Caramon Majere

Caramon Majere (326 AC - 38 SC) is a fictional character from the Dragonlance books. He is depicted as a fighter and is one of the main characters in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's first Dragonlance trilogy, The Chronicles. Caramon and his brother Raistlin Majere's relationship was explored in the NY Times Best Seller Twins Trilogy.

Early life

Caramon is the son of Gilon Majere and Rosamun Aelan Uth Matar, twin brother to Raistlin Majere and half-brother to Kitiara Uth Matar.

The son of a woodcutter, Caramon's childhood was a complicated one. Caramon (the first born), was strapping and healthy. Raistlin, however, had to be nursed to health continuously by their half-sister, Kitiara. His father, Gilon, died in an accident when Caramon was only sixteen years old. Soon after, his mother, Rosamun, went into a delusional trance and never came out.

Caramon met Sturm Brightblade in his early teens; they did not get off to a good start. The two got into a fight because Sturm insulted Raistlin. Tasslehoff Burrfoot discovered the young boys and decided to "adopt" them. This is how Caramon met Flint Fireforge and Tanis Half-Elven. The six companions (seven with Kitiara) went on many treks as an entourage to Flint's business. Soon, though, the companions decided to separate to find some truth to the rumors of war. Raistlin had other plans.

Raistlin was to take the Test of High Sorcery and Caramon accompanied him on this trip. During the Test, Raistlin killed an illusion of his twin, which Caramon witnessed. Their relationship has been strained since. The five years following this, the two brothers became mercenaries to learn how to combine magic and steel effectively and became a very lethal team in battle.

Caramon was the strongest of the Heroes of the Lance, and a fearsome warrior. He is over 6 ft. tall and massively built. He was trained in a battle craft by his half-sister, who later became a Dragon Highlord in Takhisis' dragonarmies. Although they were complete opposites, Caramon was never far from his twin Raistlin. Much of Caramon's experience in combat came from dealing with the charlatans and fakes whom Raistlin delighted in exposing and humiliating.

War of the Lance and beyond

Caramon was one of the heroes who brought the War of the Lance to an end and was instrumental in the defeat of Takhisis and her Dragonarmies. He helped to defeat the evil dragon Khisanth in Xak Tsaroth and to free the slaves captured by Verminaard of Nidus in Pax Tharkas. He shared in the dream that all the Heroes of the Lance endured when several of the heroes (including Caramon) entered the realm of Silvanesti and found themselves trapped in the nightmare of Lorac, Speaker of the Stars.

Caramon was also a participant in the final battle at the Queen's temple in Neraka when she was finally banished from Krynn. After the battle was won, Caramon was confronted by his brother Raistlin, who had now turned to the Black Robes. Caramon offered to walk the path of evil with his brother, but Raistlin refused, and left Caramon alone for the first time in his life.

File:DL CaramonAndCrysania.jpg

Caramon and Lady Crysania

Twins Trilogy

After the War of the Lance Caramon married Tika Waylan and settled down to a quiet life in the town of Solace. However, without his brother, Caramon did not feel whole. At one point, Caramon wrote a heart-felt letter to his brother, which was returned to Caramon unopened, with the words "I have no brother" written on the outside of the envelope/scroll casing. Heartbroken, he soon turned to drinking to fill the emptiness. He becomes an overweight alcoholic and an embarrassment to his wife. His journey to redemption began when Caramon travelled back in time with the cleric, Lady Crysania and Tasslehoff Burrfoot to the city of Istar on a mission to reclaim Raistlin from evil. Caramon became a gladiator in the Istarian arena and became the man he had once been, physically if not yet emotionally. Caramon then travelled forward in time one hundred years with Crysania and Raistlin (masquerading as Fistandantilus) to participate in the Dwarfgate Wars.

File:Thearena.JPG

Caramon, with his friends in the Istarian arena

Main article: Test of the Twins

Using a magical device, Caramon and Tasslehoff escaped that time period before a magical explosion could kill them and accidentally found themselves in an alternate future where Raistlin had succeeded in becoming a god, but had destroyed all life in the process. Caramon and Tasslehoff returned to the present at last where Caramon confronted his brother in the Abyss and told him what the future would be if his plans came to fruition. Raistlin realized his own mistake, and sacrificed his own life to correct his mistake and win his soul's peace. Caramon escaped with Crysania back into the real world, having finally found the peace he sought.

War of Souls

After his long journey, Caramon returned to Solace to be with his wife. Together, they had five children: Sturm Majere, Tanin Majere, Palin Majere, Laura Majere and Dezra Majere. Caramon also later became a grandfather to Ulin Majere and Linsha Majere, son and daughter of his son Palin.

Although Caramon Majere had retired from adventuring, he did have one more important part to play. In the story, "Kitiara's Son" by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, Caramon is visited in the night by a blue dragon-rider named Sara Dunstan who is the adoptive mother of Steel Brightblade, the son of Sturm and Kitiara (making him Caramon's half-nephew.) She begs Caramon to help turn Steel from evil before he becomes a full-fledged Knight of Takhisis. Together with Tanis Half-Elven, they kidnap Steel and tell him the truth about his father and his heroic sacrifice in the High Clerist's Tower on behalf of the Knights of Solamnia and the world at large. Although Steel is not dissuaded from joining the evil Knights, this experience indelibly changes him. He appears in a new adventure, "Dezra's Quest" Released later in 2000, with his daughter Dezra Majere. He dies in the year 38 SC after a heart attack upon the stairs of the Inn of the Last Home, hoping to see his brother. Tasslehoff Burrfoot had traveled forward in time to an alternate timeline to speak at Caramon's funeral, and told him that many people would be there and things were different. His soul joins the River of Souls where he is, at long last, reunited with his brother after Takhisis is defeated in the War of the Souls trilogy.

Family tree

Caramon Majere (Elder)

Unknown Woman

Gilon Majere

Rosamun

Gregor Uth Matar

Tika Waylan

Caramon

Raistlin

Kitiara Uth Matar

Sturm Brightblade

Tanin

Palin

Usha

Laura

Steel Brightblade

Sturm

Ulin

Linsha

Dezra

Dragonlance Movie

Main article: Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

Rino Romano voiced Caramon Majere in the animated movie Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight. The 2002 winner of the American Library Association's Alex Award Mel Odom reviewed the film and stated "Caramon is simple-minded and protective of Raistlin" without further characterisation although stating the movie was a "lot of fun."

Reception

The character was popular enough for Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman to base the Twins Trilogy around Caramon's and Raistlin's relationship. The final book of the trilogy Test of the Twins appeared on the NY Times bestseller list for several weeks in 1986. Ian Hewitt, a staff reviewer from d20zines.com stated focus of the trilogy was Caramon's heart-wrenching quest to save his brother if he can, but to ultimately stop him at any cost is the test that the twins must face and awarded Test of the Twins an A+ rating.

Bibliography

• Weis, Margaret (March 1984). "The test of the twins". Dragon #83. VIII (9). TSR: 26–30.
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2000). Dragons of Autumn Twilight: Chronicles vol. I. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1574-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2000). Dragons of Winter Night: Chronicles vol. II. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1609-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2000). Dragons of Spring Dawning: Chronicles vol. III. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1589-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2000). Time of the Twins: Legends vol. I. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1804-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2000). War of the Twins: Legends vol. II. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1805-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2000). Test of the Twins: Legends vol. III. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1806-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2002). The Second Generation. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2694-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Weis, Margaret (2003). The Soulforge: Raistlin Chronicles vol. I. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1314-2.
• Margaret Weis; Don Perrin (2000). Brothers in Arms: Raistlin Chronicles vol. II. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1429-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman (2003). Dragons of a Fallen Sun: The War of Souls vol. I. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1807-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Stein, Kevin (2000). Brothers Majere: Preludes vol. III. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2971-5.