Keraptis

Greyhawk Character

Keraptis
The symbol of Keraptis, as depicted in White Plume Mountain (1979).
General info
Home:	Tostenhca
Alignment:	Evil
Gender:	Male
Species:	Human
Class:	Wizard
Dates
Age:	2000+

Keraptis is an evil wizard of the Flanaess, and the main antagonist of the adventure White Plume Mountain.

History

Little is known of the early life of Keraptis. Perhaps as early as circa -1500 CY, he established himself as protector of the Flan enclave of Tostenhca in the Griff Mountains, bringing the local warlords in line with gruesome threats fulfilled just often enough to keep them afraid of him. The local depredations of monsters decreased markedly under Keraptis's rulership, so for a time the local populace did not mind paying Keraptis's rather heavy taxes and tithes. However, as all dissension to Keraptis's rule was stilled one way or another, Keraptis began incrementally increasing the amount of wealth he demanded from those under his protection, until eventually he was claiming a large portion of everything produced in the valleys. Around that time (circa -1100 CY) came a sudden upsurge in madness, demonic posessions, and undead, and in the midst of these calamities, Keraptis introduced a new tax: a third of all newborn children were to be given to him. "As one," the people of Tostenhca rebelled and destroyed the wizard's hierarchy. Led by the high priest Gethrun Shoiraine and his ranger followers, they marched on Keraptis's keep, destroying his personal minions as well. During the chaos, Keraptis managed to escape to the lands of the south, taking with him his gnomish bodyguards.

For hundreds of years Keraptis wandered between the cities of the south and west, his notoriety preventing him from settling anywhere for long, collecting three magical weapons (Blackrazor, Wave, and Whelm) during his travels. Going north once again, he came to the shores of the Nyr Dyv, where he heard tales of White Plume Mountain. Circa -800 CY, Keraptis took over White Plume Mountain, near Rift Canyon, with an army of gnomish warriors, personally slaying the previous guardian of the mountain, the druid Aegwareth. In White Plume Mountain, Keraptis discovered the sword Frostrazor and the terrible Null Enigma; the archmage used the latter artifact to bring down a terrible curse on the people of Tostenhca. Keraptis dwelt in White Plume Mountain for nearly nine centuries afterward, finally abandoning his lair sometime in the 90s CY to further his research.

The false Keraptises

By the late fifth century CY, a band of adventurers known as the Brotherhood of the Tome stole the magical weapons Blackrazor, Frostrazor, Wave, and Whelm from White Plume Mountain. Realizing they needed protection from further such raids, the gnomes of the mountain opened up Keraptis' old laboratory, deploying magic that rewrote the personalities of those who read it with partial copies of Keraptis' own. The result was the first False Keraptis, a gnome who truly believed itself to be the original. Though this False Keraptis eventually died, further ones came into being: Nightfear, Spatterdock, Killjoy, Mossmutter, and Zhawar Orlysse all believe themselves to be the one true Keraptis.

Writings

Keraptis authored the following works:

• The Pyronomicon

External links

Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.

• "Return to White Plume Mountain Backstory Synopsis" at Canonfire!.
• "More on White Plume Backstory Development I" at Canonfire!.
• "More on White Plume Backstory Development II" at Canonfire!.

Bibliography

• Cordell, Bruce R. Return to White Plume Mountain. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999.
• Miller, Andy. "Ex Keraptis Cum Amore." Dungeon #77. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999.
• Mullin, Robert S. "Arcane Lore: Greyhawk Grimoires II." Dragon #241. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999.
• Shick, Lawrence. White Plume Mountain Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1979.
• Wilson, Steven B. "Greychrondex." Available online: [1]

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Crystal Skull of Keraptis	Item		Reference	SEE Keraptis, Crystal Skull of
Ex Keraptis Cum Amore	Adventure	Located in: Burning cliffs,	Dungeon magazine #077	32-56
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Into White Plume (RPGA) (High Level Version), D&D 3.5e	Front Cover, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 44, 45
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Into White Plume (RPGA) (Low Level Version), D&D 3.5e	Front Cover, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 14, 18, 22, 26, 28, 31, 35, 43
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Dragotha's Lair (RPGA Tournament Module)	2, 4, 9, 10
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Dragon magazine #241	75, 77-79
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Dragon magazine #256	46, 47
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Dragon magazine #278	79
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Into The Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook, D&D 4e	106, 107
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Dungeon magazine #077	32-56
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Ghosts of Saltmarsh, D&D 5e	28
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e	5
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #12	10
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #13	17
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #20	27
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #21	9
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #22	44
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #27	18
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #28	7
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Oerth Journal #29	41
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Outside the Mountain, D&D 3.5e	4
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Player's Guide to Greyhawk	27
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	Return to White Plume Mountain	2-7, 9, 10, 15-21, 23-33, 35-38, 41-46, 48-60
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	S1-4 Realms of Horror, Adventure Booklet	22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 32, 35
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	S1-4 Realms of Horror, Inscription and Map Booklet	2
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	S2 White Plume Mountain (1st-3rd printing), AD&D 1e	2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	White Plume Mountain (Revised), D&D 3.5e	1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 13, 19, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	S2 White Plume Mountain {Expanded} (4th+ printing), AD&D 1e	2, 4, 7, 15
Keraptis	Non-player character	[MU?],	World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983)	30
Keraptis, Crystal Skull of	Item		Into White Plume (RPGA) (High Level Version), D&D 3.5e	Front Cover, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 44, 45
Keraptis-Imprints (K-Imprints)	Item		Return to White Plume Mountain	4-7, 16, 20, 24, 26, 27, 35, 37, 38, 40, 42, 45, 57, 58, 60
Pyronomicon By Keraptis	Item	Book,	Dragon magazine #241	77, 78, 79