Berem (137 AC - 352 AC), also known as The Everman, was a human who became entangled in Takhisis's attempt to return to Krynn. He had one twin sister named Jasla whom was his best and only friend.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Berem was born to a farming family, isolated on the farm outside of the city of Neraka. As he was growing up, his only friend in life was his sister Jasla. They would work on the farm together, and after their work was done play together. Some nights they both would stay awake all night with clubs in hand as wolves prowled around their farm. His mother taught him and Jasla how to read and write, not letting them become illiterate.
Sometime before 157 AC, their mother and father become extremely ill and the chores and running of the farm fell up the both of them. Berem watched as this seemed to age Jasla severely, turning her hair gray, and face pinched and wrinkled. During the spring of 157 AC, Berem and Jasla were out hunting and they found broken columns with gems embedded in them in a strange place. Berem immediately got down and attempted to take a large green gem from the column with his knife, thinking only that if he got this what good he could do for the family and Jasla. Jasla tried to stop her brother from taking the large green gem, and in the scuffle the gem got scratched. This enraged Berem who pushed her down onto one of the columns. A sharp rock on the column pierced her temple, killing her instantly and that is when Takhisis had the gem imbedded into his chest. Jasla, now a spirit in the column, yelled for him to flee and he immediately ran from the area.
Wandering Years[]
Over the many years that followed, he wandered every corner of Ansalon, dieing many times over but always coming back to life. Eventually he was capture by dwarves of Thorbardin and held in their prison for over fifty years. During this imprisonment, Takhisis lost track of him and wasn't able to find him. When he was released in 348 AC Takhisis knew almost immediately that he was on the surface again and his running would begin again.
War of the Lance[]
When the War of the Lance broke out across Ansalon, Takhisis had all of her spies searching hard to located and capture Berem. The green gemstone embedded in his chest was actually part of the Foundation Stone of the Temple of Istar, now known as the Temple of Darkness. Eventually Berem was accidentally captured and imprisoned in Pax Tharkas in 351 AC. Then, when Pax Tharkas was under attack by the Heroes of the Lance, Eben Shatterstone took Berem and tried to escape, but the defense mechanism was triggered and it fell, crushing them both. Berem though, would later be seen by Sturm Brightblade and Tanis Half-Elven at Goldmoon and Riverwind's wedding.
From there, Berem traveled east to Flotsam, where he hired on with a pirate captain named Maquesta Kar-Thon. At first he was a simple deck swab, but Maq could see the great skills in him and she would make him her new helmsman on the Perechon. When the Heroes of the Lance show up on his ship a couple months after he hired on, Berem was greatly surprised but kept his mouth shut. He would eventually sail the ship away from Flotsam with the Dragon Highlord Kitiara Uth Matar hot on their heels. He ended up driving the ship into the Maelstrom and sinking it along with the entire crew.
Eventually he would make it back to the surface with Tanis and company near the city of Kalaman. He would journey with them to the dark city of Neraka. While in route to the city, Berem ran from the group trying to escape, but Flint Fireforge stayed on him like a bloodhound. When running through Godshome, Flint suffered a heart attack and Berem stopped to check on him. Tanis caught up then and thought he saw Berem killing Flint so he drove his sword through the Everman's chest killing him, but Berem raised to his feet again.
The Companions made it to the city, and Berem and a friend of his named Caramon Majere made it to Jasla. She called to Berem to come to her, but Caramon's brother Raistlin Majere prevented him. Raistlin eventually let him go and Berem answered her call, running to her and falling into her arms, which was the broken column. Berem was killed and together their spirits were able to leave Krynn and seal away the Dark Queen.
Personality and traits[]
Berem looked like a middle-aged Human with a long gray beard that goes down over his chest and white hair after his imprisonment with the dwarves, he would later shave that off. His eyes were blue, with a childlike expression as if seeking something. He was tall, had smooth hands, and tanned skin, young appearance, weathered face, and a mute. Berem was known never to speak with anyone for fear of revealing himself to the Dragonarmies. He was shy, be on the fringes of groups, always watching and listening, and ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. Even after all of this, he was still a very strong, hard worker that was very skilled at everything that he set his mind to. With the green gemstone embedded in his chest, he is immortal.
Inconsistencies[]
One source has them stated as being twins, while the original Chronicles has them as being one year apart in age with Berem being the oldest. Also, at one point she was suppose to have been alive just after the Cataclysm, but this was changed years later
References[]
- The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Autumn Twilight, pp. 410-413, 453, 468
- The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Spring Dawning, pp. 916-919, 1083-1085, 1165-1166, 1169-1171, 1177-1181, 1223, 1242, 1265, 1268
- The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Winter Night, p. 838
- Dragons of the Highlord Skies (PB), pp. 19, 192, 333, 392
- War of the Lance (Sourcebook), p. 242