Kikko da Frog

In 'Prince of lies' Ao straight out tells that Cyric, who is convinced that becoming a god will make all your problems go away. It won't.

Bhaal is murder and the process of dying in general. He will always try to cause as much death as possible because he doesn't have the option to be something else. You can't ask him not to kill, just like you can't ask the wind not to act like the wind. He is also a god. It doesn't matter if the Absolute plot succeeds or not; what matters is that he follows through with the duty every god has: to act in accordance with their portfolio.

Bhaal is not stupid. He knows that, at most, he can slaughter a few cities before he, inevitably, begins to upset the balance of the realms and unites many other gods against him. The plan was always doomed to fail.

Bane and Myrkul know this as well.

Bane is Tyranny, and thus it is in his nature to seek domination over everything. One of his greatest ambitions is to slay Mystra (the most powerful god in all the realms) and take her portfolio for himself. The problem? This:

'It's against Bane's essential nature to relinquish anything, and the sacrifice is not a choice available to him.' - Ed Greenwood, on the Candlekeep Forums

Mystra's duty as the goddess of magic is not to fight against evil or keep wizards from using magic for nefarious purposes, but to ensure that the Weave stays whole; that magic keeps functioning.

While Mystra possesses the ability to bar anyone from using the Weave, she is not allowed to because that would be a direct abuse of her power against mortals and other gods. She did bar wizards from using the Weave during the whole Cyric-debacle and it got her quickly disciplined by Ao.

If Bane were to claim Mystra's portfolio, he would have to allow others to use the Weave without getting anything in return. But he couldn't. That goes against his nature. He would, sooner or later, have to relinquish Mystra's domain. And he knows that, but that doesn't stop him from trying, just like Bhaal doesn't stop trying to cause mass genocides just because he knows he can't succeed.

The only reason Mystra gets involved in the events of Bg3 is because the Crown of Karsus directly threatens her domain. Mystra doesn't care about the Dead Three beyond the threat to her and her portfolio.

Gods are busy beings that constantly have their eyes set on the greater schemes of things. Mystra will ask Gale to sacrifice himself for the 'greater good'. Myrkul and Bane both have a habit of throwing their followers into the gutter. Bhaal will not save you from dying, no matter how valuable you are (he may resurrect you, but the Dead are Myrkul's and Kelemvor's domain so he is still acting in accord with his nature). Shar will abandon her faithful even in death because she is loss. Selune will offer guidance to the lost, no matter how evil, because she is the Goddess of Guidance. Lolth will always cause chaos; Kelemvor will always be the impartial judge of the dead; Tyr the judge of the living.

Lolth is a goddess who is often opposed by other gods:

'Most of the gods of Toril will help mortals work against Lolth, because she's a constant pain to them and endlessly ambitious, so they think she must be curbed and thwarted at every turn.' - Ed Greenwood, Twitter

They don't necessarily oppose her because she is considered evil; they oppose her because her plans constantly threatens them and the domains they represent.

Selune and Shar are not, necessarily, foes because of the spat they had near the beginning of time; they are at odds with one another because Selune is tasked (by proxy of her domain) with helping people find themselves, while Shar is supposed to make people lose themselves.

Even Lathander, who is known to be optimistic and always sees the best in people, once caused the so-called 'Dawn-Cataclysm' in an attempt to reset the whole world because he is the god of New Beginnings and Renewal. Helm's lover, aside from many others, died in that attempt.

Being literally unable to act against your nature has nothing to do with being stupid or short-sighted.

And Durge isn't a fool either for following their father's wishes. Aside from the obvious abuse they suffered, they are, as the Elder Brain correctly calls them, 'Murder Incarnate'. They are a piece of Bhaal without any mortal lineage. They are just as much Murder as Bhaal is, the only difference being the amount of divine essence both harbour. Durge can still resist and act against their impulses; Bhaal can only ever push them back down until he snaps completely.

That's also why it irks me to see people calling God!Gale disappointing for saying that he doesn't care about how ambition is used. He simply can't care because that would go against his nature. No one can expect Ambition to keep others from trying just because their goals may not align with his. Is it upsetting to see the cat-loving bookworm to be changed so much? Yes. But everyone who knows how divinity in the Forgotten Realms lore works should not be surprised to see that. The moment that man started talking about wanting to become a god should have been a red flag.

Even Bane, who is now the face of all evil, didn't seek to become a god to rule everyone else. He wanted to turn into one because he wanted to protect himself; to keep others from having any kind of power over him:

'She fought closer to the shame and the trembling fear he so hated, that made him seek tyranny over others... He was slaying himself, to keep from yielding to her.' -Stormlight

So, every time I see people calling Bhaal stupid and the Dead Three idiots for trying to turn everyone into Mindflayers, I get a bit pissy. It's in Bhaal's nature to try to kill.

As for the Absolute plot, theoretically speaking, it could have succeeded. Problem is: the chances are so slim that it is almost impossible.

"Oh, but Mindflayers have no souls! Withers/Jergal tells us that."

Well, he is lying. Or maybe ignorant. Jergal is not a nice man, and you shouldn't trust him (it may as well be just one more oversight of Larian, though).

Mindflayers do have souls, and he even recognized that the Mindflayer!PC has one after killing themselves in the epilogue. The problem with a mindflayer's soul is not its non-existence; it's the fact that they are mostly worthless to the gods.

Gods treat mortal souls as a currency they use to empower themselves, which is one of the major reasons they try to amass worshippers. They can, however, only truly claim a soul if that soul worships (or at least accepts a patron deity). Minflayers, usually, believe that all gods are cruel and will consume their souls upon death. Why? Because of the Illithid god 'Illsensine', who is incredibly egoistic and seeks to hoard all knowledge for himself. All mindflayers are beholden to him (he is the chief-god of the illithid pantheon) in a way that is very similar to Vlaakith and the Githyanki (someone should tell Lae'zel; she might find herself more sympathetic towards them). The common illithid only knows that a mortal soul gets consumed upon death. They believe they cannot get a chance of reincarnation or whatnot, because most hate them, and gods will only spare you this fate if you remain somewhat useful.

Furthermore, if Illithids didn't possess souls, there couldn't even be an Illithid god due to the fact that their gods couldn't claim a soul to empower themselves (or, in Illsensine's case, consume it). Other Illithid gods would be Thoon and Maanzecorian.

Also, we do know of a mindflayer that escaped his hivemind and did serve a non-illithid god: Sangalor.

Sangalor worshipped Oghma, the God of knowledge, and specifically became one of his clerics. Sangalor could never have become a cleric if he lacked a soul!

Now I want you all to side-eye Jergal with me, cause the fandom trusts that fucker far too much. Fun fact: Bhaal (and a bunch of others) made the same mistake, and look where he ended up! He is traumatised! Don't trust the creepy, ancient, insectoid god who wants to bring about the literal apocalypse. I am begging you to question everything he says.

All done with side-eyeing? Good, then I will continue my rant.

Well, if the Dead Three had succeeded and managed to turn everyone into a mindflayer (probably aside from their own clerics), other gids would have, inevibatly, lost most of their power while the Dead Three could have ascended to the most powerful gods in all the realms... unless, of course, either the other gods oppose them before that could ever happen (very high chance) or Ao would shut their kindergarten-tantrums down (even higher chance). Or just sent Jergal and a bunch of traumatised mortals to beat them over the head (with Bhaal's perfect little child among them). That worked just as well.

Anyway, the Dead Three are no fools and even though Bane is shortsighted as fuck, Bhaal and Myrkul definetly aren't.

The Absolute plot was, probably, mostly about regaining power and spreading fear of them once again.

Bhaal and Myrkul definitely need to, and Bane... is still himself. I don't know why he decided to jump down from Greater Deity status to Quasi, but he did.

I mean, Bane even kinda tells the player that he ultimately doesn't really care about whether or not the plot succeeds. And Bhaal doesn't even give enough shits about it to send his own Avatar to protect Orin. He just watches her being slaughtered in his own temple and then lets the party leave. Myrkul, arguably (and surprisingly), crashes out. Still, Myrkul going full force on a band of adventurers who just killed his chosen is a bit unusual for him. Usually he either kills them himself or just shrugs and moves on... kinda like Shar. No wonder those two get along.

The Absolute plot is about people fearing them; about being reminded of who is still out there, because them being feared will increase the number of people willing to worship them again. It becomes quite clear here:

Yeah.

Especially the last part just points out that fear strengthens all three of them (Bane is being a little bit egoistic when he claims that it only empowers him).

I've also seen people claim that the Dead Three are no threat and just three Demipowers walking the world... are we talking about the same three idiots???

It's true that in raw power they are no longer that threatening, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they can't fuck over other gods.

Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul were mortals once and weaker than they are now as Demipowers. Do you guys even know what they managed to pull off despite being mortal?

They killed and subdued at least seven primordials, who are equals to the gods, (Bane is still, activly, bitchslapping them (he has hobbies)), they razed at least one entire kingdom completely to the ground, destroyed an entire region (and, also, cursed it), wielded god-slaying weapons (by recovering them (mostly Bhaal)), commanded multiple armies, led a war, and discovered some of the most ancient and well-guarded secrets out there, and built their own artifacts capable of storing and unleashing the power of multiple primordials (thank you Myrkul).

Believe me, even if they are only demipowers, they are still incredibly dangerous. There is a reason they are three of the most renowned and feared gods in the entire realmspace, despite having been deities for only roughly 1400 years (they are literal children compared to most other gods; children with too much free time).

Anyway, it irks me when I see people calling them stupid. They aren't and have never been. Bane may have only ever one plan, but he is the powerhouse of these three idiots who gets into fistfights with other gods if his only two friends get bullied again (although he is also willing to just start one out of boredom). Myrkul is the one with at least five other schemes and is the actual brains of their little party. And Bhaal is the one to get the actual work done because he is the only one who has no problem with obeying another person's order (he is an assassin; he needs to get hired (don't hire him though; chances are that he will eat you after killing whomever you want dead)).

First and foremost, yes, Durge does suffer from amnesia. They have no recollection of their past because Bhaal madr sure that they can't remember a thing. Sure, Orin helped with that, but it's still mostlx Bhaal who is keeping Durge from remembering anything.

But there ia another memory related issue Durge is suffering from, that isn't just not remembering their previous life. It's the fact that they keep losing memories.

Durge can straight out tell Ethel this:

"I lost all of my past memory, and worse: I keep losing new parts of it."

And they can mention this to Halsin as well:

"Black outs, fainting spells. I'm losing new memories every day..."

It pisses me off beyond measure that none of the companions ever acknowledge it.

There is also the fact that Durge just seems to lose consciousness now and again and nobody cares!

"Black outs, fainting spells..."

And the scene in act 3 when you enter Wyrmsrock, Durge passes out and has their little dream sequence with Orin, and then wakes up again. The only one to make a comment about that is Jaheira.

And that's not even it. Durge also hallucinates and sleepwalks and it's, once again, just completely ignored outside from a few dialogue choices.

"Sleepwalking... hallucinating creatures... the temptations... I could lose myself before I make it to a cure."

And Raphael points it out as well:

"This is no night you can sleepwalk through, somnambulist, you must be wide, wide, awake to survive."

Aside from Durge sleepwalking, they seem to have problems falling asleep to begin with:

"The Urges are calling on you again, aren't they? I haven't seen you sleep through the night once in the past days."

The Dark Urge also seems to have trouble concentraiting/focusing on the presence:

"Where am I? What's going on?"

This fits nicely with the black outs Durge can mention to Halsin. I fon't know if they sre dissociating, but I wouldn't put it past them.

Furthermore, Durge is in almost constant pain:

"I have such a headache."

And this one:

"My mind is full of holes and some of them are still being punched."

As for Durge being unable to properly control their own body:

"You look rabid, pained, sick. You're spasming and twitching..."

And this seems to be quite obvious for everyone, given that Minthara also recognices it:

"...when you're so clearly broken. Beautiful, but broken."

So it isn't a secret.

Aside from all the things I already mentioned, I also wanna add that Durge displays self-harming and self-loathing tendencies:

Astarion: "So. What happens next?"

Durge: "We whip each other within an inch of our lives."

There is also this narrator line when facing Bhaal in act 3:

"For a moment the brine-pool of your brain clears. To die: to rest, to save the world from yourself..."

And this one:

"Better to die than live on an earth walked by you. Each of your deaths is a mercy."

The Dark Urge also constantly refers to themselves as 'broken':

"In another lifetime, you were greeted in this throne room like a God, not the living wreck you are now."

Or this:

"Oh, don't mind me. My brain is all but mincemeat - I'm harmless now!"

Anyway, Durge is an utter mess and according to Omeluum, their brain shouldn't even be fuctioning and they should be dead,

And I can't help but respect Gortash for still wanting to ally with them.

Gortash knew Durge in their prime, they were allies when Durge had earned the respect of (almost) every member of their cult, of Gnolls and even of an Elder Brain. That is something almost no mortal has ever achieved before. Elfer Brains are highly intelligent, complex and cruel beings. They are capable of working out more than one highly efficient scheme at the same time, they have a better grasp at reality and their power is often incomprehensible to mortals. And the Dark Urge was so respected by one of them that said brain would have followed their plan without the intention of treachery. Not only were they respected, they were admired.

"You brought the Crown to me, Bhaalspawn, thinking the army I amassed with it would become yours. Your plan was devious, your cruelty unparalleled. I would have followed it, were your mind not destroyed by your sister."

And this:

"I respected Bhaal's child once, but not you, Gortash."

And also this:

"Gave- ---us- -EVERYTHING--- ---disappeared--"

The Absolute also calls Durge 'Tyrant' and 'Kingmaker', which should be a title given to Gortash because he is Bane's chosen. But the Absolute isn't the only one who respects them.

Gortash obviously does it and has no quarrel admitting it. But there is also this:

"You were the jewelled hope for their design, but now you are their flaw."

At first I thought 'they' referred to Gortash and Ketheric, but the wording threw me off. Because the 'design' was also Durge's, so if it would refer to the chosen three the wording would have to be more like 'to your design', due to the fact that Ketheric and Orin only joined later and didn't really plan anything. They just joinrd when most of the details were already planned out, which is why I believe that 'they' actually refers to Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul.

Bhaal, despite being a horrible man, clearly knows that Durge is still dangerous and still useful. Even in their broken state they can defy gods, lead a whole party with people who have their own issues, and claw their way back to Baldur's Gate. This is even mor eimpressive if we consider the constant nausea, pain, fainting etc. They are not weak, they are powerful and they do get shit done. Bhaal, even if he would never openly admit it, does recognize that his child is durable and cunning, and he can even, indirectly, acknowledge it.

Bhaal is all about self-control, killing those stronger than you and in so doing proving that you are superior, patience and, obviously, death.

If the Dark Urge wins the duel against Orin and defy him, Bhaal kills them.

BUT.

He doesn't enslave them or rends their mind asunder. He could still do it. There is nothing keeping him from doing to Durge what he does to them when they lose the duel. Why? Because despite their disobedience they did prove themselves worthy by not only managing to drag themselves all the way back to his temple while being an utter mess, but also by killing Ketheric, an avatar of Myrkul, Orin and (maybe) Gortash and an avatar of Bane. By surviving all of what happened while being clearly weakened, Durge did prove that they have not forgotten how to survive. They are still dangerous.

And say what you want about Bhaal, but killing Durge instead of making a slave out of them (which he still could have done) very much does say that he recognizes that. Durge showed that they can still control themselves, and Bhaal, while being utterly cruel and mad himself, may yet has seen a sliver of reason and acknowledged that his dogma/doctrin had been fulfilled/respected by Durge.

If Durge loses the duel they prove themselves to weak, a disappointment, which Bhaal straight out says. By killing Orin they proved their worth, even if they deny him.

As for Bane respecting Durge:

"My master admires you, as I always have. For the slaughter you bring, and for the Netherstones you bear."

One could argue that Gortash is lying here, but I don't believe that. Bane and Durge are eerily similar to begin with: The infancide, the ego, the reckless pursue of mass-slaughter, the loss of self-control, the absolute lack of elegance. Really. Durge would make a great Banite. But even aside from this we do know that Bane also admires Bhaal, even if he would never say that out loud. And I will take a guess and say it's for the same reason Gortash admires Durge:

"I always preferred your methods to hers. You have mastery over your Urges, Orin was consumed by her gruesome obsessions."

It's a pity that the Dark Urge doesn't get any unique dialogue options with Bane.

Anyway, Bhaal, like Durge, does suffer from violent urges as well. Bane, undoubtly, knows that. Yet he also recognizes that Bhaal is in control of himself most of the time. If Bane clearly respects Bhaal for it, he will respect Durge for it as well. There is also the fact that Bhaal served Bane as personal assassin and that Gortash calls Durge 'my favorite assassin, and that Bhaal is Bane's oldest ally/friend/frenemy (his nearest and dearest, so to say (no idea what exactly those two have going on, but given their past and how Bhaal despises Gortash, I will say that they had something going on (I am a self-indulgent idiot))).

As for the 'now you are their flaw' part: The Dark Urge is running around throwing everything into disarray, despite barely functioning. So yeah, they are as durable as a cockroach.

And Gortash, who knew the Dark Urge when they were an utter menance, a scheming mastermind with remarkable self-control, someone who had earned the respect and admiration of an Elder Brain, various cults and of Bane, looks at this absolute broken, hyperventilating mess they are in act 3, and wastes not even a single second trying to be close to them one again.

Yeah.

I never really was into Durgetash, but I am getting it now. That man still considers zhem his equal, despite Durge blacking out and whatnot. Even if they deny Bhaal Gortash is still waving his 'Welcome home' flag around and grinning like an absolute idiot.

Gortash is ready to work together with a barely functioning and completely mentally fucked up Durge again because he respect and admires them. Maybe even cares for them on a deeper level.

...

Which also reminds me of Bhaal and Bane, I am sorry to say.

In 2e Bhaal is listed as serving Bane. We don't really know how that happened, but I believe it happened after the Moonshae Triology.

At the end of the triology Bhaal was thrown from Greater Deity status down to lesser. That's already bad enough, especially if you happen to reside on the lower planes and every one of your neighbors will try to enslave or kill a weakened deity. So... Bhaal really had quite a problem here. And there is also the fact that even if we ignore his massive loss of power, he was almost completely defensless. Here:

"... pulling his tortured and writhing form through the ether."

"Here he lay in broken despair, scorned by other gods of evil who now far superseded him in might and influence,..."

"Motionless, Bhaal knew only suffering."

"Thus he would lie for generations, as a forgotten god and a distant relic of the human past."

He was in agony, utterly defensless, and would have quickly become subject to the whims of another god. He could have been killed with ease by other deities, or even just enslaves or subdued. He was incapable of pulling himself back together and a god that is in such a state in the lower planes usually never survives for long.

But he wasn't killed or enslaved.

Bhaal would never start serving Bane if he didn't had to. We could argue that Bane enslaved Bhaal, but this seems unlikely:

"In life, he commanded Bhaal and Iyachtu Xvim, his son, though Xvim performed his designated tasks only reluctantly, as he held no love for his father. Loviatar and Talona served Bane indirectly by serving Bhaal."

It's specifically pointed out that Xvim hated serving Bane, yet there is no mention, anywhere, of Bhaal loathing it. Let's be clear here: I don't think he was thrilled, but he did owe him. And Bane seems to have given Bhaal quite a bit of freedom as well.

Though I also could interpret into the 'as he helf no love for his father' part. Could be a coincidence, could also be that Bhaal did have some kind affection for Bane and now, after the Time of Troubles, sees Durge repeating his mistake.

Tiamat, Hruggek and the gods that serve Bane are specifically mentioned to only save Bane out of fear. Bhaal isn't.

Those two have a long history and Bhaal has put up with Bane's bullshit longer than anyone else (and Bane with Bhaal's). They respect and admire eachother.

And it is reflected in Gortash and Durge as well.

The mutual admiration and respect, the knowledge that they will have to turn against the other at some point.

Gortash and Bane ignore the vulnerable state Durge and Bhaal are in and keep them around, even if it goes against their own doctrine. Bhaal and Durge are the perfect equals of them, so far that both stay their hand and don't kill them even if they know that they should.

The parallels are there and it is not like Durge and Gortash are the only bhaalist and banite duo that works well together AND display affection for one another.

Tamoko (Sarevok's first and only real lover) wears Banite armour.

Then there are Polandulus and Clotilda.

And now Durge and Gortash.

This seems to be a reoccuring theme

Welp. Gortash and Durge are fascinating to me and I admit that I ignored that pairing for far too long.

To every Durgetash fan: I apologize for side-eyeing you for the first two years. You had the right idea all along.

1. Issarnathass: Sarukkh lich-king who ruled the Isstossefl-Empire. Noticed Jergal stealing the Nether Scrolls from the Halls of Mists of the Ba'etith. Recognized that both Jergal and the elves of Earlannw ere manipulating the netherese people and decided to act against it by taking on the guise of a human archwizard called 'Arthindol', also called the Terraseer, before appesring to them. Although Issarnathass sought to disrupt the plans of Jergal and the elves, he still used the netherese people in order to find a way to annihilate the phaerimm completely.

2. Trebbe: Netherese archwizard who in -2237 Dr attempted to craft a crown (with the help if the Nether Scrolld) that could grant him the powers of lichdom, without having to become undead. This offended Jergal who causes the unfinished crown to explode and kill Trebbe. Jergal reformed it into a helm that was imbued with powers more pleasing to himself and hid it away in the fourth Dlardrageth Armory of the fortress Aryvandaar). In life he ruled the enclave of Aquessir (Shadowtop Borough). The crown he tried to craft was the famed 'Crown of Horns'.

3. Requiar: Netherese archwizard who managed to recover the 'Crown of Horns' in -1493 DR and wore it. Transformed thirty other arcanists into liches and enslaved them, before claiming Aquessir for himself and continued to enslave its residents with necromancy. Succumbed completely to madness in -1208 DR and was murdered by his undead apprentices.

4. Shadelorn: Netherese archwizard who located the 'Crown of Horns' in -644 DR within the Rystall Wood. Established a secret citadel beneath the sinkhole he had found it in, in hopes of creating a more powerful version of Ioulaum's Mythallars. Turned into a lich. In -342 DR returned to Aquessiar with the 'Crown of Horns', and tried to activate his 'improved mythallar'. All magic within a 20-mile radius failed and killed everyone relying on it, including Shadelorn himself.

5. Karsus: Identified by Jergal in -696 DR when he was still a infant as a possible candidate for Jergal's revised ritual of Ascension. Created the enclave Eileanar in -674 DR and drew the attention of Issarnathass as well. Began to teach six other candidates due to Jergal's manipulations. In -664 DR Issarnathass warned Karsus about Jergal and urged him to examine the Nether Scrolls in order to find other methods of fighting the phaerimm, which failed due to the fact that Jergal had his priests remove the hidden Nether Scrolls. Unvivered the secrets of heavy magic in -408 DR ( a crucial ingrediwnt for Jergal's planned ritual) and started teaching the other five candidates about it. In -345 DR Issarnathass warned Karsus about Jergal's true intentions again, but was dismissed. Karsus had grown paranoid and was in the firm grip of the Lord of the End of Everything. In -339 DR Karsus folly happened.

6. Arlochar: One of the six candidates for Jergal's revised Ascension ritual. Could fully wield 'heavy magic' in -345 DR. Became one of the Seven Lost Gods in -339 DR after perishing during Karsus folly. His vestige still holds a spark of Jergal's power.

7. Nakasr: One of the six candidates for Jergal's revised Ascension ritual. Could fully wield 'heavy magic' in -345 DR. Became one of the Seven Lost Gods in -339 DR after perishing during Karsus folly. Her vestige still holds a spark of Jergal's power.

8. Bale the Spellslayer: One of the six candidates for Jergal's revised Ascension ritual. Could fully wield 'heavy magic' in -345 DR. In another version he was supposed to be Bhaal. In both Bale/Bhaal was a renown and feared duelist. Bale the Spellslayer died during Karsus folly and became one of the Seven Lost Gods. His vestige still holds a spark of Jergal's power.

9. Elah Nydra: One of the six candidates for Jergal's revised Ascension ritual. Could fully wield 'heavy magic' in -345 DR. A daughter of Selune who survived Karsus folly and sought out her mothers aid in handling Jergal's divinity. Became known as 'Bright Nydra' to the Marsh Drovers. Defeated Bhaal in combat during the Time of Troubles in order to not only protect the Farsea Marshes, but to also protect Midnight. Became one of the Seven Lost Gods of ancient Netheril.

10. Lord Shadow: One of the six candidates for Jergal's revised Ascension ritual. In -390DR he was seemingly assassinated, but survived before resurfacing under the guise of Telamont Tanthul of Thultanthar (Shade). Only Karsus, Jergal and Issarnathass saw through his disguise. Took 'Alashar Crywinds' as wife. Held a great interest in the Plane of Shadows (possibly due to Maram) and continued ro investigate it with Alashar's aid. Could fully wield 'heavy magic' in -345 DR. Telamont was the only one to heed Issarnathass warnings about Jergal and shifted Thulanthar into the Plane of Shadows, escaping Jergal and Karsus folly.

11. Cathala 'Cat' Akri: The only sorcerer-queen of the Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. Built the infamous 'Cat's Gate' - a massive portal located at the Godswater Ravine, about one hundred fifty feet high and fifty feet wide - that led into the Outlands. The portal was decorated with reliefs of great magical cats. Together with Urgund she led an army of werepanthers, known as the 'Akri', into the Outlands against the rilmani. In -483 DR she and her fellow sorcerers had ro retreat back to the Material Plane, before she led a grand gsthering of other arcanists to close the Cat's Gate. Later Cathala, together with the other Crown-Sorcerers, created a cult to worship her. In -439 DR, under Jathiman's leadership, she crafted one of the 'seven daggers of Rdiuz', before every member of her cult was turned into a ghoul in -438 DR and her dagger got stolen by Jergal. She and four other Crown-Sorcerers sued for peace before Anubis in -371 DR, and set out to banish the primordials afterwards.

12. Glaeros Lhaerimm: One of the seven Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. Glaeros recovered the 'second Imaskarcana' - a prized gauntlet that held all the knowledge of Imaskarni warfare - ca. -451 DR. In -439 DR, under Jathiman's leadership, he crafted one of the 'seven daggers of Rdiuz', before every member of his cult was turned into a ghoul in -438 DR and his dagger got stolen by Jergal. He succesfully assembled all the pieces of the 'scepter of Khotan' in -374 DR and began to work on reconstructing it, naming it the 'scepter of the sorcerer-kings'. The process of reconstructing it cost the life of a dozen apprentices. Glaeros was murdered by divine emissaries before he could finish his work.

13. Meigg Inzarath: One of the seven Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. Meigg built the floating citadel of Meigg, a rock crag bristling with engines of war, girded by mighty battlements and shod in plates of rare, spellreecting metal. The citadel was built within the Outlands and hosted Cathala's armies of werepanthers. The remains of dead gods, plunderes from the divine graveyard Anubis was sworn to guard, were brough back to Meigg to study. By the year -483 DR his enclave lay in ruins and he retreated back to the material plane. Later Meigg, together with the other Crown-Sorcerers, created a cult to worship him. In -439 DR, under Jathiman's leadership, he crafted one of the 'seven daggers of Rdiuz', before every member of his cult was turned into a ghoul in -438 DR and his dagger got stolen by Jergal. He and four other Crown-Sorcerers sued for peace before Anubis in -371 DR, and set out to banish the primordials afterwards.

14. Morden Tereshayn: One of the seven Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. In -483 DR he and her fellow sorcerers had to retreat back to the Material Plane. Afterwards Morden, together with Yurax, consulted the 'second Imaskarcana'. In -449 DR the two led a grand expedition towards the Monuments of the Ancients and released 'Maram of the Great Spear'. He tried to convert him into the war against the rilmani but failed. Later Morden, together with the other Crown-Sorcerers, created a cult to worship him. In -439 DR, under Jathiman's leadership, he crafted one of the 'seven daggers of Rdiuz', (the Morden Dagger) before every member of his cult was turned into a ghoul in -438 DR and his dagger got stolen by Jergal. He and four other Crown-Sorcerers sued for peace before Anubis in -371 DR, and set out to banish the primordials afterwards.

15. Yurax Rasendol: One of the seven Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. In -483 DR he and her fellow sorcerers had to retreat back to the Material Plane. Afterwards Yurax, together with Morden, consulted the 'second Imaskarcana'. In -449 DR the two led a grand expedition towards the Monuments of the Ancients and released 'Maram of the Great Spear'. He tried to convert him into the war against the rilmani but failed. Later Yurax, together with the other Crown-Sorcerers, created a cult to worship him. In -439 DR, under Jathiman's leadership, he crafted one of the 'seven daggers of Rdiuz', (the Yurax Dagger) before every member of his cult was turned into a ghoul in -438 DR and his dagger got stolen by Jergal. He and four other Crown-Sorcerers sued for peace before Anubis in -371 DR, and set out to banish the primordials afterwards.

16. Jathiman Arthopaar: The leader of the Crown-Sorceres of Rdiuz. In -483 DR he and his fellow sorcerers had to retreat back to the Material Plane. Jathiman studied the nature of divine beings and managed to deduce a way to slay them. He designed a cult set ro worship him and commanded the other Crown-Sorcerers to follow his example. Is cult consisted of one hundred eighty members. In -439 DR he crafted one of the 'seven daggers of Rdiuz', (the Jathiman Dagger, thirty-nine members of his cult were sacrificed in order to craft it) before every member of his cult was turned into a ghoul in -438 DR and his dagger got stolen by Jergal. He and four other Crown-Sorcerers sued for peace before Anubis in -371 DR, and set out to banish the primordials afterwards.

17. Urgund Mezeketh: One of the seven Crown-Sorcerers of Rdiuz. In -489 DR he and Cathala led the Akri into the Outlands against the rilmani. In -483 DR he and his fellow sorcerers had to retreat back to the Material Plane. Later Urgund, together with the other Crown-Sorcerers, created a cult to worship him. In -439 DR, under Jathiman's leadership, he crafted one of the 'seven daggers of Rdiuz', before every member of his cult was turned into a ghoul in -438 DR and his dagger got stolen by Jergal. Urgund was tasked with the protection of Glaeros, yet fsiled to do so. He did, however, manage to steal the 'scepter of the sorcerer-kings' before escaping through a netherese portal network. Urgund fled to an isolated island and named it Mezekth Island. He became a lich later, before he was slain by Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul in -359 DR. After the trio ascended to godhood he became Bane's first Banelich and wrote 'Urgund's Description of Darkness'.

18. Borem of the boiling Mud: A primordial who had entered Toril during the height of the Imaskari-Empire. Resurfaced in ca. -360 DR in Okloroum. Was challenged by Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul in -359 DR in the fields of Rezamark, before being slain with the Jathiman Dagger. His quagheart was buried on Mezeketh isle under a monolith.

19. Camnod the Unseen: A primordial who had entered Toril during the height of the Imaskari-Empire. Became a wind god to the Horse Nomads of the Golden Stepps and allied himself with Maram. Was slain by Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul ca. -358 DR with the Morden Dagger. He was buried beneath the tallest peak of the Zef Mountains.

20. Maram of the Great Spear: The primordial summoned by Yurax and Morden in -449 DR at the Monuments of the Ancients. Was once Bane's master. Escaped the banishing spell of the five remaining Crown-Sorceres after they sued for peace and fled back to the Monuments of the Ancients. Allied himself with Camnod and was worshipped as a god as well. Was banished back to the Elemental Chaos in -357 DR by Myrkul and the 'scepter of the sorcerer-kings'.

21. Edranka of the Smoldering Haze: Summoned by the Dead/Dark Three in -356 DR and bound to their will. Was commanded ro raise an army, which she did by assembling the goblin tribes of the Tortured Lands (100.000 head strong). In -350 DR she marched against Haask, who summoned Hargut, and was defeated in combat. She was later imprisoned within a sphere of ice tethered to the floor of the Moonsea by the sea elves of Aluteumarel.

22. Tyranthraxus the Flamed One: Summoned by the Dead/Dark Three in -356 DR and bound to their will. Was commanded to raise an army, which he did by subduing Formorion giants. In -356 DR, after Bhaal had assassinated the archwizard Barze, Tyranthraxus overran his kingdom, before marching against the horreb artificers and the horse nomads of the Vane tribe. Tyrantharxus was imprisoned by Baron Schodt of Castle Vathar, last of the Horreb articers, in Lake Longreach.

23. Torath of the Obsidian Vault: Summoned by the Dead/Dark Three in -356 DR and bound to their will. Was commanded ro raise an army, which he did by assembling an army of Kuo-toa from the depths of Mount Throndor. He marched against the isolated duergar settlements beneath the Lost Ways of Sarphil, until he was felled by a covey of night hags who forced him into icy cold water, transforming him into a ame-tinged pillar of stone.

24. Haask of the batrachi: A priest-king dedicated to Hargut who ruled over Grong-Haap. He occupied Ironfang Keep in -981 DR, and expanded his kingdom over the next 600 years. Edranka marched against him later in -350 DR, which forced him to summon his god Hargut. After Edranka had been defeated he returned to his throneroom for a feast, only to be ambushed by the Dark/Dead Three. Bhaal plunged the Yurax Dagger into his back and revealed him to be a doppelganger. The three convinced him to partake in a grsfting ritual, conducted by Myrkul, before imprisoning him in Ironfang Keep.

25. Hargut of the Gray Pestilence: A primordial who had escaped to the Far Realms before the Dark/Dead Three could summon him within the Monuments of the Ancients. Was summoned by Haask in -350 DR to battle Edranka. After he had won and continued to slaughter her armies, Bhaal, Bane and Myrkul forced him into a grafting ritual to become 'Haask, the voice of Hargut' - a symbiotic entity - and confined him to the Ironfang Keep.

So, the Dead Three did not, intentionally, start murdering primordials for the purpose of becoming gods and steal their power (they still stole the power of the primordials they slew as mortals, but the goal was not to become a god).

First and foremost they were tortured by Jergal in their sleep, because Jergal saw the primordials as threats to his revised Ascenion ritual (with which he sought to be reborn as six divine entities and in so doing make sure that the Disjunction never happened). So he plagued the dreams of Myrkul, Bane and Bhaal with traumatic nightmare visions that revealed to them the locations of the God-slaying weapons they would use (mostly Bhaal because he was their killer).

Anyway, skip ahead a few years and Jergal abandons them after they banished the primordial Maram because he thought the threat was dealt with. Which leaves the Dead Three to their own devices. Of course they get the bright idea to release even more primordials into the world and one of them was called Torath of the Obsidian Vault.

All primordials hail from the Elemental Chaos and have an element associated with them: For Borem it was fire, for Camnod wind and I will take a daring guess and say that Torath was connected to the element of water.

Anyway, Torath, along with two others, got subdued by the Dark Three and commanded to raise an army in their names, which the three primordials did.

Torath assembled a giant Kuo-Toa army from beneath Mount Throndor in the Eastern Dragonspine Mountains (modern: West Galena Mountains).

So... given that the Dead Three had a habit of splitting the tasks between them I would take a guess and say that each of them personally oversaw the actions of one of the three primordials.

Given that Tyranthraxus the Flamed One preferred the shape of a dragon and is connected to fire (and, apparently, partly to lightning), I would say that Bane was the one to command this primordial directly.

Myrkul, most likely, took control over Edranka of the Smoldering Haze because he was the one to sniff out Hargut and Haask. It would make sense if he took it upon himself to command Edranka to wage war with them.

Which leaves Bhaal with Torath and his army of fish-people.

I am no longer surprised that Bhaal doesn't get pissy about Durge getting worshiped as a god by the Kuo-toa, but only about becoming the chosen of a redcap.

Apparently, he approved of Torath's fish-army. And if Durge tells the Kuo-toa to assemble an army in their name? And to worship them as the god 'Mahkloompah'? That just echoes what Bhaal himself did.

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.

"Mad guilt swills in your swooning, sick body. Today you became the tart of a false God, and your evil pride revolts." -After becoming Boooals "chosen". Why tf is Bhaal calling Durge a tart here? There are a dozen other things that Durge could have been, like a traitor, a heretic or whatnot. But no, he uses the word tart. Someone should tell him that there are other ways too ruin your child's life. This might be a tad much.

"You failed to bring forth issue while you helmed our cult. It is a mortal sin for a Chosen. I even hoped you and my daughter might one day create a new blood-lamb for us, but it is not to be..." -Thank you, Sarevok, for wanting Durge to sleep with their sister/niece/daughter. I am sure Bhaal is giving you the thumbs up from wherever he is.

"I'm a disappointment to my father. Maybe we can work with that." -Sharess Caress dialogue after loosing the duel with Orin (yes, the fucking Brothel). Durge clearly thinks of Bhaal in a sexual manner. And knowing Bhaal, he is propably happy about that.

"...Only one face haunts your dreams each night..." -I could excuse this if it weren't happening in the middle of a love test. Orin! You need to learn to time this shit!

"Your memory of last night's act is absent. In the moment of mounting, your mind emptied itself, and you could think only of Bhaal. The gnoll's rump seemed to become his Temple's graven altar where you once led worship." -Hm. Yeah. Totally normal behaviour to force your child to think of you during the deed.

"You and the Urge are wedded, now. One body, one mind." -Bg3, Sceleritas Fel. And there is the whole Bloodwedding theme in general. Do other gods annoint chosen through wedding ceremonies??? Why does Bhaal want to marry his children (I am pretty sure Bloodwedding is a Bhaalspawn only thing)?

"I love you father. I'm a good boy, a good, good boy." -Bg3, Feral Ending. As if their relationship could get any more fucked up.

"Special, yes, special aren't you? Ssh, don't fight it." -Why is he talking like that??? What is Bhaal's issue??? I know it is not inherital sexual but the "Ssh" disturbs me.

"You are his dear Sovereign." -Thank you Gortash, for making this weird.

"It must feel good to be the favourite." -Once again, the wording is irking me.

"Father claws into your heart and stops it for a single moment. As you begin to fear for your life, you know his love is close." -...I mean, it doesn't have to be sexual here, but looking at how Bhaal interacts with Durge in general really makes me worry.

"Never before has a Bhaalspawn left a Blood Wedding at the altar. What were you doing, coward, not facing your sister?" -I really had hoped that 'wed' referred to something different, but no. The whole 'altar' thing just confirms it: This is a fucking wedding ceremony between father and child.

"Glance piteously upon your false bride." -Apparently, Bhaal wanted to be Durge's bride. And he considers every other true lover 'false'. Dear lord of Murder, what exactly is your problem?

"You're Bhaal's stallion..." -stop. Just stop.

Aside from Bhaal grooming the hell out of Durge he also inflicts his own (supposedly) necrophiliac tendecies upon Durge. Great parenting, isn't it?

"Your body feels aroused imagining a broken twisted neck, and a thrill thinking of a trailing intestine." -I will leave this here.

"I feel the most intense pleasure. Arousal, even." -I believe them.

"The masterful painting the Drow depicts of the massacre awakens you hungrily."

Durge: "Stop! I'm growing aroused!"

-At least Durge has no qualms about admitting it openly.

Durge: "How delightful, I'm very eager to begin."

Nightwarden Minthara: "Control yourself - you are as uncouth as the goblins."

-I wanna thank Minthara for her service here. More people should tell Durge that they are being weird (Minthara, why do you wanna sleep with them??? What am I missing here?)

"I am a contemptible blood-pervert." -Yes. I've noticed that.

"As he joins your side, your mind dances with thoughts of a perfect pretty corpse." -I am sure it does. Poor Astarion has zero clue about what he is getting into.

Durge: "Hot."

Astarion: "You couldn't wait ten seconds before being an absolute freak."

-Sure. Bring the mass-murdering lunatic with a long history of violence and questionable sexual habits to a graveyard. What did you expect to happen, Astarion?

"Sprinkle and stamp goes the soil, piling on top of the coffin packed cosily back into the earth." -I might be reading too much into this, but the 'cosily' just makes me question everything.

"Within your sick heart you know: in gravedigging, you have had quite the body count." -Yes, I also refer to digging up corses as 'increasing my body count'. Totally normal behaviour here.

"But something stirs, with your hand close to this body." It's probably the killing instinct that is stirring here, but who knows?

"My, my. We will be reintroducing necrophilia to your schedule in no time." -Really Sceleritas? Did it need any pointing out? But wtf do you mean SCHEDULE???

"The hivemind allows you to feel each kill as if it were your own. The pleasure is almost too much to bear." -I am starting to wonder if Bhaal really participated in the Absolute plot for the chance of world-domination. To me it seems like he just wanted a quick way to get multiple orgasms at once. Can someone tell him to stop?

"The raw hate of life, reared from the miracle of death..." -...I swear this is about some fucked up breeding kink of Bhaal. He needs to stop putting Durge through this.

"You draw her closer, with all the vim of a lover's first embrace." -Honestly, Minthara might be a little at fault here. She knew Durge is completely deranged. But, I suppose, she does feel safe with them (big mistake). Also, don't romance Durge/Bhaal and let your guard down. They may calm down after a second lay, but you NEVER know. (This is about you @awwright. Yes, I am looking at you😑)

I also had hoped that Bhaal's weird behavior is a Bhaalspawn only thing, but it is not. Is anyone surprised? That man is also a touch invading with his own clergy. And other people as well.

"Slay with pleasure, but never with anger..." -I am sure this refers to joy, but after Durge and the Ecstasy of Murder I am no longer sure.

"Once Bhaal's favour has quickened within one oh his beloved murderers, the bliss of his love is nigh-indescribable. For he blesses his loyal with a new sensation: a mindless, instinctual, primal sensation that comes within the bowels, an erotic spasmthat washes over the killer, in the moment of murder. It is said that in that instant, his Divine Essence can almost be tasted. Forsake all other hedonisms, acolytes, for nothing can compare. Until the true ecstasies of murder wash over you, initiates, this scroll contains a prayer, you may say after a kill, calling for the Lord's disgrace to find its course in your body." -This just enforces me in my belief that that man is beyond help. Why, exactly, did Ao allow him to return to godhood? Although Cyric really is a problem.

"These children you speak of... the children of a god. The thought of them brings me pleasure. I, too, shall create children—the Children of Bhaal. They will stalk the land beside you and bring death to all the corners of the world!" -Apparently, Bhaal suffers from Child fatigue. Can someone give him some medication to make that stop? That condition has become a problem

"The god of death, lover of all murderous acts, was in fine fettle." -It could be read as sexual, even though I don't think it is supposed to be. But why not just use the word 'admirer'?

"Perhaps a wife who has been true and faithful for many years suddenly seeks passion in the arms of a stranger. Maybe a man who has been good and kind his entire life suddenly lashes out and kills several of his best friends." -Ah, yes. Because sex and murder are his favorite things.

"In the Time of Troubles did Bhaal, himself, come and whisper in mine ear. I was to give birth to one of the Children. To you. I rose my arms up and hailed my Lord of Murder with great joy at my fate. Others of Bhaal's order took me away, to hide us in the darkest temple away from prying eyes." -Bane has a habit of touching people's faces. Bhaal will murmur things into your ear. Is Myrkul the only one who has ever heard about the concept of 'personal space'?

"As of late, my friends, I have felt a calling when my fingers meet each other around a windpipe. As if there is a voice whispering sweet nonsense into my ear as I tear the breath from my quarry's lungs. I think I am chosen by our Lord of Murder. Perhaps even related." -Can someone tell him to stop?

Bhaal even has a special spell unique to his clergy. Wanna know what it does? It makes you attracted to the caster.

"Attraction replaces any negative emotions the target has toward the spellcaster with opposite positive emotions... Repulsion becomes attraction, hatred becomes love, etc..."

The opposite of the 'Attraction' spell is 'Disdain', which is also unique to Bhaal and his clergy. That one is used for murder.

At least Jaheira is nice to the Bhaalspawn. Mostly. Because they need a parental figure that is not completely fucked up. Sadly, Bhaal and his clergy aren't the only ones who will abuse his children. Remember Irenicus? Hells, even Gale is being problematic.

Jaheira: "So you wish to be a god, Gale? You know the wizard Irenicus attempted the same thing, by leeching divine blood from a Bhaalspawn."

Gale: "Aha, transfusion! An interesting strategy. Hard to get hold of a god's blood, of course, but if one could..."

Jaheira: "He managed it. After murdering my husband, and torturing my friends and I for half a year."

Gale: "Did I say interesting? I meant terrible, of course. A terrible strategy..."

There is also this line Jaheira can tell Durge:

"...There will be crusaders who will wish to rid the world of your taint. Or jealous minds who believe themselves more deserving of the power in your blood..."

She knows they will never be truly safe. Irenicus was but one of many who seek to poach Bhaalspawn, for good or ill.

She even tells that Charname in Bg2:

"You are still a valuable commodity. There are those that know of the children of Bhaal, and they may desire... services from you."

Every single child of Bhaal should be alllwed to stab him once a month. All of that just screams "I have issues and I am making everyone pay for it."

And I won't even start about what Bhaal did through Kazgoroth with Tristan. I am done with that man.

I don't even know why Bhaal want's more children.

"You failed to bring forth issue while you helmed our cult. It is a mortal sin for a Chosen."

He doesn't like them:

"Our Father does not feel pride. He bore the disgrace of creating life in his Spawn. We can but atone for the shame of birth."

Is Amelyssan the only one who has a grasp on what a murder cult is supposed to be about?

"For devotees of death, you of his line are so basely fascinated with propagating new life. It ever seemed to me an impurity in the doctrine."

I can't even blame her for betraying Bhaal. Cause wtf is his issue??? He should set his mind on what he wants, for once in a while. But given that he constantly shifts his alignments, I suppose he is incapable of making up his mind to begin with. Which is a surprise, cause I expected that to be Bane's issue.