Foerdhal the Erudite, also known as Foerdhal the Mad, is a character mentioned in Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra. Foerdhal entered the halls under the pyramids of Terra, hoping to discover the secrets of the ancient realm. But he encountered the Sleepers of Sheltem - spirits that Sheltem had sent out to investigate Terra, then imprisoned under the pyramids. The Sleepers were eager to have a mortal form again, so they crowded into Foerdhal's mind, driving him insane.
Foerdhal rampaged through the halls, destroying much of the underworld, and accidentally capped the flow of the Fountain of Nayarah. Sheltem sent his armies against him, since the Sleepers were pouring into Foerdhal's mind, robbing Sheltem of his secrets. In addition, the Ancients were angered by the destruction of their underworld, and sent their own army against Foerdhal, and he was crushed between the two armies.