Huma banished Takhisis, the Queen of Darkness with his love the Silver Dragon. Let’s learn all about the legend of Huma Dragonbane. Buy DLA Dragonlance Adventures: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/162788/dragonlance-adventures-1e?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
His story has been altered over time, as so many legends have…
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about the legend of Huma Dragonbane. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a DLSaga member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. I am referencing DLA Dragonlance Adventures, Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home, The Legend of Huma, and Dragons of Fate for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!
Discussion
We are introduced to the legend of Huma through the Song of Huma at the same time as we are introduced to the Heroes of the Lance in Dragons of Autumn Twilight. The tale itself is a parable, a tale meant to temper hearts and minds, focusing those on the challenge at hand, rather than diverting from their difficult course for momentary comforts. In Dragonlance, Huma was an aspirational legend, which was not unlike King Arthur. Knights would reflect on his legend and it would refocus them to their greater purpose. The people, their order, and their gods all over themselves. The Oath and the Measure are seemingly impossible to live up to, but My Honor is My Life, Est Sularis Oth Mithas is the very embodiment of Huma through his actions.
I am not one to celebrate sacrificing one’s life for any reason. I believe in choosing life as it’s the only one we have, but I can’t help but reflect on the men and women in our own history who have done just that and find reverence for their acts. It is through this understanding that I believe Sturm Brightblade strives to be like his legendary hero, Huma Dragonbane. To face the insurmountable, never wavering, knowing that there is a greater good to come from his sacrifice. In Dragonlance, this was certainly true, for with Huma’s sacrifice, he was able to defeat Takhisis, the Queen of Darkness, and through Sturm’s, he was able to alter the very Oath and Measure that the Knights of Solamnia all live by, allowing the Whitestone Council to defeat the Queen of Darkness yet again over a thousand years later!
As with the best of legends, they are steeped in what makes us human. Our passions, our creativity, and our destructive natures. The legend of Huma is no different. Though it has altered over time. The original tale as told in the Dragonlance Chronicles and game modules is wildly different from the version in the novel The Legend of Huma. Then when Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman returned with their Dragonlance Destinies trilogy, they returned to their original version nearly forty years later. I will do my best, as with the retelling of any legend, to distill the essence of the two versions, and in doing so, hopefully reveal the purpose behind the incredible character of Huma Dragonbane.
The original legend has Huma, a young Solamnic Knight, not of noble birth, rising as far as he can in the order of the Crown. He does not have the propeller lineage to rise to the order of the Rose. He finds himself traveling the war torn land, trying to ease the suffering of its people. This Third Dragonwar has decimated Solamnia, and Huma has come to terms that there is nothing a single knight can do to save the people. Exhausted and hungry, he prays to Paladine for help. Paladine sent a white stag and while Huma wanted to kill it for food, he saw something greater in its eyes. He followed the stag which led him to a grove in Ergoth where a beautiful woman took care of him. Huma grew to love this woman and his love was returned, but there was pain in her heart. For she was in truth a Silver Dragon. She revealed her true form and Huma declared his love for her again. Their passion for one another was so great that she begged Paladine to strip her of her dragon form and allow her to live with Huma until they met a mortal death together.
Paladine was willing to grant her this wish, but he showed them a vision first. If they gave into their love, if she forsake her true nature and Huma forsook his quest, they would live a long and happy life, but evil would remain in the land. However, if they instead fought together, they would never know the heights of their love, but they would be granted a Dragonlance and with it the ability to drive evil from the land. They chose the greater good and sacrificed their love for the land and its people. They paid for their victory with their lives, but they were reunited in death. This beautiful tale as aforementioned was altered in form, but the points remain. They were ready to give into momentary passion, but instead made the difficult choice to forsake their freedom for those around them. This is the heart of Huma’s sacrifice.
When the Legend of Huma novel was written, The Silver Dragon was given the name of Heart. When she was mortal she was named Gwynneth. Huma saved a minotaur early in the war rather than finding a white stag which led him to Kaz, who would be his wartime friend and companion until his death. They are confronted by ravaged villagers but a Silver Dragon intervenes. As they leave they meet the Dark Queen’s warlord and battle, finding respect for one another. Later Huma is wounded in battle and awakens to a beautiful woman tending to him named Gwyneth. This is the Silver Dragon in human form. Huma heals enough to go on watch and finds his childhood friend Magius fleeing from his captors. It is Magius that begins the search for what will eventually be The Dragonlance in this version. This fundamentally changed the legend from self sacrifice for the greater good, to self sacrifice for his friends. And while the difference doesn’t change the outcome, it does change the character.
I believe in the bond of family. Not so much the family we are born into, but more the family we create. The family that is composed of those we choose to love and create. Those we bring into this world and those we connect to while traveling in it. Even being a deeply selfish individual, I can respect this new iteration of Huma, fighting to free his friend who was captured by the enemy, then ultimately fighting the Dark Queen. But at its core, it is not as fundamentally powerful or as intimate as forsaking your happiness for the opportunity of the happiness of others. Now, it’s not something I would ever do, again, but I do respect those who can and do make that choice–whether it’s in legend to be used as an aspirational motivation, and a moral story, or if it’s done in life for your brothers and sisters in battle.
What is important about the Legend of Huma are not the details, the how’s and why’s, but the overarching tale of setup, challenge, and sacrifice. For without Huma’s sacrifice, The Dark Queen would rule. The darkest and most vile of evils may be held at bay and defeated by our choices. They are not always easy choices, but they are possible. Choosing to not follow through with your anger or rage in a moment. Choosing to show love and respect to those you have chosen as family, even if you are frustrated with them. Being willing to step outside of your comfort zone when they need you. Because as is beautifully stated in John Wick 4, Friendship Means Little When It’s Convenient. Perhaps there is something even we can learn from Huma and his oath, Est Sularis Oth Mithas, whatever that means to you.
Outro
And that is all I have to say about Huma Dragonbane. Do inconsistencies in histories bother you? Is it better not to have definitive versions of characters? And finally, would Takhisis be commanding all of Krynn if Huma decided to stay with Gwynneth rather than fight? 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:
Anger is energy spent foolishly.
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