Lothos¶
Contested
Named in the open question First Wizards: the sources disagree on how many First Wizards there were and of what people (five elves, twelve archwizards, twenty or thirty-two Ventari), and so on what Lothos was before he was the last of them.
Lothos the Archwizard is the last of the First Wizards, the archwizards whose staves drew directly on the Worldstone. He outlived all the others: when the Council of Wizards "fell apart after most of the Archwizards fell in the demon wars," the only one left was Lothos (S358). An elven arch-mage and a hero of the Battle for Gor'Turra, he guides the secret society of the White Fire, and in the Fourth Age he still directs it in person. By the Fifth Age, legend holds that he is dead and that his staff has passed to his apprentice.
Also called: Lothos the Archwizard (S520); the last archwizard (S078).
The First Wizards¶
The archwizards were the first wielders of Arcane magic. In the newest account of magic's history, "great power was granted to the twelve Archwizards and their disciples who were able to tap directly into the power of the Worldstone. This was the birth of Arcane Magic," in an age when that magic was "limited to High Elves, Dark Elves and some breeds of Draconians and Dragons" (S208). Their staves are "some of the most powerful magical artifacts in existence." They first channeled magic through the Worldstone and "conferred god-like power"; after the Worldstone was destroyed in the Shattering "the power of the staves was greatly diminished, but they still remain the most powerful Mithis channeling devices in existence." All but one have been lost (S434, S372). Lothos is the wizard whose staff survived with him.
The gods-overview of 2019 calls him "the elven archmage Lothos" and "Elven First Wizard, Arch-Mage" (S429); see the High Elves.
The Battle for Gor'Turra¶
In the Dragon Wars of the Age of Magic, Lothos fought in the thirty-six-hour battle on the fields of Gor'Turra and in the skies above it, dated 1078 MA (S429). He is "credited with destroying the Primal Jade Dragon Noxximaratel, and doing severe damage to Pravustiratel," who fled wounded to the Underdark as the last living Primal Dragon. Two of the three First Wizards on the field died there, their staves destroyed: Auressa and Poth'Emuren (see Minor Figures of the Earlier Ages). Auressa's apprentice Nexagar is "credited with saving Lothos's life" (S429). The battle and its other heroes are told with the Second Dragon War.
The White Fire¶
The Compendium knows the White Fire as the Knights of Lothos, "an organization that works with the last known arch wizard Lothos. They work across the continent hunting demons, killing dragons, taking down evil casters and generally fighting evil. They work undercover as the interference of wizards is not universally seen as a good thing" (S372). The Knights of Lothos are one of the orders that watch Mithis concentrations and the strength of the Abscission so that abyssal rifts cannot open (S429).
In the Fourth Age the White Fire "operates as an intelligence cult within the Valyr military structure and more broadly across Terrun," and its highest authority is Lothos himself. Each of its regional leaders works under a Flame, and "each white flame is sworn to secrecy and operates in isolation, presenting themselves as Lothos." The order is "managed directly by Lothos (Archwizard), who coordinates long term strategy with several ascendants of Kalar, Arya and Khardas" (S329). In the Order of Valyr, which keeps three Flames with overlapping organizations "so that if one becomes corrupted, the others can reliably detect," Lothos "is an advisor to the Triarchy, but also manipulates the elections. He ensures that 2 White Fire members sit on the council at any given time" (S329). That is the setting of the Demonlands Mini Campaign.
The scholar¶
Lothos is cited on the nature of demons. Of the theory that a living soul can be drained, twisted and corrupted by ritual into a demon, the scholars note that direct evidence is minimal, "however, some secondary sources, including Lothos the Archwizard, lend some believability to it" (S520, S514). See the Origin of Demons.
The staff after Lothos¶
By the Fifth Age he is spoken of in the past tense. In Proturas the Three Archwizards, the Blue Wizard, the Grey Wizard Vegryn and the Black Wizard, are "rumored to be holders of the staves of the ancient archwizards of distant legend," and "legend has it that Lothos (the last archwizard), passed his staff after his death to his long-time apprentice and that she used that staff (with some help) to uncover 2 others" (S078). The White Fire of that age is led by the immortal paladin Bertran Godebert (S078) and, in the Rivenlands, by Vinias (S319).
Gap
No source describes Lothos's appearance or character, names his apprentice, says when or how he died, or how the White Fire came to follow Vinias in the Rivenlands. Whether Lothos founded the White Fire or only came to lead it is not said. The sphere of magic he mastered is given only as arch-mage.
Earlier accounts¶
The archive's accounts of the First Wizards disagree, which is the open question above. The Compendium (S372, S384) has the Einar "instruct twenty Ventari in the use of the five spheres of magic," four to a sphere, and calls Lothos "the only one rumored to still be alive." The Demi-Gods document (S434) has "thirty-two Ventari in the use of the thirty-two spheres," and Lothos "the only arch-wizard believed to still be alive." The gods-overview (S429) has the Einar "create five staves and instruct five mortals (Elves)," the Five Wizards, with Lothos "the only one rumored to still be alive." See the Ventari. The 2026 account (S358) gives no number and says only that the others fell in the demon wars.