“In any case you mustn't confuse a single failure with
a final defeat.”
― Tender Is the Night
 |
During the Greyhawk Wars, two members of the Eight,
Tenser and Otiluke, were killed as a result of the actions of Rary of Ket, now
known as Rary the Traitor. [PGtG –
21]
Worse, Mordenkainen soon received word that his
greatest friend, the fighter Lord Robilar, had sacked the slain wizards’
strongholds and destroyed their clones and soul objects, preventing their
return to life. [EttRoG – 9,10]
What was worse, they had utterly destroyed one of his
truly closest friends.
Mordenkainen’s divination revealed that Tenser was
truly dead and could not be resurrected by any means. [Rot8 – 3]
Using secrets gained in confidence, Rary not only
vaporized his two fellows but had every magical clone of the pair destroyed,
barring their return. [PGtG – 11]
The treachery of Rary in 584 CY saw the destruction of
Tenser and Otiluke, leaving the Circle at five. [LGG – 156]
Vengence had to
be meted out! Indeed, one imagines revenge must surely have been foremost in
his mind. But when might he have found the time to carry it out? Iuz reigned in
the north. The Scarlet Brotherhood ruled the south. Perhaps worse still, the
Cults of Vecna and Tharizdun lurked and plotted in the shadows.
All his careful
manipulation to attain Balance had been undone. Was it all for naught, he
wondered? Was the fate of the Flanaess preordained?
The events of the Greyhawk Wars and their aftermath
strike him as prophetic of the dark times revealed in the Tome of the Black
Heart, discovered so very long ago beneath Maure Castle. [LGJ#0 – 9]
He hoped not. He prayed not.
Regardless of
what he hoped and prayed, he had to begin again. He had little choice but to
carry on.
585 CY
Needless to say, Mordenkainen had not forgotten Rary and
Robilar’s treachery. Indeed, he never
would forgive them their betrayal. But Rary was just too strong, hidden away in
his newly founded Bright Kingdom. Mordenkainen knew he had to bide his time and
gather what information he could before he could act, lest his Five be reduced
to, well, none.
 |
| Kendyra |
Kendyra (8th-level ranger): AL LG; (broadsword
+2)
Spells: cure light wounds
[WGR3 – 31]
This mysterious individual was born 25 years ago to
the Snow Barbarians of Soull. Dissatisfied with the simple northern life, she
left with a merchant caravan and made her living as a mercenary warrior and
scout, finally arriving in the City of Greyhawk. After making a name for
herself in several celebrated adventures, she was contacted by the wizard
Mordenkainen, and recruited as a special agent. Mordenkainen's somewhat
suspicious nature led him to keep Kendyra's services secret from several
members of the Circle, including Rary. After serving Mordenkainen well, Kendyra
was eventually allowed to visit the Obsidian Citadel. [WGR3 – 31]
 |
| Iuz the Old |
To the north, the lands of Iuz now stretch from the
eastern Vesve Forest as far east as the Hold of Stonefist, and the Shield Lands
and Bandit Kingdoms have almost wholly fallen to his reign. [FtAA – 9,10]
Not to belittle
their distress regarding the insidious Scarlet Brotherhood.
To the south, the Scarlet Brotherhood controls the Sea
Princes, the Lordship of the Isles, Onnwall [sic], Idee, Hepmonaland, and
unknown stretches of the Amedio Jungle. [FtAA – 10]
And the Cults of
Vecna and Tharizdun.
What manner of madmen, or which creatures, served
[Tharizdun] aeons ago is unknown. The Scarlet Brotherhood is said to revere
Tharizdun and to seek his release through the use of a mighty artifact of evil.
[FtAA – 91,92]
And other worries
that continued to bewilder them.
The Spinning Helix of the Archmages:
This truly extraordinary phenomenon has been documented well enough by sages
for its reality to be unquestionable. The helix appears as a borealislike
phenomenon in the winter sky (first and last months of the year), irregularly
and erratically, although its appearance is often presaged by the appearance of
will o'wisps. […]
The Helix is believed to be a measure, in some way, of
the balance of magical forces in Oerik. […]
Mordenkainen and the Circle of Five are known to track
Shadow Helices, alerting themselves to unexpected major magical events in the
Flanaess by locating and analyzing them. However, the Helix itself is only ever
reported to have manifested over the Abbor-Alz. Why this is so is unknown. [FtAC – 38]
As if Iuz and
the Brotherhood were not enough to turn a beleaguered archmage’s hair grey.
He has cropped black hair, brown eyes, and a black bed
streaked with silver. [PGtG – 21]
 |
| Kieren Jalucian |
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. [Rot8 – 2]
Rumors tell that Kieren [Jalucian, principle of the University
of Magical Arts, in the Free City of Greyhawk] was invited to join [the Circle
of Eight] 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]
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]
 |
| Jallarzi Salavarian |
In fact,
Jallarzi had corresponded frequently with Mordenkainen, advocating Kieren’s
acceptability and Warnes lack, in letters to and from Mordenkainen
regarding the three open positions in the Circle. [Rot8 – 18]
Warnes was well
aware of Jallarzi’s prejudice.
Warnes cuts her words short. “Thank you,” he says,
“but we both know you didn’t want me in the Eight.”
Jallarzi blushes. “I set this up to make peace with
you, Warnes. I didn’t want you, that’s true. I thought – I still think – that
Kieran would be a better candidate.”
You recognize the name: everyone in Greyhawk knows
Kieran Jalucian is the Master of the Guild of Wizardry – and, rumor has it,
Jallarzi’s sweetheart.
Warnes snorts. “Mordenkainen chose me, not him.”
[Rot8 – 5]
 |
| Tenser |
Tenser was returned to life in 585 CY [, rescued] [from
the clutches of the infamous necromancer-witch Iggwilv {LGG – 156}] [,] 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]
[Tenser] returned from death some years later as a
staunch opponent of Mordenkainen’s style and thoughts of balance, favoring a
much more proactive approach to doing good. [EttRoG – 19]
Tenser is on good terms with Mordenkainen and the
Circle of Eight, though he often disagrees with them on matters of policy and
he is frustrated with their caution when acting against evil. [Rot8 – 58]
Otiluke, on the
other hand, was not so lucky.
Otiluke is still dead. [PGtG – 21]
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
 |
| Alhamazad the Wise |
New members include the redoubtable Warnes Starcoat (N
male human Wiz20) of Urnst; Alhamazad the Wise of Zeif (LN male human Wiz19);
and the cold, unemotional Theodain Eriason (CN male elf Wiz17). Mordenkainen
remains the ninth member, a "shadow leader" dictating his agenda to
others and influencing the Flanaess through his powerful network of agents and
servitors. [LGG – 156]
 |
| Theodain Eriason |
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]
One expects that
Mordenkainen breathed a sigh of relief, then. He must have, considering his
composure when he next met with Elminster and Dalamar the Dark. It would seem
that Mordenkainen was confident enough in the aftermath of Tenser’s “rescue” to
engage in a little R&R. Or so I surmise.
Elminster raised his own brows. “When were ye in Waterdeep?”
 |
| Mordenkainen Chuckled Easily |
Dalamar raised one of his eyebrows. “Shortage of ladies in
Greyhawk, milord?”
Mordenkainen chuckled easily, refusing to rise to this
jab.
[Dragon #211 – 84]
Had Mordenkainen
just returned from Waterdeep? Was that why Elminster made note of it to him?
Mordenkainen appears pleased with himself during this exchange, so I imagine
that Elminster hit the nail on the head.
That said, they
must have had cause to meet. I’ll once again table the possibility that that
reason was the state of magic throughout the multiverse, and the insidious
machinations of the Cults of Vecna and Tharizdun.
As intense magical studies proceed in Rinloru and
Winetha, an infinitesimally thin strand of magical energy has come to link the
Twin Cities. […] Mordenkainen believes that the strange coupling of artifacts
and powerful spell-casters will generate an uncontrollable magical force that
will ultimately result in a massive Mordenkainen’s disjunction, with
destructive effects on the two men and their magical possessions. The
disjunction may create magic-dead areas around the Twin Cities. Most of the
rest of the Flanaess hopes that he is right, but no one is daring to take on
the might of these rulers, leaving them to their own strange interlocked
pavanne of obsession and magical power. [Dragon #204 – 54/Ivid – 63]
Mordenkainen's disjunction
Attracts notice of extraplanar beings; possible loss
of spellcasting abilities. [Dragon
#242 – 28]
Did Mordenkainen discuss other oddities upon the Flanaess
with his fellows?
Like The Fading Lands, for instance?
There are several places in the Flanaess where Fading
Lands overlap with the Prime Material plane. Fading Lands are demiplanes,
places where magical realities hold sway, created by powers, demipowers, or
wizards of extraordinary power and skill. [FtAA – 66]
At the heart of what is now the Coldwood, a great and
majestic elven city once stood. Crafted from living woods, marble, silver, and
even ice, the City of the Summer Stars was home to perhaps 2,000 gray elves.
They were an introverted, studious, mystical people, and they sought no
dominion outside their homeland. The spells and lore known to them are
virtually beyond comprehension in the Flanaess now. By a wave of her hand,
Queen Sharafere could make winds ripple through all the endless miles of the
great forest, and summon unicorns, treants, and the beasts and birds of the
forest to her glittering palace.
The demise of this race is a dreadful tragedy that few
alive today know of. Those who know the tale do not speak of it. Mordenkainen,
Philidor, Gywdiesin, Calendryen of the Vesve, Immonara, and the Silverbow Sages
of the Lendore Isles are among that rare few, and perhaps one or two others. [Dragon #208 – 54/Ivid – 74]
They may have. They
may have discussed a great deal more than how tasty Ed Greenwood’s chili and
stuffed mushrooms they imbibed were, or the spells they thought to trade. Let’s
hope so, anyway.
[Honestly, there is little reason to report on these
meetings, anymore, by this time (but, rest assured, I will). They are little
more than excuses to trade spells and eat and drink whatever their hidden host
lays out for their enjoyment.]
Mordenkainen is 76 years old.
There must surely have been need for them to meet,
considering the threat Iuz posed to the whole of the Flanaess. One imagines
Mordenkainen would have been hard pressed to find the time to get away, because
of it. In fact, his threat was so great that he appeared to know no fear of
reprisal.
Iuz does not fear any of the good-aligned nations of
the Flanaess, regarding them all as relatively weak and unable to oppose his
strength. [WGR5 Iuz the Evil – 6]
Iuz has been able to rise in power so swiftly in part
because no great Power of Oerth has struck out against him. [WGR5 – 6]
Those feeble powers mainly struck against Iuz’s
underlings. For it is they who carry out the Old One’s bidding.
 |
| A Priest of Iuz |
The priesthood of Iuz rules this land. Iuz gives
orders to Althea and Halga, who pass them down to the Lesser Boneheart priests
placed in the land and to other powerful local "rulers," who then
tell the armies, ores, and other forces of Iuz what to do. [WGR5 – 6]
The Fiends of the Land
Fiends are of major importance in the Lands of Iuz.
There are many in the Vesve forest, in Dorakaa, and elsewhere, and they play
key roles in the land. [WGR5 – 6]
Those two factions, alone, give Mordenkainen and his
“allies” pause. One cannot simply waltz into Iuz’s empire, their threat was so
great. Any force that had tried had died. Not even archmagi as powerful as
Mordenkainen ventured into Iuz’s demesnes for long. In fact, at this time he
and they only sought to contain the Old One.
The Vesve also has its powerful allies. In addition to
Philidor, Mordenkainen looks out over Highvale and would help protect it, were
it invaded or in dire peril. [WGR4
The Marklands – 55]
Thus, the Good had to do what they could against
insurmountable odds.
Rather, the good Powers of Greyhawk empower their servants
to oppose Iuz. [WGR5 – 6]
How successful were they? Some were more successful than
others.
The Vesve forest is another matter entirely. The map
shows several areas which have very fluid borders, some of which overlap. Those
shown are accurate as for spring, 585 CY. They may change rapidly. [WGR4
– 48]
 |
| Melf Brightflame |
One wonders why? One expects that one must know one’s
enemy to succeed against him.
Melf knows his enemy. Because Melf has done his homework.
Melf is a vastly experienced and highly knowledgeable
elf. In particular, he has made a study of Iuz and the fiends with which that
demipower deals. Melf knows much of deep buried evils across the span of Oerik,
knows where bound fiends are yet imprisoned, and where powerful evil artifacts
are waiting to be unleashed upon the world. He strives constantly to prevent
them from falling into the hands of Iuz or the Scarlet Brotherhood. [FtAC – 69]
Melf is also
cautious. He realises that his “allies” in his cause may not have his interests
at heart. Which might be why he never works with, of for, Mordenkainen
directly. Because he did once. And never will again.
Melf knows many of the great and mighty in Oerik. He
and Mordenkainen have a mutual respect for each other, though they do not
cooperate. [FtAC – 69]
586 CY
What was to be
done in the war’s aftermath? Work, as he always had, in the pursuit of Balance.
In recent years, Mordenkainen has turned his full
attention to his position as leader of the Circle of Eight. [LGJ#0 – 9]
A brilliant thinker, Mordenkainen feels responsible
for the Flanaess and manipulates political and military events to suit his
vision of what the Flanaess should be.
 |
| The Horned Society |
Horned
Society
Rumors during the last five years have placed the
group's headquarters along the coast of the Pomarj, in Bone March, or even in
the Bright Desert or Rift Canyon. Most people no longer care, for Iuz is now
perceived as the true threat. However, suggests Arkalan, the Horned Society has
become even more dangerous since its dispersal. As the Archmage Mordenkainen
was heard to comment last year during a conclave in Greyhawk, "Are their
members now dozens, hundreds, thousands? Where are they headquartered? What do
they plot? Can we rest assured of the death of the Unnamable Hierarch? To the
one who could answer these questions would go the thanks of a free
people." [LGG – 157]
 |
| Shaaan the Serpent Queen |
Might he have
revealed his scheme with another? If he did to his Circle, that confidence has
never been revealed. It would not have, though, would it; Mordenkainen has
always held his cards close to his chest, even from his closest allies.
He might have
revealed his plot to another – one other – if anyone: Elminster. Maybe….
Which brings us
to Mordenkainen’s next with Elminster and Dalamar the Dark – at which Shaaan
the Serpent Queen (of the Realms) makes an appearance. ‘Tis irrelevant to our
narrative, as is their repast: hotdogs, if you are curious.
This cryptic passage,
however, is not.
This mere
mention indicates that Mordenkainen had three apprentices in the aftermath of
the Greyhawk Wars, ladies all.
Only one ever named is: Rautheene. [Dragon #238 – 46]
Only one ever named is: Rautheene. [Dragon #238 – 46]
[This is also the last time we see Dalamar for some time,
not that either he or Mordenkainen contributed much to this encounter. The
Realms is very much front and centre here. As I said, ‘tis irrelevant to our narrative.]
What was
transpiring while Mordenkainen was conspiring with Elminster?
Not much. Just
the Flight of Fiends and the apparent destruction of Rauxes.
In Coldeven 586, Canon Hazen of Veluna employed the
Crook of Rao, a powerful artifact, in a special ceremony that purged the
Flanaess of nearly all fiends inhabiting it. [LGG – 16]
Immediately after the Flight of Fiends, it was
announced in Rauxes that Ivid V was no longer overking, though it was unclear
if he had actually died. Conflict engulfed the capital in a matter of hours as
many of Ivid's generals and nobles, filled with rage and ambition, marched upon
Rauxes. No one can explain the events that followed, but the city itself was
soon engulfed in a strange magical field. [LGG – 16]
Destruction
of Rauxes
Eyewitness accounts are few and confused, but most tales
indicate the capital was in flames within the hour. Thousands fled as houses
were consumed by terrific bursts of magic. A number of reports have filtered
back in recent years indicating that Rauxes yet stands, but the city and the
lands around it for several leagues are dominated by bizarre and dangerous
magical effects. Spellcasting is unpredictable and monsters never seen before
inhabit the ruins. (One very dangerous monster is said to resemble a two-headed
man.) What became of the people who were not able – or who refused – to flee
can only be imagined. The wizard Mordenkainen commented in private that such
destruction could only have been brought about by an artifact, and a rift in
the planes may have been opened there. (He was furious when his remark was
repeated by a hireling and widely circulated.) [TAB – 24]
Was that the end of Ivid? It might very well be. Might
Mordenkainen have thought, good riddance to bad seed? He might, but he was
always genteel enough to keep such thoughts to himself.
He might have thought the same about Reydrich’s
disappearance.
Reydrich told one of his generals to be prepared to
ride to the Tilvanot Peninsula by year’s end over the bodies of the Scarlet Brotherhood’s
finest spies, assassins, and savages. The general returned to Reydrich’s
quarters later that day to find the archmage dead, apparently slain during the
act of casting another spell against the Brotherhood’s leaders. His assassins
were never found. [TAB – 24]
Should Mordenkainen haven had such thoughts, declared or
otherwise? Ivid, however mad, furthered the cause of weal with the arrest
and “living execution” of Holy Censor Spidasa [Wars – 29] inflicting upon
the cult of Hextor […] a grievous loss of prestige and power [.] [Wars –
29] Ivid had also countered his cousin Grenell, an utterly ruthless and
cold-blooded monarch [LGG – 73]; and occupied Reydrich, as Reydrich is
much occupied with thoughts of how to deal with them. [Ivid – 128] Just as
Reydrich, thoroughly evil himself, [Ivid – 129] frustrated those both,
and, even more importantly, harried the Brotherhood to the south. They each
“balanced” the other. All that was lost, now. Now, that balance was precarious,
yet again.
Szeffrin [of Almor] is supremely dangerous not because
he has strong armies (though he has), but for psychological reasons. He doesn't
fear death, he embraces it and longs for it, and in doing so he has become its
very embodiment. When his armies march forth, as they surely will, untold
thousands will perish. [Ivid – 146]
One wonders whether Mordenkainen, occupied as he was with
Ivid, thought, “I’ll worry about that tomorrow.” Or whether he considered their
having reaped one another “a good day’s work done”?
Mordenkainen is 77 years old.
587 CY
 |
| Xavener |
During Growfest 587 CY, […] Prince Xavener was
proclaimed the first Overking of the United Kingdom of Ahlissa [.] [TAB –
25]
But even Mordenkainen must have been taken a little aback
by Reydrich’s unforeseen return.
Graf Reydrich, believed assassinated the year before,
reappeared at the royal ceremony of investiture in Zelradton. [TAB – 26]
No matter, Mordenkainen would have thought, Xavener would
deal with the returned Reydrich.
Late 580s CY
Did the Flanaess
stabilise? It did, in a manner of speaking. Ivid’s empire ceased to swell, held
back largely by Furyondy. The Scarlet Brotherhood found their gains hard to
pacify. The giants were being pressed back in Geoff. In time, Ket had retreated
from Bissel.
Mordenkainen and
his Circle were afforded to a little breathing room.
One imagines
that Mordenkainen did not rest, though. Iuz was not defeated, after all. And
although the Scarlet Brotherhood was beset with sedition, they had yet to
retreat from their ill-gotten gains.
The Free City is still the nub of the Flanaess, and
little has changed there; Mordenkainen still watches from the Yatils; Furyondy
is beleaguered, but Veluna still stands as a beacon of good in the darkened
days of the post-war world. [Dragon #191
– 64]
Still watches. But what, prey tell did he do? One imagines that this would be the time to press advantage, before his adversaries dug in and cemented their ill-gotten-gains.
There is little said of what he did do. Nothing, really. So, one imagines that Mordenkainen and his Circle might have leaned heavily on the actions of subordinates, and unknowing marionettes.
 |
| A Proper Introduction |
In which we are
officially introduced to Mordenkainen’s sleek and elegant eldest
apprentice [.] [Dragon #238 – 46]
Mordenkainen replied, “Actually, Rautheene took a
little trip after you dried her off with that clever warming spell, last time.
She went from the banks of yonder stream straight to Faerûn, and there met your
Magister, Noumeà .” [Dragon #238 –
46]
Nothing is ever
said what became of the other two.
Rautheene is described as: Black hair swirled down
over her shoulders, framing the low bodice of a clinging black gown. The gems
upon the fine chain that encircled her hips glittered a glossy black. The tiny
dragon earrings that dangled from her ears were jet black. Even her large and
liquid eyes were black. Her smile, however, was a gentle thing. “Moreover,” she
added, “I have no complaints at all about my education under the greatest mage
of Oerth.” [Dragon #238 – 44]
 |
| Scudding...? |
Nor why these
meetings appear more romp than the somber meeting of minds one expects they
ought to have been.
A moment later, the lady mage Rautheene scudded down
the well-polished banister in an elegant, precisely-balanced sidesaddle pose,
gown demurely tucked around daintily-booted ankles. Behind her came her mentor,
Mordenkainen [.] [Dragon #242 – 49]
[I will not share any more of the text of this encounter,
deeming it likely to get either Ed Greenwood or myself (me, more likely) cancelled
in our never-ending Culture Wars. Besides, none of what is mentioned gives
further insight into Greyhawk lore.]
Rautheene continues
to attend, evermore. Suffice it to report that Rautheene progresses well in her
studies.
“Rautheene’s agreed to look into the fate of our
comrade Dalamar,” Mordenkainen added gently. “Her undertaking might well
ultimately involve a journey to Krynn—when she’s ready to handle the very
worst.” [Dragon #246 – 88]
[Otherwise, more
banter, smoked salmon and beverages.]
589 CY
 |
| Made Anew... |
One wonders whether decades of toil and stress turned his
hair grey. Or was his hairline racing back to meet an expanding pate? Might
vanity be his Achilles heel? Enquiring minds want to know!
Whatever
occupied Mordenkainen in these latter years, little is said. I expect he set
more than a few adventuring groups hither and thither, on this or that mission.
The archmages Rary and Mordenkainen were said to have
sponsored rival adventuring parties to the [Valley of the Mage]—both suffering
high casualties. [LGG – 128]
Several highly successful adventurers in Sterich are
Knights of Luna who helped reclaim that realm. [LGG – 159]
 |
| Beverages and Banter |
Indeed, it would
seem that he set Rautheene on a rather specific mission.
Mordenkainen: “And
how fare your attempts to learn the fate of Dalamar?”
The lady mage
made a face as she came to table, saluting him in silent thanks with her glass.
"Not well,” she sighed. “My magic is not so strong, I fear, as to let me
pry overmuch into Krynn without wizardly aid from Krynn itself. And my
entreaties in that regard have thus far met with stone-cold failure. [Dragon #344 – 57]
Why would
Mordenkainen set his apprentice to discover the fate of the head of the Black
Robes on Krynn rather than have her further the cause of Balance upon Oerth is
beyond my ken, but he can do with his apprentices as he wishes [let’s not read
any double-entendres into that, shall we].
[Otherwise, beverages,
banter, and spells.]
I suppose he
wished her to gain greater experience abroad and throughout the multiverse. He
is getting on in age and can't live forever, so, he might harbour thoughts that his ultimate goal might only
be realised beyond his own, hitherto lengthy, lifetime. Perhaps that is why he
continues to work on his Codex, to leave something to guide those who follow
him.
For decades, he has been collecting his thoughts in a
work known as the Codex of Mordenkainen. Archmages across the Flanaess would
give anything to peruse its pages. [LGJ#0 – 9]
 |
| Barovia |
Mordenkainen is familiar with worlds beyond his own. [Curse of Strahd – 39]
So many worlds. And not all of them inviting. Barovia, for instance.
North of the mountain lake, the trees begin their
steady climb up the slopes of Mount Baratok, its monolithic presence oppressive
at this distance. The ground here is rocky, uneven, and tiring to navigate.
Even the wolves avoid this neck of the woods. Soon, you climb above the blanket
of fog that engulfs the valley. Dark thunderclouds roll overhead.
You see an elk standing on a rocky spur about sixty
feet away. Suddenly, it assumes the form of a man in tattered black robes. His
hair and beard are long, black, and streaked with gray, and his eyes crackle
with eldritch power. [CoS – 39]
Barovia has broken many a man.
 |
| The Mad Mage? |
The Mad Mage has forgotten his name and the world
whence he came. In fact, he doesn't remember anything that happened before the
madness. He suffers from the paranoia that powerful enemies are hunting him,
and that their evil agents are everywhere and watching him. [CoS – 39]
Who might that mad mage be? And how did he meet his fate. None know. Certainly not he.
[H]e is none other than Mordenkainen, an archmage of
Oerth[.] [CoS – 39]
Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand,
prestidigitation, shocking grasp
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage
armor, magic missile, shield
2nd level (3 slots): mirror image, misty
step, web
3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fly,
lightning bolt
4th level (3 slots): Mordenkainen's
faithful hound, polymorph, stoneskin
5th level (3 slots): Bigby's hand, cone of
cold, scrying
6th level (1 slot): true seeing
7th level (1 slot): Mordenkainen's
magnificent mansion
8th level (1 slot): mind blank
9th level (1 slot): time stop
[CoS – 39]
 |
| Strahd |
He was redeemed, eventually; by others who did not travel willing to this dour place. One imagines he would be humbled by the experience. In that, one would be wrong.
[H]is sanity restored, Mordenkainen can be stubborn
and difficult even with his friends, and doesn't suffer fools. He normally
spends more time listening than talking, but when he does speak, his
pronouncements are authoritative and not to be questioned. [CoS – 40]
If anything, Mordenkainen was further inflamed to achieve his ultimate aim, no matter who, or what, he might ally with to do so.
Mordenkainen, a chaotic neutral human archmage, often sojourns to Avernus to study how the Nine Hells affect the schools of magic. [Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus – 97]
Hang on! Chaotic Neutral? I suppose Mordenkainen's ordeal in Barovia had left a mark....
Mordenkainen is a stern, bald man with a neatly trimmed black goatee beard and a penetrating stare. [BGDA – 98]
Mordenkainen pays yugoloths to carry out his bidding in Avernus. His wages are so attractive that these fiends have taken to gathering outside his tower. [BGDA – 97]
Mordenkainen is 80 years old.
590 CY
He has no
thoughts about retirement, truth be told. He's a bit of a
type-A personality, truth be told, and would likely never relinquish the reigns of the Circle
in his lifetime.
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]
Word had most
likely leaked that he was not adverse to playing both sides against the middle, to say nothing of the company he was now keeping in Avernus.
He has fought ardently for the forces of good […], but
just as often he has been known to work as a shadow player for malevolence.
[LGJ#0 – 9]
As a result, the archmage is trusted little, even
among the likewise-neutral Hierophants of the Cabal, who find his vision of
Balance wholly self-centered and somewhat arbitrary. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Indeed, it is a wonder than anyone trusts him, at all.
 |
| The Tower of Urm |
Famous archmage who inhabits the Tower of Urm in
Avernus [Baldur’s Gate; Descent into Avernus – 4]
a powerful mage who visits Avernus from other planes
and often pays yugoloths for their protection. If anyone knows where to find
this Bleeding Citadel, it's surely Mordenkainen! [BGDA – 97]
TOWER OF URM
A TOWER TUMBLES BETWEEN PLANES ON THE WHIMS OF a mad
mage. Where it goes next, nobody knows. – The Cartographer
[BGDA – 97]
Mordenkainen takes the tower with him when he leaves
Avernus. [BGDA – 97]
The Tower of Urm jaunts across the multiverse.
[BGDA – 97]
 |
| One Last Evening...? |
Not all tasks
are as infinite, however. Some quests do resolve, whether by our efforts or
not. Take Rautheene’s mission concerning Dalamar’s disappearance, for instance.
Dalamar survived the ordeal that kept him from enjoying the others' company. It
doesn’t matter how – not really – does it?
Dalamar sat
in the dark-red highbacked chair in the corner, looking wearier and wiser than
when I’d seen him last. [Dragon
#359 – 79]
Let’s assume it
was a harrowing experience.
What follows? You
guessed it: more beverages and banter. [But we are later treated to someone
named Cam Banks explaining to us how Elminster would kick Raistlin’s ass.]
Did they discuss
the state of the multiverse? Your guess is as good as mine.
Mordenkainen is 81 years old.
591 CY
Mordenkainen the archmage (N male human Wiz20+) [LGG – 156]
Take note, if you will: he is TN once again, and not CN. One imagines, then, that his madness subsided.
Mordenkainen […] appears half-again younger than his
true 82 years of age. [LGJ#0 – 9]
How might that be? Mordenkainen is officially OLD! 61
-90 [DMG 1e – 13] He’s spitting on VENERABLE!
And spellcasting takes its toll, too!
The following magic causes loss of life span, aging the
practitioner as indicated. […]
Magical Aging Causes
casting alter reality spell, 3 years; casting gate spell,
5 years; casting limited wish spell, 1 year; casting restoration spell, 2 years;
casting resurrection spell, 3 years; casting wish spell, 3 years; imbibing a
speed potion, 1 year; under a haste spell, 1 year.
[DMG 1e – 13]
Granted, there are solutions to be had.
[L]ongevity potions and possibly other magical means
will offset such aging to some extent. [DMG 1e – 13]
[M]ultiple potions of longevity, wishes, and possibly
magical devices will allow a greatly extended life span [.] [DMG 1e – 15]
[Potion of L]ongevity: The longevity potion reduces
the character’s game age by from 1-12 years when it is imbibed, but each time
one is drunk there is a 1% cumulative chance that it will have the effect of
reversing all age removal from previously consumed longevity potions. The
potion otherwise restores youth and vigor. It is also useful to counter magical
or monster-based aging attacks. The entire potion must be consumed to achieve
the results. [DMG 1e – 126]
I expect he was always on the look-out for these.
 |
| Feared and Respected |
Respected and
feared goes without saying, I would say.
Mordenkainen is an extremely powerful archmage who
appears middle-aged but is much older. [PGtG – 21,22]
No living persons are more famous in the Flanaess than
Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight. These nine wizards serve as unofficial
“watchdogs” on the continent, monitoring Oerik for trouble. Because most
members are neutral in alignment, the group is concerned with maintaining
balance in its world and not allowing any faction to become too powerful or
overwhelming. In recent years, however, as evil forces have threatened to seize
control of the land, the Circle of Eight has worked on the side of good in order
to contain these ever-growing evils. [PGtG – 21]
Two merit members of that body (Otto and Jallarzi
Sallavarian) have homes in[the Free City of] Greyhawk; all the others
(Mordenkainen, Bigby, Drawmij, Alhamazad, Nystul, Warnes Starcoat, and Theodain
Eriason) visit on an irregular basis. [TAB – 7]
597 CY
Mordenkainen (N male human wizard 27) [EttRoG –
92]
Mordenkainen is 88 years old.
 |
| Privy to Foul Knowledge |
What then,
one wonders, have all his labours been for? Balance, his ultimate goal, appears
unachievable, a fool’s errand, however noble and laudable a pursuit. It
ebbs and flows, it finds equilibrium, then teeters and topples by the least
effort.
Had he stretched himself too thin? Was his scope of
effort too vast? Might he have been better served to deal with one enemy at a
time? Was that even possible? Does he have it in him to leave his work
undone?
I do
not know. Perhaps only Mordenkainen knows. I have not read his Codex, nor am I
privy to the horrors inscribed in that foul work, the Tome of the
Black Heart. [WG5 Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure – 25]
Will Mordenkainen ever retire?
Perhaps he will one day.
But that day may come long years hence.
“This rough magic
I here abjure, and, when I have required
Some heavenly music, which even now I do,
To work mine end upon their senses that
This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
And deeper than did ever plummet sound
I'll drown my book.”
― The Tempest
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 Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1985
Iuz at Play, by, Vince Locke, from Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Tenser, Greyhawk Trading Card #213, 1992
Warnes Starcoat, by Jeff Easley, from WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1983
Alhamazad the Wise, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Theodain Eriason, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
The Wizards Three: A Night of Shadows, by Dan Burr, from Dragon #211, 1994
Adri Forest detail, by Anna B. Meyer
A Priest of Iuz detail, by Vince Locke, from Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Comm-Sabal by tpiola
The Wizards Three: The Lady in Black, by David Day, from Dragon #238, 1997
Rauthene, by Tom Fowler, from Dragon #344, 2006
Xavener (?), from Players Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
Jest the Wizards Three, by David Day, from Dragon #242, 1997
Mordenkainen, by Thomas Denmark, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
A Dark and Stormy Knight, by Tom Fowler, from Dragon #344, 2006
Casle Strahd, from Curse of Strahd, 2016
Mage, from Curse of Strahd, 2016
Strahd, from Curse of Strahd, 2016
Mordenkainen, by Tom Fowler, from Dragon #344, 2006
Mordenkainen, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Tower, from Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, 2019
Goodbye and Hello, As Always, by James Zhang, from Dragon #359, 2007
Mordenkainen, by James Zhang, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
1068
Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9270
WG12 Vale of the Mage, 1990
9386
WGR3 Rary the Traitor, 1992
9398
WGR4 The Marklands, 1993
9399
WGR5 Iuz the Evil, 1993
WGR7
Ivid the Undying, 1998
9576
Return of the Eight, 1998
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Expedition
to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Dragon
Magazine #191, 204, 208, 211, 219, 238, 242, 246, 344, 359, 362
Living
Greyhawk Journal #0,5
Curse of Strahd, 2016
Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, 2019
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
Amazing work. Mordenkainen is named dropped so damn much, its incredible you can still fit it all in a linear timeline. I am glad you including the Wizards 3 material. While it is silly in the overall context of Mordy's history, I would like to think if I were an archmage I'd take time to unwind too. My favorite takeaway from that era is Rauthene who is clearly a Greenwood sounding character. I would've loved to see more of her in a publication outside Dragon. That ship has sailed I assume.
ReplyDeleteI am sure 88 year old Mordy will continue to piece together his Co8 as long as there is wizards to fill in the seats. Thanks for your effort on this daunting topic!