I have been trying to not only name the town Elendar is from, but also doing a little bit of Keptolo lore for ✨my✨ Forgotten Realms, and how a Greyhawk god arrived over there. Especially one that Ao expressly forbid from coming over.
Well first, I've decided on a name. Elendar is from a town called Baereghel. It's a preestablished drow city from Drow of the Underdark, however it is one of the cities that has literally nothing written about it. I like how the name feels when I say it out loud. And more importantly, it's one word, on the shorter side, and I can remember how to spell it.
And as far as Keptolo goes, I'll just copy/paste what I said in @mogruith 's DMs.
So im thinking (without knowledge of how the multiverse works in the context of jumping from one place to another. I frankly don't care, and it doesn't really matter in this case lol) there was a small rift in Baereghel between the realms, and Lolth decided enough's enough, Ao be damned she wants her boytoy over here on Faerun too. These drow are beginning to stray from her light into the arms of her children or worse rejecting the gods entirely.
And she's tired of him visiting from jail, making phone calls from behind a piece of glass. So she yoinks her favorite mortal turned god, Keptolo, over here. Except he's even weaker over here than he was over there.
Lolth decides this is the best way to get her male followers in line. Selvatarm is great and all, but that's her freak little grandson who isn't entirely sane. She needs a man who worships the ground she walks on. But she knows Menzo, though loyal, would not readily accept a new drow god, especially a male one.
They'd worship him, sure, but the worship would be half assed right? Bc why beat around the bush and worship Lolth indirectly when they can stream line this.
Anyways back to Baereghel, she yoinks him through the rift and decides this backwater little town will be the perfect place to get this whole ball rolling. Give Keptolo some followers. Gain more loyalty from her people. And less of them run away.
So she reaches out to the priestesses there in Baereghel, a rare occurrence in its own right, as Lolth rarely acknowledges this town of like 5000 people max, including the slave population. She tells them that Keptolo will be their deity to worship. Build a (very small, it can't be bigger than hers now.) temple in his honor. And tell male drow that their only way to worship Lolth is through worshipping Keptolo.
The priestesses are confused but dont question anything, which is great bc Lolth picked this town bc of their low intelligence, and they build the temple to Keptolo. But his worship never really took off like Lolth had hoped it would.
They still worship her, but Keptolo hasn't been able to really establish a following there despite everything. And this has been going on for a while, but I mean time moves differently for gods. "A While" could mean many things, especially to Lolth.
And that's when she starts sending Keptolo down in his avatar form every so often. He needs to meet the people. Flirt with Lolth's priestesses, encourage men that their place is at a woman's feet, waiting for her to give him an ounce of affection. And eventually Lolth's like "look you need to pay rent. Get your ass a Chosen and start gaining a following you deadbeat man." And kicks him back down towards Baereghel. And that's when he spots a child Altonin for the first time.
(end notes from Mog's DMs)
I largely think Keptolo is far busier slutting it up in Baereghel, than he's concerned about people worshipping him in that regard. Not because he doesn't want it, but because it's easier to get their attention if he slips a little bare leg, or his robe slips to reveal his shoulder. He prefers a much more intimate worship. Though having a temple built in his honor helps tremendously, you'd be surprised how many want to fuck a god if give the chance. Lmao
Anyways these are some thoughts I've had today. Not that I really needed a reason to bring Keptolo over, but I really wanted a way to explain why Tarlyn, Lachrymose, Haldiira, and Myrae have never heard of him, and it's because he's basically bound to one dinky little town in Bumfuck Nowhere, Underdark. Because Lolth is trying to establish Keptolo without Ao knowing, and is trying to build his following so when Ao does inevitably notice, he'll have a harder time getting rid of him because then who are these hopeless drow going to worship 🥺🥺
