“Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.”
― The Return of the
King
 |
| Theodain Eriason |
The famed Circle of Eight has roots in the city and
the nearby Wild Coast. [TAB – 7]
As to their
origins, none of the original members were actually from the Free City of
Greyhawk. Mordenkainen was reputedly born on the Wild Coast, where is anyone’s
guess; Tenser was born in Fax, also on the Wild Coast; but Bigby was born in
the Great Kingdom, a scion of House Cranden. Otto is from Almor, Drawmij from
Keoland, Nystul Tenh. Rary is from Ket. And Bucknard? Bucknard, I believe, is
from Perrenland – but that is pure conjecture on my part, Bucknard being only
mentioned a few times, his origin and departure left in question.
They originally
truly were an old boy’s club, though, each affiliated with Mordenkainen in one
way or another. None were from the Free City of Greyhawk, however, though most
settled there or visited regularly. Why? To discuss the fate of the word,
presumably. Perhaps only to eat, drink, and be merry, Otto being fond of all
three. But most would say their purpose was, and is, to maintain the Balance.
Did they?
Preserve the Balance? And what, prey tell, was their definition of Balance?
Mordenkainen the archmage (N male human Wiz20+) formed
the Circle of Eight as a tool to manipulate political factions of the Flanaess,
preserving the delicate balance of power in hopes of maintaining stability and
sanity in the region. [LGG – 156]
Did they pursue
Balance because they were Neutral? Are they, though?
Mordenkainen and
Bigby are certainly Neutral [Rogues Gallery 1e – 40,44/ WG5 Mordenkainenen’s
Fantastic Adventure – 30,31/ CoG:FFF – 21,22]. So too are Drawmij, Nystul,
as was Rary [CoG:FFF – 22,23,25]. But not all were so perfectly Neutral. Tenser
is NG [Rot8 – 57], possibly even LG (N) [CoG:FFF – 22]. Otto is unresolved in his
True Neutrality, as he tends towards NG [CoG: FFF – 23]. Bucknard? His
alignment is undisclosed. But his backstory (as per Dungeon Magazine #131 and
#134) suggest he might be of the same temperament as Otto. What of later
inductees? Bucknard was replaced by Otiluke, another Neutral [CoG:FFF – 25]. The
Circle, however, was about to diverge ever further from its supposed true
course of True Neutrality and Balance with its “2nd generation.” Or
is that its 3rd?
Jallarzi Sallavarian
[NG {CoG:FFF – 27}] was the first real departure from tradition, I suppose; not
only is she female, but she is also as decidedly Good as Tenser. Warnes
Starcoat [N {WG6 Isle of the Ape – 28/Rot8 – 58}] is a bit of a
departure, too: he’s a bit of a self-serving maverick who rarely visits the Free
City. Alhamazad the Wise [LN {Rot8 – 62}] is dedicated to the Rule of Law as
none other had been. But the greatest departure from tradition would surely be
Theodain Eriason.
 |
| Theodain |
Theodain Eriason, the Circle's first true demihuman
member, came from the Yeomanry. [LGJ#0
– 8]
He’s olven. High
Elven. The first non-human. He’s also as Good as Tenser and Jallarzi, but he’s
also the first free-spirited [CG {Rot8 – 59}] wizard to be inducted into the
Circle.
He’s also the
oldest member, regardless of his being, potentially, the most recent to be
invited to join.
Theodain’s
history begins with his family, and a certain long serving companion and ally.
c. -45 CY
Hautna Masq has been a friend and ally of Theodain
Eriason’s family since being rescued by the elves as a hatchling centuries ago.
She is currently about 630 years old. [Return of the Eight – 61]
Greyhawk
Dragon
Because of its love for and fascination with humanity,
the Greyhawk dragon usually lives polymorphed into human form. Its favored
habitat is a large city, where it typically owns a large house, and where it’s
often the center of artistic and intellectual gatherings, poetry readings,
discussion groups, etc. In their human identities, Greyhawk dragons are often
well-known among the intelligentsia and patrons of the arts. They keep their
true nature inviolably secret. [GA – 27]
Imagine that stroke of luck!
 |
| Greyhawk Dragon |
There are reputed to be no fewer then five Greyhawk
dragons in the city whose name they bear! . . . although nobody-least of all
the dragons themselves seems willing or able to substantiate this. [GA –
27]
Hautna has never lived in the Free City, however.
Hautna Masq never leaves the valley [.] [Rot8 –
61]
She hatched in the dark depths of the Dreadwood, in
Keoland. Presumably. Elves are creatures of the wood; and very much faithful to
the land they hail from (for the most part). I imagine so, anyway.
c. 290 CY
Theodain is born.
Theodain was born in the western verges of the
Dreadwood almost three centuries ago. [LGJ#0 – 7]
Eriason is a tall, gaunt high elf [.] [LGJ#0 – 11]
Population: 5,000
Demi-humans: Sylvan Elves (8,000)
Gnomes (1,000+), Halflings
Humanoids: Some
This substantial forest Iles north of the Hool Marshes
of the lower Javan River in Keoland. It is some 200 miles from the Good Hills
In the west to the coast of the Azure Sea In the east and about 70 to 100 miles
deep. There is constant warfare within the Dreadwood, with monsters and
humanoids battling the elves who ward the place in behalf of the King In return
for Keoish protection of the forest. Large-scale efforts have been mounted to
clear the woods of evil creatures time and again, but the enemy retreats into
hidden places and beyond the trees into the trackless Hool Marshes, to return
when the companies of woodsmen and elves retire. It is suspected that the Sea
Princes are in collusion with certain bandits and humanoid bands who creep
through the Dreadwood on their way to raid Keoland and the Yeomanry. [Folio
– 21]
Theodain Eriason is the youngest son of a family that
has lived in the Sheldomar Valley for many centuries. [Rot8 – 60]
He is believed to be over two centuries old – older
than the Yeomanry he passionately defends. [Rot8 – 60]
 |
| Keoland |
One wonders what
they think of humans. Elves live in harmony with the Oerth (or so I imagine).
They perhaps even believe that no one owns it. So, it might come as quite a
shock to them that humans believe that they actually own as much of the Oerth
as they can grasp.
In 292 CY, Tavish negotiated a treaty to formalize the
union of the Ulek states to Keoland, bringing them into closer cooperation with
the Throne of the Lion. [LGG – 65]
348 CY
Imagine their
surprise when they learned that the land they had lived on and served so
faithfully for centuries was not actually theirs.
During the early summer of 348 CY, [Tavish II] made
his so-called "Wealsun Proclamation," over the objections of the
members of the Council. In it, he asserted the manifest destiny of the Keoish
to hegemony over the Sheldomar Valley and all its borders. Within a handful of
years, Keoland had marched armies into western Veluna and annexed the Pomarj
from the prince of Ulek. [LGG – 65]
361 CY
 |
| Yeomanry |
[T]he Yeomanry had closed its borders to the Keoish,
withdrawing its forces in protest against the "wars of aggression,"
[.] [LGG – 65]
[C]ooperation ended suddenly, during the reign of
Tavish II, when the wars turned from defense to naked aggression. In 361 CY,
the Yeomanry withdrew its forces from the Keoish armies and closed its borders
in protest. [LGG – 135]
Granted, the Yeomanry still believed that their
particular patch of the Oerth belonged to them, and not that they belonged to
that particular patch.
433 – 453 CY
Did the elves of the Deadwood revolt, as the Yeomanry
did? No. They take the long view: They know that if they wait long enough – a
blink of an eye, actually – their immediate problem will resolve itself. Rulers
come and go. One king’s manifest destiny is not another’s.
Troubles for the Throne of the Lion continued unabated
in the south. In 433 CY, Tavish III's errant younger brother and the heir to
the duchy of Gradsul disappeared, and reports placed the duke as lost in the
Amedio, the victim of pirates or other foul play. The old king attempted to
salvage some dignity in a doomed expedition to reclaim the south, culminating
in the Siege of Westkeep, 453 CY. In a prolonged battle against the insurgents,
King Tavish III was himself slain. [LGG – 65]
Theodain would have been taught patience was the best
course of action by his elders.
One wonders whether he took their teachings to heart.
460 CY
The Yeomanry was
not patient. They took destiny in hand. Theodain would have learned that even
kings would eventually bow to the will of the people, even if it took a century
to that their will was the same as the peoples.’
In 460 CY, the Yeomanry League was formally recognized
as an independent realm and relations were reestablished. [LGG – 66]
How was life in
the Deadwood under the Tavishes? Oppressive? Did their rule require the elves
to bend their knee to their manifest destiny? One must believe that the Eriasons had expressed what the crown deemed the
unacceptable opinion that all elves (and indeed all men) were free, perhaps
that even the elves ought not have need to serve in Keoland’s Imperial armed
forces. That “unpopular” elven opinion might have necessitated the Eriasons need to cross the Javan.
When the Yeomanry League withdrew from Keoland during
their wars of aggression and declared its independence, his family crossed the
Javan and settled near Loftwick. [LGJ#0
– 7]
I expect that Hautna Masq crossed with them. (This is
contingent on whether you believe the Yeomanry is within the Sheldomar Valley,
which I believe to be the case.)
 |
| Patrolling the Jotens |
Theodain began life as a warrior and spent much of his
youth patrolling the Jotens and Little Hills for incessant incursions. His
father became a Grosspokeman of the league [.] [LGJ#0 – 7]
How long did
Theodain patrol the Jotens? Not long. I expect that Theodain only took up his
spear to please his father.
Any citizen of majority who has carried a spear for
the nation, either now or in the past, is eligible to elect spokesmen on his
behalf from his community. [LGG – 135]
470 CY
Theodain
preferred spells to spears.
[I]t was not until the elder Eriason's death in 470 CY
that Theodain took up magecraft. [LGJ#0
– 7]
But to take up
his desired profession Theodain had to return to his homeland in Keoland.
These people [of the Yeomanry], primarily lowborn
peasantry from the Suel Imperium, did not venture far from where they emerged
into the Flanaess. [LGG – 135]
Ever loyal to the Eriasons, Hautna Masq returned to the
Dreadwood with Theodain.
When not masquerading as Theodain, Hautna Masq is a
95-foot-long steel-gray dragon. How the two became an “alternating couple” is a
story they have not shared, as are the details of their actual relationship. [Rot8
– 61]
In Theodain’s form, Hauma Masq acts much like him,
though with an innate respect for law and order and a pleasant manner that he
lacks. [Rot8 – 61]
He learned at the feet of the elven wizards of the
Dreadwood and spent some time at the magical school in Gradsul [.] [LGJ#0 – 7]
Theodain was an
apt pupil but patrolling the Jotans had left its mark on the young High Elf.
Theodain became a wizard after his father died in 470
CY and left him enough money to pursue his dream of adventuring. [Rot8 – 60]
470 – 576 CY
 |
| Theodain Eriason |
Theodain’s adventuring career […] would span decades. [LGJ#0 – 11]
Theodain is unusual in that he is able to use a short
sword despite being a wizard. He shows no compunction in attacking foes
directly. [PGtG – 22]
He fights with wands and magical devices before
casting any of his own spells, always seeking to capture a foe alive for
questioning. If all else fails, he pulls his short sword and attempts to slay
his foes. [Rot8 – 60]
While based for some time in the independent town of
Melkot in the Tors, Theodain explored the Hellfurnaces, defeated the plots of
assassin's guilds and elemental cults in the Hool Marshes [.] [LGJ#0 – 11]
The Hellfurnaces range is part of the
Crystalmist Mountain range, but it is active volcanically in many places, and
thus its different name. As with the northern part of the chain, the Hellfurnaces
are a hive of evil, being populated with all sorts of monsters. particularly
those which enjoy warmer temperatures, such as Fire Giants. There are reported
to be whole labyrinths of passages under this range of mountains, these
underworld highways actually going for scores, possibly hundreds, of miles in
all directions. [WoGA – 52]
Hool Marshes: After the initial rush of
the Hool River from the high lake and freshets in the Hellfurnaces, it begins
to meander across the plains, and most of its length is surrounded by quaking
mires and bottomless pools. This forms a natural boundary between the lands of
the Yeomanry and the holdings of the Sea Princes to the south. These marshes
are also home to renegade humans, humanoids, and many types of monsters.
[Folio – 23]
Worship of Wastri is not common, although it has
supposedly spread to the Hool Marshes and possibly elsewhere. [WoGA – 77]
With whom did
Theodain share these adventures? He does not say but, given his span of
adventuring for decades, the list must be long, indeed.
Hautna Masq must have been one of his constant
companions, surely.
Unlike the real Theodain, Hautna Masq fights not to
capture but to kill, tending to act as judge and executioner. [Rot8 – 61]
She never shifts into her true dragon form except in
the wilderness or if her life is gravely endangered. [Rot8 – 61]
In time,
Theodain settled down at the foot of the Jotens.
Theodain’s home is a small country estate in Loftwick
in the Yeomanry, though he travels constantly and is rarely at home. He can
turn up anywhere in the Sheldomar Valley or the western Flanaess. [Rot8 – 60]
Mid-550s
 |
| Mordenkainen |
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. [TAB – 60]
I doubt that Mordenkainen’s exploits ever crossed
Theodain’s attention. Humans come and go; they dare dangers seeking fleeting
fame and fortune; and often die young, usually in the blink of an elf’s eye.
560 CY
So Theodain
might believe was soon to be the fate of Mordenkainen’s Citadel of Eight.
[T]he Citadel of Eight, was a known opponent of
darkness in its many guises. Its members stood, and fell, protecting the
balance and defending Oerth from the influence of malign beings and, rarely,
benevolent interlopers, as well. [LGJ#0
– 4]
In the years of their companionship, both Robilar and
Yrag were ennobled by Greyhawk, and Riggby was promoted speedily within the
church of Boccob in Verbobonc. Tenser, Bigby, and Mordenkainen likewise
advanced in their own wizardly ways, gaining arcane knowledge and power. [LGJ#0 – 5]
569 CY
Indeed, humans
were always rising up and falling down, beseeching any and all manner of gods,
however great or small, to bestow upon them the power to… do whatever they
might be doing for the short span of life given them.
In 569 CY, when the first arrow flew at Emridy
Meadows, the Citadel was noticeably absent. Whether investigating magical
secrets far to the west or unearthing lost passages in Urnst's Maure Castle,
these self-absorbed celebrities were too preoccupied to influence one of the
century's most critical battles. All were absent save Serten, who fought
valiantly at the side of Prince Thrommel against the hordes of Elemental Evil.
When Serten fell, none of his friends stood at his side. [LGJ#0 – 5]
They come and
go. They are mourned, and all to soon forgotten.
Mid-570s
Wastrian clerics have appeared in the Hool Marshes
since the mid-570s and are blamed for raids as far north as the Little Hills.
[LGG – 136]
Giants have been raiding the lands of men in large
bands, with giants of different sorts in these marauding groups. Death and
destruction have been laid heavily upon every place these monsters have
visited. [G123 Against the Giants – 2]
Rockburgh swiftly negotiated terms for peaceful
co-existence with their gargoyle neighbors. This was possible because the
inhabitants of Gargoyle Valley are relatively civilized, for gargoyles. These
terms are spelled out in the Gargoyle Treaties, which will be renewed soon when
the gargoyles choose a new leader. The treaties guarantee, among other things:
- Non-aggression between the residents of Rockburgh and those of Gargoyle Valley.
- No trespassing by humans or demihumans on Gargoyle Peak, a sacred spire of rock in the center of Gargoyle Valley.
- Free passage with escort to citizens of either area through the territory of the other group, as long as permission has been obtained in advance.
[WG9 Gargoyle – 2]
570 CY
 |
| Mordenkainen |
Mordenkainen the archmage […] formed the Circle of
Eight as a tool to manipulate political factions of the Flanaess, preserving
the delicate balance of power in hopes of maintaining stability and sanity in
the region. […] In all things, the Circle of Eight prefers to work behind the
scenes, subtly manipulating events to ensure that no one faction gains the
upper hand. [LGG – 156]
Mordenkainen invited some of the most prominent magi
in the Flanaess to join him. [LGJ#0 – 6]
The first were Bigby, Yrag, Rigby, Felnorith, Zigby, Vram
& Vin, but these first came and went, never committing.
571 CY
In time, the
membership of the Circle settled.
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]
Did Mordenkainen consider Theodain for membership? Unlikely.
Theodain, Mordenkainen might have surmised, was likely only a parochial hedge wizard,
only concerned with his little patch of the Yeomanry and not the greater
concerns of the Flanaess as a whole.
576 CY
In that regard,
Mordenkainen was not entirely wrong. But Theodain was by no means a mere hedge
wizard.
Noted for his explorations of the vast cavern system
below the Hellfurnaces, in 576 CY [Theodain] was one of the first to enter the
rediscovered Passage of Slerotin, a huge ancient tunnel through the western
mountains. [Rot8 – 60]
The legendary Passage of Slerotin, a straight tunnel
from the Yeomanry to the ashen wasteland, was recently discovered here and is
being (slowly) explored. [LGG – 143]
 |
| The Hellfurnaces |
What Theodain found there would surely have cowered most
adventurers.
These underground journeys changed Theodain; he
developed an obsessive desire to protect his homeland from unnamed horrors.
Theodain’s primary goal is the defense of the Yeomanry, but he extends this to
anything that he feels offers regional stability. [Rot8 – 60]
… regardless of
what the one-hundred-member Council of Common Grosspokesmen [LGG – 135] might think of his methods.
[Theodain] pays lip service to the Yeomanry’s ideals
of democracy and personal freedom, but he can be dictatorial and capricious. [Rot8 – 60]
Theodain and Hautna Masq share the same attitude about
threats to the Sheldomar valley. [Rot8 – 61]
579 CY
Would that
Slerotin’s Tunnel had never been discovered. Adventurers flocked to it, by the
dozens.
Some dozen years ago, a cavernous bore was found at
the foot of the Crystalmists in the western end of the realm. This tunnel,
which supposedly pierces the range and leads to the Sea of Dust, has brought
renewed (and unwanted) attention to the Yeomanry. This activity is concentrated
on Dark Gate, a small town built near the site that enjoys a frontier economy,
though it is a dozen miles from Westburn. [LGG – 135]
They were stirring up what dwelt down in those dark
passages, luring them to the surface.
And attracting the attentions of others, as well.
The relatively new development of “colleges” of
so-called Dustdiggers, state-sanctioned Yeoman plunderers of tombs and ruins
(including those on the fringes of the Sea of Dust), has driven certain Silent
Ones to near apoplectic fits of frustration. […] [O]ne of the centers of
Dustdigger activity [is] in the town of Dark Gate, near the entrance of
Slerotin’s Passage. [LGJ#4 – 16]
The most important goal of the [Scarlet] Brotherhood
in this area is to enter Slerotin’s Tunnel, get to the Sea of Dust and look for
old Suel ruins; however, the elf wizard […] Theodain Eriason, has worked
diligently to make sure that the Brotherhood cannot use the passage. [SB –
23]
581 CY
 |
| The Circle of Eight |
An important though seldom noticed event took place in
581 CY, when an agent of Vecna, the Whispered One of ancient Flan legend,
struck down the entire Circle of Eight […]. The Circle had acted subtly as a
balancing agent for years, preventing any one power from dominating too much of
the Flanaess. [LGG – 15]
Vecna’s possible return would concern any elf.
The army of Vecna then destroyed the elven host, and
marched into the mountains. They inhabited and defaced the elven cities,
remaking them in the image of Vecna. [OJ#1 – 9,10] (-1154 CY to -1148 CY)
582 – 584 CY
War befell the Flanaess. Mordenkain’s Circle was hard
pressed to maintain any semblance of Balance.
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]
Indeed, the whole of the Flanaess was engulfed in the
innumerable conflicts that sprang up.
Not Theodain, however. The Yeomanry was largely spared.
[T]he Yeomanry settled into a more peaceful existence
that has lasted nearly to the present day. [LGG – 135]
Until it wasn’t.
[T]he kingdom was ill-prepared for the Greyhawk Wars
and giant invasions that plagued the westlands beginning in the early 580s.
[LGG – 66]
Giants descending from the Crystalmists attacked the
valley nations of Geoff, Sterich, and the Yeomanry, throwing those realms into
chaos. [LGG – 66]
The Yeomanry, with Keoland’s help, were able to withstand
the assault, and push the giants back into the heights of the Jotans; Sterich
was less fortunate; and Geoff not at all.
One can only imagine that Theodain was at the sharp end
of the defence.
584 CY
Mordenkainen’s
Circle was dealt yet another blow at war’s end.
The treachery of Rary in 584 CY saw the destruction of
Tenser and Otiluke, leaving the Circle at five. [LGG – 156]
What might have
Theodain made of this betrayal? I suspect he thought: Wasn’t that the way of humans,
though? They were always fighting, weren’t they? Betraying one another, whether
individually or nationally? I expect he was still too busy fighting giants to
give Rary’s betrayal much thought, however.
585 CY
At war’s “end”
Theodain was as busy as he’d ever been.
He supports efforts to retake Geoff and Sterich from
the giants and humanoids there; to explore the Passage of Slerotin; to discover
Suloise ruins in the Sea of Dust; and to locate and destroy monster lairs
throughout the Hool Marshes, Tors, Jotens and eastern
Crystalmists/Hellfurnaces. [Rot8 –
60]
SEA OF DUST
Too busy, in
fact, to tackle every problem personally.
Theodain often hires adventurers to pursue his goals. [Rot8 – 60]
Hautna Masq often takes his place in questioning spies
or hiring adventurers. [Rot8 – 61]
Theodain has been known to send adventurers into
neighboring kingdoms that do not appreciate such “visits,” however well
intentioned. Keoland has several times discovered Theodain’s agents hunting
monsters or brigands in the Dreadwood, within arrow shot of Gradsul; now
Keoland is intolerant of this activity. [Rot8 – 60]
His hirelings fear him but believe he is invincible;
others tolerate him for his effectiveness in dealing with monsters and the
Scarlet Brotherhood. [Rot8 – 60]
The Circle of
Five and their minions were as busy. Mordenkainen finally came to the decision
that his organization needed to be brought back to strength.
But who was
worthy? Who was powerful enough to “keep the Balance” in these troubling times?
After a successful mission to rescue one of Tenser's
clones from the clutches of the infamous necromancer-witch Iggwilv, the Circle
added three members, rounding out the membership. (Tenser, chafing at
Mordenkainen's agenda, left the group in disgust after his rescue.) [LGG – 156]
Who, indeed?
 |
| The Circle of Eight |
Theodain, it
would seem, had finally had his day.
Mordenkainen continues: ‘Now I introduce you to
Alhamazad the Wise, a powerful Baklunish sorcerer from Zeif.” [An] old man
dressed in the style of Baklunish beggars bows slightly, leaning heavily on his
plain wood staff. “And Theodain Eriason, a high elf from the Yeomanry.” A slim
arrogant elf stares at you coolly, making no move. [Rot8 – 53]
Theodain Eriason
High elf male
17th-level wizard
Str-15, Dex 17, Con 13, Int I8, Wis 15, Cha 16; SZ M
(5’9”); AL CN.
SA/SD immunity to fear attacks. This ability is
permanent and cannot be dispelled.
Spells (5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2): Theodain
Eriason is pushing the upper limits of the elf ability at wizardry. He is fond
of spells like charm and hold, divination “spying” spells and some necromantic
spells such as raise dead, used to bring enemies back for questioning. Except
in dire circumstances, he does not use area-attack spells like fireball and
lightning bolt.
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, short
sword, quarterstaff.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: All standard
elf proficiencies, general knowledge (Under-Oerth below the Hellfurnaces),
heraldry and history (Sheldomar Valley). He also has several thief-related
proficiencies, such as alertness, information gathering and observation as per
Chapter 2 of PHBR2 The Complete Thief’s Handbook. Other proficiencies are
unknown.
Equipment: Theodain Eriason has no lack
of funds for mundane equipment. His personal belongings are expensively made,
often in black with restrained silver decorations and trim.
Magical Items: Theodain normally carries
a short sword of quickness +2, a dagger of throwing +3, a ring of protection +3
and wands of enemy detection, magic missiles, negation and paralyzation. He
also owns two sets of iron bands of Bilarro and several other devices with
which he captures his foes. Theodain is known to have a necklace of telepathy
and devices that shield his thoughts from magical or psionic attack, or allow
him to speak and understand any language. He also has a magical belt that
grants him one 12th-level stoneskin spell per day. [Rot8 – 60]
Why Theodain?
Theodain was brought into the Circle at the behest of
Drawmij. [Rot8 – 60]
But Drawmij [originally] argued steadfastly against
expanding the purview of the Circle to include nonhuman members. Finding Nystul
his only ally in the matter, however, he has since treated the olve Theodain
Eriason with bland acceptance. [LGJ#0
– 8]
Why then did
Drawmij finally sponsor the olven Theodain? They have common cause, it would
seem.
The sovereign that is said to rule here is known as
the Mage of the Vale, or the Black One. […]
[The Black One] was to place a rogue drow elfin
command of the valley's forces. […] During this time, the Mage acquired the
antipathy of the wizard Drawmij, who joined the Circle of Eight and directed
certain plots against him. […]
For nearly twenty years prior to the Greyhawk Wars,
there was no contact with the Valley of the Mage. When giants from the
Crystalmists swept down into Geoff and Sterich, these nations appealed to
Keoland for aid and sent a small deputation to beg assistance from the Mage of
the Valley. […]
When the aid-seekers were introduced to the Mage, one
within the group recognized him as an exiled necromancer, Nyeru of Bissel. [LGG
– 126]
Drawmij and Theodain may have future plans regarding
the Mage of the Vale, as Theodain sees that wizard as a potential threat to the
region. [Rot8 – 60]
 |
| The Circle of Eight |
Theodain’s cold, unemotional manner gives him the
appearance of being malign if not outright evil. He is noted for his cutting
sarcasm, his extreme intelligence, his relentless drive, his disregard for
authority and his unyielding nature. [Rot8 – 60]
His manner is cold and his mood is often described as
disagreeable, even baneful. This appearance masks a keen intellect and a
passionate desire to protect his homeland and the rest of the Sheldomar Valley.
His recollection of people and events over the last two centuries is considered
encyclopedic. [LGJ#0 – 7]
Even after
admission, he was not universally accepted by the body as a whole.
He has treated coolly with Alhamazad the Wise and
Warnes Starcoat, whom he views with suspicion (they, in turn, consider him a
firebrand who all-too-often resorts to morally questionable methods). [LGJ#0 – 11]
586 CY
Theodain has taken to the affairs of the Circle with
avid enthusiasm. He finds Drawmij, Nystul, Otto, and Jallarzi particularly to
his liking, and he has enjoyed his infrequent visits to the Free City. [LGJ#0 – 11]
He does keep his
distance, however.
Certain members of the Circle are well known and
liked, their talents appreciated throughout the Flanaess. The mages Bigby,
Jallarzi, and Otto, for instance, are welcome in courts far from cosmopolitan
Greyhawk. Others, such as Drawmij, Nystul, and Theodain, prefer to operate away
from the public gaze. [LGG – 156]
He continues to
spend considerable time in Yeomanry and Sterich; and his lengthy absences have
been noted. When brought to task on hos absence, Theodain shrugged
Mordenkainen’s displeasure off. He did not care: Working alone for so long,
Theodain was critical of the Circle’s methods.
In his short time with the Circle of Eight, Theodain
has shown a tendency to openly question Mordenkainen's leadership, suggesting
alternatives and sarcastically pointing out perceived weaknesses, much to the
irritation of the elder mage. [LGJ#0
– 11]
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. [LGJ#0
– 11]
Bigby has often joked that in taking in Theodain they
have replaced one Tenser with another. [LGJ#0 – 7]
Impatient with
their methods, Theodain worked more closely with others than his own
membership.
Theodain Eriason is the first demihuman ever to join
the Circle of Eight, though close associations have been maintained by the
organization with Prince Brightflame and the Knights of Luna, as well as the
leadership of the Fairdells. [LGJ#0
– 7]
He even showed a
certain disdain for how long it took them to come to any action. He missed
meeting, even when those meetings came to him.
[O]nly the real Theodain meets with the Circle of
Eight or wizards who might detect the ruse [.] [Rot8 – 61]
Discovery of Hautna Masq’s little game, if it does not
result in the sudden demise of the nosy party, could endanger Theodain’s
position in the Circle of Eight. [Rot8 – 61]
 |
| The Drow |
He had cause to
keep within Yeomanry.
In 590 CY, adventurers appeared in the town with armor
and weapons made of a strange black metal that disintegrated within days. With
tales of other great riches and wondrous magic just beyond the entrance to the
passage, many have come to seek their fortune. [LGG – 135]
Theodain knew drow materiel when he saw it.
Also, the giants were stirring again.
Raids from the Jotens [by giantkind] in 590 CY
threatened the city of Loftwick, [Freeholder Marius JLindon] has set about
reinforcing its defenses lest in 591 his realm suffer the fate of Sterich and
Geoff. [LGG – 136]
591 CY
Why then did
Theodain remain with the Circle of Eight? They have little to do with the
defence of his Yeomanry. No others are natives there. Indeed, as far as
Theodain is concerned, only Drawmij even has much vested interest in the
Sheldomar as a whole.
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]
He remains
because he believes his membership can only do good, in the long run. He
remains because he believes he can call on them if he really did ever need
their assistance.
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. [TAB – 7]
 |
| Theodain and Hautna |
That’s not a
condemnation. Far be it. A council of archmagi could only have been human in
its earliest aspect. Elves and half-elves could never have attained those lofty
levels in 1st Edition AD&D. But by 2nd Edition they
most certainly could. I expect that should the Circle of Eight ever be
mentioned again in canon their membership would evolve further still. It has,
already, not to disparage Bigby’s most recent fate – some people love his
transformation into a gnome, others hate it; it is what it is; no DM has to
honour WotC’s decision at their own table if they don’t want to. Going forward,
the Circle would most certainly become a gathering of elves and gnomes and aarakocra
and tabaxi, and dare I say it, of (once magic resistant) dwarven and half-orc magi.
Mordenkainen will most probably always chair the Circle of mages (he is the
poster-boy of the Greyhawk setting, after all – perhaps of all D&D), the
only human to survive the canonical cull.
Do I like
Theodain? I think I do. But I wonder if a CG would ever join something like the
Circle of Eight. It has order, structure, and perhaps a bit of an authoritarian
hierarchy, where junior members toe the line of its elder member’s edicts.
Theodain would certainly chafe at such a thing. As a Chaotic he would follow the
course of his own conscience, and no other. So, I expect his membership will be
short-lived. I expect that Theodain and Hautna will all too soon be ranging
the Hools and Dreadwood and the Hellfurnaces, and sailing the uncharted sways
and swales of the Sea of Dust, to his own ends, regardless what Mordenkainen wishes.
“I name you Elf-friend; and may the stars shine upon
the end of your road!”
― The Fellowship of
the Ring
One must always give credit where credit is due. This History 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:
Theodain Eriason, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Theodain detail, by Sam Wood, from Dragon Magazine #290 / Living Greyhawk Journal #6, 2001
Greyhawk Dragon, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #1, 2000
Sheldomar Valley map detail, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Keoland heraldry, adapted from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Yeomanry heraldry, adapted from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Mordenkainen detail, by Dan Burr, from Dragon Magazine #211, 1994
Cover art, by Bill Willingham, from G123 Against the Giants, 1980
Cover art detail, by David Dorman, from WG9 Gargoyle, 1989
Mordenkainen detail, by Dan Burr, from Dragon Magazine #185, 1992
Muspelheim, by Erol Otus, from G123 Against the Giants, 1980
The Circle of Eight, by Ken Frank , from From the Ashes Reference Card #13, 1992
Lazarretti map detail, from Dragon Magazine #118 - 121, 2005
The Circle of Eight, by Sam Wood, from Dragon Magazine #290 / Living Greyhawk Journal #6, 2001
The Circle of Eight, by Mark Zug, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Drow, by Bill Willingham, from D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth, 1981
Theodain and Hautna, by Ted Naifeh, from Return of the Eight, 1998
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed
Set, 1983
1043 The City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1989
2011A Dungeon Masters Guide,
1st Ed., 1979
2023 Greyhawk Adventures
Hardback, 1988
9025 World of Greyhawk
Folio, 1980
9031 The Rogues Gallery,
1980
9058 G123 Against the
Giants, 1980
9112 WG5 Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure, 1984
9153 WG6 Isle of the Ape,
1985
9251 WG9 Gargoyles, 1989
9577 The Adventure Begins,
1998
9578 Player’s Guide to
Greyhawk, 1998
9576 Return of the Eight,
1998
11374 The Scarlet
Brotherhood, 1999
11743 Living Greyhawk
Gazeteer, 2000
Dragon Magazine
LGJ #0,4
Oerth Journal #1
Greychrondex, Wilson, Steven
B.
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The map of Anna B. Meyer
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