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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 342278" data-attributes="member: 2067"> KAPLAN, THE SECRETSEEKER The gnomish seerAlignment: Neutral GoodWorshipers: Gnomes, Seers, Diviners, ResearchersDomains: Charm, Knowledge, GoodFavored Weapon: ClubHome Plane/Domain: Bytopia/The Scrying CavesDivine Rank: Lesser Deity (7)Classes: Psion (seer), Wizard (diviner), LoremasterPortfolio: Psionics, Gnomes, Fortunetelling, KnowledgeSalient Abilities: (9) Clearsight, Divine Blessing (wisdom), Divine SKill Focus (scry), Divine Discipline Focus (Clairsentience), Divine Manifestation, Extra Sense Enhancement (sight), Know Secrets, Power of Truth, True KnowledgeSpecial Possessions: Eye of Kaplan, a crystal ball with True Seeing, though which Kaplan can channel his salient divine abilities.Alternate Domains: NoneSymbol: A sphere with a diamond inscribed within it.DESCRIPTIONKaplan is the gnomish god of secrets and truth. He is known as a powerful seer himself, with the power to see all that transpires, hidden or not. Occasionally, he is known to grant visions to those who serve him of the future or the past.Physically, Kaplan resembles an old, spry gnome in deep, forest-green robes, often with a hood pulled over his face, or wearing a wide-brimmed hat pulled low. Often, his eyes are obscured, for it is said to look into them is to see one's own death.DOGMAKaplan is deeply concerned with an education and honing of the gnomish race. He sees knowledge as the edge that the gnomes have over others. He cherishes every piece of information he can acquire, and finds hidden things to be the root of wicked selfishness.His worshipers generally persue  knowledge hungrily, often being quite inquisitive and quite knowledgable in many fields. They frequently employ psionic or wizardly powers in their seeking, and can frequently get on more secretive organization's bad sides. Privacy seems to be an alien concept to Kaplan's teachings.CLERGY AND TEMPLESKaplan's priests generally are clad in deep green robes, and frequently wear headbands and masks (often blindfolds with eye holes cut out) to symbolize Kaplan's death-seeing vision. They are curious in the extreme, and frequently quite knowledgable themselves. Many are bards, seers, experts, or diviners in addition to being clerics. Frequently, clerics of Kaplan are hired by rich humans to teach their children about the world -- the clerics are honest by vow and nature, and try to avoid coloring anything in their own opinion, instead presenting the world as it is.The temples of Kaplan are elaborate libraries, filled with volumes of information on subjects from aardvarks to zombies, and everything on either side and in between. They are staffed by Kaplanite clerics, and kept in immaculate conditions. Many even have multipule copies of subjects in various languages and formats.RITES AND RITUALSKaplanites turn reading a new book into a transcendental experience. Simply witnissing something new or undocumented counts as a vision from Kaplan (who has seen all things), specifically tailored for the cleric who saw it. The worshipers of Kaplan actively seek these new experiences out, and obsessively document them for posterity. Even the most hideous torture is a blessing in that it is new knowledge to them. Many also value visions of the future, and will sometimes try to divine it simply as a form of prayer.More normally, they turn rubbing a crystal ball, reading from a spellbook, or writing some fact in the air as a magical ritual. Most carry around some representation of Kaplan's crystal ball, as a charm to improve their own visionary prowess.MYTHOGRAPHYGnomes are probably one of the most secretive of the common races. Why, then, have a god who preaches the revelation of all secrets? Why be a shadow worshiping a lamp?In part, it reflects the recent outward turn of the race. Their presence in the world at large, educating and teaching, has been met with a warm reception. Gnomes are perhaps the most able to realize, with their cherishing of illusion and trickery, that knowing how to trick someone is almost as important as the trick itself. Kaplan flies in the face of the general gnomish tendency to not be seen for what you truly are. He's honest and forthright. And that's enough to cause his worshipers to stand out from the rest of gnomdom.In effect, Kaplan is the reaction against the secretive nature. In most likelihood, he began as a god of knowledge and education, very close to the hearts of many gnomes. The idea of acquiring knowledge is an important one in most gnome circles, and cherishing it for one's own use is also important. Kaplan takes this one step further, and demonstrates that the seeking of AND SHARING OF this knowledge is what makes it important. Knowledge is a tool, and what use is a hammer if it is never used?It is also key to note that Kaplan is a very scientific deity. Proof and lack of bias are close to his heart, and perception is nothing to him. As such, his clergy spend as much time correcting perceptions as collecting them, to find the truth in a world full of illusion and deception.LEGENDSMost of the tales of Kaplan revolve around his persuit of knowledge and the fighting of those who would stop or decieve it. Occasionally, these are even his own people, though Kaplan always keeps a good humor about being the victim of good-natured pranks towards him. As long as none try seriously to decieve him, he is unconcerend.One of the most potent legends tell of Kaplan's struggle against Vecna, in a tale in which Kaplan is the instigator. Knowing of Vecna's storehouse of knowledge kept private, Kaplan wishes to acquire it. Using the aid of various other gnomish gods, Kaplan infiltrates the home of Vecna, and steals his entire library. Once the priests of Vecna who were set to watch and guard it found out about the theivery, they creted an illusion to protect themselves, and hopefully to convince Vecna that the library is still there. It, of course, didn't work...Vecna discovered and extracted his vengeance on his own people, and attempted to on the gnomish community. Fortunately, Kaplan was able to fight back, with knowledge of his own about Vecna's attack, so that he was prepared to not run and hide like most of the gnomish deities, but to stand and fight, using the knowledge he had acquired, and fighting Vecna off. Ever since, there has been no love lost between Vecna and Kaplan.ETC.PrC's· The Seer of All: Gains powers to peirce illusions· Loremster: See the Dungeon Master's Guide. Many Kaplanites take this prestige class.</blockquote>

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