Goldmoon was instrumental to not only the return of the gods and divine magic, but later in their absence, discovering Mysticism. Let’s look at Goldmoons life. Buy Races of Ansalon: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/27946/Races-of-Ansalon-35?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
Goldmoon was instrumental to not only the return of the gods and divine magic, but later in their absence, discovering Mysticism.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Goldmoon. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. I am referencing the various Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules, as well as the Dragonlance Fifth Age sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below.
Discussion
Goldmoon and her tribe of the Que-Shu were patterned after Native Americans. I never understood why this would be seen as any form of a negative, as native peoples exist all over the world, even to this day. If the plainspeople were not portrayed accurately compared to any given native peoples in our world, it’s because they aren’t real. It’s fantasy. If you can suspend disbelieve that there are gods that perform miracles and dragons that terrorise the land, a primitive culture shouldn’t be a bridge too far. That being said, Goldmoon was the daughter of the Que-Shu tribe chieftain Arrowthorn. Their culture worshiped their chieftain as the gods, and Goldmoon was in line to become the goddess of the tribe, but it seems destiny had another plan for her.
Goldmoon with the help of her one true love Riverwind and the innfellows, would bring the knowledge of the Gods back to the people of Krynn. She was not to be the center point of the new Holy Orders of the Stars, but she was the first priestess of the good gods in over 350 years, and gifted the Discs of Mishakal to Elistan who would then be the central figure for the good gods return. I have always enjoyed the fact that Goldmoon was a transformative figure. She challenged the culture of her people, of the existence of the gods in Abanasinia, and would not only bring magic back to Krynn once, but twice!
That being said, Tracy Hickman noted that “[Goldmoon] seems strong, she is basically
insecure and uses ‘Chieftain’s Daughter’ to conceal what she perceives as her weaknesses, [she] is the first woman we meet and get to know in the series, and we wanted her to be strong and fearless, yet still feminine and womanly.” This is echoed in the disparate presentation of her from artists Larry Elmore and Clyde Caldwell. The difference can be boiled down to wearing or not wearing pants. While Goldmoon’s presentation as a fierce, feminine force to be reckoned with, was never realized, she was presented as a motherly, elder, even at a young age.
One could argue after Dragons of Flame, or Dragons of Autumn Twilight, depending on whether you played the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules or read the novels, Goldmoon didn’t really contribute much as a character. That is, until the end of the war. Goldmoon and Riverwind would return to Abanasinia and restore their tribe of the Que-Shu, and sit as joint chieftains. By 380 Alt Cataclius, they were the de facto leaders of all plainsmen tribes across Abanasinia. They united the tribes against the Knights of Takhisis during the Chaos War and in the Age of Mortals, when the gods truly did leave Krynn, Riverwind and their daughter Brightdawn would die by the hands of the Dragon Overlord Malys.
This left Goldmoon as sole chieftain and after three years, she would discover mysticism with the aid of The Sage, magic she referred to as Healing of the Heart. This would change the trajectory of her life, in an eerie echo of her past. Goldmoon once again became a central figure in the events of Krynn, and she would travel to the Isle of Schallsea and build the Citadel of Light near the Silver Stair. The citadel was a location where anyone could learn the art of Mysticism. Goldmoon was asked to form a band of heroes to defeat the Dragon Overlords, and she was instrumental in forming the Heroes of the Heart. They would not be the only influential party to become inspired and driven by Goldmoon’s passion. A young girl by the name of Mina would wash up on the shores of the Isle. Goldmoon became Mina’s surrogate mother.
The Heroes of the Heart would prove to be the downfall of Goldmoon, another foreshadowing of times to come, and she would be killed by Dhaman Grimwulf, under the control of Malys herself. Goldmoon was not to remain dead, and after meeting her beloved Riverwind after death, she was restored to life. Mina would leave the Citadel, inspired by Goldmoons tales of her past, to find the gods, and find one she did. Mina returned to Krynn with a great storm, a storm that restored Goldmoon’s youth and beauty in what everyone else saw as a miracle, and Goldmoon saw as a curse. You see, Goldmoon had lived a full life. She restored healing magic to Krynn twice. She was a grandmother and suffered the loss of her children and her husband. The return to youth, when all she wanted was to return to her husband in the afterlife tormented her. And she left to discover its source.
Goldmoon would eventually confront Mina in Nightlund in the Lost Tower and was presented to the One God, who turned out to be the Dark Queen herself. Goldmoon rejected Takhisis, but at this point it didn’t matter to the goddess, as she stripped her youth, allowing her to die in Mina’s arms. Takhisis only wanted Goldmoon’s body as a vessel to contain her essence, and she very nearly succeeded in the task. But even in death, because Krynn was removed from its gods and apparently disconnected with the other planes of existence, she could not be reunited with Riverwind and just like every other soul after the summer of chaos, was forced to do the bidding of the Dark Queen.
Takhisis ultimately failed, and the souls were restored to their proper afterlife. Finally, after nearly 40 years, Goldmoon and Riverwind were reunited as spirits. Two people who only wanted to love one another and be together as equals, but destiny had other plans for them. For my money, they are one of three great love connections in the Dragonlance Saga. Caramon and Tika, Tanis and Laurana, and Goldmoon and Riverwind. Couples in love will often declare the aspiration of wanting to grow old together. This is a seemingly simple statement of everlasting love, that we know is difficult to find and even more difficult to cultivate. To see it presented in a fantasy epic, with all of its flaws and regrets and sorrows, only makes it feel more real and can be seen in this realistic light as aspirational.
I am hard pressed to find a character who was presented more subtly yet had as great an impact on Krynn as most Gods, than Goldmoon. A Hero, leader, friend, warrior, wife, mother, grandmother, and woman. It can be overwhelming when seen from above, but most of us never knew her as all of those things at once. We were introduced to her as a refugee of love, who changed the world through love. The hopeless romantic in me finds nothing but inspiration in the character, paired by utter frustration when all that is discussed around her is the portrayal of a native peoples. Like all of us, Goldmoon is infinitely more than the culture she came out of, or the styles she was dressed in.
Outro
But that is all the time I have to talk about Goldmoon. I hope you enjoyed the information. Do you take issue with how Riverwind and Goldmoon were presented in the saga? How did you feel about her first death in the Fifth Age? And finally, do you think my portrayal of her is justified or aggrandizing? Leave a comment below.
I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
The darkness might conquer, but it could never extinguish hope. And though one candle – or many – might flicker and die, new candles would be lit from the old. Thus hope’s flame always burns, lighting the darkness until the coming of day.
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