Benelaius

Benelaius was a War Wizard of Cormyr who retired sometime around the mid–14 century DR. In 1366 DR, he moved to the village of Ghars, on the edge of the Vast Swamp, and bought a small house abutting the swamp. He lived there with his servant Jasper and a large number of cats.

Personality
Although he was a powerful War Wizard, Benelaius eschewed magic and spent most of his time studying.

He openly mocked Jasper's idol worship of the fictional detective Camber Fosrick, considering the character a poor mockery of a good detective.

History
Very little was revealed about Benelaius' past, except that he served the Forest Nation as a War Wizard. In his service as a War Wizard, he became good friends with Vangerdahast Aeiulvana.

In 1366 DR, he moved to Ghars, buying a small house outside of town abutting the Vast Swamp. A few weeks later, he was burglarized by Jasper and caught the would-be thief only after Jasper mistook one of his many cats as a stuffed pillow in the dark.

He gave Jasper two choices: be turned over to the Purple Dragons for punishment or become his servant for a year. Benelaius would provide room, board, a small stipend, and an education in exchange for Jasper's service. Jasper chose service over jail (or worse) and became a valued addition to Benelaius' retirement.

He used Jasper as his eyes and ears around Ghars, often providing sharp insight into the workings of the small village.

In 1367 DR, with the help of his servant Jasper, Benelaius solved a murder mystery in Cormyr, without casting very many spells.

Benelaius' Cottage
Benelaius built a cottage to the east of Ghars. It was a two-story building, with a front hall, kitchen, private study and main room on the first floor. In the study, a pair of doors led out to a piazza, a patio looking out onto the Vast Swamp. There were three bedrooms and a small library on the second floor. A carriage house containing a stable for Benelais' horses, Jenkus and Stubbins, and a small carriage was on one side of the house.

Benelaius' Named Cats

 * Grimalkin

Benelaius' Library
The small library in the house contains the following texts:
 * Archtymbal by Kastor
 * Proceedings by Magus Firewand
 * Mediations and Meditations by Kirkabey
 * Seasons in the Heartlands by Chelm Vandor
 * The Adventures of Camber Fosrick by Lodevin Parkar
 * Thoughts and Its Processes by Trelaphin

Behind the Scenes
Benelaius is an analog of armchair detective Nero Wolfe, with his servant Jasper in the role of Archie Goodwin.