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. He is twin brother to Caramon Majere, half-brother to his protective sister Kitiara uth Matar, and a significant member of the Heroes of the Lance. In the animated movie adaptation, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Raistlin was voiced by Kiefer Sutherland.
Born to a mother prone to trance-like fits and a woodcutter father, Raistlin inherited his mother's aptitude for magic. He undertook and passed the arduous Test of High Sorcery, but in the process, he acquired white hair and golden skin and was cursed with hourglass eyes which saw the effects of time on all things. His health, while never robust, was ruined further, leaving him weak and subject to frequent bouts of coughing blood. Initially wearing the white robes of good, as the first series progresses Raistlin's powers increase while his mood and actions darken, he goes to neutral red robes for the majority of the "War of the Lance" series until he adopts the black robes of evil while under the tutelage of "Fistandantilus" during the War of the Lance.
Raistlin, although physically very weak, is extremely intelligent, and possesses uncommonly powerful magical abilities. While ruthless in his pursuit of power, he holds to a code of conduct which repays all debts and protects those disadvantaged through no fault of their own. His relationship with his much stronger, better-liked, and good-natured twin brother Caramon is fraught with tensions as Caramon seeks to protect and shelter his weaker brother while denying his cruelty and penchant for hurting any others while in pursuit of his goals.
Publication history Some of characters of the Heroes of the Lance were introduced in a series of stories published in Dragon magazine; the first of these was "The test of the twins" in Dragon #83 (March 1984), a story featuring twin brothers Raistlin and Caramon.
Character profile Raistlin Majere was created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman as one of several characters to be involved in an epic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons campaign which they had written and designed. This was the beginning of the Dragonlance saga. Raistlin was given to one of the players, Terry Phillips, to play. As Margaret Weis describes in the foreword of her prequel book, The Soulforge, Terry Phillips is the man responsible for much of Raistlin's sarcastic and caustic character, taking it to depths that neither she nor Hickman had ever imagined. Raistlin is also Margaret Weis's favorite character. According to Hickman in the foreword to The Soulforge, "[we] were just settling in to the game when I turned to my good friend Terry Phillips and asked what his character was doing. Terry spoke...and the world of Krynn was forever changed. His rasping voice, his sarcasm and bitterness all masking an arrogance and power that never needed to be stated suddenly were real. Everyone in the room was both transfixed and terrified. To this day Margaret [Weis] swears that Terry wore the black robes to the party that night." According to Weis, "People can identify with Raistlin. We can relate to feelings that nobody loves us, to the struggle for recognition and acceptance. I really understood Raistlin right off the bat."
Raistlin is best described as the archetypal antihero or tragic hero. He is a Wizard of High Sorcery who first bears the red robes that mark him as a worshipper of Lunitari. During the five years in which the future Heroes of the Lance go their separate ways, Raistlin takes the Test of High Sorcery at the Tower of Wayreth, where he acquires golden skin and is cursed with hourglass eyes that cause him to see time as it affects all things. (This appearance was originally invented by Dragonlance cover artist Larry Elmore, "because it would look just great"). He also becomes even more frail and sickly than before. In Raistlin's vision, all things wither and die before him; however, long-lived races such as elves only appear to age slightly, while the Irda do not appear to age at all. Raistlin views magic as a way to compensate for lacking the physical strength and personal charisma that his brother has, and for the inadequacy he feels about having to rely on others.
A torn individual, Raistlin exhibits a strong superiority complex (as far as his power in magic and his intelligence are concerned), and knows almost nothing of true loyalty to others (although, despite this, Raistlin usually keeps his promises and pays his debts). He only follows Tanis Half-Elven, the unofficial leader of the companions, because he feels that doing so will ultimately benefit him (At one point, early in Dragons of Winter Night he tells Laurana: "I do not follow Tanis. We are merely traveling in the same direction... for the time being."). He is also condescending and extremely resentful regarding his lack of physical strength, especially as he is often forced to rely on his twin brother for support, generating feelings of jealousy towards his twin rather than feelings of affection and gratitude. Raistlin harbors a secret hate for his twin's physical power and easygoing manner, and for the attention and comradeship it seems to earn him, as Raistlin's own appearance and secretive nature causes others to be mistrustful and apprehensive. Caramon, conversely, holds Raistlin in high regard and tries to protect him.
These factors ultimately culminate in Raistlin's turn to evil. He dons the black robes worn by evil wizards (those who worship Nuitari) and eventually rises to become the most powerful mortal on Krynn (through a deal he made with the ancient archmage Fistandantilus during his test in the Tower of High Sorcery).
Contrary to his usual nature, Raistlin holds a soft spot for others who are treated poorly because of weaknesses that are not their fault (such as gully dwarves). He befriends the gully dwarf Bupu through his kindness. He identifies with such people and is thus quick to help them as he is quick to help himself. There are also rare instances when Raistlin feels genuine regret that he cannot return to the times of his childhood when he was capable of feeling love, a common lament throughout the series.
Early life As described in the fantasy novel The Soulforge, Raistlin Majere and his twin brother Caramon were born in the town of Solace, Abanasinia, to a woodcutter named Gilon Majere and his wife, Rosamun (who, because she possessed magical abilities but was forced to suppress it by her upbringing, had a habit of slipping into uncontrollable trances). They were preceded by an older half-sister, Kitiara uth Matar, the product of Rosamun's first marriage to a purported ex-Solamnic Knight, Gregor uth Matar. Raistlin was born sickly and on the verge of death. In fact, the midwife felt that the baby Raistlin should be allowed to die as an act of mercy. Only due to Kitiara's stubborn refusal to let him die (and subsequent treatment and care) did he finally overcome the infantile ailment and live.
Possibly as a result of this early illness, Raistlin was always a sickly child, but possessed a fierce intellect, in stark contrast to his slow-thinking, but not unintelligent, physically stronger twin. In fact, according to the common lore of the world of Krynn (supported by statements made by the god, Paladine, in the closing chapters of Dragons of Spring Dawning), identical twins were considered to be one person split in two. For this reason, Raistlin believed he had been given the mind, and Caramon the body.
Kitiara, still driven by a desire to find a use for her brothers, was annoyed by Raistlin for this same reason. She knew Caramon would make a great warrior, but she did not know what to do with his brother. The answer came when a powerful archmagus of the White Robes, named Antimodes, stopped for a night in Solace. Kitiara, after much effort, persuaded the archmage to talk to Raistlin, who impressed the archmage with intellect and wisdom beyond what Antimodes felt should be possessed by a child of six. He was also frightened by another trait Raistlin possessed: the desire to control others. However, after this meeting, Antimodes personally saw to Raistlin's enrollment in a school for magic, even paying for his first semester's tuition.
As years passed, Raistlin learned the basics of the arcane tongue from his schoolmaster, and was taunted and isolated by his schoolmates who termed him "the Sly One". However, Raistlin, rather than being upset by this lack of acceptance, enjoyed the fact they feared him enough to try to destroy him. When the time came for his first test of magic, a test conducted by writing the words "I, Magus" on a lambskin which would burn into the skin if he possessed the ability, at first nothing happened. After a desperate prayer to the three gods of magic, who visited him and made him swear to worship them, the words lit up with such ferocity that the skin was utterly consumed.
It would be several more years before Raistlin finally learned to cast his first spell. The twins were sixteen. While Raistlin was away for his schooling, a widow by the name of Judith began to take care of Rosamun, the twin's and Kitiara's mother. Widow Judith was a believer in the snake god Belzor, who had a growing following; it appeared as if Judith was of great help for Rosamun, for their mother showed evidence of much improvement under the widow's care...nevertheless, Raistlin was not fond of the woman, and she held him in disdain for his interests in magic.
His father, Gilon, was mortally injured in a terrible logging accident and was brought back to Solace just in time to say a few last words to his sons. Widow Judith comforted the distraught Rosamun, insisting that the god Belzor would perform a miraculous healing for her husband. When Gilon died, Widow Judith argued that it had been Rosamun's lack of faith, her daughter Kitiara's unsavory lifestyle, and Raistlin's study of magic which caused the god to forsake Gilon in his time of need. When Raistlin spoke out against Judith's claims, the woman made to attack him. The people of Solace had apparently heard enough, for they ran Widow Judith out of town. Rosamun, struck dumb by the sudden loss of her husband, fell into one of her trances, sinking so deep that she never re-emerged. She died three days later. At her funeral, driven nearly senseless and hallucinating with his grief, Raistlin showed great disregard for the inclement weather that oversaw it and fell into a deep fever. He only survived due to the unexpected return of Kitiara, who fought death over her brother once more and, like before, defeated it. It was after Raistlin's recovery when Caramon was overcome by terrible dreams, that Raistlin finally learned what it took to use the magic and cast a sleeping spell over his brother.
Raistlin and his brother formed a friendship with other citizens of Solace who would one day become their fellow Heroes of the Lance. These friendships and the mentorship of Flint Fireforge and Tanis Half-Elven helped fill the gap that the sudden loss of their parents had created. Raistlin's skills continued to grow even as he developed a love for herbalism and played an instrumental role in saving Solace from a plague.