On Mordenkainen, Part 1 (2024)

“Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road,healthy, free, the world before me.”

―Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road

Mordenkainen

When one thinksabout the Greyhawk setting the figure of Mordenkainen must surely be the firstthing that comes to mind. That’s a reasonable supposition. As much as Elminsteris the face of the Forgotten Realms and Raistlin is synonymous with Krynn, Mordenkainenis the veritable granddaddy of Greyhawk. He ought to be. He was the mostvisible and recognisable character of its creator, Mr. Gary Gygax. They arethus part and parcel. But whether his Mordenkainen and our Mordenkainen are thesame Mordenkainen is debatable. I suspect they are not. In fact, I know theyare not. They would appear to be, but they are not one and the same.

Take Mordenkainen’squest for “Balance,” for instance. What was Gary’s intent here? Did he meanGood versus Evil? Or Law versus Chaos? That the concept of Balance originatedwith Michael Moorco*ck’s Eternal Champion is obvious to me. Balance between Lawand Chaos makes perfect sense, stemming from the eternal struggle betweenperpetual change and orderly stagnation. Indeed, that struggle fitshand-in-glove with OD&D’s original 3-tier alignment system. But the notionthat Balance requires a Champion falls apart in AD&D’s far more complexclash of alignments. Why anyone should ever suggest that Evil needs assistanceis beyond my ken; truly, Evil seems to flourish without any help from anyone.

Mordnkainen, however, sees things differently from such unenlightenedsouls as I.

Perhaps no individual in all Oerik sees himself asembodying the spirit of Balance as does Mordenkainen the Archmage. Hisphilosophies are almost entirely one-sided on the matter, and many a worthycause has gone unanswered by the mage's private army, the Obsidian Citadel(sharing the name of his hidden fortress home) because of his neutral-mindedconvictions. [LGJ#0 – 9]

I’m not the only one, either.

This philosophy has gained the archmage a virtual armyof enemies, not a few of whom once considered him a good friend. Among theselast can be counted Evard the Black, Terik and, of course, Rary. luz and hisunderlings, particularly Kermin Mind-Bender, have hated Mordenkainen from theirfirst meeting. [LGJ#0 – 9]

Few would ever guess that Mordenkainen would become theman he would eventually be, given his origins. He began, as many heroic D&Dfigures do, as a common adventurer. In short, a reaver. One might even suggestthat, despite his wielding magic, he was a common thief. Back in the day allthat glittered in Mordenkainen’s eyes was gold.

Robilar: "And what of the dream—the one you toldme about? A city of gold and silver, Mordenkainen. Surely no one but the godsthemselves could have built it."

Mordenkainen was fully awake now and staring at thefighter like a child mesmerized by some fairy tale. [OJ#6 – 45]

We won’t hold that against him, though. We were, all ofus, cut from the same cloth then.

When then did he aspire to difference from that commoncloth? In Gary’s campaign, apparently.

Survival and ability to adventure widely were my firstconcerns for Mordenkainen. When he made 12^th level I decided heshould have some greater purpose, so I added political concerns, keeping thebalance in the Flanaess, growing powerful and influential, and keepingaggressive bad guys at bay.

I see no hint in this that Gary’s Mordenkainen lent ahelping hand to Evil. Indeed, what passed as the Circle of Eight in his gameplay was a very different creature to the one we are steeped in.

So, as with agreat many of the bios I’ve collected, we must separate Gary Gygax’sMordenkainen and our canonical one.

WhatMordenkainen was to become, I believe, is perhaps a mirror of the Greyhawksetting, itself, an evolution of disparate influences, all crammed together inone package, each conceivably incompatible with the whole, yet sculpted intosomething greater than the sum of its parts.

Is he, though?We shall see.

History precedes him. As it precedes us all.

c. -300 CY

Greyhawk was established as a trading post on theSelintan River during the period of early migrations. [Folio – 11]

What has this todo with Mordenkainen? Perhaps nothing. What follows may, or may not, havesomething to do with Mordenkainen’s lineage, however.

4 CY

In 4 CY, an opportunistic captain named Maret Nial(originally from Greyhawk) crossed the Cairn Hills with a large hand ofex-soldiers [….] Nial arrived at the village of Greyhawk, proclaimed itconquered without bothering to have a battle, and set about with his menbuilding a motte-and-bailey keep [.] [TAB – 57]

As it flourished, a local warlord built a small keepon the hills above the village called Greyhawk which had sprung up around thetrading center, extracting taxes from the trade and occasionally raidingcaravans (particularly those coming with silver ingots found in the burialmounds of the Cairn Hills). [Folio – 11]

Maret Nial

This petty noble soon became quite rich and powerfuland assumed the title of Landgraf of Selintan. Greyhawk and the power of thenew Landgraf grew rapidly thereafter, and his son and heir, Ganz, was wed tothe daughter of the Gynarch (Despotrix) of Hardby, a sorceress of no smallrepute. [Folio – 11]

It is this GanzNial that concerns us.

c. 40 CY

Lord Nial’s son and heir, Ganz, was more a bureaucratthan a soldier, more a manager than a leader. However, he was a very goodmanager, and he had all of his father’s shrewdness. Ganz married Maro, thedaughter of the then-current Gynarch of Hardby, forging a loose but lastingalliance between the two towns. [TAB – 57]

The heirs of Ganz and Maro (who became Gynarch in 49CY) oversaw a domain with vast potential. [TAB – 57]

Is this Ganz Nial Ganz Yragerne? Oneimagines it is. But how is this Nial “a Yragerne”? Through paternity, I expect.Was Maro a Yragerne? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps the matriarchal line of the Gynarchsof Hardby (named paternally) have direct lineage from the Nials…. ‘Tis lost totime. We do know, however, that Zagig Yragerne is descended from Ganz (seebelow), and thus Maret Nial.

Again, what has this to do with Mordenkainen? Perhapsnothing. Perhaps I’m rambling, tediously. But I’m closing in on what issuggested, if not necessarily true.

277 CY

Time passes. Zagigis born.

During themiddle of the third century [,] a boy-child named Zagig was born to a lessermember of the Gynarchy [of Hardby] and a descendant of Lord Ganz of Greyhawk. [Slavers – 32]

Zagyg the demigod is often called the Mad Archmage oridentified by his mortal name, Zagig Yragerne. [PGtG – 16]

290s CY

Who were this group of adventurers? Legend has it theywere the Company of Seven: Zagig, Keoghtom, Murlynd, Norlzur, Qyall, Heward,and Tasha.

Murlynd, the most peculiar hero-god known, was calledMerlund or something similar during his mortal life [.] [PGtG – 16]

305 CY

In 305 CY, [a group of adventurers] led by a craftyyoung wizard of the Landgrafdom of Selintan […] navigated [Lyzandred the Mad’s]riddles and defeated many of his guardians. […] The lich conversed with themthrough a projected image before dismissing all save the wizard, whom he saw ashaving great potential. The mage was Zagig Yragerne. […] The young mage stayedwith the lich for a short time and learned much, finally asking to leave andpractice what he had been taught. [LT2 Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad –2]

Veralos

ZagigYragerne led a quixotic expedition of his companions on a quest to locate thelost Flan citadel of Veralos. He was accompanied by such young personages asMurlynd and Keoghtom, who among others formed the auspicious Company of Seven. [Dragon #293 – 90]

c. 310 CY

All good things come to an end, however. Sooner or later,all adventurers, should they survive, have desire to make their mark on theirworld.

Greyhawk became a haven for criminals fleeing Aerdyjustice farther east, and its Oligarchy (as the city council was now known) hadbecome corrupt and petty.

Into this mess came a wizard named Zagig Yragerne,rumored to have been born somewhere on the Wild Coast. [TAB – 58]

This haven for criminals seemed as good a place as any.

c. 320 CY

Zagig turned that mess of a town around.

Over time, Lyzandred watched Zagig gather knowledgeand power, use that power to build a small town into a bustling city, andconstruct a strange multidimensional castle on a nearby hill. [LT2 – 2]

The castle and its three towers were begun around 320CY by Zagig Yragerne, the mad Archmage, before he became lord Mayor ofGreyhawk. [TAB – 75]

What to call it? I doubt he called it Castle Greyhawk, butstranger things have happened. And Zagig would prove an unpredictable sort.

His reign was bizarre in many other ways [.][Folio – 11]

421 CY

Then, one day, without so much as a how-do-you-do, Zagigup and disappeared.

As with Lyzandred so long before, Zagig’s thoughts clarifiedand he saw what he was becoming. He chose to leave his city and wander theplanes, and that was the last day he was seen on Oerth as a mortal man.[LT2 – 3]

It came as no surprise when it was reported that ZagigYragerne had mysteriously vanished after years of rule when no change or agingcould be detected. [Folio – 11]

[Castle Greyhawk] was abandoned after Zagig vanishedin 421 CY. [TAB – 75]

What has the doings of the archmage Zagig to do withMordenkainen? Nothing, at present, given that Mordenkainen had not been born;but these events will have some small effect on Mordenkainen’s life.

505 CY

As did Iuz theEvil’s disappearance.

Iuz the Evil

6^thCentury CY

However unpredictableand evil he may have been, Iuz had proved a somewhat stabilising presence northof the Nyr Dyv, insofar as his domain became Abyss on Oerth in his absence.

Over the years a handful of lesser demons andshapeshifters appeared on the scene claiming Iuz’s Throne of Bone, whipping thefractured cult of the Old One into temporary frenzy until being dispatched byrivals. These false Iuzes threw the nations into turmoil and brought savagearmies across civilized borders. If the real Iuz returns, the disaster could beincalculable. [EttRoG – 4]

We finally cometo the beginning of our story.

509 CY

Mordenkainen isborn.

He is possiblyOeridian. [Ivid – 137]

Little is known about Mordenkainen’s origins,particularly; the place of his birth. Rumors place him as Oeridian, perhapsAerdi. Some even say he is of the line of Ganz Yragerne, making him distantlyrelated to such notables as Zagig Yragerne and Heward. [LGJ#0 – 9]

Suggesting doesnot actually make it so. ‘Tis hearsay, as they say.

This nextpassage is more concrete:

Zagyg is related to Heward by some distant kinship,and Heward and the arch-mage Mordenkainen are likewise kin. [Dragon #71 – 20]

So, we come toit: Mordenkainen has a bit of pedigree. One might declare him nobility,distantly related to Landgrafs and Gynarchs; but commoners of allcolours can do that, given how great families have – for the most part – carriedon. What is far more telling is his being related to Zagig and Heward, possiblypresaging the power he would wield in decades to come.

But Mordenkainendid not grow up a Landgraf or a scion of Gynarchs. There is no suggestion whatsoeverthat he was raised with riches at his disposal; indeed, there are no tales toldeither way, truth be told. There is only the suggestion that he hails from analtogether less than fortunate tract of landscape: the Wild Coast.

Legendary natives of the Wild Coast include suchpersons as Mordenkainen, Robilar, and Tenser, to name but a few. [WoGA – 42]

Capital:None;

Major townsonly (Safeton 4,600; Narwell 2,900; Fax 6,700; Badwall 5,200; Elredd 8,400)

Population:150,000 + (est. only)

Demi-humans:Many

Humanoids:Many

Resources:None outstanding

The westernshores of the Sea of Gearnat have long been called the Wild Coast, for theregion has been a haven for malcontents, dissidents, demi-humans, humanoids,and the outcasts of other states. […]

Its raciallymixed peoples are well known as mercenaries and adventurers themselves. [Folio – 19]

That sort ofpedigree does not presage heroism and great deeds. It does the reverse, to mymind. One wonders how Mordenkainen managed to be born in such a place. Whyshould this be so perplexing? Because he is also, apparently, descended fromkings.

Apart from this complexity, House Cranden is importantbecause of its history and traditions. Cranden sages have many of the finestcollections of historical documents, tomes, and items in all the lands. If oneshould seek all that is known of such ancient luminaries as Lum the Mad,Johydee, the Wind Dukes of Aqaa, and the Sunken Isles below the Nyr Dyv, thenCranden sages are the best sources—and probably the most accessible. Indeed,the house itself has produced some of the greatest names in all Oerth's history;Johydee, Tuerny the Merciless, Schandor, and among more modern luminaries, bothBigby (which is generally known) and Mordenkainen himself (which is not knownto more than a handful). [Ivid –137]

I would not readtoo much into this. It smells more like propaganda than fact. We are alldescended from kings, I might opine, if we cast our net far enough back and widelyenough. I imagine the suggestion that he hales from House Cranden is supposedto signal his inevitability of learned magnificence.

[Personally, Idislike stacking too much greatness on any PC’s/NPC’s backstory. It signalsdivine destiny. Oh, did I tell you? Mordenkainen is a king. Mordenkainen isrelated to everyone great. Mordenkainen was always going to become thegreatest wizard who every lived! Spare me. Give me rags-to-riches, any day.]

Who were Mordenkainen’sparents, then? Were they rich? Nobility? Influential? I doubt they were any ofthese. I expect they were one of those forementioned malcontents,dissidents, […] and the outcasts of other states. [Folio – 19]

Although [r]umorsplace him as Oeridian, perhaps Aerdi [LGJ#0 – 9], it’s far more plausiblethat they were racially mixedpeoples [,] well known as mercenaries and adventurers [Folio – 19] – you know, actual WildCoasters.

522 CY

Whomever hisparents were, they must have had enough experience with magic to recognisetheir son’s innate talent for it, and flush with enough coin (pirates,perhaps?) to send their son away for instruction, all the way to the City ofGreyhawk.

The City of Greyhawk

GREYHAWK, (Free) CITY OF

His Solemn Authority, the Lord Mayor of Greyhawk[...]

Population: 53,000 (city), 70,000 + total (includingsurrounding area)

Demi-humans: Some

Humanoids: Some

Resources: silver, electrum, gold, platinum, gems(I-IV)

[Folio – 11]

Mordenkainen, one of the most powerful wizards ever towalk the world of Oerth, came to Greyhawk following tales of Zagig’s legendarymagical prowess. [EttRoG – 9]

Perhaps. Whyever he came to the City of Greyhawk, Mordenkainen began training as a magic-userat 13 years of age.

[The date is pureconjecture on my part. One must begin training sometime, and I decided that theage one enters middle-school (thereabouts) is as good an age as any to beginmagical training.]

Mordenkainen was [o]nce a resident of […] Greyhawk [.][LGJ#0 – 9]

The Free City of Greyhawk is the home of the mostprestigious school of magic across the Flanaess. The distinctive pyramid of theUniversity of Magic is one of the Free City’s most unique landmarks. [CoG:GotF– 5]

One of the guild’s major functions is the training ofwizards, both the novice and the experienced. Every year, new fresh-facedstudents arrive to begin their studies and learn their first spell (which isalways read magic).

Trainee mages enrolled at the University can expectthe very best in training and preparation for their career in magery. TheUniversity can draw upon the considerable resources of the associated Guild ofWizardry and includes some of the most distinguished [practitioners] of the Artamong its tutorial staff.

The University encourages both established wizards andstudents (under supervision) to undertake research into various aspects of themagical arts, and there are several secure laboratories beneath the Guildhall.[CoG:FFF – 20]

Its students work hard, and are subject to harshdiscipline. By and large the apprentices have time for little but theirstudies. [CoG:GotF – 5]

The [GreyhawkUniversity of Magical Arts] is known for its harsh academic life and intense, focused studies;Mordenkainen […] learned [his] craft here decades ago. [TAB – 6]

Harsh it might havebeen, but it taught him well. He was not only exposed to the secrets of theWeave, but to art and music and history and political science, all of whichmight come in handy when plying one’s Art, or navigating courtly life.

His greatest passions are for his Art. [LGJ#0 – 9]

One wonders if a low-born Wild Coaster with ambitionwould have difficulty fitting in amid such company as would be enrolled in the– reputedly – most eminent scholastic institution in Greyhawk, if not all ofthe Flanaess.

Young Mordenkainen

Was he shunned?Ridiculed? Made to understand that he did not belong, however talented he maybe?

Was he bullied?It matters little how talented he might be should he be set upon by a troupe ofoppressors, who also happen to be the cream of society. Had he, he would havebeen taught perhaps the most important lessons of his life while there: Theworld is a cruel and heartless place; and that “monsters” come in many forms.Indeed, his time there left its indelible mark.

He has few friends, and no one in whom he completelyconfides. [LGJ#0 – 9]

Was it from then that the suggestion of his Crandenfamilial roots sprung? A pretention of suitability carefully seeded….

You like to keep people guessing, so you do notconfirm or deny anything. [COR1 – 00 The Citadel – PCs – 1]

[I do not deny his relation to Zagig and Heward here, butI doubt he would know of it then if he were sprung from Wild Coast bandits.It’s not like anyone born to banditry would have genealogical records at hisfingertips. As to his being a scion of Crandon…. Well… Ivid the Undyingdeclares him thus.]

Reminded of his “unsuitability,” Mordenkainen would havestriven to succeed, bettering his betters in every subject he engaged in. Muchto their chagrin.

But that levelof success necessitated a great many hours at study in libraries, pursuing evermore esoteric lore. Some of what he discovered was enlightening, to say theleast.

Before his adventures, Mordenkainen knew of Zagig asan eccentric, the long-lived former Lord Mayor during the City of Greyhawk’srenaissance. He was the founder of the city’s world-renowned Guild of Wizardryand one of the greatest adventuring mages ever to cast a spell. Mordenkainenwould come to learn that Zagig had cheated death by becoming a deity [.][EttRoG – 4]

535 CY

Mordenkainencompletes his initial training as a magic-user.

Mordenkainen is26 years old. [DMG 1e – 12]

Let’s assume hewas valedictorian. He has the intelligence to have been, and, given his historyto follow, the drive, as well.

Mordenkainen the Prestidigitator

Mordenkainenthe Prestidigitator

Class:Magic-User

Level: 1

Str 10, Int 18, Wis 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Cha 18[WG5 Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure – 30]

Mordenkainen stands 5 ft. 11 in. tall [.] [LGJ#0 –9]

He wears a dark beard trimmed to a point, and usuallyfavors black satin coats, lined in red, over traditional robes. […] His mostimpressive physical features are his penetrating eyes. [LGJ#0 – 9]

Did he remain inthe city of Greyhawk? Doubtful. He would have had every desire to strike out toprove his mettle. And had his time at the university been, shall we say,trying, he’d have been motivated to put as much distance between himself and itas passible.

Late 530s CY

Where might hehave struck out to? Home, at first, I would imagine. All the better to show offhis “great” accomplishment to those who bankrolled his education.

Mordenkainen was [o]nce a resident of the Wild Coast[.] [LGJ#0 – 9]

Besides, theWild Coast was as good a place as any for an ambitious young mage to prove hisworth.

There is noquestion that the Wild Coast is known throughout the Flanaess as a place ofsanctuary, albeit a highly dangerous one, filled with adventure at the veryleast. [Folio – 19]

And let’s facefacts, the Wild Coast has always proved an excellent training ground foradventurers.

The areagives rise to many outstanding clerics, fighters, magic-users, and thieves. [Folio – 19]

It was therethat Mordenkainen had his first taste of adventure. And peril. The Wild Coastis not, after all, a tranquil place, by any stretch of the imagination.

POMARJ (The)

The humanoids have not often dared to cross into Ulek,but their raiders cause much trouble in the Wild Coast. [Folio – 14]

Woolly Bay:

Some unscrupulous captains still put in at thehumanoid-controlled town of Highport to trade. [Folio – 21]

GNARLEY FOREST

The forest is home to many fierce creatures as well,and many humanoid bands rove about seeking to murder and loot. [Folio – 22]

The Suss Forest

The humanoid bands of the Pomarj, particularlykobolds, orcs, and gnolls, seem to love this forest, and many hundreds areknown to dwell within Its depths. They likewise use It as a highway to movenorthwards to raid In the Wild Coast, Celene, or even the Ulek states and intoVerbobonc. [Folio – 26]

Mordenkainen knew there was a great deal of adventure tobe had there, despite its dangers.

A lost, ruined city of the Old Suloise Is said to behidden somewhere In the Suss forest, but few dare to venture on such a quest,particularly today. [Folio – 26]

He did notremain here for long. He had read a great deal about the wider world and aimedto see what he could of it.

Where did heroam, exactly? Who can say, but there are rumours that [Mordenkainen]has traveled to the reaches of the exotic Far West and ventured extensivelyacross the Flanaess, from the lands of the Northmen to the shores of the AmedioJungle. [LGJ#0 – 9]

Tenser

That he travelled throughout the Flanaess is a given.Whether he had the means to travel far at first is doubtful. Thus he would haveranged up and down the coast, to begin, then up unto Verbobonc and Dyvers, and thenacross the Plains of Greyhawk, I imagine. Not far, not yet, but far enough tohave made his most influential and lasting acquaintances.

In his adventurous youth, [Tenser] traveled throughoutthe Flanaess and beyond and met Mordenkainen, Riggby, Merlynd (now thequasi-diety Murlynd), Robilar, Bigby and other now-famous personages. [Rot8– 58]

WhereverMordenkainen travelled prior to meeting those mentioned, it was in theircompany that he acquired his fame and fortune.

There is scarcely a mage who has not heard of hisexploits or recognized his skill and knowledge of matters both magical andpolitical. [LGJ#0 – 9]

540s CY

Early in life, Bigby’s travels found him in the WildCoast, where he eventually gained the notice of Mordenkainen. [LGJ#1 – 8]

CastleGreyhawk

Young Bigby

Mordenkainen certainly educated the bookish boy in theways of dungeon delving.

Soonthereafter, Mordenkainen took Bigby in tow and again ventured into thedungeons. The pair sent a fireball into the notorious pudding-guarded chamber,but heard nothing. Following quickly, the two saw a black pudding moving atbest speed away from them, leaving the access to the lower regions of thedungeon open and uncontested. [Dragon #289 – 28]

Indeed, he tookthe burgeoning Bigby under his wing.

Bigby was the original […] apprentice of Mordenkainen[.] [Dragon #37 – 11]

Perhaps it was fromtheir acquaintance that rumours of Mordenkainen’s supposed lofty lineage stem.

Bigby is known to be a member of Aerdy's HouseCranden, and rumors have long placed Mordenkainen as a distant scion of thesame bloodline. For that reason, and because of their shared experiences andadventures, Bigby and Mordenkainen share a friendship unique among the membersof the Circle. [LGJ#1 – 8]

Regardless theirdubiously convenient shared lineage, Bigby and Mordenkainen’s fates had entwinedand would be for decades to come. One images then that they were close. Butmaster and pupil are rarely bosom buddies. That is not the nature of theirrelationship. It would be withTenser that Bigby became the fastest of friends.

Tenser (LG) [Rogues Gallery 1e – 47]

Bigby isnever without a teleport without error spell which can take him to Mordenkainenor Tenser should he become trapped [.] [CoG:FFF – 23]

550 CY

Theirs was alucrative alliance. So much so, in fact, that Mordenkainen could soon afford toset about building his citadel.

It is possible for a magic-user of 1[0]^thor higher level to construct a stronghold and clear the countryside in a 10 or20 mile radius of all monsters, thus ruling an area much as a noble. If this isaccomplished, a revenue of 5 silver pieces per inhabitant per month isgenerated in the territory ruled. [PHB 1e – 25]

[The PHB 1e stipulates 12^th level (othereditions are vaguer about when this can take place), but as Mordenkainen doesnot attain that level until about 560 CY (noted in WG5), long after the Citadelof Eight became active, one must assume that he began constructing hisstronghold earlier. Let us then assume that he began construction when he was10^th level, completing his vast citadel when 12^th.]

Mordenkainen the Mage

Mordenkainen the Mage

Class: Wizard

Level: 10

Align: Neutral

Height: [5 ft. 11 in.] Weight: 190 lb Age: [42] [Textsays 6’1”; and 52 years old, as would be his age in 560 when the module COR1 –00 The Citadel is set, but adjusted here to conform more adequately withother source material.]

Str 10, Int [18], Wis 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Cha 18 [Textsays Int 20, reduced to conform with WG5.]

Mordenkainen wears a dark beard trimmed in theNyrondal style and favors black satin coats lined in red over traditionalrobes. In sharp contrast to the fashion of the day, your black hair, streakedwith silvery-gray, is shorn close to your head. [COR1 – 00 – 1]

Mordenkainen is 41 years old.

His edifice would take years to complete, one imagines,regardless that a strong clan of stone giants […] assisted in the buildingof the citadel. [CoG:FFF – 21] Why should this be when he had suchskilled and able artisans at his disposal? Because the site he chose is remoteand the Yatils, themselves, are a formidable range, and not just in terrain.

Yatil Mountains

Yatil Mountains: These mountains areclustered thickly for many leagues west and south of Lake Quag. They, alongwith the Barrier Peaks, divide the Baklunish portion of the continent from therest – save in the north where western nomads have pushed across the top and beyond.These mountains form the boundaries of Ekbir, Tusmit, and Ket to the west. Inand along their eastern slopes are found the Concatenated Cantons of Perrenlandand the territory of the Olvenfolk (Highfolk). [Folio – 24]

Yatil Mountains: These great mountainsare nearly impassable for many leagues west and south of Lake Quag. Numerousorcs, ogres, giants, trolls, and bestial monsters dwell here, even dragons,though less than in the mountains to the south. [LGG – 143]

There are numerous humanoids and monsters dwellingwithin this range of mountains, but there are also some hardy demi-humans andmountaineers there. The Yatils are quite rich in ore deposits and gems,although it is difficult to locate and mine such deposits. [Folio – 24]

One must then assume that Mordenkainen had to take residence there fromthe start to guard against all those orcs and ogres and giants and trolls, ohmy!

Mordenkainen lives in the Obsidian Citadel,a symmetrical complex of towers and walled defenses in the Yatil Mountains. [CoG:FFF– 21/FtAR#13]

Anchored for a time in one place, this gavehim more time for further research into all things arcane.

Mordenkainen lives in his Obsidian Citadelin the Yatils, but he also travels disguised as a merchant to learn facts onhis own. The Citadel houses Mordenkainen’s unequalled library which is said tocontain spellbooks of every known spell) except those designed by individualwizards), intelligence reports from across the continent, and a detailed andcontinually updated history of the Flanaess. [PGtG– 21,22]

Costs piled up,however. A citadel in the mountains is not a cheap undertaking.

WhenMordenkainen had gathered his initial band of fellows, henchmen, and followersnumbering a score or two, keeping them became a problem. It wasn’t a matter ofloyalty or what to do with them. The sheer cost of paying upkeep and wages wasquite staggering. The rewards for dungeon exploration were sufficient tomaintain the group in modest fashion, but certainly a mage with vision neededmore than such a small company to achieve his grand ends. [Dragon #299 – 18]

What to do,then?

Venture furtherafield in search of funds.

The Answer

His plan was metwith success. It also tamed the immediate approaches to his construction site.

That got himthinking. Might he not tame the entire Flanaess, ridding it of the “monsters”afflicting it? Why stop there? Why not rid it of both evil-goers and the overlyofficious and sanctimonious overlords who presumed to know better than thosewho toiled under them. Why not “free” the Flanaess of all forms of oppression!

He had somethingthere, he thought.

He could notundertake such a scheme alone, however.

“And suddenly you know: It's time to start somethingnew and trust the magic of beginnings.”

―Meister Eckhart (disputed)

One must alwaysgive credit where credit is due. This piece is made possible primarily by theImaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and thenew old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian,Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining.The list is interminable.

Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his compiledindex, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.

The Art:

Mordenkainen, by Michael Kormarck, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007

Map detail, by Sam Wood, from The Adventure Begins, 1998

ZagigYragerne, fromExpedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007

Veralos, by Kalman Andrasofszky, from Dragon #293, 2002

Iuz the Evil, by Eric Hotz, from WGR5 Iuz the Evil, 1993

Map details, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980

University of Magical Arts, by David Roach, fromThe Adventure Begins, 1998

Map detail, by Anna B. Meyer

Sources:

1015World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983

1043City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1992

1064From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992

2010Players Handbook 1e, 1978

2011ADungeon Masters Guide 1e, 1979

9025World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980

9031The Rogues Gallery 1e, 1980

9576Return of the Eight, 1998

9577The Adventure Begins, 1998

9578Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998

9580LT2 Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad, 1998

WGR7 Ivid the Undying, 1998

11621Slavers, 2000

11743Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000

Expeditionto the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007

DragonMagazine #37, 71, 289, 293, 299

OerthJournal #6

LivingGreyhawk Journal #0, 1

COR1 – 00 The Citadel PCs

Greyhawkania,Jason Zavoda

Themap of Anna B. Meyer