Dragons of Autumn Twilight

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Title Dragons of Autumn Twilight
The original November 1984 first printing paperback cover of "Dragons of Autumn Twilight"
First edition cover
Author Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Cover artist Larry Elmore
Country United States
Language English
Series Dragonlance Chronicles
Genre(s) Fantasy Novel
Publisher Random House
Released November, 1984
Media type Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages 448pp
ISBN ISBN 0-88038-173-6
Followed by Dragons of Winter Night

Dragons of Autumn Twilight is a fantasy novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, based on a Dungeons & Dragons game session[1] It was the first Dragonlance novel, beginning the series in 1984. It is the first in the Chronicles trilogy, which, along with the Dragonlance Legends trilogy, are generally respected as the core novels of the Dragonlance world. The Chronicles trilogy came about because the designers wanted novels to tell the story of the game world they were creating, something to which TSR only reluctantly agreed.[2] Dragons of Autumn Twilight details the meeting of the Companions and the early days of The War of the Lance. It corresponds with the first two Dragonlance game modules, DL1 Dragons of Despair and DL2 Dragons of Flame, but the novel has a different ending to the modules.[3] It introduces many of the characters that are the subject of many other novels and short stories.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight follows a pattern with the other novels in its series, Dragons of Winter Night and Dragons of Spring Dawning, as they all start with Dragons, followed by the a series of seasons, Autumn, Winter, and Spring, as well as a series of time, Twilight, Night, and Dawning.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The book begins with the return of a group of friends consisting of Tanis Half-Elven, Sturm Brightblade, Caramon Majere, Raistlin Majere, Flint Fireforge, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, and Kitiara Uth Matar. They had separated five years previously to pursue their own quests.

On the eve of their reunion, the Companions discover that Solace, the village where many of them made their home, is very different from the peaceful village they had left five years previous. Solace has been taken over by a religious order called the Seekers. They are collaborating with the Dragon Highlords who are preparing for the conquest of the continent of Ansalon. Solace is now an armed camp as goblin soldiers patrol the once peaceful village. Tanis, Flint and Tasslehoff meet up outside of Solace, and as they enter the village, they are accosted by a hobgoblin commander, and some of his minions. Forced to fight, the threesome kill Toede's minions, and continue to the Inn of the Last Home to meet up with their friends, and, as circumstance would have it, two barbarians, Riverwind and Goldmoon. Kitiara Uth Matar is absent, having sent a letter to Tanis saying that "her new lord is keeping her busy".

The Companions soon discover that the Seekers are searching for a Blue Crystal Staff. When Hederick, a Seeker, is accidentally burnt when Riverwind pushes him into the fireplace, Goldmoon heals him with her Blue Crystal Staff, a holy artifact of the goddess Mishakal which possesses healing powers. Upon seeing Goldmoon with the item he had been searching for, Hederick calls for the guards, causing the Companions to flee Solace. Unknown to them at the time, this pulls the Companions into a great struggle against the goddess Takhisis, the Queen of Darkness and leader of the enemy forces.

The companions cross a nearby lake by boat in their escape, and Raistlin notes that the constellations known as “The Valiant Warrior” and “The Queen of Darkness” (representations of the True Gods Paladine and Takhisis) are absent from the sky, which he claims means that the two gods, the heads of good and evil, respectively, have come to Krynn. The next day, the group is attacked by Draconians. These creatures are numerous among the Dark Queen's armies, and often serve as foot soldiers. The Companions are driven into the woods known as "Darken Wood" where they are attacked by undead and rescued by centaur. The Forestmaster charges the group to go the ruined city of Xak Tsaroth, to retrieve the Disks of Mishakal, containing the teaching of the True Gods and instrumental for the restoration of the faith in the True Gods.

2000 paperback edition cover
2000 paperback edition cover

After a lengthy trip (on the backs of pegasi) and several encounters with the forces of darkness, the companions enter Xak Tsaroth and eventually meet some gully dwarves, diminutive and stupid creatures. One of the dwarves, Bupu, leads them to the dragon Khisanth, who is killed by the holy power of the blue crystal staff. When this happens, Goldmoon is consumed by its flame and presumed dead. However, they find her later resting at the foot of a statue of Mishakal, which now bears the Blue Crystal Staff, having blessed Goldmoon with true clerical powers. The Companions leave with the Disks of Mishakal and Bupu also gives an ancient spellbook (formerly belonging to the archmage, Fistandantilus, who has a dark pact with Raistlin and sometimes lends his power to him) to Raistlin and then returns home to her fellow gully dwarves. After returning to Solace (their collective hometown), despite their earlier exploits, to regroup and finding it occupied, the Companions are captured by the evil armies and, along with an elf named Gilthanas, the son of the leader of the elven nation of Qualinesti, are captured and chained in a slave caravan.

En route to the fortress and mining site of Pax Tharkas, the group is freed by Gilthanas's brother Porthios. They return to Qualinesti and decide to lead an attack on Pax Tharkas to free the slaves of Dragon Highlord Verminaard's control. The Companions journey through a secret passage underground to Pax Tharkas and devise a plan to free the slaves. They also heal Elistan, a dying Seeker, and convert him to the faith of the true gods. He becomes the first cleric of Paladine, and eventually the leader of Paladine's church on Krynn, becoming a very influential spiritual leader. He also is believed by Goldmoon to be the recipient of the Disks of Mishakal, which she turns over to him. In the carrying out of the plan, they are betrayed, allowing Verminaard and his dragon to attack the Companions. His dragon is killed by another, insane dragon. Verminaard is killed by Tanis and Sturm. A mysterious figure called "The Everman”, who will come into play in later books, would later appear at a celebration following the slaves' freeing, but he fled after being spotted. According to Tracy Hickman, "The restoration of truth and faith are... to a great extent, the theme of this first book in the series."[4]

[edit] Characters

[edit] Heroes of the Lance

[edit] Other

  • Laurana Kanan, an elven princess and romantic interest of Tanis.
  • Gilthanas Kanan, brother of Laurana.
  • Porthios Kanan, brother of Laurana and Gilthanas.
  • Solostaran Kanan, Speaker of the Suns and father to Laurana, Gilthanas, and Porthios.
  • Fizban, a muddled old wizard.
  • Tika, a red-haired beauty and barmaid.
  • Forestmaster, a talking unicorn.
  • Verminaard, a Dragon Highlord and one of the main antagonists.
  • Ember, a red dragon who serves Verminaard.
  • Flamestrike, a senile old red dragon.
  • Eben, a man in Pax Tharkas who betrays the Companions.
  • The Everman, an enigmatic figure seen in Pax Tharkas and shortly afterward.
  • Bupu, a gully dwarf who assisted the Companions while under the "friend" spell of Raistlin
Spoilers end here.

[edit] Movie adaptation

A movie adaptation, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, is currently in production. It is set to be the first worldwide theatrical movie release based on the Dragonlance campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons. This movie is to be based on the novel. The screenplay adaptation is being handled by George Strayton, with creative assistance by Weis and Hickman, and Will Meugniot is directing. The movie will be done in animation and is being distributed by Paramount Pictures.[5]

[edit] Importance to Dragonlance

The storyline of the whole original Dragonlance series had been plotted and outlined before either the novel trilogy or the games were written.[6] Dragons of Autumn Twilight is important to the Dragonlance World because it is the first novel of the entire Dragonlance series. It was based upon a Dungeons & Dragons session played by the authors, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, as well as some of their friends, some of whom became Dragonlance writers themselves. The novel was written after the first Dragonlance game modules the book was based on were completed. Weis and Hickman felt this was constraining and made the novel feel too episodic, so they reversed the process for the next books and completed the novels before the related modules were written.[7]

This book sets up many of the most important characters, The Heroes of the Lance. According to the Dragonlance Nexus, the Chronicles Trilogy is essential to setting up the foundation for the rest of the novels[8] It was once stated in a Wizards of The Coast interview that Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis make a good team because Hickman is better at writing about good characters, and that Weis is better at writing about dark characters, evident by her love of Raistlin.[9] Dragons of Autumn Twilight is the debut novel for both Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

[edit] Inspirations

Margaret Weis includes allusions to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, one of her favorites stories. References include But there was something disquieting about him—secret, silent, self-contained, and solitary as an oyster[10]and The fate of mankind is my business, turning the quote from meaning good to meaning harm.[11]

In the dedication to this novel, Tracy Hickman dedicates it to his wife, Laura, who he claims is the true Laurana.[12]

Chemosh, god of the undead and of sloth, bears the same name as Chemosh, Biblical god of the Moabites. The name means destroyer, subduer, or fish-god.[13]

Sirrion, god of flame and natural power, bears the same name as the River Sirion, a fictional river in Middle-earth.

Chislev, goddess of nature, has the same name as a Jewish month. The month generally saw much sowing of wheat and barley and plowing.[14]

Zeboim has the same name as a city of the plains, as well as a ravine somewhere north of Jericho. It also can mean gazelles or roes.[15]

[edit] Release details

[edit] References

  1. ^ Margaret Weis [November 1998]. "Forward", The Soulforge, 1st edition, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1314-2. Retrieved on March 19, 2007. 
  2. ^ Archer, Peter (2004), "Dragonlance", in Peter Archer (editor), 30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, ISBN 0-7869-3498-0.
  3. ^ Dobson, Michael (1985). Dragons of Mystery. TSR, 5. ISBN 0-88038-090-X. 
  4. ^ Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman [November 1999]. "Book 1, chapter 16, A bitter choice. The greatest gift.", The Annotated Chronicles, 1st edition, Wizards of the Coast, 197. ISBN 0-7869-1870-5. Retrieved on July 1, 2006. 
  5. ^ Kiefer Sutherland Headlines Dragonlance Movie by Zonk of Slashdot..
  6. ^ Tracey Hickman quoted in (November 1984) "Chronicles: a novel idea". Dragon #91 Vol. IX (No. 6): 44-45. ISSN 0279-6848. 
  7. ^ Interview: Screenwriter, George Strayton. Dragonlance movie site (2007-02-22). Retrieved on March 24, 2007.
  8. ^ Recommended Dragonlance Reading List. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.
  9. ^ Dragons of the Dwarven Depths Chat Transcript. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.
  10. ^ Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman [November 1999]. "Book 2, volume 1, chapter 5, The riot. Tas disappears. Alhana Starbreeze.", The Annotated Chronicles, 1st edition, Wizards of the Coast, 529. ISBN 0-7869-1870-5. Retrieved on July 1, 2006. 
  11. ^ Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman [November 1999]. "Book 2, volume 1, chapter 8, Escape from Tarsis. The story of the Dragon Orbs.", The Annotated Chronicles, 1st edition, Wizards of the Coast, 572. ISBN 0-7869-1870-5. Retrieved on July 1, 2006. 
  12. ^ Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman [April 1984]. Dragons of Autumn Twilight, 3rd edition, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1574-9. Retrieved on August 15, 2006. 
  13. ^ Chemosh. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.
  14. ^ The Month Chislev. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.
  15. ^ Zeboim. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.

[edit] Other Books

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