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Who's Who

"Ouch, my toe! Confound it! Lost my place. Stupid staff! Where's my hat?"

- Enter, Fizban the Fabulous,
Test of the Twins

Although the world of Krynn is a much less... umm... interesting place after the departure of the charmingly eccentric Fizban, many important sorcerers remain in the Fifth Age. No book devoted to sorcery would be complete without a section discussing some of these fascinating characters.

Familiar Sorcerers

Characters like Palin Majere, the Shadow Sorcerer, and the Master of Wayreth Tower are central to the ebb and flow of current events in Ansalon. However, several other DRAGONLANCE: FIFTH AGE supplements (most notably The Last Tower) have already dealt with these characters in depth. To keep from repeating material, several sorcerer characters likely to have strong impacts on FIFTH AGE campaigns, but who have been detailed elsewhere, are presented in capsulized form in the following pages.

Palin Majere

The most famous sorcerer of all in the Fifth Age, Palin Majere is the only member of the Last Conclave (the group credited with the discovery of sorcery) that is an accessible public figure. He is the founder of the Academy of Sorcery near Solace and still has frequent contact with the Knights of Solamnia, Goldmoon and her disciples, the elven resistance movement in Qualinesti, and even the Master of Wayreth Tower. Many consider him the linchpin that keeps relations current and cordial between most of the disparate groups which oppose the Great Dragons.

Palin, nephew of the legendary Raistlin Majere, is now in his mid-fifties and, although his hair is streaked with gray and the lines on his face and hands are deepening, he remains a vibrant man with nerves of steel and a steadfast devotion to truth and righteousness. He spends most of his time teaching and studying at the Academy, but still makes himself available to aid or accompany heroes on truly worthy quests.

Palin Majere: Human adult male, impulsive demeanor. Legend, 1. Ag 8C, Dx 8c, St 7D, En 7D, Re 10A (100), Pe 9B, Sp 9C, Pr 9C, Dmg +2 (quarterstaff), Def 0 (no armor), also acute hearing, sorcery (pyromancy, summoning, divination).

The Shadow Sorcerer

In Krynn today there is no more enigmatic person than the Shadow Sorcerer. A stooped figure that is always hidden under layers of wispy, gray robes with a cavernous hood, no one knows for certain whether the Shadow Sorcerer is human or elf, or even male or female (most refer to him as male for convenience). His face, when not cloaked by his hood, is always covered by a blue-black metal mask.

Since walking out of the Desolation with a command of magic unknown since the Second Cataclysm, the Shadow Sorcerer has become an infa- mous personality. He wandered for years predicting the downfall of mankind at the claws of the Great Dragons, but refused to teach the secret of his magic to anyone. Amazingly, he participated in the Last Conclave and was instrumental in unlocking the secrets of sorcery. Although rumors as to his real identity abound, no one knows the truth, and the Shadow Sorcerer seems quite content to remain a living mystery.

The Shadow Sorcerer: True race, age, and gender unrevealed, enigmatic demeanor. Legend, 5. Ag 9C, Dx 9B, En 9B, St 9D, Re 10A (100), Pe 9A, Sp 9B (81), Pr 9A, Dmg 0 (unarmed), Def -2 (source unrevealed), also acute sight and hearing, melee weapons (quarterstaff/+2), sorcery (geomancy, divination, spectramancy), mysticism (mentalism).

The Master of the Tower

The mysterious figure who is the Master of Wayreth Tower is known by no other name. While the Master appears to be a very tall, vigorous human, he is actually a physical manifestation of the Tower itself, which is sentient (see The Last Tower). This secret is known by a very few powerful sorcerers, including Palin Majere and several members of the defunct Conclave of Wizards. However, it is possible for visitors to the Tower to guess the truth.

The Master is a powerful sorcerer; he can cast spells from any school and has the unique ability to create spells which directly affect living things. He can instantly move to any point within the Tower of Wayreth or the protective forest that surrounds it. Also, he can assume the form of any wizard from the Third or Fourth Ages of Krynn, and while in that form he knows everything that wizard knew.

The Master of the Tower: Human adult male, thoughtful demeanor, Legend. Ag 5C, Dx 5C. En 10C, St 10C, Re 10A (100), Pe 9B, Sp 10C, Pr 9A, Dmg +2 (quarterstaff), Def 0 (no armor), also sorcery (not subject to normal limitations; see above and The Last Tower).

Jaclyn Cashel

Head librarian at the Tower of Wayreth, Jaclyn Cashell is an impeccable source of information on the history and lore of High Sorcery. She is a squat, solid woman with baggy cheeks, pufiy eyes, and gray hair peppered with black that is usually pulled back into a loose knot. Although she is quite adept at sorcery, Jaclyn disdains it as "inferior" to High Sorcery. Still, no one alive today is a greater authority on magical items.

Jaclyn can usually be found in the south tower at Wayreth and is happy to answer any questions on almost any magical subject, although she has trouble maintaining a train of thought. Her mind is brilliant, but she sees so many possibilities and knows so many facts that her answers are often more confusing than the original question. Jaclyn's forceful, often brusque manner can sometimes seem intimidating.

Jaclyn Cashell: Human elder female, resolute demeanor. Master. Ag 4D, Dx 5D, En 6D, St 5D, Re 8A (64), Pe 7B, Sp 6C, Pr 7X, Dmg +2 (quarterstaff), Def 0 (no armor), also sorcery (divination, enchantment, transmutation).

Other Important Sorcerers

Presented here are four characters - some familiar, some completely new. They may not be the most famous sorcerers on Krynn but will make interesting additions to FIFTH AGE campaigns.

Mistress Jenna

The city of Palanthas has some of the best shopping on Ansalon. The rule of the Great Dragon Khellendros has done little to change the fact that customers with enough steel can buy just about anything made, caught, or grown on the continent. It should not surprise anyone, then, that in this merchant's paradise there is still a shop devoted solely to selling mage-ware, items used and made by practitioners of High Sorcery, even though that type of magic has been powerless since the withdrawal of the gods.

In the best part of the city, next to shops that cater to the finest of tastes, one can find a simple storefront with no display window and no name on the door. The only identifying mark is a placard bearing the images of three moons: silver, red, and black. They honor Solinari, Lunitari, Nuitari, the three moons that used to hang in the night sky, and the gods of magic they represented.

This mage-ware shop has been open to an exclusive clientele for nearly fifty years. The proprietress. Mistress Jenna, is as infamous in some circles as her shop. Jenna is a former Wizard of the Red Robes. She is also the daughter of Justarius, former head of the Conclave of Wizards, and was the long-time consort of Dalamar the Dark, who succeeded Justarius.While Jenna was never so powerful nor so active as her father or her lover, she was at least as knowledgeable as they were - perhaps even more so - about the political and social relations between the different magical Orders. She may have sold powerful spell components to the mages who visited her shop, but she got something even more valuable from them in return: informa- tion. In the years following the Summer of Chaos, this became her stock in trade.

Because of her reputation - and because many wizards believed she knew what had become of Dalamar - reports, questions, and even highly sensitive secrets were given to her to pass along. It soon was widely said among former magic users that if Jenna didn't know about it, it wasn't really happening. There is no telling how many false rumors she squelched (or promoted), over the years, but it is fair to say that anyone seriously interested in making magic work again visited Jenna's shop.

For her part, Jenna also worked to protect her friends, neighbors, and colleagues from the forces threatening to destroy their mighty city. She organized night guards for the shops surrounding hers, aided those wanting to escape to friendlier environs, and used her connections to make arrangements with the Knights of Takhisis that allowed the merchants in her district to stay in business. Thanks to her influence, the Lord of Palanthas and the top-ranking Dark Knights spent much of their earnings in the shops around hers. (While they were there, many of them also came to her for intelligence on local affairs.)

With the discovery of sorcery, though, Jenna found a new trade. She quickly picked up on the new magical art and now makes a very good living using her shop as a kind of sorcerous cram school. Jenna does not take on full-time students or apprentices, but teaches the basics of sorcery to anyone she thinks capable of learning them ... for a price. Her students don't become master sorcerers, but they do walk away with practical skills that might one day save their lives. Thanks to her, most of the merchants in her district have at least one family member nominally skilled in spectramancy or enchantment. For some reason, she will not teach summoning.

Although Jenna is now sixty, she is still strikingly beautiful. She has long, straight, silver hair, dark piercing eyes, and her every move is graceful and confident. Her slightly cramped shop is filled to capacity with all manner of spices, roots, powders, and dried goods that were once useful as spell components for spells of High Sorcery. The floor has several shelves covered with wands, staves, statues, and other trinkets. Most of these were magical before the withdrawal of the gods, but are now completely mundane. A few, however, are important items from the Tower of Palanthas. Rumors claim that her shelves even hold scrolls from the Great Library. She also has two potent wands, although she has never said what enchantments they carry and never puts them on display. Jenna uses them for personal protection and would not part with them for any price. Rumor has it that they were gifts from Justarius and Dalamar, all she has to remember them by.

Jenna is a good ally for heroes working covertly in Khellendros' realm. She will not personally aid efforts to hinder or topple the current rulers of Palanthas, but she will be an almost unending source of reliable, accurate information - for a price. Of course, she is always willing to trade information for news of people and events of significance from around Krynn. The Narrator should remember, though, that any information the heroes tell her may later be sold to other interested parties, namely anyone in the city that opposes the group.

Mistress Jenna: Human middle-aged female, deliberate demeanor, Hero. Ag 7C, Dx 7B, St 4D, En 5C. Re 9A (81), Pe 7A, Sp 7B (49), Pr SA, Dmg +2 (quarterstaff), Def 0 (no armor), also sorcery (enchantment, spectramancy, summoning), mysticism (sensitivity).

Theo Drawde

Born to a poor-but-honest family during the Summer of Chaos, Theo Drawde was orphaned during the Dragon Purge when an errant blast of flame breath incinerated his home and kin. Left to fend for himself, the young man eventually wound up on the streets of Palanthas, picking pockets, stealing purses, and running from the authorities. One day he picked the wrong pocket and found his wrist locked in the iron grip of a Knight of Takhisis.

The Knight, whose own son had recently drowned in a boating accident, offered young Theo a choice: agree to join the Knights of Takhisis or be turned over to the authorities as a thief. Since the punishment for thievery was death, Theo naturally opted to enlist in the Order. The Knight was stern but fair with the boy, training him with fatherly care. Theo found that the regimented lifestyle suited him well, and the sense of belonging, of family, was something he hadn't felt since his parents were killed.

His years on the streets had left Theo in excellent physical condition, and he quickly worked his way up to squire, then to petition for knighthood. With his adopted father as a sponsor, he was accepted into the Order of the Lily at the age of sixteen. Life on the streets, however, had meant Theo's education was almost completely neglected. The ease with which he mastered military tactics showed that he had a keen intellect, so at his subcommander's urging, he continued to study various topics and expand his areas of expertise.

As he matured, Theo became the very model of a Knight of the Lily, physically powerful (he always was among the top contenders in martial tournaments held within his wing), mentally keen (considered to be among the most promising tacticians in the Order), and unswervingly loyal (having lost one family, he was now completely devoted to the Knights). His one shortcoming was a deep, abiding hatred for dragons, whom he blamed as a race for the death of his family. In most other professions this would not be at all an issue. However, due to the close ties between the Knights of Takhisis and several of the dragon overlords, Theo found his duty occasionally obstructed by his heart.

As the years passed, Theo lived up to his potential. He not only continued to grow in his personal prowess, but also became a very capable leader, respected by all the Knights in his wing, trustworthy in the heat of battle, and able to inspire others to perform above even their own expectations. One promotion followed another until, at the age of twenty-seven, Theo found himself commander of a compgroup assigned to aid the Green Dragon, Beryllinthranox, in maintaining her hold on Qualinesti.

This assignment was difficult to begin with, because of Theo's hatred of dragons, but when he learned that Beryl was killing elves and using their spirits to power her magical items, he knew she was without honor. His loyalties divided, he wrestled with the decision of whether to obey his orders and follow this unprincipled overlord - and risk bringing dishonor to the Order - or to violate the agreement between the Knights and Beryl by ordering his troops to return home, putting his own honor and life on the line.

Eventually, he decided there was no honor in working with Beryl and ordered his compgoup out of Qualinesti mere days before the dragon was beaten by a band of elves led by the members of the Last Conclave. Theo went to tell the dragon face-to-face that the Knights were leaving and why. He was thus the only member of the Order to witness the dragon's defeat.

The raw power of the sorcery used by Palin, the Master of the Tower, and the Shadow Sorcerer was so awesome that Commander Theo Drawde was overcome with fear. He ran blindly into the forest until he collapsed from exhaustion. When he awoke, a figure stood above him. It was the mysterious Shadow Sorcerer, who had worked to defeat Beryl, but now spoke to the Dark Knight as a friend. He patiently explained the theory of sorcery to Theo, taught him the basic principles necessary to unlock the primordial magic of Krynn, and ordered the Knight to take these secrets back to the Order to use in the name of the Dark Queen.

This information, along with Theo's description of Beryl's defeat that day, helped the Knights gain a functional understanding of the new magic, sorcery, long before knowledge of the art became commonplace. As it turned out, Theo proved quite adept at the new magic. He was the first Knight of Takhisis to master more than one school of sorcery and was charged by Mirielle Abrena herself with rebuilding the Order of the Thorn under the principles of sorcery.

Today, Theo is the Lord Knight of the Order of the Thorn. He has forged the Gray Robes into a powerful force, insisting his Knights maintain high physical and martial standards along with their devotion to sorcery. Theo lives by the credo, "knowledge is power," whether that knowledge comes from physical training, sorcerous study, or lessons of history. Because of this, he insists that all Thorn Knights study divination.

Theo is a terribly charismatic leader; his men are nearly as devoted to him as they are to the Order itself, causing some of the Lord Knights to suspect he might be planning to seize control of the Knighthood. One high-ranking Thorn Knight - the scarred, craggy-faced Sir Herel (human middle-aged male, egomaniacal demeanor, Champion) - leads a group of Gray Robes who share these suspicions. Theo is completely loyal to the Dark Knights, however. He would sooner fall on his own sword than raise a finger against this, the only family he actually remembers. Still, rumors persist, and the fear of his Knights and their divinatory powers causes many Knights of the Lily and of the Skull to keep a watchful eye on the Gray Knights.

Theo Drawde: Human adult male, Commanding demeanor, Master. Ag 8B, Dx 7A, En 6A, St SA, Re SA (64), Pe 5B, Sp 6c, Pr 9A, Dmg +7 (long sword), Def -5 (plate), also acute sense of taste, sorcery (divination, electromancy, transmutation).

Emma Xela

Emma Xela is a puzzle solver, one of those rare individuals who can take a familiar situation and look at it from a completely fresh perspective and offer some insight not previously considered. Consequently, she is one of the most famous students at the Academy of Sorcery. She is the living embodiment of the kender adage, "You never know what's in your own pockets until you look."

From the time she was old enough to understand that tales of the great wizards were more than stories made up by her father, a farmer and woodsman in Solace, Emma was determined to learn to wield magical forces herself. She considered herself the luckiest girl on Krynn to live in the same city with actual Heroes of the Lance.

Most of Emma's childhood was spent in and around the Inn of the Last Home, offering to help Tika and Caramon and their daughters with anything that needed doing, listening to the tales they would tell curious customers, and dreaming of even grander adventures for herself and her companions. Mostly, though, she watched the Majeres' son Palin, a hero in his own right and one of the most powerful wizards ever. Emma followed Palin wherever he went, mimicked his gestures and expressions, but mostly she worried about him.

Palin was always theorizing, experimenting with, or writing about ways to access the "new magic" that the old wizard Fizban told him about. Emma would spend whole days sitting by his side trying to think of something, anything, to help him in his research. The adults at the Inn thought the young girl's infatuation with Palin was adorable - everyone but Palin himself, that is. He saw how serious she was about the subject, how important magic was to her. He even saw a bit of himself in that troubled child's eyes.

One day Palin put a cup on the table in front of Emma. The cup held an acorn and was filled to the very brim with water. Palin challenged his young friend to find a way to remove the acorn without spilling the water. Emma thought about the problem for days, but every solution she tried caused the water to spill. Finally she tugged bashfully on Palin's sleeve and admitted that she could not solve the puzzle. Palin picked up the cup, drank the water, and removed the soggy acorn from the now empty cup. When Emma accused him of cheating, Palin told her something that would guide her through the rest of her life.

"When the gods withdrew from Krynn, they took the old rules with them. If we are ever to find the new magic, we must find new eyes to see the world through. Maybe I am too old to do this. My mind was shaped by the old rules. But you, Emma - your eyes are still new. Do not let them be blinded to possibilities, do not accept 'truths' based on assumptions, particularly assumptions formed by the old magic. Look for the truth yourself. If we are to find a truly new type of magic, I think your generation must lead the way."

Emma went away excited, but still a little confused. She thought she understood what Palin meant, and she tried to integrate it into the lessons she was learning from other adults, but they always seemed to grow exasperated with her many questions. Still, she studied hard and kept her sights set on one day becoming a wizard.

As it turns out, Palin was wrong about Emma's generation being the ones to discover the new magic. He himself was instrumental in bringing sorcery to the world, and went on to open the first school for studying the new art. The day the Academy of Sorcery opened, Emma applied to be one of the first students. Her testing, however, went poorly and she was refused admittance. She never gave up her dream, however, and she swore that she would prove herself worthy not only of her goal, but also of the interest that Palin had shown in her. Three years later she entered the Academy, just barely passing the entrance requirement.

Her first months at the Academy were difficult. As much as she wanted to be a sorcerer, spellcasting did not come naturally to Emma. She worked so hard to do everything her instructors told her that she wound up having trouble mastering even the most basic spells. In desperation, she abandoned the methods and advice her mentors were giving her and approached sorcery from a simpler perspective, assuming all sorcerous energy to be the same and each school of sorcery to be merely a variation on one central principle. As a result, Emma discovered a method for combining schools which had eluded the greatest minds at the Academy, even Palin's (see "Multi-School Spells" in Chapter Two).

Emma was hailed as a visionary. She was asked to explain her technique to all the students at the Academy, and afterward found herself being approached by sorcerers much more advanced than she. They posed all sorts of complicated questions about multi-school spells, alternative sources of magical energy, and even the possibility of a sorcerer mastering more than three schools. All this was quite intimidating to Emma, still barely more than a novice spellcaster. To her credit, she answered every inquiry with honesty and self-assuredness.

A tall, thin woman with long, curly, brown hair, Emma is rather shy when first introduced to a new person, but quickly comes out of her shell when a conversation turns to sorcerous theory. She is now a second-year student, although her abilities have grown by leaps and bounds (a fact that Palin attributes to her growing confidence in herself). In fact, she recently discovered within herself an innate affinity for the sensitivity sphere of mysticism, though she has never received a day of mystical instruction.

Emma is by no means the most powerful spellcaster at the Academy, but she may well be the most creative. Many of the school's most skilled students routinely seek her advice before attempting new spells. She is counted among the Academy's best and brightest, and it is certain that, as she studies, her powers will grow beyond even her childhood dreams. Palin takes great pride in her accomplishments and frequently states that he believes her biggest contributions to sorcery are yet to come. He sees Emma as the first true artist of sorcery.

Emma Xela: Human adult female, insightful demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 6A, Dx 8B, En 6C, St 5C. Re 7A (49), Pe 8A, Sp 6B (36), Pr SB, Dmg +4 (cudgel), Def 0 (no armor), also acute senses of sight and touch, sorcery (enchantment, pyromancy, aeromancy), mysticism (sensitivity).

Finkle of the Green Robes

Sometimes the world changes faster than do the people who live in it. The Summer of Chaos, the Second Cataclysm, and the withdrawal of the gods tested the adaptability of all the people of Krynn, but none more than the wizards. The loss of spellcasting ability, without the comfort of religious faith that priests have, caused many former wizards to become despondent. Pinkie was one of those wizards.

In the Fourth Age, Finkle was a White Robe wizard of minor distinction in the city of Tarsis. Not particularly powerful, he was known among the trappers and horse merchants as an amiable fellow who would use his magical skill to help those truly in need. His manner was boisterous and pleasant, and he could often be found carousing and telling tall tales in the local inns.

The withdrawal of the gods left Finkle a shattered man. He was present when, during one of the random acts of destruction of the Chaos War, the minions of the Chaos god caused the ground to open up and swallow a group of mages, including many of his closest friends. He was so taken by surprise that he didn't manage even to begin casting a spell to save them - and then it was over. He blamed himself for their deaths, and when his wizardly powers stopped working, he believed it was a punishment for his failure to act, not understanding that the gods of magic had abandoned Krynn. He left Tarsis and walked alone, unprovisioned, into the wilderness.

Nothing more was seen or heard of Finkle for nearly twenty-five years. Then, early in the year 25sc, a merchant driving his wagon across the Plains of Dust came upon an weather-beaten figure seated in the middle of the road, wearing green robes, and apparently causing miniature rain clouds to form above and shower down on the barren ground that framed the road. The merchant asked the man his name and offered him transport out of the desert. The man merely grinned mischievously and said,

Once I wore robes of white,
But now I've seen
That Krynn cries for a champion
To make her green.
Tempered by sorrow,
I've learned a new knock;
Know that Finkle, now of Green Robes,
Has finally come back!

The merchant rolled his eyes and told Finkle to hurry up and get in the cart if he wanted a ride.

Finkle, still speaking in questionable rhyme, would say very little to those who knew him about what had happened to him in the past twenty-five years. He claimed to have been in communication with the gods, particularly Solinari. The god of his former Order told him, Finkle said, that people had become too wasteful of the gifts the gods had left for them, that the creations of the gods (the world, plants, animals, and even the intelligent races themselves) were vessels which contained everything the people would ever need. It was Solinari's wish that people use those gifts rather than destroying the world through greed, hatred, and war.

No one believed a word Finkle said until the old man called down a frigid wind and created a sudden snowstorm out of a clear sky. He said that Solinari no longer wanted the people to worship the moon, but rather Krynn herself, and those who did would find their eyes opened to new powers, wonderous and magical. Many still doubted Pinkie's story, but no one could deny that he had somehow regained at least some of his wizardly powers.

In fact, Finkle was the first person to use sorcery publicly. To this day, not even Palin Majere and his representatives from the Academy of Sorcery can understand how Finkle, alone in the desert, had unraveled the secret of the new magic fully three years before the Last Conclave. They do not believe the old man actually talked to Solinari, but it is obvious that something - perhaps one of the lost huldrefolk or scions - gave him an insight into the nature of sorcery. Whatever the truth, Finkle is now a sorcerer of the first order. ,p> He is a strange fellow, looking much older than his fifty-odd years, with long, white hair and dry, sun-wrinkled skin. Always clad in his green robes, Finkle will talk at length to anyone who will listen about Solinari's lessons and the gifts left behind by the gods. He has a unique outlook on the dragon overlords, claiming that some, like Malystryx, are plagues here to destroy Krynn, while others, such as Beryllinthranox, are good and serve to regenerate the wonders of this world.

Today, Finkle still wanders the Plains of Dust in the realm of Duntollik, creating rain to soften this cold, parched land, and preaching his quasireligion to anyone he meets. Everyone who spends any length of time with Finkle believes him to be quite mad. From time to time he has taken on apprentices, begun their training in hydromancy, aeromancy, or spectramancy, and then told them to "make their way throughout the lands of Krynn ... letting ignorance out, and Solinari's word in."

Finkle of the Green Robes: Human middle-aged male, methodical demeanor, Champion. Ag SB, Dx 9A, St 6C, En 8A, Re 7A (49), Pe SA, Sp 7B (49), Pr SD, Dmg +2 (staff sling), Def 0 (no armor), also acute senses of smell and taste, sorcery (hydromancy, aeromancy, spectramancy), mysticism (healing).

Magical Races

In the three short years since the Last Conclave, the spellcasters of Ansalon have developed the art of sorcery from a sound theory into a working system of magic. Nearly every day, some advance, large or small, is made in the comprehension or application of sorcery. For all this success, however, the mortal sorcerers of Krynn are only just scratching the surface of this primordial magic. Several races and some creatures, early creations of the gods for the most part, are born with an innate knowledge and control of sorcery.

It would be pure arrogance for mortals to think that they have, in these few years, gained as complete an understanding of sorcery as the creatures and races who have wielded it for millennia. Several students at the Academy of Sorcery have devoted their entire careers to researching and studying the magical races. By poring through old tomes describing these races and creatures, as well as studying firsthand those that still exist in Anslon today, they hope not only to improve their understanding of sorcery as it is currently used, but also to glean insight into the art itself which will suggest new lines of study.

Unfortunately, many of the races which seem to have the highest amount of natural sorcerous ability are among the Lost Folk of Krynn, races which have not been seen in the world for so long that many people consider them to be nothing more than legends.

This section outlines some of the unique qualities of these magical races, both the lost and those still active on Krynn today. The sidebars scattered through it describe optional rules, legends, or other "secrets" for the Narrator's eyes only. He can decide whether to incorporate them into his campaign.

Dragons

According to the most widely accepted beliefs, dragons were the first children of the gods. After creating the world of Krynn itself, the next thing the gods actually made were the dragons - first the chromatics, then the metallics. As a result, dragons fairly bristle with sorcerous energy. They are arguably the most powerful natural sorcerers Krynn has even seen. They have been using sorcery for centuries longer than mortals have even existed and can create spells that generations of mortal sorcerers might never comprehend, let alone reproduce.

This bears repeating. Dragons have used sorcery since before the gods created mortals. There have been a great many texts written over the centuries which describe dragons casting spells from one or another of the Orders of High Sorcery. This presumption must now be called into question. Did the dragons actually use High Sorcery as well as their innate spellcasting ability, or has their magic, undefinable as it has been to mortals, always followed the ancient ways? Either conclusion seems possible. The only likely way mortals will ever discover the answer is if an ancient dragon answers it. Considering the history of their existence as a race extends beyond ten thousand years, and in that time they have not seen fit to describe the workings of their magic to mortals, it is not very probable that any such admission is forthcoming.


Secrets of the Dragons

According to the description in Chapter Six of the Book of the Fifth Age, the dragons' use of sorcery is held to the same restrictions as any other characters'. They have access to only three schools of sorcery and three spheres of mysticism and have no greater understanding or control over the powers they wield than do mortal sorcerers and mystics; they simply have more spell points at their disposal.

An optional rule that Narrators may consider is to ease some of the restrictions placed on mortal sorcerers when dealing with dragon magic. The rules may be bent in whatever ways will add most to a particular campaign. Perhaps dragons only have to pay half the spell point cost of any spell, or maybe an "A" Reason code allows them access to more than three schools (possibly even all the schools). In addition, they may be able to freely mix sorcery and mysticism, or they may be able to ignore the restriction that sorcery cannot affect living things (in the same way the Master of Wayreth Tower does, as mentioned in his section earlier in this chapter).

Heroes who have interacted with dragons in the Fifth Age may well ask how it is that they suddenly gained one or another of these "new" skills. Any or all of the options above may be explained away with one simple assumption: Dragons have always been able to use these abilities. They have not done so in the past for their own reasons, unfathomable to mortals. Some mortals might discover to their detriment mat dragons do not fit neatly into their litte classifications.


Scions

One of the most elusive of the Lost Folk, scions reportedly come from dwarvish stock. They are said to have golden skin and eyes, but normally do not allow mortals to see their true form; anyone who does can always see that scion thereafter, unless he is blinded or is robbed of his memory. Scions are masters of magic (particularly illusions) and are effectively immortal, with lifespans covering at least two millennia. However, scions are also supposedly unable to reproduce.

Since the accepted version of the history of this race says that its population dwindled to a mere twelve at the time of the first Cataclysm, it seems most probable that scions perished as a race some time in the intervening centuries. Still, given their ability to disguise themselves as anyone or any creature, there is no way to be sure that no scion yet lives.

Scions were considered masters of "wild magic." Modern scholars believe this to be a reference to sorcery, and think that the scions trained their disciples in the use of primordial magic. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of this theory, however, is its implications, if one is to believe the story contained on a set of stones known as the Dairly Tablets.

The Dairly Tablets imply that a captive scion tricked the Kingpriest to use the power of sorcery to "call down the curse that men call the Cataclysm." In light of this disturbing reference, some scholars ask whether if sorcery, taken to its fullest potential, can be used to affect the world so profoundly, is it wise for mortals to rush headlong into its study?


Secrets of the Scions

Several tales are told concerning a scion named Verash. In the early years of the Dragon Purge he began appearing in towns that were threatened by the conflicts, warning locals of impending doom and urging them to rise up and drive the mighty beasts from Ansalon once and for all. He would have been dismissed summarily were it not for the fact that no one had ever seen a "golden dwarf" before.

Verash not only urged folks to take arms against the dragons, but also spoke to them of magic that they could harness even though the gods had left, providing impressive demonstrations of his mastery of sorcery as he explained himself. After one or two of his demonstrations destroyed buildings (or even entire towns), though, people became as afraid of the scion as they were of the dragons, and soon stories of his appearances grew fewer and fewer. He has not been seen at all in nearly five years.

The mystery of Verash's identity, and whether or not he truly was a scion, remains. If he was a scion, was he alone or were several of the creatures working together? Does he know the fates and current locations of the other eleven scions from the Age of Dreams? Why did he urge mortals to fight dragons, a battle they would most assuredly lose? These questions may never be answered. On the other hand, Verash may reappear at any time with a new message for mankind.


Huldrefolk

The huldre are perhaps the most mysterious race ever to walk the face of Krynn, if only because no one has ever been able to determine their origin. Also known as faeries, huldrefolk were extremely magical in nature and often immune to the effects of High Sorcery. Coupled with the fact that all huldre were associated with particular elements of nature, this has led modern researchers to conclude that the "nature magic" huldrefolk used was, in fact, sorcery. Because of the way their magic combined both living and nonliving aspects, though, it is widely believed that the huldre were equally skilled in sorcery and mysticism.

The huldre created many monuments throughout Ansalon which still stand today. Rings of stone monoliths on isolated hilltops and, more importantly, gigantic stone arches built by the huldre can be found across the face of Krynn. According to legend, the arches are gates to a place known as "the Gray," where the huldrefolk are supposed to have gone when they left this world.

No huldrefolk have been seen in centuries; despite this fact, rumors that they still walk Krynn abound. Legend says that in the light of day they can walk in the world unseen, while at night they may appear in their gray-skinned bodies or take on forms related to the particular element they are associated with - one huldre may have a body made of earth, another of air, and a third of wheat or some other type of plant.


Secrets of the Huldre

No reputable scholar believes that huldrefolk are still alive on Krynn. However, five years ago these same scholars would have sworn there was no source of wizardly power other than High Sorcery. Any huldre still active on Krynn have remained undetected since the Age of Dreams.

Except for Fissure, of course. This huldre, whose powers tie him to the element of earth, appeared to Khellendros shortly after the Second Cataclysm and offered his services to the Great Dragon, knowing he sought to return to the Gray as he himself did. Today, Fissure helps Skie attain artifacts he believes will power a spell to reopen one of the huldre's ancient portals.

Other than this example, though, only the most dire of emergencies would tempt the huldrefolk out of hiding to contact mortal sorcerers. However, Narrators may wish to center quests around investigations of the huldrefolk's monoliths, which may be extremely powerful reservoirs of magical energy.


Irda

Usha Majere, wife of the famous sorcerer Palin, was raised by the Irda. She is certainly human, but carries herself with the quiet, inner beauty that the lost race of high ogres is reputed to have had. She is always happy to talk about her days among the Irda, although her eyes cloud over with a sad nostalgia when she does. Almost everything researchers know about Irda comes from her reports and a letter she brought with her when her guardians returned her to the world of men.

"The Irda View of Creation" (contained in Usha's letter) is increasingly accepted as "correct" by Fifth Age historians. The Irda are of a race created by Takhisis to embody beauty, avarice, and selfishness. The creatures that followed this path eventually evolved into ogres, immensely powerful, but their beauty long ago consumed by their greed. The Irda, despairing at the thought of such a fate, asked Paladine to aid them. They were able to resist the fate of the ogres, but only by becoming solitary creatures, unable to bear close proximity to others, even of their own race.

Other reports claim they are the descendants of Igraine, the high ogre who stood against the enslavement of humans during the Foundation time and fled with his clan to a faraway land to live in isolation away from their brutish kin. In any case, they were long lived enough to seem immortal in human terms, and enjoyed long, fruitful lives on the fringes of mortal existence, chronicling history, meditating, or practicing their natural magical abilities.

The Irda themselves have never questioned their magical talent. They always considered it to be part of their blood, spellcasting coming as easily to them as tasting and touching do to mortals. Followers of High Sorcery who encountered this reclusive race despised them as "renegades," but today's spellcasters see them as natural sorcerers and mystics. When a young sorcerer masters his lessons quickly these days, he is likely to be teased about having "Irda blood."


Secrets of the Irda

Because the Irda reputedly lived in nearly complete isolation, even from one another, some researchers hold out hope that some members of this race survived the Second Cataclysm. If they did, they would be extremely difficult to identify. According to Usha, the Irda can disguise themselves perfectly as any creature or thing they like, so they will be quite a challenge to locate if they do not wish to be found.

Still, some Irda found humans, elves, and the other mortal races to be fascinating and walked among them for years at a time. They were known to use their centuries of experience and innate sorcerous abilities to provide support and guidance to creatures they deemed particularly worthy.

If the heroes are embroiled in a particularly difficult quest whose success will benefit the entire world of Krynn, the Narrator might include a helpful character who is actually an Irda in disguise. If his secret is even suspected, though, the Irda will certainly withdraw, and little the heroes do will help them find him.


Dragon Mages

One area of sorcery which is understood only in the most basic of terms is the relationship between this magic that affects only nonliving targets and the living people who cast it. Only recently have sorcerers enjoyed any success in working together to cast extremely powerful spells. Even when this does happen, there are severe limitations on who can work together and what type of spells they can cast (see "Group Castings" in Chapter Four).

A major innovation in this area of study has come to light, however. Recently it became known that Ulin Majere, son of Palin and a skilled student at the Academy of Sorcery, had cast spells that normally would be completely beyond his abilities. He accomplished this feat by entering into a fellowship with a gold dragon named Sunrise.

After listening to eyewitness descriptions of these unparalleled spellcasting events, interviewing the few available experts on dragons, and researching the matter as thoroughly as possible. Academy sorcerers agree that Ulin has entered into a relationship with Sunrise that has changed both the dragon and the sorcerer forever.

This relationship, they concluded, resembles the bond between some warriors and their dragon mounts (best exemplified by Flare's noted tie with Steel Brightblade and Khellendros's relationship with Kitiara) and possibly even similar to the more romantic attachments formed between Gilthanas and Silvara, and Huma and Heart. The pairing is not, however, based on martial necessity or honor, nor is it based on love and yearning. This bond stems from a mutual passion for sorcery and a shared devotion to a particular goal. Certainly the two, man and dragon, are still the individuals they once were. But together they become something more - they are a dragon mage.

Nature's Call

The obvious first question is, "Why does this happen?" After all, most dragons consider humans (and the other mortal races) a "lesser race" at best and "dinner" at worst. Humans have been known to drop dead of fright from the mere sight of a dragon. Still, throughout history human and dragon pairs have overcome their obvious differences to become not only fast friends, but inseparable partners.

Some philosophers, although not particularly reputable ones, have postulated that dragons are the exact antithesis of humans, that the two species occupy the same niche in the celestial plan but come from opposite ends of the spectrum. Dragons are huge and powerful, masters of all creatures, following the dictates of their instincts throughout their centuries long lives; they are also quite rare. Humans, on the other hand, are smaller, weaker, and far more numerous creatures by comparison, who struggle against the overwhelming forces of nature, adapting to changes and denying the darker urgings within their hearts to carve a spot for themselves in a world that seems forever poised to wipe them out. Two more dissimilar species would be hard to find, yet they have long been the two dominant species on Krynn.

Perhaps it is this very adaptability and dominance that leads dragons and humans to work together.

One in a Million

Obviously it is rare for dragons and humans to forge any bond of friendship, let alone one so special that it links them permanently, but over the centuries it has happened often enough for researchers to begin to understand the kinds of situations that might cause such bonds to form.

The bonding of a human (or occasionally an elf) and a dragon is based solely on shared interests, usually a common purpose or goal of global importance. The process first requires that a dragon and human meet under conditions that do not make enemies of them, a rare occurrence in itself. This can happen in any number of ways, but the two most common seem to be when dragon and human work together in some martial action (the human riding the dragon into battle), or when the dragon in humanoid form walks among mortals in disguise (and the human thinks he is forging a friendship with another humanoid being).

However the relationship begins, if the dragon and human are of similar temperament they may find themselves acting more and more in unison, anticipating one another's moves, and even spending most of their time together, forsaking other friendships and relationships to feed their own. Most experts accept that when the dragon and human are of opposite sexes there is a very good possibility that they will become romantically attached. This link may happen at the very beginning of the relationship or it may develop over time, but once it happens the two individuals enter into a symbiotic relationship that probably will last for life.

This bond is in no way a controlling influence on either the human or dragon. They are not forced to spend time together against their wills, and either one can choose to leave or remain separated from the other for long periods of time. One need only look at the example of Gilthanas and Silvara to see the proof of this fact. Though a bond had formed and they obviously loved each other, the elf prince Gilthanas left Silvara, and the pair spent nearly seventy years apart. All that time and distance, however, could not destroy their relationship. (See the adventure A Killing Frost for details on their fateful reunion.)


Dragon Mages in a Campaign

Although there is a long and colorful history of dragons and humans bonding for common goals, both noble and base, there is at this point in the DRAGONLANCE Saga only one dragon mage: Ulin Majere, with Sunrise.

Of course, this may well be because humans have had knowledge of sorcery for fewer than five years, but it seems unlikely that, even with advanced knowledge of their art, sorcerers will find enough in common with dragons to make bonding a more frequent occurrence.

Dragon mages are powerful and rare. The Narrator may certainly allow heroes in his campaign to attain this status, but he should be aware that this link will change the power level of his whole campaign. Players should not be able to insist that, since dragon mages exist on Krynn, their heroes can attain this position. These heroes are one in a million - otherwise, they would have been included in the roles chapter. If dragon mages are allowed in a campaign, becoming one should be the result of a very long and difficult quest.

A hero who desires to become a dragon mage must meet some strict requirements. He must have a high Spirit code (at least a "B") and Presence score (7 or higher). While the hero and dragon need not share common schools of sorcery, they must have some very strong similarities. A common enemy, a shared vision of the future, and romantic attraction are among the most frequent ties found in human-dragon pairs.

Narrators must remember that, when a bond forms between a hero and a dragon, the dragon does not become his pet or familiar; he retains complete autonomy. The bond they share means that the two will agree about most basic decisions, but the dragon still may refuse to participate in the hero's plans for any number of reasons, including moral or ethical conflicts, disagreements over the wisdom of a plan, or even because the dragon has a plan he thinks is better than the hero's. Dragons are super-intelligent creatures, often with tremendous egos. They will not be cowed by any human, not even ones they have chosen to bond with.


Who is a Dragon Mage?

Once the bonds of friendship, fellowship, and purpose have tied a dragon and human together, each one draws strength and confidence from the other, making them a most formidable pair. When the human involved is a sorcerer, though, their unity of heart and mind allows him to draw more than spiritual strength from his companion. He also can tap his dragon partner's sorcerous abilities to strengthen his own spells.

Once a sorcerer has formed a bond with a dragon, he gains the following advantages whenever the two work together (in close proximity):

- He adds the dragon's sorcery point total to his own pool, allowing him to cast many more points' worth of spells per day than he ever could before. However, any spells the dragon himself casts subtract from this total normally.
- He averages his Reason score with the dragon's Intellect score, rounding fractions down, and uses this number to determine his action score in spellcasting. (A dragon mystic, theoretically, would average his Spirit score with his dragon's Essence score.) The same concept applies to the hero's Perception score in attempts to resist sorcerous spells.
- If the sorcerer and dragon both have knowledge of a particular school of sorcery, they should add their Reason and Intellect scores rather than average them when casting spells from that school. They can add the hero's Perception score to the dragon's Intellect when resisting spells of the common school.
- The action to use a magical item succeeds for dragon mages automatically unless it is opposed. In this case, the difficulty number of the action is equal to the opposition value alone.
- If the sorcerer is known to be a dragon mage, he should average his Presence score with the Essence score of the dragon and use this number to perform Presence actions (except to resist the effects of mystic magic). If the dragon is present, the hero-sorcerer should use its Essence score instead.

The advantages that the dragon mage gains from this pairing are plain. When one considers the fact that humans are by nature so short-lived and so much less capable at things dragons can do, one wonders what exactly a dragon gains by entering into a union with a human.

Dragons are creatures of habit. With only one or two notable exceptions, they follow the dictates of their natures almost slavishly. Although many dragons are considered impulsive or impatient, their long lives mean that reactions which seem immediate to them may actually be months, if not years, in the planning. The lives of mortals, particularly humans, are so short to them that young dragons have difficulty grasping the concept that these races are anything more than impotent mites crawling over the face of Krynn.

However, the fact that humans have succeeded in taming the lands they live in, becoming masters of Ansalon - at least until the arrival of the dragons - tells the behemoths that the puny little mortals have power that remains cleverly hidden. Many dragons believe that part of humanity's power lies in the brevity of their existence, the immediacy of their lives. Everything must happen quickly, plans must be made, executed, and followed up in the space of only a few short decades or the human will never be able to see them through to fruition.

By pairing themselves with humans, dragons inherit some of the immediacy that rules humanity. They learn to do things quickly and to follow one action instantly with another and, as a result, to know the torrent of emotions that swirls within the human breast. This may be the most unexpected advantage dragons get from bonding with a human. Knowing that their human partners will be with them for only a relatively short time, and that any battle may be the last they share, the dragons understand for the first time the irrepressible elation of triumph and the vacuous ache of failure.

The First Dragon Mage

Ulin Majere comes from perhaps the most distinguished family of heroes on Krynn. His parents, Palin and Usha, fought to save the world from Chaos, his grandparents, Caramon and Tika, are Heroes of the Lance, and his uncle was Raistlin, perhaps the greatest mage ever. Ulin has magic in his blood and has grown up with the best role models available. It should come as no surprise that, despite his relative youth, he has already made several major contributions to the understanding of sorcery.

Palin trained Ulin from a very young age in the principles of magic. He knew that High Sorcery was gone and that a new magic was waiting to be found, but Palin believed that the most important part of being a spellcaster lay in developing a strong character and a sharp mind. These lessons proved invaluable to Ulin, who was an eager student. When Palin discovered the new sorcery with the aid of the Shadow Sorcerer and the Master of the Tower, Ulin immediately began experimenting with it, under his father's tutelage, and found that his years of preparations paid off. Although he was not nearly as capable a sorcerer as Palin, Ulin picked up the art more quickly than most.

After only a few short months, very few could equal his understanding of the various schools. Still, his ability to cast spells seemed to have peaked. Try as he might, and despite his expert comprehension of the art, Ulin's skill as a sorcerer showed no signs of improving. During this time he engaged in research, aided from time to time by the enigmatic Shadow Sorcerer, to discover the secret of unlocking the sorcerous energy held in magical artifacts and other items of legend.

Not satisfied just by his work having an impact on the entire sorcerous community, Ulin became despondent and left the Academy campus less and less often. It was obvious that he needed to do something to boost his self-esteem, but his family was at a loss to help him.

An expedition leaving for Southern Ergoth, to visit Huma's Tomb, seemed tailor made for Ulin. The group needed sorcerous aid and, despite the fact that that part of Ergoth fell under the control of Gellidus the White, it seemed a mission well within Ulin's abilities - just the thing to raise his confidence.

The expedition met more resistance than expected. It turned out that agents of Khellendros the Blue also sought reach Huma's Tomb (see the novel The Day of the Tempest). However, things ultimately went well, and Ulin performed better than he thought possible under the pressure. The greatest surprise of all, though, lay in store for him when he met the gold dragon known to mortals as Sunrise, a guardian of the Tomb.

Even though they were traveling with his grandfather's old friend Gilthanas, who had fallen in love with the silver dragon Silvara long ago, Ulin never even imagined what it might be like to form a close bond with one of the great wyrms. However, when the group was attacked by Gellidus, he and Sunrise found themselves working instinctively as a team. The gold lent Ulin the strength to cast mightier spells than he'd ever dreamed possible and boosted his confidence and ability to levels that would have taken him years to reach on his own.

The battle's end found the two slightly wary of one another. Neither one had planned to act in tandem, and each suspected the other of somehow controlling his actions. However, when Gilthanas and Silvara explained the finer points of the bond that had just been forged all unwittingly, the two calmed down and found that they really did have quite a bit in common. Both impulsive and impatient, Ulin and Sunrise each knew magic to be his calling from as young an age as he could remember. They shared similar tastes in the arts and dining, and both were anxious to make names for themselves in the inevitable battle against Malystryx and the other dragon overlords. Finally, they both marveled at how well Fate and nature work, bringing such suitable companions as themselves together.

Many questions remained to be answered, but there was too much to be done. The true dragonlance the group found in Huma's Tomb, not to mention some dire news that could affect the entire world - the return of Takhisis was imminent - had to be brought back to Solace. Furthermore, someone had to go to the Dragon Isles and ask the wyrms there to join the fight against Malys's scheme to return the Dark Queen to Krynn. Ulin and Sunrise volunteered to fly north and visit the metallics, thankful for the opportunity to spend some time together figuring out the ramifications of their new relationship.

Ulin is the first dragon mage, but probably not the last. He and Sunrise

have not been seen since they left Foghaven Vale, but it is assumed that they arrived at the Dragon Isles after only a few days of travel. If they are awaiting a reply from the metallic dragons, which seems likely, they are probably spending their days exploring the abilities and limits of their bond. When next they are seen in Ansalon, they may have many new insights into the nature of sorcery. Perhaps this partnership will result in a way to combine sorcery (Ulin's specialty) with mysticism (Sunrise's specialty). The spellcasters of Krynn can only wait for their return, but none more eagerly than Ulin's family.

Ulin Majere: Human adult male, impulsive demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 7C, Dx 5B, En 6X, St 5D, Re 8A (64), Pe 6A, Sp SB (64), Pr 7A, Dmg +2 (quarterstaff), Def 0 (no armor), also acute senses of sight and smell, sorcery (enchantment, pyromancy, spectramancy), mysticism (meditation).

Suhnrysanti (Sunrise): A young adult male gold dragon, hedonistic demeanor. Co 10B, Ph 51A, In 11B (121), Es 11A (121), Dmg +16, Def -12, also dragon breath, swallow whole, dragonawe, dive attack, sorcery (transmutation) and mysticism (meditation, alteration, sensitivity).

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