Mordenkainen is a wizard of Oerth dedicated to enforcing the Balance above all else. His former apprentice, Bigby, is another devotee of the Balance and member of a cabal of wizards called the Circle of Eight, which Mordenkainen leads.
Mordenkainen grew obsessed with the Balance after seeing a vision of the Blood War overwhelming humanity and the Prime Material Plane. He believes in encouraging some evil in order to prevent the emergence of greater evils.
He is also noted as "discovering" the Phantom Plane, the realm of the Abyssal+lord Sess'innek, penetrating the seals that concealed it from the rest of the planes.
Physically, he is a tall man with a black, white-streaked goatee and a shaven head.
Sources:
- Mona, Erik, and Gary Holian. "Wheels within Wheels: Greyhawk's Circle of Eight." Living Greyhawk Journal #0. Available online: [2]
- Epic Level Handbook
- Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix (introduction)
- Planes of Chaos (Abyss poster map):
"Mordenkainen[/b], a prime, spoke to this humble scrivener of his recent travels while commissioning a new traveling spellbook." [/b]
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