Sturm Brightblade | DragonLance Saga
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ม.ค. 2022
- You love him or you hate him. Sturm Brightblade was a judgemental youth, trying to live up to what he believed were the just dictates of the knighthood. Let’s look a bit deeper into Sturm Brightblade. Buy DL5 Dragons of Mystery: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/...
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Transcript
Arguably one of the most tragic deaths that drove characters and the knighthood to greatness.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Sturm Brightblade. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. I am referencing the Chronicles, Lost Chronicles and various Dragonlance sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out, please feel free to leave a comment below!
Discussion
I come from a generation and community that celebrated war heroes, veterans and patriots. This becomes more of a moral and ethical dilemma the older you get and the truth of war, patriotism and sacrifice begin to take on different meanings. It’s easy to get caught up in the glory of those ideals but there are humans on all sides of a conflict that share those same ideals. Does that mean it is just to murder them? Or them to us? It’s the common folk that die in war more than those who start the conflict or even direct it. It’s the common folk who are the most patriotic as well. Warrior classes exist in all cultures and ours is no different than fantasy worlds. The Knights of Solamnia, who look great in their polished metal armor, are only warrior classes. They exist to protect and serve, in much the same way our military services exist. Whether it is existential threats of death or disaster, our warrior classes are sent out and they are not always on the right side of a conflict. Certainly the Solamnic Knights actions were not either, being dominated by the narrow scope of The Oath and The Measure.
Then there are times when the country turns against its warrior class. We saw it personified in the wake of the Vietnam war and the shameful treatment of its veterans back home. This is echoed in the extreme with Solamnia turning against its protectors, the Knights of Solamnia. I am the next generation after Vietnam, as Sturm is the next generation after the fall of the Knights. I saw the strength the heroes mustered to fight an unwinnable war. My father and step father served in Vietnam and their experiences affected everything about them hence. Sturm is a refugee from Solamnia, his mother Ilys fled with Soren Vardis at the order of his father Angriff as Castle Brightblade was besieged by the very people he and his forefathers protected for generations. There are aspects of Sturms life that I will never, nor would I want to understand through experience. But there are very real parts of his psychology I very much do know, deep to my core as a son of a war hero.
I idealized my father as most of us do, only I wasn’t the only one to put him on a pedestal. My country did as well, and that fed into my sense of patriotism. Sturm has a legacy in the Knighthood as many of us do in the military. We are generational warriors that stand up and do what is hard and right. It is not always just and history doesn't always bear out the action, but in the moment we did what we believed was honorable. Sturms psychology isn’t one of simplicity. What would be simple would be to give in to the common ideals of the age. Apathy and self centeredness. Sturm took the hard road of respect, honor and justice in a time when NO ONE wanted it. Not because it was wrong, but because it reminds others how far they have fallen. I love Sturms character because he isn’t one dimensional. He is simply misunderstood.
On development Sturm’s original name was Santos Silverblade. Tracy Hickman notes that they wanted his name to sound more stern, so Sturm fit perfectly. He was seen as cold and rigid initially, until we were allowed to learn about him through his actions. He was a consummate gentleman. This could be attributed to his upbringing, but it’s a trait that he carried his whole life. When Sturm and his mother settled in Solace, he would work for Derimius the scribe. It is here where he first met and befriended Caramon, Raistlin and Kitiara... - บันเทิง
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Thank you for watching today's Dragonlance Setting episode! What do you think of Sturm? Was his death best for the trilogy? Leave a comment below.
i don’t know if i’d say that it was “best”…
but it was a good death, a purposeful death…
that final moment defines what it means to be a knight! “Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that the gods may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong.”
Sturm’s place at The Table is secured!
(personal note: i can’t even get through writing this without tearing up…a fictional character, but a powerful moment; i love these stories!)
Yes hes death was to inspire they knights to become better knights and get out of the the corruptions and power struggle in the ranks they payed more attention to then being an actual knight. But not only that he also inspired Laurana to become the golden general and she turned the war around. It was hinted also that it would happen when they where at the meal in the woods and caramon mentioned to the unicorn sorry this dear might have been your friend and the unicorn responded by feeding them it served hes life purpose and we dont morn those who serve their lifes purpose and then looks at sturm (I might have not fully quoted it).
Sturm was my favorite character in dragonlance thanks for video ☮️
I really love Sturm’s relationship with Laurana and how it grows into such a wonderful friendship with them being so supportive and protective of each other and each giving the other strength and inspiration. It’s probably the best depiction of platonic love in all of fantasy fiction.
Friendships as soldiers are quickly made and the bonds are forever. Those two were peers in combat and the respect and admiration they shared for each other was beautiful to see.
@@DLSaga What book does Strum meets Alhana? They parted in Dragon of Winter ❄️ Night Dragonlance Chronicles Volume II. By Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Sturm was a turning point in my belief system when I was in 5th grade. First time I cried for someone other than myself. His actions led to the redemption of an entire order of knights.
It was beautiful
At first I detested Sturm's character in the chronicles for his rigid adherence to the Code and the Measure but at his death I was shocked to the point of having to put the book down for a few days. Afterwards I found myself understanding everything he stood for and why his actions were so important to the story. Also the way the other characters missed him and valued his sacrifice gave him importance and stature. Sturm Brightblade's life and death were not in vain. Indeed his spirit lives on in every person who has read the story of Dragonlance.
Took the words right out of my mouth. This is exactly how I felt when I first read the Chronicles. My opinions have definitely evolved as I have aged and reread.
Wonderfully stated.
My first Dragonlance book was Dragons of Winter Night when I was 7, and wow did Sturm and his death leave a huge impression on me. Easily one of my favorite characters in all of fantasy fiction.
Thank you for watching!
Same
7!!! Dang I suck a reading. I read it in middle school and it took me half a month 😂
I balled so hard when he met his end when I read these books decades ago.
Any hero that died got me.
For me and my brother, Sturm is not just a knight. He is the Knight against all other fictional knights are measured. He worked to maintain his ideals when it was hard, even when it was apparent that the others of the order he wanted to be in did not. He made mistakes but would try to make it right. He also holds the honor of being the first fictional character to draw a tear from my eyes when he died.
Thank you for watching!
Well said! Laurana's eulogy summed him up perfectly.
@@MagusMarquillin please put Laurana's eulogy for Sturm here for all to see. It would be a great addition to this body of work.
@@louiselockett2905 That's quite the request, but luckily I do have .txt files of the Chronicles:
"You expect a noble speech;" she said, her voice cold as the of the sepulcher. "A noble speech honoring the heroic deeds these men who have died. Well, you won't get it. Not from me!"
The knights glanced at each other, faces dark.
"These men, who should have been united in a brotherhood forged when Krynn was young, died in bitter discord, brought about by pride, ambition, and greed. Your eyes turn to Derek Crownguard, but he was not totally to blame. You are. All of you! All of you who took sides in this reckless bid for power."
A few knights lowered their heads, some paled with shame and anger. Laurana choked with her tears. Then she felt Flint's hand slip into hers, squeezing it comfortingly. Swallowing, she drew a deep breath.
"Only one man was above this. Only one man here among you lived the Code every day of his life. And for most of those days, he was not a knight. Or rather, he was a knight where it meant the most-in spirit, in heart, not in some official list:"
Reaching behind her, Laurana took the blood-stained dragonlance from the altar and raised it high over her head. And as she lifted the lance, her spirit was lifted. The wings of darkness that had hovered around her were banished. When she raised her voice, the knights stared at her in wonder. Her beauty blessed them like the beauty of a dawning spring day.
"Tomorrow I will leave this place;" Laurana said softly, her luminous eyes on the dragonlance. "I will go to Palanthas. I will take with me the story of this day! I will take this lance and the head of a dragon. I will dump that sinister, bloody head upon the steps of their magnificent palace. I will stand upon the dragon's head and make them listen to me! And Palanthas will listen! They will see their danger! And then I will go to Sancrist and to Ergoth and to every other place in this world where people refuse to lay down their petty hatreds and join together. For until we conquer the evils within ourselves, as this man did, we can never conquer the great evil that threatens to engulf us!"
Laurana raised her hands and her eyes to heaven. "Paladine!" she called out, her voice ringing like the trumpet's call. "We come to you, Paladine, escorting the souls of these noble knights who died in the High Clerist's Tower. Give us who are left behind in this war-torn world the same nobility of spirit that graces this man's death!"
Laurana closed her eyes as tears spilled unheeded and unchecked down her cheeks. No longer did she grieve for Sturm. Her sorrow was for herself, for missing his presence, for having to tell Tanis of his friend's death, for having to live in this world without this noble friend by her side.
Idol of idols. (Yes. I stole that line from the first dungeons and dragons movie.)
My grandfather used to say something like this "wars are started by old men who can't get along, and finished by men who are too young and brave to die for their country."
He served in ww2 and was at Normandy, and battle of the bulge but ended the war by going to Japan after Europe and before going home. He always had a great outlook of his "enemies", especially with us being of german heritage.
That’s great! Our grandparents generation went through more than most of us will ever understand.
My father who was prior army always taught me to do the right thing, even when no will notice. Doing the right thing is very hard to do and not everyone is capable of it. I teach my children that lesson because no matter what happens in life, NO ONE can take away the pride and self love you receive when you know in your heart you do the right thing. You can always keep your head up when you try your best. I love Sturm and I like to think my Father taught me those lessons that he learned from Sturm.
That's great! Thank you for sharing your personal experience.
One of the things that I liked in Autumn Twilight was describing why Tanis was the leader. It said, Sturm followed the Code, Tanis lived the Code.
Thank you for watching!
What code lol Tanis basically whored himself
I have been a 4th age Dragonlance DM for about 30 years. Love this channel, the well spoken narration, and the passion for characters I love. (Great video, thank you for helping to keep Dragonlance alive)
Thank you!
Sturm was the greatest character in the entire saga. I always have to push myself to read his end. Then bawl like I lost a beloved relative after finishing the book. He lived as he believed. His honor was his life.
Absolutely. Thank you for watching
@@DLSaga thank you for producing this content. I had been looking for Dragonlance content on TH-cam for a few years. I was elated beyond belief when I found your channel. Please keep producing!!
LOVE IT! Also, I love Sturm, but Derek would undoubtedly be the more fun dinner companion.
What would you talk about?
@@DLSaga I don't know, but he just doesn't seem as stiff as Sturm. I think I could get a few flagons in Derek, and there'd be some bro talk lol
I disliked Sturm when we first meet him. I grew to respect him, like the companions already did, as the quest unfolded. I felt robbed when he sacrificed himself. I appreciated him him in ways I didn't realize after we lost him.
Him and Flint still hit me hard in the feelings.
Thank you for watching!
Sturm and Laurana’s character development in ‘Winter Night’ is still to me probably the high point in all of Dragonlance!
Tanis is my favourite character but even I was like ‘nah Tanis doesn’t deserve Laurana after I finished this book’ lol
lol, yea. They eventually had some good years.
If I had to make any complaints about Sturm was his brief relationship with Alanna Starbreeze. I wish they had developed it more in the series.
It was rushed. I’d have liked him to see or feel her more through the starjewel.
In retrospect, Weis and Hickman tipped their cards too early with Sturm's fate with the Forestmaster at the start of "Autumn Twilight." Despite that, his growth in that book and "Winter Nights" was one of the more memorable parts of those books. I enjoyed Sturm in "Dwarven Depths,""Highlord Skies," and even "Soulforge." Admittedly, "Darkness and Light" ranks as one of my least favorite DL books though I loathe most of the "Preludes." In any case, great video and I appreciate you sharing your own story and how it mirrors Sturm and the knights. Great video.
I've always viewed the Preludes books as Dragonlance on acid.
They definitely foreshadowed it early on.
lol
Why not mention his struggles with inaction? Every times he found himself stagnant he would slip into depression. Very humanizing aspect of Sterm, and why I find dragonlance so interesting, everyone has their flaws
I don't recall that aspect to the character. Thank you for bringing it up!
I must respectfully disagree on one point:
Killing enemy combatants, in combat, is not murder
I don't mind differing opinions. Thank you for sharing yours.
I'm your huckleberry.....
The politicians who send young men to do their dirty work.....those are the real murderers
Great video as always, man. I literally just tried to find a sturm video the other day then this pops up 🤘
Great timing!
I find your tendency to share personal facts as a way of relating to the material compelling.
Thank you! It’s my way of interpreting the setting.
I've always loved Sturm - Who'd rather sit with Derek unless they want to weasle into a promotion? I was probably young enough when I first met him that his apparent shallowness in book one wasn't noticed, and was well enriched with book two (and in Lost Chronicles much later on). He seemed an aspirational figure for manners (most of the time - someones got to tell Raistlin off) and deeds who you later discover is a relatable, lonely human too. I'm not sure I realized before how the Vietnam soldiers reception probably played into his creation.
Thanks for the video, I've just found your channel and am overjoyed to have found a dedicated Lore channel to Dragonlance with a lot of backlog to catch up with! 🐲 Cheers!
Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the other content on the channel.
Sturm was my favorite character out of the Dragonlance series.
That’s awesome!
I read all the Chronicles and Legends books when I was in 5th and 6th grade over 20 years ago.
I met my best friend in 3rd grade and I made him read the books at some point in our adolescence. He got so mad when Sturm died, he stopped reading the books entirely.
That’s a bummer
what a powerful tribute.
Thank you for watching!
I came here after reading book four... and I was soooo confused that they just jumped into a full on mother father story arch with Sturm and Kitiara after three books of pushing Tanis as her lover. This vid was fantastic but still didn't touch this topic head on. At least I know now when the affair took place. Thanks!
Yea, that was a surprise to everyone!
Sturm is the Steve Rogers (Captain America) of Dragonlance. He does the right thing because it is right and not because it is the easiest decision or the expedient one. He does not do it for glory and he does not do it because of the organization he so desperately wants to be a part of but because it is what needs to be done and in doing so he embodies the best of what that organization stands for. He grounds everything in the saga and gives it depth that it might not otherwise have because no character is safe if the stalwart defender dies.
Very well put!
And I guess Lord Soth embodies the opposite of Sturm Brightblade's character. I wonder what a meeting between those two would be like given their backstories and alignments.
Thank you for mentioning this vid in a comment I made on another vid of yours. I really enjoyed it. I would have added though that when Derek put him up on the charge cowardice in the face of the enemy. Sturm countered that with the remark that the elves are not the enemy. I do have one question did he know about hes son or did Kit never mentioned that to him?
Sturm never knew about his son while he was alive because Kit never told him.
@@DLSaga I thought so as well I just wasnt sure I had all the info. Thank you very much
thank you, brother…
My pleasure.
Always Sturm. Honour, Integrity.
Here Here!
With baulders gate 3 coming out I’m making a character around him. He is the goat.
Right on!
Loved Sturm, hated how he died.
It was an epic end…. Thanks for watching!
Very well said about Vietnam My friend
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
My friend used to say Sturm died like a sucka. He also said good is dumb. He was a Raistlin fan.
He sounds like a poet, lol.
@@DLSaga actually he was the sneakiest most ruthless person to ever play D&D with. You look up.neutral evil his picture is there
I always read it as Strum like your strumming a guitar
The first time I read Draconians. I read them as Dragonian. It was a couple weeks before I finally corrected myself.
Unpopular take- Steel Brightblade utterly erases Sturm's martyrdom. The hard task for Sturm would be actually raising this child, confronting what happened between him and Kitiara, how the Code and Measure set him up for that fall and having to raise a child who's inclined to darkness. Sturm's death is the easy way out. He takes a dirt nap while poor Sara takes the responsibility and suffering of trying help Steel who returns that by not just allowing but approving of Ariakan's years of brutalization. If Sturm survived and had to deal with the world after the War like the other companions, he grows. Sturm at the end of DoaWN hasn't.
Interesting take. If Sturm knew about Steel, he definitely would have made different choices. But then, there was a world war going on and personal matters must be put on hold for the sake of the greater good.
Sturm
He’s pretty great. Or was.
Sturm was one of my very favorite characters of all the companions. It would have been nice if more of the video was about him instead of you. Same thing you did with Lord Soth. Nice you found a little time for Sturm in there somewhere.
I hope you enjoyed some of the video(s).
There is a difference between Murder and Killing. Warriors don't murder. the difference is subtle but very important.
I think it entirely depends on the side of the outcome.
@@DLSaga it doesn't matter what side you are on Murder and killing in battle are two different things even if the results are the same
I hated Sturm... but his death... that was a hard hit
Yea. Thanks for watching!
Its hard not to like Sturm.
I completely agree.
To assume that other cultures share your ideals is the height of hubris.
True.
You left anything out
Thanks for watching
Kit is the womanly version of “I can fix him.” She was a nasty woman.
I don’t see her like that at all. She was empowered, with focus and purpose.
God it pains me to hear you say "Solamnia". Saying it side by side with you pronouncing Vietnam correctly makes it more distracting. Still, I love your videos and appreciate your content.
Thanks for watching anyway!
Sil-van-NESTI, the proper pronunciation. You put the wrong emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble
You have every right to be wrong. I celebrate it and congratulate you on being wrong and owning it. :)
@@DLSaga so the emphasis is on VAN in Silvanesti? What about Qualinesti?
@@DLSaga the emphasis is on NEST in both, my friend
He always irked me. Maybe just too stereotypical, maybe just not fleshed out enough.
It’s all good. We connect with different characters for different reasons. Thanks for watching!
@@DLSaga I love tanis. Laurana, goldmoon, flint, raist. Sturm n riverwind were always lacking to me. It's like not enough effort was put into making them. They feel like npc.