[RPG] What has Mordenkainen done to maintain the balance

dungeons-and-dragonslore

I understand that Mordenkainen has become a wizard who strives to 'maintain the balance'. My understanding of which involves ensuring that neither good, evil, law or chaos become too strong (though my interest lies in his specific view on balance, so if I am wrong in the above then please correct me).

I have found his various adventures which seem to mostly be when he was still a player character and thus before he decided that the balance was his calling, but I can't find anything that actually says what he has done, or does to maintain that balance. All I can find is vague things like 'keeps the blood war going' and I can't even find proper sources for that (this is the most complete source, but how accurate any of it is I don't know).

From official material, including handbooks, films, computer games, quotes, interviews, notebooks stolen from the bins beside the WoTC office, or any other sources; what actions has Mordenkainen actually undertaken to help maintain 'the balance'?

I am looking for answers that can prove the reason for an action was specifically to maintain the balance, not just a list of things he might have done where the motivation is unknown or unclear.

Best Answer

Canon is long on theory, short on acts

There are many canon references to Mordenkainen acting to preserve Balance, but few if any details about specific things that he has done. I think the most detail you are likely to find comes from the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer:

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.

D&D: A Guide to Mordenkainen is a great site for collected official references to him.

Going beyond canon, many "old-school Greyhawkers" (myself included) suspect that he was behind the abduction of Prince Thrommel, brokering a deal between Nyrond and the Scarlett Brotherhood to insure the Prince's disappearance, just before his marriage to Jolene of Veluna would have united Furyondy and Veluna into a bastion of Good that threatened the Balance of the region.

See, for example, Greytalk Archives: Co8 and the disappearing Prince and Canonfire Forums: Thrommel!!! Aarrggh!!!.

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