Riverwind

Goldmoon and Riverwind. Illustration by Keith Parkinson.
Alias	None
Birth	May 2, 319 AC
Death	386 AC
Race	Human
Gender	Male
Nationality	Qué-Shu
Hair Color	Black
Eye Color	Brown
Height	6’6”-7”
Weight	175 lb
Class	Ranger
Occupation	Hero of the Lance, Chieftain of the Qué-Shu
Spouse	Goldmoon
Children	Wanderer,Moonsong, Brightdawn
Siblings	Windwalker

Riverwind (riv-er wind)(May 2, 319 AC – 386 AC) was born as a humble shepherd from the Plains of Abanasinia to an unknown mother and father. His only known family is a brother named Windwalker, and a grandfather Wanderer the Elder. After marrying Goldmoon, he fathered a son named Wanderer and twin daughters Moonsong and Brightdawn. In his early years Riverwind was very racist towards elves, but time spent with Tanis changed his mind. Riverwind disliked crowds, tight spaces and a strong distrust of magic.

In his younger years, he had tanned skin, dark full eyes, muscular arms, and long black hair. He was 6 feet, 6 inches tall. He kept his vibrant look until his death in 386 AC.

Early Life

Riverwind grew up the son of a banished man from the Qué-Shu tribe. Wanderer was branded a heretic for worshipping the old gods rather than the former chieftains and chieftain daughters of the Qué-shu.

In his own words, Riverwind was “instantly in love” when he first met Goldmoon. He later told Goldmoon that he wasn’t in love with her at first sight because she was too vain. He won the Qué-shu contests to be able to court her and later gave Goldmoon a steel amulet of two teardrops which sealed their love.

Although Riverwind won Goldmoon’s heart, he could not claim her hand in marriage without Arrowthorn’s consent. Arrowthorn considered Riverwind’s beliefs to be an affront to the tribe, and Riverwind’s Courting Quest was to find proof of the old gods’ existence. Riverwind and Goldmoon promised to wait for each other until the quest was completed.

Another plainsman named Catchflea traveled with Riverwind to the Forsaken Mountains, and they floated down a secret hole where they met the Hest Elves. Riverwind’s mind was taken over by Li El to lead her warriors against rebel diggers. After his mind was freed, he led the rebels to victory over Li El only to find that the rebel leader Mors didn’t want them to leave. Di An, a Hest Elf that he befriended, assisted Riverwind and Catchflea in escaping.

During their escape, Riverwind almost died from the Creeping Death, but he fought it off with Di An’s help. From there, the three traveled to Xak Tsaroth where they discovered Draconians and the ophidian that led them. Riverwind fights the ophidian, named Thouriss, in single combat and defeats him. Riverwind and Di An escape to the surface, but Catchflea dies during their escape. In a statue’s hands, Riverwind found the Blue Crystal Staff. He tried to use it to heal Di An, who was going crazy from being on the surface during the day.

Riverwind took Di An with him through the swamps surrounding Xak Tsaroth. Riverwind contracted a fever from laying in the water with leeches and parasites feeding off of him. In a fit of fever, Mishakal appeared before him and asked which of the two she should save, Di An or Riverwind. He chose Di An, who disappeared from his side.

Riverwind returned from his quest in the summer of 351 AC bearing the Blue Crystal Staff. Goldmoon was delighted to see Riverwind again, but he was very delirious and thought he was only gone a short time. Riverwind gave Goldmoon the Blue Crystal Staff, which she then used to heal Riverwind of his malady. They were attacked by their own tribe and forced to leave.

War of the Lance

On their way to Solace they met Sturm Brightblade, who offered to escort the pair to the Inn of the Last Home. Riverwind did not trust Sturm but accepted. While resting at the Inn, they were confronted by the drunken Hederick, High Theocrat of Solace. Hederick subsequently fell into the fireplace, and the Kender Tasslehoff Burrfoot tried to knock down Hederick with a disguised Blue Crystal Staff. This caused two things to happen: Hederick was healed of all injury, and the staff’s true nature was revealed. An old man yelled that Goldmoon and Riverwind were wanted, since the local lord Toede had been seeking the Blue Crystal Staff.

Goldmoon and Riverwind ran with the other Companions to escape capture. Along the way they were attacked by a group of draconians dressed as monks. Riverwind used a Dagger to kill one of the draconians, unknowingly using a pregnant Feeder in the process. The newly-formed group made their way back to the Qué-shu village only to find it destroyed. They made their way to Xak Tsaroth, the ruined city where Riverwind originally found the staff. In Xak Tsaroth for a second time, Riverwind was nearly killed by the black dragon Khisanth, but Goldmoon used the staff to save him from the brink of death. In a second battle, Goldmoon destroyed Khisanth with blue flame and collapsed the dragon’s lair. He thought he had lost Goldmoon, but later discovers that the goddess Mishakal had saved her and sent her back as the first cleric of Mishakal since the Cataclysm.

After escaping from Xak Tsaroth, the Companions returned to Solace and were captured by Lord Toede’s men. They were sent to Pax Tharkas in a slave caravan that was freed by Qualinesti elves. They journeyed to Qualinesti and were given a mission to break into Pax Tharkas and free the prisoners. The Companions freed eight hundred refugees and defeated the Dragon Highlord Verminaard.

On the last day of autumn in 351 AC, as the Companions were moving the Refugees of Pax Tharkas toward Thorbardin, Goldmoon and Riverwind asked Elistan, the first cleric of Paladine since the Cataclysm, to marry them. As part of the ceremony, Goldmoon gave Riverwind a ring made from her own hair and banded with silver and gold. Riverwind gave Goldmoon a perfectly smooth ring formed from a Vallenwood branch.

Riverwind was granted the title of Chieftain of the Qué-Shu, and he considered taking his people back to the plains. Even though he was chieftain, he wasn’t sure that the Qué-shu and Qué-Kiri would accept him. They both chose to follow him out of the valley, and on to Thorbardin, but his people would never enter the mountain fortress. Riverwind was captured by the Theiwar, and they tortured him in trying to make him say his people were an invading army. He always stayed with the truth, that his people were refugees from the plains and were seeking safety from the dragonarmies. Eventually the other Heroes were able to recover the Hammer of Kharas, and Riverwind was freed.

After recovering the Hammer of Kharas for the dwarves of Thorbardin, the Refugees of Pax Tharkas were allowed to stay in the underground dwarven realm for the winter. The Companions traveled to the city of Tarsis to try to commission ships to transport the refugees back to Abanasinia. The Companions reach Tarsis only to find it landlocked and under the tacit control of the dragonarmy. The Companions are split up shortly after their arrival, and survive an attack on the city by the Red Dragonarmy and a detachment of Blue Dragons commanded by the Blue Lady.

Riverwind and Goldmoon, along with Caramon, Raistlin, Tanis, and Tika, were rescued by Alhana Starbreeze, princess of the Silvanesti Elves, and taken to Silvanesti. There they confronted Lorac Caladon’s nightmare and the green dragon Cyan Bloodbane. In the nightmare, Riverwind was killed by Qué-shu warrior arrows.

After defeating the nightmare, the companions traveled north to the occupied town of Flotsam, where they hire a boat called the Perechon to take them to Palanthas. However, the boat was pursued by the Blue Lady and several blue dragons across the Blood Sea of Istar, and the ship was forced into the Maelstrom. The whirlpool destroyed the ship, but the companions were rescued by sea elves living in the ruins of the city of Istar. There they met a Red Robe by the name of Zebulah.

The group was released and woke up near Kalaman, but didn’t remember much of what occurred under the sea. While Tanis, Caramon, Tika, Flint, Tas, and the mysterious Berem Everman left to confront evil in Neraka, Goldmoon and Riverwind decided not to continue because she was with child.

Post War of the Lance and Pre-Chaos War

Goldmoon and Riverwind returned home to try to reunite their people. In 352 AC, Goldmoon gave birth to a son and named him Wanderer after Riverwind’s father. Four years later, in 356 AC, Goldmoon gave birth to twin daughters named Moonsong and Brightdawn. In that same year, Riverwind met with Tanis and Caramon in Solace to discuss what was going on in the world. Tanis and Riverwind found Caramon drunk and had to carry him back to his home. Riverwind returned back to his tribe after he left Caramon in Tika’s care.

By 360 AC, Goldmoon and Riverwind had restored the Qué-shu tribe and rebuilt their destroyed village. Both were chosen to lead their people as chieftains, and took the Mantle of the Chieftain. By the year 380 AC, Goldmoon and Riverwind are considered the overall leaders of all tribes in Abanasinia.

Chaos War

During the Chaos War, Goldmoon and Riverwind united the tribes against the Knights of Takhisis who invaded their lands. Shadow wights attacked the plainsmen when Chaos returned to Krynn, and their family suffered a great loss when Wanderer’s wife was killed by a shadow wight, which left them all wondering who she was. Wanderer took Cloudhawk, his son and Riverwind’s grandson, from Abanasinia to the Plains of Dust.

Age of Mortals

Just after the Chaos War, Riverwind and Goldmoon traveled to Xak Tsaroth. They hoped to find proof that the true gods had not left Krynn. What they found shocked them. The Statue of Mishakal was in ruins, and in those ruins was the Blue Crystal Staff. They took the staff back with them to their tribe.

In 385 AC, Riverwind and his daughters visted the Tomb of the Last Heroes in Solace. They brought with them the Blue Crystal Staff, which after the Chaos War had lost its divine magic, to place on Tanis’ bier. During this trip, Riverwind revealed to Caramon that he was dying. He had a foulness that was growing in his stomach.

Riverwind went east with Moonsong and Brightdawn to investigate the appearance of the Dragon Overlord Malystryx. Riverwind and his daughters tried to convince the Kender to leave Kendermore before Malys could kill or enslave them all. Some kender left, others said they would stay and fight. Riverwind tried to train them, but even in training, the simulated ogres defeated them.

Eventually the ogres and kender met in battle. During the first battle, one fifth of the ogres were killed, but half the defending kender were killed. The kender were successful in holding the ogres off temporarily, and during that time, Kronn and Riverwind found a way to get most of the kender out of the city. As the kender began evacuating the city, Riverwind got word that Malys was trying to have a child by mating with other Dragon Overlords.

Riverwind and Kronn decide to attempt to destroy the egg when Malys attacked the city. Brightdawn and Moonsong tell their father that they were going to go with him in the attack. Riverwind attempts to stop them, but they told him that it was their choice. Moonsong though, has to remain behind for the attack for Malys. On the way to Maly’s nest, Brightdawn was killed during a confrontation with Yovanna. Kronn and Riverwind made their way to the nest, and there had to confront a fifty foot long serpent.

During this battle, Riverwind and Kronn killed the serpent, but Riverwind was savagely injured. Riverwind told Kronn to leave, since there was no sense that Malys should kill them both. Once Kronn left, the egg began to hatch. Malys saw Riverwind standing over her new wyrmling, and screamed at him, instantly deafening Riverwind. Riverwind was still able to kill the wyrmling, but paid for his life when Malys breathed fire on him, killing him.

War of Souls

Riverwind’s spirit appeared to Goldmoon and warned her of the coming dangers. After Goldmoon’s death and the return of the gods, their spirits depart Krynn. His ashes and Goldmoon’s were mingled together, and placed in the Tomb of the Last Heroes.

Skills

Riverwind was a very stealthy and woodsmart ranger who enjoyed playing the flute and sang with a low baritone voice. He was a skilled hunter and one of the best swimmers and wrestlers of the Qué-shu. He was skilled in the use of the bow as well as the longsword.

Inconsistencies

Some sources have put his father as being named Wanderer, but this was really his grandfather.

In one story, he is said to have come from the Plains of Dust, but this is not true. He came from the Plains of Abanasinia.

References

• The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Autumn Twilight, p. 42, 45, 67, 76, 253, 462, 464
• The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Winter Night, p. 504, 600, 750-754
• The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Spring Dawning, p. 1084
• The Annotated Dragonlance Legends, Time of the Twins, p. 33-34
• Bertrem’s Guide to the War of Souls, Volume 2, p. 212
• Riverwind the Plainsman, p. 2, 6, 9, 12, 17, 36, 42-44, 54, 101, 121, 150, 176, 239, 242, 272, 285, 290, 312
• Dragons of a Vanished Moon (HC), p. 177, 522
• Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (HC), p. 15, 28-29, 31, 53, 91, 179-180, 200, 355, 374
• Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (PB) p.16, 35-40, 233-240, 266-278, 307-314, 368-371, 455, 471-477, 499-500, 549
• Kender, Gully Dwarves, and Gnomes, “Dagger-Flight”, p. 364
• Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home, p. 172
• The Magic of Krynn, “Riverwind and the Crystal Staff”, p. 11, 14-15, 22-23
• Spirit of the Wind, p. 32-34, 37, 39, 48, 53, 78, 81, 104, 129-130, 155, 218-220, 240-241, 250, 252-254, 260-261, 267, 269-274, 276-281, 284, 288-289, 301, 304, 307, 315, 323, 329-332, 335, 337
• Issue 14 – High Sorcery 2 of 4 – ‘Through the Eyes of Time’, p. 9, 19, 22, 24
• Issue 15 – High Sorcery 3 of 4 – “The Test”, p. 19
• Issue 16 – High Sorcery 4 of 4 – ‘Flesh and Stone’, p. 6