Raistlin Majere was born in the year AC 335 in Solace. He is the twin brother of Caramon and the son of Gilon and Rosamun Majere. From the day he was born, he was the weak child. In fact, he required special care when he was a baby to stay alive. Kitiara, his half-sister, took a liking to him immediately when she saw how helpless and dependant he was. She gave him the name Raistlin which was a character in one of her father's stories.As a young boy, Raistlin was very quiet and reclusive. He was a very intelligent boy and began reading at an early. He had no friends and was tormented by the other children. Caramon usually ended up defending him which Raist both appreciated and resented. They were inseparable. One day during a festival in Solace, Raistlin wandered away from Kitiara and Caramon to watch a traveling illusionist perform. He was in awe of the magicians ability to control the crowd by his miraculous feats. That night, Raistlin put on a magic show for his family, mimicking the tricks he had seen earlier perfectly. He found his passion.
At the age of 8, Gilon decided to take him to the mage school (called Poolbottom) south Solace for formal training. Although Gilon was poor, he was willing to work extra hard to put his son through school. When they met with Morath, the schoolmaster, he was very reluctant to take in a boy so young. He put Raistlin through a series of tests to see if he was worthy of entering so early. Raistlins ability to read and annunciate astounded the schoolmaster so much that he allowed Raistlin to enter the school immediately.
Raistlin proved to be very gifted at magic. He advanced far beyond the other pupils at a far younger age. He was exceptionally gifted at sleight-of-hand tricks which he used to impress others when needed. In time, Raistlin's ability even exceeded that of Morath. Raistlin rarely showed any emotion or enthusiasm except when it came to magic or when Kitiara would return from her exploits after many months. He felt almost as close to her as he did to his twin. Kitiara and Raist both seemed to have a soft spot for those who were weaker than others.
When Raistlin was 21, he was invited to the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth by Par-Salian, Head of the Order of Mages and the White Robes, to take The Test. The Test is a test all novice mages on Krynn must pass to advance any furthur in their studies. It is intended to weed out the weak, dissident, and those who would abuse their powers. Wild mages, those who refused take the test, were hunted down by the Conclave, the ruling council of the three robes. The Test usually put the novice mage in a position of life or death struggle involving their deepest fears. For the most part, the test was conjured by the Conclave and took place only in the mind of the novice mage. Failure usually meant death. Raistlin's was no different. During his test, he was forced to face his brother in combat.. and killed him. The real Caramon was forced to see this as well. The incident haunted both of them the rest of their lives. The Test almost killed Raistlin, but he was deemed worthy by the Conclave and was spared.
Raistlin was left even weaker and more sickly than he was before. He relied on a special herbal tea recipe (given to him by Par-Salian) to ease his wheezing and coughing. His hair was whitened, his eyes and skin yellowed, and his pupils became the shape of hourglasses. The Test left him cursed to see time pass and its effects on the everything.. aging, decay, death. He paid this price for the power he received after The Test and to teach him compassion. Raistlin was given the Staff of Magius, a powerful magic artifact, by Par-Salian as a gift. He chose to wear the Red Robes of Neutrality.
Before and after The Test, Caramon and Raistlin had many great adventures. They were an unmatched team, magic & might, sword & staff.
They truly shined when they were thrust into the War of the Lance. Raistlin's knowledge and skill was invaluable to ending the war. After the war, Raistlin parted ways with Caramon and the companions to further his ambitions. He felt he could truly be somebody without his brother there to take care of him. His journeys took him to Palanthas, where he took over the Tower of High Sorcery there which had been abandoned since its fall to Istarian forces.
Raistlin's ambition consumed him and he turned to the black robes of evil. He took in a young outcast Silvanesti elf named Dalamar as his apprentice (who was really a spy of the Conclave of Mages). Together, they served the Dark Queen, although Raistlin's allegiance and loyalty to her were highly questionable. Raistlin lusted for more power, more control. When he was powerful enough, he gained the trust of a cleric of Paladine, Crysania. He needed her in order to open a time portal, which he did, to go back in time before the Cataclysm. He gained the trust of a wizard named Fistandantilus, known to be the most powerful wizard that ever lived.After serving as an apprentice for him, Raistlin betrayed him and used his own magic against him. All of Fistandantilus' experience and knowledge now belonged to Raistlin. But he wanted more. [It was later revealed that Fistandantilus had not actually died at all (the first time). His soul lived on and eventually helped Raistlin during his test at the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth. It was Fistandanilus that drained Raistlin and made him frail and sickly. He used Raistlin and lured him back in time to when he was still alive. He planned on taking over his body with his Bloodstone pendant, but Raistlin, using sleight-of-hand, took the pendant and killed him instead and assumed his identity.]
Raistlin traveled forward to a time just after the Cataclysm. He brought Caramon and Crysania with him as well. Raist planned to open The Portal to stand off with Takhisis, the Dark Queen, when she was at her weakest. However, he was caught up in a time loop that would eventually destroy his plans. He played a major role in the Dwarfgate Wars, eventually leading each side to their doom at Zhaman. Zhaman was destroyed when his magic and the magic of the time-traveling device conflicted with one-another. The result left Zhaman in a pile of ruin which looked like a skull (and was appropriately called Skullcap from then on).
Raistlin was persued by Crysania during their journeys. She had a strange attraction to him even though he served evil. Raistlin brushed off her advances and attempts to "convert" him to good. He also used Crysania's tie to Paladine to his advantage. After being sent into the future where Raistlin HAD become a god and destroyed all the other gods, Caramon and Tasslehoff returned to the present to confront Raistlin. The future they saw was bleak. Raistlin, in his effort to conquer Krynn, destroyed every living thing. His attempt to create his own life forms was in vain. Evil cannot create, it can only destroy. Caramon followed Raistlin into The Portal to the Abyss and showed this to him. Raistlin was overcome.
His ambition crushed, his fate revealed, Raistlin gave Caramon the Staff of Magius to close The Portal and sacrificed his life to prevent the Dark Queen from returning to Krynn.