White Plume Moutain

White Plume Mountain is a solitary, geyser-spouting peak rising from the plains of central Flanaess, north of the Nyr Dyv and south of Rift Canyon. It has long been a source of superstitious awe for the surrounding villages, a place of whispered legends and unexplained disappearances. In the Age Before Ages, the Battle of Pesh was fought in its shadow, an event that forever marked the land.

---

The Legacy of Keraptis

Long after the cataclysmic battle, the druid Aegwareth made his home in White Plume Mountain. In -800 CY, his sanctuary was usurped by the dark wizard Keraptis, who slew the druid and took control of the mountain’s labyrinthine lava tubes with his gnomish servitors. Aegwareth, now a vengeful shade, lingers in the depths, bound to the mountain that once was his.

For over thirteen centuries, White Plume Mountain has been shunned by locals, who believe it haunted by demons and devils. Few dare venture close, and those who do often vanish without a trace.

In his time, Keraptis sought a secluded stronghold, a place where he could conduct his twisted experiments in solitude. Discovering the natural maze of volcanic tunnels, he set about making them his own, bolstering the region’s dark reputation to keep the prying eyes of the world away. Then, without warning, he vanished—his name fading from memory, his legacy buried beneath the mountain’s steaming vents.

The Ransom of the Three Blades

For centuries, Keraptis was but a name lost to history—until several weeks ago, when three legendary weapons, Wave, Whelm, and Blackrazor, vanished from their owners’ vaults. In the ensuing panic, no clue to their whereabouts was uncovered. Then, each of the bereft collectors received an ominous note:

Search ye far or search ye near
You'll find no trace of the three
Unless you follow instructions clear
For the weapons abide with me.

North past forest, farm, and furrow
You must go to the feathered mound
Then down away from the sun you'll burrow
Forget life, forget light, forget sound.

To rescue Wave, you must do battle
With the Beast in the Boiling Bubble
Crost cavern vast, where chain-links rattle,
Lies Whelm, past water-spouts double.

Blackrazor yet remains to be won
Underneath inverted ziggurat.
That garnered, think not that you're done,
For now you'll find you are caught.

I care not, former owners brave
What heroes you seek to hire.
Though mighty, I'll make each one my slave
Or send him to the fire.

Each note bore the ancient sigil of Keraptis. Scholars scoffed—surely the wizard had perished centuries ago. Yet none could deny that someone, or something, was claiming his name.

A Mad Wizard’s Dominion

Ages past, Keraptis subjugated the warlords of the northern mountains, using grotesque threats—often fulfilled—to bend them to his will. Under his rule, monstrous incursions dwindled, but his taxes grew unbearable. At his height, he demanded one-third of all newborns, a decree that sparked an uprising. A holy cleric and his ranger acolytes led a furious revolt, shattering Keraptis’ hold over the region. Defeated, the wizard fled south and west, his name cursed in every city he sought refuge.

At last, his wandering brought him to the Lake of Unknown Depths, where he learned of the haunted White Plume Mountain. Investigating further, he unearthed ancient druidic secrets hidden deep within its molten core. There, he waged a titanic battle against its guardian, a lone druid of the Elder Age. The wizard triumphed, casting his foe’s body into the magma and claiming the mountain as his own.

Within its depths, he unearthed four relics of great power:

• Wave—gifted by Cyclopean titans in exchange for their doomed freedom.
• Whelm—crafted in secret by the hidden gnomish conclave from which his followers hailed.
• Blackrazor—bestowed upon him by eldritch entities at the end of a dying multiverse.
• Frostrazor—claimed from the Druid’s Fane, a sanctum hidden beneath White Plume’s fiery heart.

With these weapons, Keraptis pursued true immortality, delving into arcane experiments beyond mortal comprehension. Five centuries ago, he departed this plane, stepping into a shadowy realm, never to be seen again.

The Rise of the False Keraptis

In his absence, his gnomish followers remained within the volcanic labyrinth, sustaining themselves on fungal gardens cultivated by their master’s magic. For centuries, they lived and died in sunless servitude.

A century ago, their solitude was shattered by the Brotherhood of the Tome, a band of adventurers who breached the mountain’s defenses and stole the four weapons of power. Their actions severed Keraptis’ tether to the Prime Material Plane, trapping him in the realm beyond.

In desperation, the gnomes searched the wizard’s chambers and discovered his abandoned Keraptis-Imprints—arcane scrolls imbued with fragments of his mind. One reckless gnome memorized a scroll, unknowingly implanting the wizard’s essence into his own psyche.

Believing himself to be the true Keraptis, this new vessel began amassing power, seeking to reclaim the stolen weapons and restore his dominion. Now, as the mountain stirs once more, the world trembles at the thought—

Has Keraptis truly returned? Or is something far worse lurking beneath White Plume Mountain?