Tenser
| Tenser | |
|---|---|
| General info | |
| Home: | Magepoint |
| Alignment: | Lawful Good |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human |
| Class: | Wizard 16/Archmage 5 |
| Dates | |
| Age: | 70+ |
Tenser is an archmage who actively seeks to rid the Flanaess of evil. A former member of both the Citadel of Eight and the Circle of Eight, Tenser makes his home in the Fortress of Unknown Depths on the southern shore of the Nyr Dyv, near the village of Magepoint, only a few days ride from the Free City of Greyhawk.
In Dungeon's Age of Worms adventure path, Tenser is referred to as "Manzorian."
Appearance
Tenser is described and depicted as having an aquiline nose, and is always dressed in blue.
History
Tenser was born 525 CY, purportedly in the Wild Coast town of Fax. At some point after 551 CY, he was recruited by Mordenkainen and Bigby to join the Citadel of Eight. After the death of his good friend and fellow Citadel member Serten in 569 CY, the Citadel dissolved. Tenser joined forces with Bigby and Mordenkainen once more in 574 CY when he joined the Circle of Eight, replacing Leomund.
The Circle was betrayed in 584 CY, when Tenser, Bigby, and Otiluke discovered a plan by the Circle's own Rary to slay a number of diplomats assembled in Greyhawk to sign the treaty ending the Greyhawk Wars. Unfortunately, Rary witnessed their discovery, and a great magical battle ensued, resulting in the deaths of Otiluke and Tenser, and severely wounding Bigby, who was unable to pursue Rary as he escaped. Word later came that Rary's allies, among them former Citadel member Lord Robilar, had ensured Tenser's and Otiluke's deaths by destroying every clone they had prepared for such an incident. Rary and Robilar fled to the Bright Desert, southeast of Greyhawk, where they established the Empire of the Bright Lands.
However, Rary and Robilar had failed to discover a clone Tenser had hidden away on Luna, one of Oerth's moons, and in Goodmonth of 585 CY Tenser was restored to life. Though he was welcomed back into the Circle, Tenser refused.
Spells
Two of Tenser’s eponymous spells, Tenser's Floating Disc and Tenser's Transformation, appear in the 3.5 Edition Player’s Handbook. Other spells that he developed, described in supplements, include:
- Tenser's Brawl
- Tenser's Deadly Strike
- Tenser's Destructive Resonance
- Tenser's Eye of the Eagle
- Tenser's Eye of the Tiger
- Tenser's Flaming Blade
- Tenser's Floating Disc, Greater
- Tenser's Fortunes of War
- Tenser's Giant Strength
- Tenser's Hunting Hawk
- Tenser's Master of Arms
- Tenser's Primal Fury
- Tenser's Running Warrior
- Tenser's Staff of Smiting
- Tenser's Steady Aim
Writings
Tenser is known to have authored the following works:
- Evolution of the Arcane Will Power
- Magical Properties of Gemstones
- Magical Properties of Herbs and Flowers
- Occult Properties of Gemstones
- Theory of the Invisible Forces
Creative Origins
It is rumored that the name 'Tenser' is actually the rearanging of E Gary Gygax's first name 'Ernest,' a name also shared by one of his sons, Ernie, who played Tenser in the elder Gygax's campaign.
References
- Blume, Brian, David Cook, and Jean Wells. The Rogues Gallery (TSR, 1980).
- Browne, Dave J, and Don Turnbull. The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (TSR, 1981).
- Browne, Dave J, and Don Turnbull. Danger at Dunwater (TSR, 1982).
- Cook, David. "History of the Greyhawk Wars." Wars (TSR, 1991). Available Online: [1]
- -----. Vecna Lives (TSR, 1990).
- Grohe, Allan. "Gygax's Anagrams, Puns, and Homages in the World of Greyhawk." Available online: [2]
- Gygax, Gary. Isle of the Ape (TSR, 1985).
- -----. Players Handbook (TSR, 1978).
- Heard, Bruce. "Spells Between the Covers." (Dragon #82 (TSR, 1988).
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- Mona, Erik, and Gary Holian. "Wheels within Wheels: Greyhawk's Circle of Eight." Living Greyhawk Journal #0 (Aug 2000). Available online:[3]
- Moore, Roger. Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins (TSR, 1998.
- Moore, Roger E. Return of the Eight (TSR, 1998.
- Niles, Douglas, and Carl Sargent. The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989.
- Pryor, Anthony. Rary the Traitor (TSR, 1992.
- Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes (TSR, 1993.
- Ward, James M. Greyhawk Adventures (TSR, 1988.