Spells and tats

This last of the Eye of Heroes fellowship was, I'm pretty sure, written by Jamie himself, as Targdaz was one of his own characters in our Tekumel role-playing campaign. Nobody called him "the Magnificent" then, as that Targdaz, although a sorcerer, bore few similarities to the character in the FL books.

THE MAGE: TARGDAZ THE MAGNIFICENT
Appearance: Targdaz wears baroque red and orange robes of almost preposterous ornateness, and every inch of his skin is tattooed. His nose is hooked, and he sports a magnificent black beard. Targdaz carries a mysterious wand of green metal shaped somewhat like a television aerial.

History: One of the mightiest spell-casters in recorded history, Targdaz the Magnificent served as royal sorcerer to seven of the great kings of Harkuna. His studies into the inner mysteries of magic inspired generations of mages, and he is recognized as founder of the first college of magic in Dweomer.

Targdaz famously cajoled the god Molhern into teaching him the secrets of higher magic, the essence of which he trapped inside his Casket of Imponderables. So great was the power of higher magic that no mortal could wield it: the astral vibrations would simply tear their body apart. By siphoning the power through specially created valves in the casket, Targdaz was able to leech a little for himself. Even in such small measures, it was stronger magic than any mage before or since could muster.

Targdaz left the court of Harkun with his casket and retreated to his citadel in the northern steppes. But a shaman sent by the Horde of a Thousand Winds tricked Targdaz, and imprisoned him inside a block of solid ruby. With the wizard trapped, the shaman foolishly opened the casket. The magical storm that billowed forth killed him instantly, and scattered the tribes of the steppes forevermore. Targdaz remained trapped inside his ruby for hundreds of years, until one day a questing adventurer broke into the tower and released him.

Targdaz served as the adventurer’s personal sorcerer until he deemed his debt repaid, and then disappeared from history once more. Some say the wizard was slain by Badogor the Unspoken. Others reason that his spirit has left our earth to resume his studies in the court of Molhern. The truth is somewhat more mundane: Targdaz simply died of old age.

Character: Targdaz is proud and boastful, but shockingly intelligent. He is always happy to demonstrate his wisdom, and tends to look upon others as ill-informed children. He likes to think of himself as the father of the group.