Bane (god)
Encyclopedia
Bane is the god
of hatred
, fear
, and tyranny and one of the main evil gods in the fictional Dungeons & Dragons
campaign setting
, Forgotten Realms
.
Bane is a Lawful Evil Greater Power whose symbol is green rays squeezed forth from a black fist, and whose divine realm is the Black Bastion in the Barrens of Doom and Despair
. His Third Edition D&D domains are Evil, Destruction, Hatred, Law, and Tyranny.
created Bane for his home Dungeons & Dragons game for the Forgotten Realms
, conceiving of him as "the big baddie", with powers "roughly equivalent to" the Babylonian deity Druaga
.
#54 (October 1981). Here Bane is introduced as Lord Bane, the Black Lord, god of strife, hatred, and tyranny, a lawful evil greater god from the plane of Acheron
. The article notes that he is never seen, "although there are tales of a freezing black-taloned hand and eyes of blazing fire." Bane is described as one of “The Dark Gods” of evil alignment: "Loviatar, Talona, and Malar
serve Bane through Bhaal
(although Loviatar and Talona are rivals)." Bane is commonly worshipped by lawful evil fighters
, magic-users
, illusionists, assassins
, thieves
, monks
, and clerics
.
Bane later officially appeared as one of the major deities for the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
, in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Sets "Cyclopedia of the Realms" booklet (1987).
. Despite his death, Bane was still described in the hardback Forgotten Realms Adventures
(1990), the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993) in the "Running the Realms" booklet, and Faiths & Avatars (1996).
His role in the cosmology of the Planescape
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).
(2002).
A Forgotten Realms-specific version of Bane appears in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide and the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide for this edition. The Realms Bane was acknowledged as being a separate character from the core Bane in the aforementioned Dragon article.
, and Myrkul
forged an unholy pact, agreeing that they would work together to seek ultimate power, or die in the attempt. Over the length and breadth of the Realms they strode, seeking powerful magic and spells and defying death at every turn. No matter what monster they confronted or what spells they braved, the three mortals emerged unscathed at every turn. Eventually the trio destroyed one of the Seven Lost Gods, Borem, of the Lake of Boiling Mud, and they each seized a portion of Borem's divine essence for themselves. The trio then journeyed into the Gray Waste
and sought out the Castle of Bone to confront Jergal. The three approached the god Jergal and threatened him for the godly powers. Jergal, all powerful to the point that he had long ago wished to step down the throne, asked: "Who among you shall rule?", and the trio immediately fell to fighting amongst themselves. Jergal proposed that they solve this problem by bowling skulls of his liches. It turned out that Bane bowled the farthest, and was thus able to choose his domain. He said: As winner, I choose to rule for all eternity as the ultimate tyrant. I can induce hatred and strife at my whim, and all will bow down before me while in my kingdom., thus he claimed the portfolios of Tyranny, Hatred, and Strife, ascended as a greater deity.
*(source indicated that this occurred after the Fall of Netheril in -339 DR, as Jergal was still listed as one of the ruling deities.)
. He was never seen, although there are tales of a freezing black-taloned hand and eyes of blazing fire. With the rise of the Zhentarim
network, the church of Bane began to gain power at around 800 DR, his influence spread to Voonlar, Mulmaster, Hillsfar, eventually covered the Realms. His largest temple was the Black Lord's Altar in Mulmaster, then temple complex in Zhentil Keep.
1350 DR, Bane, in an attempt to increase his own power, tries to draw a group of Moonsea cities into the nether regions. The Heroes of Phlan, who vanquished Tyranthraxus a decade earlier, foil the plot and the cities are returned. The Warhammer of Tyr is stolen by Bane.
, however, when he was trapped in his vulnerable avatar form, Bane was slain by the demigod
Torm
outside of Tantras. For a time, it looked as if the world was rid of the Black Hand, as his portfolio was divided among the newly-ascendant god Cyric
and Iyachtu Xvim, Bane's half-demonic son. Bane's priests either converted to one of the two new deities or were killed, and it seemed that all traces of the Dead Three were gone from the Faerûnian Pantheon.
of half of Finder's Stone, where Finder had stored a large portion of his godly power. With the stone in hand, Bane forced Finder and his priest Joel into cooperation, demanding they escort him to Sigil
and fetch the Hand of Bane, an artifact necessary for Bane's resurrection. Since no gods can enter Sigil, Bane arranged it so that Walinda accompanied and helped Finder's party in the finding of the Hand.
Finder and the banelich confronted atop Bane's huge dead body in the Astral Plane, where all dead gods lie. Bane's plan failed however, since the banelich banned Walinda from casting the final resurrection ritual, striking her to the ground, thinking a "mere" female was not worthy of such an honor. Finder informed him that the ritual would work only by a mortal, not a banelich. Thus, Bane again gave Walinda the Hand of Bane and commanded her to cast the ritual. Walinda smashed the hand to the ground, shattering it, utterly destroying the hand.
and Myrkul
, his only true allies among the gods, he has forged alliances with the less powerful Malar, Loviatar, Mask, and Talona. Bane holds a special enmity toward Torm
, Mystra
, and Cyric
. This last Bane sees as a loathsome usurper, and his entire following is mobilizing for a holy war against Cyric, the Black Sun
.
, who wants to be the only God of War so badly that he literally threw his entire realm of Nishrek against Bane's realm of Chernoggar. In order to keep his realm intact, Bane was forced to fuse the two dimensions together, and the two Gods have been openly at war ever since.
He also knew and worked with Asmodeus
before he took over the Nine Hells. The two are said to have hated each other, but were both disciplined enough to work well together regardless. Bane is said to have sent help to Asmodeus in his rebellion; whether or not it made a difference in the rebellion is unknown, but it is said that Devils will deal (slightly) more honestly with followers of Bane than any other God, and Bane's followers are more likely to summon and employ devils than followers of other Gods.
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
of hatred
Hatred
Hatred is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world...
, fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
, and tyranny and one of the main evil gods in the fictional Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
.
Bane is a Lawful Evil Greater Power whose symbol is green rays squeezed forth from a black fist, and whose divine realm is the Black Bastion in the Barrens of Doom and Despair
Barrens of Doom and Despair
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Barrens of Doom and Despair is an evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of Outer Planes that form part of the cosmology retroactively introduced in the third edition of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting...
. His Third Edition D&D domains are Evil, Destruction, Hatred, Law, and Tyranny.
Publication history
Ed GreenwoodEd Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
created Bane for his home Dungeons & Dragons game for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
, conceiving of him as "the big baddie", with powers "roughly equivalent to" the Babylonian deity Druaga
Druaga
Druaga refers to a Babylonian/Sumerian deity, who was ruler of the underworld. Druaga is occasionally used as an alternative name for the evil Zoroastrian deity, Ahriman, enemy of the god Ahura Mazda.-Popular Media:...
.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Bane first appeared within Dungeons & Dragons as one of the deities featured in Ed Greenwood's article "Down-to-earth Divinity" in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#54 (October 1981). Here Bane is introduced as Lord Bane, the Black Lord, god of strife, hatred, and tyranny, a lawful evil greater god from the plane of Acheron
Acheron (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Acheron , also known as The Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, is a lawful neutral/lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
. The article notes that he is never seen, "although there are tales of a freezing black-taloned hand and eyes of blazing fire." Bane is described as one of “The Dark Gods” of evil alignment: "Loviatar, Talona, and Malar
Malar (Forgotten Realms)
Malar is the Faerûnian deity of the hunt, evil lycanthropes , and bestial savagery and bloodlust in Ed Greenwood's Forgotten Realms fictional world of Abeir-Toril for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
serve Bane through Bhaal
Bhaal
Bhaal, Lord of Murder, is a deity of the fictional Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting.-Publication history:Ed Greenwood created Bhaal for his home Dungeons & Dragons game, set in the Forgotten Realms....
(although Loviatar and Talona are rivals)." Bane is commonly worshipped by lawful evil fighters
Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)
The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics....
, magic-users
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
, illusionists, assassins
Assassin (Dungeons & Dragons)
The assassin is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It first appeared in 1975 in the Blackmoor supplement, as a thief sub-class. It next appeared in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons again as a thief sub-class...
, thieves
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
, monks
Monk (Dungeons & Dragons)
The monk is a playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A D&D monk is a fantasy martial artist, specializing in unarmed combat.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, and clerics
Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
.
Bane later officially appeared as one of the major deities for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Sets "Cyclopedia of the Realms" booklet (1987).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Bane was destroyed in the novel Tantras (1989), and its accompanying adventure module of the same nameTantras (module)
Tantras is an adventure module published in 1989 for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Plot summary:Tantras is a Forgotten Realms scenario in which the player characters have been accused of the murder of Elminster the mage; they break out of prison, and have adventures as they make...
. Despite his death, Bane was still described in the hardback Forgotten Realms Adventures
Forgotten Realms Adventures
Forgotten Realms Adventures is an accessory for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1990), the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993) in the "Running the Realms" booklet, and Faiths & Avatars (1996).
His role in the cosmology of the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
As of 3rd edition Bane returns to life, and becomes one of the major deities of the Forgotten Realms setting again, in Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001), and is further detailed in Faiths and PantheonsFaiths and Pantheons
Faiths and Pantheons is a campaign accessory for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons, for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.-Contents:...
(2002).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
Bane appears as one of the deities described in the Dungeon Master's Guide for this edition (2008). Bane's story and role in the default setting are expanded in the 4th edition Manual of the Planes and the Dragon article Deities and Demigods: Bane in Dragon #372.A Forgotten Realms-specific version of Bane appears in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide and the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide for this edition. The Realms Bane was acknowledged as being a separate character from the core Bane in the aforementioned Dragon article.
Ascension
In the indefinite past*, Bane was a member of the Dead Three, a triad of mortals sworn to achieve godhood. Bane, BhaalBhaal
Bhaal, Lord of Murder, is a deity of the fictional Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting.-Publication history:Ed Greenwood created Bhaal for his home Dungeons & Dragons game, set in the Forgotten Realms....
, and Myrkul
Myrkul
Myrkul was the fictional Lord of the Dead in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting based upon the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Further aliases of Myrkul include the Reaper and Old Lord Skull. His symbol is a skull against a black field, known to occur in nightmares of many of the...
forged an unholy pact, agreeing that they would work together to seek ultimate power, or die in the attempt. Over the length and breadth of the Realms they strode, seeking powerful magic and spells and defying death at every turn. No matter what monster they confronted or what spells they braved, the three mortals emerged unscathed at every turn. Eventually the trio destroyed one of the Seven Lost Gods, Borem, of the Lake of Boiling Mud, and they each seized a portion of Borem's divine essence for themselves. The trio then journeyed into the Gray Waste
Gray Waste
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Gray Waste is a strongly evil aligned plane of existence...
and sought out the Castle of Bone to confront Jergal. The three approached the god Jergal and threatened him for the godly powers. Jergal, all powerful to the point that he had long ago wished to step down the throne, asked: "Who among you shall rule?", and the trio immediately fell to fighting amongst themselves. Jergal proposed that they solve this problem by bowling skulls of his liches. It turned out that Bane bowled the farthest, and was thus able to choose his domain. He said: As winner, I choose to rule for all eternity as the ultimate tyrant. I can induce hatred and strife at my whim, and all will bow down before me while in my kingdom., thus he claimed the portfolios of Tyranny, Hatred, and Strife, ascended as a greater deity.
*(source indicated that this occurred after the Fall of Netheril in -339 DR, as Jergal was still listed as one of the ruling deities.)
Rise in power
In his first incarnation, Bane was a Lawful Evil greater power in AcheronAcheron (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Acheron , also known as The Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, is a lawful neutral/lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
. He was never seen, although there are tales of a freezing black-taloned hand and eyes of blazing fire. With the rise of the Zhentarim
Zhentarim
The Zhentarim is a fictional organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Also known as the Black Network, it is an evil organization based on the continent of Faerûn. One of its goals is to dominate the lands from the Moonsea to the...
network, the church of Bane began to gain power at around 800 DR, his influence spread to Voonlar, Mulmaster, Hillsfar, eventually covered the Realms. His largest temple was the Black Lord's Altar in Mulmaster, then temple complex in Zhentil Keep.
1350 DR, Bane, in an attempt to increase his own power, tries to draw a group of Moonsea cities into the nether regions. The Heroes of Phlan, who vanquished Tyranthraxus a decade earlier, foil the plot and the cities are returned. The Warhammer of Tyr is stolen by Bane.
Time of Trouble
During the Time of TroublesTime of Troubles (Forgotten Realms)
The Time of Troubles, also known as the Arrival, Godswar, and Avatar Crisis, is a fictional time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game...
, however, when he was trapped in his vulnerable avatar form, Bane was slain by the demigod
Demigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...
Torm
Torm
Torm may refer to:* Dampskibsselskabet Torm, a shipping company* Torm , a fictional deity...
outside of Tantras. For a time, it looked as if the world was rid of the Black Hand, as his portfolio was divided among the newly-ascendant god Cyric
Cyric
Cyric is a deity in the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting, a branch of Dungeons & Dragons. Cyric has many titles, including the Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun, the Black Sun, the Mad God, and the Lord of Three Crowns...
and Iyachtu Xvim, Bane's half-demonic son. Bane's priests either converted to one of the two new deities or were killed, and it seemed that all traces of the Dead Three were gone from the Faerûnian Pantheon.
Finder's Bane
Bane's essence survived by possessing one of his high priests, thereby transforming the priest into a banelich. With the help of his remaining high priestess Walinda, Bane cheated FinderFinder Wyvernspur
In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Finder Wyvernspur is a relatively new power raised to divinity by acquiring the divine spark of the deceased god Moander....
of half of Finder's Stone, where Finder had stored a large portion of his godly power. With the stone in hand, Bane forced Finder and his priest Joel into cooperation, demanding they escort him to Sigil
Sigil (city)
Sigil is a fictional city and the center of the Planescape campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Development:...
and fetch the Hand of Bane, an artifact necessary for Bane's resurrection. Since no gods can enter Sigil, Bane arranged it so that Walinda accompanied and helped Finder's party in the finding of the Hand.
Finder and the banelich confronted atop Bane's huge dead body in the Astral Plane, where all dead gods lie. Bane's plan failed however, since the banelich banned Walinda from casting the final resurrection ritual, striking her to the ground, thinking a "mere" female was not worthy of such an honor. Finder informed him that the ritual would work only by a mortal, not a banelich. Thus, Bane again gave Walinda the Hand of Bane and commanded her to cast the ritual. Walinda smashed the hand to the ground, shattering it, utterly destroying the hand.
Resurrection
On Midwinter night, 1372 DR, all former priests of Bane received a vision of Iyachtu Xvim being consumed by a hellish fire, and of the Black Lord rising from the charred husk of his son. Upon his return, Bane claimed the portfolio of fear and hatred, immediately becoming a greater power. Over the subsequent few months, Bane reorganized his forces and rebuilt his strength.Bane's Servants
Bane prefers to keep to the shadows, allowing his servants to carry out his intricate plans. He has no tolerance for failure and seldom thinks twice about submitting even a loyal servant to rigorous tortures to ensure complete obedience to his demanding, regimented doctrine.Relationships
Bane is a ruthless, calculating, power-hungry deity ever obsessed with expanding his power. Since the deaths of BhaalBhaal
Bhaal, Lord of Murder, is a deity of the fictional Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting.-Publication history:Ed Greenwood created Bhaal for his home Dungeons & Dragons game, set in the Forgotten Realms....
and Myrkul
Myrkul
Myrkul was the fictional Lord of the Dead in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting based upon the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Further aliases of Myrkul include the Reaper and Old Lord Skull. His symbol is a skull against a black field, known to occur in nightmares of many of the...
, his only true allies among the gods, he has forged alliances with the less powerful Malar, Loviatar, Mask, and Talona. Bane holds a special enmity toward Torm
Torm
Torm may refer to:* Dampskibsselskabet Torm, a shipping company* Torm , a fictional deity...
, Mystra
Mystra (goddess)
Mystra is a fictional goddess in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.She is the Mistress of Magic and Mother of Mysteries who guides the Weave of magic that envelops the world. She tends to the weave constantly, making possible all the...
, and Cyric
Cyric
Cyric is a deity in the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting, a branch of Dungeons & Dragons. Cyric has many titles, including the Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun, the Black Sun, the Mad God, and the Lord of Three Crowns...
. This last Bane sees as a loathsome usurper, and his entire following is mobilizing for a holy war against Cyric, the Black Sun
Cyric
Cyric is a deity in the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting, a branch of Dungeons & Dragons. Cyric has many titles, including the Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun, the Black Sun, the Mad God, and the Lord of Three Crowns...
.
4th edition
In 4th Edition, the only open enemy Bane has is the orc God GruumshGruumsh
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Gruumsh, also known as Gruumsh One-Eye, is the patron deity of orcs, who regard him as the god of Conquest, Survival, Strength, and Territory. He is also considered a member of the default D&D pantheon of deities...
, who wants to be the only God of War so badly that he literally threw his entire realm of Nishrek against Bane's realm of Chernoggar. In order to keep his realm intact, Bane was forced to fuse the two dimensions together, and the two Gods have been openly at war ever since.
He also knew and worked with Asmodeus
Asmodeus (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Asmodeus is an Arch-Devil: a lord of the game's version of Hell . There he is the Overlord of the Dukes of Hell...
before he took over the Nine Hells. The two are said to have hated each other, but were both disciplined enough to work well together regardless. Bane is said to have sent help to Asmodeus in his rebellion; whether or not it made a difference in the rebellion is unknown, but it is said that Devils will deal (slightly) more honestly with followers of Bane than any other God, and Bane's followers are more likely to summon and employ devils than followers of other Gods.