Riverwind

DL character
name = Riverwind


caption = Goldmoon and Riverwind. Illustration by Keith Parkinson.
alias = Riverwind of the Que Shu
class = barbarian
homeland = Que Shu
race = Nomad
gender = Male
creator = Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
debut = "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" (1984)

Riverwind (also known as "Riverwind of the Que Shu tribe" or "Riverwind of the Que Shu") is a fictional character from the "Dragonlance" series of role playing games and novels, created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, published by TSR, Inc. and later by Wizards of the Coast.

Riverwind made his first public appearance in the first novel of the original Chronicles Trilogy, "Dragons of Autumn Twilight", in 1984. However, the character's proper creation was during a tabletop role-playing game session where Tracy and Laura Hickman, Margaret Weis and Terry Phillips, between others, developed the basic storyline of "Dragonlance".cite book
last = Weis
first = Margaret
authorlink = Margaret Weis
others = foreword by Tracy Hickman.
title = The Soulforge
origyear = 1998
origmonth = January
edition = 5th edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1314-2
chapter = Foreword]

Throughout the series, Riverwind became a well known character and, in 14 years, authors made him the protagonist in two novels, "Riverwind the Plainsman" (1990) and "Spirit of the Wind" (1998).

Introduction

Patrick Lucien Price, author of the "Bertrem's essay on numerology" short story, published in "Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home" (1987), describes Riverwind as a character that "demands change, seeks variety and new opportunities to develop himself", also a "natural leader of men" and "generous, impressionable, a humanitarian".cite book
author = Patrick Lucien Price
coauthors = Michael Williams, Kevin Swan, William Wells, Roger E. Moore, Jeff Grubb, Doug Niles, Kate Novak, Mike Breault, Michael Dobson, Bruce Heard, Harold Johnson, Mary Kirchoff and Kris Bartyzel
editor = edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
others = developed by Mary Kirchoff, designed by Kristine Bartyzel
title = Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home
origyear = 1987
origmonth = February
edition = 2nd edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-88038-465-4
pages = 172
chapter = Bertrem's essay on numerology]

Few facts are given about the early life of the character itself, a shepherd living just outside the village of Que Shu, a barbarian settlement in Ansalon, in the fictional world of Krynn. Laura Hickman and Kate Novak detail, in the short story "Heart of Goldmoon" published in the "Love and War" (1987) recompilation, Riverwind's faith in the ancient gods and especially in Mishakal, goddess of healing, although the common belief in the tribe was that the high priestess's ancestors become gods.cite book
author = Laura Hickman
coauthors = Kate Novak
editor = edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
title = Love and War
origyear = 1987
origmonth = October
edition = 9th edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-88038-519-7
pages = 212-216
chapter = Heart of Goldmoon] Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman give a reason in the short story "True Knight", published in "The Cataclysm" (1992) recompilation, as Riverwind's family is not a native from the Que Shu tribe, but instead his ancestors, Michael, a cleric of Mishakal, and Nikol, daughter of a knight, travelled to the plains shortly after the Cataclysm, the event in which the gods threw a fiery mountain to punish Krynn arrogance, and kept practicing their religion.cite book
author = Margaret Weis
coauthors = Tracy Hickman, Mark Anthony,, Tonya R. Carter, Todd Fahnestock, Richard A. Knaak, Roger E. Moore, Douglas Niles, Nick O'Donohoe, Dan Parkinson, Paul B. Thompson, Michael Williams, Teri Williams
title = The Cataclysm
origyear = 1992
origmonth = July
edition = 6th edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 1-56076-430-9
pages = 343
chapter = True Knight]

In "Heart of Goldmoon", Hickman and Novak also inform the reader about the journey to the "Hall of the Sleeping Spirits", in which Riverwind acts as a bodyguard to Goldmoon, protecting her life when Hollow-sky, the other bodyguard traveling with them, tries to force her to marry her. With Riverwind and Goldmoon declaring their mutual love, the story ends with Riverwind affirming his intention to request a "Courting quest", which would give him the right to marry Goldmoon.

Paul B. Thompson and Tonya C. Cook give details of such quest in the novel "Riverwind the Plainsman" (1990), in which the character, needing to find proof that the ancient gods existed, travels to Xak Tsaroth and retrieves the Blue Crystal Staff, a holy relic blessed by Mishakal herself, guarded by Khisanth, a black dragon.cite book
author = Paul B. Thompson
coauthors = Tonya C. Cook
title = Riverwind The Plainsman
origyear = 1990
origmonth = January
edition = 1st edition
year = 1987
publisher = TSR
id = ISBN 0-7869-3009-8
pages = 300, 310-313
chapter = Chapter 26, "Whom the gods favor is a hero born—Astinus, the Iconochronous"] Although the novel ends with the delivery of the staff, in "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" (1984) the authors explain, through Goldmoon, that the tribe tried to stone him when he could not explain how the staff could prove the existence of the old gods.cite book
author = Margaret Weis
coauthors = Tracy Hickman
title = Dragons of Autumn Twilight
origyear = 1984
origmonth = April
edition = 4th edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1574-9
pages = 73-74
chapter = Chapter 7, "The story of the staff. Strange clerics. Eerie feelings."] However, before they started stoning, Goldmoon embraced him, and both vanished from the tribe.cite book
author = Margaret Weis
coauthors = Tracy Hickman
title = Dragons of Autumn Twilight
origyear = 1984
origmonth = April
edition = 4th edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1574-9
pages = 35
chapter = Chapter 3, "Knight of Solamnia. The old man's party."]

Development through the series

Chronicles Trilogy

As in the "Heart of Goldmoon" short story, Riverwind is given the role of Goldmoon's protector in "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" (1984). Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman kept his involvement at a minimum, only describing him as a character with a serious demeanor. The "War of the Lance" sourcebook (2004) indicates that he is a man of few words, proud and wary of strangers, who "does not make friends easily and people have to go a long way to earn his regard."cite book
author = Tracy Hickman
coauthors = Margaret Weis, Jamie Chambers
title = War of the Lance
origyear = 2004
origmonth = April
edition = 1st edition
publisher = Sovereign Press
id = ISBN 0-7869-1574-9
pages = 273-274
chapter = Chapter Six: Personalities] It is only after Sturm Brightblade—Squire of the Knights of Solamnia and one of the members of a group of friends who met them in Solace—feels his honor has been insulted that Riverwind's behavior is modified, becoming somewhat friendlier.cite book
author = Margaret Weis
coauthors = Tracy Hickman
title = Dragons of Autumn Twilight
origyear = 1984
origmonth = April
edition = 4th edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1574-9
pages = 61-62
chapter = Night in a cave. Dissension. Tanis decides.]

Understandably, it is in battle sequences where the authors give him more protagonism, effectively drawing on his past as a trained warrior. It is in one of those sequences, against the black dragon Khisanth in Xak Tsaroth, where Riverwind is mortally wounded by the dragons' acid breath. However, Goldmoon, after meeting the soul of her mother and the goddess Mishakal, goddess of healing, is able to restore him to health.

It is at the end of the first book, when Riverwind marries Goldmoon just outside Pax Tharkas after defeating Lord Verminaard, that Riverwind receives more attention from the authors.cite book
author = Margaret Weis
coauthors = Tracy Hickman
title = Dragons of Autumn Twilight
origyear = 1984
origmonth = April
edition = 4th edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1574-9
pages = 431
chapter = The Wedding]

Weis and Hickman continue diminishing the protagonism of Riverwind in "Dragons of Winter Night" (1985). In the second half of "Dragons of Spring Dawning" (1985), the authors reveal that Goldmoon is pregnant, and the couple decides to stay in Kalaman, ending their participation in the Chronicles Trilogy.

Lost Chronicles Trilogy

In Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, Tanis leaves Riverwind in charge of the safety of the refugees from Pax Tharkas while the rest of the companions search for an entrance to the underground dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin. Riverwind oversees the refugees as they evacuate to Thorbardin ahead of an attack by the remnants of the Red Dragonarmy.

Legends Trilogy

As the Legends trilogy, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman in 1986, focuses on the twins Caramon and Raistlin Majere, Riverwind's appearance is small. In "Time of the Twins" (1986) Riverwind visits Caramon and Tika Majere at the Inn of the Last Home to refuse to escort Lady Crysania to the Tower of High Sorcery of Wayrethcite book
author = Margaret Weis
coauthors = Tracy Hickman
title = Time of the Twins
origyear = 1986
origmonth = February
edition = 3rd edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1804-7
pages = 41-42
chapter = Chapter 2] and to inform them that his son, Wanderer, is already three years old, and the birth of his twin daughters, Moonsong and Brightdawn.

By wearing the "Mantle of the Chieftain", the authors point that he has been named Chieftain of the Que Shu and a number of other tribes like the Que Teh and Que Kiri, which must mean that he was successful in bringing peace.cite book
author = Margaret Weis
coauthors = Tracy Hickman
title = Time of the Twins
origyear = 1986
origmonth = February
edition = 3rd edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1804-7
pages = 32-34
chapter = Chapter 1]

Chaos War series

There are no books about the attacks of Chaos's armies to the Abanasinian tribes. Chris Pierson's novel, "Spirit of the Wind" (1998), informs that the "Knights of Takhisis", knights under the service of Takhisis, goddess of evil, invaded the area bringing brutes, barbarians from northern isles, forcing some tribes to join the Que Shu village to repel the attack, while others separated and left for the mountains. He also hints that at least "shadow wights", creatures that possess souls, vanishing them from the world of Krynn, including others' memories of them, attacked the tribe, as Moonsong and Brightdawn explain that their brother, Wanderer, has a three years old son, but nobody, not even Wanderer himself, remembers his mother.cite book
last = Pierson
first = Chris
authorlink = Chris Pierson
title = Spirit of the Wind
origyear = 1998
origmonth = July
edition = 1st edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1174-3
pages = 73-74
chapter = Chapter 6]

Age of Mortals series

In "Spirit of the Wind" (1998), Chris Pierson covers the last weeks of Riverwind's life. Afflicted by a terminal illness that had been the cause of his father's death, and without Mishakal, who left Krynn after the Chaos War, to give clerical powers to Goldmoon to heal him, he travels to the Inn of the Last Home to inform Caramon and Tika about it.cite book
last = Pierson
first = Chris
authorlink = Chris Pierson
title = Spirit of the Wind
origyear = 1998
origmonth = July
edition = 1st edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1174-3
pages = 34
chapter = Chapter 2]

The novel continues explaining that a couple of kender arrive requesting Caramon's help to stop Malystryx, the red dragon overlord, from destroying their home town, Kendermore. Riverwind decides to help them, and is involved in the defense of the city. With the imminent invasion of the dragon and the ogre armies supporting her, Riverwind and Brightdawn travel to "Blood Watch", where "Malystryx's Peak" was situated and her only egg was laid. Brightdawn dies on her way to the lair while fighting the nest's guardian, Yovanna,cite book
last = Pierson
first = Chris
authorlink = Chris Pierson
title = Spirit of the Wind
origyear = 1998
origmonth = July
edition = 1st edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1174-3
pages = 304-308
chapter = Chapter 24] but Riverwind is able to crack the egg open and slay the embryo within it, forcing Malystryx to go back to the lair and slay him. With Riverwind's sacrifice, the kender were able to flee safely to Hylo, as Malystryx was too depressed to chase them.cite book
last = Pierson
first = Chris
authorlink = Chris Pierson
title = Spirit of the Wind
origyear = 1998
origmonth = July
edition = 1st edition
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
id = ISBN 0-7869-1174-3
pages = 334-337
chapter = Chapter 26]

Dragonlance movie

Actor Phil LaMarr is voicing Riverwind and Gilthanas in the animated movie,cite web
url = http://www.dragonlance-movie.com/movie/cast/
title = Cast
accessdate = 2006-09-23
publisher = Cinemagine Media Ltd.] directed by Will Meugniot, written by George Strayton and produced by "Toonz Animation", "Commotion Pictures", "Epic Level Entertainment", "Kickstart Entertainment" and "Paramount Pictures".

ee also

* Goldmoon
* War of the Lance

References

External links

* [http://www.dlnexus.com/lexicon/13322.aspx Riverwind] at Dragonlance Nexus