Ardis Lightfoot

Ardis Lightfoot, Senile God of Magic
God of Magic, Hope and Destiny, Ardis Lightfoot falls under the very exclusive group of deities who rose to godhood from a mortal creature. He is at least casually praised by most good and neutral mages of any school of research.

He is, far and above, the most active and invested in Mandalay out of the entire pantheon. He always has one ear facing the material plane, and is the most likely to lend aid to mortals who call out in desperation.

Being a god ascended from a very old man, he is often viewed as senile; often cripplingly so. Whether or not the deity is as senile as the old man was in life, or if Ardis is merely playing the part to remain underestimated and hide his inscrutable machinations on the material plane, is unknown, but general consensus on the Outer Planes is that he is just a lunatic old coot.

Ardis as a Mortal
In life, Ardis was one of the council of nine mages who helped Mandalay in the beginning of the first age, assisting the many nations that still persist today to get their feet on the ground. While he did not directly become the leader of any one nation, he did found a hamlet deep in Caladrel Woods, on Talana.

Having long since defeated the concept of dying (at least by old age), he continued his work for the peace of Mandalay throughout the first three ages. Such longevity came at a cost, it seemed; the venerable wizard began to, at least from an outside perspective, lose his mind.

Some time during the third age, a traumatic event cursed the Caladrel Woods and created a festering breeding ground for the undead. Ardis took action, warding his hamlet from the evil influence and assisting travelers in their journey through the cursed woods, now and forever forward known as the Corpse Forest.

During the early years of the fourth age, when the Black Hand had successfully unlocked Zedek's Aeternus Tomb, his town of Lightfoot was decimated and Orcus, Demon Prince of the Undead, was summoned. The power of Orcus was undeniable, and the long-standing ward was thwarted. It was during this chaotic era that Zyphren the despised was brought before Ardis. The Mage used the Sanctify the Wicked spell, and Zyphren was imprisoned.

During the mid-fourth era, with the rise of Gauntlet, Ardis challenged their leader Mikael many times, and was eventually slain. Ardis was a clever man, however, and through one final, powerfully-woven contingency spell, he rose again as the deity as we know him today.