Desperate to win the hand of his chieftan's daughter, Riverwind embarks on a dangerous mission to find the fabled Blue Crystal Staff To prove himself worthy of his great love, Goldmoon, Riverwind is sent on an impossible quest by the elders of the Que-Shu tribe: Find evidence of the true gods. With an eccentric soothsayer named Catchflea, Riverwind falls down a magical shaft, and alights in a world of slavery, sorcery, and rebellion. As Riverwind, Catchflea, and a resourceful elf-girl find their way to Xak Tsaroth—and discover the Blue Crystal Staff of Miashakal—they are stalked by fate and prophecy. For it is said that one of them will go mad, one will die, and one will find glory.

Long before the companions reunited in Solace and long before the world heard the name Goldmoon, Riverwind was just a humble warrior of the Que-Shu, a tribe of nomadic plainspeople living on the edge of the civilized world. Devoted to honor and shaped by tradition, Riverwind’s life changes forever when he dares to love Goldmoon, the daughter of the chieftain and high priestess of the tribe.

Their love is forbidden. As a commoner, Riverwind must prove himself worthy by undertaking a perilous quest: to seek out proof of the forgotten true gods, long lost since the Cataclysm shattered the world. Many believe the gods are myths, but Goldmoon’s people worship them in secret—and Riverwind's journey becomes not just one of survival, but of spiritual awakening.

Alone, Riverwind ventures into a world filled with ruins, monsters, and faithless men. He battles slavers, outwits tricksters, and crosses desolate lands scarred by time and war. Along the way, he encounters enemies who test his strength and allies who test his trust. In the ruined city of Xak Tsaroth, deep within a place touched by divine power and defiled by evil, Riverwind finds what he seeks: a blue crystal staff, radiant with ancient magic—proof of the gods’ lingering presence in the world.

But even this triumph cannot prepare him for what follows. When he returns to Que-Shu, instead of honor, he is met with suspicion. The staff’s power is undeniable, but so is the fear it inspires. Seen as a heretic and a threat, Riverwind is beaten, scorned, and sentenced to death by the very people he sought to uplift.

At the moment of his execution, Goldmoon intervenes, wielding the staff to heal him and revealing her own divine connection. Together, they flee into exile, leaving behind their people and beginning the journey that will one day bring them to Solace—and into the company of the Companions.

Riverwind the Plainsman is a tale of quiet heroism and spiritual resolve. It explores the strength required not to fight for power, but to endure for love and faith. Riverwind’s story is not one of destiny fulfilled by prophecy or ambition, but of one man’s willingness to carry belief through suffering—and to become the bridge between a forgotten past and a fragile future.