Keptolo
Keptolo (kep-toe-low) is the drow deity of drow males, flattery, intoxication, rumor, and opportunism. His symbol is a stylized mushroom, which symbolizes intoxication and male fertility.
Keptolo is intelligent, stylish, and exquisitely decadent; in all ways he is the ideal of the upper class male drow. His typical appearance is that of a young dark elvish noble, dressed in elegant silks of red, purple, jet black, and amber hues. He carries on his person a thin and elegant poinard and longsword, and in combat he wields them both simultaneously. Alternatively, he may be dressed as if for a hunt, wearing a velvet cloak and carrying an expensive crossbow.
Keptolo is the consort of Lolth. He is polite and unctuous to Kiaransali and Vhaeraun, but insincere in his flattery. He despises Zinzerena, who tricked a portion of his power from him in order to empower her own ascension.
The Eager Consort dwells with his mistress in the Demonweb Pits, a bewildering realm of spidery webs spun from damned souls.
Keptolo urges his followers to increase their status in drow society by feeding the vanity of the matriarchs who outrank them. They are advised to be wary of who they offend, and to keep a scapegoat on hand to take the blame for their failings. They are taught the importance of gossip as a weapon against their rivals.
Keptolo is revered mostly by male drow, who respect him as the patron of drinking and a model for sexual exploits they hope to achieve themselves.
Clerics of Keptolo may be found as advisors, critics of art and literature, philosophers, politicians, and other careers that do not require hard labor. Many are skilled with a blade, and work as assassins and spies. They seek to emulate their deity in all ways. They are deferential to the matrons, but manipulative and abusive to all others.
The greatest temple of Keptolo is in the city of Erelhei-Cinlu in the Vault of the Drow.
The Eager Consort God of drow males, flattery, intoxicasion, rumor, opportunism, beauty, hedonism, and fertility Demigod Alignment: Chaotic Evil Domains: Chaos, Domination, Evil, Knowledge, Nature, Travel, Trickery Symbol: Stylized mushroom Keptolo (pronounced kep-TOE-low) is the drow male ideal: elegant, quickwitted, attentive, and eagerly debauched. He normally appears as a young nobleman dressed in well-tailored silks of red, purple, jet, and amber. He is armed with a thin but sturdy poinard and a filigreed longsword. He affects a twohanded fighting style, using both weapons at once. Otherwise he appears dressed for the hunt, velvet-cloaked and armed with a magnificent crossbow. His relationship with other drow deities is one of insincere amity, save for Zinzerena, whom he openly despises. His symbol is a stylized mushroom, which in drow culture is associated with both strong drink and fertility. Shrines to Keptolo are found throughout the underworld, for many male drow worship him as their patron, mostly due to his association with drinking. Tales of his sexual exploits are quite popular, and there are groups of performers who act them out for festivals and private gatherings. His greatest temple is in the drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu, but only his most attractive or wealthy worshipers are permitted to participate in services there. Clerics of Keptolo are found as advisors, critics, philosophers, and politicians: essentially, any role that does not require actual work. They seek to emulate their deity in all ways, and as such number among the most handsome and charming of the drow race. However, followers of Keptolo remain very dangerous, for many of them are skilled dirksmen, poisoners, or spies. Utterly capricious and completely untrustworthy (even by drow standards), worshipers of the Eager Consort are deferential to priestesses of Lolth and attentive to the matrons of the powerful noble houses. In other relationships, they are manipulative and abusive, particularly with fellow clerics lower in the hierarchy. Keptolo resides in the Demonweb Pits alongside Lolth, whom he serves as consort, more than a plaything but much less than an equal. The Ace: Keptolo is worshipped as the epitome of traditional drow masculinity; he's the wittiest socialite, the sexiest lover, the sneakiest backstabber, and the most perfectly loyal to Lolth. If there's any trait the drow admire in men, Keptolo has it and excels in it. Arch-Enemy: Keptolo is a bitter enemy of Zinzerena, a drow demigoddess whom he had sponsored to divinity, but was subsequently deceived by her when she executed a cunning plan and stole a fragment of his power. Canon Immigrant: Was originally only worshipped on Oerth and had no connection to the Forgotten Realms. 5th edition retconned him into the Realms, and made him part of the "multiversial" drow pantheon. Cool Sword: His favored weapon is a keen longsword. Dual Wielding: He promotes a two-handed fighting style, using both weapons at once. Faux Affably Evil: He's polite and flattering to other drow deities, but really only so that he can ride on their coattails. His clerics reflect this by being servile to priestesses of Lolth and other higher-ranked drow, but abusive in any relationship involving a lesser. Hot Consort: Keptolo is Lolth's consort and is considered the ideal of what a male drow can become, as he's handsome, stylish, witty, hedonistic, an outrageous flatterer, and sought after as a lover. Malicious Slander: Keptolo is dangerous in his aspects as a subtle assassin and a whisperer of rumors. He teaches his followers the importance of gossip as a weapon against their rivals. Opportunistic Bastard: He preaches opportunism in social situations - every sentence is a potential source of slander, every opening is to be leapt through, and if a high-status lady takes a liking to you, you do whatever it takes to get into (and stay in) her good graces. In the abusively matriarchal drow culture, the menfolk really need any advantage they can get. Rule-Abiding Rebel: Like most drow gods, Keptolo encourages subverting rules for personal power - but unlike Vhaeraun, who seeks gender equality, the power Keptolo embodies is entirely within the bounds of the matriarchy; Keptolo preaches that male drow should seek to suck up to an influential female drow and make use of her power, instead of possessing such influence themselves. Trickster God: A very dark version, as expected of the drow - Keptolo is a deity of social duplicity and opportunism, and thus grants his clerics access to the Trickery domain. The Vamp: Male example, as drow society largely reverses gender expectations. Drow men are supposed to be sexy, smart, and manipulative, but to largely confine themselves to soft skills, such as intrigue and debauchery, with combat being somewhat of a last resort (though not actively discouraged, and Keptolo is very good with those swords of his).
The Eager Consort God of drow males, flattery, intoxicasion, rumor, opportunism, beauty, hedonism, and fertility Demigod Alignment: Chaotic Evil Domains: Chaos, Domination, Evil, Knowledge, Nature, Travel, Trickery Symbol: Stylized mushroom Keptolo (pronounced kep-TOE-low) is the drow male ideal: elegant, quickwitted, attentive, and eagerly debauched. He normally appears as a young nobleman dressed in well-tailored silks of red, purple, jet, and amber. He is armed with a thin but sturdy poinard and a filigreed longsword. He affects a twohanded fighting style, using both weapons at once. Otherwise he appears dressed for the hunt, velvet-cloaked and armed with a magnificent crossbow. His relationship with other drow deities is one of insincere amity, save for Zinzerena, whom he openly despises. His symbol is a stylized mushroom, which in drow culture is associated with both strong drink and fertility. Shrines to Keptolo are found throughout the underworld, for many male drow worship him as their patron, mostly due to his association with drinking. Tales of his sexual exploits are quite popular, and there are groups of performers who act them out for festivals and private gatherings. His greatest temple is in the drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu, but only his most attractive or wealthy worshipers are permitted to participate in services there. Clerics of Keptolo are found as advisors, critics, philosophers, and politicians: essentially, any role that does not require actual work. They seek to emulate their deity in all ways, and as such number among the most handsome and charming of the drow race. However, followers of Keptolo remain very dangerous, for many of them are skilled dirksmen, poisoners, or spies. Utterly capricious and completely untrustworthy (even by drow standards), worshipers of the Eager Consort are deferential to priestesses of Lolth and attentive to the matrons of the powerful noble houses. In other relationships, they are manipulative and abusive, particularly with fellow clerics lower in the hierarchy. Keptolo resides in the Demonweb Pits alongside Lolth, whom he serves as consort, more than a plaything but much less than an equal. The Ace: Keptolo is worshipped as the epitome of traditional drow masculinity; he's the wittiest socialite, the sexiest lover, the sneakiest backstabber, and the most perfectly loyal to Lolth. If there's any trait the drow admire in men, Keptolo has it and excels in it. Arch-Enemy: Keptolo is a bitter enemy of Zinzerena, a drow demigoddess whom he had sponsored to divinity, but was subsequently deceived by her when she executed a cunning plan and stole a fragment of his power. Canon Immigrant: Was originally only worshipped on Oerth and had no connection to the Forgotten Realms. 5th edition retconned him into the Realms, and made him part of the "multiversial" drow pantheon. Cool Sword: His favored weapon is a keen longsword. Dual Wielding: He promotes a two-handed fighting style, using both weapons at once. Faux Affably Evil: He's polite and flattering to other drow deities, but really only so that he can ride on their coattails. His clerics reflect this by being servile to priestesses of Lolth and other higher-ranked drow, but abusive in any relationship involving a lesser. Hot Consort: Keptolo is Lolth's consort and is considered the ideal of what a male drow can become, as he's handsome, stylish, witty, hedonistic, an outrageous flatterer, and sought after as a lover. Malicious Slander: Keptolo is dangerous in his aspects as a subtle assassin and a whisperer of rumors. He teaches his followers the importance of gossip as a weapon against their rivals. Opportunistic Bastard: He preaches opportunism in social situations - every sentence is a potential source of slander, every opening is to be leapt through, and if a high-status lady takes a liking to you, you do whatever it takes to get into (and stay in) her good graces. In the abusively matriarchal drow culture, the menfolk really need any advantage they can get. Rule-Abiding Rebel: Like most drow gods, Keptolo encourages subverting rules for personal power - but unlike Vhaeraun, who seeks gender equality, the power Keptolo embodies is entirely within the bounds of the matriarchy; Keptolo preaches that male drow should seek to suck up to an influential female drow and make use of her power, instead of possessing such influence themselves. Trickster God: A very dark version, as expected of the drow - Keptolo is a deity of social duplicity and opportunism, and thus grants his clerics access to the Trickery domain. The Vamp: Male example, as drow society largely reverses gender expectations. Drow men are supposed to be sexy, smart, and manipulative, but to largely confine themselves to soft skills, such as intrigue and debauchery, with combat being somewhat of a last resort (though not actively discouraged, and Keptolo is very good with those swords of his).
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