Gorstag

Gorstag of Highmoon was an adventurer in the early 14 century DR, and the innkeeper of the The Rising Moon inn in Deepingdale since. He was the foster father of Shandril Shessair.

Personality
Gorstag loved night snacks, and strong cheeses. He made some onion-heavy stews. He had many tales to tell of Deepingdale's early days and his own adventuring exploits both.

Description
He had kind, jovial eyes.

Abilities
He favored the battle-ax. Even in his later years, he was handy with the axe and kept the peace in the inn.

Activities
Gorstag was the innkeeper in the Rising Moon from around for at least close to 30 years.

Relationships
Gorstag married Lureene, one of his employees. Other employees of his' included Shandril Shessair, his adoptive daughter whom he tried to provide with a normal life, the late cook Korvan, and Rhiia Duskmantle, who later replaced Korvan. Mirt claimed to be an old friend of his'. He had adventured with Dammasae.

Possessions
Gorstag was the owner of the Rising Moon inn. He had at some point owned at least one great blandreth. At the end of his adventuring career, he owned some gems.

Gorstag had an amulet that blocked several forms of detection, almost certainly an Amulet of proof against detection and location, taken from a necromancer he had slain. He also owned a Luck medallion of Tymora.

Adventuring (to 1341 DR)
"Save your breath for running."

- Gorstag, on fighting undead.

Gorstag had adventured together with Dammasae. Of the at least two dracoliches Dammasae had destroyed, one or more had been destroyed with Gorstag's aid. He described adventuring pains as forgettable. During that time, one of his maids, Lureene, became close to him, hoping to ease his pain.

After Dammasae gave birth to her daughter Shandril in Elturel, she remained there for eight months before departing for Shadowdale. Gorstag accompanied the family in the trip, but the group was ambushed at the Bridge of Fallen Men. Garthond died; Dammasae and Gorstag were both heavily injured, and though he sought healing at High Horn, it was too late to save Dammasae. He and the infant Shandril were ultimately the only survivors. The responsibility of hiding her fell squarely on him. Gorstag took the baby to Deepingdale, hoping to leave her with the elves and make for the Tower Tranquil, where he'd loot Garthond's belongings for Shandril to have; the elves warned him the Tower was now a Cult redoubt, annexed into the lair of Rauglothgor. Instead, he bought an old inn, once belonging to his father, counting on his relative obscurity to hide him from the Cult.

Innkeeping (from 1341 DR)
"''More treasure? What're you gonna do with it all, lad? Eat it? Build another castle? Well, that'll be nice. Make this one pink, will ye?"

- Gorstag of Highmoon, said to Theremen Ulath,

While in the position of innkeeper and Shandril's tutor, Gorstag had once taken on Shandril on the bet she could not consume a great blandreth of soup by herself. She had also seen him to host sisters of the Soil, priestesses of Chauntea. He taught Shandril of innkeeping trade.

In Flamerule of the, Gorstag broke a fight when the visiting Company of the Bright Spear lost its thief, Lynxal, slain while pickpocketing a local man, Ghondarrath. The next morning, Shandril ran off with the Company of the Bright Blade, leaving a note behind. Per Elminster, Gorstag was quite pained by that. About two months after Shandril's parting, he proposed to Lureene, and she accepted; that same evening, Shandril returned to the inn, to his joy and relief. Gorstag spoke at length with Narm during that evening, learning of Shandril's foes, and explained at length what he knew of her parents. He offered Shandril an amulet protecting against detection and location, which she accepted. He later gifted Narm a Luck medallion of Tymora.

However, his cook, Korvan, was a member of the Cult of the Dragon, and informed on Shandril's arrival; Gorstag had to slay the man, just as the newlyweds had left the inn. He was prevented from chasing after them by the arrival of Delg Ironstar, a dwarf bearing a letter from Elminster, who was sent to chase after them instead. He later fought off and slew Sintre, a Malaugrym impersonating a priestess of Oghma.

Unknown to him, Shandril briefly scried on him while he was together with Lureene, to no greater consequence. He received another contact from her later that year, after Shandril destroyed the Wizards' Tower in the Citadel of the Raven, learning that Shandril was with child. After Shandril's immolation and death at the near-end of the year, Mystra brought the spellfire-hurling lass to Gorstag briefly.

Some thirty years after, Gorstag was considering expanding the inn. By that point he studiously avoided saying anything about Shandril; recently, a secret shaft was discovered beneath his inn.

Rumors & Legends
Gorstag told that the amulet of proof against detection and location he kept was pilfered from an evil necromancer, whose brother was beat to death by an 8-year old armed who drew him out of his tower by throwing rocks at the window. He didn't elaborate.

Some rumors flew that Gorstag may have been Shandril's father.

Per Volothamp Geddarm, Gorstag said he had met the Deeping Princess, but he wasn't anywhere near old enough for that. Also according to Volo, someone had rented the hidden space recently discovered beneath the inn, but Gorstag would not say who.