View source for Mordenkainen

: ''"Perhaps it was madness that compelled me to scry into the Abyss, or perhaps it was my ever growing hunger for knowledge. Both, I think, are equal curses."''
: &mdash;Mordenkainen, ''Codex of Mordenkainen''

{{Character
|image          = [[File:Mordenkainen06.jpg|200px]]
|caption        = Mordenkainen, as depicted on the cover of [[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), art by Michael Kormarck
|name           = Mordenkainen
|true_name      =
|alt_spelling   = 
|title          = Lord Mage of Greyhawk
|alias          =
|nickname       = 
|home           = [[Yatil Mountains]]
|formerhome     = [[Wild Coast]]
|gender         = Male
|race           = Human
|ethnicity      = Oeridian
|occupation     = Leader of the [[Circle of Eight]]
|age            = 82 (as of 591 CY)
|languages      =
|patron deity   = 
|dob            = 509
|death          = 
|class          = Wizard 27{{csb|ELH|308}}
|alignment      = Neutral (or chaotic neutral){{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |97}}
}}

'''Mordenkainen''' is one of the most well-known and most powerful wizards in the [[Flanaess]]. A master of high-level magic, Mordenkainen retired from a decades-spanning adventuring career to found the [[Circle of Eight]], a cabal of powerful mages dedicated to maintaining balance in [[Oerth]]. Spells bearing his name are known across hundred worlds.<ref>[[Player's Guide]], p. 18.</ref>

Mordenkainen's name is pronounced /MOR-den-kay-nen/<ref>"Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd", Dragon #93.</ref>  or /mor-den-KAY-nen/{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |4}}, with "kai" pronounced to rhyme with "day" or "weigh". His name is also commonly pronounced /mor-den-KIGH-nen/.{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |4}}  He is occasionally referred to by the appellation '''Mordenkainen the Mage'''.<ref>WGR3 [[Rary the Traitor]], p.4.</ref> In other realms, he is known as '''Mordenkainen of Oerth''' or the '''Lord Mage of Greyhawk'''.<ref>FOR6 [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/The_Seven_Sisters_(sourcebook) The Seven Sisters], p. 34-35.</ref>

==Description==
===Appearance===
Mordenkainen is a male who appears to be in his forties, although his true age is around twice that. His most notable figure are his piercing eyes,{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |98}} behind which lie a volatile sense of genius tinged with madness; lesser individuals are readily persuaded by his penetrating gaze alone. He has brown eyes and black hair, though he shaves his head bald.{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |98}} His dark beard is streaked with a little grey, and is kept neatly trimmed to a point.{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |98}}<ref name="lgj0" /><ref name="gfff-118-127" /> His facial features are craggy, wise, and alert, likened to a hawk looking for its prey.<ref name="dra185-57" />

Mordenkainen stands 5'11" tall. He typically dresses in traditional robes and wears black satin coats, lined with red,<ref name="lgj0" /> or fine dark red cloak. <ref name="dra211-83" /> He is known to wear high collared robes of gray,<ref name="dra185-57" /> or robes of black or brown with silver decorative threading. He often disguises as a humble merchant when traveling alone,<ref name="gfff-118-127" /> as when he travels to to the village of [[Bar Strannach]] along the [[Jalpa]] to [[Rel Deven]] highway, to consult the prophetic riddles recorded in the [[Lays of Bar Strannach]].<ref>[[Ivid the Undying]], p. 123.</ref><ref>Note that ''The City of Greyhawk'' boxed set asserts that Mordenkainen is 6'2", rather than 5'11" as asserted by ''Living Greyhawk Journal'' #0. It describes him as 72 years old (concurring with a birth date of 509 CY if it assumed that this book is set in 581 CY), appearing to be 46.</ref>

His voice is deep, and melodic.<ref name="dra185-57" />

===Personality and alignment===

: ''"The world need not be, nor cannot be swallowed by the Abyss or drawn into the Heavens. In so doing, its destruction is assured. Oerth is Oerth, a place for all and any, and there are but few who can act to assure that it remains so. I resolve to be one of them."''
: &mdash;Mordenkainen, ''The Codex of Mordenkainen'', Sunsebb 551 CY

Mordenkainen commonly takes a harsh and serious tone. For example, in a meeting of the Circle of Eight, when [[Jallarzi Sallavarian]] noted [[Drawmij]]'s growing eccentricity with age, Mordenkainen was quick to scold her for her rudeness. He is irritated when his authority is questioned,<ref name="lgj0" /> though his judgements are rarely disputed. He is frequently stubborn and difficult to work with and does not suffer fools gladly.<ref name="gfff-118-127" /> He considers idealism a flaw in others.<ref>[[Living Greyhawk Journal]] #5, p. 6.</ref>

He is bold and decisive in carrying out his plans, thorough, resourceful, and a skilled leader.<ref name="rg-44" /> He reacts angrily to insults, silliness, or disrespect, and is quick to dispense witty insults when offended. Otherwise, he treats those he deals with with respect, though he rarely if ever treats others as an equal.<ref name="wga4-15-18" /> Despite his stern tone, however, he is not entirely without a sense of humor.<ref name="dra211-83">Dragon #211, ''The Wizards Three'', by Ed Greenwood.</ref>

He enjoys debate, at which he is skilled. His emotions have been known overwhelm him in the rare occasions in which he fears defeat.<ref name="lgj0" /> He can be volatile, a trait disliked by his former ally Rary the Traitor, who considers the Mordenkainen too obsessed with petty intrigues and debate rather than the acquisition of power.<ref>[[Living Greyhawk Journal]] #22.</ref> He typically listens more than he talks,<ref name="gfff-118-127" /> keeps an open mind, and is quick to share pertinent information.<ref name="wga4-15-18" />

Mordenkainen often acts in secrecy, manipulating politics of the Flanaess from behind the scenes.<ref name="lgg-156" /> He is suspicious in nature, a trait which has served him well in numerous occasions.<ref name="wgr3-31">WGR3 [[Rary the Traitor]], p.31.</ref> In his later years, he has begun to show signs of paranoia, applying ''Mordenkainen's disjunction'' to wands and staves which might one day be used against him.{{csb|MME|38}}

He feels a great responsibility to Oerth, though he has little interest in protecting other worlds, a task he leaves to their inhabitants. Despite his vast experience and a growing cynicism with age, he is still joyed by the wonder of magic, even relatively well-known items like Quaal's feather token or the portable hole.{{csb|MME|4}}

Mordenkainen is true neutral in alignment, embracing a strict philosophy of Balance.<ref name="erg-92">[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), p. 92-93.</ref> Mordenkainen's philosophy of neutrality is a detailed formal theory derived from decades of arcane research. He has worked both good and evil to further his aims of maintaining stability in the Flanaess.<ref name="lgg-156" />

===Religion===
Mordenkainen is known to have prayed to Boccob from time to time.<ref name="lgj0" />

He is critical of the role of deities on Oerth.{{Csb|MME|58}}

Mordenkainen holds a certain reverence for Zagig Yragerne, considering that mage's study in the [[Guild of Wizardry]] to be sacred ground. He once made an oath to Zagig, pledging that he would never again enter Castle Greyhawk, an oath he kept.<ref name="erg-92" />

==Abilities==
===Spellcasting mastery===
Mordenkainen is without a doubt one of the most powerful wizards in the Flanaess, if not the most powerful.<ref name="erg-92">[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), p. 92-93.</ref><ref>Mordenkainen's statistics vary between sources, but are given in ''Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk'' as a level 27 wizard, as of 597 CY.</ref> He is of exceptional intelligence, and has mastered the ultimate ninth level of spells, by some accounts knowing forms of magic even more powerful than that.<ref name="elh-308" />

Powerful spells used by to Mordenkainen include ''time stop'', ''mind blank'', ''true seeing'', ''Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion'', ''Mordenkainen's faithful hound'' (and other spells of his invention), and ''Bigby's hand'' (a creation of his apprentice).{{csb|Curse of Strahd ''(2016)'' |39-40}} He has a tendency to appear suddenly as if from thin air, taking enemies by surprise.<ref name="dra-219-91">Dragon #219, ''The Wizards Three'', by Ed Greenwood.</ref>

He sometimes communicates with agents from the distance in illusory form, projected by a ring carried by an agent.<ref name="wga4-15-18" /> In other instances, he appears to people via a [[simulacrum]] designed to impersonate him.<ref name="bgda-97-98" />

Mordenkainen is known on countless worlds for spells of his own creation, which bear his name (see [[#Spells|spells]], below, for a full list).

Mordenkainen possesses a deep understanding of the nature of magic. While most wizards understand magic as a form of instructions for manipulating reality, Mordenkainen understands magic and the mundane to be part of the same continuum, and that the common understanding of magecraft to barely scratches the surface of the true nature of reality. However, he concedes that this ultimately cannot be truly understood, except perhaps by deities.{{csb|MME|58}}

===Other abilities===
: ''"We who hold discourse with demons and cull reagents from corpses should not be so effete that we fear calluses upon our palms. Indeed, every wizard should take note of the use of martial weapons. If nothing else, you will understand as you die why you should have ducked instead of parried."''
: &mdash;Mordenkainen, ''Magnificent Emporium''{{csb|MME|18}}

Mordenkainen's command of magical knowledge and obscure lore is unmatched in the Flanaess. His name is frequently uttered in reference to pieces of magical lore known only by a handful of exceptionally learned individuals.<ref>[[Ivid the Undying]], p.74.</ref>

He has some skill with melee weapons, having used various weapons to great effect during his career. He considers a basic understanding of armed combat to be of great use to adventuring wizards.{{csb|MME|18}}

==Home==
Mordenkainen occupies the [[Obsidian Citadel]], a fortified complex in the [[Yatil Mountains]]. Its location is a closely guarded secret, known to only to himself, [[Tenser]] and [[Bigby]]. It is protected against accidental discovery by terrain, weather, illusions, and magical effects which cause a searcher to become easily lost. A certain single-use magical amulet allows it to be located once only. It is immune to entry by teleportation and similar magic. It is likewise exceptionally well-guarded, including by an army of elite dwarves, gnomes, and humans.<ref name="gfff-118-127" />

Mordenkainen has other bases of operations, including the plane-traveling [[Tower of Urm]], a small iron fortress which he took with him to [[Avernus]] in order to study the planar effects of the Nine Hells in modifying magic. Mordenkainen had a rival in the Nine Hells, a tall human wizard, but that individual was eaten by a barlgura demon named Ubbalux.<ref name="bgda-97-98">''Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus'', p.97-98.</ref>

==Equipment and possessions==
Mordenkainen possesses a great number of significant magic items. Among them are bracers of defense, a ring of protection, a bag of holding, a carpet of flying, a crystal ball, a dagger more efficacious against giant creatures, pearls of power, and wands of fear and frost.
<ref name="gfff-118-127">[[The City of Greyhawk]], ''Folk, Feuds, and Factions'', p. 118-127.</ref> He possesses an efreeti bottle, and numerous scrolls and potions of his own creation.<ref name="rg-44">[[The Rogues Gallery]], p. 44.</ref>

He possesses the [[Silver Key of Portals]], a silver skeleton key created by the god Dalt; his rediscovery of this item led to a resurgence in the obscure deity's popularity. Among his other powerful magic items are a staff of fiery power, a rod of absorption, a pink ioun stone (enhancing his constitution), a ring of protection, and a ring of wizardry.<ref name="elh-308">''Epic Level Handbook'', p.308-309.</ref> He himself crafted a similar item, the Arcane Key.<ref>Dragon #387, ''Bazaar of the Bizarre'', by Peter Schaefer.</ref>

He sometimes wears a Robe of Useful Items when in his tower, for the convenience of having useful items to hand.{{csb|MME|17}}

Mordenkainen's library is believed to contain a copy of nearly every spell known to mages of Oerth, with the exception of certain carefully-guarded signature named spells created by individual wizards. It also contains numerous works on history and politics, as well as reports written by many of his aides.<ref name="gfff-118-127" /> He is quick to add new arcane spells to his library as they are discovered.<ref name="elh-308" />

Mordenkainen once owned a galleon, which he used to sail across the Azure sea in his adventuring days. Unfortunately, the ship sank in a ferocious storm, taking with it such treasure as an ''apparatus of Kwalish'', with a marilith demon bound to guard it. It now rests some hundred feet below the waves in an unknown location.<ref>[[Ghosts of Saltmarsh]], p. 26.</ref>

==Relationships==
===Enemies===

[[Iuz]] has long hated Mordenkainen, as have his underlings, particularly the archmage [[Kermin Mind-Bender]].<ref name="lgj0" />

Mordenkainen holds great enmity for [[Rary]], a long-time schemer who betrayed him by attacking the Circle of Eight in 584 CY, slaying Tenser and Otiluke; as well as Lord [[Robilar]], whose betrayal took Mordenkainen by surprise.<ref name="lgj0" /> A rumor holds that Robilar is Mordenkainen's bastard son, though it is unsubstantiated.<ref>[http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgmp/20080109a The Lands of Robilar]. Wizards.com, Jan 9, 2008.</ref>

Mordenkainen's personal philosophy of neutrality and meddling in affairs of the Flanaess with have made him a vast number of enemies, including former allies [[Evard|Evard the Black]] and [[Terik]]. He is distrusted by various factions. The neutral-aligned Hierophants of the Cabal find his concept of Balance self-centered and arbitrary.<ref name="lgj0" />

Mordenkainen is hated by the evil archmage [[Reydrich]], who has long held a grudge ever since his application to join the Circle of Eight was rejected.<ref>[[Ivid the Undying]], p. 136.</ref>

He has a distrust of warlocks, due to their connection to dangerous extraplanar beings.{{csb|MME|47}}

===Allies and minions===

Mordenkainen controls the Circle of Eight, a cabal of eight powerful mages formed to preserve balance in the Flanaess after the rise of Iuz the Old. He and the Circle possess a powerful network of agents, secretly influencing events across the Flanaess, although they are far from omniscient.<ref name="lgg-156">[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]], p. 156-157.</ref> Among his known agents are the wealthy fighter [[Cendol Fallow]],<ref>[[The Doomgrinder]], p.44.</ref>, mercenary turned political activist [[Gustin Longspike]],<ref>[[The Adventure Begins]], p. 101-102.</ref> and the snow barbarian ranger [[Kendyra|Kendyra of the North]].<ref name="wgr3-31" />

He is an ally of [[Ravel Dasinder]], high cleric of Boccob in the City of Greyhawk.<ref>Dragon #338, p.50, ''Core Beliefs: Boccob'', by Sean K. Reynolds.</ref>

He also possesses a private army, the ''Obsidian Citadel'', who guard his [[Obsidian Citadel|secret fortress]] of the same name. Notable defenders of his fortress include a very old silver dragon who occasionally serves Mordenkainen as a mount, a clan of stone giants who helped to build the citadel, the griffon-riding fighter lords [[Eraj]] and [[Felnorith]], a clan of cloud giants, and a considerable army of loyal elite dwarves, gnomes, and humans.<ref name="gfff-118-127" />

His apprentices have included the now legendary [[Bigby]], and more recently the candid [[Rautheene]].<ref name="dra238-43">Dragon #238, ''The Return of the Wizards Three'', by Ed Greenwood.</ref> The apprenticeship of [[Qort]]{{csb|MME|4}}> ended after he stole a copy of Mordenkainen's work ''Magnificent Emporium'', then slew Mordenkainen's seven other apprentices to keep it a secret.{{csb|MME|122}}

Mordenkainen occasionally sponsors adventurers whose skill impresses him. Such missions range from the mundane to to the exceptionally deadly, though all ultimately support his schemes in some unknown way.<ref name="erg-189">[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), p. 189.</ref> He has sponsored adventuring parties in the [[Valley of the Mage]], all of which had high casualties.<ref name="lgg-128">[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]], p. 128.</ref>

Mordenkainen is an ally of [[Ravel Dasinder]], Patriarch of Boccob in the City of Greyhawk.<ref>[[The Adventure Begins]], p. 63.</ref> He works with [[Kondradis Bubka]] at the Guild of Wizardry in Greyhawk to identify items. In exchange, he taught him the spell ''Mordenkainen's lucubration''.<ref name="gfff-118-127" />

Mordenkainen has a connection to the [[Highfolk]] and would likely protect it in invasion.<ref>WGR4 [[The Marklands]], p.55.</ref>

===Other acquaintances===

[[Tenser]] was once a strong ally of Mordenkainen, but left due to political disagremeent over Mordenkainen's agenda.<ref name="lgg-156" /> [[Melf]] does not consider himself an ally of Mordenkainen, though the two quietly have mutual respect for one another.<ref>[[From the Ashes]], ''Campaign Book'', p.69.</ref>

Mordenkainen is known to have visited the world of [[Earth]], and has met great mages of other worlds. Among those with whom is is acquainted are Elminster of Faer&ucirc;n,<ref name="dra185-57">Dragon #185, ''Magic in the Evening'', by Ed Greenwood.</ref>, Dalamar of Krynn,<ref name="dra188-27">Dragon #188, ''The Wizards Three'', by Ed Greenwood.</ref> Fistandantilus of Krynn,<ref name="dra196-83">Dragon #196, ''3 Wizards Too Many'', by Ed Greenwood.</ref> and [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Shaan Shaan the Serpent Queen] of Faeru&circ;n,<ref name="dra-219-91" /> and the apprentice [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Savengriff Savengriff] of Faer&ucirc;n.<ref name="dra-219-91" /> He is a particular friend of Elminster, who keeps tabs on Mordenkainen's welldoing.<ref name="dra-219-91" />

Mordenkainen is friendly with the eccentric and ancient storyteller [[Gwydiesin|Gwydiesen of the Cranes]], whose knowledge may exceed Mordenkainen's.<ref>[[Ivid the Undying]], p.116.</ref> He is frequently visited by the hero-deity [[Heward]], and is close with [[Keoghtom]] and [[Murlynd]].<ref name="gloss-35" />

He enjoys discussions about magical research,<ref>1991 TSR Trading Cards, #494.</ref> and often communicates by written letter to learned individuals whose rare knowledge is invaluable. Among them are [[Heward]],<ref>Dragon Annual 1, p. 72.</ref> [[Otto]], [[Elayne Mystica]] of Irongate, [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Khelben_Arunsun Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun] of Faer&ucirc;n, and priestess Johanna of [[Almor]].<ref name="dra241-38">Dragon #241, ''Legacies of the Suel Imperium'', by Roger Moore.</ref>

He is not known for his relationships, though he once competed with [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Vangerdahast_Aeiulvana Vangerdahast] of Faer&ucirc;n for the hand of an extra-planar beauty.<ref>FOR8 [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Pages_from_the_Mages Pages from the Mages], p.4.</ref> His fame in Greyhawk makes it difficult to openly carry on relationships there, though since he first mastered planar travel he has enjoyed virtual anonymity in Waterdeep in Faer&ucirc;n for recreation.<ref name="dra211-83" />

==History==
===Early life===

Mordenkainen was born circa 509 [[CY]]<ref name="lgj0" /><ref>According to the ''Living Greyhawk Journal'' #0, Mordenkainen's true age is 82 as of Spring 591 CY, suggesting a birth date of 509 CY. ''Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk'' p. 4 implies he may be slightly older, already a youth when Iuz disappeared in 505 CY, though that may refer to the rise of the Horned Society in 513 CY.</ref> in the [[Wild Coast]].<ref>WG8 [[Fate of Istus]], p.40.</ref>

It is known to only a few that Mordenkainen is of Oeridian descent, related to [[House Cranden]] of the [[Great Kingdom]] of Aerdy; other notable figures who share this honor include the hero-goddess [[Johydee]], [[Tuerny|Tuerny the Merciless]], the lawmaker [[Schandor]], and Mordenkainen's own apprentice Bigby.<ref>[[Ivid the Undying]], p. 137.</ref> He is distantly related to [[Heward]], who in turn is a distant relative of [[Zagig Yragerne]].<ref name="gloss-35">[[World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting]], ''Glossography'', p.35.</ref>

He has lived in various places around the Flanaess, including the [[Wild Coast]], the [[Free City of Greyhawk]], and [[Highfolk]].<ref name="lgj0" />

===Adventuring career===

According to writings in the ''Codex of Mordenkainen'', he began developing his philosophy of neutrality at least as far back as 551 CY.<ref name="lgj0" />

Mordenkainen first explored the infamous [[Castle Greyhawk]] circa 557 [[CY]] in the company of his apprentice [[Bigby]], the warrior Lord [[Robilar]], and the cleric [[Riggby]]. No fewer than a dozen other compatriots were slain in adventuring.<ref name="erg-4-10">[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), p. 4-10.</ref> The four are among only thirteen individuals who have made it to the eighth level beneath Zagig's Tower of Magic since 409 CY.<ref name="erg-125">[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), p. 125.</ref>

In 561 CY, Mordenkainen established an adventuring group known as the [[Citadel of Eight]], modeled after the [[Company of Seven]] once founded by former Lord Mayor of Greyhawk [[Zagig Yragerne]]. This group explored the central Flanaess with the goal of uncovering lost treasures and knowledge of fallen civilizations. Among its members were the legendary warrior [[Lord Robilar]], and [[Tenser]], a good-aligned mage whose disagreement Mordenkainen's philosophy of balance ultimately led to the Citadel's dissolution.<ref name="erg-4-10" />

Mordenkainen continued to adventure with Robilar across the Flanaess, visiting such distant places as the [[City of the Gods]] in the northern wastes and the Amedio jungle of the south.<ref name="erg-4-10" /><ref name="lgj0" /> Mordenkainen and the Citadel of Eight were credited with having "quietly" and "invisibly" directed the downfall of the [[Temple of Elemental Evil]] in [[569 CY]].<ref>[[The Adventure Begins]], p. 61.</ref> The only apparent direct involvement in that event was [[Serten]] being part of the [[Righteous Host]] led by Prince [[Thrommel IV]], with Serten dying in the [[Battle of Emridy Meadows]]. Tenser blamed Mordenkainen for Serten's death because the Citadel of Eight wasn't more actively involved, which is credited with leading to the dissolution of the Citadel of Eight in 569 CY. 

At an unknown point, Mordenkainen rediscovered the forgotten minor [[Suel]] deity [[Dalt]], god of doors and locks, when he discovered one of Dalt's artifacts. Mordenkainen was almost single-handedly responsible for the revival of this deity's popularity in the Flanaess.<ref>[[The Scarlet Brotherhood]], p.82.</ref> Mordenkainen also visited other planes, discovering the sealed seventh layer of the [[Abyss]], known as the ''Phantom Plane''.<ref>''Planes of Chaos'', ''An Abriged Lexicon of the Abyss''.</ref>

Mordenkainen's exploration of Castle Greyhawk in particular spanned some thirteen years (c. 557-570 CY) and resulted in the discovery of the [[Godtrap]], an artifact created by Zagig Yragerne to steal the divine power from nine captured demigods. Zagig had used this artifact c. 505 CY to ascend to divinity, becoming the deity [[Zagyg]]. The captured demigods were still imprisoned some 65 years later when discovered by Mordenkainen.<ref name="erg-4-10">[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), p. 4-10.</ref><ref>''Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk'' dates Iuz's capture to 65 years prior to his escape, which occurred 27 years ago as of 5978 CY; i.e. 505 CY. The ''Living Greyhawk Gazetteer'' concurs with this date. However, F. Wesley Schneider's ''The Godtrap'', dates Zagig's apotheosis to 421 CY, the year he retired from public life. The latter is probably an error.</ref>  Fearing that others would the Godtrap, Mordenkainen recruited Lord Robilar to put it beyond use by freeing and assassinating the imprisoned demigod [[Iuz|Iuz the Old]]. Robilar, accompanied only by his orc henchman [[Quij]] and the cleric Riggby, resolved to accomplish this task. However, just as he dispelled the barriers holding Iuz, he was interrupted by an party composed of [[Tenser]], [[Bigby]] and the warrior [[Neb Retnar]], who opposed Mordenkainen's assassination plan on moral grounds. The attempt to slay Iuz failed, with the six adventurers barely escaping with their lives. In the battle, the dungeon level was collapsed, and the remaining gods were freed.<ref name="erg-4-10" />

Mordenkainen himself did not personally take part in this battle, intending to avoid the scorn of good-aligned allies like [[Tenser]] who objected to the assassination attempt, while also avoiding Iuz's vengeance should the plan fail.<ref name="erg-4-10" /> However, he did gift Robilar the [[Blade of Black Ice]] shortly before the attempt, a freezing sword crafted by Iuz himself.<ref>''Epic Level Handbook'', p.307.</ref>

===Circle of Eight===

[[Image:Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure02.jpg|250px|thumb|right|[[Yrag]], Mordenkainen, [[Bigby]], and [[Riggby]], as depicted in ''[[Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure]]'' (1984).]]

Feeling resposible for the release of Iuz, Mordenkainen recruited several of his former Citadel allies into a new organization, the [[Circle of Eight]].<ref name="erg-4-10" /> Formed in Fireseek of 571 CY, its original members included such now-legendary figures as [[Bigby]], [[Otto]], [[Rary]], [[Nystul]], [[Drawmij]], and [[Bucknard]]. Mordenkainen met [[Alhamazad|Alhamazad the Wise]] around this time, though he would not join the Circle for nearly twenty years.<ref name="lgj0">[[Living Greyhawk Journal]] #0 (2000).</ref>

This cabal of eight powerful mages, subtly controlled by Mordenkainen, foiled many of Iuz's schemes between 571 and 581 CY.<ref name="erg-4-10" /> They acted both directly and indirectly, often quietly sponsoring adventurers to undertake quests such as the raid on the [[Tsojcanth Caverns]] in the mid-[[570s CY]] CY. Members also took part in significant adventuring and personal quests.<ref name="lgj0" />

In 575 CY, Mordenkainen rescued a group of cloud giants from a flight of evil dragons. The giants have subsequently offered their assistance to protect his citadel. Many such groups rescued by Mordenkainen now serve in his armies out of gratitude.<ref name="gfff-118-127" />

Mordenkainen's policy of distancing himself from the operations of the Circle paid off in 581 CY, when the lich [[Vecna]] slew the entire Circle. Mordenkainen led his lesser allies in a failed attempt to prevent Vecna's ascension to divinity. Mordenkainen then dedicated his efforts to cloning the members of the Circle and returning them to life, a slow process which limited his ability to prevent the outbreak of the Greyhawk Wars in 582 CY. However, its members did have significant impact on major events of the war, including its conclusion.<ref name="lgj0" />

The Greyhawk Wars ended with a treaty signed in 584 CY. On this day, the Circle of Eight was betrayed by the archmage [[Rary]], and Lord Robilar. Rary slayed Tenser and [[Otiluke]], and severely wounded Bigby. Meanwhile, Lord Robilar destroyed clones and phylacteries belonging to Tenser and Otiluke, preventing their return to life. Mordenkainen was confused by Lord Robilar's defection.<ref name="erg-4-10" />

===Recent events===

In [[589 CY]], Mordenkainen began shaving his head.<ref name="lgj0" />

Mordenkainen was full attention to leading the Circle of Eight in [[591 CY]]. He believes recent history has been predicted in the ''Tome of the Black Heart'', a work prophesying dark times ahead.<ref name="lgj0" /> He visits the [[Free City of Greyhawk]] on an irregular basis.<ref>[[The Adventure Begins]], p. 7.</ref>

By [[591 CY]], Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight were the most famous living persons in the entire Flanaess.<ref>[[Player's Guide]], p. 21.</ref> Despite this, he was still unknown to many common folk in the Free City of Greyhawk, perhaps due to the infrequency of his visits.<ref name="wga4-15-18">WGA4 [[Vecna Lives!]], p.15-18.</ref>

; ''[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]]'' (2005)
:[[595 CY]] found Mordenkainen at [[Zagyg's Castle]], aiding adventurers and giving the truth behind [[Robilar]]'s disappearance and mirror-clone.

; ''[[Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium]]'' (2011)
:Mordenkainen refers to himself as being older, saying "I approach the end of a century".{{csb|MME|4}}  Using earlier date calculations (and publication dates) this would make him approximately 92 years old, and the year c. [[601 CY]].

; ''Curse of Strahd'' (March 2016).
: Mordenkainen later traveled to [[Demiplane of Dread#Barovia|Barovia]] (in 1491 DR, by ''Forgotten Realms'' reckoning) in an attempt to free the local population from its [[vampire]] darklord [[Strahd von Zarovich|Strahd]]. However, he underestimated Strahd's power and, after barely surviving a confrontation with him, he lost his spellbook and his staff, eventually losing his memory and being driven to the brink of madness. He became known by the locals as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok.{{csb|Curse of Strahd ''(2016)'' |39-40}}  He was trapped there for a over year and was discovered by adventurers suffering from paranoia and memory loss.{{csb|Curse of Strahd ''(2016)'' |39-40}}
: Notably, in this adventure, his "hair and beard are long, black, and streaked with gray," but by ''Decent into Avernus'' (2019) he's once again returned to customarily shaving his pate bald.{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |97}}

; ''Death Masks'' (June 2016)
:Later the same year after he was found at Mount Baratok, Mordenkainen is found in Waterdeep in the ''Forgotten Realms'' setting, still suffering from bouts of madness.  Storm Silverhand and Elminster were helping him to recover from the effects of his previous mental issues.{{csb|Death Masks ''(2016)'' }}

; ''[[Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes]]'' (2016) 
: His planar journeys have also taken him to Cania, where he hopes to find valuable scraps of information in its vast laboratories.{{csb|MToF|16}}

; ''[[Descent Into Avernus]]'' (2019)
: Mordenkainen inhabits the "Tower of Urm" a solid iron tower he usedsas a vehicle to travel through the [[Great Wheel|multiverse]]. He occasionally visits [[Avernus]] to study the effects of the [[Nine Hells]] over the schools of magic and to ensure the balance of the universe.{{csb|Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |97-98}} He also has information leading adventurers to the location of a site (the Bleeding Citadel) critical to the adventure.

==Works==
===Spells===
[[Image:Mordenkainen02.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Mordenkainen, as depicted on the cover of ''[[Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure]]'' (1984).]]

Mordenkainen is a prolific creator of spells.{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |97}}

*''Mordenkainen's Ascent''<ref name="mord-dra366">First appeared in Dragon #366.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Buzzing Bee''<ref>First appeared in the ''Miniatures Handbook'' (2003).</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Capable Caravel''<ref>First appeared in ''Stormwrack''.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Celerity''<ref>First appeared in ''Tome of Magic'' (1991).</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Defense Against Lycanthropes''<ref name="mord-gha">First appeared in [[Greyhawk Adventures]] (1988).</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Defense Against Nonmagical Reptiles and Amphibians''<ref name="mord-gha">First appeared in [[Greyhawk Adventures]] (1988).</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Disjunction''<ref name="mord-dra68">First appeared in Dragon #68 (Dec 1982). Reprinted in Unearthed Arcana (1985).</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Electric Arc''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Encompassing Vision''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound''<ref name="mord-phb1e">First appeared in the AD&D 1e Player's Handbook.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Faithful Phantom Defenders''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Faithful Phantom Guardian''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Faithful Phantom Shield-Maidens''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Force Missiles''<ref>First appeared in ''Player's Option: Spells & Magic''.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Guardian Hound''<ref>First appeared in ''Arcane Power''.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Involuntary Wizardry''<ref>First appeared in Dragon #200's ''The Wizards Three: Once more the three'', by Ed Greenwood.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Joining''<ref name="mord-dra366">First appeared in Dragon #366.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Lucubration''<ref name="mord-dra68">First appeared in Dragon #68 (Dec 1982). Reprinted in Unearthed Arcana (1985).</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion''<ref name="mord-dra68">First appeared in Dragon #68 (Dec 1982). Reprinted in Unearthed Arcana (1985).</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Penultimate Cogitation''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Protection From Avians''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Protection From Insects and Arachnids''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Protection From Slime''<ref name="mord-gha" />
*''Mordenkainen's Sword''<ref name="mord-phb1e">First appeared in the AD&D 1e Player's Handbook.</ref>
*''Mordenkainen's Trusted Bloodhound''<ref>First appeared in ''Complete Mage''.</ref>

===Writings===
[[Image:Mordenkainen04.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Mordenkainen as depicted in [[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]]]]

Mordenkainen is known to have authored "several planar tomes"{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |97}} and co-authored books on other topics, including the following in-setting works:

* ''Architecture'' (with [[Leomund]]): A spellbook.<ref name="sbtc">''Spells between the covers'', by Bruce heard. Dragon #82, p. 58-59.</ref>
* ''Codex of Mordenkainen'': A highly secretive tome in which Mordenkainen has been collecting his thoughts for decades; including the trance in which he saw the [[Blood War]] reach Oerth.<ref>''Greyhawk Wars''; MC8 ''Monstrous Compendium: Outer Planes Appendix''; [[Living Greyhawk Journal]] #0</ref>
* ''Cosmogony of Magnetic Fluids'': A spellbook.<ref name="sbtc" />
* ''Dark Reflections''<ref>''Heroes of Shadow'', p. 138.</ref>
* ''Epic Saga of the Great Conjurers'': A spellbook.<ref name="sbtc" />
* ''Magnificent Emporium'': A later work. Mordenkainen destroyed the original copy, but not before eight copies were made, perhaps for members of the Circle of Eight or eight of Mordenkainen's apprentices. Additions made to the copies magically updated the original book. The copies were also later recalled and destroyed, but not before his apprentice Qort was able to make a copy.{{csb|MME|38}}
* ''Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio'': Penned in [[576 CY]] <u>after</u> his ''Tome of Foes''.{{csb|Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio, Vol.1|3}}  Mordenkainen received a "deluge of requests" for more lore from his archive.  In his notes, he stated he was counseled both for and against releasing such knowledge by various members of the [[Circle of Eight]].  The information he did release he felt represented "the least of [his] knowledge.".{{csb|Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio, Vol.1|3}}
* ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'': Mordenkainen's seminal work, in which he first described his philosophy of The Balance, dictated to Bigby early in his apprenticeship; later stolen by the yugoloth Shemeshka the Marauder.{{csb|MToF|4}}
* ''On the Rise of Magecraft and Modernity'': A book in which Mordenkainen argues that the development of written wizardry that allowed magic to spread so broadly over the last millennium.<ref>[[Living Greyhawk Journal]] #4, p. 11.</ref>
* ''The Dark Sides of the Memory'': A spellbook.<ref name="sbtc" />
* ''The Weapons of the Ether'' (with [[Melf]]): A spellbook.<ref name="sbtc" />

Mordenkainen has opposed attempts to copy and distribute his works.{{csb|MToF|4}}

== In ''Living Greyhawk'' ==

The formation of the Citadel of Eight appears in the core [[Living Greyhawk]] adventure ''The Citadel'', set in 560 CY. According to this, Mordenkainen's neatly trimmed beard is based on a popular style in Nyrond, while his closely-trimmed hairstyle is against the fashion of the day. It is described that Mordenkainen is not humanocentric, giving equal respect to all the main demihuman races of Oerth, though he does not say the same about humanoids like orcs and ogres. It asserts that in 560 CY, Mordenkainen was only level 10, a heigh of 6'1" and weighing 190 pounds, aged 52 years; his group included Robilar, at level 8, and Bigby, Riggby, Yrag and Otis, all level 7.

The core adventure ''Entrapment'' asserts no one truly knows what Mordenkainen's plots are, as they are carried out with such expert secrecy it is impossible to tell what he is up to until it is already done. He always seems to know more about what is going on than anyone else, and always seems to be right. He has no control over Jaran of the Valley of the Mage, who carefully guards his secrets from Mordenkainen. Tenser distrusts Mordenkainen, suspecting he may have leaked critical information to Iuz about Tenser's last clone.

In ''Restoration and Empire'', Rary reveals his betrayal of Mordenkainen was due to disagreement with his philosophy of balance. He believed making peace with Iuz to end the Greyhawk Wars was a mistake and decisive action should be taken to destroy him.

In ''Of Elven Make'', a character falsely claims to be Mordenkainen's son, Mordenkainen Jr. However, he reveals the truth that Mordenkainen once lived in Highfolk. He operates a market booth named Mordenkainen's Grand Junction, where he dispenses mostly made-up "facts" about the Circle of Eight.

==Creative origins==

: ''Main article: [[Creative origins of Mordenkainen]]''

Mordenkainen was originally created by [[Gary Gygax]] as a player character in a campaign run by [[Robert J. Kuntz|Rob Kuntz]]. Numerous iconic World of Greyhawk figures have a similar origin, including Bigby, Tenser, Rary, Robilar, and Otiluke.

In January 1973, when the game which would become known as Dungeons & Dragons was still in development, Kuntz began his campaign set in ''Castle El Raja Key''. After creating a fighting man named Yrag ("Gary" backwards), he created the magic-user named Mordenkainen, controlling both on a solo adventure.<ref name="en-post-2069162">Gygax: "My first PC was a fghter named Yrag, back in 1972. Mordenkainen came into being about the first month of 1973. That's about all that I can recall with any level of certainly." [https://www.enworld.org/threads/q-a-with-gary-gygax.22566/post-2069162 Q&A with Gary Gygax, page 140]. ENWorld, Mar 1, 2005.</ref><ref>Kuntz: "Gary started in the "mists" when rolling his first PC, Yrag. ... Within a day I allowed him to roll up his second PC, Mordenkainen, this to pair with Yrag, and because he was, for the most part, adventuring solo (but do read hereafter)." [https://lakegenevaoriginalrpg.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-first-living-campaign.html The First Living Campaign]. Lake Geneva Original RPG Campaign, April 6, 2013.</ref>

Mordenkainen was inspired by Finnish mythology, with Gygax citing the Finnish epic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala Kalevala], sharing a similar name with the character [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemmink%C3%A4inen Lemminkäinen] from that work.

The non-player character of Mordenkainen, as printed in official Dungeons & Dragons works, eventually diverged from Gygax's original player character. The most significant changes occurred after Gygax's departure from TSR in 1985, after which the character came to be defined by other writers. Gygax never released Mordenkainen's original statistics, with all published versions being separate inventions.

==Publishing history==

The name Mordenkainen has appeared in hundreds of Dungeons & Dragons works, whether as a character or in reference to one of the many spells named for him.

===AD&D first edition===

Mordenkainen is first mentioned in the AD&D first edition ''Player's Handbook'' (1978), in reference to the spells Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound and Mordenkainen's Sword. Countless D&D sourcebooks would later reference these or other spells, including ''Unearthed Arcana'' (1985), which describes Mordenkainen's Lucubration, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, and Mordenkainen's Disjunction.

Mordenkainen himself is first mentioned in the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' (1979), p. 160, regarding his research into the creation of Queen [[Ehlissa]]'s Marvelous Nightingale.

Statistics for Mordenkainen and other notable characters appear in ''The Rogues Gallery'' (1980); however, Gygax asserts that he did not supply Brian Blume his original characters to create the work, and the statistics depicted there do not accurately reflect his original statistics.

Mordenkainen is briefly namedropped in the ''[[World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting|World of Greyhawk Folio]]'' (1980) and mentioned in the subsequent [[World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting|World of Greyhawk Box Set]] (1983) in regards his friendship with the quasi-deities [[Heward]], [[Keoghtom]] and [[Murlynd]].

He appears on the cover of WG5 ''[[Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure]]'' (1984), an hack-and-slash style adventure based on one which which Rob Kuntz ran for Gary Gygax. It is set in [[Maure Castle]]. Mordenkainen's statistics are given as a 12th level magic user, though Gygax notes that they are not exactly correct.

Mordenkainen is mentioned in several of ''[[dragmag|Dragon]]'' magazine ''From the Sorcerer's Scroll'' articles in this period, including issues #37, #68, and #71, as well as in Dragon #82's ''Spells between the covers''.

Following Gygax's departure from TSR in 1985, he no longer retained creative control of the published version of the character, the Castle Greyhawk dungeon, or the World of Greyhawk setting.  Additionally, ''Dragon'' magazine's writers' guidelines rejected all adventures which featured Greyhawk characters, citing Mordenkainen by name.{{cn}}

Mordenkainen appeared in the parody adventure WG7 ''Castle Greyhawk'' (1988), featuring a level titled ''Mordenkainen's Movie Madness'', wherein he set up a movie studio—likely a reference to Gygax's real-world journey to the west coast to work on the Dungeons & Dragons movie.

===AD&D Second edition===

Spells named for Mordenkainen once appear again in the Player's Handbook, specifically his Faithful Hound, Lucubration, Magnificent Mansion, Sword, and Disjunction. They appear in the repertoire of characters in various campaign settings, including ''Dark Sun'', ''Forgotten Realms'', ''Al-Qadim'', ''Ravenloft'', ''Spelljammer'', and ''Dragonlance''.

Mordenkainen is detailed in [[The City of Greyhawk]] boxed set (1989), which details the Circle of Eight and gives statistics for Mordenkainen, as well as a great deal of information about the Obsidian Citadel, Mordenkainen's activities, and his acceptance of [[Jallarzi Sallavarian]] into the Circle of Eight.

He has a significant role in the adventures [[Vecna Lives!]] (1990) and [[Treasures of Greyhawk]] (1992), and is mentioned in [[Rary the Traitor]] (1992).

[[From the Ashes]] (1992) notes the ability of powerful mages like Mordenkainen to go by a single name due to their fame and makes several mentions of the archmage.

Mordenkainen appears in the 1991 TSR Trading Cards set as #494, depicting his artwork from the cover of ''Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure'' and describing him as a 20th level wizard. He appears again in the 1992 TSR Trading Cards set as #165 with the same art.

He is namedropped in ''Creative Campaigning'' (1993), p. 111, alongside Leomund and Bigby as "characters who have become household names in the AD&D game", noting that in the Players Handbook and Dungeon Master Guide, "any names on spells or items probably started as characters in the original Greyhawk campaign".

He is mentioned in MC8 ''Monstrous Compendium: Outer Planes Appendix'', as the author of the [[Codex of Mordenkainen]], a book predicting that the baatezu devils will one day open a portal to the material plane. The Codex of Mordenkainen is briefly mentioned in the ''Greyhawk Wars'' boxed set (1991).

A rare appearance of Mordenkainen in the Forgotten Realms occurs in [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/The_Seven_Sisters_(sourcebook) The Seven Sisters] p. 34-35, where he meets the Faer&ucirc;nian archmage [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Simbul the Simbul]. [https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Pages_from_the_Mages Pages from the Mages], p. 4, notes that Mordenkainen and Bigby have visited Faer&ucirc;n, while Elminster has visited [[Oerth]], helping to explain the appearance of Greyhawk-based named spells in the Forgotten Realms.

Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight appear significantly throughout [[Return of the Eight]], describing his plans to return the Circle to full strength after its reduction to five members. The Greyhawk [[Player's Guide]] (1998) and [[The Adventure Begins]] (1998) go into the history of Mordenkainen and recaps his background and activities circa 591 CY.

[[Ivid the Undying]] mentions Mordenkainen, notably revealing his little-known place of birth.

Mordenkainen appears in several Dragon magazine articles from 1992 onward. He meets Elminster and others in Dragon #185's ''Magic in the Evening'', #196's ''3 Wizards Too Many'', and notably Ed Greenwood's article series ''The Wizards Three'', appearing in Dragon #188, #200, #211, #219, #238, #242, and #246. Letters written by or about Mordenkainen appear in Dragon #230's ''The Orbs of Dragonkind'' and Dragon #241's ''Legacies of the Suel Imperium''.

===D&D third edition===

Spells named for Mordenkainen appear in the Player's Handbook (2000) and the revised Player's Handbook v.3.5: his Disjunction, Faithful Hound, Lucubration, Magnificent Mansion, and Sword, with Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum additionally appearing in the 3.5 version.

Mordenkainen is described in the ''D&D Gazetteer'' (2000) and the [[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]] (2000), set in 591 CY.

Full statistics for Mordenkainen appear in the ''Epic Level Handbook'' (2002), p. 308-309, where he is a 27th level wizard, described as one of the most feared and respected living mages in the Flanaess.

Mordenkainen appears on the cover of [[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]] (2007), in which he plays a crucial role.

Following Wizards of the Coast's acquisition of the Dungeons & Dragons brand in 1997, articles by Gary Gygax were once again welcomed in the pages of Dragon magazine. Articles describing the adventures of Mordenkainen appear in Dragon #289, #299, #306, #307, #311, and #317. Additionally, Ed Greenwood's ''The Wizards Three'' series continued in Dragon #344 and the final print issue of #359.

Maure Castle appears in Dungeon #112, making significant references the adventuring history of Mordenkainen in Rob Kuntz' original dungeon.

In [[Living Greyhawk]], Mordenkainen appears in COR1-00 ''The Citadel'', set in 560 CY and describing him as a level 10 mage. He plays a significant role in COR8-06 ''Entrapment''. HIG1-03 ''Of Elven Make'' features a character named Mordenkainen Jr., who falsely claims to be his son and correctly claims Mordenkainen once lived in Highfolk.

He is mentioned throughout the [[Living Greyhawk Journal]] publications, most notably LGJ #0's "Wheels Within Wheels: Greyhawk's Circle of Eight", #9, where he appears on the cover in an artwork by Greg Staples.

He also received a D&D Miniatures card, as a 269-point character.<ref>[http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mit/20060406c Mordenkainen Epic Stat Card]. Wizards.com, 5 Apr, 2004.</ref>

===D&D fourth edition===

Very little Greyhawk-specific content appeared in D&D fourth edition, though several spells named for Mordenkainen still appeared.

The Player's Handbook featured Mordenkainen's Sword and Mordenkainen's Mansion, while Arcane Power added Mordenkainen's Lucubration and Mordenkainen's Guardian Hound. Dragon #366 introduced the rituals Mordenkainen's Ascent and Mordenkainen's Joining. The implement Mordenkainen's Tome appears in Adventurer's Vault 2, which improves the bearers ability to cast Mordenkainen's Sword.

The magic item sourcebook ''Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium'' (2011) is named for him, re-using the artwork from 3e's ''Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk'' and including several lengthy excerpts of his writings.

Quotes from Mordenkainen appear in ''The Book of Vile Darkness'', and ''Heroes of Shadow'', while a debate between Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight regarding planar origins appears in ''Heroes of the Elemental Chaos''.

Mordenkainen is cited as creator of the ''Arcane Key'' in ''Dragon'' #387 (2010).{{cite dragon|387|28}} ''Dragon'' #401 states that he may be the most famous wizard ever to have lived, giving backstory into his spells. Dragon #405 gives extensive backstory for Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight in ''History Check: Rary the Traitor''.{{cite dragon|405|1}}

===D&D fifth edition===

: ''"The day I start writing frivolous disclaimers for game manuals&mdash;particularly one written with text stolen from my notes&mdash;is the day I retire from wizardry and abandon all self-respect."''
: —Mordenkainen, in the disclaimer to ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes'' (2018)

Mordenkainen's spells once again appear in the '''Player's Handbook''' (2014): his ''Faithful Hound, Private Sanctum, Magnificent Mansion'' and ''Sword''. Mordenkainen is also mentioned alongside Bigby in the Dungeon Master's Guide (2014) as a hero of Oerth who is driven by ambition.

;Curse of Strahd (March 2016).
: <small>''See [[#Recent events|Recent events]], above.</small> 
:Mordenkainen interacts with player characters during the adventure, originally met as the "Mad Mage of Mount Baratok".  

;Death Masks (June 2016)
: <small>''See [[#Recent events|Recent events]], above.</small> 
:In this novel, set in the ''Forgotten Realms'', Mordenkainen recovers from his temporary insanity.{{csb|Death Masks ''(2016)'' }}

;[[Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes]] (2018)
:He is the titular author of the book, which has been copied by an apprentice.  

;Waterdeep<nowiki>:</nowiki> Dragon Heist (2018)
:Mordenkainen is shown in an illustration of the ''Yawning Portal'' inn in Waterdeep.   He is depicted with his faithful hound, seated in a discussion with Elminster, The Simbul, Qilu&eacute; Veladorn, and Alustriel Silverhand.  The cartoon is a small cameo unrelated to the plot.

;[[Ghosts of Saltmarsh]] (2019)
:The wreck of a ship Mordenkainen once owned appears in this adventure anthology{{csb|GoS|26}}

;Descent into Avernus (2019)
: <small>''See [[#Recent events|Recent events]], above.</small>  
: Mordenkainen inhabits the [[Tower of Urm]], acting as a questgiver to further the plot for the aedventurers.{{csb|Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |97-98}}
: This source gives pronunciation for his name as "mor-den-KAY-nen" or "mor-den-KIGH-nen", differing from earlier sources and writers, such as Mike Mearls in an interview in the YouTube video ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGZPpDrkaKU Who is Mordenkainen in Dungeons & Dragons]'', who continue to use the older pronunciation of "MOR-den-kay-nen". One might rationalize that this adventure is set in the Forgotten Realms, where most who know his name may have only seen it written in spellbooks.  Additionally, his alignment is given as chaotic neutral rather than true neutral given in earlier sources,{{csb|Descent into Avernus ''(2019)'' |97}} possibly due to the mental health issues he suffered in ''Curse of Strahd'' and ''Death Masks''.

;Wilds Beyond the Witchlight (2021)
:Mordenkainen is mentioned obliquely in this adventure.  In the Palace of Heart's Desire, in Prismeer,  there is a chessboard in Zybilna's Bedroom (area P45),which "was a gift to [[Iggwilv]] from the archmage Mordenkainen."{{csb|WBtW|200}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Mordenkainen02.jpg|Clyde Caldwell, ''[[Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure]]'' (1984)
File:Mordenkainen07.jpg|Jeff Easley, ''[[Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure]]'' (1984)
File:Mordenkainen08.jpg|Dan Burr, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #185, (1992)
File:Mordenkainen09.jpg|Dan Burr, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #188 (1992)
File:Mordenkainen10.jpg|Dan Burr, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #196 (1993)
File:Mordenkainen11.jpg|Dan Burr, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #200 (1993)
File:Mordenkainen12.jpg|Dan Burr, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #211 (1993)
File:Mordenkainen13.jpg|David Day, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #238  (1997)
File:Mordenkainen14.jpg|David Day, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #242 (1997)
File:Mordenkainen15.jpg|David Day, ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #246 (1998)
File:Mordenkainen23.jpg|Clyde Caldwell, 1991 [[Trading Cards|Trading card]] #494, and #165 in 1992
File:Mordenkainen17.jpg|Todd Lockwood, Cover of ''[[TSR Jam 1999]]''
File:Mordenkainen01.jpg|William O'Conner'', [[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]]''
File:Mordenkainen16.jpg|Sam Wood, Cover of ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #0
File:Mordenkainen19.png|Sam Wood, ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #0, p9
File:Mordenkainen22.jpg|Greg Staples, Cover of ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #9 (2002)
File:Mordenkainen05.jpg|Michael Dutton, 3e ''[[Epic Level Handbook]]'' (2002)
File:Mordenkainen06.jpg|Michael Kormark, Cover of ''[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]]'' (2007)
File:Mordenkainen04.jpg|James Zhang, ''[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]]'' (2007)
File:Mordenkainen03.jpg|Thomas Denmark, ''[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]]'' (2007)
File:Mordenkianen18.jpg|Vance Kelly, ''[[Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes]]'' (2018)
File:Mordenkainen20.jpg|Ryan Pancoast, ''Magic the Gathering'' card #64/281 (2021)
File:Mordenkainen21.jpg|Donato Giancola, ''Magic the Gathering'' card #283 (2021)
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[World of Greyhawk]]
*[[List of Greyhawk characters]]
*[[Gary Gygax]]
*[[Circle of Eight]]

== External links ==
{{External link disclaimer}}

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGZPpDrkaKU Who is Mordenkainen in Dungeons & Dragons]. YouTube, D&D Beyond, Aug 8, 2020.

==References==
====Citations====
<references />
====Bibliography====
* Bailey, Robin Wayne. ''[[Night Watch]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1990).
* [[Mike Breault|Breault, Mike]] and [[Jon Pickens]], eds. WG7 ''[[Castle Greyhawk]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1988. Item code TSR9222.
* [[Jason Bulmahn|Bulmahn, Jason]], [[James Jacobs]], and [[Erik Mona]]. ''[[Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2007. ISBN 0786943580
* [[David Cook|Cook, David]]. "History of the Greyhawk Wars." ''[[Wars]]'' boxed set (TSR, 1991). Available Online: [https://web.archive.org/web/20010210233426/http://www.wizards.com/Greyhawk/DnDGreyhawkWars.asp]
:———. WGA4 ''[[Vecna Lives!]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990. Item code TSR9309.
*[[Ed Greenwood|Greenwood, Ed]]. "A Dark and Stormy Knight: Another Evening with [[the Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #344. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006.
:———. "Goodbye and Hello, as Always: One Last Evening with [[the Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #359. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.
:———. "Jest [[the Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #242. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1997.
:———. "[[The Wizards Three|Magic in the Evening]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #185. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
:———. "The Return of [[the Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #238. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1997.
:———. "[[The Wizards Three|Three Wizards Too Many]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #196. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
:———. "[[The Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #188. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
:———. "[[The Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #200. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
:———. "[[The Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #211. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.
:———. "[[The Wizards Three]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #246. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
* [[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]]. ''[[Artifact of Evil]]'', TSR, 1986 ([[Gord the Rogue]] series, volume 2)
:———.  ''[[Come Endless Darkness]]'', New Infinities, 1988) ([[Gord the Rogue]] series, volume 6)
:———.  ''[[Dance of Demons]]'', New Infinities, 1988) ([[Gord the Rogue]] series, volume 7)
:———.  ''[[Sea of Death]]'', New Infinities, 1987) ([[Gord the Rogue]] series, volume 5)
* Heard, Bruce. "Spells Between the Covers." (''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #82 (TSR, 1984).
* [[Gary Holian|Holian, Gary]], [[Erik Mona]], [[Sean K Reynolds]], and [[Frederick Weining]]. ''[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]]'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).
* [[Kuntz, Robert J.| Robert Kuntz]] and [[Gygax, Gary|Gary Gygax]] [[Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure]]|, TSR, inc., 1984, WG5, ISBN: 0-88038-168-X, p32
* [[Erik Mona|Mona, Erik]], and [[Gary Holian]]. "Wheels within Wheels: Greyhawk's Circle of Eight." ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #0 ([[Paizo Publishing]], 2000). Available online: [http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LGJcircleof8pdf.zip]
* [[Roger E. Moore|Moore, Roger E]]. ''[[Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins]]'' (TSR, 1998).
:———.  ''[[Return of the Eight]]'', TSR, Inc, 1998, ISBN: 0-7869-1247-2, page 64
* [[Douglas Niles|Niles, Douglas]], and Carl Sargent. ''The City of Greyhawk'' (TSR, 1989).
* [[Pryor, Anthony|Anthony Pryor]], ''[[Rary the Traitor]]'', TSR, inc., 1992, ISBN: 1-56076-497-X, p59
* [[Carl Sargent|Sargent, Carl]]. ''[[From the Ashes]]'' (TSR, 1993).
:———. Sargent, Carl. ''[[Ivid the Undying]]'' (TSR, unpublished). Available online: [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads]
* [[Jim Ward|Ward, James M]]. ''[[Greyhawk Adventures]]'' (TSR, 1988).
{{index}}


[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Human characters]]
[[Category:Wizards]]
[[Category: Members of the Circle of Eight]]