Melf, Good Fighter Mage Elf, is a character in the LJN toyline and related media.
About[]
Melf is a character created for the 1983 LJN toyline.
Melf is most notable for being an exact clone of the figure/character Peralay. The only difference between the two is that some packages say Melf and some packages say Peralay.
Melf got a Puffy Sticker, but Peralay is listed in The Shady Dragon Inn and Quest for the Heartstone modules, with many of the other LJN characters. Apparently neither Melf, nor Peralay, appearing in any of the coloring books or story books from Marvel Books. But Perlay does appear in the various Colorforms products.
Melf is also notable for being one of three LJN characters, along with Warduke and Strongheart, to be included in Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms. Both Bobby and Melf are slot 12 characters, so if you purchased Melf, you could only play the character by sidelining Bobby. (Assuming you have also unlocked/purchased Bobby.)
LJN Bio[]
Melf, Good Fighter Mage Elf. Coming from a race of magical forest dwelling beings, the elf fighter is able to combine all the best traits of many beings. Able to use magical spells as well as weapons, this fighter is a truly powerful enemy to all creatures that would do harm to the forests and to those who love nature. Count on the elf fighter to come into battle riding a giant griffin or some other magical mount with his magical sword flashing over his head.
Idle Champions Bio[]
Born into the royal family of Celene, he assumed the simple name of Melf eschewing a life of comfort as a noble to study the arcane arts and train as a swordsman. He delved in the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk, the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth and many other harrowing places honing his skills, knowledge and amassing powerful magic items. Melf sees himself as a weapon of weal hurtling toward the heart of the darkest evils in the realm. He is opinionated and has a touch of conceit that he is blissfully ignorant of possessing.
Greyhawk Online[]
Melf, also known as Prince Brightflame, is a grey elven archmage. Melf is a native of the elven kingdom of Celene, and is recognized by many as the leader of the Knights of Luna.
In Gary Gygax's 1986 novel Artifact of Evil, Melf is also known as Melf of the Arrow. He seems to acknowledge that Melf is not his real name, but says "it is a simple name, as good as any."
Description[]
Melf is 5'8", 147 lbs, and about 200 years old (appearing in his late 20s in human terms). He changes his appearance from time to time, though he always appears as an elf. 1983's The Shady Dragon Inn describes his counterpart Peralay as "left-handed, blond, hazel-eyed, and large for an elf (5'8", 148 lbs.)." It says furthermore that Peralay's shield is decorated with "the hunting hawk symbol of his clan" and that his sword, Gnoll-Cleaver, was forged long ago by dwarves.
Prince Brightflame is a strong believer in mediation, diplomacy and open communication, and thus some believe him to be naive. Charming and urbane, Melf enjoys good food, culture, and agreeable persons of the opposite gender.
Melf is vastly knowledgeable and experienced. He specializes in Iuz and buried evils, and is strongly opposed to both Iuz and the Scarlet Brotherhood.
Relationships[]
An ally of Mordenkainen and a former associate of the Citadel of Eight, in Artifact of Evil Melf is said to have sworn fealty to Mordenkainen, and he carries the holy symbol of Fharlanghn. Melf is also a cousin of Queen Yolande of Celene. He has been depicted as fighting side-by-side with Prince Olinstaad Corond of Principality of Ulek, presumably during a 586 counteroffensive to regain Principality lands lost to the Empire of the Pomarj during the Greyhawk Wars.
Digwell "Biff" Biffson, a halfling thief originally from the Welkwood, is a friend and protege of Melf.
Although secretive and protective, Melf is on good terms with luminaries such as Kieran Jalucian, King Belvor IV of Furyondy, and the rulers of Dyvers, Highfolk, and the City of Greyhawk. He and Mordenkainen have much respect for each other, but the two do not cooperate, at least not anymore. The mayor of Highfolk town, Tavin Ersteader, is a former apprentice of Melf.
Melf is on good terms with the Fellowship of the Torch, and is often seen in the company of Kirilarien Allavesse when in Greyhawk.
Melf was also listed in Greyhawk Ruins as one of the rumored members of the Ring of Five.
A Prince Archosian Brightflame of Celene is mentioned in Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss. This other Prince Brightflame is more than 150 years older than Melf and is a heroic general battling demons in the Abyss.
There is some apocryphal evidence that Melf and Warduke may know each other. In 1983's The Shady Dragon Inn, Warduke is mentioned as being a member of the same adventuring party as an elf named Peralay, both of whom had action figures for TSR's 1983 toy line. The fact that the Peralay figure was originally released under the name "Melf" and Warduke's retcon into Greyhawk continuity provide a topic of apocryphal interest.
Home[]
According to From the Ashes, Melf represents the Knights of Luna in Greyhawk. The Player's Guide says he founded and leads the Knights, and is currently living in exile from Celene, "sometimes in the City of Greyhawk".
Spells[]
Melf is responsible for developing such spells as:
- Melf's Acid Arrow
- Melf's Unicorn Arrow
- Melf's Minute Meteors.
Writings[]
Melf authored or co-authored the following works:
- Treatise of Universal Astronomy
- Weapons of the Ether (with Mordenkainen)
Creative origins[]
Melf was originally played by Lucion "Luke" Paul Gygax in Gary Gygax's home campaign. Though urban legend has it that the name "Melf" was the result of Luke Gygax not coming up with a name for his character, only having on his character sheet "M elf," (male elf), Luke Gygax has clearly stated that claim is false.
Luke Gygax (A): "No Melf was named Melf simply because it rhymed with Elf and was fun to say. I tried to edit the wikipedia entry several times a few years ago, but they always deleted my editing. So I gave up. Funny really.
Regarding Melf's name(s), Luke Gygax stated, in an interview with GreyhawkOnline:
And the [name] "Prince Brightflame" was mostly a creation of my Dad to facilitate the story in his Gord novel.
Peralay was only used for the action figure, but I have since co-opted it for my use. Peralay was his birth name, Prince Brightflame a translation of his adult Elven name, and [Melf was] the name he adopted when he decided that his path was not to follow in his father's footsteps, but to forge his own way forward.Gary Gygax later recalled an amusing incident during those early days of role-playing:
- When the sun in the morning peeps over the hill
- and caresses the rosebuds on my windowsill,
- my heart fills with gladness when I hear the trill
- of the birds in the treetops around any old hill.
- Tra-la-la, fiddle-dee-dee-dee,
- it gives me a pain to dance and sing this, must I do it again?
- Tra-la-la, fiddle-dee-dee-dee, there’s penance to do,
- how happy I'll be when it’s finally through!
Notes[]
- In the Founders & Legends - Jocks Machina (2018) event, Melf and Arkhan the Cruel are on the same team adventuring together. Both characters are available as player characters in the video game Idle Champions, but as they are both seat 12 characters, they can never adventure together in the game.
Appearances[]
Adventures/Manuals/Modules[]
- Greyhawk Adventures - Greyhawk Ruins (1990)
- Greyhawk Adventures - From the Ashes (1992)
- Greyhawk Player's Guide (1998)
- D&D Player's Handbook (2024)
Books/Comics[]
- Greyhawk Adventures - Artifact of Evil by Gary Gygax (1986)
Toys/Merchandise[]
- LJN AD&D toyline - action figure (1983)
- LJN - AD&D Puffy Stickers (1983)
D&D Podcasts[]
- Founders & Legends - Jocks Machina (July 28, 2018) (played by Luke Gygax)
Video Games[]
- Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms video game (2020)
Gallery[]
Art by Clyde Caldwell.
Idle Champions Gear[]
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