Mordenkainen
The Lord Mage of Greyhawk, Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen is a prolific archmage from the world of Oerth who has mentored many famous wizards and is responsible for the creation of even more powerful and useful spells. His most well known trait is his dedication to neutrality and trying to maintain balance on both a small and cosmic scale.
Mordenkainen was born to some minor noble house of Oerth but never received any special benefits and lacked real noble status. It would not be until he reached his late forties that his first notable actions entered common knowledge. It is here that he first began developing his philosophy of neutrality and began apprenticing another well known wizard named Bigby. By forty-eight He explored the infamous Castle Greyhawk with Biby, Robilar, and Riggby, along with a dozen other companions who were killed was adventuring it's many layers.
By fifty-two he formed the adventuring group known as the Citadel of Eight with other famed adventurers Robilar and Tenser. Their alignment and dedication to benefit the greater good conflicted with Mordenkainen's philosophy of balance and ultimately led to the groups dissolution.
By sixty he had learned how to visit other planes with ease and even discovered ways to visit other crystal spheres without the use of a spelljammer with remarkable accuracy.
Two years later, after an incident that resulted in the release of sealed fiends and gods, Mordenkainen formed a new organization in order to prevent such a thing of occurring again. The Circle of Eight was made with founding members of other famous figures like Bigby, Otto, Rary, Nystul, Drawmij, and Bucknard. They would foil many schemes made by the escaped fiends for nearly a decade. The Circle would be killed by the lich Vecna and Mordenkainen, who had distanced himself from the circle by this time would lead a failed attempt to prevent Vecna's ascension to divinity. The mage would dedicate much of his efforts in cloning the members of the circle how had died.
Mordenkainen would begin shaving his head at the age of eighty-eight and people began to notice that he was either aging much slower than his age would suggest, or not ageing at all. He would also begin trying to tip the scales of balance towards neutrality on a much larger, even cosmic scale. He would begin traveling to different crystal spheres with much more regularity.
It is in this time period that he also established a multi-crystal sphere organization known as the Iron Fist. This group would focus on large scale threats that could endanger the balance of entire worlds. These would usually include power hungry fiends, fey, and otherworldly entities.
Eventually he would travel to the domains of dread in order to balance some of the evil that resided there. This effort would be impeded when Mordenkainen traveled to the mists of Barovia. He had attempted to form a milita made up of disenfranchised people from the village of Barovia. He made it to the castle gates when the undead forces of Count Strahd von Zarovich destroyed the hastily formed militia. Mordenkainen still attempted to challenge Strahd himself but was beaten in a battle of attrition inside the vampire's own lair. He would be thrown off of Tser Falls and his spellbook and staff would be taken from him by Strahd.
In a moment of vulnerability and paranoia, the archmage cast mind blank on himself in order to conceal all secrets he had in his weakened state. This caused him to go mad and would become known as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok.
He would eventually be saved by the group of adventurers which include Zeyis, Wren, Nephi, Cassima, and Arcadia. They were sent into an altered Mordenkainen's Mansion that had fused with the mind blank spell he previously cast onto himself. This sent them into his own mind where the group was able to heal and dispell the mind blank spell. With his mind restored, Mordenkainen agreed to help cast a ritual that would seal the dark power, Vampyr, that was inside of Strahd. He also took an interest in Victor Vallakovich who was traveling with the party at the time. He saw potential in the young mage that he could mold to his own interests. Once Strahd was defeated he choose to take Victor on as an apprentice and took Zeyis and the recently resurrected Dalian as some extra hands to assist him in his further research on the dark powers and other threats to the balance.
Fatigue quickly hit him upon leaving the dread planes and the trio of Zeyis, Dalian, and Victor managed to transport him to allies Bigby and an old friend named Murlynd. With them Mordenkainen was able to rest and recover before returning to his base in the Tower of Urm. While traveling, he would be informed by high ranking Iron Fist member Engurraund that another dark power similar to Vampyr had made itself known in the material plane. Upon arriving, however, it would appear that the threat had already been dealt with. Here he would meet the heroes who defeated the dark power Zhudun, the Myriad. Mordenkainen established relations with their leader, Darunia Faerun and offered some small gifts as a reward for defeating such a great evil and as condolences for the sacrifice of Ser Benjamin Garvey who died while destroying the destructive entity.
A few months later Mordenkainen would meet the Myriad again while he had the Tower of Urm docked in Avernus. They would free the former archdevil Garugauth by tossing the shield he was sealed within into the River Styx. This erased the fiends memories, and seeing potential, Mordenkainen choose to keep the fiend to mold him to his benefit, much like Victor before him. The party also traded some much items such as the sentient sword Terulai in return for some information and Phlegothosian sand which they needed for their current quest.
A few years later, Mordenkainen would send Zeyis and Dalian to investigate the unnatural cold that had afflicted the northern lands of Icewind Dale.
Mordenkainen
Alignment
Chaotic Neutral
Current Status
Alvie
Species
Year of Birth
1300 AN
220 Years old
Birthplace
Oerth
Children
Current Residence
The Tower of Urm
Gender
Male
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Bald, Black Goatee
Height
1.85m / 6'1"
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