She is introduced as the attractive barmaid, but there is so much more to this character, including a difference of opinion on who she should end up with in the design team. Let’s learn all about Tika Waylan Majere. Buy DL3 Dragons of Hope: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16882/DL3-Dragons-of-Hope-1e?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
She is the rock that Caramon needs but even without him, Tika is a force to be reckoned with.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Tika Waylan Majere. 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 annotated Chronicles and Legends novels including the various DL modules and sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below.
Discussion
Tika was initially supposed to be a major character in the series. She was even supposed to have married Raistlin according to Harold Johnson, but Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman found her fiery temper to be a better contrast to the easy-going Caramon Majere. Margaret reflects on the fact that Caramon would never have been able to confront his problems in Legends if it weren’t for Tika, though she did enable him for quite a while. But before we get into the relationship between Tika and Caramon, we need to do a bit of background work and shed some light on this surprisingly complex character.
Tika Waylan is portrayed by Larry Elmore in his concept art as a gutsy but naive woman. By the time we see her painted for Dragons of Spring Dawning, she has evolved into a more serious warrior who is ready for whatever the world would throw at her. This is a common theme in Dragonlance. Some characters are given wonderfully obvious stories of growth and others are more subtle. Tika’s is a mix of both. Tika’s childhood was not one to envy. Her father was a thief and a small-time illusionist. She ran away from home at ten years of age to live in Solace, and it was there that she took after her father and honed in on her thieving skills. By the age of fifteen, she was an accomplished thief. Her only memento of the father left behind was a golden ring she wore around her neck. Some stories change the narrative from her running away from home to the father abandoning her. This may seem like a slight narrative shift, but it plays heavily into the psyche of the character, and if I am being honest, Tike doesn’t seem to bear the scars of abandonment, but rather, someone who has made tough choices and is forced to stand on her own two feet.
When we are first introduced to her she is incredibly pleased to see the innfellows again, especially Caramon, and now that she has matured into a young woman, she seems sure about what she wants, even if she’s not entirely sure how to get it. Tika is instrumental in helping the companions escape the Inn of the Last Home, offering up her own home to them as refuge. So either she has dealt with the scars of her past or she has buried them, which may play into her willingness to hide Caramons flaws later in life. She ended up working with Otik in his inn after trying to steal from him, and Otik gave her a chance. He saw a child making bad decisions, alone, fending for herself and he offered her stability and a home. In time even the semblance of a father figure. This may be the true catalyst for Tika overcoming her history, through the parental love of a stranger. As every woman who has ever worked in a bar knows, you need to know how to handle the customers and Tika wielded the cast iron skillet with skill.
Between Otik looking after her innocence and her naivete she remained a virgin well into the Chronicles. She simply could not fight the sheer gravitational force of Caramon. She knew he was in an abusive, self-destructive relationship with his twin, but she also knew she could not fill the role if Caramon ever turned solely to her to fill the void left by Raistlin. Caramon grew to like her, admire her then, lust after her. It took Goldmoon’s council to temper his desire for her, as Tika in her innocence would’ve done anything to please or keep Caramon. This is a horrid flaw that is not isolated to Tika, but rather one inherent in many people. It’s also a notion that flies in the face of the character we have come to know thus far. She has survived nineteen years making decisions about her own personal security and morality and now it requires intervention? A stronger writing choice would be for Tika to stand up to Caramon, declaring her love but that she is not ready for sex. Through hard fought battles and adventure, they grew mutual respect and Tika’s love for Caramon never diminished. After the war, Caramon and Tika would marry, but their early lives together would be anything but peaceful. As Caramon took to drinking with as much excitement as rebuilding Solace, Tika began to be more and more alone. Caramon would find comfort in the bottle and Tika would be so ashamed, she would not only enable it, but hide his behavior for him. This is another difficult character decision that is inconsistent. Tika continually lambasts Caramon for his placation and enabling of abuse from Raistlin then she adopts the role herself.
She eventually has enough and gives Caramon an ultimatum. Caramon left after Crysania, and Tika worked while he traveled through time and resolved many of his issues. When he returned, he was finally the man she had always wanted. She was plagued by memories of the war, and would eventually save enough to buy the Inn of the Last Home from Otik. She would give birth to sons Tanin, Sturm, and Palin, and to daughters Laura and Dezra. As her sons found their passions, she grew afraid about Palin taking after his uncle. Then she had to deal with a parent’s worst nightmare. Losing their children. Tanin and Sturm were killed by the Knights of Takhisis’ invasion of Ansalon, and Palin was captured. Far from dismissing her past as a warrior, Tika would take up arms again in defense of Solace. Even traveled to Palanthas with Caramon and part of a Dragonla nce for Dhaman Grimwolf. She would be a rock for her home and family, and when her grandchildren came she doted on them tenderly.
In four-hundred and twenty Alt Cataclius, Tika Waylan Majere would die of old age. A devastated Caramon would bury her next to her two sons, Tanain and Sturm, and plant a vallenwood tree over her grave, before following her a few months later. When I think of a life well lived, a life full of passion, pain, adventure and hard work, I think of Tika. She came from abject poverty and ended up one of the wealthiest people on Krynn. Not in terms of wealth, but more importantly in terms of love. She took care of her husband, her children, her home and her community. She lived a life of significance, and gave more than she took from those around her. I can’t get away from her passion. She loved with everything she was, so much so that it nearly destroyed her. I know some can see this as a flaw or failure, but I admire it. Our world is filled with callous, apathetic, egotistical shells of humans who care more about feigning sympathy for social media post likes than actually doing anything about a cause. It’s sad that I have to turn to a fictional character for inspiration on what a human could be, but Tika is there.
I recognise that there are in fact many wonderful people who stand up for injustice whether it be by protest or voting. This is not meant to take away from that, only to shine a light on a wonderful character who left everyone better by her presence.
Outro
And that is all I have to say about the Tika Waylan Majere. I hope you enjoyed the information. What do you think about Tika? Does she remain consistent as a character in your mind? And finally, if you could eat at the Inn of the Last Home, would it be with Otik as the proprietor or Tika? 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:
Someday fat innkeepers will bow to me.
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