Paladine
Encyclopedia
Paladine is a fictional
major deity from the Dragonlance
fantasy series of novels and role playing games
, originally published by TSR, Inc.
and later by Sovereign Press
under the d20
Open Gaming License
developed by Wizards of the Coast
.
Paladine is the leader of the faction of good deities in the Dragonlance
campaign setting. Among his other duties, he is the patron deity of the Order of the Rose, a prestigious order of knighthood. He is also credited with the creation of the elven race in the Dragonlance campaign world. His colors are silver
and white
. In keeping with his role as a major deity, He holds dominion over several concepts, which form his divine portfolio. Among these concepts are Charity, Redemption, Leadership, Law, and Light.
Paladine is described as being the elder brother of Takhisis
and Gilean, the major deities of Evil and Neutrality, respectively. He and Mishakal are the parents of Kiri-Jolith, Habbakuk, and Solinari, who are all lesser deities of good, and of Mina, a lesser god standing apart from Good, Evil and Neutrality.
soon moved to using the character of Fizban as Paladine's avatar
. Thus when Paladine is first encountered in the novels, albeit incognito, in the preface to Dragons of Autumn Twilight, he calls himself "Fizban" and represents himself to be a clumsy and absent-minded wizard. The character of Paladine continues to present himself as "Fizban" through most of the series, although it becomes increasingly evident that Fizban is more than what he appears to be. Eventually, his friendship with the kender
character Tasselhoff Burfoot
becomes so strong he declares the "Fizban" avatar to be his favorite.
After the events of the War of Souls
, Paladine voluntarily gives up his divine status and becomes Valthonis, a mortal elf.
Paladine is also called Draco Paladin, E'li, the Platinum Dragon, Dragonlord, Valiant Warrior, The Dragon's Lord, Bah'mut (strikingly similar to the Dungeons & Dragons platinum dragon Bahamut
), the Great Dragon, Skyblade, Platinum Father, and Thak the Hammer. After the conclusion of the War of the Lance, the deity himself became known as Fizban among the fictional race of kender; thus, referring to "Fizban" by kender can be somewhat ambiguous.
His symbols include the anvil, a silver triangle, a pine tree, and the platinum dragon. In the night sky of Krynn, he can be viewed as the constellation known as the Valiant Warrior, sometimes referred to as the Platinum Dragon. In the first chapters of Dragons of Autumn Twilight
, Raistlin Majere
notes that this constellation, as well as the constellation for Takhisis
, were missing, suggesting that both deities were physically present on Krynn
in their avatar forms. This is later proven to be the case when Raistlin meets Paladine's avatar Fizban in person. The idea that the constellation disappears when the god takes mortal form is reinforced when Paladine and Takhisis both become mortal at the end of Dragons of a Vanished Moon
which concluded the War of Souls
.
voiced Fizban (Paladine) in the animated Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
movie,
directed by Will Meugniot
, written by George Strayton and produced by Toonz Animation, Commotion Pictures, Epic Level Entertainment, Kickstart Entertainment and Paramount Pictures
. It was released January 15, 2008.
s of Fizban, and both characters bear strong similarities to him. Tracy Hickman notes that the character of Fizban belongs to TSR Inc. (and presumably transferred to Wizards of the Coast
), while the characters of Zifnab and Zanfib are owned by himself and Margaret Weis.
Paladine (in his Fizban aspect) has drawn comparisons with the character of Gandalf
in Tolkien's
The Lord of the Rings
. Both serve as guides and mentors to the other characters in the stories. But while Gandalf guides through his wisdom
and legendary status, Fizban is far more awkward and seemingly senseless, constantly putting the characters into worse trouble than they were in before. Nevertheless, in the end Fizban, as with Gandalf, is revealed to be much more than was initially apparent.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
major deity from the Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
fantasy series of novels and role playing games
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, originally published by TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
and later by Sovereign Press
Sovereign Press
Sovereign Press is the name of two different publishers in the U.S.:* Sovereign Press Incorporated is a publisher and distributor of role-playing games....
under the d20
D20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
Open Gaming License
Open Gaming License
The Open Game License may be used by game developers to grant permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, notably game mechanics.-Language of the licence:The OGL describes two forms of content:...
developed by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
.
Paladine is the leader of the faction of good deities in the Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
campaign setting. Among his other duties, he is the patron deity of the Order of the Rose, a prestigious order of knighthood. He is also credited with the creation of the elven race in the Dragonlance campaign world. His colors are silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
. In keeping with his role as a major deity, He holds dominion over several concepts, which form his divine portfolio. Among these concepts are Charity, Redemption, Leadership, Law, and Light.
Paladine is described as being the elder brother of Takhisis
Takhisis
Takhisis is a fictional character from the Dragonlance universe. She is the main goddess of evil and head of the Dark Pantheon.- Titles and forms :...
and Gilean, the major deities of Evil and Neutrality, respectively. He and Mishakal are the parents of Kiri-Jolith, Habbakuk, and Solinari, who are all lesser deities of good, and of Mina, a lesser god standing apart from Good, Evil and Neutrality.
Character background
In the very early stages of the character's development, Paladine and the character Huma Dragonbane were regarded as interchangeable - however, Tracy HickmanTracy Hickman
Tracy Raye Hickman is a best-selling fantasy author, best known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR...
soon moved to using the character of Fizban as Paladine's avatar
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
. Thus when Paladine is first encountered in the novels, albeit incognito, in the preface to Dragons of Autumn Twilight, he calls himself "Fizban" and represents himself to be a clumsy and absent-minded wizard. The character of Paladine continues to present himself as "Fizban" through most of the series, although it becomes increasingly evident that Fizban is more than what he appears to be. Eventually, his friendship with the kender
Kender
Kender are a type of fantasy race first developed for the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game published by TSR Inc. in 1984. The first kender character was created by Harold Johnson as a playable character in a series of role-playing adventures...
character Tasselhoff Burfoot
Tasslehoff Burrfoot
Tasslehoff Burrfoot is a fictional character of the kender race from the Dragonlance series of novels, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. He was born in Kendermore. His parents are unknown and he has few known relatives. He has a sister, and also claims to have an Uncle Trapspringer...
becomes so strong he declares the "Fizban" avatar to be his favorite.
War of Souls
The War of Souls is a fictional war set in the popular Dragonlance fictional universe. The series follows the heroes of The War of the Lance to fill in many details of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game storyline...
, Paladine voluntarily gives up his divine status and becomes Valthonis, a mortal elf.
Symbols and titles
The pantheon of deities in the Dragonlance mythos is divided into three factions; the Good, the Evil, and the Neutral deities. Each of these groups has several deities of varying influence. Paladine is the head of the deities that represent the forces of Good. There is nothing inherently better about the position, it is simply a hierarchy to establish and enforce order.Paladine is also called Draco Paladin, E'li, the Platinum Dragon, Dragonlord, Valiant Warrior, The Dragon's Lord, Bah'mut (strikingly similar to the Dungeons & Dragons platinum dragon Bahamut
Bahamut (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Bahamut is a powerful draconic deity, who has the same name as Bahamut from Arabic mythology....
), the Great Dragon, Skyblade, Platinum Father, and Thak the Hammer. After the conclusion of the War of the Lance, the deity himself became known as Fizban among the fictional race of kender; thus, referring to "Fizban" by kender can be somewhat ambiguous.
His symbols include the anvil, a silver triangle, a pine tree, and the platinum dragon. In the night sky of Krynn, he can be viewed as the constellation known as the Valiant Warrior, sometimes referred to as the Platinum Dragon. In the first chapters of Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragons of Autumn Twilight is a fantasy novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, based on a series of Dungeons & Dragons game modules...
, Raistlin Majere
Raistlin Majere
Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the Dragonlance series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in Dragonlance: Legends in which he was both primary protagonist and antagonist...
notes that this constellation, as well as the constellation for Takhisis
Takhisis
Takhisis is a fictional character from the Dragonlance universe. She is the main goddess of evil and head of the Dark Pantheon.- Titles and forms :...
, were missing, suggesting that both deities were physically present on Krynn
Krynn
Krynn is the fictional world of the Dragonlance novels, co-written by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. It has also been used in many other books, set in the Dragonlance universe. It is also used as the main setting in the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing...
in their avatar forms. This is later proven to be the case when Raistlin meets Paladine's avatar Fizban in person. The idea that the constellation disappears when the god takes mortal form is reinforced when Paladine and Takhisis both become mortal at the end of Dragons of a Vanished Moon
Dragons of a Vanished Moon
Dragons of a Vanished Moon is a NY Times Best Seller fantasy novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.-Plot summary:The book starts out with Palin Majere and Dalamar trapped inside the Tower of High Sorcery trying to find a way out....
which concluded the War of Souls
War of Souls
The War of Souls is a fictional war set in the popular Dragonlance fictional universe. The series follows the heroes of The War of the Lance to fill in many details of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game storyline...
.
Dragonlance movie
Actor Neil RossNeil Ross
Theodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
voiced Fizban (Paladine) in the animated Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight is a 2008 animated film, the first to be based on the Dragonlance campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons. It is based on the first novel in the setting, Dragons of Autumn Twilight by co-creators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, both of whom supplied creative...
movie,
directed by Will Meugniot
Will Meugniot
Will Meugniot is an American writer, storyboard and comics artist, film producer and director.- List of works :* The DNAgents * Exosquad * G.I. Joe: Valor vs...
, written by George Strayton and produced by Toonz Animation, Commotion Pictures, Epic Level Entertainment, Kickstart Entertainment and Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. It was released January 15, 2008.
Comparisons with other fictional characters
Weis and Hickman later introduced a similar character in the Death Gate Cycle named Zifnab, and in The Mantle of Kendis-Dai named Zanfib. Both names are anagramAnagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
s of Fizban, and both characters bear strong similarities to him. Tracy Hickman notes that the character of Fizban belongs to TSR Inc. (and presumably transferred to Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
), while the characters of Zifnab and Zanfib are owned by himself and Margaret Weis.
Paladine (in his Fizban aspect) has drawn comparisons with the character of Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
in Tolkien's
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. Both serve as guides and mentors to the other characters in the stories. But while Gandalf guides through his wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
and legendary status, Fizban is far more awkward and seemingly senseless, constantly putting the characters into worse trouble than they were in before. Nevertheless, in the end Fizban, as with Gandalf, is revealed to be much more than was initially apparent.
See also
- Dragonlance portal