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RiverwindArticle written by Kranar Drogin, Matt, Nick BarfussRiverwind (riv-er wind)(May 2, 319 AC - 386 AC) was born to a mother and father, but their names are unknown, had a brother named Windwalker, and he had 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 and tight spaces. 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
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 LanceOn 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, and 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 to 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. 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 WarGoldmoon 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 WarDuring 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 MortalsIn 385 AC, 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. Riverwind discovered that Malys was trying to have a child by mating with other Dragon Overlords. Riverwind snuck into Malys's lair and destroyed the egg to prevent it from hatching and to buy time for the kender. An enraged Malys killed both Brightdawn and Riverwind. Moonsong returned to Goldmoon, heavily scarred from the ordeal. War of SoulsRiverwind'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. SkillsRiverwind 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. InconsistenciesSome sources have put his father as being named Wanderer, but this was really his grandfather. References
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Palanthas
