Paladine
Paladine
 Paladine and Pyrite by Psycha Durmont. | |
| Alignment: | Good |
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| Celestial Symbol: | Platinum Dragon constellation |
| Portfolio: | Order, hope, light, redemption, good dragons, kingship |
| Common Aspects: |
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| Colors: | Silver, white |
Paladine was one of the first gods summoned by the High God from the Beyond. He represents the divine power of majesty, and is patron deity to the gods of Good. He supports the soul’s drive to strive for greatness, and is representative of leadership. He is also representative of the ideal of redemption, striving to bring those who have fallen to darkness back into the light.
Paladine was patron of the Knights of the Rose until the War of Souls. He was also the highest deity of the elves, who referred to him as E’li. Paladins especially flocked to his cause. Paladine was husband to Mishakal, and father of Kiri-Jolith, Habbakuk, and Solinari. He was advised by Majere. Paladine was opposed to all the gods of Evil, but especially to Takhisis.
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Paladine Through Time
Just before the Cataclysm, Paladine came to Loren Soth and give him a vision of the event to come. He grants Soth a quest to retrieve a relic called The Rod of Omniscient Wisdom, and place into the hands of the Kingpriest. Soth is then told that if he completes this task, Krynn will be spared the wrath of the gods and be redeemed, but he will have to give up his life. If he fails this quest, his fate would be more terrible than that of the Kingpriest.
During the War of the Lance, Paladine traveled Ansalon in the guise of Fizban the Fabulous, a befuddled old mage who wears mouse-colored robes. Fizban has a familiar, an ancient gold dragon called Pyrite (or “fool’s gold). Pyrite once fought by the side of Huma Dragonbane, and sometimes slips back to that era in his mind, though it is long-gone.
The Secret God
During the forging of the world of Krynn during the Age of Starbirth, all the combined gods felt pure joy. Out of this joy was born a radiant being, however only Paladine, Mishakal and Majere witnessed the birth of the young godling. However they knew that this would upset the Balance, so Paladine asked Majere to send her into a slumber and hide her away, rather than let this radiant being be destroyed. Majere took Mina to the depths of the ocean, where he rocked her to sleep and placed her in an eternal peaceful slumber. The three gods of good maintained the secret of the godling, who was awakened during the Age of Mortals by Takhisis and would come to be known as Mina. However ultimately Majere was forced to reveal the secret of Mina’s origins when all the gods starting asking questions about her strange origins and powers in 422 AC.
A God made Mortal
At the end of the War of Souls, Paladine gave up his status as a god and became mortal in order to balance out the punishment given to Takhisis – the stripping away of her immortality. Paladine now travels the world as Valthonis, a mortal elf. The name Valthonis is the elven term for “The Exile”, a fitting name given he is exiled from the heavens. Valthonis took up wandering all over Ansalon, spreading the word of peace and trying to offer his wisdom to all. Mortals of all races started to follow him to learn from him, whether it be kender with inane questions, gnomes asking about designs, humans and elves trying to learn from him, knights wishing for guidance on their quests, or even the rare ogre asking for a blessing from the gods.
The majority of mortals held Valthonis in absolute awe, and whilst his followers came and went, he always had a retinue, which became known as the Faithful. Valthonis himself was nicknamed the “Walking God” due to his constant travelling. In 422 AC, Valthonis was trekking through the Khalkist Mountains with his Faithful, when the group was surprised by a minotaur war party, led by the warrior Galdar. Galdar informed Valthonis that he had been given an assignment by Sargas himself, asking him to bring Valthonis and Mina together to resolve their differences and to also resolve the conflict in the heavens. Valthonis agreed and freely went with Galdar, leaving his Faithful behind. Galdar and Valthonis left the war party and marched into the valley near Neraka, where the minotaur was instructed he would be approached by Mina. Shortly after, Mina indeed appeared, with the monk Rhys Mason, the kender Nightshade Pricklypear, and the dog Atta.
Mina appeared confused about events, asking Galdar to aid her in a fight that her forces won during the War of Souls. Galdar helped bring her mind to the present, and then showed her Valthonis, saying that Sargonnas wished her to strike down the individual who led to the fall of Takhisis, and claim her seat beside Sargonnas in the pantheon. Rhys in turn told her about Valthonis being her father, and that she was in truth a god of light, and Mina’s form changed once more. Mina asked Galdar for his sword so she could strike down the defenseless Valthonis. Galdar however told Mina that he honestly believed she should not take Takhisis’ place in the pantheon, nor kill Valthonis in cold blood. Wishing to have no more to do with the proceedings, the minotaur walked away, however Mina leapt after him, attacking the minotaur in a rage and beating him senseless. Rhys tried to stop Mina and was also beaten into unconsciousness and Atta was wounded by a vicious cut of Mina’s sword. Finally Nightshade then tried to stop Mina from attacking, but she viciously broke his neck, killing the kender.
With the death of Nightshade, Mina realised in horror what she had done, and transformed into a six year old girl once more, she broke down in tears over his corpse. Valthonis rose and offered minor ministrations to the three survivors, before he and Mina left, leaving the trio and heading towards Godshome.
Following the death of Nightshade, Mina told Valthonis of all the terrible things she had done and of the constant voices in her head. She said all she ever truly wanted to return to her eternal slumber, but that she knew that was now impossible. Valthonis offered to lead her to Godshome to resolve things once and for all, and she agreed. In Godshome, Mina took up the holy artifacts Sedition and the Pyramid of Light, offering them both to the obsidian pool and telling the gods that she would serve the Balance as a god of both good and evil. She then departed the world and joined the pantheon in the heavens, leaving Valthonis to wander the world once more.
References
- Amber and Ashes, p. 174-176
- Amber and Blood, p. 18-25, 242-255, 262-267, 270-283, 291-297
- Brother of the Dragon p. 159
- Dragonlance Campaign Setting, p. 255-256
- Dragons of a Vanished Moon (HC), p. 522-523
- Citadel of Light, Book 1, p. 12
- Heroes of Defiance, Book 1, p.66
- Holy Orders of the Stars, p. 88-89.
- Knight of the Black Rose (Novel) pgs 257-259, 285
- Otherlands p. 43
- Sacred Fire p. 133, 295