Wizard of Yendor

The Wizard of Yendor (WoY), commonly known as “Rodney” (“Yendor” spelled backwards), is a powerful enemy in the roguelike NetHack. He lives in the valley of Gehennom in his tower and holds the Book of the Dead. He can curse the player's items, cast powerful spells, and has the ability to return from the dead. In the traditional text mode of NetHack, the Wizard of Yendor is represented by a “@”.

The Wizard of Yendor originally appeared in the back-story of NetHack's predecessor, Rogue, where he does not appear as an enemy, but is known as the creator of the dungeon. In Rogue, Rodney is the name of the player character who explores the dungeon. The Wizard of Yendor's first appearance in Hack (another NetHack predecessor) was in version 1.0.2, in which he was the guardian of the Amulet of Yendor. His common nickname amongst players, “Rodney”, is never specifically mentioned in-game.

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