Морденкайнен

Морденкайнен (Mordenkainen) — персонаж сеттинга World of Greyhawk, могущественный волшебник, один из ключевых NPC сеттинга. Он был создан Гэри Гайгэксом в качестве игрового персонажа во время плейтестинга Грейхока и является одним из старейших (по времени появления) персонажей Dungeons & Dragons. Описания как внешности, так и поведения и мотиваций Морденкайнена в различных источниках различаются, но в целом все описания сходятся в том, что он чрезвычайно могущественный, стремящийся к власти и достаточно аморальный человек.

История создания

В конце 1972 года Гэри Гайгэкс сочинил замок Грейхок и подземелья под ним. После нескольких месяцев игры, когда Гайгэкс выполнял роль ДМа, он попросил Роба Кунца сменить его. Это позволило Гэри самому побыть игроком, и в начале 1973 года он создал персонажа, волшебника 1-го уровня по имени Морденкайнен. Его имя было стилизовано под имена персонажей финской мифологии.

He was to become Gygax’s most famous character, and also his favourite to play. Over several years of gameplay, Gygax developed the character traits and adventures with which Mordenkainen would become associated. The character eventually accumulated «twenty-something levels.» Mordenkainen would join eight of Gygax’s other characters to from the Circle of Eight. Gygax never disclosed any of his Mordenkainen’s original game statistics.

When Gygax was forced out of TSR in 1985, he lost the rights to most of the characters he had mentioned in TSR publications. This included Mordenkainen. TSR continued to depict Mordenkainen in ways unforeseen by his creator. When the Greyhawk campaign world was reset in 1991, with the boxed set From the Ashes, Mordenkainen was refashioned as the world’s most powerful wizard. The Circle of Eight was described as a cabal of eight wizards supervised by Mordenkainen, who together sought to balance the forces of good and evil.

Mordenkainen has lent his name to various spells in the Dungeons & Dragons system of magic.

Publishing history

Mordenkainen’s AD&D statistics were first published in The Rogues Gallery (1980), although Gary Gygax was later emphatic that he had never given author Brian Blume any information about the wizard, and insisted that Blume had been forced to make up new information.

Mordenkainen’s statistics are given in the following Dungeons & Dragons products:

• Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure (1984)
• The City of Greyhawk (1989)
• Epic Level Handbook (2002)

He is also mentioned in the following publications:

• Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk (2007)
• «The Wizards Three» series of articles from Dungeon Magazine
• Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium (2011)

He also figures prominently in the parody adventure Castle Greyhawk (1988), in which he runs a film studio. The whole adventure is evidently inspiredШаблон:Who by the fact that Gygax acted as TSR’s liaison to Hollywood during his later years at the company, helping to develop the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon along with other projects.

Character biography

Шаблон:In-universe Greyhawk authors Carl Sargent, Erik Mona, and Gary Holian imply that Mordenkain was born 509 CY. His birthplace is unknown, but before coming to prominence in the early 560s, he is thought to have resided on the Wild Coast. He also resided for a time in the City of Greyhawk, as well as Highfolk. He is rumored to be of Oeridian blood, possibly Aerdi. Some claim that he is a descendant of Ganz Yragerne, first Landgraf of the Selintan, which would mean he’s also related to Zagig and Heward. According to some sources, he is distantly related to House Cranden, one of the royal houses of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy.

About 561 CY, with his young apprentice Bigby, the warriors Robilar and Yrag, the clerics Riggby and Serten, the ranger Otis, and fellow mage Tenser, Mordenkainen formed the Citadel of Eight. The group was named for the Obsidian Citadel, Mordenkainen’s stronghold in the Yatil Mountains. The Citadel disbanded after the Battle of Emridy Meadows in 569 CY, where Citadel member Serten lost his life.

Two years later, Mordenkainen formed the Circle of Eight, a cabal of eight wizards with himself acting as the ninth «shadow member» and leader. Mordenkainen felt that the failure of the Citadel was due to its composition. He felt that such a group as he envisioned could only succeed if its members were «men of intellect and sorcerous skill, whose primary interests were more than material.» Шаблон:Citation needed

Role and philosophy

Mordenkainen’s role in the Greyhawk setting has been describedШаблон:Who as a form of one-man peacekeeping force. He operates according to a theory based on power balance and Neutrality, trying to keep neither Good nor Evil from getting the upper hand. His methods are manipulative; he operates very much from the shadows.

The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000) 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.»

Description

Mordenkainen appears much younger than his years, perhaps in his mid-forties. He is tall, of medium build and often depicted wearing black, blue, or grey. He wears a Van Dyck beard (a mustache with a goatee) with two prominent grey streaks. Its shape has changed over the years, and in recent art is narrow and pointed, but was originally broad, covering the whole chin. He once wore his graying black hair at medium length, but since 591 CY has been shaving his pate bald, as well as trimming his goatee to a fine point. He speaks with a deep, melodic voice.

When traveling, Mordenkainen often disguises himself as a poor, elderly merchant.

Mordenkainen can be stubborn and difficult, and does not tolerate fools. He normally spends much more time listening than talking, but when he does speak, his pronouncements are authoritative and rarely questioned.

Related characters

As a major character in the World of Greyhawk, Mordenkainen has had dealings with nearly every other character in the setting. His enemies include Evard, Iuz, Rary, Terik, and Sir Robilar. His allies include Heward, Murylund, Zagyg, Jallarzi Sallavarian, Otto, Ravel Dasinder, and the lesser deity Dalt.

He is distantly related to Heward, Zagyg, and Bigby. This latter was at one point Mordenkainen’s apprentice.

The «Wizards Three» articles mention that Mordenkainen is an associate of Elminster of the Forgotten Realms setting and Dalamar of the Dragonlance setting, who all meet on Earth to swap news and magic. He is also stated to have an apprentice named Rautheene.

Mordenkainen’s citadel is defended by humans, dwarves, and gnomes. The wizard is also allied with various giants.

Powers and Abilities

Mordenkainen is a powerful wizard and a potent political manipulator. He has many allies in the Free City of Greyhawk and his influence is far reaching.Шаблон:Citation needed

He is responsible for developing a number of spells, all of whose names begin with the word «Mordenkainen’s».

Mordenkainen is known to have authored or co-authored the following diegetic works:

• Architecture (with Leomund)
• The Codex of Mordenkainen
• Cosmogony of Magnetic Fluids
• Dark Sides of the Memory
• Epic Saga of the Great Conjurers
• On The Rise of Magecraft and Modernity
• Weapons of the Ether (with Melf)

See Also

• World of Greyhawk
• List of Greyhawk characters
• Gary Gygax
• Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
• Circle of Eight

Further reading

• Bailey, Robin Wayne. Night Watch (TSR, 1990).

• Морденкайнен

  ISBN	ISBN 9222XXX14010-088038-530-8

  • Cook, David. «History of the Greyhawk Wars.» Wars (TSR, 1991). Available Online: [1]
    • Cook, David. Vecna Lives! (TSR, 1990).
  • Greenwood, Ed. «A Dark and Stormy Knight: Another Evening With the Wizards Three.» Dragon #344. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «Goodbye and Hello, as Always: One Last Evening with the Wizards Three.» Dragon #359. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «Jest the Wizards Three.» Dragon #242. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1997.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «Magic in the Evening.» Dragon #185. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «The Return of the Wizards Three.» Dragon #238. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1997.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «Three Wizards Too Many.» Dragon #196. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «The Wizards Three.» Dragon #188. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «The Wizards Three.» Dragon #200. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «The Wizards Three.» Dragon #211. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.
    • Greenwood, Ed. «The Wizards Three.» Dragon #246. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
  • Gygax, Gary. Artifact of Evil (TSR, 1986).
    • Gygax, Gary. Come Endless Darkness (New Infinities, 1988).
    • Gygax, Gary. Dance of Demons (New Infinities, 1988).
    • Gygax, Gary. Sea of Death (New Infinities, 1987).
  • Heard, Bruce. «Spells Between the Covers.» (Dragon #82 (TSR, 1984).
  • Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).

  • Морденкайнен

    ISBN	ISBN 9112XXX14010-88038-168-X

    • Mona, Erik, and Gary Holian. «Wheels within Wheels: Greyhawk’s Circle of Eight.» Living Greyhawk Journal #0 (Paizo Publishing, 2000). Available online: [2]
    • Moore, Roger E. Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins (TSR, 1998).

      • Морденкайнен

        ISBN	ISBN 9576XXX15020-7869-1247-2

        • Niles, Douglas, and Carl Sargent. The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989).

        • Морденкайнен

          ISBN	ISBN 93861-56076-497-X

          • Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes (TSR, 1993).
            • Sargent, Carl. Ivid the Undying (TSR, unpublished). Available online: [3]
          • Ward, James M. Greyhawk Adventures (TSR, 1988).