse. Fistandantilus would craft the Globe of Present Time Passing to assist the historian in chronicling time. Astinus would grant Fistandantilus a clue to where the portal lay.
In 39 AC Fistandantilus, Denubis and Pharagas, traveled south and collected an army, consisting of displaced and disgruntled Solamnia citizens and knights. When they arrived in Abanasinia they were approached by Plainsmen led by Darknight and Niedar Dwarves led by Reghar Fireforge. The plainsmen joined Fistandantilus’ army out of greed, wanting to take what the Mountain Dwarves supposedly stole to survive the winter, and the Niedar wanted to avenge their honor for having been abandoned by their mountain dwarf cousins to starve.
Fistandantilus’ army captured Pax Tharkas on the way to Thorbardin, and if he had waited, he could’ve defeated Thorbardin as well, but he was too close to his prize, the portal in Zhaman. Before abandoning his army, he cast four great elemental spells. The first was fire, which swept the battlefield. The second was ice, trapping the warriors in battle. The third was a great storm spell that was contained with Spellbinder, one of the two spells that were used to contain the Greygem. This was removed from the battlefield and never went off. The fourth spell is unknown to this day.
When he arrived at Zhaman and used Denubis to open the portal. At his moment of triumph, after nearly two centuries of planning, a gnome named Gnimsh activated a magical device that may or may not have been his own time traveling device, which interfered with the fragile spell Fistandantilus was casting. The effect was equal to a million fireballs which spread across the landscape blowing the top off of Zhaman, thereby creating Skullcap, like an atom bomb, decimating all of the armies on the field, including Danubis and Fistandantilus in the process.
Now Fistandantilus’ essence remained, due to his magnificent power and Takhisis’ will, who promised him a body in the future in which to aid in her return to Krynn through the Istar portal in the now ruined Temple of Istar which dwelt in the Abyss temporarily. A young Raistlin Majere would encounter him during his Test of High sorcery three hundred years later, and accepted the deal Fistandantilus offered. Raistlin would allow Fistandantilus’ essence to enter the young mage, taking enough of his life force to sustain himself, and Fistandantilus would assist him in defeating a dark elf and completing his test. The young Raistlin Majere would agree, and for the rest of Raistlin’s life, they would struggle with each other, trying to gain dominance over Raistlin’s body. Raistlin would travel back in time to battle Fistandantilus, but that is a tale for another day.
Outro
That is the abbreviated life of Fistandantilus. Was there anything you believe to be germain to his story that I left out? Do you think Fistandantilus actually won in his battle with Raistlin? And finally, would Raistlin be the character he is without Fistandantilus? Leave a comment below.
I would like to once again invite you to consider becoming a patron or member of this channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link, all of which are in the description below.
This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
By his failure, your brother succeeded in what he set out to accomplish. In a way, he has become a god…
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