“Remember tonight... for it is the beginning of
always”
―
 |
| The Circle of Eight |
I suppose the proof of this is in my exploration of the
Circle of Eight, which was long, indeed. But in my defence, there has been a
lot written about these luminous figures of the Flanaess. Their story is long,
commencing even before their formation, even before the formation of its
predecessor, the Citadel of Eight.
I suspect we all know it and their tales. But do we
remember those tales in detail, and in strict chronological order? That’s a
hard thing, considering those facts are scattered across the entirety of
Greyhawk source materials, innumerable Dragon and Dungeon magazines, and even
Oerth Journal issues. I did my utmost compiling all that information.
Was I successful? I leave it to you, Gentle Reader, to
weigh judgement on my success, in that regard.
I recently pared down the salient dates concerning the
membership of the Circle’s predecessor, the Citadel of Eight, so, it’s only
fitting that I should do the same for the Circle, as well.
And let’s face facts, its an easier task doing this than
it was compiling the biographies of each and all of the Circle’s members. Far
shorter, too.
So, without further ado, I present to you the dates of
induction and departure of the Circle’s membership.
We begin with the Citadel’s failure.
569 CY
In the years of their companionship […] 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]
Who then was
striving to achieve the Citadel’s goals by this time?
Serten. He
alone.
Only he of their
number was present for perhaps the most important event that transpired while
they professed to continue to exist.
Battle of Emridy Meadows
A great battle was fought to the east, and when
villagers saw streams of ochre-robed men and humanoids fleeing south and west
through their community, there was great rejoicing, for they knew that the
murderous oppressors had been defeated and driven from the field in panic and
rout. [T1 The Village of Hommlet – 2]
When Serten fell, none of his friends stood at his
side. [LGJ#0 – 5]
Serten’s death
was the last nail in the Citadel’s coffin.
 |
| Tenser |
Tenser blamed Mordenkainen for the death of his
friend, and retired inward to his castle. […] Even the loyal Bigby left the
side of his one-time master and returned to Oldridge, where he adventured for a
time with a band of boyhood friends. [LGJ#0 – 5]
Yrag left the Citadel of Eight […] following a
falling-out with Mordenkainen over long-term strategic policy. [TAB – 114]
Mordenkainen, the man who had brought the Citadel
together, simply shrugged and returned, with cold eyes, to his studies. [LGJ#0 – 5]
The Citadel of
Eight no longer existed. But its dissolution paved the way for another, perhaps
loftier, fellowship.
570 CY
Robilar freed
Iuz.
In 570 CY, Lord Robilar, his orc henchman Quij and
Riggby, Patriarch of Boccob, freed Iuz. [PGtG – 24]
 |
| Mordenkainen |
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]
Over the next year, Mordenkainen invited some of the
most prominent magi in the Flanaess to join him. [LGJ#0 – 6]
 |
| Bigby |
Historians would
be in error, here. Because Yrag was not a mage; nor were Riggby,
Felnorith; and Yrag had left
Mordenkainen’s Citadel. Indeed, Mordenkainen had also already decided against
Riggby’s inclusion.
Yrag left the Citadel of Eight […] following a
falling-out with Mordenkainen over long-term strategic policy. [TAB – 114]
And Bigby,
however loyal to his former master, needed to be coaxed back into
Mordenkainen’s fold. He would only have returned after Modenkainen’s initial
choices had departed. I assume these were Zigby, Vram & Vin, but in
truth, I have no clue who these people are/were. I will refrain from comment.
Even the loyal Bigby left the side of his one-time
master and returned to Oldridge, where he adventured for a time with a band of
boyhood friends. [LGJ#0 – 5]
 |
| Leomund |
Better
candidates were drawn into Mordenkainen’s scheme with Bigby’s help.
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]
[K]nown to have joined the Circle [was] the ancient
mage Leomund, an immigrant from the east [.] [TAB – 60]
With
Mordenkainen, the Circle were eight in number.
 |
| Otiluke |
The membership of the Circle changed little in the
years between its inception and 574 CY, when Tenser, still bitter over the
dissolution of the Citadel, sought membership. [LGJ#0 – 6]
He was denied, then. Mordenkainen had his eight; and it
would seem that, at least in Mordenkainen’s view, eight is, and will forever
be, the optimal number of all his fellowships.
576 CY
Leomund, an immigrant from the east […] retired from
the Circle in 576 CY and has been little seen since. Otiluke replaced him later
that year. [TAB – 60]
Kieran
[Jalucian] was considered unacceptable to join the Circle by virtue of
alignment [.] [CoG:FFF – 27]
 |
| Bucknard |
Bigby, Bucknard,
Drawmij, Mordenkainen, Nystul, Otiluke, Otto, and Rary.
579 CY
Bucknard, who vanished in 579 CY while exploring an
unknown demiplane. [PGtG – 23]
After one of the founding mages of the group abandoned
Oerth to explore other planes of existence, [Tenser’s] petition was granted,
and Tenser brought his unique, if less-than-subtle, ambition to the ideology of
the group. [LGJ#0 – 6]
Membership now
is:
Bigby, Drawmij,
Mordenkainen, Nystul, Otiluke, Otto, Rary, and Tenser.
581 CY
 |
| Jalarzi Sallavarian |
Mordenkainen
ceases to be an active member of the Circle at this point; thus, membership is:
Bigby, Drawmij,
Jallarzi, Nystul, Otiluke, Otto, Rary, and Tenser.
Until this
happened, anyway:
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]
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]
 |
| Drawmij |
582 CY
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]
Early 580s CY
In the early 580s, the Circle of Eight included Bigby,
Drawmij, Jallarzi Sallavarian, Nystul, Otiluke, Otto, Rary of Ket [,] and the
archmage Tenser. [PGtG – 21]
584 CY
 |
| Otto |
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]
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, was discovered to be a third member of the Circle of Eight – Rary. [Wars – 24]
 | |
| Nystul |
These are: Bigby, Drawmij, Jallarzi, Nystul,
and Otto.
Mordenkainen resumed active membership after the
betrayal.
585 CY
Nearly a year ago, the Circle of Eight was shattered
by treachery, but its leader, Mordenkainen, has decided to return it to its
full strength. While Mordenkainen won’t announce his selections until all
members of the new Eight are in the City of Greyhawk, Warnes is a certainty to
be one of them [.] [Rot8 – 2]
Before Mordenkainen can come to his decision, Tenser, it
was discovered, could be revived, after all.
Tenser was returned to life in 585 CY […], but chose
not to return to the Circle of Eight. [PGtG – 21]
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
With Tenser’s departure the Circle was (still) down by 3
members.
No matter, because Mordenkainen had made his selection
even as Tenser’s clone was discovered. He had only to declare them.
 |
| Alhamazad the Wise |
 |
| Theodain Eriason |
Membership is now:
Alhamazad, Bigby, Drawmij, Jallarzi, Nystul, Otto, Theodain,
and Warnes.
 |
| Mordenkainen |
And thus it remains until 591 CY.
Mordenkainen, of course, continues to guide them – if that is what a shadow leader does....
How’s that? Short and sweet. I can do that on occasion
when I focus. Besides, this piece is merely about names and dates, not detailed
events, underlying cause or reasons.
“He was a lonely ghost uttering a truth that nobody
would ever hear. But so long as he uttered it, in some obscure way the
continuity was not broken.”
― 1984
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:
The Circle of Eight, by Mark Zug, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Tenser detail, by Gary Williams, from WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1985
WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure cover, by Clyde Caldwell, 1984
Bigby, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1985
Jallarzi Sallavarian, by Sam Wood, from LGJ#0, 2000
Drawmij, by Sam Wood, LGJ#0, 2000
Otto, by Sam Wood, LGJ#0, 2000
Nystul portrait, by Sam Wood, from LGJ#0, 2000
Warnes Starcoat, by Gary Williams, from WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1985
Theodain Eriason, by Sam Wood, from LGJ#0, 2000
Alhamazad the Wise, by Sam Wood, from LGJ#0, 2000
Mordenkainen, by Thomas Denmark, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1043 The City of Greyhawk
Boxed Set, 1989
1068
Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9026
T1 The Village of Hommlet, 1979,1981
9360
WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk, 1992
9576 Return of the Eight, 1998
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Players Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11742
World of Greyhawk Gazetteer 3e, 2000
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
LGJ
#0
Greyhawkania,
Jason Zavoda
The Greyhawk
Wiki
Well done sir, you can do brevity after all! After reading the timeline it made me think, wait till the next iteration of the Circle of 8! Bigby and Mordy are still in play for D&D. What does the future hold?
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