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Gomlee Moonstagg was a man of many contradictions. He was an ancient warrior who seemed to grow younger before battle, a follower of Mielikki that spoke of past service to Bane, rough and folksy in his speech but well-educated, even having spent time in Candlekeep. He speaks often in his Journal of a wager with The Scribe that seems related to his obsessive kill-count tracking.
At the Wayside Inn, Gomlee Moonstagg introduced The Party to Meilu, his elderly mule and longtime traveling companion. He revealed that Meilu had communicated her own name to him telepathically and was capable of conversing with others in a similar manner. His matter-of-fact acceptance of such unusual abilities suggested that there was considerably more to both Gomlee and his companion than appearances indicated.
While traveling through Neverwinter Wood, Mosely "Mo" Moonstone spoke with Meilu using Speak with Animals. When asked about Gomlee Moonstagg, Meilu expressed sadness at his death but insisted that it had been his time to go. She explained that the terms of his "gentleman's wager" had come to an end, and it was time for him to settle up. Her apparent understanding of the arrangement raised further questions about the circumstances of Gomlee's death and the mysterious wager described in his journal.
After studying Gomlee Moonstagg's Journal, Slûûp reported that its contents were written in an unusual mixture of Common, Chondathan, Cormanthan, Druidic, and Turmish, with several passages protected by magical wards. The entries appeared almost conversational, as though Gomlee were corresponding with someone through the book itself.
Vala recalled Daran Edermath's account of a legendary warrior named Gomlee Moonstagg who had lived along the Dragon Coast centuries earlier and told the party of her strange conversation with the man. Although the journal's linguistic peculiarities supported this connection, the historical timeline made it seemingly impossible that the two men were the same person.
Read more: Session 024: The Phandalian Interlude
An entry form Gomlee Moonstagg's Journal dated 19 Ches, 1383 DR revealed that Gomlee Moonstagg had apparently been returned to the Material Plane through the intervention of Mielikki, who had delivered him from the service of Bane and a grim judgment awaiting him after death. Gomlee claimed to have been stolen from Mielikki's service and forced into a previous life of violence and oppression.
The entry also described an obligation to prepare for an unspecified event within two years, corresponding to the onset of the Spellplague in 1385 DR. Gomlee reaffirmed his determination to win a wager against an entity called The Final Scribe, who maintained an official tally on a mysterious List. The exact nature of the wager, Gomlee's apparent return from death, and the task entrusted to him by Mielikki remain unknown.
Read more: Session 024: The Phandalian Interlude
During The Party's extended stay in Phandalin, "Rig" discovered that grooming Meilu occasionally caused her to appear younger, her coat taking on shimmering silver streaks accompanied by the sounds of running water and distant bells.
Speaking with Mosely "Mo" Moonstone, Meilu recalled her many years with Gomlee Moonstagg, describing him as her guardian, keeper, and closest companion. She also remembered Gomlee mentioning unfinished business in Neverwinter shortly before his death and expressed an unexplained longing to return to Silverymoon, where the pair had once traveled together. Whether these lingering obligations are connected to Gomlee's divine wager remains uncertain.
Read more: Session 033: A Tenday Rest in Phandalin