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

https://youtu.be/QGKQgosO2Ww

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 ...