Par-Salian | dlsaga.com

Par-Salian was a complicated Wizard who was very much of his time. He was forced to make an incredibly difficult decision about Raistlin Majere which nearly ended the world as they knew it. Let’s learn more about Par-Salian. Buy Towers of High Sorcery: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/2940/towers-of-high-sorcery-3-5?affiliate_id=50797

Transcript

Cold Open

There was nothing easy about the choices Par-Salian had to make.

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Par-Salian. 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 links. I am referencing the Chronicles and Legend trilogies as well as the Dragonlance Adventures, and Tower of High Sorcery sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!

Discussion

To understand Par-Salian, you need to understand the world he came up in. And perhaps even more importantly, the state of the Orders of High Sorcery he was brought up in. Par-Salian was the longest standing Master of the Conclave, and it’s because he understood the lessons of those who came before him, ever aware of the consequences of the choices he had to make. And let’s be honest, some of the choices were bets that he happened to come out on the right side of. But that’s not to say he was a righteous individual. He wasn’t. He was as flawed as anyone else, even while he had a weight that few to no others could bear, riding on his shoulders.

The Cataclysm had a dramatic effect on all of Krynn to be sure, but it had an equally devastating effect on the Conclave of Wizards. The Kingpriest had made sure they were all outcasts before challenging the gods, so when the land was torn asunder, few wanted anything to do with the Wizards of High Sorcery, and more even inexplicably blamed them for what happened. At the time, the Head of the Conclave was Highmage Astathan of Qualinost. And for hundreds of years, Astathan saw that the Orders were dwindling down to nearly nothing, and those still in practice of the arts were succumbing to disease, mob justice and fear of openly practicing. With few to no new apprentices being introduced to the Orders, he took the responsibility of growing the Orders upon himself.

Astathan began sending the Wizards out to form schools in order to identify and train those with talent. This brought in new blood to the Orders of High Sorcery and fueled the next generations of wizards. It wasn’t too long after this that Astathan became aware of Par-Salian. Par-Salian was raised in a well off household, and when he began manifesting interest in the arts, his father hired a house wizard to train him. He began advancing in his studies at such a rapid pace that Astathan began grooming him to be the next Highmage. This is the legacy of Par-Salian. Early talent groomed for greatness, destined to lead the Orders of High Sorcery in arguably the darkest time in over a millennium, through the next Dragon War.

In his thirties Par-Salian was sent to deal with some renegades with his fellow wizards Ladonna and Tythonnia in Palanthas. It was during this mission that Par-Salian and Ladonna formed a romantic attachment. While both were consummate professionals, and in opposite Orders of High Sorcery, Par-Salian was in the Order of the White Robes, and Ladonna in the Order of the Black Robes. They did their best to keep their romantic attachment separate and for all intents and purposes they were largely successful. This particular mission may have ended technically in a success, but Par-Salian began to question the morality associated with the outcome.

It was missions like this that Astathan believed would forge Par-Salian into a strong leader, and perhaps he was right, as morality seemed to be a waning proposition in Par-Salian’s decision making. For a time Par-Salian and Ladonna were inseparable. They used their love of the Orders and the Art to bridge their professional bond while their love and devotion to each other fuelled their passions. But as will all things, it dwindled over time. And Par-Salian would make a decision that broke that bond by having an affair with Ladonna’s mistress Arianna. This was the woman Ladonna had apprenticed, and the fallout of that affair is something that could never be made right. But one has to wonder if history would have changed course had Par-Salian known he was a father.

Ladonna took it upon herself to hide the child’s existence from Par-Salian and sent it away to a trusted family in Palanthas to be cared for. The ship mysteriously vanished en route, though with all the rumors surrounding the child Kira, Ladonna may have delivered the child herself. She even made up stories that it was her child or it was Arianna’s so no one knew the truth of the matter. It became Ladonna’s only regret that followed her through life.

By the time Par-Salian became the Master of the Conclave the order of the Orders seemed to be rooting out renegade wizards. This took the bulk of the focus, and the heads of the Orders changed to be Par-Salian as the Master and head of the Order of the White Robes, Justarius was elevated to the head of the Orders of the Red Robes, and Ladonna was the head of the Orders of the Black Robes. As the attacks on mages continued into three hundred and thirty two alt cataclius, Par-Salian would consult with Antimodes who brought a young Raistlin Majere to his attention. With Par-Salian’s consent Antimodes funded Raistlin’s studies. Antimodes would also be a trusted ally of Par-Salien’s as the growing darkness in the east became a true threat.

It was at this time that Par-Salian consented to have Raistlin take the Test of High Sorcery early. He knew he would need a sword to fight the Dragonarmies and with time and pressure, Par-Salian believed Raistlin would be that sword. This was one of those questionable moral decisions that weighed on Par-Salian’s conscience. He knew the lich Fistandantilus was preying on the students, and he knew Raistlin craved power. It seemed like a perfect match, but it was one that Par-Salian feared and pushed the young mage into anyway. He needed the sword at any cost. And it cost a lot! After the Test, with the young mage broken, Par-Salian granted him the Hourglass eyes of Raelana and the Staff of Magius. Par-Salian hoped the eyes would temper Raistlin’s ambitions, but we all know how that turned out.

In truth it was the best decision Par-Salian could have made, for without Raistlin’s seemingly endless ambition and bond with Fistandantilus, the Whitestone forces would never have won the War of the Lance. But the aftermath proved even more terrifying. As Raistlin’s ambitions predictably led to him traveling back in time and challenging the gods, just as Fistandantilus once attempted. This led Par-Salian down another moral question. Should he send Crysania and Caramon Majere into the past to save her life and kill Raistlin? The choice seemed obvious, but Tasslehoff Burrfoot, a Kender which were creations of chaos, stowed away and changed history.

The pressure Par-Salian received in the aftermath forced him to step down as the Master of the Conclave. Together with Ladonna, he would travel to a demiplane in search of a lost Tower of High Sorcery, but his legacy would always be one that pushed Krynn into an uncomfortable and devastating future that was only averted by the love of a twin, and the rational thinking of the Master of both Past and Present.

Par-Salian’s life was not an easy one, nor should it have been. But to judge him for his decisions would be folly. He didn’t really have much of a choice it seemed, as history was unfolding at a rapid pace around him, and his gamble on the future of Krynn rode on the back of every outcome. I doubt that I would have done what he did, but then the Dark Queen would probably have won the war. Knowing what followed it’s even more bitter sweet, but Par-Salian gave everything to the Orders of High Sorcery, and to Krynn’s future. Who else would have been as selfless?

Outro

And that is all I have to say about Par-Salian. Do you think he made the right choice with Raistlin? Would his life have been different if he knew he had a child? And finally as a product of his time, do you look down on Par-Salian? 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:

I say, are you sure you saw this Fizban? isn’t he dead? Then he shouldn’t be wandering around, scaring people! I’ll have a talk with him. Hey, you!