Tasslehoff Burrfoot
One of my two favorite characters is Tasslehoff Burrfoot. Who could be more lovable? Who could be funnier in every situation? Who else cares so much for his friends? Who brightens up the blackest skies? Tas! Our sweet lovable little kendery pal!
Tas!
(Picture by from The Art of Dragonlance)
Name: Tasslehoff Burrfoot, later Granpa Tas, Doorknob (Flint’s nickname for Tas)
Race: Kender
Books: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning, Dragons of Summer Flame, all three Legends, Kendermore, Wanderlust, The Soulforge
Quotes: Tas’s quote page
Family: Uncle Trapspringer Fargo (and since every kender seems to claim relation to Uncle Trapspringer, probably every kender)
“‘Uncle Trapspringer was my mother’s aunt’s third cousin on her Father’s side by marriage,’ said Eider Thistledown.
‘Isn’t this amazing!’ cried Tasslehoff. ‘Uncle Trapspringer was my father’s cousin’s uncle’s wife’s second cousin once removed.’
‘Brother!’ cried Eider.
‘Brother!'”(195)
Love(s): None known of (although, according to an article from Dragon Magazine, kender like to try everything, and well, he DID spend an awful lot of time with Flint… Ever wonder about the nickname “Doorknob”? Perhaps it has a deeper meaning…)
Friends: The Companions
Description: Tas has bright blue leggings, fur vest, plain homespun tunic, plenty of packs, pointed ears, slightly built, brown eyes, a perpetually childlike face, and, of coarse, long tassel of brown hair. Tas is about the same height as Flint.
History: Tas was born in Kendermore and met Flint and Tanis during his wanderlust when he “borrowed” an important bracelet that Flint had made especially for a Dargonesti princess and the three of them had to go on a lengthy mission to save it from an evil wizard. Well naturally this made Tas one of the group and he decided to stick around in Solace. When the companions decided to split up, Tas ended up being dragged back to Kendermore to get married. He ended up not getting married (the girl ended up with his Uncle Trapspringer), but he did save a number of fat kender…
Tas with Fizban
(Picture by from the cover of The War of the Lance)
He helped the companions a lot during the War of the Lance, he was the party’s thief, and he helped out in general, he had a good aim with his hoopak. He also used some magic spectacles to read the dragon orbs and helped turn around the War of the Lance. He never married. During the Chaos war he caught the drop of Chaos’s blood in the stone, and he died at the end of Dragons of the Summer Flame and went up to sit at Reorx‘s (now Reorx-less since the gods departed) Forge with his old pal Flint. ((I cried! It was so sad!)) This wasn’t his first time dying. He had already died three times- once in Tarsis when dragons knocked a building on top of him, then in Neraka when he was poisoned by a lock and Raistlin saved him, and also when he went back in time to the Cataclysm and the gods dropped a fiery mountain on him.
The Psychology of Tas: Kender, we are often told, know no fear, and yet Tas begins to fear during Chronicles. Tas cares about all of his friends as much as any Aquarian might, and is upset whenever they fight. The fear Tas learns is fear for the safety of his friends. Like all kender he likes to wander, yet along with learning what fear is, Tas learns what it means to want a home. Tas is interested in everything, objects, places, maps, stories, creatures, and races of every sort. Though he “borrows” things, he never purposely steals, and is not greedy, only curious and delighted. These are all kender traits, but the friendship that becomes most important to Tas also begins to distance him from other kender. While in Istar, Tas meets other kender, and tries to tell them about his friends and finds that they don’t care about the same things anymore.
