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 Bane The Black Lord, Lord Bane, the Lord of Darkness, the Black Hand, the Dark OneAlignment: Lawful Evil Portfolio: Strife, Hatred, Tyranny Symbol: An upright black hand, palm out and fingers together, usually on a red field Domains: Death, Destruction, Evil, Hatred, Law, Tyranny Favoured Weapon: Morningstar Worshipper's Alignment: LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE Bane (BAIN), one of the Dark Gods, was the ultimate tyrant and a thoroughly evil and malicious being who reveled in hatred and strife and was worshipped by those who in turn enjoyed such wickedness. From his throne in the Black Bastion, he ruled over select parts of Faerun through his clergy. In religous art, he was depicted as a looming, brooding black hand ready to crush the world in its palm, as an empty black throne, or as a shadowy, vaguely human-shaped figure garbed in garments of black streaked with red sitting on a throne of skulls. The one constant in these descriptions was a jewel-encrusted gauntlet streaked with blood. The ChurchClergy's Alignment: LE, NE, CE Specialty priests of Bane were known as dreadmasters, a term used regardless of the gender of its owner. About 10% of the total priesthood of the church of Bane was comprised of dreadmasters and most were kept in low level positions. Some specialty priests of Bane operated outside the rigid church hierarchy; they were mainly adventurers and hermits seeking to create their own power base to eventually destroy the others. Novices of Bane's clergy were addressed as "slave", but if named by Bane from a speaking altar or in a dream vision, they became full priests of the god and granted the title of Watchful Brother / Watchful Sister. From there they ascended through the following rankings:
Banites addressed each other only by title unless the mix of individuals present would cause confusion without the addition of a surname. Banite clergy bowed, knelt to, or kissed the boots of superiors, depending on the difference in their ranks - and what they would be ordered to do. When in the presence of nonworshipers of Bane, Banite clergy addressed each other as "Brother / Sister Faithful" unless speaking to a superior of considerably greater rank, whereupon "Dread Brother / Sister" would be used. Priests of Bane prided themselves on cold, decisive thought, speech and action. Sarcasm and cutting authority were valued over shouting, loss of temper or uncontrolled behaviour. Two priests arguing to the death may well have apperared as softly polite but insistent noblemen debating some minor point right up to the last moments of one (or both) of their lives. Dogma: The clergy members of Bane's church believed that those who crossed the Dark One met their dooms earlier and more harshly than those who foolishly worshiped other deities than Bane and still inevitably fell before the Church of Bane. All priests of Bane were ordered to submit to the word of Bane as uttered by Banite clergy members who outranked them and to "spread the Dark Fear" of Bane. Bane whispered to initiates in their dreams: "Serve no one but me. Fear me always - and make others fear me even more than you do. The Black Hand always strikes down those who stand against it in the end. Defy me and die - or in your death find loyalty, for I shall compel it. Submit to my will, since true power can only be gained through service to me. It is the doom of those unguided by me to let power spill through their hands." Day-to-Day Activities: Bane desired to rule the world so that all of Faerun would know his tyranny. His clergy members were chanrged with the task of rising to power in every realm and if necessary leading a band, city-state, or kingdom to war to conquer its neighbors in order to bring ever more territory under the sway of the Black Hand of Bane. Hatred, strife, and destruction were to be spread - but under clear duress and control, not unbridled chaos. Domination was preferred to debauchery, and carefully limited discord to stability. Cruelty, torture, and mayhem were tactily encouraged, but those caught at such activites had to pay the price unless they had served Bane so well by spreading fear that none dared speak or act against them. Superior Banite clergy members had to be obeyed at all times and in all things. The faithful were to work subtly and patiently - but tirelessly - to bring members of the faith to power in every guild, village, town, court, war band, fellowship, realm, and society. All rules of the church had to be followed to the utmost, but the rules of others were no rules at all. Holy Days / Important Ceremonies: No rituals of Bane corresponded to calendar dates, seasons or lunar progressions. Rituals were held whenever clergy leading a congregation declared they would be, and these ceremonies were called by a wide variety of names. Personal prayers to Bane were to be uttered before going into battle and before eating or drinking anything to thank Bane for allowing his worshiper to live to taste the fare. Rituals were held in a place of darkness (often simply outdoors at night) lit only by dim magical radiances, moonlight, and flickering torches or braziers. Usually dark chambers, caverns, and ruins were used. The worshippers gathered around the Black Altar, which was a plain stone block draped with black cloth or painted black, a block of obsidian, or anything over which a large, floating, black stone Hand of Bane hovered (levitated there by a wizard clergy member or a magical item used by a priest or through magic of its own). If no Hand of Bane was present, an empty black throne was always placed facing the Black Altar. Serviece in such evil churches involved rolling drums, chanting, and sometimes singing - and the sacrifice of intelligent life. Sacrifices had to be humiliated, tortured, and made to show fear before dying to be acceptable to Bane, and they usually met their deaths through slashing, flogging, or being crushed by the floating Hand of Bane. Priestly Vestments: Banite clergy members always went armed and were required to always wear something black. Ceremonial dress for Banite priests was black armor with blood-red capes. The more porsperous the priest, the finer the workmanship of the armor was. The ceremonial robes of wizards of the clergy were always black; wizard clergy members of the highest ranks enspelled these robes to swirl with ever-present illusions of glittering black stars and splashes of spilling blood. Facial tattoos were common among Banites. After the Time of Troubles, these unfortuneately made them stand out among clear-faced new Cyricists within the ranks of Cyric's faithful. High-level Banites wore gems on their foreheads. Adventuring Garb: When adventuring, priests of Bane retained their black armor, though their battle armor usually sported cruel spurs, hooks, and horns. Wizardly clergy members preferred long, flowing, black-and-red robes. Neither group would wear such gear in public if it would expose them to persecution or hamer their service to their deity. Usually, the facial tattoos of Banites were enough to identify them. Prestige Class: DreadmasterSee Faiths and Pantheons p. 188 Webmaster: David Christoper Wood |
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