"There are those on both sides of the eternal struggle between good and evil who would see one side topple the other; to make their philosophy, their dominion, absolute. In this respect, there is little difference between the Hierarchs of the Horned Society or the Council of the Nine in Wintershiven. Both would change the world to suit their own agenda, and would thus upset the scales of balance that preserve this world and the multiverse.

Evil has its champions in the courts of decadent Aerdy. So too does Good field its forces in the form of the Knights of the Hart, or the all too meddling priests of St. Cuthbert. Ever does one side strive against the other, changing faces and names, but never purposes. What has given me reason to fear of late, however, is that there are too few to preserve the equilibrium of everything; to keep one power from upsetting all. 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."

— Excerpted from the Codex of Mordenkainen,
Sunsebb, 551 CY

The Council of Eight

The mysterious assembly of wizards known as the Circle of Eight has long benefited from a past obscured by misinformation and enigma. The group's influence reaches from the Baklunish west to the Solnor Ocean, though its secretive methods ensure that few know the extent of its ministrations. Certain members of the Circle are well known and liked, their talents appreciated throughout the Flanaess. The mages Bigby, and Otto, for instance, are welcome in courts far from cosmopolitan Greyhawk. Others, such as Drawmij and Nystul, prefer to operate away from the public gaze.

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 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, but just as often has worked on darker plots to achieve his ends. In all things, the Circle of Eight prefers to work behind the scenes, subtly manipulating events to ensure that no one faction gains the upper hand.

In the last two decades, the Circle has seen members come and go, but its dedication to Mordenkainen's goals and methods remains steadfast. Current members include Bigby of Mitrik, once Mordenkainen's apprentice and now an archmage in his own right; the rotund and jovial Otto, a former priest of Boccob who favors the kitchen over the laboratory; the reclusive Drawmij, who oversees Keoland and the south from his undersea lair near Gradsul; and Nystul, a Tenha expatriate who wishes to expand the Circle, beyond eight if need be, to combat the growing threats presented by Iuz and the consolidating factions of the Great Kingdom.