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    Mord's Hair
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    Thanael
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    Joined: Sep 21, 2003
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    Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:49 am  

    ..and old disco haircuts, too!
    Galliskinmaufrius
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    Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:53 am  

    iquander wrote:
    So that's the story.

    --Erik


    Well, thank you Iquander for the story. I remember TSR's Jam 99 Cover, too. The really first appearance of bald Mordy. The artist's choice, between Raistlin and Elminster, was baldness for contrast, because Mordenkainen could have also longer hair than in the late 70s (long hair and long beard like Gandalf, but he would have been to much like Elminster...).

    [EDIT] I found the story from the point of view of the artist on his site.

    On another cover : 1999 Greyhawk Player's Guide, I wonder who is the long grey haired man with a dog outside Greyhawk's walls? Does anyone know?
    smillan_31
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    Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:16 pm  

    I never really looked at the detail of the Player's Guide cover painting. No idea if the guy is supposed to be anybody. The thing that really got my attention was all the gold onion domes. It makes Greyhawk look like a weird mushroom farm.
    Mystic-Scholar
    GreySage

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    Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:08 pm  

    Nice stuff Galliskinmaufrius. Cool

    I wonder who posed for the dragon? Confused

    Wink
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    bubbagump
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    Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:48 pm  

    Mystic-Scholar wrote:
    Nice stuff Galliskinmaufrius. Cool

    I wonder who posed for the dragon? Confused

    Wink


    My mother-in-law.
    Galliskinmaufrius
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    Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:14 am  

    smillan_31 wrote:
    It makes Greyhawk look like a weird mushroom farm.


    Or it gives an oriental flavor to the city. And strengthens the "Greyhawk on Oerth = Istambul on Earth" theory.
    Icarus
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    Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:15 am  
    First appearance of Bald Mordy

    Well, I do have to say tha tI am glad that just a little up thread I asked if anyone knew where the bald depiction of Mordenkainen came from ... it is turning out to be very informative, and just plain fun!!

    We've had Iquander come in (and we haven't seen Erik in here in ages! Good to see him!) and even a link to commentary by Todd Lockwood himself (the originator artist for baldness in Mordenkainen). I think that I have to like his reasoning ... not every archmage fills the stereotype of a long-haired old sage-looking fella. I think that this has definately given Mordy a bit of character that fits his persona a bit more ... a bit more brooding, more mysterious, and it even looks as though he has a darker side (which we all know tha the has one). Shocked Happy

    As far as the fella with the long hair and the wolfhound on the Player's Guide, I haven't ever tought that he was anything more than a traveller, and the real focus is in the background.
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    Damien
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    Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:47 pm  
    Mordenkainen's hair

    I know that I'm coming into this one late but I'll throw my 2 cents in anyway. There are plenty of reasons given above about the artist's decision to make him a baldy but how about an "in-game" reason?

    I always figured that Mordenkainen just got busy. From a purely gaming perspective, the man gained 6 or 7 epic levels in less than 10 years!
    My impression from the artwork I have seen of Mordenkainen is that his beard was always well groomed but his hair was, well.... kinda floppy. In other words he was vain about the beard but not the haircut. I can just see him getting so busy trying to restore balance to the flanaess that he couldn't be bothered wasting his time by visiting a barber periodically.

    Therefore he shaves the hair more as a matter of course, as he doesn't have the inclination or time to groom the floppy hairdo but can't part with his beloved beard. As a bearded man myself, I can definitely see that. Anyway, the badarse look really works if you want to play the legend-a mysterious, scary advisor who pops in to manipulate this ruler or that and moves on to the next one. In the past he could afford to be the a puppetmaster, an unassuming hermit or merchant in disguise, but during and after the Greyhawk Wars he had to take a personal, very public hand in a variety of conflicts. He is now known and the cat is out of the bag, so to speak.

    What's more, the continent is in turmoil in spiralling into worse! The archmage takes on a leaner, hungrier look because that is what the times call for and Mordenkainen (IMHO) does have something of an actor in his methods...

    What do you think?

    Damien.
    Galliskinmaufrius
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    Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:57 pm  

    Hello Damien,

    It was the purpose of my post in the beginning : I was looking for an "in-game" reason for Mordenkainen's baldness.

    Rasgon said : "he'd just shaved his hair for no reason"... I mean no "so interesting" reason.

    I hoped for an "in-game" reason like : it wasn't Mord's choice, it was something that fell upon him... and made his hair fall... Wink

    And your point about his new role and the actor methods can be such a reason.
    Galliskinmaufrius
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    Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:41 am  

    rasgon wrote:
    Maybe it had something to do with the emotional changes he went through after Tenser came back to life and rejected him.


    I'm sorry, rasgon did mention an "in-game" reason : when Tenser came back to life and rejected Mordenkainen. I'd like to know more about this drama!
    rossik
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    Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:55 am  

    Galliskinmaufrius wrote:
    iquander wrote:
    So that's the story.

    --Erik


    [EDIT] I found the story from the point of view of the artist on his site.
    ?


    im late here too, but the story by the artist point is that he made mordy based on a image of another person?
    thats it?

    thats why mordy is bald?
    Mystic-Scholar
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    Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:23 am  

    Apparently so, Rossik.
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    smillan_31
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    Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:12 pm  

    Maybe he cut all his hair off for the same reason that I did. Male pattern baldness and he didn't want to end up with hair like this guy.
    Mystic-Scholar
    GreySage

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    Fri Nov 27, 2009 6:53 pm  

    Smillan, is that your idea of "a fate worse than death?" Laughing
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    smillan_31
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    Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:54 pm  

    Mystic-Scholar wrote:
    Smillan, is that your idea of "a fate worse than death?" Laughing


    Nah man. I love having no hair now that I cut it all off. My hair was always a royal pain. Used to tangle like crazy. I had to condition and comb and all that crap. Now I just lather a little dimple of shampoo in, rinse and I'm good to go. Of course the ears get a little cold in winter. Wink
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