A bright, x-ray-rich GRB was detected by HETE-2 at 11:18:34.03 UT on 11 Dec 2002. The WXM localization was to 14' and relayed to the GCN 22 s after the start of the burst. The ground SXC localization was within 2' of R.A. 08h 09m 00s, Dec 06d 44' 20" (J2000). GRB021211 consists of a single, FRED-like pulse with t90s of 2.3 s (85-400 keV) and 8.5 s (2-10 keV). The photon number and photon energy fluxes in the 30-400 keV band, averaged over the event, are 2.44 +/- 0.11 ph cm^-2 s^-1 and 2.48 +/- 0.19 x 10^-7 erg cm^-2 s^-1, respectively. The energy fluences in the 7-30 keV and 30-400 kev energy bands are S_X = 0.96 +/- 0.29 x 10^-6 erg cm^-2 and S_gamma 1.98 +/- 0.15 x 10^-6 erg cm^-2, respectively. Thus GRB021211 is an X-ray-rich GRB (S_X/S_gamma = 0.48 > 0.33). The spectrum is adequately fit by a cutoff power-law model (alpha = 0.95, Eo = 55). The prompt localization allowed the detection of an optical afterglow for what would otherwise have been an ``optically dark'' GRB. Two explanations of why some GRBs are not detected optically, have been widely discussed: (1) the optical afterglow is extinguished locally by dust, or (2) the GRB lies at very high redshifts, with neutral hydrogen absorption in the IGM. The observations of GRB021211 motivate a third explanation: in the case of some GRBs, the optical afterglow at times >1 hr after the burst is much fainter than previously seen.