Goldmoon


Goldmoon is a fictional character from the Dragonlance fantasy series of novels and role playing games, originally published by TSR, Inc. and later by Wizards of the Coast.
Introduced in the first book of the original Chronicles Trilogy, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman in 1984; Goldmoon has become a recurring character for over 16 years in multiple Dragonlance novels and series, either as a protagonist or as a supporting character.

Character background

According to Patrick Lucien Price, author of the "Bertrem's essay on numerology" section published in Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home, Goldmoon was designed to be a kind and understanding female barbarian, who loved to travel, advise, and take care of others. As a high-profile member of her community, she was a natural speaker, able to inspire others to reach for their goals.
The Dragonlance novels do not cover Goldmoon's childhood, although her birth date, February 5, 322 A.C. can be found in the Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home source book. Different novels and short stories agree that her parents are Arrowthorn, Chieftain of the Que Shu—a tribe located in the plains of Abanasinia, a desolate area in the central western area of Ansalon in the fictional world of Krynn—and Tearsong, deceased high priestess of the tribe.
Image:GoldmoonRiverwind.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Goldmoon and Riverwind. Illustration by Keith Parkinson.
The short story "Heart of Goldmoon", written by Laura Hickman and Kate Novak and published in the Love and War recompilation, gives insight about her life after her mother died, explaining that the Que Shu community is built around the figure of a high priestess, and whoever marries the priestess becomes Chieftain of the tribe, with the first daughter of the couple becoming the next priestess.
The focus of the story is Goldmoon journeying to the Hall of the Sleeping Spirits, the place where the tombs of her ancestors are kept, to commune with their spirits in order to become the high priestess of the tribe. The journey ends with an exchange of confirmation of love between Goldmoon and Riverwind, a shepherd who was acting as her bodyguard during the travel, as well as the meeting between Goldmoon and Tearsong's spirit, in which Goldmoon is taught about the ancient gods and given a task in the name of Mishakal, goddess of healing, which she later fulfills.
At the end of the short story it is stated that Riverwind will be taking the Courting quest, a task he must finish before being able to marry Goldmoon.
Paul B. Thompson and Tonya C. Cook explain this quest in the novel Riverwind the Plainsman, from the Tales series, in which he succeeded in bringing back a Blue Crystal Staff, proof that the ancient gods existed.
However, the staff was not accepted as a valid proof by the tribe, and as related by Weis and Hickman in Dragons of Autumn Twilight, moments before he was stoned by the tribe, Goldmoon embraced him, and they both vanish from the village.
Reappearing just outside the city of Solace, they decide to travel, to look for someone who could tell them more about the staff, which marks the proper beginning of the Chronicles trilogy.
Character art was first created by Clyde Caldwell for a calendar, and Goldmoon has also been illustrated by such artists as Larry Elmore and Keith Parkinson. According to Elmore, Margaret Weis's reaction to Caldwell's first drawing was very negative; Weis said Goldmoon looked like "a whore". Elmore subsequently attempted to allay Weis's concerns, and drew the character for a book cover to appear less "sexy", adding leather pants. He and Parkinson collaborated on Goldmoon illustrations for a long time afterwards. Weis reportedly appreciated Parkinson's attempt to incorporate Weis's vision of Goldmoon as "Native American with a Celtic touch". Both Weis and Tracy Hickman continued to consult about the artwork, but Weis was always the one more invested in a particular vision.

Development through the series

Chronicles trilogy

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman introduce Goldmoon in chapter 3 of Dragons of Autumn Twilight, titled "Knight of Solamnia. The old man's party." She is presented as a heavily cloaked, silvery-gold haired woman carrying a plain staff, accompanied by a tall stone-faced barbarian. The authors explain that shortly after their arrival to the Inn of the Last Home a fight breaks out and the true nature of her healing staff is revealed, forcing the barbarians and a group of friends to run away. It is after escaping with the barbarians that the friends realize Goldmoon's desire of traveling to Haven, where she hoped the Seekers, priests who were in search of the old gods but degenerated into a political movement, would be able to teach her about the healing staff.
In the following chapters, Weis and Hickman continue to make the female barbarian the main focus of the story, stating that she discovered two constellations were missing from the firmament, and then revisiting when the staff protected Riverwind when the tribe was going to stone him. However, her protagonism fades in the battle sequences that follow, where she is protected by Riverwind, Sturm Brightblade, a Squire of the Knights of Solamnia and Tanis Half-Elven, the leader of the group. This behavior becomes constant throughout the rest of the series.
The authors give the story a harder push when they explain the group, later known as the Heroes of the Lance, travels to Xak Tsaroth, which is the broken city where Riverwind previously found the magical staff. The sixteenth chapter, "A bitter choice. The greatest gift." presents the earlier conversation between Goldmoon and her deceased mother, Tearsong, and an appearance of Mishakal, goddess of healing and protector of the Blue Crystal Staff Goldmoon carries, in which she explains the different sacrifices Goldmoon must make in order to obtain the goddess' gift and the tasks she must fulfill, including the retrieval of the Disks of Mishakal, a sacred book of platinum with the teachings of Paladine, highest god of light in Krynn within it.
The novel continues, indicating that Goldmoon receives the power of healing before the goddess departs, which Goldmoon promptly uses to save a mortally wounded Riverwind after an encounter against Khisanth, a black dragon protecting the broken city.
Goldmoon reaches the peak of attention when the authors write about her apparent sacrifice to defeat Khisanth, during the retrieval of the Disks of Mishakal. However, it is soon explained that her sacrifice was the last test the goddess Mishakal needed from her, and as the group nears the exit of the dungeon, they find Goldmoon waiting for them, blessed by the deity as a true cleric of Mishakal with the power of calling upon Mishakal's help when in need.
Fulfilling her final mission, Goldmoon delivers the Disks of Mishakal to a former Seeker, Elistan, whom the group meets in Pax Tharkas after they have been captured by the Dragonarmies of Ansalon, the forces of evil invading the continent of Ansalon. In this way, at the end of the book, Goldmoon marries Riverwind in a valley not far from Pax Tharkas after their group defeated Lord Verminaard in Pax Tharkas and freed the slaves.
The marriage vows the characters take are based in the Mormonism Celestial marriage.
Her involvement in the last two books of the trilogy—and therefore during the War of the Lance—abruptly diminishes at the beginning of the second book, Dragons of Winter Night. Her appearances are mostly to give counsel, spread the teachings of Mishakal and order new clerics. During the second half of the last book, Dragons of Spring Dawning, Goldmoon learns she is pregnant. Her goodbye to Laurana Kanan in Kalaman is her last appearance in the Chronicles trilogy.
Goldmoon is instrumental in reviving the faith of the people of Krynn during a period when the gods have seemingly disappeared. According to Tracy Hickman, "The restoration of truth and faith are Goldmoon's central theme and, to a great extent, the theme of this first book in the series."

Legends trilogy

Although the series focus heavily on Caramon and Raistlin Majere, Riverwind makes an appearance at the beginning of the first book of the Legends trilogy, Time of the Twins, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and published by TSR, in which he is recognized as leader of the Que Shu and other barbarian tribes by wearing the Mantle of the Chieftain.
This apparition is also used by the authors to explain the current situation of the couple. With a two-year-old son—Wanderer—and twin daughters—Moonsong and Brightdawn—the couple have worked hard to join the different tribes of Abanasinia, their homeland. It is finally explained that Goldmoon is spreading the teachings of her patron deity there, but nothing more is said about her.

Chaos War series

Goldmoon was not specifically included in the Chaos War, an event in which the mad god Chaos tries to destroy the world of Krynn. However, in Spirit of the Wind, Chris Pierson explains that Wanderer, Riverwind and Goldmoon's son, has a three-year-old son, Cloudhawk, but nobody remembers his mother. The author hints that Goldmoon's tribe was attacked by shadow wights, chaotic creatures that banish anyone they possess to utter oblivion, destroying even memories from others about the person in question. This hint is given through Wanderer's sisters, Moonsong and Brightdawn, when they speculate that one such creature killed her.
The novel ends with the death of Brightdawn and Riverwind while fighting the red dragon overlord Malystryx, and Moonsong scarred forever, events that weighted heavily on Goldmoon's spirit.