Friday, 19 April 2024

On Mordenkainen, Part 1

 

“Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.”
― Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road


Mordenkainen
When one thinks about the Greyhawk setting the figure of Mordenkainen must surely be the first thing that comes to mind. That’s a reasonable supposition. As much as Elminster is the face of the Forgotten Realms and Raistlin is synonymous with Krynn, Mordenkainen is the veritable granddaddy of Greyhawk. He ought to be. He was the most visible and recognisable character of its creator, Mr. Gary Gygax. They are thus part and parcel. But whether his Mordenkainen and our Mordenkainen are the same Mordenkainen is debatable. I suspect they are not. In fact, I know they are not. They would appear to be, but they are not one and the same.
Take Mordenkainen’s quest for “Balance,” for instance. What was Gary’s intent here? Did he mean Good versus Evil? Or Law versus Chaos? That the concept of Balance originated with Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion is obvious to me. Balance between Law and Chaos makes perfect sense, stemming from the eternal struggle between perpetual change and orderly stagnation. Indeed, that struggle fits hand-in-glove with OD&D’s original 3-tier alignment system. But the notion that Balance requires a Champion falls apart in AD&D’s far more complex clash of alignments. Why anyone should ever suggest that Evil needs assistance is beyond my ken; truly, Evil seems to flourish without any help from anyone.
Mordnkainen, however, sees things differently from such unenlightened souls as I.
Perhaps no individual in all Oerik sees himself as embodying the spirit of Balance as does Mordenkainen the Archmage. His philosophies are almost entirely one-sided on the matter, and many a worthy cause has gone unanswered by the mage's private army, the Obsidian Citadel (sharing the name of his hidden fortress home) because of his neutral-minded convictions. [LGJ#0 – 9]
I’m not the only one, either.
This philosophy has gained the archmage a virtual army of enemies, not a few of whom once considered him a good friend. Among these last can be counted Evard the Black, Terik and, of course, Rary. luz and his underlings, particularly Kermin Mind-Bender, have hated Mordenkainen from their first meeting. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Few would ever guess that Mordenkainen would become the man he would eventually be, given his origins. He began, as many heroic D&D figures do, as a common adventurer. In short, a reaver. One might even suggest that, despite his wielding magic, he was a common thief. Back in the day all that glittered in Mordenkainen’s eyes was gold.
Robilar: "And what of the dream—the one you told me about? A city of gold and silver, Mordenkainen. Surely no one but the gods themselves could have built it."
Mordenkainen was fully awake now and staring at the fighter like a child mesmerized by some fairy tale. [OJ#6 – 45]
We won’t hold that against him, though. We were, all of us, cut from the same cloth then.
When then did he aspire to difference from that common cloth? In Gary’s campaign, apparently.
Survival and ability to adventure widely were my first concerns for Mordenkainen. When he made 12th level I decided he should have some greater purpose, so I added political concerns, keeping the balance in the Flanaess, growing powerful and influential, and keeping aggressive bad guys at bay.
I see no hint in this that Gary’s Mordenkainen lent a helping hand to Evil. Indeed, what passed as the Circle of Eight in his game play was a very different creature to the one we are steeped in.
So, as with a great many of the bios I’ve collected, we must separate Gary Gygax’s Mordenkainen and our canonical one.
What Mordenkainen was to become, I believe, is perhaps a mirror of the Greyhawk setting, itself, an evolution of disparate influences, all crammed together in one package, each conceivably incompatible with the whole, yet sculpted into something greater than the sum of its parts.
Is he, though? We shall see.

So, where to begin…. At the beginning, as always. But where is that, exactly?
History precedes him. As it precedes us all.
c. -300 CY
Greyhawk was established as a trading post on the Selintan River during the period of early migrations. [Folio – 11]
What has this to do with Mordenkainen? Perhaps nothing. What follows may, or may not, have something to do with Mordenkainen’s lineage, however.

4 CY
In 4 CY, an opportunistic captain named Maret Nial (originally from Greyhawk) crossed the Cairn Hills with a large hand of ex-soldiers [….] Nial arrived at the village of Greyhawk, proclaimed it conquered without bothering to have a battle, and set about with his men building a motte-and-bailey keep [.] [TAB – 57]
As it flourished, a local warlord built a small keep on the hills above the village called Greyhawk which had sprung up around the trading center, extracting taxes from the trade and occasionally raiding caravans (particularly those coming with silver ingots found in the burial mounds of the Cairn Hills). [Folio – 11]
Maret Nial
Nial […] declared his domain to be part of the Great Kingdom, which brought about an imperial tax obligation but also boosted the land’s security from banditry and piracy with the resources of the Overking.
[TAB – 57]
This petty noble soon became quite rich and powerful and assumed the title of Landgraf of Selintan. Greyhawk and the power of the new Landgraf grew rapidly thereafter, and his son and heir, Ganz, was wed to the daughter of the Gynarch (Despotrix) of Hardby, a sorceress of no small repute. [Folio – 11]
It is this Ganz Nial that concerns us.

c. 40 CY
Lord Nial’s son and heir, Ganz, was more a bureaucrat than a soldier, more a manager than a leader. However, he was a very good manager, and he had all of his father’s shrewdness. Ganz married Maro, the daughter of the then-current Gynarch of Hardby, forging a loose but lasting alliance between the two towns. [TAB – 57]
The heirs of Ganz and Maro (who became Gynarch in 49 CY) oversaw a domain with vast potential. [TAB – 57]
Is this Ganz Nial Ganz Yragerne? One imagines it is. But how is this Nial “a Yragerne”? Through paternity, I expect. Was Maro a Yragerne? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps the matriarchal line of the Gynarchs of Hardby (named paternally) have direct lineage from the Nials…. ‘Tis lost to time. We do know, however, that Zagig Yragerne is descended from Ganz (see below), and thus Maret Nial.
Again, what has this to do with Mordenkainen? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps I’m rambling, tediously. But I’m closing in on what is suggested, if not necessarily true.

277 CY
Time passes. Zagig is born.
During the middle of the third century [,] a boy-child named Zagig was born to a lesser member of the Gynarchy [of Hardby] and a descendant of Lord Ganz of Greyhawk. [Slavers – 32]
Zagyg the demigod is often called the Mad Archmage or identified by his mortal name, Zagig Yragerne. [PGtG – 16]

290s CY
Heward, Zagig, and others of their circle became the most powerful adventuring group known to the world at that time.
[TAB – 125]
Who were this group of adventurers? Legend has it they were the Company of Seven: Zagig, Keoghtom, Murlynd, Norlzur, Qyall, Heward, and Tasha.
Murlynd, the most peculiar hero-god known, was called Merlund or something similar during his mortal life [.] [PGtG – 16]

305 CY
In 305 CY, [a group of adventurers] led by a crafty young wizard of the Landgrafdom of Selintan […] navigated [Lyzandred the Mad’s] riddles and defeated many of his guardians. […] The lich conversed with them through a projected image before dismissing all save the wizard, whom he saw as having great potential. The mage was Zagig Yragerne. […] The young mage stayed with the lich for a short time and learned much, finally asking to leave and practice what he had been taught. [LT2 Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad – 2]

Veralos
300s CY
Zagig Yragerne led a quixotic expedition of his companions on a quest to locate the lost Flan citadel of Veralos. He was accompanied by such young personages as Murlynd and Keoghtom, who among others formed the auspicious Company of Seven. [Dragon #293 – 90]

c. 310 CY
All good things come to an end, however. Sooner or later, all adventurers, should they survive, have desire to make their mark on their world.
Greyhawk became a haven for criminals fleeing Aerdy justice farther east, and its Oligarchy (as the city council was now known) had become corrupt and petty.
Into this mess came a wizard named Zagig Yragerne, rumored to have been born somewhere on the Wild Coast. [TAB – 58]
This haven for criminals seemed as good a place as any.

c. 320 CY
Zagig turned that mess of a town around.
Over time, Lyzandred watched Zagig gather knowledge and power, use that power to build a small town into a bustling city, and construct a strange multidimensional castle on a nearby hill. [LT2 – 2]
The castle and its three towers were begun around 320 CY by Zagig Yragerne, the mad Archmage, before he became lord Mayor of Greyhawk. [TAB – 75]
What to call it? I doubt he called it Castle Greyhawk, but stranger things have happened. And Zagig would prove an unpredictable sort.
His reign was bizarre in many other ways [.] [Folio – 11]

421 CY
Then, one day, without so much as a how-do-you-do, Zagig up and disappeared.
As with Lyzandred so long before, Zagig’s thoughts clarified and he saw what he was becoming. He chose to leave his city and wander the planes, and that was the last day he was seen on Oerth as a mortal man. [LT2 – 3]
It came as no surprise when it was reported that Zagig Yragerne had mysteriously vanished after years of rule when no change or aging could be detected. [Folio – 11]
[Castle Greyhawk] was abandoned after Zagig vanished in 421 CY. [TAB – 75]
What has the doings of the archmage Zagig to do with Mordenkainen? Nothing, at present, given that Mordenkainen had not been born; but these events will have some small effect on Mordenkainen’s life.

505 CY
As did Iuz the Evil’s disappearance.
Iuz the Evil
[I]n 505 CY, Iuz was gone. Stories spread from unknown sources that the monstrous tyrant had indeed come to Greyhawk, bur he had run afoul of a trap set long ago by Zagig in the depths of the nearly ruined Castle Greyhawk.
[TAB – 60]

6th Century CY
However unpredictable and evil he may have been, Iuz had proved a somewhat stabilising presence north of the Nyr Dyv, insofar as his domain became Abyss on Oerth in his absence.
Over the years a handful of lesser demons and shapeshifters appeared on the scene claiming Iuz’s Throne of Bone, whipping the fractured cult of the Old One into temporary frenzy until being dispatched by rivals. These false Iuzes threw the nations into turmoil and brought savage armies across civilized borders. If the real Iuz returns, the disaster could be incalculable. [EttRoG – 4]

We finally come to the beginning of our story.
509 CY
Mordenkainen is born.
He is possibly Oeridian. [Ivid – 137]
Little is known about Mordenkainen’s origins, particularly; the place of his birth. Rumors place him as Oeridian, perhaps Aerdi. Some even say he is of the line of Ganz Yragerne, making him distantly related to such notables as Zagig Yragerne and Heward. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Suggesting does not actually make it so. ‘Tis hearsay, as they say.
This next passage is more concrete:
Zagyg is related to Heward by some distant kinship, and Heward and the arch-mage Mordenkainen are likewise kin. [Dragon #71 – 20]
So, we come to it: Mordenkainen has a bit of pedigree. One might declare him nobility, distantly related to Landgrafs and Gynarchs; but commoners of all colours can do that, given how great families have – for the most part – carried on. What is far more telling is his being related to Zagig and Heward, possibly presaging the power he would wield in decades to come.

But Mordenkainen did not grow up a Landgraf or a scion of Gynarchs. There is no suggestion whatsoever that he was raised with riches at his disposal; indeed, there are no tales told either way, truth be told. There is only the suggestion that he hails from an altogether less than fortunate tract of landscape: the Wild Coast.
Legendary natives of the Wild Coast include such persons as Mordenkainen, Robilar, and Tenser, to name but a few. [WoGA – 42]
WILD COAST
Capital: None;
Major towns only (Safeton 4,600; Narwell 2,900; Fax 6,700; Badwall 5,200; Elredd 8,400)
Population: 150,000 + (est. only)
Demi-humans: Many
Humanoids: Many
Resources: None outstanding
The western shores of the Sea of Gearnat have long been called the Wild Coast, for the region has been a haven for malcontents, dissidents, demi-humans, humanoids, and the outcasts of other states. […]
Its racially mixed peoples are well known as mercenaries and adventurers themselves. [Folio – 19]

That sort of pedigree does not presage heroism and great deeds. It does the reverse, to my mind. One wonders how Mordenkainen managed to be born in such a place. Why should this be so perplexing? Because he is also, apparently, descended from kings.
Apart from this complexity, House Cranden is important because of its history and traditions. Cranden sages have many of the finest collections of historical documents, tomes, and items in all the lands. If one should seek all that is known of such ancient luminaries as Lum the Mad, Johydee, the Wind Dukes of Aqaa, and the Sunken Isles below the Nyr Dyv, then Cranden sages are the best sources—and probably the most accessible. Indeed, the house itself has produced some of the greatest names in all Oerth's history; Johydee, Tuerny the Merciless, Schandor, and among more modern luminaries, both Bigby (which is generally known) and Mordenkainen himself (which is not known to more than a handful). [Ivid – 137]
I would not read too much into this. It smells more like propaganda than fact. We are all descended from kings, I might opine, if we cast our net far enough back and widely enough. I imagine the suggestion that he hales from House Cranden is supposed to signal his inevitability of learned magnificence.
[Personally, I dislike stacking too much greatness on any PC’s/NPC’s backstory. It signals divine destiny. Oh, did I tell you? Mordenkainen is a king. Mordenkainen is related to everyone great. Mordenkainen was always going to become the greatest wizard who every lived! Spare me. Give me rags-to-riches, any day.]

Who were Mordenkainen’s parents, then? Were they rich? Nobility? Influential? I doubt they were any of these. I expect they were one of those forementioned malcontents, dissidents, […] and the outcasts of other states. [Folio – 19]
Although [r]umors place him as Oeridian, perhaps Aerdi [LGJ#0 – 9], it’s far more plausible that they were racially mixed peoples [,] well known as mercenaries and adventurers [Folio – 19] – you know, actual Wild Coasters.

522 CY
Whomever his parents were, they must have had enough experience with magic to recognise their son’s innate talent for it, and flush with enough coin (pirates, perhaps?) to send their son away for instruction, all the way to the City of Greyhawk.
The City of Greyhawk
GREYHAWK, (Free) CITY OF
His Solemn Authority, the Lord Mayor of Greyhawk [...]
Population: 53,000 (city), 70,000 + total (including surrounding area)
Demi-humans: Some
Humanoids: Some
Resources: silver, electrum, gold, platinum, gems (I-IV)
[Folio – 11]
Mordenkainen, one of the most powerful wizards ever to walk the world of Oerth, came to Greyhawk following tales of Zagig’s legendary magical prowess. [EttRoG – 9]
Perhaps. Whyever he came to the City of Greyhawk, Mordenkainen began training as a magic-user at 13 years of age.
[The date is pure conjecture on my part. One must begin training sometime, and I decided that the age one enters middle-school (thereabouts) is as good an age as any to begin magical training.]
Mordenkainen was [o]nce a resident of […] Greyhawk [.] [LGJ#0 – 9]
The Free City of Greyhawk is the home of the most prestigious school of magic across the Flanaess. The distinctive pyramid of the University of Magic is one of the Free City’s most unique landmarks. [CoG:GotF – 5]
The University
One of the guild’s major functions is the training of wizards, both the novice and the experienced. Every year, new fresh-faced students arrive to begin their studies and learn their first spell (which is always read magic).
Trainee mages enrolled at the University can expect the very best in training and preparation for their career in magery. The University can draw upon the considerable resources of the associated Guild of Wizardry and includes some of the most distinguished [practitioners] of the Art among its tutorial staff.
The University encourages both established wizards and students (under supervision) to undertake research into various aspects of the magical arts, and there are several secure laboratories beneath the Guildhall. [CoG:FFF – 20]
Its students work hard, and are subject to harsh discipline. By and large the apprentices have time for little but their studies. [CoG:GotF – 5]
The [Greyhawk University of Magical Arts] is known for its harsh academic life and intense, focused studies; Mordenkainen […] learned [his] craft here decades ago. [TAB – 6]
Harsh it might have been, but it taught him well. He was not only exposed to the secrets of the Weave, but to art and music and history and political science, all of which might come in handy when plying one’s Art, or navigating courtly life.
His greatest passions are for his Art. [LGJ#0 – 9]

One wonders if a low-born Wild Coaster with ambition would have difficulty fitting in amid such company as would be enrolled in the – reputedly – most eminent scholastic institution in Greyhawk, if not all of the Flanaess.
Young Mordenkainen
Was he shunned? Ridiculed? Made to understand that he did not belong, however talented he may be?
Was he bullied? It matters little how talented he might be should he be set upon by a troupe of oppressors, who also happen to be the cream of society. Had he, he would have been taught perhaps the most important lessons of his life while there: The world is a cruel and heartless place; and that “monsters” come in many forms. Indeed, his time there left its indelible mark.
He has few friends, and no one in whom he completely confides. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Was it from then that the suggestion of his Cranden familial roots sprung? A pretention of suitability carefully seeded….
You like to keep people guessing, so you do not confirm or deny anything. [COR1 – 00 The Citadel – PCs – 1]
[I do not deny his relation to Zagig and Heward here, but I doubt he would know of it then if he were sprung from Wild Coast bandits. It’s not like anyone born to banditry would have genealogical records at his fingertips. As to his being a scion of Crandon…. Well… Ivid the Undying declares him thus.]
Reminded of his “unsuitability,” Mordenkainen would have striven to succeed, bettering his betters in every subject he engaged in. Much to their chagrin.
But that level of success necessitated a great many hours at study in libraries, pursuing ever more esoteric lore. Some of what he discovered was enlightening, to say the least.
Before his adventures, Mordenkainen knew of Zagig as an eccentric, the long-lived former Lord Mayor during the City of Greyhawk’s renaissance. He was the founder of the city’s world-renowned Guild of Wizardry and one of the greatest adventuring mages ever to cast a spell. Mordenkainen would come to learn that Zagig had cheated death by becoming a deity [.] [EttRoG – 4]

535 CY
Mordenkainen completes his initial training as a magic-user.
Mordenkainen is 26 years old. [DMG 1e – 12]
Let’s assume he was valedictorian. He has the intelligence to have been, and, given his history to follow, the drive, as well.
Mordenkainen the Prestidigitator
Mordenkainen the Prestidigitator
Class: Magic-User
Level: 1
Str 10, Int 18, Wis 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Cha 18 [WG5 Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure – 30]
Mordenkainen stands 5 ft. 11 in. tall [.] [LGJ#0 – 9]
He wears a dark beard trimmed to a point, and usually favors black satin coats, lined in red, over traditional robes. […] His most impressive physical features are his penetrating eyes. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Did he remain in the city of Greyhawk? Doubtful. He would have had every desire to strike out to prove his mettle. And had his time at the university been, shall we say, trying, he’d have been motivated to put as much distance between himself and it as passible.

Late 530s CY
Where might he have struck out to? Home, at first, I would imagine. All the better to show off his “great” accomplishment to those who bankrolled his education.
Mordenkainen was [o]nce a resident of the Wild Coast [.] [LGJ#0 – 9]
Besides, the Wild Coast was as good a place as any for an ambitious young mage to prove his worth.
There is no question that the Wild Coast is known throughout the Flanaess as a place of sanctuary, albeit a highly dangerous one, filled with adventure at the very least. [Folio – 19]
And let’s face facts, the Wild Coast has always proved an excellent training ground for adventurers.
The area gives rise to many outstanding clerics, fighters, magic-users, and thieves. [Folio – 19]
It was there that Mordenkainen had his first taste of adventure. And peril. The Wild Coast is not, after all, a tranquil place, by any stretch of the imagination.
POMARJ (The)
The humanoids have not often dared to cross into Ulek, but their raiders cause much trouble in the Wild Coast. [Folio – 14]
Woolly Bay:
Some unscrupulous captains still put in at the humanoid-controlled town of Highport to trade. [Folio – 21]
GNARLEY FOREST
The forest is home to many fierce creatures as well, and many humanoid bands rove about seeking to murder and loot. [Folio – 22]
The Suss Forest
SUSS FOREST
The humanoid bands of the Pomarj, particularly kobolds, orcs, and gnolls, seem to love this forest, and many hundreds are known to dwell within Its depths. They likewise use It as a highway to move northwards to raid In the Wild Coast, Celene, or even the Ulek states and into Verbobonc. [Folio – 26]
Mordenkainen knew there was a great deal of adventure to be had there, despite its dangers.
A lost, ruined city of the Old Suloise Is said to be hidden somewhere In the Suss forest, but few dare to venture on such a quest, particularly today. [Folio – 26]
He did not remain here for long. He had read a great deal about the wider world and aimed to see what he could of it.
Where did he roam, exactly? Who can say, but there are rumours that [Mordenkainen] has traveled to the reaches of the exotic Far West and ventured extensively across the Flanaess, from the lands of the Northmen to the shores of the Amedio Jungle. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Tenser
That he travelled throughout the Flanaess is a given. Whether he had the means to travel far at first is doubtful. Thus he would have ranged up and down the coast, to begin, then up unto Verbobonc and Dyvers, and then across the Plains of Greyhawk, I imagine. Not far, not yet, but far enough to have made his most influential and lasting acquaintances.
In his adventurous youth, [Tenser] traveled throughout the Flanaess and beyond and met Mordenkainen, Riggby, Merlynd (now the quasi-diety Murlynd), Robilar, Bigby and other now-famous personages. [Rot8 – 58]
Wherever Mordenkainen travelled prior to meeting those mentioned, it was in their company that he acquired his fame and fortune.
There is scarcely a mage who has not heard of his exploits or recognized his skill and knowledge of matters both magical and political. [LGJ#0 – 9]

540s CY
Early in life, Bigby’s travels found him in the Wild Coast, where he eventually gained the notice of Mordenkainen. [LGJ#1 – 8]
Castle Greyhawk
Young Bigby
It was in a dungeon […] that Mordenkainen encountered and charmed the magic-user Bigby, and subsequently enlisted that worthy as an apprentice. However, as his new apprentice was [only beginning his path to arcane knowledge] Mordenkainen was accompanied by his trusty elven […] henchmen, Vram and Vin.
[Dragon #289 – 28]
Mordenkainen certainly educated the bookish boy in the ways of dungeon delving.
Soon thereafter, Mordenkainen took Bigby in tow and again ventured into the dungeons. The pair sent a fireball into the notorious pudding-guarded chamber, but heard nothing. Following quickly, the two saw a black pudding moving at best speed away from them, leaving the access to the lower regions of the dungeon open and uncontested. [Dragon #289 – 28]
Indeed, he took the burgeoning Bigby under his wing.
Bigby was the original […] apprentice of Mordenkainen [.] [Dragon #37 – 11]
Perhaps it was from their acquaintance that rumours of Mordenkainen’s supposed lofty lineage stem.
Bigby is known to be a member of Aerdy's House Cranden, and rumors have long placed Mordenkainen as a distant scion of the same bloodline. For that reason, and because of their shared experiences and adventures, Bigby and Mordenkainen share a friendship unique among the members of the Circle. [LGJ#1 – 8]
Regardless their dubiously convenient shared lineage, Bigby and Mordenkainen’s fates had entwined and would be for decades to come. One images then that they were close. But master and pupil are rarely bosom buddies. That is not the nature of their relationship. It would be with Tenser that Bigby became the fastest of friends.
Tenser (LG) [Rogues Gallery 1e – 47]
Bigby is never without a teleport without error spell which can take him to Mordenkainen or Tenser should he become trapped [.] [CoG:FFF – 23]

550 CY
Theirs was a lucrative alliance. So much so, in fact, that Mordenkainen could soon afford to set about building his citadel.
It is possible for a magic-user of 1[0]th or higher level to construct a stronghold and clear the countryside in a 10 or 20 mile radius of all monsters, thus ruling an area much as a noble. If this is accomplished, a revenue of 5 silver pieces per inhabitant per month is generated in the territory ruled. [PHB 1e – 25]
[The PHB 1e stipulates 12th level (other editions are vaguer about when this can take place), but as Mordenkainen does not attain that level until about 560 CY (noted in WG5), long after the Citadel of Eight became active, one must assume that he began constructing his stronghold earlier. Let us then assume that he began construction when he was 10th level, completing his vast citadel when 12th.]
Mordenkainen the Mage
Mordenkainen the Mage
Class: Wizard
Level: 10
Align: Neutral
Height: [5 ft. 11 in.] Weight: 190 lb Age: [42] [Text says 6’1”; and 52 years old, as would be his age in 560 when the module COR1 – 00 The Citadel is set, but adjusted here to conform more adequately with other source material.]
Str 10, Int [18], Wis 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Cha 18 [Text says Int 20, reduced to conform with WG5.]
Mordenkainen wears a dark beard trimmed in the Nyrondal style and favors black satin coats lined in red over traditional robes. In sharp contrast to the fashion of the day, your black hair, streaked with silvery-gray, is shorn close to your head. [COR1 – 00 – 1]
Mordenkainen is 41 years old.

His edifice would take years to complete, one imagines, regardless that a strong clan of stone giants […] assisted in the building of the citadel. [CoG:FFF – 21] Why should this be when he had such skilled and able artisans at his disposal? Because the site he chose is remote and the Yatils, themselves, are a formidable range, and not just in terrain.
Yatil Mountains
It is protected by sheer and harsh mountains, fierce winds and swirling clouds, and also by illusions and disorientating magical effects which cause the searcher for the citadel to become confused and lost.
[CoG:FFF – 21]
Yatil Mountains: These mountains are clustered thickly for many leagues west and south of Lake Quag. They, along with the Barrier Peaks, divide the Baklunish portion of the continent from the rest – save in the north where western nomads have pushed across the top and beyond. These mountains form the boundaries of Ekbir, Tusmit, and Ket to the west. In and along their eastern slopes are found the Concatenated Cantons of Perrenland and the territory of the Olvenfolk (Highfolk). [Folio – 24]
Yatil Mountains: These great mountains are nearly impassable for many leagues west and south of Lake Quag. Numerous orcs, ogres, giants, trolls, and bestial monsters dwell here, even dragons, though less than in the mountains to the south. [LGG – 143]
There are numerous humanoids and monsters dwelling within this range of mountains, but there are also some hardy demi-humans and mountaineers there. The Yatils are quite rich in ore deposits and gems, although it is difficult to locate and mine such deposits. [Folio – 24]
One must then assume that Mordenkainen had to take residence there from the start to guard against all those orcs and ogres and giants and trolls, oh my!
Mordenkainen lives in the Obsidian Citadel, a symmetrical complex of towers and walled defenses in the Yatil Mountains. [CoG:FFF – 21/FtAR#13]

Anchored for a time in one place, this gave him more time for further research into all things arcane.
Mordenkainen lives in his Obsidian Citadel in the Yatils, but he also travels disguised as a merchant to learn facts on his own. The Citadel houses Mordenkainen’s unequalled library which is said to contain spellbooks of every known spell) except those designed by individual wizards), intelligence reports from across the continent, and a detailed and continually updated history of the Flanaess. [PGtG – 21,22]

Costs piled up, however. A citadel in the mountains is not a cheap undertaking.
When Mordenkainen had gathered his initial band of fellows, henchmen, and followers numbering a score or two, keeping them became a problem. It wasn’t a matter of loyalty or what to do with them. The sheer cost of paying upkeep and wages was quite staggering. The rewards for dungeon exploration were sufficient to maintain the group in modest fashion, but certainly a mage with vision needed more than such a small company to achieve his grand ends. [Dragon #299 – 18]
What to do, then?
Venture further afield in search of funds.
The Answer
With the problem in mind, [he] sat down and schemed. What were the most rewarding sorts of encounters that might be had with the least risk of loss […]? The answer was plain. Human bandits and pirates were loaded with wealth, money, and magic. These “monsters” were the truly rich, so finding and defeating such robbers was the answer to the quandary. Success would give not only magic equipment to all and cover the needs of the current band, but there would be plenty of excess treasure with which the company could be augmented. In fact, why not see about recruiting defeated brigands and corsairs into the assembly of adventurers?
[Dragon #299 – 18]
His plan was met with success. It also tamed the immediate approaches to his construction site.
That got him thinking. Might he not tame the entire Flanaess, ridding it of the “monsters” afflicting it? Why stop there? Why not rid it of both evil-goers and the overly officious and sanctimonious overlords who presumed to know better than those who toiled under them. Why not “free” the Flanaess of all forms of oppression!
He had something there, he thought.
He could not undertake such a scheme alone, however.


“And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”
― Meister Eckhart (disputed)





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, by Michael Kormarck, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Map detail, by Sam Wood, from The Adventure Begins, 1998
Zagig Yragerne, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Veralos, by Kalman Andrasofszky, from Dragon #293, 2002
Iuz the Evil, by Eric Hotz, from WGR5 Iuz the Evil, 1993
Map details, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
University of Magical Arts, by David Roach, from The Adventure Begins, 1998
Map detail, by Anna B. Meyer

Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1043 City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1992
1064 From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
2010 Players Handbook 1e, 1978
2011A Dungeon Masters Guide 1e, 1979
9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9031 The Rogues Gallery 1e, 1980
9576 Return of the Eight, 1998
9577 The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578 Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
9580 LT2 Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad, 1998
WGR7 Ivid the Undying, 1998
11621 Slavers, 2000
11743 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Dragon Magazine #37, 71, 289, 293, 299
Oerth Journal #6
Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 1
COR1 – 00 The Citadel PCs
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The map of Anna B. Meyer

2 comments:

  1. Here we go! It's interesting to read this backstory as I've never contemplated Mordy as a youth. He just springs forth as an major mage in my memory from Maure Castle forward. Seeing the Obsidian Citadel so early is surprising but then again I guess that is tied to level. For some reason I assumed he had a lesser abode to start then when he got really high level moved west. I look forward to the next installment. I know there is more to come.

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  2. There is one piece missing from the analysis of the early years... the fact that Mordenkainen is not native to Oerth at all, but rather was born in Kalibruhn, along with most of the -igby individuals.

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