Malafure (Dragonlance)

Malafure is an Ancient Red Dragon character introduced in the Dungeons and Dragons Dragonlance adventure module series. Specifically the Dragonlance Adventure Module: Dragons of Flame.

Dragonlance Adventure Module: Dragons of Flame
Malafure (Flamestrike) - Malafure was an ancient Red Dragon of the Red Wing, a branch of Taikhisis's armed forces until a great tragedy befell her. She is a victim of age; her teeth largely blunt, one of her eyes is milky blind, large scars are upon her flanks, and she is slender- scrawny. Flamestrike as she goes by now lost her entire brood years ago during an event that scarred her personality. Verminaard- vile though he is- decided to entrust care of child prisoners at his stronghold to her. In this role she's taken to calling her self a 'nursemaid' and treats the children as her own brood. She'll never hurt any of them for any reason and has become a very careful guardian. She will only allow the 10 woman who come to feed the youngsters into the nursery once a day. When the heroes of Dragonlance (the player characters) snuk the children to safety while Flamestrike slept the ancient dragon awoke at first thinking them to be the usual woman until her good eye and sense of smell informed her otherwise. Enraged she tried to keep them from 'stealing' the children but was unable to leave the chamber due to her size; panicked she attempted to break out of the chamber pleading that they not take her children- memory of what happened to her brood coming to the forefront as history seems to repeat it's self. The sound alerts troops and Verminaard- who has had enough of the slaves who at the time where under the heroe's guidance attempting escape- having warned them of the punishment of escape; declares that he will kill them, their wives and their children. Malafure upon hearing this and hearing the sounds of death to those she's cared for finds the strength to break free of the chamber and fights Verminaard. This allows the survivors, and the heroes of Dragonlance to escape- but in the end Malafure was slain by Verminaard- blunt teeth, and old bone being of no match for the Dragonlord. [1]

Dragonlance: Dragon's of Autumn Twilight feature film
In this animated production which draws from several of the adventure modules Malafure is still shown to care for the children though her motive is given as her being insane; believing the children to be her children whose "wings have yet to grow". In this iteration of her Malafure (whose chosen name of Flamestrike is not mentioned) is unable to tell that the heroes (who have disquised themselves as the woman who tend to the children) are not who they say they are, and thus Malafure doesn't raise an alarm with the party and children leaving peacefully. She was told by them that Verminard wanted to show them the sun. Latter, when a hole forms in the ground releasing her from the chamber the party's cleric - Goldmoon - calls out to the dragoness telling her that Verminard is killing Malafure's children. Indeed, Verminard was attacking the escapies- and had burned several to a crisp- using her sense of hearing she located and flew upon Verminard feeling betrayed and the two would continue to fight while the slaves escaped- with the two last being seen colliding into a great mountain- presumably to the death of both. [2]

Source Citation

 * 1) Dragonlance Adventure Module: Dragons of Flame
 * 2) Dragonlance: Dragon's of Autumn Twilight - A Dungeons and Dragons Adventure Tale