There are a lot more heroes from the War of the Lance than are presented in the novels. Let’s look at the heroes from the original modules. Buy the Classic Dragonlance Bundle: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/141690/classic-dragonlance-bundle?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
There are a lot more heroes from the War of the Lance beside the Innfellows…
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about the Heroes of the War of the Lance. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members, 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 links. I am referencing the DL1-14 Dragonlance Modules for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!
Discussion
I am willing to bet that most anyone watching this video will expect to hear about the Innfellows otherwise known as the companions. But if you are basing your sole knowledge of Dragonlance on novels, you are missing half of the wonder, experience and fun of what makes Dragonlance, Dragonlance. The entirety of the original Dragonlance Saga spanned twelve DL modules beginning with DL1 Dragons of Despair and ending with DL14 Dragons of Triumph, including DL5 Dragons of Mystery, the first Dragonlance sourcebook, and DL11 Dragons of Glory, an official Simulation Game thrown into the mix. It was all capped off with two short adventure anthologies, DL15 Mists of Krynn and DL16 World of Krynn. And yes there was an AD&D 1.5e DLA Dragonlance Adventures sourcebook released later. My point here is that there is much more to the Dragonlance Saga, and today I want to showcase the original heroes of the War of the Lance from the game supplements. Yes, many of these characters I am going to present are very well known due to the books, but I would hazard a guess there may be one or two you aren’t familiar with, and moreso, some you thought were player characters but are in fact non-player characters when we first meet them. So let’s dive into it.
Tanis, 5th Level Half Elf Fighter. We first meet Tanis with his backstory in DL1 Dragons of Despair. He wandered the wilderness for five years through Qualinesti west of the Kharolis Mountains, through the forests of Kith-Kanan, all the way to the sea. He never found any trace of healers, but he fervently believes the gods of good exist. He followed white stags, wheeling birds and thunderclouds to stay clear of danger, and believes these to be proof of the gods.
Goldmoon, 5th Level Human Cleric. She is a princess of the Que-Shu tribe. She is traveling with her betrothed Riverwind, seeking the nature of a mysterious staff he had brought back from the Forsaken Lands in the east. This was a test her father assigned him, then refused to recognize it and had Riverwind stones to death. Goldmoon ran to him and the staff teleported them to safety.
Tasslehoff Burrfoot, 4th Level Kender Thief. He cannot recall all of the places he has visited in the past five years, as he forgot to map them all. He knows the north and west has changed, and has discovered the New Sea, and that Ergoth has split from the mainland into two islands compared to his maps. His return to Solace revealed that Seekers from Haven are controlling a run down Solace.
Riverwind, 5th Level Human Ranger. His memory of the Forsaken Lands is fractured. His dreams are plagued by a black swamp, a well, a kind and shining lady, and a leather-winged creature of evil. He fears these are visions of his maddened mind, as he returns to the Que-Shu bleeding, crazed with fever, and visions. He loves Goldmoon and together they seek to control the staff’s power. Riverwind began as an NPC.
Caramon, 6th Level Human Fighter. He traveled with his brother over the Kharolis range to the southwest beyond the realms of the elves seeking the fabled Towers of High Sorcery. They discovered the mist shrouded towers and Caramon watched as Raistlin took his test.
Sturm Brightblade, 6th Level Human Fighter. He saw the northern lands while escorting Kitiara. They parted ways on the other side of the sea and he headed west. He was searching for a holy man, and his birthright. He sought to take his fathers place in the Knights of Solamnia, but he discovered the knights fell out of favor and could not find them at all . His past remains a mystery to him.
Raistlin, 3rd Level Human Magic-user. He has passed great tests set by the spirits of long-dead sages and wizards in the Towers of High Sorcery. As the tests wore on him, he now sees the world through hourglass eyes. His health has failed him, but the magic will grant even greater aid. He recalls the last words from the towers being that the time is at hand when his strength must rebalance the world.
Flint Fireforge, 4th Level Dwarf Fighter. He spent five years searching for unseen things, and to avenge the wrongs done to his people. He has searched for the Gates of Thorbardin where his mountain dwarf cousins locked out the hill dwarves after the Cataclysm. He was captured by Gully Dwarves, but escaped after slaying many of them.
Tika Waylan, 5th Level Human Fighter / Formerly 3rd Level Human Thief. It isn’t until DL3 Dragons of Hope that she becomes a PC. She was the daughter of a thief, but was offered a job by Otik after he caught her trying to steal from him. Her father knew illusions and has has been fascinated by magic since her youth. She prefers to bash things over the head when fighting.
Gilthanas, 5th Level Elf Fighter / 4th Level Elf Magic-User. He is brother to Porthios and Laurana, and son to the Speaker of Suns. He served as a messenger and spy, but was captured by draconians in Solace. He chose to help rescue captives from Pax Tharkas rather than fleeing to the West with his people. He is filled with optimism and love.
Laurana, 4th level Elf Fighter began as an NPC as well. She is daughter to the Speaker of Suns and sister to Gilthanas and Porthios. She was very spoiled in childhood, but has a good heart. She uses her good looks and charm to her advantage as a diplomat. She was pledged to Tanis as a child, but she took the relationship more seriously than he did. She is immature but possesses great inner strength and potential for greatness.
Elistan, 7th Level Human. He begins as an NPC as well. He was once a Seeker priest and worshiped false gods. He was brought before Verminaard and tortured when he refused to join the Dragon Highmaster. When Goldmoon healed him, he knew she held the true faith. He was rescued from Pax Tharkas and learned the knowledge of the true gods, becoming a true cleric of Paladine. He is a man of peace but will do what is needed for his cause.
Derek Crownguard, 8th Level Human Fighter is first introduced in DL6 Dragons of Ice. He is a Rose Knight of the Knights of Solamnia. He is charged by Lord Gunthar with recovering a Dragon Orb, an ancient crystal globe with power over dragons. Their search led them from Solamnia to Tarsis and they wished to join the others in opposition to the Dragon Highlords.
Aaron Tallbow, 7th level Human Fighter. He is a Crown Knight in the Knights of Solamnia. He has devoted his life to archery, and is one of the finest bowmen in Solamnia. He was also sent to discover the Orb of Dragon Control, rumored to be used by magicians of old to destroy dragons. They searched for the party of adventurers seeking the downfall of the Highlords.
Lord Gunthar, 13th Level Human Fighter. He is introduced in DL9 Dragons of Deceit. He is the lord of the order of the crown, and the highest-ranking Knight of Solamnia alive. He embodies honesty, faith, and courage. He struggles with uniting the knighthood during the war. He is saddened by the infighting and pettiness that has crept into the knighthood.
Alhana Starbreeze, 7th Level Elven Fighter. She is a PC in DL10 Dragons of Dreams. She’s the daughter of Lorrac Caladon, Speaker of Stars. She was attending diplomatic meetings in Sancrist when she heard of her homeland falling to the Dragonarmies. She is trying to return home to find what has happened to her father. She is cold on the outside but loving and warm inside.
Waylorn Wyversbane, 7th Level Druid. He starts as an NPC as well. He has been sleeping for an incredibly long time. He was discovered in a tower built during the age of might over 1500 years ago. He believes he is Huma, the great dragonslayer. He may have barely known Huma in reality, and wants to become a dragonslayer himself.
Serinda Elderwood, 5th Level Elf Fighter / 6th Level Mage. She is introduced in DL12 Dragons of Faith. She’s a Silvanesti high elf whose family died by the Dragonarmy. She was away in the service of a sea merchant when it happened, and has become friends with Kronin, traveling with him to return to his home. She has a regal bearing and stature, and tends to help those in need.
Kronn-alin Thistleknot, 4th Level Kender Fighter / 5th Level Thief. He’s the oldest son of the hero Kronin. Anxious to prove himself through grand deeds of daring, he delights in battle tactics, but is slow to withdraw. War broke out on his wanderlust and is seeking to return to his homeland. He wields a Chapak, a war ax with two metal prongs for a slingshot. The hilt doubles as a blowgun.
These are all characters that are played as the heroes of the lance throughout the modules, and unlike the novels, many don’t die like Derek Crownguard and Aaron Tallbow for example. There are many endings and some have Waylorn actually being Huma Dragonbane!
Outro
But that is all the time I have to talk about the Heroes of the War of the Lance. What do you think of all these characters? Would you be interested in playing the heroes that were never featured in the Chronicles? Finally, would you ever revisit the original AD&D modules? 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:
Maybe the cat got my tongue. But if that were so, what happened to the cat? And why would a cat want an extra tongue in the first place?
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