This past Sunday, Goblins and other Jewellery and Art aficionados amongst the Wizarding World came together outside of Gringotts Bank and throughout Diagon Alley to hold a candlelight vigil for Goblin Artisan Gordelain Geldigog for the third year in a row. Neither “Gretreat” nor time could stop this strange display of solidarity between Wixen and Goblinkind. More people than any year prior took to the streets with pictures and – in the case of the Goblin members of the event – works of master-smithing that originated from the Goblin in question. A goblin who remains missing to this day.
Forty-four years old at the time of disappearance, Gordelain Geldigog has been missing for the last four years, having last been seen heading to London for a private art exhibition held just off of Diagon Alley. The exhibition was intended to serve as a sign of solidarity for him and a select few of the Wizard & Goblin World’s greatest artistic minds in opposition of the rising tide of anti-Wixen sentiment in the Goblin community. Gordelain was regarded as the ‘greatest Goblin-Silversmith in the last 200 years’, having created legendary works such as ‘Helen’s Prize’ – a Globus Cruciger of solid Goblin-Silver interlaid with diamonds and obsidian. Those viewing it likened it to the beauty, Helen of Troy, whom it was named for. Other such items of his creation have since been figureheads in Goblin society’s artistic movements of the era, using his work as keen examples of how to push the boundaries of metalworking and making ‘Art from Ore’.
Gordelain was most well known for his work on ring-crafting, forging around a hundred individual pieces for Goblins and Wixen alike, for weddings and other such occasions. To own one of the legion of ‘Geldigog Rings’ is largely seen as a prize of supreme value throughout the Goblin community, with the most noted public owners of one as of recent being Ragnuk XIV and Bilwhiz, both important members of the Grexit campaign.
Despite being missing for the last four years, hope for the artists’ return to the public have not been dashed. Whilst many believe it is some sort of Gretreat-related conspiracy, there are some who believe the artist has holed up in his own private abode, working on something that will blow the artistic communities of the two worlds he has inspired away. Interviewing one vigil-member about the situation, they responded
‘We obviously hope that Gordelain is alive and well, and many of us are confident that his disappearance is simply related to an existing piece he is working on; he has yet to create a crown, and so we ask ourselves – after the vote of Goblin sovereignty, maybe he was working on such a piece?’
Another Wixen member of the crowd advised us that
‘It’s likely the Ministry had him killed, what with the Grexit stuff going on. A right shame, a better crafts-goblin there never was.’
Our final interviewee, Friederike Webb said (translated from German)
‘Our clan takes immense pride in its connection to Gordelain Geldigog, we are third cousins on my mother’s side and we come every year to take part in this vigil from Rhineland. We are very proud. Our hope is he is alive but you humans, we know what you are capable of. Maybe he is locked away so his art can not be rightfully returned to him, or made to create for the benefit of wixen.’
Regardless of what has become of Gordelain Geldigog, his loss has been greatly felt within both communities, and we at the Daily Prophet hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for these artists and the Goblin who inspired them.
If you would like to make donations to the ‘Geldigog Artists Foundation’ you may do so via contacting the Geldigog Family spokesperson and Foundation Head Grover Geldigog via Owl.
((OOC Note: Money bags may be sent to the Edwardmass Resident account. Please rename the money bag appropriately.))
