“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go
from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”
― Alice in Wonderland
 |
| Bucknard |
Characters of personage status such as Bucknard (NPC),
Mordenkainen [PC], Otiluke (NPC), and Tenser (PC), to name but a few, are not
as powerful and broadly endowed as are the quasi-deities. [Dragon #71 – 19]
Hang on…
Bucknard?
Yes, Bucknard.
Few have gained such fame and yet remained as unheralded.
What do we know
about Bucknard? Not much. The above quote from Dragon #71 might be his first mention,
that March ’83 issue preceding the October release of the World of Greyhawk® boxed set by 7 months where he was mentioned again, if as sparingly.
THROUGHOUT the world of Greyhawk are quite a number of
characters that have risen above the status of heroes, but who are not quite
demi-gods. These personages are 'quasi-deities.' Among those contemporary in
the World of Grey hawk are Daern, Heward, Johydee, Kelanen, Keoghtom, Murlynd,
Nolzur, Quall, and Tuerny. […] Other well-known personages, such as Bucknard,
Mordenkainen, Otiluke, and Tenser, are not as powerful and broadly endowed as
are the quasi-deities. [WoGG – 33]
The above is what we were left with. Nothing more. Then
again, we weren’t given much about any of the above, were we? It was mentioned
that Mordenkainen got around, cavorting with the said quasi-deities; that was about
it. If you wanted more on certain PCs from Gygax’s campaign, one had to invest
in 1980’s The Rogues Gallery. And there it remained until, in 1984, WG5 Mordenkainen’s
Fantastic Adventurewas released and we received more on the eponymous
person, and Bigby, Riggby, and Yrag, and 1986 for Tenser to be highlighted in
WG6 Isle of the Ape, if not stat-ed—no need, really, if you’d previously
purchased The Rogues Gallery.
But no Bucknard.
But Bucknard was very “real” in Gary Gygax’s Greyhawk,
though, as he revealed in Dragon #71:
Because the personages of Mordenkainen, Bucknard, et
al, are actively used or played in my campaign, I cannot give details of their
power and possessions. Suffice it to say that their status is something less
than that of the quasi-deities. [Dragon
#71 – 19]
To what extent?
I’ve no idea.
He did
contribute to Gygax’s campaign. Indeed, he bequeathed us his magical purse.
 |
| Bucknard's Everfull Purse |
Appearing as nothing more than a leather pouch or
small bag, this magical poke is most useful to its owner, for each morning it
will duplicate certain coins – and possibly gems as well. When found, the purse
will be full of coins. If totally emptied, and left so for more than a few
minutes, the magic of the purse is lost, but if 1 of each type of coin is
placed within the bag, the next morning 26 of each applicable type will be
found inside. […]
(This item was designed to maintain spice, providing a
constant source of funds without attracting undue attention to the bearer or
necessitating chests of treasure.)
[DMG 1e – 122]
That’s a bit of
fun, really, inspired by a touch of truth:
"Bucknard was an NPC I created out of whole
cloth. He was based on a neighbor of mine when I was a lad, a Mr. Bucknall. He
had a great garden, an apple tree with five different kinds of apples, and he
knew astronomy well, assisted me with my 100 power telescope. He did use a
small change purse, and from it he would extract a small coin to give to me now
and again."
[EN World]
There Bucknard
remained until 2nd Edition when those early characters were given
new life and purpose. And a sense of mystery.
Still other mortal wizards, villains, thieves and
heroes have had such an impact that in a hundred universes great spells and
magical devices bear their names: Mordenkainen, Iuz, Bigby, Drawmij, Heward,
Iggwilv, Tenser, Acererak, Nystul, Tuerny, Ehlisra, Otiluke, Serten, Bucknard,
Sustarre. These people made the Flanaess the greatest of legendary lands. [PGtG – 18]
Bucknard is
mentioned in company with pretty powerful personages. As he should be, given
that he was in the Gold Box, as well.
But Bucknard was
not given the same love as others. His mention is fleeting, unlike others who
loom large in the history of the setting.
It is in this
period, I believe, that the Citadel of Eight and its descendant the Circle of
Eight were conceived, elevated from their earlier incarnation as PC adventuring
parties. Some surmise that these illustrious groups did indeed exist in Gygax’s
campaign, but I can find no direct mention to them prior to 2nd
edition mentions. It is certain that Leomund was never a member of either group
despite his inclusion, because Len Lakofka said as much. I would suggest that
NPCs would never have been included if they had existed beforehand.
But Bucknard
was. He’s an also-ran in lore, but he’s there.
Bucknard’s simplified
history follows. I’ve enclosed some Living Greyhawk material here for clarity
of the timeline. And added a twist along the way.
Mid-550s
 |
| Bucknard |
Bucknard enters
the picture later.
In the mid-500s, a Wild Coast wizard named
Mordenkainen quietly began to confer with several sorcerers in the Greyhawk
area about the possibility of forming a group dedicated to the preservation of
the Flanaess from external threats. This group became known as the Circle of
Eight, an outgrowth of an earlier group of eight powerful individuals formed by
Mordenkainen known as the Citadel of Eight, said to be headquartered in the
Yatil Mountains at Mordenkainen’s retreat. A few of the members of the Circle
of Eight have been publicly named, such as Bigby and Tenser. The latter was
already a semi-resident of the Domain of Greyhawk, as he had taken control of
an ancient castle on the southern shore of the Nyr Dyv near the city. Two other
mages known to have joined the Circle were Bucknard (who vanished in 579 CY and
was later replaced by Jallarzi and the ancient mage Leomund, an immigrant from
the east who retired from the Circle in 576 CY and has been little seen since.
Otiluke replaced him later that year. [TAB – 60]
570 CY
The chaos surrounding the return to power of the
demigod, luz, in CY 570 prompted Mordenkainen to consider a new paradigm. […]
The Citadel's primary failure, he surmised, had been
its inclusive philosophy. As its founding concept had been arcane, he had been
foolish to assume that men like Robilar or Riggby would rally to his cause
without subtly working against it for reasons personal, spiritual or political.
Men of intellect and sorcerous skill, whose primary interests were more than
material, would replace them. Thus was born the Circle of Eight. [LGJ#0 – 6]
571 CY
Over the next year, Mordenkainen invited some of the
most prominent magi in the Flanaess to join him. By the first month of 571 CY,
he had gathered eight mages to his cause, among them Bigby, Otto, Rary, Nystul,
Drawmij, and the affable Bucknard. [LGJ#0
– 6]
576 CY
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian |
Jallarzi Sallavarian moves
to the Free City of Greyhawk in 576 CY at 27 years of age. [Conjecture]
Later travels brought her to Greyhawk. There, under
the tutelage of Tenser, she became the youngest mage ever inducted into the
Society of Magi. [LGJ #0 – 8]
Jallarzi,
apprenticed to Tenser, a friend of Bucknard’s, is thrown into his acquaintance;
she’s enamoured by his affability…. You get the picture.
9 months later, Skye
“the Lion” is born.
[Skye the “Lioness”] is 9-year[s]-old [.] [Rot8 –
14]
If Skye is 9 years old in 585 CY, then she was born in
576 CY, before Bucknard disappears.
Why would I do this? Because Bucknard’s tapestry is
pretty thin and needs a few threads to reveal the pattern within.
I digress. It’s
just a suggestion; do with it what you will.
579 CY
In 581 CY Jallarzi Sallavarian replaced the powerful
wizard Bucknard, who vanished in 579 CY while exploring an unknown demiplane.
His fate is not known. Bucknard was fairly young when he disappeared but he was
rumored to have become an archmage and was well-known in royal courts from
Keoland to Nyrond. [PGtG – 23]
585 CY
Hiding behind a stack of barrels is 9-year-old Skye
(“the Lioness”), already a 2nd-level wizard [.] If rescued, Skye tells the PCs
she is a special student of Jallarzi’s, coming to her house every few days for
lessons that Jallarzi gives in her messy, brightly lit bedroom/study on the
third floor. [Rot8 – 14]
Why might Jallarzi take on young Skye as an apprentice?
Because she is Bucknard’s child? And perhaps Jallarzi’s?
Being who she
is, and the dangers that might attract, Jallarzi hides the fact that Skye is
hers and Bucknard’s child to protect her….
The only
canonical mentions of Bucknard in 2nd edition were his inclusion and
his subsequent disappearance. That’s not much. But The Adventure Begins and the
Players Guide to Greyhawk were setting the stage for future adventures; that
said, a lot of history was included, in which the Circle of Eight is mentioned.
Where was
Bucknard? Out and about, it would seem; and of little note.
Or was he?
He was a
powerful mage. Mordenkainen “invited some of the most prominent magi in the
Flanaess” to join the Circle. Bucknard was one of them. He was compared to
quasi-deities in the Gold Box, after all.
All being
archmagi, they were given a lot of autonomy.
While
Mordenkainen might be the “leader” of this group, it is not a hierarchy, but a
close group of wizards with similar concerns. [CoG:GotF – 21]
That goes
without saying. Controlling archmagi would be as difficult as herding cats. I
expect Bucknard was as autonomous.
He is noted as
“fairly young” when he disappeared. That’s quite a feat for him to have become an
archmage is so short a time, to my reckoning. Only Otiluke is also mentioned as “young.” Despite his youth,
Bucknard penned at least one tome available to us:
“Inexplicaple Reflections” by Bucknard(mirror image, magic mirror, gaze reflection)[Dragon #82 – 59]
One wonders how
many others he’s have produced had he not disappeared.
What else do we
know? Members of the Circle of Eight had to be of a certain mindset.
The majority
of the members of the Circle of Eight are of pure neutral alignment, and do not
revere one diety to the exclusion of others. [CoG:GotF – 21]
He was
well-connected: “well-known in royal courts.”
Bucknard is also
referred to as “affable.” Friendly, good-natured, easy to talk to. I like that.
Few of the Circle come off as affable. Bucknard being affable would lead me to
believe that he was NG and not TN (granted, Neutrals don’t have to be dour, as
a rule). Only Tenser was the exception to the pure Neutral rule. Latter members
also deviate from pure Neutrality.
No mention is
made as to his exact age when Bucknard disappeared, nor where he hailed from.
Maybe we can divine where that might be.
Each of the original
Circle appears to have a sphere of responsibility, with the exception of
Mordenkainen.
- Otiluke, an Oligarch of the Free City, presided over the City of Greyhawk (and its environs, presumable)
- Nystul appears to be concerned with Tenh and the northeast, west of the Rakers
- Otto worked tirelessly to defend and then later to free Almor (the western Great Kingdom)
- Bigby, being from the GK, later settled in Scant, would appear to focus on Onnwal and the southeast (no matter his affiliation with the Hazen of Mitrik)
- Drawmij from Keoland, appears to preside over the Sheldomar Valley
- Tenser is from the Wild Coast (Fax, presumably), and would seem to be concerned with the Wooly Bay and lands surrounding the Nyr Dyv
- Rary is from Ket. I presume his sphere was the northwest, west of the Yatils
- This leaves Bucknard. What is left? The northwest, east of the Yatils?
 |
| Bucknard |
Your party has been gathered by agents of the Margrave
of the March of Bissel. He tells you that there are "political
considerations," which he does not explain, that prevent him from
searching for lggwilv's trove himself. However, it is vital that the treasure
not fall into the hands of his enemies. Your party's goal is to get the
treasure before Bissel's enemies do. [S2 – 3]
The realms of luz, Perrenland, and Ket have sent
expeditions into the Yatil Mountains seeking the exact location of the caverns;
the few that have survived have all failed. [S4 – 3]
The module does suggest that Bissel’s expedition is
racing another from Perrenland, but this does not preclude the possibility that
Bucknard didn’t urged Perrenland’s rulers from mounting their rival expedition,
does it? He might have; two parties have a better chance of beating Iuz to the
prize than one, after all. Perhaps Rary urged the one from Ket….
The Circle in those early days worked to check the power of influential beings in Eastern Oerik. When they could not directly intervene, they sponsored groups of adventurers, as in the sacking of Iggwilv's former haunt at the Tsojcanth Caverns in the mid-570's. Whether or not those agents always knew who set them upon their quests is a matter of some debate. [LGJ#0 – 6]
Bucknard might even have persuaded the Margrave to
include Westlocke (Elven F/MU) and Hockerbrecht (1/2 Elf F/MU/T) [Hockerbrecht
sounds Germanic enough that he might hail from Perrenland, don’t you think?] of
the Vesve or Dim Forest to accompany the expedition. One advantage to
Bucknard’s exploits being as undeclared as they are is that it’s easy to make
the case that he could have been involved in any of the doings of the region.
In this brief
history, we see that Bucknard is powerful—which he is—, potentially prolific, that
he is affable and adventurous. He disappeared “while exploring an unknown demi
plane” – that’s adventurous, I’d say. He is by no means dead. He could very
well return.
I like this open
thread. It leads to possibility.
I expect quite a
few DMs have extrapolated upon the terse notes available to us. Richard Pett
and James Jacobs certainly did when Eric Mona set them to the task in the 3e
era. Bucknard was given a new lease on life, so to speak, in Dungeon magazine
in 2006, when his story was expounded upon for the Age of Worms AP.
I’ve a point of
contention with this extrapolation: Bucknard is not what I’d call affable in
this version, and that is decidedly at odds with original canon, however sparce
it may be. Be that as it may, I’ve taken the liberty of stitching theirs in
with the original canonical references.
Mid-550s
The Citadel of
Eight had disbanded.
In the mid-500s, a Wild Coast wizard named
Mordenkainen quietly began to confer with several sorcerers in the Greyhawk
area about the possibility of forming a group dedicated to the preservation of
the Flanaess from external threats. [TAB – 60]
556 CY
 |
| Bucknard and Maralee |
Headstrong? Stubborn? Depressed? These are not the
definition of affable.
558 CY
He emerged
changed for the better (or so his friends supposed) and went on to become one
of the most powerful wizards of his generation.
Yet [Bucknard]
never forgot the terror and despair of his sister's death. He vowed to do
something about it, and when he reached the peak of his powers, he did. Abandoning
his responsibilities, his work, and his friends, he dedicated himself to one
task — destroying Kyuss. [Bucknard] hoped to spare others the pain the
Wormgod's spawn brought him by eradicating all remaining trace of Kyuss’ cull.
He soon
realized that there was something larger than scattered cultists afoot. [Dungeon #134 – 56]
570 CY
The chaos surrounding the return to power of the
demigod, luz, in CY 570 prompted Mordenkainen to consider a new paradigm.
Though the Old One worked to check the growing power of the Horned Society, and
kept Furyondy's eyes on its northern borders, Mordenkainen knew well that the
situation would not last. The dissolution of the Citadel left Mordenkainen
without a tool to shape events as he would and though he hardly admitted it to
himself, he longed return to a life of adventure.
The Citadel's primary failure, he surmised, had been
its inclusive philosophy. As its founding concept had been arcane, he had been
foolish to assume that men like Robilar or Riggby would rally to his cause
without subtly working against it for reasons personal, spiritual or political.
Men of intellect and sorcerous skill, whose primary interests were more than
material, would replace them. Thus was born the Circle of Eight. [LGJ#0 – 6]
It is obvious
that Mordenkainen would see Bucknard as a potential member of the Fellowship he
wished to create. Bucknard is one of the Flanaess’s most powerful magi; why
else would he be compared to quasi-deities, as Mordenkainen is.
571 CY
Over the next year, Mordenkainen invited some of the
most prominent magi in the Flanaess to join him. By the first month of 571 CY,
he had gathered eight mages to his cause, among them Bigby, Otto, Rary, Nystul,
Drawmij, and the affable Bucknard. [LGJ#0
– 6]
Mid-570s
 |
| The Yatil Mountains |
This ties into
the above speculation that Bucknard might be involved in the later expeditions
to Tsojcanth.
Privately, members of the Circle explored fantastic
corners of Oerth, including the strange and foreboding City of the Gods, near
Blackmoor, further depths of Castle Greyhawk, and even the manifold layers of
the infernal Abyss. More importantly, through their own adventurers and the
exploits of those related to them, the Circle began to formulate what soon
would become one of the most impressive networks of informers and agents the
Flanaess has ever known. [LGJ#0 –
6]
571 – 578 CY
Bit by bit,
he uncovered evidence that the cult of Kyuss was very much alive and working to
bring about a terrible apocalypse. [Bucknard]'s fears and rage grew, but
instead of relying upon others for aid, he grew paranoid and secretive. He
trusted only a few, and even to them he gave only hints of what he’d
discovered, fearful of just how deeply Kyuss' taint had reached. [Dungeon #134 – 56]
576 CY
Jallarzi moves
to the Free City.
Later travels brought her to Greyhawk. There, under
the tutelage of Tenser, she became the youngest mage ever inducted into the
Society of Magi. [LGJ #0 – 8]
Skye the Lion is
born.
Hiding behind a stack of barrels is 9-year-old Skye
(“the Lioness”), already a 2nd-level wizard [.] If rescued, Skye tells the PCs
she is a special student of Jallarzi’s, coming to her house every few days for
lessons that Jallarzi gives in her messy, brightly lit bedroom/study on the
third floor. [Rot8 – 14]
See above….
 |
| Alhaster |
 |
| Kyuss, Lord of Worms |
Unable to secure an audience with Lashonna when he
first arrived, [Bucknard] began his own investigations into the cult,
investigations that led him to believe that a hidden shrine of the Ebon Triad
(perhaps the original such shrine) existed somewhere under the town of
Alhaster. What he discovered was something far more than a simple shrine — he
discovered the Well of Triptych Knowledge, the site where ancient minions of
Kyuss known as avolakia first developed the Ebon Triad as a sort of
'"cover cult” for their own nefarious ends, [Bucknard] was unable to fully explore the complex,
before he encountered a potent magical creature the avoloakia had nurtured to
serve as a “mock aspect" of the Overgod the Ebon Triad so desperately
sought to create.
Given a few more months, or even weeks, [Bucknard]
would certainly have discovered the fact that Lashonna herself was much more
than a mere advisor to the Prince of Redhand. She is, in fact, a vampiric
silver dragon whose allegiance to Kyuss stretches back over 1,500 years. Once
allied with a reclusive sect of druids who fought against Kyuss, Lashonna was captured
and transformed into a vampiric minion of the Wormgod by Dragotha, the undead
dragon who served as Kyuss’ voice and proxy. Over the next several centuries,
Lashonna succumbed to the Wormgod's evil taint and became Kyuss’ most powerful
priest. And as her devotion to Kyuss grew, so did her hatred and jealousy of
Dragotha, While she did most of the work organizing events for the Age of Worms
(including the foundation of the Ebon Triad with the aid of the avolakia of the
Wormcrawl Fissure), Dragotha was content to remain in his lair. Now that the
Age of Worms is imminent, one of Lashonna's final steps is to remove Dragotha
from the equation so that she can take his place at Kyuss' side.
 |
| Alhaster |
In the intervening years. Lashonna used her pawn Zeech
to see to the construction of a huge ziggurat. Her use of dream spells and her
subtle manipulation of their conversations has convinced Zeech that the
construction of such a monolith would guarantee him a righteous place at
Hextor's side, when in fact it simply serves as a foundation for the
manifestation of a new Spire of Long Shadows, the last component necessary to
bring Kyuss back into the world and begin the Age of Worms. [Dungeon #131 –
50]
580 CY
It was thus
an ironic twist of fate that led [Bucknard] to Lashonna. In his obsession with
Kyuss, he failed to recognize the mark of Kyuss on the woman's soul, and
blindly followed her advice and clues into the Wormcrawl Fissure, where
Dragotha captured him and tormented him for months. Eventually, the hateful
dragon revealed a final depravity to the wizard; he recovered the remains of
Manilee's corpse and had transformed her into a Kyuss Knight. It was at the
hands of his undead sister that [Bucknard] breathed his last, and in death his
soul shattered. [Dungeon
#134 – 56]
581 CY
 |
| Jallarzi |
In 581 CY Jalarzi Sallavdlian replaced the powerful
wizard Bucknard, who vanished in 579 CY while exploring an unknown demiplane.
His fate is not known. Bucknard was fairly young when he disappeared but he was
rumored to have become an archmage and was well-known in royal courts from
Keoland to Nyrond. [PGtG – 23]
585 CY
[Skye the “Lioness”] is 9-year-old […], already a
2nd-level wizard [.] Skye is a special student of Jallarzi’s, coming to her
house every few days for lessons that Jallarzi gives in her messy, brightly lit
bedroom/study on the third floor. [Rot8 – 14]
595 CY
 |
| Bucknard's Ghost |
[Bucknard]
can answer almost all of the questions […] about Kyuss, Dragotha, and the Age
of Worms. The most important piece of information he can share […] is the fact that Lashonna is in fact one
of Kyuss' greatest minions, second only to Dragotha himself. Whenever [Bucknard]
speaks of Dragotha, his features twist in rage — he seethes with a need for
revenge against the undead dragon for what he did to his sister Maralee. [Dungeon
#134 – 70]
What can I say about this? Is this an epic journey for Bucknard? It is.
“To die will be an awfully big adventure.”
― Peter Pan
But it also
paints him as a far more impulsive, and potentially rash soul than the prior,
short, far more open, study.
He’s tragic in
this 3e AP. And he meets a tragic end. Indeed, it’s even Shakespearian, in a Lovecraftian
sort of way; it also makes him the least of the Circle of Eight, in my opinion.
He’s heroic, yes; but his end is less effective in his failure than was Otiluke’s,
who gave his life in the defense of his fellows and his city.
All things
considered, I prefer the first history. Jallarzi’s falls in love with an affable
Bucknard in it. And why not; he’s young, and full of life, unlike the somewhat
dour and altogether serious Circle members when he disappeared. Why wouldn’t he
catcher her eye, considering the company?
But that’s me.
My preference
allows for greater possibility, to my mind. Obviously. He's alive in the first.
Consider this:
 |
| The Colourless Mage of Perrenland |
And consider the
“Colourless Mage of Perrenland” as Bucknard, returned from his travels with
esoteric knowledge….
What, do tell,
would you make of that?
I expected when I began that this would be a short piece.
(You’d think I should know better, by now.) How much could there possibly be on
Bucknard, I asked myself? A few lines, at most, I thought; no more than a
couple hours’ work, a page or two. This will be easy! Piece of cake. But things
being what they are in the Greyhawk setting, Bucknard refused to be reined in,
as you are witness to.
I’m pleased, though. Pleasantly surprised. This was more
fun than I imagined it would be. But isn’t that the way when you leave no stone
left unturned.
Postscript:
What's with the sword?
Eva Widermann depicted him with one, and her art inspired Athos of Dumas' Three Musketeers.
Does the sword conflict with canon? Not a jot. Who's to say that Bucknard didn't dabble with a poniard or two before taking up magic in earnest?
One must always give credit where
credit is due. This piece is made possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary
Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the new old guards,
Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean
Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable.
Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his
compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.
The Art:
Bucknard's Everfull Purse, by David Wise, from AD&D Trading Cards, 1992
Yatil mountain, by Stephen D. Sullivan, from S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 1982
Alhaster, by Eric Deschamp, from Dungeon #131 supplement, 2006
Lashonna, by Eva Widermann, from Dungeon #134 supplement, 2006
Alhaster detail, by Eric Deschamp, from Dungeon #131, 2006
Jallarzi Sallavarian, by Sam Woods, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Bucknard's Ghost, by Eva Widermann, from Dungeon #134, 2006
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1043 The City of Greyhawk
Boxed Set, 1989
9031 The Rogues Gallery,
1980
9038 S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 1982
9576
Return of the Eight, 1998
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Living
Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Dragon
Magazine 71, 82
Dungeon
Magazine 131, 134
A6
Die Marquessa Die!, casl Entertainment, 2017
Greyhawkania,
Jason Zavoda
Fabulous work!
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