Tasslehoff Burrfoot

Fizban and Tasslehoff
Alias	Palin Tas
Birth	2 December, 313 AC
Death	Summer, 383 AC
Race	Goodlund Kender
Gender	Male
Nationality	Kendermore
Hair Color	brown
Eye Color	brown
Height	Just under 4′
Weight	Thinly built
Class	Handler
Occupation	Hero
Spouse	None
Children	None
Parents	Unknown
Siblings	None

Tasslehoff Burrfoot (tas-sel-hoff bûr-foot)(December 2, 313 AC – Summer, 383 AC) was born the son of unknown parents, but does have a little sister. Tas grew up with his parents and sister until 341 AC, when at the age of sixteen, he got the Wanderlust itch. He had a cousin Latchlifter Furrfoot, Uncle Remo Lockpick, an Uncle Bertie, and an Uncle Wilfre. He may have had an Uncle Trapspringer Furrfoot, but many kender claim relation to Uncle Trapspringer so this might not be true.

Tas was just under four feet tall, thinly built with narrow pointed ears, brown eyes and brown hair worn in a topknot. He was known for his cleverness and had a big smile and a clear, lilting alto voice. In his later years he had facial wrinkles and nut-brown skin (though his skin may have always been this color). When Tas was bored, he ate food or he would talk and talk about nothing.

Early Life

When he was a child, Tas would collect maps in his room and have them cover all his walls. He didn’t have the patience to accurately draw a good map, so he would make his own names up for all the places on Ansalon. He hated being called a thief early on in life and called his activities borrowing and handling whereas others called it stealing. Also, his sister once set his shoe on fire to play a prank on him. He claimed to have gone to Qualinesti to see the coronation of an elven prince.

In 342 AC, Tas found a ring while in Solace and saw a thief drop it. He wore the ring, here known as Tas’s Ring of Transportation, and he popped around all over Krynn until he eventually ended up at Magus’s tower. There he helped the Prince of Demons stop Magus from using demons, and exited the tower leaving Magus in the Prince’s capable hands in the Abyss.

While traveling around Solace in 344 AC, he stumbled upon a dwarf named Flint Fireforge that was selling some nice items. He met Flint and Tanis Half-Elven for the first time and wanted to be their friends. They wouldn’t have it at the time, so Tas left Solace and borrowed a bracelet that Flint had created for Selana Sonluanaau. This bracelet saved his life from a poisonous spider and he saved a merchant’s life when he was about to be ambushed.

Tas told Flint and Tanis that he no longer had the bracelet. Selana arrived to collect the bracelet and when she learned that it was gone she demanded that they get the bracelet back, so they all went off together to find it. While following the last known person to have the bracelet, the group was set upon by Satyrs who made them waste a day of dancing and drinking from the music of their reed pipes.

When they arrived in Tantallon, Flint and Tanis were captured by the local Lord. Selana and Tas had to drink a polymorphing potion and turn into birds to get into the castle, then into mice to get the bracelet back. Selana and Tas freed Flint and Tanis and returned the bracelet to Selana.

Tas later met Caramon Majere, Raistlin Majere, Kitiara Uth Matar and Sturm Brightblade, and the group became known as the Companions. Tas went on many adventures with the Companions. When he was out fishing with Caramon, Flint and Raistlin one day, Caramon tried to catch a fish with his bare hands and capsized the boat. Tas helped get Flint and Caramon to the surface.

In the summer of 345 AC, Tas was captured by minotaurs while traveling with Sturm and Caramon to get a special herb for Raistlin. He was taken to the Minotaur Empire and given a potion that turned him evil. Tas had a great time doing evil things for the minotaurs, especially messing around with his minotaur guards by having them paint and repaint his bedroom at the minotaur palace. He also visited an imprisoned Sturm ripped off one of his mustaches.

Eventually Tas ended up on Karthay, where the rest of the Companions met up and confronted the Nightmaster. Tas’s friend Dogz fed Tas a counteracting potion and returned Tas back to “normal”. Tas freed Raistlin and the Companions turned the tide on the minotaurs. They escaped from the island as the volcano erupted. After this, the Companions went off on another adventure together.

Returning Home

When the Companions separated for five years in 346 AC, Tas was dragged home to Kendermore by a bounty hunter named Gisella Hornslager. He was arrested for breaking his marriage oath from the Kender Code of Conduct to Damaris Metwinger. Gisella called Tas many names on their journey to Kendermore, including Burrhead, Buzzfoot, Bramblefoot, and Tasslefoot.

When he arrived he found that both his Uncle Trapspringer and his fiance were missing. Tas searched for them in the Ruins and found a secret portal in some sort of magical tower there. He got halfway into the portal but was pulled back by Vinsint. Tas dragged his lost uncle and fiance with him, including all the residents of Gelfigburg. Tas returned to Kendermore with Damaris and Trapspringer to clear his name, and the two fell in love thus freeing Tas from his marriage.

A bad storm hit Kendermore which caused more than half of the city to catch on fire, and a huge tornado to rip through the city. Tas came up with the idea to use the water tower to put out the fire. All the citizens of Kendermore banded together under Tas, and they succeeded in putting out the fire, saving the rest of the city.

War of the Lance

After five long years, Tas met up with Tanis and Flint outside of Solace before entering their home city. They were confronted by goblins, which the three defeated very easily. Tas and his friends continued to the Inn of the Last Home. While resting at the Inn, they were confronted by the drunken Hederick, High Theocrat of Solace. Hederick subsequently fell into the fireplace, and Tas tried to knock down Hederick with a disguised Blue Crystal Staff. This caused two things to happen: Hederick was healed of all injury, and the staff’s true nature was revealed. An old man yelled that Goldmoon and Riverwind were wanted, since the local lord Toede had been seeking the Blue Crystal Staff.

The Companions escaped from being captured and continued on a path that led them to Xak Tsaroth. Riverwind remembered that this was the place where he found his beloved’s Blue Crystal Staff. Here he finds a long knife (Tas calls it a small sword), dubbed by Caramon “Rabbit Slayer”. Throughout the rest of his life, Rabbit Slayer becomes the one item he always has. He lets others use it, but it always shows up in his possession afterwards.

Tas returned with the Companions to Solace, where they were captured and imprisoned by Toede and sent off to Pax Tharkas to work as slaves. Tas and the other Companions were freed from the slave caravan by elves from Qualinesti, where they went to relax before deciding to assault Pax Tharkas to free the slaves there. The companions snuck into the fortress of Pax Tharkas through the Sla Mori, where they freed the slaves from the mines, defeated the Dragon Highlord Verminaard, and fled with the refugees into the Kharolis Mountains while pursued by the dragonarmies.

After recovering the Hammer of Kharas from the depths of Thorbardin, the companions and the human refugees of Pax Tharkas were allowed to stay in the underground dwarven realm for the winter. The Companions followed one of Tas’s maps to the city of Tarsis to see if they could commission ships to transport the refugees back to Abanasinia. However, upon reaching the city the Companions discovered the map was hundreds of years old, and the city was landlocked and under the tacit control of the dragonarmy. In Tarsis, Tas found a lost library and used his Glasses of True Seeing that he found in either Derkin’s Tomb or in the library, to read about dragon orbs. Shortly after their arrival in the city, the Companions were split up and survived an attack on the city by the Red Dragonarmy, and a detachment of blue dragons commanded by the Blue Lady.

Tas traveled with Flint, Gilthanas, Laurana, Sturm Brightblade, and Knights of Solamnia Derek Crownguard, Brian Donner, and Aran Tallbow to Icereach. While en route to find a dragon orb, Tas and the Companions experienced the dream that Tanis and friends ventured into in Silvanesti. In the dream, Tas was stuck by a poison needle and died from the poison. He didn’t actually die but the memory felt very real. In Icewall Castle, the group confronted and killed Feal-Thas and took the dragon orb from that cold region. They boarded a ship and made their way to the Isle of Sancrist.

Their ship crashed on Southern Ergoth and they were captured by Silvanesti Elves. They were turned over to the Qualinesti elves that were also on the island, and were imprisoned. Laurana assisted in helping Tas and the others escape from the elves, and they ran off into the mountains to get to a Solamnic castle located on another part of the island. While in the mountains, Sturm and Derek took the orb with them to the fortress, while Gilthanas, Silvara, Laurana, Flint, and Tas took another route through the mountains to throw off the pursuing elves.

They came to a strange place with a dragon carving outside of a cave. When the others fell under a sleep spell, Tas went on an adventure in the mountain and found the dead Fizban very much alive! He brought Fizban back, who woke his friends. He then left with Fizban to light a few trees on fire. He traveled back with Fizban to meet at the Whitestone Council. While there, he saw the fighting between the different parties, and decided to speak for the kender. He picked up the dragon orb that was there and smashed it. Everyone was about to kill Tas when all of a sudden Theros Ironfeld drove a long lost dragonlance into the Whitestone. The members of the Council saw the effectiveness of the dragonlance, and order them to the High Clerist’s Tower.

After the meeting of the Whitestone Council, Tas traveled with Laurana, Sturm, and Flint to the High Clerist’s Tower. There they set up a hasty defense for the oncoming dragonarmy hordes. Tas fought bravely against the dragonarmies, and the Tower’s forces were able to repel the armies when Laurana used a dragon orb that was found in the tower by Tas. Sadly, Sturm sacrificed himself in single combat against Kitiara, who had become a Dragon Highlord.

Following the win at the High Clerist’s Tower, Tas returned with Laurana to Palanthas where they were welcomed as heroes. Laurana was promoted to General of the Whitestone Army, and Flint and Tas were “given” a dragon named Khirsah to ride into battle. Flint was scared to death, but Khirsah was able to get him into the saddle with much teasing from Tas. They rode off to battle and, in the Vingaard Campaign, captured a dragonarmy officer named Bakaris.

They rode in to liberate Kalaman and were again celebrated as heroes. Tas agreed to go with Laurana after she received a secret letter for parlay to trade Bakaris for Tanis. Laurana was captured by the forces of evil, but Flint and Tas were allowed to go back to the city of Kalaman. There, they met up with the other Companions and agreed to take Berem to Neraka.

On their way to Neraka, Berem escaped and Flint gave chase. As he chased Berem through Godhome, Flint’s heart finally failed him and he suffered a massive heart attack. As he lay dying, Flint asked Fizban to assist him in leaving Ansalon. Fizban carried Flint to the black pool in Godhome and together they disappeared. This hurt Tas very much in the heart, and he felt a change come upon him.

When the Companions led an assault on Neraka, Caramon and Tanis dressed up in dragonarmy uniforms and led Tika, Tas, and Berem in as prisoners. All were thrown into the dungeon, save Tanis. When all hell began to break loose in Neraka, Tika and Tas ran for their lives from the soldiers, and were stopped at a locked door resembling a door seen in their dream from Silvanesti. Tika held off the draconian guards as Tas worked on the lock from the door. Tika took a hard knock on the head by a draconian and she went unconscious and Tas was stuck by a poison needle. Caramon arrived with Raistlin, who healed Tas of the poison. The twins were then able to save Tas and Tika by convincing some draconians to carry them out of the Temple. Sadly, Tas left the Temple without his pouches or the knife Rabbitslayer, though he would find the knife again later.

Upon exiting the city of Neraka, Tas reunited with his Companion friends. He decided to return to Kendermore and see the hero kender that fought back against the Highlords.

Post War of the Lance and Legends

In the spring of 356 AC, Tas and Caramon were sent along with Crysania of Tarinius, a cleric of Paladine, to protect her on the journey from Solace to the Tower of High Sorcery at Wayreth. On the way to the tower, Crysania was attacked by the death knight Lord Soth, but was saved by Paladine’s intervention. Caramon and Tas carried her to the Tower, where a meeting of the Conclave was convened to decide her fate.

During the meeting, a report was delivered by Dalamar the Dark, the Conclave’s spy about the activities of his master, Raistlin Majere. Despite Dalamar informing the Conclave of the archmage’s plan to challenge the Dark Queen for her position among the gods, the wizards decided to send Caramon and Crysania back to the time of the Kingpriest prior to the Cataclysm so that he might heal Crysania. Sent back in time with the Device of Time Journeying through the magic of Par-Salian, who accidentally transported Tasslehoff along with the pair—against the laws of magic restricting time travel for the Graygem races—the three appeared in an alley in the Lordcity of Istar, where Caramon was promptly arrested for “attacking” a cleric of Paladine.

Thrown into jail with the kender, the pair were sold at a slave market in Istar to Arack, Master of the Games, so that they might fight in the Arena. During this time, Tas was able to wander the city and see the sights. He was amazed to see the change that happened to Caramon, who got himself in great shape.

Tas wanted to stop the Kingpriest from causing the Cataclysm, but instead he actually got to see the Fiery Mountain hit Istar. He was knocked out and woke up thinking he was dead and in the Abyss, but he really wasn’t dead. In the Abyss, Tas was struck speechless for the second time in his life. He met Takhisis in her true form and actually felt a little bit of fear from it. He also met a gnome named Gnimsh, who fixed the broken Device of Time Journeying. Together, they escaped the Abyss and ended up in a jail in Thorbardin.

Tasslehoff’s timely reappearance saved Caramon from certain death at the hands of Argat. Then Caramon and Tas descended into the depths of the fortress to confront Raistlin and Crysania prior to their traveling through the Portal. Raistlin thought Gnimsh could stop him from going to the Abyss and killed him but instead, Caramon used the Device of Time Journeying at the same moment when Raistlin completed the casting of his powerful spell. The result was the destruction of Zhaman and the annihilation of the armies on the Plains of Dergoth, now known as the Plains of Death.

While Raistlin and Crysania successfully managed to enter the Portal, Tas and Caramon were transported forward in time to 358 AC, two years later than when they had originally set out. Instead of the Solace they remembered, the two returned to a barren and muddy wasteland, punctuated by strange storms and lightning that had killed nearly everything. They discovered that Raistlin had succeeded in his quest for godhood, and the pair made their way to the Tower of High Sorcery at Wayreth, where Astinus the Chronicler sat with the final volume of the Chronicles, while Raistlin Majere, the god, tormented Par-Salian.

Instructed by the White Robe not to allow Raistlin to leave the Abyss, Tas and Caramon returned to Palanthas in their present time of 356 AC in order to prevent Raistlin from re-entering the world through the Portal. Tas read the Astinus’s final volume from the alternate timeline and realized that Tanis would die fighting Lord Soth. On the morning of the Blue Lady’s attack, Tas stole the magical armband that would protect Tanis against Soth’s magic. Tas then convinced Tanis to follow him to the Tower of High Sorcery at Palanthas, where Caramon had attempted to enter the Shoikan Grove. Caramon and Tanis used the time-traveling device to get to the flying citadel so they could enter the tower, and Tas convinced Fireflash to carry him to the citadel so he could help them. Together, Tas and a gully dwarf named Rounce took control of the citadel. Tas and Rounce flew the citadel over the top of the Tower of High Sorcery, which allowed Caramon and Tanis to enter the tower. This in turn allowed Caramon and Tanis to save Dalamar from death at Kitiara’s hands, and Caramon was able to convince Raistlin to abandon his pursuit of godhood.

Tas and Rounce took the citadel out over the ocean and turned it upside down, emptying the citadel of the draconians and other evil minions. Following the end of the war, Tas gave the flying citadel to Rounce.

Despite the destruction of the city, Palanthas repulsed the invasion of the Blue Lady’s Army and rose again. Tas became known as “Uncle Tas” to Caramon and Tika’s four children they had following all this fun. And Tas continued on his adventures until the next war came to Ansalon.

At some time between 356 AC and 383 AC, Tasslehoff had wisely assumed that he would die before his best friend Caramon. Fizban gave Tas the Device of Time Journeying so he could speak at Caramon’s funeral. He arrived at the funeral too late, but discovered that in that particular future, Dalamar was Head of the Conclave and Head of the Black Robes, Palin was Head of the White Robes, Silvanoshei was king of the United Elven Nations, and Gilthas was ambassador to the United Human Nations. Tas had some refreshments before returning to his proper time.

Chaos War

Tas first met Usha in the jail in Palanthas. Jenna brought Usha and Tas to the Tower of Palanthas and they were put to sleep, though Tas’s dreaming fingers acquired a silver spoon from a table. Tas and Usha left the tower when Tas used his Kender Spoon of Turning to drive off the guardian specter (though a dark-robed figure appeared behind Tas just as the specter was driven off). Tas then rescued Palin Majere and Steel Brightblade from the Shoikan Grove. Palin, Steel, Tas, and Usha made their way to the tower laboratory, and Palin and Tas were locked in. Realizing that Palin was hesitant to touch the Portal to the Abyss, Tas helpfully revealed the Portal’s face.

Palin and Tas entered the Abyss, where they came upon Raistlin and a meeting of the gods. They learned that Chaos had been freed from the Graygem, and heard the gods agree to let Takhisis’s forces lead the battle against Chaos. In the Abyss, Tas saved Palin from death at the hands of Kitiara’s spirit. Palin, Raistlin and Tas returned to Krynn to find that nearly a month had passed. Upon their return, Tas worked for Jenna and located Usha with the help of Dougan Redhammer. When Palin went to the High Clerist’s Tower to save Steel at the cost of his own life, Usha and Tas followed. The beginnings of the Chaos War were seen as enemy dragons flew side by side, and Raistlin took them back to the Tower of Palanthas.

Dougan, Palin, Usha, and Tas then took Usha’s boat back to the Irda island and, after an encounter with shadow wights, retrieved the pieces of the Graygem. Tas joined in the final fight against Chaos and stabbed him in the toe with Rabbitslayer, which gave Usha the drop of blood they needed to end the war. Chaos brought his foot down upon Tas, killing him.

Or so it was thought.

With his imminent demise approaching, Tas decided that he really should speak at Caramon’s funeral. He activated the Device of Time Journeying right before Chaos stepped on him. Instead of visiting the expected time, Tas was sent to the day of Caramon’s death in the new timeline – the one where Takhisis stole the world.

War of Souls

Tas appeared in the Tomb of the Last Heroes in 38 SC and was let out by Gerard Uth Mondar. Tas was able to give his funeral speech to a still-living Caramon, who had a heart attack shortly afterward. A dying Caramon realized that something was wrong since Raistlin’s spirit wasn’t waiting for him, and he made Gerard promise to take Tas to Dalamar. Dalamar was presumed dead, so Gerard and Tas went to Qualinesti to seek Palin’s counsel. Tas explained to Palin and Laurana that everything was “wrong” in this time, and Palin took Tas with him to confer with Jenna in Solace. Palin used the Device of Time Journeying to go back in time, only to discover that there was no past before the Chaos War. Palin believed that the timeline Tas remembered would come about only if Tas went back to his proper time and got squashed by Chaos.

Tas wasn’t ready to die yet, so he used the Device to escape Palin and visit Goldmoon at the Citadel of Light, though Palin caught up with him. At the Citadel, Tas considered the definitions of “promise” and “gallivanting” as he showed the gnome Conundrum how to map the Hedge Maze. The green overlord Beryllinthranox and her forces attacked the Citadel, and the time-traveling device fell apart when Palin tried using it to flee. Palin used the pieces of the device to stop their pursuers, and Palin and Tas were brought to Dalamar after jumping off the Silver Stair.

While Palin and Dalamar discussed what to do with Tasslehoff, the Device of Time Journeying returned to him (in pieces) and he escaped the Tower of Nightlund by climbing out through the chimney. After seeing the river of souls and his own ghost, Tas made his way to Solanthus where he ran into Gerard, Goldmoon, and Conundrum. Goldmoon convinced Tas to take her back to Nightlund with the blue dragon Razor’s help, and Conundrum and Tas were shut away in the tower. Mina arrived at the tower and revealed the identity of her One God. Goldmoon died when she refused to follow the One God, and Mina killed both Dalamar and Palin. Conundrum fixed the device, which Tas used so he and Conundrum could escape Mina.

The spirit of Raistlin heard Tasslehoff use the Device of Time Journeying, and he informed the gods that Tas was on the missing Krynn. The gods allowed Raistlin to use Tas and the Device to “stitch up” the River of Time. Conundrum and Tas visited Huma and Magius, then a young and black-robed Raistlin before Conundrum was deposited at the Hedge Maze. Tas watched Lord Soth turn down Mina’s offer to lead her army of the dead, then Tas was released from his time travels only to be captured by Knights of Neraka, who had been ordered to bring all kender to Mina. An undercover Gerard freed Tas, who sent them to a Knights’ Council. Tas used the device again to bring Mirror, Odila, and Gerard to the place where the One God had imprisoned the metallic dragons.

After freeing the dragons, Tas finally realized that he would invalidate the sacrifices of others if he didn’t die in the proper time and place. He used the device one last time to return to the end of the Chaos War, after reminding Gerard to replace the lock on the Tomb of the Last Heroes.

Skills

Tas learned to cook from watching his mother. He knew how to sail a boat. He claimed to have a sometime hobby of spotting traps and he loved to make maps. Tas could speak Common, Kender, Troglodyte, and some dwarven that he learned from Flint.

Tas’s Stories

Tas continually tells, anyone who will allow it, many stories about his adventures.

• One is about the time that he played Mumblety-peg with some Ogres.
• Tas’s favorite story is about the time he met a Wooly Mammoth.

Inconsistencies

One source put his birth date at 325 AC, but still more put it as 313 AC.

References

• The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, p. 25-26, 51-53, 77, 323-324, 420
• The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragons of Spring Dawning, p. 981-982, 987, 1023, 1043, 1079, 1081, 1126, 1138, 1182, 1190, 1224, 1245, 1280, 1291-1292, 1303
• The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragons of Winter Night, p. 506-507, 515, 575, 583, 602-603, 621, 638, 659, 727, 741, 873
• The Annotated Dragonlance Legends, Test of the Twins, p. 864, 885, 1032, 1044, 1057, 1134, 1138-1139, 1147-1149
• The Annotated Dragonlance Legends, Time of the Twins, p. 36, 54, 66, 69, 88-89, 93-94, 102, 176, 199-200, 214-215, 248, 270, 273, 284, 289, 307, 325-326, 349-351, 362, 384, 390, 398, 400, 405, 418, 421, 429
• The Annotated Dragonlance Legends, War of the Twins, p. 507-515, 518-519, 522, 528, 745-748, 763-765, 770, 774, 781, 789, 799, 802-803, 806, 821, 837
• The Companions (Novel), p. 1, 6, 10, 62, 66-68, 102-103, 108, 173, 180, 291, 301
• Dragons of a Fallen Sun (HC), p. 57-60, 64-65, 115-117, 275-276, 361, 368-374, 384-394, 508-522
• Dragons of a Lost Star (HC), p. 21-30, 83, 188-199, 268, 333-342, 435-446, 452-456
• Dragons of a Vanished Moon (HC), p. 17-30, 81-89, 173-180, 187-190, 221-224, 241-252, 407, 421-429, 439-440, 443-452
• Dragons of Summer Flame (HC), p. 81-88, 147, 204-208, 213-214, 227-229, 247-250, 304-315, 320-327, 334-342, 389-390, 394-417, 431-435, 448-462, 464-496, 521, 525-533, 541-542
• Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (PB) p. 17, 55, 103, 151, 203, 363-369, 417-418, 429-447, 467, 497-498, 521-529, 537-545, 557-572, 580
• Kendermore (Novel), p. 11-12, 18-19, 22, 25, 27, 30, 32, 50, 65, 84, 124, 248, 279, 314, 323, 340
• Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home, p. 170
• The Magic of Krynn Tales I, Vol. I, “A Stone’s Throw Away”, p. 50-51, 53-55, 66
• Wanderlust, p. 9-10, 15-18, 24, 31, 54, 58-59, 155, 182, 195, 201, 256, 261, 289