Mordenkainen

Mordenkainen was (or is, depending on how you see it) one of the most powerful archmagi of the World of Greyhawk. Originally a character invented by Gary Gygax, his name is derived from the names Mordocai and Väinämöinen. In the World of Greyhawk he has played diverse roles throughout many stories and RPG adventures, but is most notable for being the leader of the Circle of Eight, a cabal of nine mages of which Mordenkainen acts as a shadow leader.

Mordenkainen's role in the setting 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 (Wizards of the Coast edition) 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."

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

Mordenkainen is responsible for such spells as:

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

References

• Cook, David. Greyhawk Wars (TSR, 1991).

• Cook, David. Vecna Lives (TSR, 1990).

• Mona, Erik, and Gary Holian. "Wheels within Wheels: Greyhawk's Circle of Eight." Living Greyhawk Journal #0 (Aug 2000). Available online: http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LGJcircleof8pdf.zip

• Moore, Roger. Return of the Eight (TSR, 1998).

• Pryor, Anthony. Rary the Traitor (TSR, 1992).

• Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes (TSR, 1993).

• Sargent, Carl, et al. The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989).