An Introduction to the Forgotten Realms: Gods ofEvil

ThisarticlegivesashortintroductiontofiveoftheprominentevildeitiesoftheForgotten
Realms.Therearemany,manygodsintheRealms,andthecurrentstateofseveralofthe
godsisunknown.IfyouseethatIvemissedsomethinginmydescriptions,pleaseletme
know!Linksinthearticlewilltypicallybetowhereyoucangetthesourcebookseither
DriveThruRPGorAmazon.

Bane, the Black Lord

IftheForgottenRealmshasaniconicevildeity,Banewould
probablybeit.Hegetsthisstatusbybeingthepatrondeity
oftheZhentarim,andbybeingtheGodofTyranny,
basicallyoneofthemostdependableoftraitsforevilyou
canthinkof.IfDarthVaderandEmperorPalpatinehada
deity,Banewouldbeit.

Baneisthepatronofthosewhowanttoruletheworld.His
alignmentisLawfulEvil,andhisfollowersbasicallythink
thattheworldwouldbealotbetterifiteveryonelivedin
onebigempire,withonepersonontop.(Exactlywhoison
topdependsontheindividualandyes,itsnormallythat
individual!)Thisisntachaoticviewofworlddominance,
butonethatiswellorganisedandhaseveryoneintheir
properplace.Mostlyasslaves.

Banewasoriginallyhuman,andascendedtogodhoodalongwithhiscoconspirators
MyrkulandBhaalthroughthebeneficenceofanoldgod,Jergal.In1358DR,Baneand
MyrkulprecipitatedtheTimeofTroublesbystealingtheTabletsofFate,whichledtoallthe
godswalkingFaernasmortals.Bane,MyrkulandBhaalwereallkilledinthattime,withthe
mortalCyricgainingtheirpowersandbecomingagod.Forawhile,Banesson,Iyachtu
XvimwalkedtheRealmsgatheringsupport,butin1372DR,Xvimsuddenlytransformedinto
areinvigoratedBane.Sincethatday,Banehasrenewedhisdesiretodominatetheentire
Realms.

UnfortunatelyforBane,theZhentarimarenolongertheforcetheyoncewere.Onceruledby
ManshoontheMageandFzoulChembryl,HighPriestofBane,theZhentarimhavesuffered
manyreverses,includingthedestructionoftheirmajorstronghold,ZhentilKeep.Thecurrent
Zhentarimaretryingtousemoreunderhandedmethodsofgainingpowerthanbefore,and
seemunabletomusterthemercenaryarmiesthatoncethreatenedthepeaceoftheRealms.
BaneisthechiefgodinMulmaster,andforawhilewastheonlygodworshippedinThay.

HeisworshippedbymembersoftheLordsAllianceand(ofcourse)theZhentarim.

Bhaal, Lord of Murder

TheassassinsoftheRealmshavetheirownpatron,Bhaal,LordofMurder.Whensomeone
wishesanotherkilledbyunderhandedmethods,itisinBhaalsnamethatthedeedisdone.

Infact,Bhaalwasthegodofalldeath,butwetendtoassociatehimwithjust
assassinations.Truly,Bhaaldidntcarehowpeopledied,itjustneededtobeoften.

BhaalisLawfulEvil.AswithBane,hewasslainduringtheTimeofTrouble.However,he
wasexceptionallybusyduringthatperiod,andafterwardsthereappearedanumberof
mortalswhoweredescendedfromhim:theBhaalspawn.TheirstoryistoldintheBaldurs
Gatecomputergames,inwhichyourcharacterisoneoftheBhaalspawn.ThetwoBaldurs
Gategamesarebrilliant.ReleasedusingtheAD&D2Eruleset,theyreveryclosetothe
pinnacleofwhatcanbedoneusingD&Dconceptsinacomputergame.Theyrecurrently
availableinenhancededitionsthroughSteam.

Bhaalsplanwastoberesurrectedthroughhisspawn,butthatdidntworkaswellforhim
asitdidforBane,asitturnedoutthatAbdelAdrian,oneofhisspawn,wasafarmore
virtuousfigurethanexpectedandlivedformanyyearsasoneoftheGrandDukesof
BaldursGate.(HisstoryistoldinthetwoBaldursGatenovelisations.Iveneverreadthem,
buttheyarenotwellregarded!)However,duringtheSundering,Adrianwasstruckdownby
anotherBhaalspawnandtheresultingconflictbetweenfactionsinBaldursGateprovided
thepowerneededforBhaaltoriseagain.(Theseeventsareplayedoutinthe
adventureMurderinBaldursGate,whichIratherenjoyed).

Incidentally,servantsofBhaalarethechiefantagonistsintheveryfirstForgottenRealms
novel,DarkwalkeronMoonshae!(Publishedin1987!)

DuetoBhaalsrecentreturn,ImunsurewhereshrinestohimaretheCitadelofAssassins
inDamaraandtheMurderHallinTashalararetheoldtemplestohim,whichmightbea
placetostart.AndIwouldntbeatallsurprisediftheresasmallshrinetohiminBaldurs
Gate

Cyric, the Prince of Lies

ThemortalCyric,afterkillingBhaalandMyrkul(andhiscompanionKelemvor),was
rewardedwithgodhood.Hedidntuseitwell.HewasgrantedthepowersofBane,Bhaal
andMyrkulthepowersthatwereonceJergalsandfromtherelethishatredand
jealousyconsumehim.KelemvorstrippedCyricofsomeofhispowerswhenKelemvor
becamethenewGodofDeath,andCyrichascontinuedonhismerry(andinsane)way
sincethen.

Cyricspowersarelikelyreducedinthecurrentage,sinceBaneandBhaal(andpossibly
Myrkul)havereturned.Athisheight,hewasthemostfearedgodinFaern,butevennow
hisfollowersareeverywhere.HeandBaneareenemies,bothcompetingfortheheartsand
mindsoftheZhentarim(andeveryoneelse).WhileBanewasdead,Cyricwasthechiefgod
oftheZhentarim,anditsalmostcertainthatnoteveryoneintheorganisationreturnedto
Baneoncethatdeityreturned.

CyricisChaoticEvil,andhisactionsareafarcryfromthemeasuredplansofBane.Heis
impulsiveandrash,andlovestoholdgrudges.HismurderofMystra(Midnight)ignitedthe
Spellplague,andforthatcrime,hewasimprisonedbyTyr,LathanderandSuneinhisown
plane,theSupremeThrone,althoughhisinfluenceisstillfeltthroughouttheRealms.His
followerscarelittleforlawsandmoralitytheyseekpower,andcarelittlewhotheybetray
togetit.

TemplestoCyricareinsomethingofastrangestate,ashebasicallytookoverallofthose
belongingtoBane,BhaalandMyrkul,butwithBaneandBhaalreturning,thecurrentstatus
ofthetemplesisunclear.Theyremostlyhidden,however,asfewrulersenjoyhaving
worshippersofCyricamongsttheircitizens.

TheprimarytalesofCyriccanbefoundintheAvatar
books:Shadowdale,Tantras,Waterdeep,PrinceofLiesandCrucible:TrialofCyrictheMad.
(ThefirstthreetelloftheTimeofTroubles,thelasttwoaresetafterhebecameagod).

Auril, the Frostmaiden

AfewreadersmaybesurprisedbymyinclusionofAurilinthefirstsetofevilgodsIm
covering.Imdoingsoforaveryspecificpurpose:herChosenisoneoftheprimary
antagonistsofLegacyoftheCrystalShard,thesecondadventureintheSunderingseries.

Aurilisthegoddessofwinter,andaservantofTalos,godofstorms.Shehasasingular
purpose:tocoverthelandsofFaerninice.Notsurprisingly,veryfewactivelyworshipher
possiblysomeoftheFrostGiants,althoughtheirowngodThyrmtendstoholdtheir
allegiancebutshesfearedandsacrificesaremadetoherinthenorthernlands,especially
amongstthebarbarianUthgardttribesoftheFarNorth.

DuringLegacyoftheCrystalShard,sheinvestspartofherpowerintoascornedbarbarian
womannamedHedrun.YoucangainalotofinsightintoAurilsstateofmindwhenyou
learnthatAurilfrozeHedrunsloverbecauseAurilwantedHedruntolovenoonebuther.
Shetakesjealousytoanartform.Andfickledoesntevenbegintodescribehersheis
amusedbyatfirstaidingherpetitioners,onlytobetraythematthelastmoment.Despite
that,shesNeutralEvil,notChaoticEvil.

TheharshwinterthatAurilandHedruncreatedaroundtheTenTownscausedafewto
converttoherworshipandseveralwouldhavesurvivedtheadventurerswhocametothe
regiontoendtheunnaturalwinter.Whatevertheresult,Aurilspowerisstrongestinthe
frozennorth,andthosewhotraveltherefearherpower.

DespiteAurilsconnectiontoice,shedoesnotfeatureintheElementalEvilcampaign.At
least,notthatIknowof(Iceisntexactlyoneofthefourelements,despitebeingfrozen
water.Occasionallywegetparaelementalplanes,ofwhichIceisone).

Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders

WhichgodhasfeaturedinmoreForgottenRealmsnovelsthananyother?Idontknow,but
IvegotaverystrongfeelingthatitsLolth,theDemonQueenofSpiders.Shesthechief
deityofthedrow,andassuchhershadowhangsoverDrizztshesneverforgivenhimfor
betrayingher.ThisisdespitethefactthatDrizztneverreallyworshippedLolthatall.In
Lolthsmind,hewashersbecausehewasadrow.HewasbroughtupinMenzoberranzan.
Hewashers.Andhefledratherthanbekilledordoherbidding!

LolthwasoncetheconsortofCorellonLarethian,chiefgodoftheelves,butsherebelled
againstCorellonandwasbanishedtotheAbyssintheformofaspiderdemon.(Theelves
alsosplit,withthoseevilelvesbanishedbeneaththeeartheventuallybecomingthedrow).
Lolthhas,sincethattime,attemptedtogainpowerforherself.

Hermindsetcanbewitnessedintheaffairsofthedrow.Theyconstantlyschemeagainst
eachotherforpoweroverthedrowrace,withtreacheryanddarkmagicbeingtheir
weaponsofchoice.Femalesaredominanttomales,andonlyfemaledrowmaybe
priestessesofLolth.Meanwhile,menarecondemnedtothelesserartofarcanemagic.A
fewyearsago,LolthattemptedtobecomethenewgoddessofMagicfollowingthe
destructionofMystraalthoughshewasunsuccessfulinthattask,herinterestinarcane
magiccausedthestatusofwizardstorise,whichcausedmorethanafewripples
throughoutdrowsociety.

Yes,LolthisChaoticEvil.Unlikesomedemons,shesabletoplanfar,farahead,butthose
planstendtobestrange,labyrinthineaffairsthatarehardforoutsiderstocomprehend.
EverytimethedrowappearonthesurfaceofFaern,itswisetoassumethattheyre
servingLolthinsomeway.

Well,theresabriefsummaryoffivegodsofevil.Myprimarysourceforthesearticlesisthe
3rdeditionsourcebookFaithsandPantheons,supplementedbyresearchfrom
theForgottenRealmswiki.OthersourcesincludeFaithsandPantheons(2e)and
theForgottenRealmsCampaignGuide(4e).LinksaretoDriveThruRPGifthebookhasbeen
releasedinPDF,ortoAmazonotherwise.(NovelsarealwaysonAmazon).