Bupu
Bupu is the gully dwarf the companions encounter in Dragons of Autumn Twilight. When Raistlin puts a spell on her she falls in love with him, and he grows fond of her as well. She believes she can perform magic with a very dead rat, and is actually very smart for a gully dwarf. She is something of a leader among the gully dwarves of Xak Tsaroth, partially because she can perform “magic”, partially because she knows how to push the other gullly dwarves around to organize (by slapping any who not doing as she says).
Name: Bupu
Race: gully dwarf
Books: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Quotes:
“‘One, and one, and one.’ Bupu counted until she had used up all of her fingers. ‘Two,’ she said. ‘Not more than two.'” (216)
“Bupu rolled over to face him. Her eyes were red, her nose swollen. Tears streaked down her dirty face. She snuffled and wiped her hand across her nose. ‘I don’t want to leave you. I want to go with you,’ she said brokenly, ‘but- oh -I will miss my people!’ Sobbing, she buried her face in her hands.
A look of infinite tenderness touched Raistlin’s face, a look no one in his world would ever see. He reached out and stroked Bupu’s coarse hair, knowing what it felt like to be weak and miserable, an object of ridicule and pity.
‘Bupu,’ he said, ‘you have been a good and true friend to me. You saved my life and the lives of those I care about. Now you will do one last thing for me, little one. Go back. I must travel roads that will be dark and dangerous before the end of my long journey. I can not ask you to go with me.'” (265)
“Bupu looked at him sadly, then -greatly daring- she caught his hand in hers and kissed it swiftly. She turned away, her head bowed, sobbing bitterly.
Raistlin stepped forward. He laid his hand on her head. If I have any power at all, Great One, he said inside himself, power that has not yet been revealed to me, grant that this little one goes through her life in safety and happiness.” (266)
[Potentially this explains why Bupu is the only one protected in Legends.]
Family: the whole gully dwarf clan
Love(s): Raistlin
Friends: Raistlin, other gully dwarves
Description: She has a bulbous nose, and her hair sticks up. She wears a patched, raggedy dress, collapsed stockings, and thick shoes.
History: Bupu lives in Xak Tsaroth all her life, until she meets the Companions. Raistlin puts a charm spell on her and she leads them all over the broken city. She helps them escape, and unwittingly escapes herself, and is free to do whatever she pleases. She makes an appearance in Legends, first when she testifies before the council that she likes Raistlin, and later when she is seen starved to death, but protected, in Raistlin‘s world as god, we don’t know what becomes of her, because the future is changed and Raistlin does not become god in the end.
Psychology of Bupu: When considering gully dwarf psychology, we must consider that, although they are less intelligent than other races, they might still have complicated psyches. Bupu is also considered unusually intelligent for her kind. She has lived a hard life being oppressed by a bunch of draconians, and yet she has pride in her abilities. She is self confident, and believes many others are stupid (which they sometimes are, although perhaps not comparatively). She becomes friends with Raistlin partly because he casts a friendship spell, but she seems to retain this friendship after the spell has worn off. She is grateful for the kindness of Raistlin amidst her harsh life and is eager to please him and gain more kindness.
