Bhaal

The Dead Three are Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul: Three of the most feared and cruel gods in all of the Forgotten Realms. Especially Bane. Funnily enough they only earned the name "The Dead Three" after they perished during the Time of Troubles. Before that they were known as "The Dark/Dread Three", a name that originates from their mortal adventuring days.

So, let's start with our favorite impulsive tyrant: Bane.

Bane was a mortal battle-slave born in Abeir. When or how he became a slave we do not actually know. Sadly. But we do know that he was enslaved by Maram, a primordial from the beginning of the universe who was also counted among the Seven Lost Gods of Abeir and among the Elder Evils. So he is someone you don't want to encounter.

What are primordials? This:

"The primordials, or Dawn Titans, were god-like beings made of manifest entropy and elemental energy whose domains were the Elemental Chaos and Abeir, unlike the gods (Estelar), whose domains were the Astral Sea and Toril."

The primordials are older than the gods and were for a long time unaware of the fact that they existed. Yet when they did found out they invades the Astral Sea and tried to destroy the worlds that had already formed within both Shar and Selune, specifically those two, rose against them and even called other gods to their side.

"They (Selune and Shar) defended the new worlds from the primordials, naturally as the primordials were beings of entropy and destruction. Thus began the Dawn War and other gods were created from the residue of the conflict or summoned from other dimensions to help the native gods of Realmspace."

The Dawn War was a very violent and long conflict that created various other realms. During the conflict many gods and primordials died, were born and also betrayed their own allies. So a very, very messy time. So messy that the nature spirits had to interfere:

"Concerned by the unparalleled destruction caused by the gods and primordials to the worlds of Material plane, the nature spirits enacted the "primal ban", a powerful magic that bans outsiders from the Material plane unless they are summoned by its inhabitants."

There was also somewhere something that said that during the Dawn War a Primordial named Bane was slain and that the soul of the god Bane (or the mortal who would become him. Yeah, the Tyrant) was born/created from the wound that had slain the primordial. So... that's interesting, but I have no clue where I saw that and whether or not it's even true (I don't think it is but it would make a funny crack-fic (ancient Bane clowning on an old Myrkul before both troll a young Bhaal)). Still, I wanted to put that out here.

Now to the Seven Lost Gods:

"The "Seven Lost Gods", or simply the "Lost Gods", was a collective term used at different times for several different sets of deities and primordials."

Which sets are we talking about. Those three:

1. The Gods of Antiquity, who were seven Ancient Evils and/or Primordials that had all been slain or enslaved by Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul during their mortal adventuring days. Those include:

1. Maram of the Great Spear; (I will get back to him)

2. Haask, the Voice of Hargut;

3. Tyranthraxus the Flamed One;

4. Borem of the Lake of Boiling Mud;

5. Camnod the Unseen;

6. Edranka of the Smoldering Haze

and 7. Torath of the Obsidian Vault

The other set is called the "Seven Lost Gods of Westgate" whose worship was banned in 927DR and include:

1. Garagos, the netherese god of war.

2. Ghaunadaur, a god touched by the Far Realms (think of Hermaeus Mora from the Elder Scrolls)

3. Jergal, the Lord of the End of Everything

4. Moander, a netherese god of corruption (Very evil bastard)

5. Savras, who was later replaced by Azuth through Mystryls interference

6. Silvanus, the celtic god of wild nature

And another god lost to history. The seventh is speculated to be Auppenser, who is associated with psionics, enlightment and personal autonomy.

The oldest set of the seven lost Gods are the seven archwizards manipulated by Jergal to aid in his Ascenion Ritual. They are, as followed:

1. Bale the Spellslayer (in another version this was supposed to be Bhaal as Tharlagaunt Bale, there called the "Deathbringer")

2. Karsus the Mad

3. Arlochar

4. Mystra of the Seven Stars (the mortal that would become the goddess of magic after Mystryl's death), who replaced Telamont Thantul

5. Elah Nydra, the daughter of Selune

6. Nakasr

7. And an avatar of Jergal himself

Let's move on to Elder Evils, who are said to hail from the Far Realms and are wholly malevolent entities. They are divided into three categories:

1. Eternal Evils, to which there is no real info about what exactly qualifies them.

2. Aboleth Evils, who were worshipped by the aboleths and care only for madness and destruction

And 3. Far-Realm Infested Stars, who were once stars that were infested with malignant forces and now no longer have a set course.

I have no clue to which category Maram belongs, but I suppose he could be an Eternal One, given that it seems that he cannot die. Kezef and Dendar were also considered Eternals Ones, though no longer.

Given that Maram is classified as a Primordial, an Elder Evil and a Lost God it is safe to say that you really, really, really don't want to encounter him. Which sucks for Bane, because that man suffered years of slavery.

Which sucks even more for Bane is the fact that he was not just another nameless slave. He was a mortal that excelled in combat, seemingly even becoming a warlord under Maram, and displayed such a prowess in battle that he was called "The Bane of the Ancients" in Abeir. Given that the primordials seem to be set on killing each other I would dare say that Bane was sent into the field when Maram encountered harsh resistance. Bane can and will use violence in its most brutal forms. And I can't really blame him for that... because can you imagine what horrors Maram would inflict upon one of her favoured slaves? And favoured in this context is not the "oh I like you which is why I will treat you better" thing. It's more like: "You are a valuable tool and I will use you in whatever ways I see fit and if you think about turning against me I will make an example out of you." Bane was known in Abeir, which means Maram definetly was aware of him. He was not just another slave. He had purpose. Which is so, so, so much worse if that means that an wholly evil being watches every step you take. It's a wonder Banes hair didn't fall out from the fear, pressure, stress and expectation he was constantly under...

But yeah. Miserable past. And I don't even want to think about what punishments Maram would be capable of inflicting. That being has zero morals, no pity and will do things so much worse than whatever we can think of if he feels slighted.

Banes past as a slave also heavily influenced his personality. He is loud, impulsive, impatient, afraid of kindness and affection and constantly overestimates his own prowess:

"The summons had come wearing the face and form of that which each of the gods feared most... To the Black Lord, Bane, the summons came in the guise of absolute love and understanding, its light searing his essence as it carried him from his kingdom."

It's tragic that Bane fears genuine and healthy emotional connections more than being powerless. Because the moment someone is kind to him he becomes almost completely incapable of harming the individual that showed him mercy. He becomes "soft" (because he doesn't know how to handle kindness or affection), which he views as a weakness, something that will allow others to manipulate him: to have any kind of power over him.

Do you remember Blackthorne? Who saved Bane after he was heavily wounded from his fight with Mystra during the Time of Troubles? This is how he reacts after accidentally killing him:

"I will not grieve," the god decided coolly. Blackthorne was merely a human. A pawn. His loss is regrettable, but he can be replaced.

Then Bane thought of his endless talks with Blackthorne. He remembered the strange emotions that coursed through him when he had realized that Blackthorne had saved him, and aided in his recovery. The Black Lord looked at his hands and noticed he was trembling. Then the God of Strife screamed a cry of grief, loud and long. All over Bane's Dark Temple, people covered their ears and shivered at the sound of the Black Lord's pain.

When his scream ended, the God of Strife looked down through tear-clouded eyes and saw a figure standing before his throne.

"Blackthorne?" Bane said, his voice harsh and rasping.

"No, Lord Bane."

Bane wiped his eyes and looked down at the red-haired man who stood before him. "Fzoul," he said. "All is well."

"Milord, there are dead men surrounding you in the temple-"

Bane raised his taloned hand.

The red-haired man hung his head. "Yes, milord." Then Fzoul picked up his god's scattered armor and helped Bane to his feet.

"All is in readiness," Fzoul said as the Black Lord finally put on his bloody armor again. "When shall we begin to prepare for the battle?"

A fire crackled in the eyes of the Black Lord and Fzoul stepped back from the angry god. Then Bane's lips curled back in a frightful grimace. There was fire behind the God of Strife's pointed teeth, too, as his eyes narrowed and he said, "Now."

The fear, the confusion, the sheer denial. He can't handle his own emotions because he never learned how. The only affection he ever got as a mortal were probably from Bhaal and Myrkul (who are also completely emotionally stunted) and mayhaps from his family and friend (if he even had any and wasn't born into slavery) before Maram most certainly brutally murdered them and forced him into his servitude. And how does he respond to feeling grief and confusion? With rage and violence. And that's not surprising. Because confusion and grief, the pain that comes with it, are so often perceived as threatening. And how do you answer a threat you don't really understand? You lash out.

There is also this passage from Stormlight:

"...the shame and the trembling fear he so hated, that made him seek tyranny over others. This fear tasted like the tang of iron in blood, but came from a place weirdly different than Faerun. The mortal who had become Bane, so long ago, had come from... somewhere else... He was slaying himself, to keep from yielding to her.''

It's not just fear. It's trembling fear. And shame because he feels weak. And it's very important to me to point out that it's specified that it were exactly those two feelings that made him seek tyranny. Because he endured Marams tyranny for a very long time. Bane slays his own Avatar just so that he can tell himself that he wasn't actually defeated. It's also worth pointing out that Bane was the only god who kneeled only on one knee instead of two when Ao forced all gods to kneel before him, which happenend in the prologue of Shadowdale.

As for Bane being loud:

"I AM THE LORD OF LORDS AND THE PRINCE OF DARK PRINCES. MY BLACK HAND SMITES FROM ONE END OF FAERUN TO THE OTHER, AND BEYOND. BEHOLD ME, MORTALS, AND FEAR ME! FOR FEAR AND TYRANNY ARE MINE TO BESTOW, AND THE RUIN THEY DO IS MY EXULTATION. I AM BANE THE UNDYING, AND NONE SHALL ESCAPE ME!

As he shouted, red fire burst from the dark-skinned, many-tentacled figure that stood on the bed. The blaze seared draperies and clothing to hurl Shayna against the bedchamber wall. She struck it heavily, slid down it, and did not move again. Storm and Broglan were thrown to their knees, and as they struggled to rise, thunderous laughter rolled around them, and that terrible mind-voice spoke again.

STAY DOWN IN HOMAGE, WHERE YOU BELONG . . . FOR THE LAST FEW MISERABLE MOMENTS OF YOUR LIVES.

Bane exulted, slaughtering hapless creatures at random in a wild orgy of death as he celebrated his glee."

Or this scene, in which he managed to annoy Myrkul again:

"The God of the Dead shrugged and held the statue next to the snowflake. As before, there was a brilliant flash of light as the shard disappeared into the figurine. This time, however, the statue continued to glow brightly, pulsing red and black in a quickening pattern. Myrkul narrowed his eyes in pain as a loud, high-pitched shriek tore through his brain.

"I am alive!" the God of Strife screamed in Myrkul's mind. "I am whole again!" A pair of burning eyes and a leering, fanged mouth suddenly appeared on the smooth face of the statue.

"Please, Lord Bane, not so loud. You are giving me a splitting headache," the God of the Dead rasped.""

He is giving Myrkul a headache. While Myrkul inhabits an undead. That shouldn't be possible. And if you think Myrkul asking Bane to keep his voice low will make him silent, you're wrong:

"The voice inside Myrkul's head was growing loud again, and the God of the Dead winced at the noise."

Yeah, very loud. Myrkul should be allowed to hit him once per day. And Bhaal should be allowed to stab him. He is also impatient:

"Not dumb, but... we mortals have seen that Bane is rash, impetuous, and arrogant. He's no patient, long-term schemer, but lives in the present moment (he wants results NOW). And his pride often makes him over-estimate his own prowess, and ignore his own faults."

And gods, he is arrogant beyond measure:

"As my high priest pointed out, none of the gods live in the Border Ethereal, so Ao had no reason to stop us from entering it. Of course, with magic being so unstable, three of my wizards died trying to locate all the fragments of your being and send me here to recover them." The God of the Dead bowed slightly, and all the vertebrae in his back cracked. "But I could not let you suffer here."

"Please, Myrkul, spare me your flattery. After all, you need me to force my way into the heavens so you can follow."

Myrkul scowled. For a moment, he considered journeying farther into the Border Ethereal and dropping the statue into the Deep Ethereal, a place of swirling colors and mighty vortices. Bane would never make it back to the Realms - or his home- from there. But the thought lasted only a second.

Bane was right. Myrkul did need him. But not because the God of the Dead lacked courage or initiative. Myrkul wanted the God of Strife to lead the assault on the heavens because it was very dangerous, and it wouldn't do at all for the God of the Dead to be destroyed.

So Myrkul grinned obsequiously and again gave a slight bow to the obsidian statue. "Of course you are correct, Lord Bane. Let us exit this place so that we may find you a new avatar and proceed with your plans."

Kinda funny that Myrkul, who from the Dead Three seems to be the one least affected by emotions, can read and play that man like a fiddle. Also:

"I am intrigued, Myrkul," the Black Lord said as he paced back and forth. "As you have delighted in reminding me, our last collaboration was hardly a crashing success. Still, after my battle with Mystra, when I asked for your assistance, you all but laughed. I, on the other hand, am polite enough to answer your summons in the middle of the night."

And this one:

"If you feel so strongly about this matter, then I will help you to recover the tablet," Myrkul said, nodding slowly.

Bane tried to act confident. With a shrug, he noted, "I had no doubt that you would aid me."

"You had every doubt," Myrkul rasped harshly. "That is the only reason I chose to help you. I am pleased to note that you are no longer blindly stumbling into situations that you know nothing about." The God of the Dead paused and fixed Bane with an icy stare. "But there is one thing you must consider: You may not have my assistance the next time you need it, Lord Bane."

The God of Strife nodded, dismissing Myrkul's threat as so much pointless rhetoric. Then the Black Lord mocked a look of concern and noted, "Bhaal will not be pleased if you kill all his worshipers."

"I will deal with the Lord of Murder," Myrkul said, rubbing his hand across his decaying chin once more. "I will contact you when all is in readiness." The Lord of Bone s paused for a moment then added, "Have you given thought to what form you will use to hold the soul energy my spell will channel to you?"

Bane said nothing. Rage danced in Myrkul's eyes."

This whole interaction makes me believe that Bane was like this even as a mortal. Even Fzoul is done with him:

"Our overconfidence cost us everything!" the red-haired priest muttered aloud, although he was alone. "And your greed, Bane. Your madness and your greed..."

Kudos to Fzoul for having the balls to call Bane mad.

And Bane being this way makes sense. He had to find a way to assert himself, to make sure that others didn't get any funny ideas with him while he was a slave. Bane, while still serving Maram, was constantly in danger, which is why he is as loud as he is. Because being loud while also being able to commit great violence makes you look threatening. It makes others afraid. And Bane definetly wanted to make sure that others don't think about threatening/hurting him. It's not like he had much of a choice. Also:

"Serve no one but me. Fear me always - and make others fear me even more than you do. The Black Hand always strikes down on those who stand against it in the end. Defy me and die - or in your death find loyalty, for I shall compel it."

Again this whole theme of wanting to make sure that others won't come near him.

And his arrogance? He was a slave who killed and subdued other primordials with the help of Bhaal and Myrkul while he was still a mortal. And then he became a god himself. It's not really surprising.

As for how and when Bane came from Abeir to Toril:

"In the Year of Endless Song, −489 DR, the Netherese haphazardly summoned Maram and other primordials to serve as participants in the Seven Sigils War, but Maram escaped after the conflict ended."

Do you guys know who exactly broke the bindings that kept Maram away? The Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. And then they tried to recruit Maram for their purposes. Which says a lot about them.

But.

It also explains how Bhaal and Bane met. Because Bhaal, at least in one of his origin stories, served the Crown-Sorcerers as Chief Assassin and Spymaster. And then Bane got employes by them. How did he escape Maram? No clue. Maybe he heard that the sorcerers wanted to work together and risked running away. Maybe Bhaal had a hand in helping him escape. No clue. But definetly possible:

Let me clear some things up.

What was the Seven Sigils War? Here:

"The conflict began in the Year of Endless Song, −489 DR at the Netherese domain of Rdiuz, which was located along the Gods' Legion Mountains (later known as the Desertsmouth Mountains). The Netherese had built a mighty floating citadel they named Meigg* and were preparing to send troops into the Outer Planes through a massive portal called Cat's Gate, seeking to conquer communities in the Outlands."

*Meigg was a flying enclave specifically designes for war. It was built by the Crown-Sorcerer Meigg Inzarath

You know what happened? The portal they created, the Cat's Gate (created by the Crown-Sorcerer "Cathala 'Cat' Akri"), which was located at the Godswater Ravine, was insecure. Which means that Toril, especially Netheril, was invaded by extraplanar beings from the Outer Planes. Yeah. You don't want that. What was their answer to this problem? Bring a primordial into Toril by sabotaging the Anchor of Chaos within the Monument of the Ancients.

The Anchor of Chaos was an artifact that kept the Elemental Chaos away from Toril. What is the Elemental Chaos? It's the birthplace of the primordials and the "mirror" to the Astral Sea, which is the birthplace of the gods.

By sabotaging that artifact the netherese, especially the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz, managed to bring two primordial into Toril for the first time since the Dawn War. Say hello to Maram, who also brought her slave-army (which Bane was part of) to visit, and Camnod the Unseen. The Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz, especially Morden Tereshayn and Yurax Rasendol (who had also been the ones to lead the expedition towards the Monuments of the Ancients to begin with) tried to employ Maram's services against the extraplanar beings from the Outer Planes, which I presume were the rilmani. This obviously didn't work. Instead it got worse because they were incapable of closing the rift between Toril and the Elemental Chaos. So more primordials got loose. Great, isn't it? How did the Seven Sigils War end? Here:

"In the Year of Bruins, −371 DR, after over a century of bitter conflict, the Netherese managed to banish most all of the extraplanar entities that they had accidentally and deliberately summoned into Toril. Notably, one primordial, Maram of the Great Spear, escaped their attentions and fled into the wilderness."

Hm. Maram escaping is not a good thing. But let's get back to the rilmani first.

Rilmani are classified as "Outsiders" most commenly encountered in the Outlands, and are the living embodiment of True Neutrality. Their greatest goal consists of keeping the Balance between Chaos and Law, Good and Evil. Given that the netherese people were fucking up everything it's not surprising that they wanted to correct that behavior. Through violence, it seems. They are divided into three subraces.

The aurumachs, who are the most powerful:

The cuprilachs, who rank beneath them:

And the ferrumachs, who were the most numerous:

Pretty, aren't they?

After the Seven Sigils War had ended the lands of Netheril continued to be drained off all life, which was caused by the phaerimm (malevolent abberations that had nested beneath the surface of the netherese lands) and their powerful life-drain spell. Said spell had been cast a few years after Maram and other primordials had been summoned through the Anchor of Chaos, specifically in -461DR. Despite the phaerimm being very old, slave-driving beings, their life-drain spell was a form of self-defence, not of cruelty:

"Unbeknownst to the Netherese, their enormous usage of magic was destroying the underground home of the entire phaerimm race, which depended on the inherent magic of nature to survive."

As for what a phaerimm looks like:

If you want my opinion, those things are the stuff of nightmares.

Anyway. In -450DR many netherese people fled their home and migrated into safer lands in order to escape the life-drain spell.

Let me summarize real quick, because this is getting confusing:

1. -489DR: The Cat's Gate is opened and the rilmani protect their own home (the outlands) by invading Netheril. The Archmages of Netheril, especially the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz, manipulate the Anchor of Chaos and allow primordials to walk on Toril. Maram and Bane come to Toril. The Seven Sigils War begins.

2. -461DR: The phaerimm cast their life-drain spell. Netheril begins its collapse.

3. -450DR: Many of the netherese people flee Netheril. Bhaal and Bane probably begin to work together for the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz, scouting the rilmani armies. How Bane escaped Maram? No clue.

4. -439DR: The Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz, who had plundered a divine graveyard (in which Bhaal and Bane most likely had part) to craft god-slaying daggers in order to kill the primordials, succesfully craft them. Jergal starts noticing both Bhaal and Bane.

5. -438DR: Jergal steals the Daggers, turns the their cults into ghouls and almosts destroys Rdiuz completely.

6. -371DR: The Seven Sigils War ends and Maram escapes towards the Monument of the Ancients. The phaerimm life-drain spell continues. Bhaal and Bane flee Netheril.

Source for the crown-sorcerers:

"Jathiman set about creating a method to kill gods and seize their power, both in order to kill Anubis and in preparation for the planned conquest of the planes. By studying the fragments of the dead god that had been seized, Jathiman was able to deduce how such divine entities might be slain. Under Jathiman’s leadership, each of the seven crown-sorcerers then founded a cult among populace of Rdiuz designed to worship them. In the Year of Chilling Laughter (-439 DR) the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz used this nascent worship, combined with the fragments of the dead god they had recovered, to create the god-killing seven daggers of Rdiuz. It was at this point that Jergal, the Lord of the End of Everything intervened, concerned that the Crown-Sorcerers might interfere with his plans for the revised Ascension ritual. Under cover of darkness in the Year of Dripping Daggers (-438 DR), the Pitiless One stole the seven daggers of Rdiuz and murdered all the cultists, transforming them into ravenous ghouls."

So. Bhaal and Bane dash off and are left to their own devices. Which most likely didn't end well for many innocent people. Let's move on.

Hm. Hmmm.

The seven iron daggers described in this part are, as you may have already guessed, the god-slaying weapons crafted by the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. I dunno why Jergal stole them and then decided to throw them away. Or maybe he lost them... Also very nice of Jergal to torture both of them in their sleep.

Now you gonna ask me: "Who are the three primordials mentioned in the text?"

Obviously, I am gonna answer this. Because that's what I do. I answer things. (Oghma should hire me)😌

Let's start with Camnod the Unseen because he is the easiest one to answer: Camnod the Unseen was, together with Maram, one of the first Primordials that were unleashed by the Crown-sorcerers of Rdiuz who fled towards the plains of the Ride, north of the Moonsea, where he was worshiped as a wind god by the Horse Nomads of the Golden Stepps. He was also an ally of Maram.

I also already talked quite a lot about Maram, although I will get back later to her. Patience. This takes time and research.

As for Borem:

"Borem of the Lake of Boiling Mud was a primordial and one of the mysterious Seven Lost Gods."

He was also called the Patron of Anger (I am sure Bane was somewhat sad that he ended up serving Maram and not him. This is a joke).

But before Bane and Bhaal could hope to slay a primordial they needed to lay their hands on one of the seven daggers.

What is the scepter of the sorcerer-kings? A very powerful artifact crafted by the netherese arcanist, and one of the seven Crown-Sorcerers, Glaeros Lhaerimm. He also sacrificed many of his own followers to do so. And read a Nether Scroll. Yeah, I am also wondering why the netherese wizards always mess with things they should just leave be. The scepter was never finished because the netherese gods made sure that Glaeros was murderes beforehand (due to the fact that the sceptre was already capable of disrupting a gods power and slaying them as well. How did it end up in Urgund's hands? Well, Urgund was also another of the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. In -371DR Glaeros was murdered by divine emissaries to keep him from finishing the scepter of the sorcerer-kings. Urgund was with him and tasked to protect him, yet failed to do so. During the fray he claimed the scepter and fled by means of a portal network. Mo clue though how he got the Jathiman Dagger. But I am blaming Jergal, cause it's always him.

Moving on.

So, to summarize: Jergal tortures Bane and Bhaal during their sleep until they obey and set out to find the daggers. Six years later they found Mezeketh Isle and encounter Myrkul, who had come for the sceptre. Those three look at each other and decide that killing the lich together is a good plan. Which they do. They also ransack the entire tower and leave it in ruins. Then they run off to Okloroum and ask the Topaz-Dragon Kisonraathiisar to be allowed to cross his lands unhindered, if they, in turn, slay Borem. The dragon agrees, blesses them and sends them off. They kill Borem (or more over: Bhaal delivers the killing blow with the dagger, even though Bane had originally claimed it for himself), leave the dagger in the heart and also sail all the way back to Mezeketh island, where they than bury the heart with the dagger still in it... okay. Works for me.

But.

I also wanted to share this:

ELB, an abbreviation used by Kisonraathiisar, wrote that story upon one of his own scales. In modern times said scale can be found in on of Banes temple-vaults (don't remember which one though). As for how exactly they buried the heart:

"In those days, we three sought power, prestige, and eternal persistence. The planes had opened to us, revealing their terrible secrets. On the fields of fetid Rezamark, in the Lake of Boiling Mud, we took a step away from mortality. Borem, patron of anger, breathes no more. His indestructible heart is buried on this forlorn rock, where it must rest for eternity. We shall keep watch over it forever."

Like... I guess it was written by Bane himself. How the fuck did they put an entire stone pillar on top of the heart? I guess Myrkul could have used the Shape-Stone spell... and I dearly hope Bane did not carve the inscription into that stone with his own two hands, because I can see Myrkul and Bhaal getting pissy about how long that takes. But Bane is Bane and he is stubborn...

But I definetly love the last part: The promise to keep a primordial evil at bay forever. Makes me wonder if they still make sure that no one digs Borems heart up even as gods.

Moving on!

Because now those three decide that killing one primordial is not enough, no! They wan't to end all of them and take their powees for themselves (greedy as fuck if you ask me). Their next victim? Camnod.

In -358DR those three are guided, by their nightmare visions, towards the ruins of Myth Rhynn in the Wealdath (the Forest of Tethyr). While scouting this forest they stumble upon an ancient tomb guarded a baelnorn of Keltormir and retrieve the Morden Dagger (one of the seven god-slaying weapons, wielded by the Crown-Sorcerer Morden). With this dagger they make they track down Camnod and slay him, absorbing a part if his divinity. The primordial was buried by thwm beneath the tallest peak of the Zef Mountains... and I really do wonder how they did that.

Like, did they carry his corpse all the way up there??? Why not disintegrate the body, or throw it into the sea? Why did they bring it all the way up to the tallest peak of a whole mountain range? What was the thought process here?

They are weird but I love them for it. So moving on.

Of course killing two primordials is not enough. Which is why they go after Maram, Bane's old master. And for that they travel to Barze, a kingdom that lay north of the Moonsea and had been created by the netheres Archmage Barze (I don't know why the netherese put their names on everything. But Bane seems to have liked the idea).

Maram had spent fourteen years building a stronghold in the Monuments of the Ancients and terrorizing the people around him. What else did we expect?

In -357DR, two years after killing Borem (and apparently after having some pirate adventures) they made their way to Barze in order to convince the lord to ally with them:

"The sorcerer-king was happy until the Year of Sycophants, −357 DR, when the threat of Maram of the Great Spear prompted Barze to pledge his wizards to an alliance led by the Dark Three."

Those three idiots actually managed to assemble a giant force and marched against Maram into war:

"Led by the mortal Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul, a coalition of Horreb artificers, war wizards of Barze, horde nomads of Varm, gnoll warriors of Flindyke, goliath hunters of Mount Akoro, and gnome hammers of Forharn unite to defeat the primordial Maram. Though thousands were killed, the army succeeds in reaching the Monument of the Ancients and driving Maram back into the Elemental Chaos, resealing the Anchor of Chaos. Many more die on the journey away from the battle; of 50,000 troops fielded, less than 2000 return."

Yeah. 97% of their army was wiped out. And they didn't even manage to kill Maram! They only managed to banish him! Sucks for Bane. I believe it was said that Myrkul banished Maram back to the Elemental Chaos, using the scepter of the sorcerer-kings, while Bane closed the seal. Bhaal... I don't know. He was probably busy keeping their foes away from his two allies to make sure that they could proceed with the rituals undisturbed. Kudos to all three of them!

I also wanna point out that those three are idiots. Jergal actually did reveal the location of the Yurax Dagger (yes, Yurax was another Crown-Sorcerer) to them before they ever went to Barze, they just didn't retrieve it beforehand. Which means they could have slain Maram if they possessed a sliver of patience. Though I am also side-eyeing Bane here, cause I don't put it past him to act the fool and convince the other two into attacking before being ready. I had expected Myrkul to be intelligent enough to realize that without a god-slaying weapon they can't do that much, but I was wrong.

So. Maram is gone, having lost some of her divine power to the Dark Three, and their army is shattered. What to do next? This:

"The warleaders who defeated Maram abandon their weakened army. Magic-resistant diseases kill many more as the soldiers trudge back to their respective homes."

The three also stayed behind and continued to study the Monument's of the Ancients. Why? Because Jergal thought that the primordial threat had been dealt with and abandoned them, meaning they were left to their own devices. And, of course, they got the bright idea that unleashing even more primordials into the world and steal their power was the right way to go about it.

Myrkul was the one to construct the Cenotaph of the Lost Gods in the empty wastes of Lee-wai (nowadays known as the Tortured Lands), on which he inscribed the names of the seven primordials they confronted during their lifes. I presume while Myrkul was busy playing architect Bane and Bhaal retrieved the Yurax Dagger (which they should have done a long time ago, but they don't think things through).

Well, after they were done those three attempted to summon Hargut of the Gray Pestilence in order to steal his power and subdue him. They also wanted to unleash a terrible plague upon the land. This, thankfully, failes due to the fact that Hargut had escaped towards the Far Realms a long time ago. Myrkul did, however, manage to figure out that Hargut was linked to a single worshiper of his in the eastern Moonsea region. I will return to this later.

It would have been better for everyone if they had not managed to summon any primordials, but, as luck would have it, they did: Tyranthraxus, Edranka and Torath were subdued by them and unleashed upon the world.

You know what they did afterwards? Had Bhaal assassinate Barze:

"It was by the hand of one once hailed as a hero that the sorcerer-king Barze was laid low; executed silently and without a struggle. The assassin and his dour companions left the kingdom that very day; the murderers unchallenged as they passed."

I mean... Kudos to Bhaal for managing that without raising the alarm but why? Did Barze refuse to pay them because so many of his people died against Maram? Now that I think of it, that is probably true. And if you think that those three were fine with just killing Barze you're wrong. They are petty:

"Less than a year later, the kingdom of Barze would lie in utter ruin, its cities overrun and set aflame by the Twisted Ones (formorien giants) and their demonic general Tyranthraxus. Some whisper that the Dark Three had a hand in unleashing this new menace against their former allies, but that is a tale for another adventure."

No, that is not a tale for another adventure. They subdue Tyranthraxus, then kill Barze and then have Tyrantgraxus slaughter the whole kingdom!!! It's not the fault of some poor barber that Barze refused to pay them! But I suppose because Barze was well loved by his people the Dark Three took offense to that:

"It was not long after that the Twisted Ones came to finish off what was left of the grieving realm."

Those three have serious issues. Like damn, chill. Anyway, I am not yet done.

While Tyranthraxus was busy slaughtering innocents Edranka was commanded to amass an army and march against Haask (the worshiper of Hargut, a greathorn-minotaur). She did that by bringing the goblin tribes of the Tortured Lands under her yoke, some 100.000 men strong. She then clashed with Haask's armies in Grong-Haap.

During the same time period the primordial Torath was commanded to raise his own army by the three idiots. He did that by creating a strongold in the depths of Mount Throndor, located in the Eastern Dragonspine Mountains (now known as the West Galena Mountains) and brought a massive army of kuo-toa's to worship him (which may explain the Kuo-toa worshiping "Bhaal" in Bg3. Someone should tell Durge that their father likes fish-people). What did he do with that army? Conquest, what else?

"From there he marched south and east in the Year of Dark Roads (-351 DR), leading an army of kuo-toa from Sorath-Nu-Sum to conquer the isolated duergar settlements amongst the Lost Ways of Sarphil (Modern: Beneath Mulmaster) until he was felled by a covey of night hags who forced him into icy cold water, transforming him into a flame-tinged pillar of stone (Modern: Pillar of Fire)."

You already know what is coming next.

They decide to go after Haask, who had summoney Hargut. Who, exactly, is Hargut? This:

"Hargut was an antediluvian horror from the Far Realm that manifested on the Toril as a colossal worm-like creature with a giant-sized mouth filled with layer upon layer of razor sharp teeth. Hargut ’s skin is sickly green and semi-transparent with red sores visible beneath the surface. Haask, once an elder doppelganger, is now a symbiont (Fiend Folio) fused to the outer flesh of the undying Hargut. Through their symbiotic relationship the former priest-king grants a degree of lucidity and intelligence to the otherwise mindless Hargut. It is unclear if the two would survive if they were separated for a period of time, if possible at all."

So, let's circle back to Edranka. Edranka marches with a 100.000 headstrong army against Haask, who, in his despair, summons Hargut:

"Issuing an utterance in a tongue not spoken on Toril since the Days of Thunder, Haask summoned forth an elder manifestation of absolute evil and sick malevolence. Hargut of the Gray Pestilence surveyed the battlefield before turning his undying gaze upon the priest-king. Speaking a powerful recitation of command, Haask then ordered the Gray Pestilence to scatter the invaders and defend the keep. Tens of thousands died that day before the walls of Ironfang Keep, their flesh fed into Hargut ’s voracious maw and their souls consigned to an eternity in the Barrens of Doom and Despair."

Edranka was winning the battle against the priest-king up until that very moment. Hargut defeated her in combat, which had been Myrkul's, Bhaal's and Bane's plan all along. They used this distraction (cause, let's face it, two primordials clashing must be quite the sight) and snuck into Ironfang Keep to there ambush Haask:

"In the wake of his victory over Edranka’s goblinoid armies, Haask returned triumphantly to the keep to feast and rest. Inside, the priest-king was stunned to discover two grim looking humans — Bane and Myrkul—sitting nonchalantly upon his giant-crafted throne. Before Haask could react, Bhaal appeared behind the priest-king, driving the Yurax dagger — procured from Darkhold in the Sunset Mountains — through his back and into his heart. As his life energy pumped into the enchanted dagger, Haask’s form began to shift revealing his true nature as a batrachi-doppelganger."

And the batrachi are a creator race. So very old and very powerful. Also kinda ugly:

I would add a picture but Tumblr only allows to add ten per post. So don't throw things at me.

So, Hargut is bleeding out while his life-essence is slowly consumed by the Yurax Dagger. The right course if action would be to slay that malignant creature, but the Dark Three are unknown to have a sudden turn of heart:

"The dark three — a shadowy assassin, the brooding necromancer, and the dour warlord — presented an offer to the dying priest-king, vowing to spare his life in exchange for his undying fealty and command of the Gray Pestilence. His life blood trickling away and not fully appreciating the ramifications of his decision, Haask readily agreed. The three then dragged Haask outside the keep to lay prone before Hargut the Grey Pestilence."

I wanna take this moment to appreciate the hilarity of the image of them dragging a dying man through the whole keep only to throw him at the feet of a primordial. They could have just carried him, but no. It was probably Bane who wanted to savour this humiliation. Moving on:

"Producing the scepter of the sorcerer-kings, Myrkul pointed the artifact first at Hargut then to Haask while speaking three arcane syllables. Great was roar of the Gray Pestilence as he was forcibly dragged down toward the fallen doppelganger. When at last they met, the two became one, and Haask, Voice of Hargut was reborn."

Hm. Yeah. They should have killed both. Funny thing is, they confined Haask, Voice of Hargut into the keep and never returned. I mean, why? They made use of the other primordials, but this one they just imprison? Stupid, but allright.

Oh. Myrkul also stole various things from the Ironfang Keep to indulge his interest of grafting:

"Although he made all but the last few preparations for his own lichdom, and experimented with cloning magic to create spare organs for himself, and even spare arms (having seized notes on magically-assisted grafting and sinew and tendon creation from Haask of Ironfang Keep), he never became undead nor augmented his own body (beyond personal protective magics) ere ascending into godhood."

Jup. Myrkul also convinced Bhaal and Bane to consider lichdom, but, at some point, the three decided against it (which is good, because I feel like thwy would have caused even more trouble as liches):

"...all of them seeing divine power being preferable to fighting off slow decay as undead (a view reinforced, in Myrkul’s case, by the relative ease with which he and his adventuring companions destroyed great numbers of undead)."

...I am just gonna move on. Alright?

So...

Next thing.

With all Seven Lost Gods dealt with they decided to go after Jergal, yet they only ascended in -335DR. As for how they ascended:

Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul excited Ironfang Keep and in one of the documents Myrkul had stolen had been hints towards an ancient fortress that lay far beneath the ice of the Glacier of the White Wyrm. The fortress was called 'Careekar' and once belonged to the batrachi empire of Boitumelo (which is probably why Haask knew about it).

Deep in the depths of this stronghild they found the sprawling portal network called 'Garuut-Omrum'. It took decades of work to figure out how they work and it was Myrkul who actually managed to work out the details.

In -339DR, during the exact moment of Karsus's folly, the seal that kept the gates closed was broken and the location of three pyramids, most likely similar to the Monuments of the Ancients, was revealed. It is at this point that Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul split up.

Bane made his way towards Garuut-Ar, Bhaal to Garuut-Au, and Myrkul to Garuut-Cu, all of them with the intent to steal the magic hidden within.

In another version those three stole the magic within the pyramids, located within Jhaamdath, Calimshan and Tethyr and created cults set on worshipping them. They had hoped that the worship would power them enough to ascend to divinity. Each of those three claimed one region for themselves, though who exactly took which I don't know. Anyway, Bane and Myrkul betrayed Bhaal in this one before starting to be at each others throats. Why? No idea and I am also only tacking this lore with a grain lf salt. It irks me.

Well, back to the lore that makes actual sense.

Once each of them had stolen the magic within their respective pyramids they returned to Careekar and made their way into Jergal's domain:

"Then, in the Year of Seven Spirits (-335 DR), drawing forth the primordial power they had invested in the Cenotaph of the Lost Gods, the trio traveled to Jergal’s Court of Bone using the power of the Garuut-Omrum. (Myrkul’s scepter of the sorcerer-kings could not travel beyond the Material plane and was unintentionally left behind.)"

I think almost everyone know the rest: They battle through legions of undead, get tricked by Jergal/Jergal is too bored (depending on which version we are going with) and fight each other, go bowling up until the point Malar ruins the game and then decide to have a few rounds of knucklebones.

Bane won, Myrkul came second, Bhaal lost. I don't know how Bhaal managed to loose a game of dexterity against the elderly necromancer and Bane, who is as subtle as a living volcano. I can see Bane cheating in order to win and Myrkul using magic. Poor Bhaal really got the short stick.

There are few minor other things that those three did, but I am done for now.

I also realized that I actually wanted to analyse their personalities and backstories more. But I am tired. My brain and fingers hurt. And I cried like three times writing this. So I am probably gonna make another post. When? No idea. These three idiots are stupid.

If I got something wrong or you just wanna add something, feel free to comment.

Imma go sleep because I have to work from 4am - 12am tomorrow. Without a bloody break.

In 3e Bane is assigned the following classes:

•Wizard (10)

•Rogue (20)

•Fighter (15)

•Cleric (10)

and •Blackguard (10)

In 3e Bane also possesses a pet raven called 'Koravis', which caught my attention. Koravis is described as such:

"Koravis was the fiendish raven companion of Bane, the god of tyranny... Bane and Koravis could speak to each other and were connected by both an empathic link and a powerful blood bond, which enhanced the raven's might and skill whenever he witnessed any threat or harm to Bane. The raven's reflexes, will, and fortitude were also closely tied to those of the dark god."

For anyone who wonders about the source: It's "Faiths and Pantheons".

Quite the powerful little beast.

So I wondered why exactly Bane has a pet and how he got it. To figure this out I scoured his classes (yes, of every edition) and compared their different attributes to one another.

During this I stumbled upon a certain spell that fits Koravis quite nicely: Summon Monsters.

"This spell functioned just as all summon monster spells. It could summon a badger, dog, giant fire beetle, monkey, owl, or porpoise from one of the celestial planes or a dire rat, hawk, medium-sized monstrous centipede, small monstrous scorpion, small monstrous spider, octopus, raven, or small viper from one of the fiendish planes." -Summon Monsters as a lvl 1 spell.

Koravis is specifically called a fiendish raven. So that fits.

The only classes this spell is avaiable too, that Bane is attributed with, are wizard, blackguard and cleric.

The spell is also only avaiable to Chaotic Evil/Good or Lawful Evil/Good aligned characteres.

Bane, in every edition, is a Lawful Evil aligned god. So he could cast the spell without problems.

Then I tried to figure out which of his three classes was the one used to cast the spell, which is not easy due to the fact that it is a lvl 1 spell. So anyone with the most basic understanding of magic could summon a creature.

Which actually leads me to believe that Bane summoned Koravis when he was still a mortal. Bane, as a god, is someone who vies dor the greatest power. Why would he summon a mere raven? He could upcast the spell and actually, in so doing, gain a wider variety of creatures to call upon:

"It could summon a couatl, leonal, or celestial roc from one of the celestial planes; an elder elemental from one of the Inner Planes; a green slaad from the plane of Limbo; or a hamatula, fiendish dire shark, gargantuan fiendish monstrous scorpion, night hag, bebilith, colossal fiendish monstrous spider, or hezrou from one of the fiendish planes. It could also summon a monadic deva, firre, moon dog, quesar, sword archon, or ursinal from the Upper Planes or a farastu or Wastrilith from the Lower Planes." -Summon Monsters as a lvl 9 spell

Compared to the lvl 1 variant this is quite a difference. Especially if we look at the fiendish creatures that can be summoned.But Bane didn't choose a hezrou or hamatula, he choose a simple raven. That threw me off.

Given that it is a mere lvl 1 spell I believe Bane already had Koravis as a mortal. Which means I looked at the descriptions of mortal Bane in order to discern which class he made use of.

And in almost every text he is described as a dour Warlord. That is not the description of a wizard. Not really.

"The dark three — a shadowy assassin, the brooding necromancer, and the dour warlord — presented an offer to the dying priest-king, vowing to spare his life in exchange for his undying fealty and command of the Gray Pestilence." -Dragon Magazin 361

And here:

"This bizarre alliance was led by three equally improbable heroes hailing from lands beyond the Moonsea North: a shadowy assassin, a brooding necromancer, and a dour warlord." -Dragon Magazin 170

Why exactly can't Bane be a wizard as a mortal? Because of this:

"The first was a human slave warrior in the service of Maram whose skill and prowess was so puissant that he was known as the "Bane of the Ancients" on the world of Abeir. The second was Arabhal, who served the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz as chief assassin and spymaster." -Rise of the Dark Three

Yes. All of you can say hello to Bhaal (who will also play a role). There is also this little part:

"The trio, who came to be known as the Dark Three, agreed to work together to defeath Mezeketh, which they did through a potent combination of clandestine investigation, brute force, and powerful magic, leaving his tower in ruins." -Rise of the Dark Three

And there is also this:

"Eventually they reached the object of their lifelong quest - the Bone Throne.

"I claim this throne of evil," shouted Bane the tyrant.

"I'll destroy you before you can raise a finger," threatened Bhaal the assassin.

"And I shall imprison your essence for eternity," promised Myrkul the necromancer." -History of the Dead Three

Allnof this just screams that Bane wasn't much of a magic guy. He is wildly accepted as a fighter (as mortal). Which makes sense. But there are two other classes I would grant the description of a warlord: Paladins and Blackguards.

But let's get first back to his cleric class. Because cleric does make more sense than wizard. As mentioned before, Bane was a slave to Maram. Who is Maram? Well, he is called an Elder Evil, a Primordial/Dawn-Titan and a Lost God. So a very powerful being.

Primordials are not gods, however, even though their powers rival that of gods. Whereas gods reside in the Astral Sea around Toril, Primordials hail from the Elemental Chaos around Abeir (Bane's home plane). They are polar opposites to one another and had a whole war going on before the Days of Thunder. The war was called "The Dawn War" for anyone who wants to read up on that.

Bane could have had functioned as a cleric to Maram. But I don't believe that.

"The only magic that worked normally on Abeir was that a creature could create on its own, such as the inherent elemental magic a primordial had in its body or a dragon's breath."

That also is one more reason why I don't believe Wizard was the class Bane used to summon Koravis. Cleric? No. Clerics are usually, specifically, servants of gods and although Maram calls himself a god, he isn't one. Primordials and Gods are two different races. You cannot be both.

“Maram of the Great Spear!” the startled Opanrael exclaims in a high whisper.

“Though that name is unknown to most living today, in centuries past its very mention would bring about an involuntary shudder and a momentary vision of unconscionable acts of violence and brutality. Maram is one of the Seven Lost Gods—a misnomer, of course, as he was in fact no god at all, but a prince of elemental evil, a primordial scion of the Elemental Chaos. The primitive tribes of the Moonsea North, human or otherwise, venerated the Lost Seven. In exchange, their debased sorcerers and shamans were granted power of raw elemental fury.

In the end, Maram was driven back to the Inner Planes, locked away from the mortal world by a powerful Imaskari ritual known as Divine Barrier.” -Dragon Magazin 170

For anyone wondering, yes. It were Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul that sealed Maram away in that ritual. And Myrkul, most likely, was the one to banished Maram.

Which leaves only the Blackguard class for Bane and Koravis. And Blackguard fits him quite well:

"They led armies of dread forces such as undead, fiends, and other extra-planar beings, often in the name of the more malevolent deities."

"...They acted as killers, led as commanders, and even served as agents for more forces that were even more malignant than they."

"Blackguards possessed a distinct auras of evil and despair, carrying blessings bestowed upon them by the forces of darkness."

While Maram's and Bane's relationship was that of a slave and a master, Bane was special compared to the other slaves. Callback to this"

"...whose skill and prowess was so puissant that he was known as the "Bane of the Ancients"..."

Bane is not his real name. It is derived from the title he earned in service to Maram. A slave earning a name is a proof of skill, renown and reputation no one can question. This means Maram knew him and was aware of him even before he managed to escape his direct control. So yes, Maram would definetly bestow powers upon Bane for two reasons:

1. To make use of a promising warrior and use him as a weapon. 'Sharpen him', so to say.

2. To have it easier to keep track of him. A slave that is known is someone who is recognized, which means they can't just disappear unnoticed.

Bhaal probably had a hand in helping Bane get away from Maram and his skills as a rogue (chief assassin and spymaster at that) would definetly come in handy if you want to "hide" from your slaver. They most likely made a bargain of sorts: Bhaal helps Bane escape Maram and, in turn, Bane starts working for Bhaal's employees (the aforementioned Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz).

So I believe/assume that Bane summoned Koravis as a mortal through a lvl 1 spell. Bane's blackguard lvl as a god is 'only' 10. He probably was a fighter at the same time and only had like two lvl's in blackguard with the rest in fighter. But those are mere speculations on my part.

Were am I going with all of this? During my research about Blackguards I stumbled upon this:

"Due to their proficiency with shadow magic, Blackguards were often found in the service of the deity Shar."

Primordials, like Maram, are usually associated with a element. For Borem (a primordial slain by the Dead Three) it was fire. Maram is not really given an elememt but I would dare take a bold guess and say it is darkness/shadows.

Not only would that fit with Bane's blackguard theme, but also with his affinity with darkness in general:

"Bane often manifested as eyes of red blazing flame surrounded by darkness, whether it was night or not. Another favored form was that of a black, taloned hand whose touch was like ice (and was, in fact, a chill-touch) reaching out of a cloud of darkness." -Faith and Avatars

"He appears to mortals in dreams as a powerful, shadowy figure..." -Faiths and Pantheons

Then there is also the whole thing of him being 'The Lord of Darkness', the 'Dark One, and so on.

If we replace Shar with Maram we can determine that one of the powers Maram imbued within him was the ability to use shadow magic.

Shadow magic, not to be confused with shadow-weave magic (Shadowfell) was derived from the Plane of Shadow, home to elementals associates with that element. In 3e the Plane of Shadow was part of the Elemental Chaos (in 4e many things changed but Forgotten Realms Lore often conteadicts itself so we have to work with what we are given). Maram was of the Elemental Chaos!

And there is one thing about shadow magic that make sit so incredibly dangerous: It corrupts practitioners who are unprepared or simply overwhelmed when using it.

And by corrupt I mean that not only the physical body is altered, but also the state of mind begins to suffer. Hells, even the soul can be weakened to the point that entities from the Plane of Shadow can take control over the practitioners body. It is not magic that you should just use.

If I am right and Maram allowed Bane to use shadow magic I would also assume that he made sure that Bane is protected from its harmful influences while simoultaneously never actually allpwing him to learn on how to control/handle it on his own without the protection/guidance of a more powerful being (Maram).

So the stage is this:

1. Bane, unwillingly, serves Maram as warlord and is imbued with the power to use shadow magic (Blackguard). He also gains the ability to summon a minor servant (Koravis). Maram protects Bane from the harmful influences.

2. Bane escapes Maram, most likely with Bhaal's help, and starts to serve the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. Maram withdraw his protection from Bane/can no longer reach him to protect him from the harmful effects of this magic.

3. Bane continues to use shadow magic and the first signs of corruption begin to be noticable (his hand blackens).

From where did I get that shadow magic blackens the skin if used too much/not correctly? Here:

"As some practitioners tapped into shadow magic they were confronted with their "shadow self", a reflection of their personality that existed in absence of their "true self". The shadow self of a person that was kind and loyal would appear as cruel and treacherous, often in the form of some monstrous humanoid creature."

I read this and was reminded of one of the most powerful practitioners of shadow magic that ever existed: Verraketh Talembar.

Verraketh Talembar was once a Talfir Monarch and possibly the most powerful mage they evwe produced. He was later called the 'Shadow King' due to the fact that his use of this magic corrupted him completely. Wanna know what his corrupted form looked like? Here:

"Muscles and veins writhed like serpents beneath his skin as dark and smooth as night. Its legs were thick as columns, ending in cloven hooves. It flexed it powerful arms; long, dark, talons sprang from its fingertips, a tail lined with saw-toothed barbs cracked like a whip in the air. Two batlike wings unfurled from its back. The Nightstone pulsed vividly in the center of its chest as hot and red as blood. Its face was that of a beast, fangs like obsidian knives protruding from its maw, oozing dark ichor."

There are multiple things in this passage that parallel Bane:

"...he is marked by his jet-black right hand."

"Another favored form was that of a black, taloned hand..."

"The Black Lord often warped his hands into talons..."

"This transformation was soften accompanied by his face warping into a bestial visage, his eyes lighting with living flame, and his skin transforming into blackened and charred leather stretched tight against his skull..."

"Bane often manifested as eyes of red blazing flame..."

No one can tell me that all of this is a coincedence. But if you're still not convinced, let me add this little detail:

"Shadow magic, also called cold magic or Talfirian magic..."

Shadow magic is often acvompanied by a freezing chill. And whose presence and touch is registered as cold? Banes.

"...taloned hand whose touch was like ice (and was, in fact, a chill-touch)..."

And he is also completely immune to cold damage to begin with:

Once again it just fits perfectly.

But there is even more! And it connects to Verraketh (the Shadow King of the Talfir) as well.

Do you all remember how Bane returned to life after he got killed by Midnight/Torm? He burst from the corpse of his son Iyachti Xvim:

"Those who let down their guard, however, did so rashly, and far too soon. On Midwinter night of 1372 DR, Xvim burst in a conflagration of diabolical green light. From the smoking husk of his remains emerged a newly reinvigorated Bane, his right hand ablaze with-green fire."

You know who did the same thing? Reviving himself by bursting out from a corpse? Yes. Verraketh:

"When Ravendas took up the Nightstone, she was killed by its magic, as she did not possess the ability of the shadow magic.

The Shadowking burst out from her corpse."

The Nightstone was imbued with the essence of Verraketh in a way very similar to how Iyachtu was imbued with Bane's essence.

It could, of course, be a mere coincedence. But it just makes sense too me that Bane, while obviously also relying on his divinity, also used some shadow magic to make this happen.

So. Were was I? Right, here:

1. Bane, unwillingly, serves Maram as warlord and is imbued with the power to use shadow magic (Blackguard). He also gains the ability to summon a minor servant (Koravis). Maram protects Bane from the harmful influences.

2. Bane escapes Maram, most likely with Bhaal's help, and starts to serve the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. Maram withdraw his protection from Bane/can no longer reach him to protect him from the harmful effects of this magic.

3. Bane continues to use shadow magic and the first signs of corruption begin to be noticable (his hand blackens).

So, Bane's hand starts to blacken, the magic corrupts him. Do you guys know who has ties to the Talfir? The people from whom Verreketh hailed? The ones that practice shadow magic through bardic traditions? Bhaal.

Bg3 tied Bhaal to the Talfir here:

"The Lord of Murder wasn't always a lord. He was once just a petty killer. When Bhaal first drew blood in a Baldurian back-alley, it dropped to the ground and lingered. When he ascended, this dried blood-drop grew, warped - and became sharp."

Heroes of Faerun tied him to it as well, mainly here:

"Scions of the Three are most common in Baldur's Gate, where the Dead Three lived as mortals before ascending to godhood."

Now, there are a few problems with those two sources, but I did mention that Forgotten Realms Lore often contradicts itself.

The Dead Three became gods before Baldurian was even born. They ascended before Baldur's Gate was turned from a simple fishing village into a proper harbor city.

And Bane doesn't even hail from Toril. He comes from a completely different world: Abeir. And Myrkul originated from Murghom, a ki gdom on tje other side of Faerun:

"Etched upon a mausoleum wall within Valhingen Graveward:

The necromancer was the most reserved of the three dark heroes, a gangling man of advancing years, speaking in a high whisper and largely keeping to himself. His emaciated form was shrouded within dark robes, the man’s cold eyes bespoke of malign intelligence and eldritch might. His given name: Myrkul Bey al-Kursi, Crown Prince of Murghôm."

It is plausible and very likely that Bhaal came from the fishing village that stood at the Chionthar River (the place where the Talfir settled) and lived there. The undercity does exist in Baldurs Gate and if Bg2 lore is too be trusted it is constructed of the ruins of Bhaal's old home (which is why he is so obsessed with Baldur's Gate; this place is his home). So yes. Bhaal most likely has a talfiric backround. Which means he is familiar with shadow magic, which further means he would know about the harm it can cause. He would also have heard about Verraketh Talembar. Because that monarch caused immense trouble.

If that is true and we consider the fact rhat Bhaal and Bane began to work together shortly after Bane escaped Maram (and he became vulnerable to the harmful effects of shadow magic (because he never actually learned how to control it, he was merely protected)) Bhaal would undoubtly notice the corruption that began to eat away at Bane's hand. He would recognize the signs.

Given that only Bane's hand is blackened (although there are like one or two other sources that claim his whole arm was black (don't ask me which, no clue where that was)) it is safe to say that he didn't practise shadow magic for a long time after he became vulnerable to its influence. Most likely because Bhaal warned him about the consequences. Given that those two admired each other it's very likely that Bane would heed his words.

As for why his hand remains black and he can't change it: Shadow magic corrupts the very soul. Maybe his soul is too damaged and he simply can't reverse the harm.

But yeah. I went on way longer then I intented too.