Mordenkainen

From Greyhawk Wiki
Revision as of 19:48, 24 October 2007 by Rip (talk | contribs) (→Relationships)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Greyhawk Character
Mordenkainen
General info
Home:Yatil Mountains
Alignment:Neutral
Gender:Male
Species:Human
Class:Wizard
Dates
Age:85+ (born 509 CY)

Mordenkainen is one of the most powerful archmagi of the Flanaess. In the World of Greyhawk he has played diverse roles throughout many stories and adventures, but is most notable for being the shadow-leader of the Circle of Eight, a cabal of eight magi.

Resources about Mordenkainen sometimes disagree with each other, since even the official publications for the World of Greyhawk sometimes contradict each other. It is clear, however, that he is one of the greater heroes (or antiheroes) of the Flanaess.

Description

Mordenkainen appears much younger than his years, perhaps in his mid-forties. He is tall, of medium build and often depicted wearing black, blue, or grey. He wears a Van Dyck beard (a mustache with a goatee) with two prominent grey streaks. Its shape has changed over the years, and in recent art is narrow and pointed, but was originally broad, covering the whole chin. He once wore his greying black hair at medium length, but since 591 CY has been shaving his pate bald, as well as trimming his goatee to a fine point.

Relationships

Mordenkainen has made many enemies over his lifetime, among them Evard, Iuz, Kermin Mind-Bender, Rary, and Sir Robilar. He also has many allies, including the lesser deity Dalt. He can sometimes be spotted visiting with his distant kinsman Heward, or traveling with Keoghtom and Murlynd, with Zagyg and Keoghtom, or with Keoghtom and Heward. Of course, he has access to the full resources of the Circle of Eight.

He is distantly related to Heward, Zagyg, and Bigby. Bigby was at one point his apprentice.

History

Greyhawk authors Carl Sargent, Erik Mona, and Gary Holian imply that Mordenkain was born 509 CY. His birthplace is unknown, but before coming to prominence in the early 560s, he is thought to have resided on the Wild Coast. He also resided for a time in the City of Greyhawk, as well as Highfolk. He is rumored to be of Oeridian blood, possibly Aerdi. Some claim that he is a descendant of Ganz Yragere, first Landgraf of the Selintan, which would mean he's also related to Zagig and Heward. According to some sources, he is distantly related to House Cranden, one of the royal houses of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy.

About 561 CY, with his young apprentice Bigby, the warriors Robilar and Yrag, the clerics Riggby and Serten, the ranger Otis, and fellow mage Tenser, Mordenkainen formed the Citadel of Eight. The group was named for the Obsidian Citadel, Mordenkainen's stronghold in the Yatil Mountains. The Citadel disbanded after the Battle of Emridy Meadows in 569 CY, which is regarded by many as one of the most important events of the sixth century. Only Serten was present at Emridy Meadows, and he paid with his life.

Two years later, Mordenkain formed the Circle of Eight, a cabal of eight wizards with himself acting as the ninth "shadow member" and leader. Mordenkainen felt that the failure of the Citadel was due to its composition. He felt that such a group as he envisioned could only succeed if its members were "men of intellect and sorcerous skill, whose primary interests were more than material."

Role and philosophy

Mordenkainen's role in the Flanaess is quite an unusual one - he has been described as a form of one-man peacekeeping force. Trying to prevent wars and conflicts, he operates according to some bizarre theory based on power balance and Neutrality, trying to keep neither Good nor Evil from getting the upper hand. Exactly how this is done is not entirely clear, but he is very manipulative and operates very much from the shadows.

The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000) says the following about Mordenkainen:

"Mordenkainen the Archmage formed the Circle of Eight as a tool to manipulate political factions of the Flanaess, preserving the delicate balance of power in hopes of maintaining stability and sanity in the region. Mordenkainen's view of 'enforced neutrality' is not a tit-for-tat equality but rather a detailed theoretical philosophy derived from decades of arcane research. He has fought ardently for the forces of Good, most recently during the Greyhawk Wars, but just as often has worked on darker plots to achieve his ends."

Spells

Mordenkainen is responsible for developing such commonly known spells as:

  • Mordenkainen's Disjunction
  • Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
  • Mordenkainen's Lucubration
  • Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion
  • Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum
  • Mordenkainen's Sword

Mordenkainen has also developed the following additional spells:

  • Mordenkainen's Buzzing Bee
  • Mordenkainen's Capable Caravel
  • Mordenkainen's Celerity
  • Mordenkainen's Defense Against Lycanthropes
  • Mordenkainen's Defense Against Nonmagical Reptiles and Amphibians
  • Mordenkainen's Electric Arc
  • Mordenkainen's Encompassing Vision
  • Mordenkainen's Faithful Phantom Defenders
  • Mordenkainen's Faithful Phantom Guardian
  • Mordenkainen's Faithful Phantom Shield-Maidens
  • Mordenkainen's Force Missiles
  • Mordenkainen's Involuntary Wizardry
  • Mordenkainen's Penultimate Cogitation
  • Mordenkainen's Protection From Avians
  • Mordenkainen's Protection From Insects and Arachnids
  • Mordenkainen's Protection From Slime
  • Mordenkainen's Trusted Bloodhound

Writings

Mordenkainen is known to have authored or co-authored the following works:

  • Architecture (with Leomund)
  • The Codex of Mordenkainen
  • Cosmogony of Magnetic Fluids
  • Dark Sides of the Memory
  • Epic Saga of the Great Conjurers
  • On The Rise of Magecraft and Modernity
  • Weapons of the Ether (with Melf)

Creative origins

Originally a player character invented by Gary Gygax, Mordenkainen's name is derived from the names Mordecai and Lemminkainen.

Bibliography

  • Bailey, Robin Wayne. Night Watch. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990.
  • Heard, Bruce. "Spells Between the Covers." Dragon #82. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
  • Williams, Skip, Penny Williams, Ari Marmell, and Kolja Raven Liquette. Complete Mage. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.
Retrieved from "https://gateway.greyhawk.city/greyhawkwiki/index.php?title=Mordenkainen&oldid=21022"