Mordenkainen

Mordenkainen is a prolific archmage from the world of Oerth who is responsible for many powerful and useful spells. Mordenkainen has a hawk-like face, with a permanent frown that gives the appearance of alertness and almost anger, and a penetrating gaze. He keeps a close-trimmed beard and wears grey, high-collared robes. His voice is deep and melodic. He favors a bald head and well trimmed goatee. He is typically stubborn and one who does not suffer fools gladly, Mordenkainen can be difficult even with his friends.
Mordenkainen is without a doubt one of the most powerful wizards in any multiverse, if not the most powerful. He is of exceptional intelligence, and has mastered the ultimate ninth level of spells, by some accounts knowing forms of magic even more powerful than that. He possesses a deep understanding of the nature of magic. While most wizards understand magic as a form of instructions for manipulating reality, Mordenkainen understands magic and the mundane to be part of the same continuum, and that the common understanding of magecraft to barely scratches the surface of the true nature of reality. However, he concedes that this ultimately cannot be truly understood, except perhaps by deities.
Mordenkainen was the leader of the Oerthian group of wizards known as the Circle of Eight, which included many spell inventors whose names were well known on Toril, such as Bigby, Drawmij, Nystul, Otiluke, Otto, Rary, and Tenser. Mordenkainen is also a good friend of Elminster Aumar and an acquaintance of Khelben Arunsun.
Mordenkainen is true neutral in alignment, embracing a strict philosophy of Balance. Mordenkainen's philosophy of neutrality is a detailed formal theory derived from decades of arcane research. He has worked both good and evil to further his aims of maintaining stability in the multiverse.

"The world need not be, nor cannot be swallowed by the Abyss or drawn into the Heavens. In so doing, its destruction is assured. Oerth is Oerth, a place for all and any, and there are but few who can act to assure that it remains so. I resolve to be one of them."

—Mordenkainen, The Codex of Mordenkainen, Sunsebb 551 CY

History Although Mordenkainen resided primarily on Oerth, a planet from a multiverse outside of the one that contains Toril, by at least the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR, his spells were not uncommon among spellbooks in Faerûn.
Following the demise of the Circle of Eight at the hands of Vecna during the lich's first failed attempt at obtaining greater deity status, a grieving Mordenkainen was consoled by Elminster, as the wizards reflected on the fragility of their good deeds.
Mordenkainen later traveled to Barovia in an attempt to free the local population from its vampire darklord Strahd von Zarovich. However, he underestimated Strahd's power and, after barely surviving a confrontation with him, he lost his spellbook and his staff, eventually losing his memory and being driven to the brink of madness. He became known by the locals as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok.
In the Year of the Scarlet Witch, 1491 DR, Mordenkainen, still suffering from bouts of madness, was in Waterdeep, where Storm Silverhand and Elminster were helping him to recover from them.
By the Year of Twelve Warnings, 1494 DR, Mordenkainen inhabited the Tower of Urm, a dwelling that he used as a vehicle to travel through the multiverse. He occasionally visited Avernus to study the effects of The Nine Hells of Baator over the schools of magic and to ensure the balance of the universe.