“Be with a leader when he is right,
stay with him when he is still right,
but, leave him when he is wrong.”
―
 |
| Bigby the Archmage |
Bigby’s “Hands,”
whether they are Interposing, Forceful, Grasping, Clenching, or Crushing. Those
were/are powerful spells: 5th Level and up! They’re
combative. They hold enemies at bay, sweep them aside, and do such damage as
would kill. They called out to my early gaming heart. Having begun my gaming playing
fighters (most people did, I suppose), I was naturally combat-minded when I
rolled up my first magic-user, imagining what spells I would choose then, and
which I would choose when my character reached those as yet unattained levels.
Bigby’s spells jumped off the page. He was surely a mage after my own heart,
the mage I wished to be.
Or was he? Was
he ever really his own man?
I wonder now whether
Gary Gygax played Bigby [see Rogues Gallery 1e – 40] as an extension of
Mordenkainen, ostensibly to “double” the number of spells he could cast while
down in the depths of Castle Greyhawk? If that were the case, then Bigby was just
Mordenkainen2, the 2nd half of the first. Always an apprentice…, so
to speak. That makes me sad. Maybe angry. If that were the case, Bigby was
always merely an extension of Gary’s actual character and never one in his own
right. Which he most certainly is, or became, considering Bigby’s compiled
History thus far, seen in Part 1.
I doubt that
much of that compiled history, if any, was actually pulled from Gary’s game.
Most was likely embellished from what little could be gleaned from his spells
and his sparce mentions in TSR’s earliest modules, most specifically from 1980s
Rogues Gallery supplement. That said, the embellished Bigby has been epic up to
now. He’s got personality: He’s shy, studious, learned. Very much an introvert.
Yet he turned his back on the lure of what might have been his expected
destiny, that of an alchemist or sage, and became an adventurer (credit is
probably due Mordenkainen for that), and later the meddlesome mage that got
himself in such deep trouble in his homeland that he had to hightail it out of
the Great Kingdom, lest he lose his life. Might that be because he dared do
what he did there alone? Maybe. Unlike Tenser and Mordenkainen, he had no vast
network of informers and spies, and still doesn’t, just friends in high places.
He may “go it alone,” but he is powerful enough to give his enemies pause and
make them think twice about the wisdom of tackling him on his own turf.
I’m talking to
you Iuz, and you Ivid.
With enemies
like them he needs be careful. Cautious. Maybe a little paranoid. He travels
disguised. Prudent. He even has an alter ego in Fraznier.
But Bigby being
Bigby, he wouldn’t keep his head down and go to ground. That wouldn’t be Bigby,
he who penned those Interposing, Forceful, Grasping, Clenching, and Crushing
Hands.
Bigby
 |
| The Grey Mage Bigby |
Neutral
Hit Points: 46
Str9 Int 17 Dex17 Wis 15 Con15 Cha 12
Bigby’s Traveling Spell Book:
1st Level (5): Bigby‘s feeling fingers*,
burning hands, charm person, dancing lights, feather fall, hold portal, light,
protection from evil, read magic, spider climb, spook, taunt
2nd Level (5): Bigby’s silencing hand*,
darkness 15’ r., detect invisibility, ESP, fog cloud, glitterdust, levitate,
rope trick, shatter, Tasha’s uncontrollable hideous laughter
3rd Level (5): Bigby’s pugnacious
pugilist*, blink, clairaudience. fireball, fly, hold undead, phantom steed,
spectral force, wraithform
4th Level (5): Bigby’s battering gauntlet*,
Bigby’s force sculpture*, fear, ice storm, Leomund’s secure shelter, minor
globe of invulnerability, monster summoning II, polymorph self, solid fog, wall
of fire
5th Level (5): Bigby’s fantastic fencers*,
Bigby’s interposing hand, Bigby’s strangling grip. magic jar, stone shape,
summon shadow, transmute rock to mud, wall of iron
6th Level (3): Bigby’s forceful hand,
conjure animals, death spell, disintegrate, lower water, part water, Pnser’s
transformation, true seeing
7th Level (3): Bigby’s grasping hand,
control undead, delayed blast fireball, finger of death, limited wish, power
word stun, reverse gravity, teleport without error
8th Level (2): Bigby’s clenched fist,
Bigby’s most excellent force sculpture*, monster summoning VI
9th Level (1): Bigby’s crushing hand,
imprisonment, weird
Magical Items: Bracers of defense AC 5,
ring of protection +3, boots of striding and springing, ring of mind shielding,
wand of fire, wand of frost, scrolls of protection from acid, fire, werewolves,
poison, and possession
Bigby is a lean, severe-looking man with brown hair
and eyes. Bigby is known for being too nervous, too cautious, and too
puritanical. He strongly favors defensive spells and items, believing in safety
before attack. He is quick to find fault with little things and can be
difficult to get along with. However, his close friends value him for his
steadfastness and his sense of humor. [WGA4 Vecna Lives! – 84]
Sadly, as we’ve
seen, Bigby came to an early end.
Or did he?
581 CY
 |
| Vecna |
The unthinkable
had happened: Bigby was dead. Indeed, the whole of the Circle of Eight, except
for Mordenkainen, was dead, laid low in their pursuit of Balance while
investigating Vecna’s rumoured return.
The recent deaths of the members of the Circle of
Eight was the prelude to an attempt by the evil Vecna to overthrow the entire
pantheon of Greyhawk’s deities and install himself as absolute ruler of the
gods. [WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk
– 32]
Bigby was 48.
582 CY
Vecna destroyed the entire Circle, save Mordenkainen,
who had elected to remain in Greyhawk as a safeguard against just such an
occurrence. When news reached the archmage, he mobilized the Circle's allies,
and a small cadre of apprentice wizards, former companions, and long-time
confidantes embarked on a nearly hopeless bid to thwart Vecna's apotheosis [.] [LGJ#0
– 6]
Only the bravery and fortitude of a brave handful of
adventurers was able to thwart Vecna’s machinations and put an end to his
plans. [WGR2 – 32]
Bigby’s friend, Ortux the Hand, was
among those gathered.
 |
| Ortux the Hand |
Tall, lean, and wiry, Ortux is not what most people
expect of the heroic paladin. He’s good-looking, but not stunningly handsome:
strong, but not muscular; and, while brave, Ortux is far from foolhardy. Still,
he has a magnetic appeal that seems to flow from inside him. He acts and people
believe. They know he can be trusted. Ortux finds it impossible to betray the
trust of others. He has worked all his life in the cause of justice.
Ortux is careful in his own life, following his own
code of puritanical laws. As a Knight of the Hart, he does not drink, eats not
to excess, never swears, and avoids all temptations of the flesh. He was not
always so careful. To his eternal shame, in his youth he sired a half-elven
son, Only the severest of atonements proved him worthy of paladinhood. Since
then, he has been aided by his old companion, Bigby, who, for a wizard, is not
entirely bad. [WGA4 – 93]
The Circle of
Eight was gone? Dead? Was that possible? Surely it was a lie!
But it wasn’t.
They were dead.
Truly dead.
Bigby being
Bigby, getting into Bigby’s home to expedite what wishes he might have was a
problem.
 |
| Bigby's Home |
Long story
short, the adventurers did indeed gain entry. And they discovered his will.
Bigby’s will is in an unmarked envelope under the
pillow. His first request is that his friends in the Circle of Eight clone him
from a flesh sample he has left for the purpose. If this is not possible, he
will leave his magical items and all but three of his spell books to
Mordenkainen. The other three spell books go to Andrui, with an apology for not
being able to teach him more magic himself. [WGR2 – 38]
Andrui’s education had not progressed very far when
suddenly Bigby disappeared without a word [.] WGR2 – 38]
[Bigby’s] money is to go first towards paying off Fraznier’s
creditors, with 75% of the remainder going to his old friend, Ortux the Hand,
and the rest to a charity of Ortux’s choosing. The will mentions a few items of
sentimental value that Bigby wished to leave to Otto, Nystul, Drawmij, and the
others. [WGR2 – 38]
They also discovered
something far more important than his will.
Bigby had a secret room in his home where he kept a
veritable horde of magical items. […]
 |
| The Greatest Treasure of Them All |
Mordenkainen addressed this absence by recovering what
was left of his fallen comrades and cloning them. This endeavor consumed time
that otherwise might have seen him addressing the reports of the Circle's
allies in the North, who warned of alarming developments in Stonefist and the
Barbarian Lands. When those events spiraled into the first conflicts of the
Greyhawk Wars, the Circle's clones remained undeveloped and half-aware. By the
time the clones reached full maturation, the Circle of Eight had been forced to
take a reactive stance to the tumultuous events unfolding before them.
[LGJ#0 – 6]
Though the Circle's leader, Mordenkainen, returned his
colleagues to life using powerful magic, the group was in disarray when war
again erupted in the distant north in 582. [LGG – 14]
Mordenkainen [recovered] what was left of his fallen
comrades and [cloned] them. This endeavor consumed time that otherwise might
have seen him addressing the reports of the Circle's allies in the North, who
warned of alarming developments in Stonefist and the Barbarian Lands. When
those events spiraled into the first conflicts of the Greyhawk Wars, the
Circle's clones remained undeveloped and half-aware. [LGJ#0 – 6]
The entire Circle of Eight was slain by an agent of
Vecna, and so would fear and hate this cult greatly. [TAB – 3]
582 – 584 CY
Those of the Circle who could fight did what
they could amidst the struggle.
 |
| Mordenkainen |
When those events spiraled into the first conflicts of
the Greyhawk Wars, the Circle's clones remained undeveloped and half-aware. By
the time the clones reached full maturation, the Circle of Eight had been
forced to take a reactive stance to the tumultuous events unfolding before
them.
Though the Circle never acted concertedly during the
Greyhawk Wars, certain "hotspots" received a good deal of their
attention. Mordenkainen, Bigby and Otto fought against the Old One's army at
the infamous Battle of Critwall Bridge, and Drawmij was instrumental in
organizing the flood of refugees from the Lost Lands to fastnesses in the Good
Hills. Nystul worked primarily alone in besieged Tenh, while Otto and Bigby
left Mordenkainen in the Vesve Forest to do what they could for the Iron League.
Citing pressing personal needs, Rary retreated to his tower in Lopolla and
refused to come to the aid of his companions. [LGJ#0 – 6]
All except Rary,
it would seem.
Citing
pressing personal needs, Rary retreated to his tower in Lopolla and refused to
come to the aid of his companions. [LGJ#0 – 6]
His companions
were not pleased, to say the least. Some even felt betrayed by him.
583 CY
Bigby turned 50.
For some, this is an age of reflection and realisation.
There’s less time ahead than that lived, they realise, and wonder if they’ve
made their mark upon the Oerth.
I suspect that Bigby had precious little time for such frivolous
self-indulgence.
584 CY
Meanwhile, back
on Oerth….
Onnwal,
unlike Irongate, failed to recognize the treachery that caused it to fall into
the hands of the Scarlet Brotherhood during the Greyhawk Wars. The land had
never been invaded and had previously been subjected only to periodic naval
raids by South Province. The Scarlet Brotherhood assassinated Szek Ewerd
Destron and took over the land almost overnight. Some anticipated the takeover
just in time, particularly the thieves' guild in Scant, which absconded from
the city to the countryside in 584 CY. [LGG – 80]
Bigby discovered
that he had another enemy, as ruthless and tenacious as was Iuz.
Bigby by was
driven from Scant by the fall of Onnwal, and now lives in Mitrik [, in Veluna].
[…] Bigby's new home is common knowledge. [WGR5 – 5]
When Onnwal fell, the only effective
resistance to the rule of [the Scarlet Brotherhood’s] Sister Kuranyie was the
Wreckers (Scant’s Thieves guild) under the leadership of Rakehell Chert.
[LG Onnwal Gaz – 14]
 |
| Rakehell Chert |
Chert had somehow gained knowledge of the
Brotherhood’s imminent attack on Scant and moved his headquarters to the
countryside. [LG Onnwal Gaz – 14]
It was most likely Bigby who alerted Rakehell
Chert. He had recent roots there. Friends and allies, trade contacts and
underworld connections—like any good “merchant.” But Tenser and Bigby were
always tight, and one was always willing to aid the other in their endeavours.
Chert also managed to make contact with the
archmage Bigby. An erstwhile companion of his, Bigby gave him aid and the names
of several of his apprentices and associates that remain in Onnwal that could
help Chert’s cause. [LG Onnwal Gaz – 14]
The rulers of the Iron League states created
a shadowy organization called the Jade Mask, populating the group with some of
the most skillful saboteurs, burglars, and professional liars in all the
southeast Flanaess. [Dragon #302 – 98]
Rumors of tensions between the mask and the
archmage Bigby abound, but the particulars of the situation remain unknown. [Dragon #302 – 99]
The War wound
down, the combatants exhausted, as one would expect after prolonged bloodshed.
Troops were spent, munitions depleted, coffers empty. The victors would wish to
consolidate their gains, the others had need to shore up their defenses and
prepare for what they knew was sure to resume.
There was a
rumour of peace. Before long, those rumours became fact.
9 Goodmonth
The treaty to
end the war was to be ratified in the Grand Hall of Greyhawk, but brief moments
before the signing ceremony, an explosion destroyed the area [.] [Rot8 – 3]
A blazing
explosion destroyed a good part of the Grand Hall only minutes before the
ambassadors assembled for the day. A fierce magical battle immediately ensued,
spreading havoc through much of the old city. [Wars
– 24]
 |
| Rary's Betrayal |
When the fire
and dust cleared, constables discovered smoldering robes belonging to two
powerful members of the mysterious Circle of Eight—Otiluke and Tenser. The
murderer of these wizards, undeniably a powerful mage [.] [Wars
– 24]
According to
[rumour], Bigby the wizard is dead. He is not dead. (The reports of his death
were greatly exaggerated.) [Dragon #191
– 67]
A badly
wounded third, Bigby of Scant, claimed that their assailant had been their
one-time ally, Rary, member of the Circle of Eight. [LGG – 38]
Nothing was
left of their bodies to allow revival by clone, resurrection or any other
spell. [Rot8 – 3]
Rary and his
co-conspirator, the wily Lord Robilar, were nowhere to be found, and Rary's
tower, in Lopolla, also vanished. [LGG – 38]
Rary's
treachery that day killed Tenser and Otiluke, and gained the Archmage of Ket
everlasting infamy. [LGJ#0 – 7]
Using secrets
gained in confidence, Rary not only vaporized his two fellows but also tracked
down and destroyed every clone the pair held in preparation. [Wars
– 24]
Simultaneously,
Rary’s ally Robilar entered Tenser’s castle (four days’ travel away) and
initiated an attack. When the battle ended, Tenser’s forces were slain, his
castle was looted and all Tenser’s cloning materials were destroyed. [Rot8
– 3]
 |
| Lord Robilar |
However,
after the battle that killed Tenser and Otiluke, all discoverable clones of the
two mages were destroyed by co-conspirators of the assassin, Rory of Ket. [PGtG
– 23]
When
Robilar's troops sacked Otiluke's and Tenser's citadels, they carried off
several of the dead mages' magical items [.] [WGR3
– 11]
Quij was once a henchman of the notorious
Lord Robilar[.] Quij took part in the sacking of the castle of the slain
Archmage Tenser, but the orc became separated from his comrades after the raid.
[TAB – 98]
Mordenkainen’s
divination revealed that Tenser was truly dead and could not be resurrected by
any means. [Rot8 – 3]
Tenser was dead!
Truly dead! Again!
The treachery
left the Eight (now Five: Bigby, Drawmij, Jallarzi Sallavarian, Nystul and
Otto) reeling. [Rot8 – 2,3]
The treachery of Rary in 584 CY saw the destruction of Tenser
and Otiluke, leaving the Circle at five. [LGG – 156]
In the last two decades, the Circle has seen members
come and go, but its dedication to Mordenkainen's goals and methods remains
steadfast. Current members include Bigby of Mitrik (N male human Wiz19), once
Mordenkainen's apprentice and now an archmage in his own right; the rotund and
jovial Otto (N male human Wiz15/Clr3 of Boccob), who favors the kitchen over
the laboratory; Jallarzi Sallavarian of Greyhawk (NG female human Wiz15), one
of the most dynamic wizards in a city of mages; the reclusive Drawmij (N male
human Wiz18), who oversees Keoland and the south from his undersea lair near
Gradsul; and Nystul (N male human Wiz17), a Tenha expatriate who wishes to expand
the Circle, beyond eight if need be, to combat the growing threats presented by
Iuz, Turrosh Mak, and the consolidating factions of the former Great Kingdom. [LGG – 156]
Following a near-tragedy at the hands of Vecna’s
followers, all members of the Eight kept a number of active clones. [PGtG – 23]
Spurned from his family by his brother and banned from
Greyhawk itself by Mordenkainen, Rary fled to the Bright Desert, to uncover its
secrets and inaugurate an empire. [LGJ #0 – 7]
Many favored
simply leaving him to rot in self-imposed exile.
Mordenkainen
and Bigby, who had been wounded by the renegade, did not agree. [WGR3 – 8]
But Rary was
hidden from their scrying.
If they could
not act directly against Rary in his Bright Desert fortress they could at least
deny Rary of whatever magics he had left behind when he fled the scene of his
crime.
A hero in possession of the Lost Spellbook of Rary
might find herself in a dangerous situation politically. A wary hero having the
tome might want to keep the knowledge of it to herself. The recently reformed
Circle of Eight […] would be but one group among many on Greyhawk who would
actively work to acquire one of Rary’s Spellbooks. Should the owner decide to
keep the book for herself, she might soon expect a personal visit from Bigby,
Otto, or one of the other members of the Circle. [Dragon #249 – 93]
585 CY
Bigby spared no time of expense in setting up shop in
Mitrik.
He had vowed he would not abandon Scant and Onnwal; and
if he could not remain in his chosen city, he would do what he could to help
them carry on their resistance against their conquorers.
Work has begun on a great stone tower in the inner
walled city of Mitrik. Construction is amazingly fast, so much so that magic
must be involved. It is said that one of the Circle of Five is making his abode
there (Bigby). [FtAA – 79]
 |
| Mitrik of Veluna |
Sunndi has almost no way of communicating with Nyrond,
the encircled folk of Ironwall have turned now to Veluna, through Bigby's
teleport link to Mitrik. [WGR4 –
59]
Bigby did not
abandon those loyal to him when he fled Scant. He took all those he could with
him to Mitrik.
 |
| Valash Kador |
To assess the
current situation, Bigby has sent his representative Valash Kador to speak to
the Onnwal Freedom fighters.
[ONW1 – 05 – Last respects – 3]
Valash
Kador
Valash is a
[…] mage […] who has been an apprentice to Bigby for many years. [ONW1 – 05 – Last respects – 4]
Why did Bigby
work so tirelessly? Because he must. He was devastated by the loss of his
friend, Tenser. But with such strife in the Flanaess, he had no time to mourn.
And so he spent every waking hour in the pursuit of bringing Rary to justice—he
might just kill Ray, he thought—and ridding Onnwal of its Scarlet
infestation—he expected that he would have to kill a great number of them, too,
to do so.
2nd week of Goodmonth
Bigby broached the subject of bringing the Circle back up
from Five to Eight. He brought forth a candidate he thought worth of inclusion;
but there was disagreement on whether he was suitable or not.
The Principal [of the University of Magical Arts in
the Free City, Kieren Jalucian,] keeps personal rooms at the apex of the
pyramid, where he can sometimes be found in the company of his paramour,
Jallarzi Salavarian of the Circle of Eight. Rumors tell that Kieren was invited
to join that august order after the destruction of Otiluke and Tenser, but that
he refused due to his duties as master of the Guild of Wizardry (on top of his
position with the university). Now that he has passed on his role in the guild
to another, it may only be a matter of time before he opts to join Bigby, Otto,
and the others. That is, if Mordenkainen, who has openly derided Jalucian as a
"hopeless idealist," will have him. [LGJ#5 – 6]
Bibgy pointed
out that Tenser was just such a “hopeless Idealist,” as well. That did not go
over well.
3rd
week of Goodmonth
Events of
Return of the Eight
 |
| Jallarzi and Tenser, Transformed |
Bigby, still
devastated by the loss of his best friend, demanded that he look for her; but
Mordenkainen refused him. We are stretched to our very thinnest, he said. Adventurers
were gathered and dispatched instead to discover what had happened to her, and
return her if they could, or report her lost, if they discover her fate.
Tenser’s last
clone was discovered, but he was not himself:
One clone of Tenser was finally recovered from a
secret location. [PGtG – 23]
Tuerny has tortured him by changing him to a dretch
marked with an imitation of the sword from his coat of arms, Tenser retains his
awareness, but he currently has no spell powers, armor, weapons or anything
else. [Rot8 – 50]
Nor was Jallarzi:
Tuerny the Merciless has chosen to torture her, as
well. After making a simulacrum, he changed he sex and cast potent spells to
alter her alignment, just for the amusement of watching her turn into something
she hates. [Rot8 – 50]
More than anything, Tenser wants to be human again,
and he wants Jay revived if necessary and restored to her good-aligned female
form. One wish can return Tenser to his human form. Two other wishes can change
Jay to Jallarzi and restore her old alignment. [Rot8 – 52]
Tuerney might have been the means, but it was Iggwilv who
hatched the plot.
Of course it was Iggwilv. Did you even for one moment
believe that Graz’zt could keep that cagey witch caged?
After a successful mission to rescue one of Tenser's
clones from the clutches of the infamous necromancer-witch Iggwilv, the Circle
added three new members, rounding out the membership. (Tenser, chafing at
Mordenkainen's agenda, left the group in disgust after his rescue.) [LGG –
156]
The startling restoration of the archmage Tenser in
mid-585 CY, followed by the announcement that the Circle of Eight was once
again at full number, heartened many people in the difficult days after the end
of the wars. [TAB – 19]
 |
| Tenser, Returned |
Tenser was returned to life in 585 CY […], but chose
not to return to the Circle of Eight. [PGtG – 21]
Tenser, chafing at Mordenkainen's agenda, left the
group in disgust after his rescue. [LGG – 156]
Otiluke is still dead. Three new members were
appointed in 585 CY: Alhamazad the Wise, Theodain Eriason and Warnes Starcoat.
[…] [PGtG – 21]
It would seem
that Tenser was not the only one disenchanted with Mordenkainan’s methods.
Since Tenser was probably her closest ally in the
Circle, [Jallarzi] now spends less time with her companions than before the
wars, preferring instead to conduct her research and Circle business alone.
[LGJ#0 – 9]
[In the] "Year of Peace" (585 CY) [t]he
Circle of Eight was brought to full membership once more and began acting
against every power its wizards perceived as tyrannical or dangerous to the
common welfare. [LGG – 16]
Two merit members of that body (Otto and Jallarzi
Sallavarian) have homes in Greyhawk; all the others (Mordenkainen, Bigby,
Drawmij, Alhamazad, Nystul, Warnes Starcoat, and Theodain Eriason) visit on an
irregular basis. [TAB – 7]
Alhamazad is an ally of Mordenkainen and knows Bigby,
but is unfamiliar with the rest of the Circle. [Rot8 – 62]
586 CY
The War had not gone well for the Circle. Its aftermath
was as taxing.
The famed mage Nystul, of the Circle of Five, was
caught up in the exodus from Almor when Szeffrin was cementing his hold on the
land. This normally humorous and flippant man was almost speechless when he
fled to Mordenkainen and Bigby, and he shook with rage recounting what he had
seen here. He has vowed to destroy Szeffrin, and, while the Circle's current
ethos is strongly against direct action and for careful watching and learning,
it may be hard even for Mordenkainen and the ever-cautious Bigby to prevent him
from trying. [Ivid – 146]
 |
| Crook of Rao |
Of late, Veluna has become a beacon of hope, a center
of stability in an unstable land. After the tumult of the Greyhawk Wars, a
group of adventurers in the employ of Canon Hazen recovered the long lost Crook
of Rao. [LGG – 130]
[W]ord was
soon received from priests of Rao, contacted by their superiors in Mitrik, that
the artifact known as the Crook of Rao had been recovered, and it had been used
by His Venerable Reverence, Canon Hazen, aided by many lesser priests and the
archmage Bigby, to rid the Flanaess of [the pestilence of fiends it had
endured.] [TAB – 19]
What had become
of the Crook of Rao that it had gone missing?
After its
rescue, the Crook somehow fell into the hands of Drax the Invulnerable, the
calculating animus of Rel Astra. In the closing days of the Greyhawk Wars, Drax
and [Canon] Hazen worked out a trade, and the Crook soon came to Mitrik, where
it became the most influential item in the modern history of the Flanaess. [Dragon # 294 – 95]
After much ado
it was finally but to use.
Coldeven
In a stirring private ceremony attended by the entire
College of Bishops, Canon Hazen (along, it is said, with help from the archmage
Bigby of Mitrik) employed the fabulous artifact to trigger the Flight of
Fiends, a wholesale purge of demons throughout the Flanaess. [LGG – 130]
In Coldeven
of 586 CY, His Venerable Reverence, The Savior of Our Lands, Canon Hazen of
Mitrik used the Crook to stunning effect, banishing thousands of demons,
devils, yugoloths, and other outsiders from all parts of the Flanaess, and
possibly from throughout the lands of all Oerth. Though few sages suspected the
item’s potential for awesome power, none would have predicted such pervasive
effectiveness. The assistance of nearly every priest of Rao in Mitrik as well
as the aid (some say manipulation) of the archmage Bigby, certainly played an
important role in the effort’s success. [Dragon #294 – 95]
 |
| Iuz, the Old One |
Bigby, it would seem, had risen up to the challenge of
Iuz. Iuz had vowed to kill Bigby long years ago; but he had failed in his
attempts, thus far.
Bigby reciprocated, and he too had vowed to put an end to
the Old One. And so now, while Iuz was perceived to be at his weakest, Bigby
put a bug in the Hazen’s ear. We can kill him, Bibgy reasoned to His
Venerable Reverence, now that he’s without his wall of infernal fiends to
protect him.
It would seem that the Hazen was convinced.
Planting
On the first day of Planting, 586 CY, King Belvor IV
and representatives of Canon Hazen, in a unique joint ceremony, proclaimed the
start of the Great Northern Crusade. […] Along a broad front, Furyondian and
Velunese forces, under the command of Grand Marshal Jemian and backed by the
Knights of the Hart and great amounts of magic from priests and wizards
(including, it is said, Bigby of the Circle of Eight), slammed into the
humanoid armies and drove them back. [TAB – 20]
Furyondy's armies smashed northward in early Planting,
bulwarked by the Knights of the Hart and the archmage Bigby. [LGG – 47]
An alliance with Veluna, always a strong ally and
moral compass for Furyondy, resulted in the recovery of the Crook of Rao and
the Flight of Fiends in Coldeven 586 CY. [LGG – 47]
Brewfest
Bigby was not only making headway against is old enemy,
the Old One; he was making inroads into the Scarlet Brotherhood’s occupation of
Scant and Onnwal.
 |
| The Resistance |
Chert
organized a resistance movement, aided by dwarven clans of the Headlands, the
archmage Bigby and the archmage’s associates in Scant. [SB – 6]
[Chert’s’ thieves
had worked hand-in-hand with the dwarven clans of the Headlands and with
Irongate [….] Chert also received considerable help from the famed archmage
Bigby, once a resident of Onnwal, and a group of Bigby’s former associates and
apprentices in Scant. The rebellion began on the first day of Brewfest, 586 CY,
and lasted through Patchwall. [TAB
– 25]
The barbaric treatment of the populace by the Scarlet
Brotherhood whet the cry for revenge, and a general revolt was launched in late
586 CY before the Brotherhood could crack down on the rebels. The countryside
became a battleground during a brief, bitter struggle in which the freedom
fighters drove the Scarlet Brotherhood back to the city of Scant. [LGG –
80]
589 CY
The famed
Circle of Eight has many roots in the city and the nearby Wild Coast. This
exceptionally powerful group is a political body of wizards who work to
maintain a balance of power across the whole Flanaess, so that states can
formulate heir own policies without interference or Fear of invasion and
conquest by outside Forces or empire-building neighbors. Two merit members of
that body (Otto and Jallarzi Sallavarian) have homes in Greyhawk; all the
others (Mordenkainen, Bigby, Drawmij, Alhamazad, Nystul, Warnes Starcoat, and
Theodain Eriason) visit on an irregular basis. Tenser, a former member, lives
near the city in a fortress on the south shore of the Nyr Dyv. [TAB
– 7]
590 CY
 |
| All he did was get Bigby angry. |
[Bigby] nearly killed Iuz once and is greatly hated by
the demigod: in 590 CY, he survived an assassination attempt by Iuz's
agents. [PGtG – 22]
Iuz failed.
All he did was get Bigby angry. As if Bigby wasn’t angry
enough already.
591 CY
The present. Bigby is 58.
The Circle of Eight strives to set the
Flanaess right again. But it’s a long, hard, thankless task. Indeed, few would
know who to thank. Because very few even know that the Circle exists. There are
those who believe they’re a myth: heroes who tirelessly wage a war against the
evils of the Oerth. Most scoff that such a group could, or would, exist. There
are even those who think them the boogeyman, perhaps even the cause of all
their woes.
If they only knew the truth.
 |
| The Circle of Eight |
The mysterious assembly of wizards known as the
through his powerful network of agents and servitors. Circle of Eight has long
benefited from a past obscured by misinformation and enigma. The group's
influence reaches from the Baklunish west to the Solnor Ocean, though its
secretive methods ensure that few know the extent of its ministrations. [LGG
– 156]
Theodain pushes for the Circle of Eight and their
allies to take a more active role in managing conflicts in the Flanaess,
particularly in the Sheldomar where he supports action in Geoff and Sterich, as
well as intervention in the Scarlet Brotherhood-created chaos enveloping the
region of the Hool Marshes. Bigby has often joked that in taking in Theodain
they have replaced one Tenser with another. [LGJ#0 – 11]
 |
| Bigby |
Two merit members of that body (Otto and Jallarzi
Sallavarian) have homes in Greyhawk; all the others (Mordenkainen, Bigby,
Drawmij, Alhamazad, Nystul, Warnes Starcoat, and Theodain Eriason) visit on an
irregular basis. Tenser, a former member, lives near the city in a fortress on
the south shore of the Nyr Dyv. [TAB
– 7]
Rumors tell that Kieren [Jalucian] was invited to join
that august order after the destruction of Otiluke and Tenser, but that he
refused due to his duties as master of the Guild of Wizardry (on top of his
position with the university). Now that he has passed on his role in the guild
to another, it may only be a matter of time before he opts to join Bigby, Otto,
and the others. That is, if Mordenkainen, who has openly derided Jalucian as a
"hopeless idealist," will have him. [LGJ#5 – 6]
One wonders if
Tenser has rubbed off on Bigby, and that Bigby too has become the same hopeless
idealist that Tenser, too, had been accused of.
Perhaps he is.
Because Bigby appears to have aligned himself with those other do-gooders of
the Flanaess.
Jerome Kasinskaia, Patriarch of Rao [Greyhawk City]
Says little in meetings but is extremely well informed
on many political and religious matters of the Flanaess: superb judgment and
always truthful; a masterful speaker, diplomat, and project leader, though he
usually keeps to himself; close ally of Bigby of the Circle of Eight, knows
everyone in the government of Veluna; considering retirement soon and may move
to Mitrik in Veluna. [TAB – 63]
One of the highest-ranking priests of Rao alive, he
has excellent contacts with the leadership and ambassadors from Veluna and
knows Bigby of the Circle of Eight. [TAB – 110]
Indeed, Bigby,
despite his tireless war against Iuz and the Scarlet Brotherhood, appears to
have become a bit of a softy in the eyes of his compatriots.
The Circle of Eight have heard the bard [Gywdiesin]'s
recitations; even the introverted, conservative, and repressed Bigby was
shaking when the bard fell silent, and Mordenkainen himself was stirred enough
not to repeat the experiment. [Ivid – 116]
Perhaps it’s the stress catching up to him.
I’ve my doubts
about that. Bigby has hardened in his maturity. He may be soft-spoken, he may
be supposedly sullen and repressed, but the wheels ever turn in Bigby’s mind.
He is always looking for new—if ancient—magics to wield against his foes.
 |
| The Khul-Ak Tableaux |
Perhaps these
will rid Onnwal of the Scarlet Brotherhood’s yoke.
Or better yet,
perhaps this will be just the thing he needs to kill Iuz, once and for all.
Everyone dies,
after all. Very few are lucky enough to return from the void.
Bigby has.
He knows that
makes him lucky.
Picture [Dragon
#290 – 108]
 |
| Librarian, Alchemist, Sage... |
Given his
experiences, the subject matter does not surprise, either.
Manual
Powers Beyond Life,
By Bigby
(burning hands, Bigby’s interposing hand, Bigby’s
forceful hand, Bigby’s grasping hand, Bigby’s
crushing hand, Bigby’s clenched
fist)
[Dragon #82 – 57]
We are all rather familiar with the type of spell Bigby
produced.
Level One
Bigby’s Bookworm Bane
Bigby’s Feeling Fingers
Level Two
 |
| Bigby’s Dextrous Digits |
Bigby’s Silencing Hand
Level Three
Bigby’s Pugnacious Pugilist
Level Four
Bigby’s Battering Gauntlet
Bigby’s Construction Crew
Bigby’s Force Sculpture
Level Five
Bigby’s Fantastic Fencers
Bigby's Icy Grasp (4e)
Bigby's Interposing Hand
Bigby’s Superior Force Sculpture
Bigby’s Strangling Grip
Level Six
Bigby’s Besieging Bolt
Bigby’s Forceful Hand
Level Seven
Bigby's Grasping Hand
Level Eight
Bigby’s Most Excellent Force Sculpture
Level 9
Bigby's Crushing Hand
[GA – 127, PHB 1e – 41,42, Dragon #401 – 58]
Given the spells he researched, the item he created are not
unexpected either.
A singular item manufactured by a master mage of the
City of Greyhawk, this ram is a 10’ brass-sheathed battering ram, forged by
dwarves from the farthest mountains. It was bathed in the boiling blood of a
dozen yeti to give it strength, rune-etched with the acid of a black drag on,
then tempered in a living volcano. Its head was forged from a single wedge of
bronze brought from the elemental plane of Earth and carved in the shape of a
clenched fist by six bound efreet. Finally, it was invested with Bigby’s
clenched fist, Bigby’s forceful hand, and wall of iron. The result is a
battering ram that takes 10 men of strength 13+ or the equivalent to use. On
impact, it delivers a blow equivalent to triple the usual structural damage
inflicted by a ram. (XP value 2,500)
[Dragon #178 – 17]
I would never have expected that he would enchant a
sword, but he was always open to suggestions from a friend.
The sword is of exquisite craftsmanship. Its
inscription, written in elvish runes, explains that it was originally enchanted
by the wizard Bigby for an elvish prince named Elibriel. [WGR1 – 84]
His most curious creation is the non-stick floor.
Kitchen
The floor of the kitchen is wood, covered with a
special non-stick coating of Bigby’s creation. [WGR2 – 37]
I suppose a wizard bent on freeing the Flanaess from
tyranny has little time for household chores.
Bigby might have begun life as someone’s No.2, but I
believe that he became his own man in the end. Maybe more.
Indeed, I doubt that Mordenkainen holds much sway over
the Bigby that emerged after he, the Big M, left to explore the West and Bigby
remained behind to hold the fort. In fact, unless I’m projecting my own wish
for independence for the eternal apprentice onto him, I detect a certain
rebellion in his history after his mentor went truant.
I like that. No, I love that. Every student must emerge
his own master in the end. I believe that Bigby does indeed become his own
master, too. You may point out that Bigby is an archmage and very much a master
in his own right because of it; but I would argue that a student forever remains
in the shadow of the master, no matter how learned he might become, no matter
how high he may rise, if he doesn’t break free.
Bigby does just that. I see no mention of Mordenkainen in
Bigby’s war in Onnwal, or Mordenkainen’s inclusion in Bigby’s endeavours in
Mitrik against the Old One.
 |
| Long Lost Wanda |
I believe, though, in my heart, that Bigby would have
been happier as a Dean of The Free City of Greyhawk’s University of Magical
Arts, with long lost Wanda by his side.
But the realms of the Flanaess would most certainly not
be.
Such is the sacrifice of heroes.
“I'll spread
my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway…”
― Breakaway
Matthew Gerrard, Avril
Lavigne, Bridget Louise Benenate
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:
Mordenkainen, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Rakehell Chert, by Gary Williams, from WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1986
Robilar, from Epic Level Handbook, 2002
Jallarzi and Tenser, Transformed, by M.E. Kedzierski, from Return of the Eight, 1998
Crook of Rao, by Richard Pace, from Dragon #294, 2002
Iuz, the Old One, by Sam Wood, from Dragon #290, 2000 (1998)
The Circle of Eight, by Sam Wood, from Dragon #290, 2000 (1998)
Bigby, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Bigby’s Dextrous Digits, by Dave Sutherland (?), from Greyhawk Adventures, 1988
Bigby's Demanding Ram, by Gerald P Sawyer, from Dragon #178, 1992
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1043 The City of Greyhawk
Boxed Set, 1989
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
1068
Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
2011
Players Handbook 1e, 1978
2011A
Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9031
The Rogues Gallery, 1980
9112 WG5 Mordenkainen’s
Fantastic Adventure, 1984
9147 T1-4 Temple of
Elemental Evil, 1985
9292 WGR1 Greyhawk Ruins,
1990
9309
WGA4 Vecna Lives! 1990
9360
WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk, 1992
9386
WGR3 Rary the Traitor, 1992
9399
WGR5 Iuz the Evil, 1993
9576
Return of the Eight, 1998
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
WGR
Ivid the Undying, 1998
11374
The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Dragon
Magazine #82, 178, 294, 302, 401
LGJ
#0, 1, 5
LG
Onnwal Gazetteer
LG
ONW1 – 05 – Last respects
Greychrondex,
Wilson, Steven B.
Greyhawkania,
Jason Zavoda
The
map of Anna B. Meyer
Excellent summation on what is a HUGE backstory for this iconic wizard. I agree, he will always be in M & T's shadow when it comes to fame, but like you said he very well could be the unsung archmage of Oerth that it deserves. Thank you for compiling this extensive history!
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