The Death of Sturm

My recent thoughts about the Dragonlance saga helped me think more on that fictional setting.

At one point, as a young adolescent, I seemingly lived and breathed the world of Krynn.

It was alive for me, but, in reality, it was a shared narrative created by two authors in the 1980s. Yet this fabrication did not diminish its importance for so many people. Novels in this setting are still being written by the same two authors, 4 decades later.

Characters like Laurana, an elven princess, and Sturm Brightblade, a human knight, brought the world to life. They are members of the Heroes of the Lance.

All of the major characters of the world were fully realized. Their hopes. Their dreams. Their flaws.

Sturm sought out the best in himself. And others around him. And he lived by a code of honor and integrity. And died by that same code.

Laurana sought out the best in herself. And others around her. And her love for Tanis Half-elven. Laurana’s strength was admirable.

Laurana watched as Sturm died on the High Clerist’s Tower fighting against the evil that plagued Krynn. The artist Larry Elmore captures perfectly the written scene.

The scene, for me, as I read it decades ago helped me understand that there are causes greater than me.

Causes that require an understanding that death should never be taken lightly. Death’s finality that can be seen in Laurana’s eyes and stance as she stands over her fallen friend.

Yet the same causes may require the ultimate sacrifice.

What are you willing to give up to better the world around you?

Humanity needs the best of us. The best of you.