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One of the key initiating Macguffin devices of the first Dragonlance novel, Dragonlance Chronicles vol. 1, Dragons of Autumn Twilight is the sudden appearance of Riverwind and Goldmoon on the Solace Road where they encounter the second group of the Companions.

Kept mysterious until Chapters 7 and 8, we finally begin to learn how Goldmoon and Riverwind came to their predicament, which the web has paraphrased, thusly:

Goldmoon, the Chieftain’s Daughter / barbarian princess, had an illicit romance with Riverwind, an outcast’s son. Generally speaking, to marry the princess, you have to do something rather impressive. In Riverwind’s case, because everyone hated him, Goldmoon’s father gave him an impossible quest: to prove the ancient gods.

Riverwind disappeared for years, then came back a total gibbering mess… but with a staff in tow. Goldmoon’s father was thoroughly unimpressed, especially since the staff didn’t do anything.

Commence stoning. Goldmoon, in a Juliet moment, leapt to join Riverwind as the rocks got hurled and whammo: the staff teleported them to the Solace road.

I don’t recall Goldmoon and Riverwind ever returning to their village during Chronicles, but the Blue Crystal Staff saving Goldmoon & Riverwind from stoning epistemologically proves their reason for being stoned to begin with is false. Did Riverwind ever receive a dismissal of charge since the Blue Crystal Staff was reasonably impressive feat that essentially fulfilled his task, or barring no dismissal, was he ever pardoned or had his death by stoning ever commuted or reduced? Any apology from the Chief, “oops, my bad?”

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  • I'm not sure you're using "MacGuffin" correctly there
    – AakashM
    Oct 6, 2021 at 8:55

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It is implied, by the fact that Riverwind showed up in Time of the Twins wearing the Mantle of the Chieftain, that he has reconciled with the tribe, but I don't believe it was covered explicitly.

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    I guess that might cause more questions than it answered. Do we know if his possessing mantle was amicable? Did Goldmoon’s father pass on and Riverwind inherited it through marriage? Or did dad still try to stone them and so Riverwind claimed it through self-defensive regicide? Oct 5, 2021 at 18:49
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In Dragons of The Autumn Twilight, the entire village of Que-Shu is destroyed by a dragon (Khisanth). Later, it is mentioned that not everyone was killed (some were hunting, some were taken as slaves) and Goldmoon, as the Chieftain's Daughter, managed to re-assemble the remaining tribe, who now are in allegiance to her. At the end of the book, she marries Riverwind, making him the new Chieftain.

The reconciliation with the tribe happens behind the scenes, probably after the Heroes of the Lance killed Verminaard and liberated the slaves, but before the scene of marriage, which ends the book.

I do not remember if Goldmoon's father survived the dragon attack. I believe he did not.

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