Keraptis

Greyhawk Character

Keraptis
File:Keraptis symbol.JPG The symbol of Kerpatis, 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 module 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. By circa -1100 CY, the wizard was driven out of the settlement. 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. 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 is known to have authored the following works:

• Pyronomicon

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.

• Schick, Lawrence. White Plume Mountain Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1979.

• Wilson, Steven B. "Greychrondex." Available online: [1]

External links

• "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!.

• Keraptis at Wikipedia.