His family background affected the way he treated other races, but when it came to children or friends, he would go the distance. Let’s take a closer look at Flint Fireforge. Buy the Art of the Dragonlance Saga: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17389/The-Art-of-the-Dragonlance-Saga?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
I’ll be damned if I am still not feeling his loss as I write this.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Flint Fireforge. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. I am referencing The Art of the Dragonlance Saga, Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home and the Chronicles for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below.
Discussion
Most of Flint Fireforge’s design came out of Harold Johnson. Flint was intended to be a Falsttaffian dwarf, being fat, jolly, and debauched, but the further they delved into his character they realized that he may be gruff, cynical, distrustful, dwarvishly greedy, and never forgets an insult, but at the same time he is extremely loyal, a little bashful (especially around women), humorous, and capable of deep and lasting friendship. Even his flaws and phobias were a gift from Johnson’s personal traits: Fear of water and avoidance of boats, and his allergies to horses. This brought a fair amount of irony up between the artists and writers, as Flint is portrayed with a horse hair helm, so in the story he refuses to admit it’s anything other than a Griffon’s mane, even though griffons don’t have manes!
As anyone who has ever known a grumpy, curmudgeon, once they warm to you, the grumbling slowly ceases and genuine affection takes its place. Flint was set out to be a grandfatherly figure, and though he did always take a paternal role over his companions, they saw him as a wise counselor and friend more than anything else. He was never shy about standing up for what was right, and the minority, even if he was grumbling about doing so. He has a strong sense of justice and fair play, but he isn’t above giving a tongue lashing if necessary. His relationship with Tas was truly wonderful. Going from being supremely annoyed with the creature to genuinely loving him as a friend and waiting for him after death at Reorx’s Forge, much to Reorx’s chagrin. But before we end with his death, let’s talk about his life.
Much like anyone in life, Flint is the product of his environment. His socio-political views are informed by his geography and culture. His grandfather, Reghar Fireforge, was Thane to the Niedar dwarves before the Cataclysm, and when the mountain fell on Krynn and Thorbardin shut its doors, the Neidar went to war with them. Reghar’s only surviving son, Durgar Fireforge, fostered an incredible hatred for the mountain dwarves, and would instill that hatred into his fourteen children, including Flint. The family heart defect that took Durgar’s life when he was middle-aged, came from his own mother. This was passed to his children, and would be the foreshadowed end to Flint until he entered Godshome. His hatred for the mountain dwarves was a taught bigotry, not an earned hatred until later in his life, and this speaks to the core of bigotry in Dragonlance as much as our own world. It is rarely an earned feeling, but rather a learned one. This makes it even more insidious as there is no reason one should feel it, only their desired connection to those who do. Hate by association. It’s pathetic, but it makes the Dragonlance world feel relatable.
Flint’s disdain for the Aghar was an earned one, as he was captured when investigating why his homeland was trading with the Thiewar Dwarves, and thrown into a pit to die, only to be captured by the Aghar and made their king. They dubbed him King Flunk II, and Flint has hated them ever since. The truth is that Flint used them during the Battle of Hillhome. Having a reason for why characters act a specific way is essential. It’s too easy to say well he hates elves because he’s a dwarf. Yes, but why does HE hate them? Of course this brings up the relationship between Flint and the Qualinesti Elves. You see, Flint was an incredibly talented metalsmith. He left his home as a young dwarf to seek his fortune, and made quite the name for himself after settling in Solace. He was approached by a representative of the Speaker of the Suns, Solostaran Kanan for some work. He would have the rare honor of being invited to Qualinari and he would travel there annually to ply his trade.
Flint was a busy body. If he wasn’t working on metal he was whittling on wood. He would craft wooden toys and give them to children. The elven children would make fun of his beard and stature, and he would act as if it bothered him. The truth is he loved the innocence and honesty of children, which would be a wonderful ‘in’ for Tas later on. Flint would find an immediate connection with Tanis Half-Elven, and counsel him, even become friends and roommates. They would work together for a long time, and eventually make friends with the other children of Solace forming the companions, or innfellows.
Flint, like many of his race and without is highly distrustful of magic, this includes Raistlin, as he is also one who ‘grudgingly’ goes with the flow. Again, Flint tends to take others under his wing, and as Lauralanthalasa Kanan is finding herself throughout the war, Flint would always be there to counsel her. When she wouldn’t listen to him about trading Bakaris for Tanis, he and Tas went with her, knowingly walking into a trap. It is truly touching to see Flint’s heart warming love for his companions, and in Tarsis, when the Dragonarmy began raiding it, and Tas was believed to be dead, I wept with Flint. The love Flint showed made him more endearing as a character and when he died, because Margaret Weis wanted to show that “… someone who lived a heroic life should be honored as much as one who had died a heroic death,” I read the scene through blurry eyes. I connected with Tanis’ reaction in attacking Berem, and the companions’ sorrow as he asked Fizban to go with him into the afterlife.
This is of course juxtaposed by some genuinely hilarious scenes from Flint fainting upon seeing Fizban in the Stone Dragon, and when Tas and Flint rode Khirsah in the Vingaard campaign and inadvertently captured Bakaris. Between the witty and not so witty banter between the two throughout the Chronicles, and the sound advice dispersed, Flint Fireforge forged his place in the pantheon of the Heroes of the Lance. Even now as we have come to it, I am affected by this fictional character’s death, and I believe it is a tribute to not only the author’s writing and bringing to life this wonderful character, but the sense of loss that is forever in my heart for my friend’s past. It is such a difficult experience to process the loss of a loved one. Finding those shared experiences I had with those I have lost, in Flint and his friends, brings a sense of connection I would never have expected.
Flint’s absence was felt all throughout the Legends, War of Souls and Dark Disciple trilogies. But ‘in’ world, it was felt not only by the companions who mourned his passing, but those who knew and recognised his talents as a craftsman. His work is held in the highest regard, by those who know good dwarven metalsmithing. If there were any traits I would like to take from Flint, I believe his pragmatic approach to every crazy fantasy encounter and social situation would be at the top of the list. That and I could be available to my friends more than I am. Point in fact, I believe the world would be better off if it had more Flint Fireforge’s in it.
Outro
And that is all I have to say about Flint Fireforge. I hope you enjoyed the information. Do you appreciate the end they gave Flint? Was he more of a friend or a father to the companions? And finally if you were friends with Tas, would you be as verbally abusive to him? Leave a comment below.
I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
Of all the hatreds, the ones between families are the cruelest.
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