Matafleur (ca. 1100 PC - 351 AC) was once a fierce red dragon, who had fought in the Third Dragon War. The red lived for a long time and eventually became senile in her elder years. Thinking herself as something of a den mother to the human refugees at Pax Tharkas, Matafleur guarded the refugee children closely, ensuring as best she could, that they didn't come to harm.
The dragon was described as being over one hundred feet in length, and her skin as still being comprised of brilliant red scales that were mottled and gray. Long scars ran down Matafleur's sides, signs of her once warlike days in the sky. By the time of the War of the Lance, one of her eyes was clouded and blind, and her teeth were all yellowed and broken.
Early Life[]
During the Third Dragon War (1020 PC - 1018 PC), Matafleur was known as a fearsome red dragon, and a powerful member of her clan. She flew with her fellow chromatics in a number of victories over the enemies of Takhisis, however she had the foresight to back down when the Solamnic Knights begun to use the Dragonlances in battle. In the closing stages of the war, her own young brood flew against the Solamnics and was killed. The loss of her own children in the war deeply affected Matafleur and she retreated from the world for some time.
War of the Lance[]
At the time of the War of the Lance, Matafleur assisted the Dragonarmies by serving as a guard over the refugees of Pax Tharkas. An ancient red dragon at this point, she was more than nursemaid than their guard. The senile dragon referred to the youngest members of the refugees as her children, and doted on them completely. When the Heroes of the Lance arrived at Pax Tharkas and released the prisoners, Matafleur reluctantly allowed them to leave, fearing that any of her attacks might also hurt her "children". As Verminaard and the dragon Ember attacked the Heroes of the Lance in the outer courtyard of Pax Tharkas, Matafleur overheard the Dragon Highlord threatening the children.
In a crazed rage, the elderly red dragon launched herself onto Ember and Verminaard, knocking the Highlord to the ground and entering into a savage battle with the younger and more powerful red dragon. Fighting a losing battle, the crazed Matafleur forced Ember into a corner and then flew straight at him. The force of her charge, which landed both of them into the side of one of the surrounding mountains, was enough to bury the two dragons under a gigantic pile of rocks and kill them. Through her actions, the once-fearsome red dragon had saved her "children".
Titles and Nicknames[]
The Refugees of Pax Tharkas also knew Matafleur as Flamestrike.
Inconsistencies[]
In some texts, Matafleur's name has been spelled as Mataflure.
References[]
- Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Novel), p. 412-418, 424-425, 429, 432
- Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (HC), p. 7
- Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (PB) p.9, 22
- DL2: Dragons of Flame (Adventure), p. 26-27, 29
- Dragons of Autumn (Adventure), p. 159 (D&D 3.5 stats)
- Dragons of Krynn (Sourcebook), p. 31
- War of the Lance (Sourcebook), p. 68