Merdrith

Merdrith the Mad was a former zulkir of the Red Wizards until his self-imposed exile to the High Forest.

Description
Merdrith had head tattoos marking him as a Red Wizard and his beard was dyed red. He appeared as a hermit in plain and bedraggled clothes.

History
About 1360 DR, a group of Red Wizards with Merdrith in tow attacked the Watchtower in Rashemen and gained the Windwalker amulet and a magical ebony staff. Merdrith killed all of his companions in order to seize the treasure for himself, effectively ensuring he could never again return to Thay. He used the ebony staff to control a magical hut with chicken legs. While he was out, a Rashemi named Fyodor raided the hut to retrieve the Windwalker, which he needed to fulfill a quest.

Merdrith retired to a new home in the High Forest (where he lived close to Eilistraeeans, which he hated). He was recruited by the drow Gorlist and Brindlor Zidorion to aid in their pursuit of Liriel Baenre (who, unbeknownst to Merdrith, was traveling with Fyodor, who had been the one to raid his house) and the Windwalker. However, the group's plan went awry, and Merdrith was killed by the shapeshifted Fyodor in bear shape.

Merdrith's Hut
The magical chicken-legged hut that Merdith was able to control with the ebony staff was of Rashemi origin. Fyodor remembered a verse from his childhood that allowed him to enter the hut.

"While the mistress is asleep, Chicken-legs a watch will keep. When the mistress wanders off, Chicken-legs will stand aloft. When the mistress comes again, Chickenlegs will let her in. Stara Baba casts this spell, Listen, hut, and hearken well."

Novels

 * Daughter of the Drow (mentioned)
 * Windwalker