Cult of Bane

The Cult of Bane, also known as the Church of Bane and the Black Hand, is the Faerunian organization that worships the god of tyranny Bane. Mimicking their diety, members of the cult were often power-hungry and cruel.

Divine Origins

The Cult of Bane emerged quickly after Bane's ascension to godhood in the 8th century. The cult originally was formed from Bane's mortal commanders during the Century of Strife, when Bane attempted to outright conquer Faerun with his newfound divine powers.
Following the Bane's defeat, the Church of Bane officially formed from the remnants of Bane's forces, keeping a strict heirarchy mimicking that of the military from which it was formed. Due to Bane's ascension to godhood alongside his companions Myrkul and Bhaal, followers of each of the three often join forces together, worshipping the trio of gods as the Dead Three.

Tenets of Faith

Above everything else, followers of Bane attempt to seize or manipulate their way into power, bringing nations, city-states, and powerful organizations under the sway of Bane.
As active and would-be tyrants, Banites also value cold and dismissive demeanors, praising those that keep their cool in stressful circumstances and face problems with calm, logical indifference.

Sects

One of the more notable sects of the Cult of Bane in recent years was that formed in the late 15th century CR by the aboleth S'gothgah and was based in the Styes on the Sea of Swords. S'gothgah's Cult of Bane was uniquely hierarchal in that S'gothgah directly controlled nearly every member of the cult through its own psychic powers or through the recently rediscovered Banesmark. Through his agents, S'gothgah managed to infiltrate governments and organizations within Neverwinter, Focosgost, Saltmarsh, and beyond. During the 1496 Banesmark Crisis, S'gothgah used his agents to stoke fears and worries across the Sword Coast North, all in order to grow a kraken using the Feast of Corruption and turn it into an avatar of Bane. However, S'gothgah's plans were stopped at the last moment by the Heroes of Saltmarsh, who drove off the aboleth and trapped a Sliver of Bane, later sacrificing it to a Great Old One.

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

Church of Bane; the Black Hand

Demonym

Banites

Subsidiary Organizations

• S'gothgah's Cult of Bane

Deities

• Bane

Controlled Territories

• Isle of the Abbey
• Ruined Abbey

Notable Members

• Bayleaf
• Ozymandius
• Sanbalet