Mizaab Zalen
| Mizaab Zalen | |
|---|---|
 Mizaab as depicted in WGA3 Flames of the Falcon, p52, (1990). Art by Ken Frank. | |
| General info | |
| Occupation: | Retired merchant |
| Alignment: | Lawful Nuetral |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human (Greyhawk dragon) |
| Class: | Wizard |
| Dates | |
| Age: | 100+? (in 591 CY) |
Mizaab Zalen was a wizard and inventor of much renown, though of mixed reputation. He lived in the City of Greyhawk for 40 years.
Description
Mizaab was an eccentric, middle-aged wizard. He looked to be about 55 years old, with a short, greying beard and reddish brown hair. He was in good health for a man of his age, appearing sturdy, though not very strong. Mizaab’s favorite color was gray (any shade from dove to charcoal), and he has never been seen without wearing some article of gray clothing.[1]
Mizzab is considered to have been an imaginative inventor[2] who was strongly interested in human flight, both magical and mundane. Outside the typical magic means of flight, Mizaab invented "various sorts of wings" and "mechanical birds large enough to carry two men".[3] Though texts about his work do not discuss the method of construction, he also has created magical rings and potions related to flight, as well as flying carpets.[3] He seems to be something of a DaVinci-esque figure, inventing prolifically, trying to innovate new methods and forms of flight.[4]
Another field of work at which Mizaab excelled was cartography. He was a prolific and accomplished mapmaker. In a volume entitled Cartography in the Flanaess, Mizaab is credited as being extremely accurate because his maps were drawn based on air reconnaissance.[4] In addition, Mizaab was an avid researcher regarding the anatomy of dragons.
Mizaab's contributions to magic are not as notable or as widely known as the greatest luminaries of Oerth, such as those of the Circle of Eight. However, he is included in such seminal works as Magic in the Flanaess, Greyhawk’s Contributions to the World of Magic, and Mages of Greyhawk. He is listed as an expert on magical flight. The books agree that his theories and experiments with flight were remarkable.[3]
Unbeknownst to all but a rare few, Mizaab Zalen is one of multiple identities of a Greyhawk dragon.
Personality
- Mizaab Zalen
- One of two (known) assumed personas of a Greyhawk dragon who lived in the Free City of Greyhawk for more than 70 years in multiple personas.[5] Mizaab has not been seen in the city since 571 CY.[6]
- Sturtevant
- The more contemporary of the two personas portrayed by the Greyhawk dragon in the WG series. This identity shown to the general population of Greyhawk is that of a wealthy, retired merchant who is a patron of the libraries and art museums.[7]. Sturtevant has not been seen in the Free City since 586 CY.[5]
- Salume Sewis
- The most recent cover identity of the Greyhawk dragon, acording to Pluffet Smedger in 998 CY. Salume is the author of the Greyhawk Grumbler. Fiery, snarky, and inflammatory, Sewis wrote scathing society articles about local residents and events, and blistering commentary about government and politics.[8]
The dragon is suave, sophisticated, charming, and wise. People who encounter him (in his human form only) find him fascinating and compelling. When people meet him in dragon form, they find themselves hanging on his every word.[7]
Abilities
Mizaab Zalen has all the usual abilities for a dragon of this type or species.
Possessions
The Greyhawk dragon owns a mansion in the High Quarter near the city wall, known as Grey Manor. It is heavily fortified with magical defenses, and it is exquisitely decorated inside. Only a chosen few know that the occupant of this mansion is a dragon, the obvious occupant changes from time to time. The dragon’s long lifespan has enabled him to amass an amazing collection of artwork and cultural artifacts. His home resembles more a museum than a humble abode.[7]
Prior to leaving the city, Sturtevant filed paperwork with the city to allow the estate to be cared for by Lord Henway. After 586 CY, the estate was sealed, and a private guard is always present on the property. There is a wall around the entire manor and stables, and there are plants which move and defend the property as if animate or intelligent.[5]
Activities
The timeline of events concerning Mizaab can be complicated and unclear in the source material. For example, both WGA2 Falconmaster and The Adventure Begins give a "last seen" date of "20 years ago" for Mizaab. That's difficult to follow, since they take place in 581 and 591 CY, respectively. It must be assumed that Mizaab was either seen only outside the city after 561 CY, or was not seen in the city between 561 CY and 571 CY until after Luminary Wizard of Greyhawk was published, and then seen only briefly before dropping out of sight entirely later c.571-572 CY.. This brief summary attempts to give significant dates relative to the dragon.
- 521 CY—The Falcon trapped by Mizaab, Talamar Thraydin and two others.[9][10]
- c.561 CY—Mizaab last seen in Greyhawk and/or the Wizards' guildhall[11][12]
- c.571 CY—Luminaries Wizards of GH was written, Mizaab "dropped out of sight"[5]
- 581 CY—Falcon killed; Sturtevant/Mizaab helps [13]
- 586 CY—Sturtevant last seen in the Free City[5]
- 591 CY—GH dragon hadn't reappeared[5]
Relationships
Mizaab Zalen, as Sturtevant, is on good terms with Eritai Kaan-Ipzirel and Derider Fanshen, as well as the church of Saint Cuthbert. He also is a very good friend of Aestrella Shanfarel, the Grand Diva of the Royal Opera House, because she is also a Greyhawk dragon.
History
Though Mizaab was not considered one of the most accomplished spellcasters, Mizaab was included in Luminary Wizards of Greyhawk, a tome scribed in 571 CY by an apprentice at the University of Magical Arts.
"Mizaab Zalen was a reclusive mage of uncertain reputation who lived in or around Greyhawk for approximately 40 years. He made significant contributions to the study of magical flight, mapmaking, and the anatomy of dragons. At one time, he produced drawings of dragons based on what he had claimed were actual observations of live dragons. Although the drawings appeared to be authentic (no flaws, obvious or minute, were ever detected in the drawings), their authenticity has never been acknowledged due to Mizaab’s eccentric habits and lifestyle which cast a shadow upon his reliability and dependability. Nevertheless, his sketches revealed previously unknown details of dragon anatomy, such as scale patterns, wing construction, and details about talons, horns, and spiny plates.
Mizaab’s origin is unknown, but those who knew him guessed that he was from somewhere near Greyhawk, based on his familiarity with both the city and the surrounding countryside. He was acquainted with every nook and cranny, a surprising ability for someone so eccentric.
Mizaab’s wizardly training is also a mystery, since the Wizards’ School has no record of him studying there at any level. He frequented the Guildhall, however, and became a fixture in its library for days and weeks at a time. He was known to follow these extended studies with extended disappearances, lasting up to a month. He always vanished without warning or word to anyone, and more than once he was given up for dead, only to return to the Guildhall as suddenly as he departed. His returns were always marked by good health, and he appeared as a man invigorated and rested, not the victim of foul play or illness as was sometimes speculated.
His sudden, lengthy, and unexplained disappearances account for his unreliable reputation. When queried about such disappearances, his answer was always the same: magical research. He never provided details of his journeys to anyone, nor did he share details of his research until he was quite certain that his methods were on the right course.
Among Mizaab’s achievements are improvements to the various flying spells that are known around Greyhawk, enabling better stability and maneuverability, and enabling greater heights to be reached; various magical rings and potions that enabled flight: and various articles of clothing that also allowed either flight or levitation. He was also known as an expert mapper and made many excellent contributions to the available information about the countryside surrounding Greyhawk. He designed his maps from the air, allowing them to be rendered accurately and in great detail. Mizaab even devised his own extremely practical system for identifying the variations in slope on different types of terrain.
Apparently Mizaab also had a great passion for the study of dragons. He was known to have lengthy discussions at the Guildhall with anyone who would discuss the great wyrms. He was as interested in legends and myths about dragons as he was in facts. He seemed to enjoy listening to old yarns about dragons, and encouraged the telling of even the crustiest ancient stories. His dream was to get close enough to a dragon in order to study it, and, toward the end of his last days in Greyhawk, Mizaab claimed that he had done just that. He produced drawings and sketches of the wyrm he had observed, and although the sketches were never accepted as authentic renderings, in 572 CY, they had never been proven as counterfeit.
The legends and rumors of Greyhawk dragons have long permeated this community, and, while learned men believe in their existence, wise men discount claims of recognizing the dragons in their human forms as hysterical. Mizaab, on the other hand, professed to recognize these highly magical creatures of fantasy. Persons who claimed knowledge of Greyhawk dragons in the past had a strange tendency to disappear. Naturally, Mizaab had no proof of who these beasts were.
He nonetheless claimed that he could pick out the dragons who masqueraded as humans, lived in community with the commonfolk, and walked the streets of this great city. For all Mizaab’s talents, his unusual behavior and insistent beliefs about the Greyhawk dragons only harmed his credibility and reputation. He might have become one of the great mages of Greyhawk had it not been for his conspicuous eccentricities.
Mizaab’s credibility was further harmed when he began speaking of a new magic that allowed a mage to permanently imprison another being in an invisible, dimensional void. He brought up this question in a discussion at the Guildhall, but most mages agreed that the logistics of such a spell were simply too difficult. Many felt that such a spell would be impossible without some sort of device in which to trap a victim. Others felt that, even if such a spell were devised, the chances of failure would be simply too high o warrant its casting if it meant the mage would be leaving himself open to attack. Mizaab, on the other hand, believed that such a spell was possible if two mages worked in conjunction. He felt that their combined powers would be capable of overpowering and trapping another being. Since combined spellcasting has rarely been attempted (and has never been successful), the idea was dismissed as folly by the mages of the Guild. Unfortunately for Mizaab, this “flight of fancy” only served to further damage his reputation.
Mizaab’s last appearance in Greyhawk ... was c.562 CY. Those who knew him have speculated that he either suffered a fatal accident while flying, or fulfilled his lifelong dream of encountering a dragon, thus precipitating his demise.
Despite his eccentricities, Mizaab made significant contributions to the magical world. He is presumed dead, but no one would be surprised if he were to one day appear in the streets of Greyhawk, none the worse for his lengthy absence."
—Luminary Wizards of Greyhawk[11]
Rumors and legends
Though the Greyhawk dragon has been absent from the Free City following 591 CY, when he returns, he will have adopted a new identity, likely that of a minor human spellcaster.[5]
See Also
See also: Greyhawk dragon
Appearances
Mizaab Zalen is mentioned in WGA1 Falcon's Revenge, but does not make an actual appearance. Sturtevant/Mizaab appears in the rest of the series (WGA2 and WGA3), and is an integral part of the plot. He is discussed, though does not appear in The Adventure Begins, though it does mention that Sturtevant has not been seen in the city since 586 CY.
References
Citations
- ↑ WGA3 Flames of the Falcon (1990), p.52.
- ↑ WGA2 Falconmaster (1990), p.13.
- ↑ a b c WGA2 Falconmaster (1990), p.12-13.
- ↑ a b WGA2 Falconmaster (1990), p.12.
- ↑ a b c d e f g The Adventure Begins (1998), p.83.
- ↑ WGA2 Falconmaster (1990), p.14.
- ↑ a b c WGA3 Flames of the Falcon (1990), p.53.
- ↑ Menge, Eric. The Greyhawk Grumbler. Wizards.com. WotC, 23 February 2008. Archived from the original on 01 November 2016. Retrieved on 6 February 2024.
- ↑ WGA1 Falcon's Revenge (1990).
- ↑ WGA2 Falconmaster (1990), p.7.
- ↑ a b WGA2 Falconmaster (1990), p.13-14.
- ↑ WGA2 Falconmaster (1990), p.16.
- ↑ WGA3 Flames of the Falcon (1990).
Bibliography
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mizaab Zalen | Non-player character | Dragon, Greyhawk, | The Adventure Begins | 83, 85 |
| Mizaab Zalen | Non-player character | Dragon, Greyhawk, | WGA1 Falcon's Revenge | 33, 34, 55 |
| Mizaab Zalen | Non-player character | Dragon, Greyhawk, | WGA2 Falconmaster | 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 24, 25, 41, 54, 55, 58, 59 |
| Mizaab Zalen | Non-player character | Dragon, Greyhawk, | WGA3 Flames of the Falcon | 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 41, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 53 |