Huma Dragonbane
Huma Dragonbane is a fictional character in the Dragonlance world.
Biography
Huma Dragonbane was a Knight of the Crown, wrongly regarded as an avatar of Paladine. A poor, humble knight from a lesser family, he would not have been admitted to the Order had it not been for the patronage of a well known, influential Knight of the Rose who was a close friend of Huma's father.
Huma became separated from his fellow knights during a battle with goblins, in which he was the lead attacker. It was during this time that he rescued, and befriended Kaz the Minotaur. The minotaur's culture deemed it a matter of deep personal honour that Kaz remain at Huma's side (despite fighting against one another in the war) until he repay his debt to Huma.
It was also during this time of separation from the Knights of Solamnia that Huma encounters his childhood friend, Magius (who is later revealed to be a rogue wild mage and only second in power to the wizard Galan Dracos). Kaz has an instinctual dislike of Magius, who is parading as a mage of the White Robes to Huma, but Huma does not believe Kaz. It is only during a surprise attack by wild mages that Huma sees Magius's true power and nature. Again Huma is separated from his comrades during the conflict.
Starving, alone, and lost, Huma had become confused about his personal loyalties because of his growing friendship with Magius and Kaz (who are sworn enemies of the Knights of Solamnia). It is at his lowest point, so near death, that Paladine appears to Huma in the form of a great white buck. Huma sights him with a bow and arrow, but cannot bring himself to kill the majestic animal despite his hunger. Instead Huma follows it through a forest and up the side of a mountain where he meets Gilean the God of Neutrality. It is ultimately Gilean who finds Huma worthy of bringing the dragonlances to the Knights of Solamnia and shows him the cave where they are hidden.
It is also during this crucial moment that the human woman he loves reveals herself to be the silver dragon known as Heart. Huma and Heart fly the dragonlances to the Knights of Solamnia for battle, and he is placed in charge of the sole unit that will carry the lances into battle.
In the final battle, Takhisis herself shows up in the form of a giant, multi-headed black dragon. Her army decimates the Knights, but Huma and Heart are left alive. The two fly straight for the dark goddess as she breaths her death flame at them, but Paladine intervenes and shields Huma and Heart long enough to imbed his dragonlance into one of the heads of Takhisis. The three tumble to ground, all nearly dead.
Once again, Paladine intervines by giving Huma the strength to carry on. Huma finds a footman's dragonlance on the body of his dead love and charges Takhisis with it to further weaken her, but at the last moment one of her heads blasts Huma with poison gas, collapsing him before he could scoring a more definitive blow. However, he succeeds in extracting a promise from her to leave and never return in exchange for her peace from his, and his allies continued torture. She agrees and Huma asks Kaz, who arrived during the fight, to pull the lance from her body. She immediately disappears with all her dragons and her armies scatter.
His corpse was entombed in the Silver Dragon Mountains. The name 'Dragonbane' was added posthumously as an honorific title. His true full name was never given in the novels. It may be speculated that Huma's name was Huma of Eldor, as his father was simply referred to as Durac of Eldor.
He fell in love with a silver dragon, Gwynneth, also known as Heart, who became his mount and who also perished in the battle against the Dragon Queen. His companion, Kaz the Minotaur, and his dragon Bolt, are the only eye witnesses of his last battle and the vow he forced out of the Dragon Queen.
Popular culture
The song "Legend Of Huma" by Australian power metal band Dungeon was inspired by the story with the same title by Richard A. Knaak.
See also
References
- Knaak, Richard A. (2003). The Legend of Huma: Heroes vol. I. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-88038-548-0.