Riist is a happy, good-natured Dalesman cursed with the reactions of a stone golem - there are always tales circulating of this mishap or that accident befalling Riist and those around him. There incidents are rarely fatal or even damaging, but it seems that Riist just summons bad luck from every quarter: windows shatter, roofs cave in, animals get loose, and mud puddles appear whenever he is around. Fortunately, Riist's wife Liliphar seems immune.