Mordenkainen

History

Although Mordenkainen resided primarily on Oerth, by at least the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR, his spells were not uncommon among spellbooks in Faerûn. He often traveled to Waterdeep with his friends for revelry in a city where he would not be recognized. 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 fought alongside the seven other reigning archmages against Acererak in the year 1470. Despite being successful in this endeavour, he barely survived this confrontation. 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.
He would hide there in an attempt to stay safe from unknown evils nd created a dungeon around his laboratory from which he worked. The dungeon was used to test the heroes abilities before they encountered the mad mage in the end. He accompanies the heroes through the dungeon and sees this as some kind of test of their abilites and character. Maybe through little Mordenkainen statues with "magic mouth". He is only able to help the characters once he is healed from his madness. He can be healed by spells like greater restoration or by one of the other surviving archmages from the Circle of Eight.
Before this point he was documenting more than any other wizard and nearly all recounts of dangerous monsters are going back to his studies this includes the Goblinoid series and his books are all titled "Mordenkainen's tome of Foes" - as nod to the sourcebook. Each book is attributing to one monster (type). He holds the Key to beating Acererak as he did many years before. This is something the heroes will get from any of the remaining living members of the circle of eight.

Appearance

Mordenkainen is a male who appears to be in his forties, although his true age is around twice that. His most notable figure are his piercing eyes, behind which lie a volatile sense of genius tinged with madness; lesser individuals are readily persuaded by his gaze alone. He has brown eyes and black hair, though of late he has begun shaving his head bald. His dark beard is streaked with a little grey, and is kept neatly trimmed to a point. His facial features are craggy, wise, and alert, likened to a hawk looking for its prey. Mordenkainen stands 5'11" tall. He typically dresses in traditional robes and wears black satin coats, lined with red, or fine dark red cloak. He is known to wear high collared robes of gray, or robes of black or brown with silver decorative threading. He often disguises as a humble merchant when traveling alone, as when he travels to to the village of Bar Strannach along the Jalpa to Rel Deven highway, to consult the prophetic riddles recorded in the Lays of Bar Strannach.
His voice is deep, and melodic

Personality

Mordenkainen commonly takes a harsh and serious tone. For example, in a meeting of the Circle of Eight, when Jallarzi Sallavarian noted Drawmij's growing eccentricity with age, Mordenkainen was quick to scold her for her rudeness. He is irritated when his authority is questioned, though his judgements are rarely disputed. He is frequently stubborn and difficult to work with and does not suffer fools gladly. He considers idealism a flaw in others. He is bold and decisive in carrying out his plans, thorough, resourceful, and a skilled leader. He reacts angrily to insults, silliness, or disrespect, and is quick to dispense witty insults when offended. Otherwise, he treats those he deals with with respect, though he rarely if ever treats others as an equal. Despite his stern tone, however, he is not entirely without a sense of humor.
He enjoys debate, at which he is skilled. His emotions have been known overwhelm him in the rare occasions in which he fears defeat. He can be volatile, a trait disliked by his former ally Rary the Traitor, who considers the Mordenkainen too obsessed with petty intrigues and debate rather than the acquisition of power. He typically listens more than he talks, keeps an open mind, and is quick to share pertinent information.
Mordenkainen often acts in secrecy, manipulating politics of the Flanaess from behind the scenes. He is suspicious in nature, a trait which has served him well in numerous occasions. In his later years, he has begun to show signs of paranoia, applying Mordenkainen's disjunction to wands and staves which might one day be used against him.
He feels a great responsibility to Oerth, though he has little interest in protecting other worlds, a task he leaves to their inhabitants. Despite his vast experience and a growing cynicism with age, he is still joyed by the wonder of magic, even relatively well-known items like Quaal's feather token or the portable hole.
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 Flanaess.

Creator of Spells

Mordenkainen created many spells in the Conjuration and Abjuration school of magic, among them:

• Mordenkainen's celerity
• Mordenkainen's defense against lycanthropes
• Mordenkainen's defense against nonmagical reptiles and amphibians
• Mordenkainen's disjunction
• Mordenkainen's electric arc
• Mordenkainen's encompassing vision
• Mordenkainen's faithful hound
• Mordenkainen's faithful phantom defenders
• Mordenkainen's faithful phantom guardian
• Mordenkainen's faithful phantom shield-maidens
• Mordenkainen's force missiles
• Mordenkainen's involuntary wizardry
• Mordenkainen's lucubration
• Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion
• Mordenkainen's penultimate cogitation
• Mordenkainen's private sanctum
• Mordenkainen's protection from avians
• Mordenkainen's protection from insects and arachnids
• Mordenkainen's protection from slime
• Mordenkainen's sword

Species

Human

Age

89

Aligned Organization

Circle of Eight