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| {{ |
{{ infobox D&D creature | ||
| | image = ] | |||
| |name=Kender | |||
| ⚫ | | caption = The kender ], on the right. Image created by Larry Elmore, for the cover "The War of the Lance" | ||
| | alignment = | |||
| | type = ] | |||
| | subtype = | |||
| | source = | |||
| | first = "A Stone's Throw Away" by ], ] #84 (May 1984) | |||
| | mythical = | |||
| | based = ] | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| '''Kender''' are a type of ] first developed for the ] ] for the '']'' ] ] published by ] in 1984. The first kender character was created by Harold Johnson as a ] in a series of ] adventures which included ] and ], whose ''Dragonlance'' ] ] did much to popularize the kender among readers and players alike, largely through the character ], who became one of main protagonists in the novel series. | '''Kender''' are a type of ] first developed for the ] ] for the '']'' ] ] published by ] in 1984. The first kender character was created by Harold Johnson as a ] in a series of ] adventures which included ] and ], whose ''Dragonlance'' ] ] did much to popularize the kender among readers and players alike, largely through the character ], who became one of the main protagonists in the novel series. | ||
| Tasselhoff first appeared, in the Dragonlance adventure module ''DL1: ]'', published in March 1984, in which kender are described in a review of the module as "wizened 14-year-olds and, unlike ], they wear shoes."<ref name="Staplehurst1984">Staplehurst (1984)</ref> The first novel publication featuring Kender was in the novel '']'', published in November 1984. | Tasselhoff first appeared, in the Dragonlance adventure module ''DL1: ]'', published in March 1984, in which kender are described in a review of the module as "wizened 14-year-olds and, unlike ], they wear shoes."<ref name="Staplehurst1984">Staplehurst (1984)</ref> The first novel publication featuring Kender was in the novel '']'', published in November 1984. | ||
| == |
==Conception and development== | ||
| Preparatory to creating the Dragonlance setting, Tracy Hickman ran a series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' adventures.<ref name="Johnson">{{cite journal | last = Johnson | first = Harold | date = February 1995 | title = First Quest Column | journal = ] | issue = 214 | volume = XIX | number = 9 | pages = 70 }}</ref> Harold Johnson, one of those involved in these games, chose to play a halfing ] character whom he called Almar Tann. When Hickman, Johnson and others moved to the Dragonlance setting for their games, the character of Almar Tann went with them. However, it became clear to those involved that halflings were unsuitable to the Dragonlance world;<ref name="Weis1999">{{cite book | author = Weis, Margaret | coauthors = Hickman, Tracy | title = The Annotated Chronicles | year = 1999 | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | isbn = 0-7869-1870-5 | pages = 25 }}</ref> as Johnson described it, this was especially due to his characters' possession of a ring of invisibility, so that "it all sounded too much like another story"<ref name="Johnson" /> (referring to ] and the ]). Halflings were thus dropped from the campaign, and Johnson developed both the initial concept of the kender and the first representative of the fantasy race, Tasslehoff Burrfoot. To solidify the distinction, they were originally described as "thinner, more wiry, and more cunning and streetwise" than halflings.<ref name="grubb">{{cite web | last = Grubb | first = Jeff | authorlink = Jeff Grubb | title = Jeff Grubb (interview) | work = Dragonlance Nexus | date = ], ] | url = http://www.dlnexus.com/features/interviews/11253.aspx | accessdate = 2008-04-23 }}</ref> | Preparatory to creating the Dragonlance setting, Tracy Hickman ran a series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' adventures.<ref name="Johnson">{{cite journal | last = Johnson | first = Harold | date = February 1995 | title = First Quest Column | journal = ] | issue = 214 | volume = XIX | number = 9 | pages = 70 }}</ref> Harold Johnson, one of those involved in these games, chose to play a halfing ] character whom he called Almar Tann. When Hickman, Johnson and others moved to the Dragonlance setting for their games, the character of Almar Tann went with them. However, it became clear to those involved that halflings were unsuitable to the Dragonlance world;<ref name="Weis1999">{{cite book | author = Weis, Margaret | coauthors = Hickman, Tracy | title = The Annotated Chronicles | year = 1999 | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | isbn = 0-7869-1870-5 | pages = 25 }}</ref> as Johnson described it, this was especially due to his characters' possession of a ring of invisibility, so that "it all sounded too much like another story"<ref name="Johnson" /> (referring to ] and the ]). Halflings were thus dropped from the campaign, and Johnson developed both the initial concept of the kender and the first representative of the fantasy race, Tasslehoff Burrfoot. To solidify the distinction, they were originally described as "thinner, more wiry, and more cunning and streetwise" than halflings.<ref name="grubb">{{cite web | last = Grubb | first = Jeff | authorlink = Jeff Grubb | title = Jeff Grubb (interview) | work = Dragonlance Nexus | date = ], ] | url = http://www.dlnexus.com/features/interviews/11253.aspx | accessdate = 2008-04-23 }}</ref> | ||
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| ==Description of kender== | ==Description of kender== | ||
| === |
===Fictional origin=== | ||
| The ''Dragonlance'' books present two alternate and conflicting accounts of how the kender were created. In '']'', the ] state that kender descend from the ]. When the ] was released, the gnomes present who desired the gem for ] were turned into ], and those who wanted it for curiosity were turned into kender.<ref>Weis |
The ''Dragonlance'' books present two alternate and conflicting accounts of how the kender were created. In '']'', the ] state that kender descend from the ]. When the ] was released, the gnomes present who desired the gem for ] were turned into ], and those who wanted it for curiosity were turned into kender.<ref>{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1996 | title = Dragons of Summer Flame | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-7869-0523-9 }}</ref> However, in the ''Tales'' trilogy, the dwarves state that when the Greygem came to Krynn, its chaotic magic transformed a group of gnomes into both the first kender and the first dwarves.<ref name="Weis1987">{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1987 | chapter = Wanna Bet? |title = ] | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-88038-382-8 }}</ref> | ||
| === |
===Appearance and traits=== | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| In ''Dragons of the Autumn Twilight'', Kender are described as "small boned" and rarely growing over than 4 |
In ''Dragons of the Autumn Twilight'', Kender are described as "small boned" and rarely growing over than 4 feet tall.<ref name="Weis1999">{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1999 | page = 25, 26, 88, 110, 525 | title = The Annotated Chronicles | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-7869-1870-5 }}</ref> Jeff Grubb adds to this, stating that the original intention was to depict them as being "wilder than halflings, fearless, sometimes cruel as only children can be ... savage, warrior children, ever curious, ever alert."<ref name="Weis1999" /> Things changed after Janet Pack's dramatic readings, at which point they became "brave, fearless, taunting, and cute"<ref name="Weis1999" /> | ||
| In ''Dragonlance Adventures'', Kender are described as | In ''Dragonlance Adventures'', Kender are described as | ||
| * being distinctive for their pointed ears that give them a faintly ] look; | * being distinctive for their pointed ears that give them a faintly ] look; | ||
| Line 37: | Line 39: | ||
| * speaking very quickly and ramble at the same time when excited, making what they're trying to say difficult to understand.<ref name="Hickman1987P51">Hickman (1987), p. 51.</ref> | * speaking very quickly and ramble at the same time when excited, making what they're trying to say difficult to understand.<ref name="Hickman1987P51">Hickman (1987), p. 51.</ref> | ||
| When kender appeared in the computer game ], which was released in 1990, they were described as "a diminutive and highly playful race that resembles ]".<ref name="Barton2008P154">Barton |
When kender appeared in the computer game ], which was released in 1990, they were described as "a diminutive and highly playful race that resembles ]".<ref name="Barton2008P154">{{cite book | author = Barton, Matt | title = Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games | year = 2008 | publisher = A K Peters Ltd | location = ] | page = 154 | isbn = 1-5688-1411-9 }}</ref> | ||
| ==== |
====Curiosity==== | ||
| As Hickman has stated, his sole contribution to the development of the kender was their curiosity and their tendency to "borrow" objects<ref name" |
As Hickman has stated, his sole contribution to the development of the kender was their curiosity and their tendency to "borrow" objects<ref name="Weis1999" /> His desire for the skills of a thief, without the associated moral concerns raised by a "race of thieves", led to depicting kender as possessing a habit of finding things that have dropped into their pouches by accident, picking things up in the streets, finding "]", and generally getting things that belong to other people<ref name="Weis1999" />. This habit was justified in ''Dragonlance Adventures'' through Hickman's decision to provide the kender with enormous natural curiosity, a character trait which is also employed to provision the characters with both lock picking skills and a tendency to "listen in on other's conversations".<ref name="Hickman1987P52">Hickman (1987), p. 52.</ref> In terms of moral considerations, kender are described as not believing that there is anything wrong with handling,<ref>(Monstrous Compendium: DragonLance Appendix, 1987)</ref> although this habit may be employed to get kender in to deep trouble with the owner of an item. In addition, they do not tend to "find" things like money, gems, and the like, as they are depicted as having little concept of monetary value.<ref name="Hickman1987P52" /> Kender oppose actual thieving vehemently, and thus consider being called a thief a great insult to their ].<ref name="Hickman1987P52" /><ref name="Swan1990P">Swan (1990)</ref> As a side effect of these characteristics, kender can be difficult to play within the role-playing game, as their lack of interest in monetary gain is "a virtual anathema" to the manner in which character of many other races are typically portrayed. Therefore it was recommended in ''The Mists of Krynn'' that kender be employed as ]s, with their "handling" providing a convenient means for those running the game to introduce objects at "critical times".<ref name="Batista1988P117">{{cite book | last = Batista | first = Jay | coauthors = Bennie, Scott; Blanchard, Peter; DeWolfe, Michael; Garcia, Vince; Kane, Thomas M.; Mercer, Bill; Mortika, Chris; Reid, Rick; Swan, Rick; Terra, John; Vialls, Janet; Vialls, Peter; Winniger, Ray | year = 1990 | title = Mists of Krynn | publisher = ] | page = 117 | isbn = 0-8803-8574-X }} "Kender are by far the most difficult characters to play in Krynn, simply because adventuring for gain is not a part of their mindset, a virtual anathema to the traditional thinking of other classes. And so in a number of campaigns, the ] may find kender fit best as ] to find secret doors or just to possess objects the party requires at critical times."</ref> | ||
| ==== |
====Taunting==== | ||
| In ''Dragonlance Adventures'', kender are described as masters at the art of ]ing people, using a wide repertoire of taunts, sarcasm, outright rudeness, and insults thanks to the shocking insights into a person's character flaws gained from the kender's intense curiosity. Kender are also described in ''Dragonlance Adventures'' as using this ability to taunt creatures, causing them to become irrational and attack wildly or fall into some kind of trap.<ref name="Hickman1987P52" /> | In ''Dragonlance Adventures'', kender are described as masters at the art of ]ing people, using a wide repertoire of taunts, sarcasm, outright rudeness, and insults thanks to the shocking insights into a person's character flaws gained from the kender's intense curiosity. Kender are also described in ''Dragonlance Adventures'' as using this ability to taunt creatures, causing them to become irrational and attack wildly or fall into some kind of trap.<ref name="Hickman1987P52" /> | ||
| In the computer game ], kender are portrayed as "the only race that can taunt enemies, driving them into a rage...and forcing them to focus their attacks on kender".<ref name="Barton2008P154" /> ] explained that this characteristic in kenders was created by the game group which was creating the original saga. Although they thought it was a simple feature, including it in the kenders in subsequent books proved to be a long-term challenge.<ref name=" |
In the computer game ], kender are portrayed as "the only race that can taunt enemies, driving them into a rage...and forcing them to focus their attacks on kender".<ref name="Barton2008P154" /> ] explained that this characteristic in kenders was created by the game group which was creating the original saga. Although they thought it was a simple feature, including it in the kenders in subsequent books proved to be a long-term challenge.<ref name="Weis1999" /> | ||
| ==== |
====Fearlessness==== | ||
| Margaret Weiss states in ''The Annotated Legends'' that "a problem with writing kender is that they are supposedly fearless. However, if a situation arises where an author wants to create fear in a reader, the author needs to do that through making a character feel fear...thus we came up with the idea that Tas could feel fear for people he cared for, even if he did not feel fear himself. This also adds more depth to Tas's character and makes him more human".<ref name=" |
Margaret Weiss states in ''The Annotated Legends'' that "a problem with writing kender is that they are supposedly fearless. However, if a situation arises where an author wants to create fear in a reader, the author needs to do that through making a character feel fear...thus we came up with the idea that Tas could feel fear for people he cared for, even if he did not feel fear himself. This also adds more depth to Tas's character and makes him more human".<ref name="Weis1999" /> | ||
| ===Culture and society=== | ===Culture and society=== | ||
| Within the game world, kender names are chosen from a wide range of sources, such as recent events or items found in kender ]es, like Bearchase, Lockpick, Fruitthrow, etc., or they are named after an existing relative. As children, they come to rely on ] and ] for needs, and begin to take part in their ] and to constantly ask questions. As they age, kender children gain education by hearing stories, desiring to acquire new skills, and playing games. They also begin ] and wandering. As kender reach the adolescent and teen-aged years, they become more active participants in "Kender Moots," social gatherings where the youth can show off their newly found skills in games and demonstrations. As they near adulthood, kender experience intense ] and leave home. Kender age slowly, remaining childlike in comparison to other races even when their bodies slow down. Kender view ] as the next great adventure, and don't linger too long on sadness.<ref name="Banks2007">Banks |
Within the game world, kender names are chosen from a wide range of sources, such as recent events or items found in kender ]es, like Bearchase, Lockpick, Fruitthrow, etc., or they are named after an existing relative. As children, they come to rely on ] and ] for needs, and begin to take part in their ] and to constantly ask questions. As they age, kender children gain education by hearing stories, desiring to acquire new skills, and playing games. They also begin ] and wandering. As kender reach the adolescent and teen-aged years, they become more active participants in "Kender Moots," social gatherings where the youth can show off their newly found skills in games and demonstrations. As they near adulthood, kender experience intense ] and leave home. Kender age slowly, remaining childlike in comparison to other races even when their bodies slow down. Kender view ] as the next great adventure, and don't linger too long on sadness.<ref name="Banks2007">{{cite book | last = Banks | first = Cam | coauthors = Macdonald, Sean; Valentine, Clark; Whiteman, Trampas | year = 2007 | title = Races of Ansalon | publisher = ] | page = 138-139 | isbn = 978-1-931567-35-0 }}</ref> | ||
| Most kender spend their entire adult lives wandering around the world. Most of the population of Krynn has been exposed to the adult variety of kender, and as such have adapted the word kender to mean ], rogue, or cutpurse. Kender take great offense to these epithets, especially the last.<ref name="Weis1986">Weis & Hickman (1986)</ref> ''The Annotated Chronicles'' cites the '']'', which states that "Most Kender are encountered during ], a particular phase in a kender's life that occurs for most kender during their early 20s. Wanderlust may happen for many years...and is responsible for spreading kender communities across the continent of Ansalon".<ref name=" |
Most kender spend their entire adult lives wandering around the world. Most of the population of Krynn has been exposed to the adult variety of kender, and as such have adapted the word kender to mean ], rogue, or cutpurse. Kender take great offense to these epithets, especially the last.<ref name="Weis1986">Weis & Hickman (1986)</ref> ''The Annotated Chronicles'' cites the '']'', which states that "Most Kender are encountered during ], a particular phase in a kender's life that occurs for most kender during their early 20s. Wanderlust may happen for many years...and is responsible for spreading kender communities across the continent of Ansalon".<ref name="Weis1999" /> | ||
| A kender's natural lifespan is about 100 years.<ref> at Dragonlance Nexus. Retrieved 2008-11-18.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| ⚫ | ==Examples in the series== | ||
| The following are examples of notable kender characters appearing in the ''Dragonlance'' novels. | The following are examples of notable kender characters appearing in the ''Dragonlance'' novels. | ||
| *], one of the series' primary characters and one of the ]. First appears in '']''. | *], one of the series' primary characters and one of the ]. First appears in '']''. | ||
| Line 64: | Line 68: | ||
| *Sindri Suncatcher, the only known kender wizard. Features in '']''. | *Sindri Suncatcher, the only known kender wizard. Features in '']''. | ||
| * Koi Fearbreaker, who wants to learn to be afraid. Features in ''Dragonlance: The New Adventures''. | * Koi Fearbreaker, who wants to learn to be afraid. Features in ''Dragonlance: The New Adventures''. | ||
| *Nightshade Pricklypear, kender nightstalker and companion to the monk Rhys. Features in '']''. | *], kender nightstalker and companion to the monk Rhys. Features in '']''. | ||
| *Chestal Thicketsway. Features in Dragonlance: The Gates of Thorbardin. | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| <references /> | |||
| ⚫ | ==Bibliography== | ||
| </div> | |||
| {{refbegin}} | {{refbegin}} | ||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| {{refbegin}} | |||
| *{{cite book | last = Banks | first = Cam | coauthors = Macdonald, Sean; Valentine, Clark; Whiteman, Trampas | year = 2007 | title = Races of Ansalon | publisher = ] | isbn = 978-1-931567-35-0 }} | |||
| *{{cite book | author = Barton, Matt | title = Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games | year = 2008 | publisher = A K Peters Ltd | location = ] | isbn = 1-5688-1411-9 }} | |||
| *{{cite book | last = Batista | first = Jay | coauthors = Bennie, Scott; Blanchard, Peter; DeWolfe, Michael; Garcia, Vince; Kane, Thomas M.; Mercer, Bill; Mortika, Chris; Reid, Rick; Swan, Rick; Terra, John; Vialls, Janet; Vialls, Peter; Winniger, Ray | year = 1990 | title = Mists of Krynn | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-8803-8574-X }} | |||
| *{{cite web | last = Chambers | first = Jamie | date = ], ] | title = UnCon Chat Transcript: Dragonlance Campaign Setting Q&A | work = ] | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20031228a | accessdate = 2008-06-09 }} | *{{cite web | last = Chambers | first = Jamie | date = ], ] | title = UnCon Chat Transcript: Dragonlance Campaign Setting Q&A | work = ] | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20031228a | accessdate = 2008-06-09 }} | ||
| *{{cite journal | last = Fleishhacker | first = Joy | year = 2007 | title = A Practical Guide to Dragons | journal = ] | volume = 53 | issue = 1 }} | *{{cite journal | last = Fleishhacker | first = Joy | year = 2007 | title = A Practical Guide to Dragons | journal = ] | volume = 53 | issue = 1 }} | ||
| *{{cite web | last = Grubb | first = Jeff | authorlink = Jeff Grubb | title = Jeff Grubb (interview) | work = Dragonlance Nexus | date = ], ] | url = http://www.dlnexus.com/features/interviews/11253.aspx | accessdate = 2008-04-23 }} | |||
| *{{cite web | last = Hickman | first = Tracy | authorlink = Tracy Hickman | title = Dragonlance FAQs | work = The Worlds and Works of Tracy Raye Hickman | url = http://www.trhickman.com/Intel/dlance.html#anchor2126702 | accessdate = 2008-04-24 }} | *{{cite web | last = Hickman | first = Tracy | authorlink = Tracy Hickman | title = Dragonlance FAQs | work = The Worlds and Works of Tracy Raye Hickman | url = http://www.trhickman.com/Intel/dlance.html#anchor2126702 | accessdate = 2008-04-24 }} | ||
| *{{cite book | last = Hickman | first = Tracy | authorlink = Tracy Hickman | coauthors = ] | year = 1987 | title = Dragonlance Adventures | edition = 1st | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-8803-8452-2 }} | *{{cite book | last = Hickman | first = Tracy | authorlink = Tracy Hickman | coauthors = ] | year = 1987 | title = Dragonlance Adventures | edition = 1st | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-8803-8452-2 }} | ||
| Line 85: | Line 83: | ||
| *{{cite book | last = Swan | first = Rick | year = 1990 | chapter = Kender | title = Monstrous Compendium: Dragonlance Appendix | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-8803-8822-6 }} | *{{cite book | last = Swan | first = Rick | year = 1990 | chapter = Kender | title = Monstrous Compendium: Dragonlance Appendix | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-8803-8822-6 }} | ||
| *{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1984 | title = Dragons of the Autumn Twilight | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-88038-173-6 }} | *{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1984 | title = Dragons of the Autumn Twilight | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-88038-173-6 }} | ||
| *{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1987 | chapter = Wanna Bet? | title = ] | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-88038-382-8 }} | |||
| *{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1996 | title = Dragons of Summer Flame | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-7869-0523-9 }} | |||
| *{{cite book | last = Weis | first = Margaret | authorlink = Margaret Weis | coauthors = ] | year = 1999 | title = The Annotated Chronicles | publisher = ] | isbn = 0-7869-1870-5 }} | |||
| {{refend}} | {{refend}} | ||
| == |
==External links== | ||
| * - Unofficial information and embellishments about kender prior to 3.5 rules. | * - Unofficial information and embellishments about kender prior to 3.5 rules. | ||
| {{D&D |
{{D&D navbox|characters}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 20:15, 5 January 2009
Kender are a type of fantasy race first developed for the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game published by TSR Inc. in 1984. The first kender character was created by Harold Johnson as a playable character in a series of role-playing adventures which included Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, whose Dragonlance shared world novels did much to popularize the kender among readers and players alike, largely through the character Tasslehoff Burrfoot, who became one of the main protagonists in the novel series.
Tasselhoff first appeared, in the Dragonlance adventure module DL1: Dragons of Despair, published in March 1984, in which kender are described in a review of the module as "wizened 14-year-olds and, unlike halflings, they wear shoes." The first novel publication featuring Kender was in the novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight, published in November 1984.
Conception and development
Preparatory to creating the Dragonlance setting, Tracy Hickman ran a series of Dungeons & Dragons adventures. Harold Johnson, one of those involved in these games, chose to play a halfing thief character whom he called Almar Tann. When Hickman, Johnson and others moved to the Dragonlance setting for their games, the character of Almar Tann went with them. However, it became clear to those involved that halflings were unsuitable to the Dragonlance world; as Johnson described it, this was especially due to his characters' possession of a ring of invisibility, so that "it all sounded too much like another story" (referring to Bilbo Baggins and the One Ring). Halflings were thus dropped from the campaign, and Johnson developed both the initial concept of the kender and the first representative of the fantasy race, Tasslehoff Burrfoot. To solidify the distinction, they were originally described as "thinner, more wiry, and more cunning and streetwise" than halflings.
Roger E. Moore introduced the kender (and Tasslehoff Burrfoot) to the wider community through his short story A Stone's Throw Away, published in 1984 in Dragon #85. While Tracy Hickman was involved in some of the development, he has stated that it is Roger Moore who did the most to define kender as they are depicted today.
The original concept of kender was that they were "savage, warrior children, ever curious, ever alert". This concept was altered dramatically when Janet Pack became involved in dramatic readings of the works, as Pack's personal characteristics had a strong impact on how those involved in the process viewed the kender. According to Jeff Grubb, she, "and as a result all kender since her, was cute. Extremely cute. Sweetly, lovably, frustratingly cute.... And it's hard, after seeing Janet play Tas, to imagine them any other way." Two of the other key characteristics of Kender—their curiosity and kleptomania—were introduced by Tracy Hickman. Hickman was uncomfortable with the notion of a "race of thieves" in his games, but still wanted the skills typically associated with thieves, so he added their "innocent tendency to 'borrow' things for indeterminate periods of time."
Originally, kender were to be called "kinder", in reference to "kinderkin", but Hickman has reported that readers tended to read the name as "kind-er" rather than "kin-der" in print, leading to the decision to alter the spelling.
Description of kender
Fictional origin
The Dragonlance books present two alternate and conflicting accounts of how the kender were created. In Dragons of Summer Flame, the Irda state that kender descend from the gnomes. When the Greygem of Gargath was released, the gnomes present who desired the gem for greed were turned into dwarves, and those who wanted it for curiosity were turned into kender. However, in the Tales trilogy, the dwarves state that when the Greygem came to Krynn, its chaotic magic transformed a group of gnomes into both the first kender and the first dwarves.
Appearance and traits
In Dragons of the Autumn Twilight, Kender are described as "small boned" and rarely growing over than 4 feet tall. Jeff Grubb adds to this, stating that the original intention was to depict them as being "wilder than halflings, fearless, sometimes cruel as only children can be ... savage, warrior children, ever curious, ever alert." Things changed after Janet Pack's dramatic readings, at which point they became "brave, fearless, taunting, and cute"
In Dragonlance Adventures, Kender are described as
- being distinctive for their pointed ears that give them a faintly elven look;
- having wizened appearance as they grow older, because of the fine network of lines that appears on their faces about age 40;
- having topknot hairstyle (as pictured) which is a source of pride for them;
- having a wide vocal range, from deep and husky to high-pitched and squeaky, which enables older kender to often perform remarkable sound imitations.
- speaking very quickly and ramble at the same time when excited, making what they're trying to say difficult to understand.
When kender appeared in the computer game Champions of Krynn, which was released in 1990, they were described as "a diminutive and highly playful race that resembles Tolkien's hobbit".
Curiosity
As Hickman has stated, his sole contribution to the development of the kender was their curiosity and their tendency to "borrow" objects His desire for the skills of a thief, without the associated moral concerns raised by a "race of thieves", led to depicting kender as possessing a habit of finding things that have dropped into their pouches by accident, picking things up in the streets, finding "junk", and generally getting things that belong to other people. This habit was justified in Dragonlance Adventures through Hickman's decision to provide the kender with enormous natural curiosity, a character trait which is also employed to provision the characters with both lock picking skills and a tendency to "listen in on other's conversations". In terms of moral considerations, kender are described as not believing that there is anything wrong with handling, although this habit may be employed to get kender in to deep trouble with the owner of an item. In addition, they do not tend to "find" things like money, gems, and the like, as they are depicted as having little concept of monetary value. Kender oppose actual thieving vehemently, and thus consider being called a thief a great insult to their dignity. As a side effect of these characteristics, kender can be difficult to play within the role-playing game, as their lack of interest in monetary gain is "a virtual anathema" to the manner in which character of many other races are typically portrayed. Therefore it was recommended in The Mists of Krynn that kender be employed as non-player characters, with their "handling" providing a convenient means for those running the game to introduce objects at "critical times".
Taunting
In Dragonlance Adventures, kender are described as masters at the art of insulting people, using a wide repertoire of taunts, sarcasm, outright rudeness, and insults thanks to the shocking insights into a person's character flaws gained from the kender's intense curiosity. Kender are also described in Dragonlance Adventures as using this ability to taunt creatures, causing them to become irrational and attack wildly or fall into some kind of trap.
In the computer game Champions of Krynn, kender are portrayed as "the only race that can taunt enemies, driving them into a rage...and forcing them to focus their attacks on kender". Tracy Hickman explained that this characteristic in kenders was created by the game group which was creating the original saga. Although they thought it was a simple feature, including it in the kenders in subsequent books proved to be a long-term challenge.
Fearlessness
Margaret Weiss states in The Annotated Legends that "a problem with writing kender is that they are supposedly fearless. However, if a situation arises where an author wants to create fear in a reader, the author needs to do that through making a character feel fear...thus we came up with the idea that Tas could feel fear for people he cared for, even if he did not feel fear himself. This also adds more depth to Tas's character and makes him more human".
Culture and society
Within the game world, kender names are chosen from a wide range of sources, such as recent events or items found in kender pouches, like Bearchase, Lockpick, Fruitthrow, etc., or they are named after an existing relative. As children, they come to rely on family and friends for needs, and begin to take part in their communities and to constantly ask questions. As they age, kender children gain education by hearing stories, desiring to acquire new skills, and playing games. They also begin handling and wandering. As kender reach the adolescent and teen-aged years, they become more active participants in "Kender Moots," social gatherings where the youth can show off their newly found skills in games and demonstrations. As they near adulthood, kender experience intense wanderlust and leave home. Kender age slowly, remaining childlike in comparison to other races even when their bodies slow down. Kender view death as the next great adventure, and don't linger too long on sadness.
Most kender spend their entire adult lives wandering around the world. Most of the population of Krynn has been exposed to the adult variety of kender, and as such have adapted the word kender to mean thief, rogue, or cutpurse. Kender take great offense to these epithets, especially the last. The Annotated Chronicles cites the Dragonlance Adventures, which states that "Most Kender are encountered during wanderlust, a particular phase in a kender's life that occurs for most kender during their early 20s. Wanderlust may happen for many years...and is responsible for spreading kender communities across the continent of Ansalon".
A kender's natural lifespan is about 100 years.
Examples in the series
The following are examples of notable kender characters appearing in the Dragonlance novels.
- Tasslehoff Burrfoot, one of the series' primary characters and one of the Heroes of the Lance. First appears in Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
- Uncle Trapspringer, a legendary hero to whom every other kender claims he or she is related. Appears in Kendermore and Tales of Uncle Trapspringer.
- Kronin Thistleknot, who defeated the White Dragonarmy Highlord during the War of the Lance. First mentioned in Dragons of Spring Dawning.
- Earwig Lockpicker, Tasslehoff's cousin and a brief companion of Caramon and Raistlin. Appears in Brothers Majere.
- Damaris Metwinger, Tasslehoff's onetime fiancée. Features in Kendermore.
- Sindri Suncatcher, the only known kender wizard. Features in Dragonlance: The New Adventures.
- Koi Fearbreaker, who wants to learn to be afraid. Features in Dragonlance: The New Adventures.
- Nightshade Pricklypear, kender nightstalker and companion to the monk Rhys. Features in Amber and Ashes.
- Chestal Thicketsway. Features in Dragonlance: The Gates of Thorbardin.
References
- Staplehurst (1984)
- ^ Johnson, Harold (February 1995). "First Quest Column". Dragon Magazine. XIX (214): 70.
{{cite journal}}: More than one of|number=and|issue=specified (help) - ^ Weis, Margaret (1999). The Annotated Chronicles. Wizards of the Coast. p. 25. ISBN 0-7869-1870-5.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Weis1999" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Grubb, Jeff (April 29, 2001). "Jeff Grubb (interview)". Dragonlance Nexus. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Hickman, Tracy. "Dragonlance FAQs". The Worlds and Works of Tracy Raye Hickman. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
- Chambers, Jamie (December 28, 2003). "UnCon Chat Transcript: Dragonlance Campaign Setting Q&A". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Weis, Margaret (1996). Dragons of Summer Flame. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-0523-9.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Weis, Margaret (1987). "Wanna Bet?". Kender, Gully Dwarves, and Gnomes. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-88038-382-8.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Hickman (1987), p. 51.
- ^ Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games. Wellesley, MA: A K Peters Ltd. p. 154. ISBN 1-5688-1411-9.
- ^ Hickman (1987), p. 52.
- (Monstrous Compendium: DragonLance Appendix, 1987)
- Swan (1990)
- Batista, Jay (1990). Mists of Krynn. Wizards of the Coast. p. 117. ISBN 0-8803-8574-X.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) "Kender are by far the most difficult characters to play in Krynn, simply because adventuring for gain is not a part of their mindset, a virtual anathema to the traditional thinking of other classes. And so in a number of campaigns, the DM may find kender fit best as NPCs to find secret doors or just to possess objects the party requires at critical times." - Banks, Cam (2007). Races of Ansalon. Wizards of the Coast. p. 138-139. ISBN 978-1-931567-35-0.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Weis & Hickman (1986)
- Dragonlance Nexus: Kender - Dragonlance Lexicon at Dragonlance Nexus. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
Bibliography
- Chambers, Jamie (December 28, 2008). "UnCon Chat Transcript: Dragonlance Campaign Setting Q&A". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Fleishhacker, Joy (2007). "A Practical Guide to Dragons". School Library Journal. 53 (1).
- Hickman, Tracy. "Dragonlance FAQs". The Worlds and Works of Tracy Raye Hickman. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
- Hickman, Tracy (1987). Dragonlance Adventures (1st ed.). TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-8803-8452-2.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Johnson, Harold (February 1995). "First Quest Column". Dragon Magazine. XIX (214): 70.
{{cite journal}}: More than one of|number=and|issue=specified (help) - Swan, Rick (1990). "Kender". Monstrous Compendium: Dragonlance Appendix. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-8803-8822-6.
- Weis, Margaret (1984). Dragons of the Autumn Twilight. Random House. ISBN 0-88038-173-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)
External links
- The Kencyclopedia - Unofficial information and embellishments about kender prior to 3.5 rules.