Dead Three Worship in Baldur's Gate

The plots of patriars and the schemes of Guild operatives fill the gossip and whispers of Baldur’s Gate. Yet, throughout the city, no names are as synonymous with dastardly acts as those of The Dead Three. The demigods Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul walk among mortals, personally seeking followers to their cause. More than once, it’s rumored, the trio has even trod the streets of Baldur’s Gate. Nefarious patriars whisper prayers to Bane when they seek to gain power through coercion, intimidation, and forceful exaction of the law. Gang leaders, evil mercenaries, and others who rely on fear and control, also pay homage to Bane. Those who want to evoke dominance and ruthlessness favor wearing black gloves — a nod to Bane's holy symbol. Myrkul claims a following among those who wish to learn from or command the dead. Those who plunder tombs for lost knowledge, grim entrepreneurs who see business sense in undead servants, even pragmatic necromancers seeking to conjure secrets from the wealthy dead of Cliffside Cemetery all whisper prayers to Myrkul. Of The Dead Three, Myrkul's base of power is the smallest. Residents of Baldur’s Gate rarely fear death by old age — a grim fact of living in such a dangerous city. As a result, few desperate elders seek the blessing of the Lord of Bones. Those who do, though, tend to be both cagey and wealthy, which means that although Myrkul’s worshipers are small in number, their resources have hidden depths. Since the time when the Bhaalspawn Sarevok plotted to start a war between Baldur’s Gate and Amn as a path to claiming [Bhaal]'s power, awareness of the Lord of Murder’s children has grown. Baldur’s Gate maintains a grim draw for Bhaalspawn, whether due to some foul influence in the city itself, or merely because of Sarevok’s lingering reputation. At the same time, worship of Bhaal proves darkly popular in Baldur’s Gate. Few openly admit to worshiping the Lord of Murder, but there is an unspoken assumption that anyone who benefits from violent death has some respect for Bhaal. Assassination and murder underpin many of the plots in the city, from the business of highly-paid killers on patriar payrolls to slayings of opportunity committed by Outer City fanatics. Such bloodthirsty faithful rarely gather in numbers, but they typically mark themselves by carving a fresh gouge on their thumbs — spilling their blood in Bhaal's name while creating a subtle mark identifying that identifies them among allies. Despite the Lord of Murder’s decentralized worship, some believe a temple to Bhaal exists near or under the city, possibly in an ancient chamber beneath the sewers or carved into Dusthawk Hill. Rumor holds that eleven red crystals on the wall of the temple grow brighter with every murder committed, gathering power for either Bhaal or one of his future chosen. Some claim that Bhaal himself regularly visits the temple, his presence contributing to the city’s high murder rate. While The Dead Three occupy a prominent place in Baldurians’ fears, their faiths currently have only the shallowest roots in the city. Followers of The Dead Three have done more to incite dread than faith. As a result, their numbers remain relatively small. Their sinister reputations outstrip their actual influence, though, with gossip spreading quickly whenever the deities’ ominous symbols appear in graffiti or the Flaming Fist cracks down on overzealous fanatics. Despite public fears and resistance from law enforcement, the cults of The Dead Three persist, causing many to darkly wonder why the servants of Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul hold such interest in Baldur’s Gate.

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