Who Are the Wizards Three in Vecna: Eve of Ruin?

Tags author-mike-bernier vecna

When echoes of the multiverse's cataclysmic end reach the ears of some of D&D's most powerful archmages, what will they do to prevent catastrophe? Vecna: Eve of Ruin, releasing May 21, pits the almighty Vecna against your party and the forces of good as they scramble to foil his dastardly plans. But time is running out.

Let's learn more about who's weighing in on the good guys' team and will aid the party on their adventure across the multiverse: the Wizards Three!

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Curse of Strahd, Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, and The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. If you don't want to spoil any surprises for these adventures, I suggest avoiding content hidden behind the "Spoiler" buttons.

Get Your Adventure Started with Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye

Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye is a prequel adventure to Vecna: Eve of Ruin for 3rd-level characters. This one-shot sets up Eve of Ruin by introducing your party to Neverwinter and the Whispered One's cultists. 

To get this introductory adventure, preorder a digital copy of Vecna: Eve of Ruin. Nest of the Eldritch Eye is now available for those that have preordered, and can be purchased separately after Eve of Ruin drops on May 21! 

A Legendary Team-Up for a Legendary Threat

Artist: Irina NordsolTasha, Alustrial, and Mordenkainen debate sit upon a red couch with troubled expressions.

You know those Marvel Team-Up comics where a hero would encounter a threat of such immense power that they had to team up with other heroes to take down the big baddie? That's essentially what's happening in Vecna: Eve of Ruin.

Vecna, the lich-god, has been preparing a ritual to unravel the multiverse. He's almost ready to unleash his stored power and use it to destroy everything, then reknit the fragments to his liking.

Along with your party of adventurers, three archmages have banded together to thwart Vecna's plans. Each of these powerful spellcasters has a storied past woven through the annals of D&D, which we'll cover below:

Tasha, the Demonologist

Artist: Irina NordsolTasha standing in blue robes and holding a black, carved wand.

With an unusual upbringing and sketchy past, Tasha is the wild card of the Wizards Three.

She's gained fame across the multiverse for several spells she's concocted, like Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Tasha's Mind Whip, Tasha's Caustic Brew, and Tasha's Otherworldly Guise.

She is also the infamous author of the Demonomicon of Iggwilv, which is considered the most thorough and blasphemous tome of demon-related information in the multiverse.

Tasha's History in D&D

Born on Oerth, Tasha was adopted and raised by the hag Baba Yaga, who tutored her into becoming one of the most potent magic-users the realm has ever seen. Tasha, or Natasha as she was known back then, was raised alongside other hags who were daughters of Baba Yaga and jealous of Tasha's power and her position within Baba Yaga's coven.

Eventually, Tasha left Baba Yaga's hut and began to seek glory across Oerth. During her travels, she joined the Company of Seven, a famous Oeridian adventuring group. She also studied under the archmage, Zagig Yragerne.

During her exploits, she has worked with—and run afoul of—the wizard Mordenkainen on numerous occasions. Their encounters ranged from alliances against common threats to clashes over conflicting interests—and sometimes the occasional chess match.

Tasha famously consorted with various demons during her adventuring career. It has even been said that she and the demon lord Graz'zt had formed alliances to exchange power and knowledge. She's definitely flirted with evil, especially in her days as Iggwilv the Witch Queen. But isn't "evil" just a matter of perspective?

What Has Tasha Been Up To?

Speaking of perspective, Tasha has since learned that gaining absolute power at the expense of antagonizing demon lords is a dangerous game and has retreated to the Feywild to avoid the many deadly enemies she's made along her path to power.

Tasha was last seen in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight as Zybilna, the archfey ruler of Prismeer. It's worth noting that the Tasha you'll encounter in Vecna: Eve of Ruin isn't this version of Tasha. Instead, a Tasha from before her Witch Queen days has traveled into the present so Zybilna can keep her attention focused on her otherworldly domain.

Mordenkainen, the Interplanar Archmage

Artist: Lauren WalshMordenkainen standing in blue robes trimmed with golden armor holding a crystal ball.

The second of the Wizards Three is Mordenkainen, another mighty Oeridian mage, and quintessential stern, mysterious, and dangerous wizard.

He's authored many spells that have come to see frequent use throughout the multiverse, such as Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum, Mordenkainen's Sword, and Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound.

One reason these spells are so well-known is Mordenkainen's tendency to traverse the planes in his Tower of Urm, a personal fortress with multiverse-traveling capabilities.

Mordenkainen takes a firmly neutral stance in the conflicts that wage across the planes. He believes in the universal balance between good and evil. But, as it happens, evil tries to usurp the balance more than good, so he often throws in with good-aligned forces.

Mordenkainen’s History in D&D

Mordenkainen was one of the first characters created in D&D. His inception can be traced back to 1973 when Gary Gygax began playing as the stern wizard in some of the first adventures that took place in the Greyhawk setting.

Since then, Mordenkainen has become one of the D&D multiverse's most powerful forces.

He founded the Circle of Eight, a group of powerful spellcasters who worked with Mordenkainen to maintain the cosmic scales of balance. Its members included Bigby, Mordenkainen's apprentice, as well as other well-known wizards like Leomund (from Leomund's Tiny Hut) and Otto (the one with the irresistible dance).

This cabal of wizards faced a version of Vecna before in the second edition adventure Vecna Lives, but they were unceremoniously defeated. Notably, Mordenkainen wasn't involved in this conflict and later resurrected his comrades before departing to explore the multiverse.

What Has Mordenkainen Been Up To?

During these interplanar explorations, Mordenkainen found himself in the Domain of Dread known as Barovia. Here, he encountered the vampire Strahd von Zarovich, who tyrannically ruled over the people of Barovia. Seeking to free the land's citizens, Mordenkainen confronted Strahd but was thwarted and driven mad by the realization that he could not overcome Strahd's power.

Mordenkainen was eventually freed from his madness by a group of adventurers in Curse of Strahd. Now recovered, he has retreated to his Tower of Urm and traverses the multiverse, researching magical theory and the forces that drive the conflict between good and evil.

Mordenkainen was most recently seen in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, in the adventure Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Here, he studies the effects of the Nine Hells on the various schools of magic.

Alustriel Silverhand, the Shining Lady

Artist: Ekaterina BurmakAlustrial in light blue robes, wielding a golden staff topped with a unicorn's head.

The daughter of Mystra, the god of magic, Alustriel has been a force for good across the Forgotten Realms for centuries. Due to her divine parentage, she is bestowed with immortality and incredible power with arcane magic, which she uses to protect the Weave—Toril's primary incarnation of magic.

Alustriel's History in D&D

Alustriel and her six sisters were born to the human noble Dornal Silverhand and the half-elven sorceress Elué Shundar. It was later revealed that Elué Shundar was Mystra in disguise, which explains why Alustriel and her sisters were all born with incredible talents.

Even as her keen knack for the arcane arts developed into a potent power, Alustriel always tried to inspire peace and well-being in her adventures.

She led a successful adventuring career, after which she became Silverymoon's High Mage, where she dedicated herself to the city's protection, fostering a culture of inclusivity and cooperation among its diverse inhabitants.

For centuries, she ruled over Silverymoon, the capital of the Silver Marches, and was the driving force behind its establishment as a haven of peace and prosperity.

Since leaving her responsibilities as the High Mage of Silverymoon, she has continued work as a force for good across the multiverse.

What Has Alustriel Been Up To?

Alustriel has not appeared in any fifth edition adventures, but it stands to reason that she has been traveling across Toril and the multiverse, aiding the forces of good in their plight against evil.

Can Your Party and the Wizards Three Thwart Vecna?

In this corner, standing at 6 feet nothing and weighing a desiccated 100 lbs., is Vecna, the lich-god. And in this corner, the best archmages the multiverse has to offer and your party of adventurers!

Vecna: Eve of Ruin brings your party toe-to-toe with one of D&D's greatest villains. Even assisted by the Wizards Three, will they be enough to save the multiverse before it's too late? There's only one way to find out! Preorder your digital and physical copy of Vecna: Eve of Ruin today! Or, pick up the book early by visiting select stores participating in the Local Game Store Early Access Program!

Upon release, this book will be integrated into D&D Beyond Maps, so Master-tier subscribers can effortlessly prep and run their adventures with the help of this VTT. Maps syncs to your D&D Beyond account, so you can add maps and tokens with a few clicks and then invite your players to run your session!

This article was updated on May 2, 2024. It previously stated that digital + physical bundle preorders receive early access to the adventure on D&D Beyond. Only preorders for digital + physical bundles made before April 30 are eligible for early access.

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Mike Bernier (@arcane_eye) is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his partner, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.

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