My name is Herod Welten. I was born into the service of the holy father, the great black hand, he who is destined to rule the world, Bane. I was born into his service as a slave in the Zhentil keep. I served my owner faithfully, with devotion and complete loyalty. He is my better and knows what is best. For my absolute loyalty I was in time, set free. I became a willing servant and stayed with my former master. I greatly feared Bane.

Then 16 years ago the gods walked the earth. In a distant land, the holy father was treacherously slain by the accursed one, Torm, may his name be cursed for eternity and may he suffer from one end of eternity to the other.

Order comes from those above, they are more worthy. You follow the order of those placed over you for those of higher station are more worthy and know better.

The faithful were scattered. Many traitors left to serve foreign gods, even the dark sun, Cyric. It seemed for a moment that all was lost.

Then he came to us, the holy son, Iyachtu Xvim. He erected a temple to himself. The call went out for the faithful to come. Many gathered at the ashes of the Keep to swear loyalty. Order always comes from above. The holy son blessed us greatly for his leadership and many returned to swear their loyalty to him.

My handler, the man who I was born to as a slave but later freed me, was named Rado Caslent. He was both a powerful wizard and a priest entirely faithful to the holy father. My master answered the call and I followed him as I had all my life. He had always done well by me and all I have learned, both of life and the holy father, I have learned through him.

He answered the call and went to the ashes of the keep where many gathered to swear their fealty to the holy son, Iyachtu Xvim. The holy son is the legitimate heir of the holy father, he had left us with no other heir. Our loyalty belongs to him by right.

My master swore himself to Iyachtu Xvim and swore to serve him as he had served his father. Then my master called me to his side and asked me if I would serve Iyachtu Xvim all the days of my life. I swore my service to Iyachtu Xvim and was initiated into his priesthood with my master as my mentor.

I served my master and I served the holy son.

For 14 years I served as a priest to Iyachtu Xvim. I had little rank, I was of little importance. I did the duties assigned to me, duties which were usually demeaning, dirty or boring. I committed to them with fervor and never gave any complaint. I followed every instruction given to me by my master, Rado Caslent.

Then on the midwinter solstice just over three months ago…. the impossible happened. We thought the impossible happened. It did not.

The Holy Son himself was in our temple and nightly we gave offerings to him. It was midnight. The nightly sacrifice was about to occur. The highest clergy gathered around him in the main chamber and prepared for the sacrifice. My master tells me he was among those present.

I am an unimportant priest of little rank. I was deep within the temple cleaning one of the lesser altars of altars of the blood of a cyrist priest who had been sacrificed the previous night and preparing the altar for tomorrow.

My hands suddenly glowed green and I heard an unbelievably loud booming voice in my heard “Serve only Bane”.

In an instant I heard the sound of cries, some jovial, some in anguish come from every other place in the temple. I stumbled in confusion. Moments later the door burst open and my master entered the room in a panic. He told me that a demon, a kin to the Holy Son had come in the guise of Bane and that many in the temple, in their foolishness had sworn themselves to this false idol. He said that the Holy Son did battle with the demon and lost, that he was greatly weakened and we must flee while Iyachtu Xvim gathers his strength. He told me that the demon plans to bring more of his kin and destroy the world.

He opened a portal and we fled. We arrived in the underdark, a realm of despair deep beneath the earth. My master was unable to open another portal, he said it was something about the magic of the place. I do not think he meant to open a portal here for he was very angry but I am unsure. He told me I was to return to the surface and spread word of this false idol and to see that it was destroyed.

He left down a tunnel and instructed me to go down another.

He reminded me that failure even in death, will not be rewarded. Only success, is rewarded. He told me that this was the most important order I have ever received and should I fail, my punishment would be endless.

He reminded me to fear only Bane and serve only the holy son.

That was one hour ago.

((more to come shortly on the arrival in sanctuary 3 months later))

*a week later*

I have become lost. I can not find my mentor. I have wandered the under dark for a week. I am near starving. I have found nothing but putrid water to drink and rotting corpses to eat. I must continue, the Holy Son will not forgive me even if I die faithful.

*a month later* Corpses… Stinking water… monsters everywhere…. Always running. I am so tired. My vestment is ruined, nothing but straps of cloth. I must go on… failure is worse then death.

*a month later* I collapsed and awaited the eternal torment which I thought awaited me. I closed my eyes and prepared to die. I opened my eyes to darkness, I thought I was in hell. I was being dragged by two children. I do not know who dragged me into the city. I coughed out a word “Bane”. One of then shrieked. They both dropped me and ran off. I fell asleep.

I woke later, I do not now, maybe a day. I was in some sort of slum. I am alive. I have sworn myself to the Holy Son, Iyachtu Xvim for all time. Even in this hole there is work I can do.

*a week later* It has been an eventful week. I have had a great deal to do. I have found a priest of Bane named Korgh. He is not from the Keep but far away. He was unaware of all that has occurred. I told him. He was at first skeptical but he seems more sure now. He has agreed to use what powers he has, the demons power for my cause so far. He remains skeptical but in time I will show him the truth. For now, he trusts me.

A day later, to seal our relation I found an appropriate sacrifice. We brought the sacrifice to a secret place and tied it like a pig. We each drew out daggers, I said first a prayer to the Holy Son and drove the dagger deep into his chest, he did likewise. The Holy Father, though he should be honored, is dead. His prayers reach no ears, the whole of the sacrifice went to Iyachtu Xvim. Surely the Holy Son has greatly blessed me to survive the ordeal I have been through. *a day later* I have found others receptive to the word of the Holy Son. I think I can build a following with relative ease.

*a day later* The complacency of these people disgust me. They wallow in this dark pit and do nothing to escape. I have taken up adventuring work to raise money for supplies. I have talked to some of the more capable adventurers and told them of my plan to return to the surface. How they ask? On the edge of a sword. Apparently it never occurred to any in this city of sheep to take a modest sized group of well equipped, well trained warriors and fight our way to the surface. The response to this has been quite enthusiastic. I have told people to wait for announcements for we will begin training soon.

I have had no shortage of opportunities to tell stories of the glory of the Holy Father and the Holy Son. Some of those who listen are receptive. I am receiving much less hostility then I had expected.

Here is my retelling of the story of Tantras, as told to me and as I have relayed to others:

You are aware of why 16 years ago it was called the Year of Calamity, the Time of Troubles? The Year Without Magic? Many names. 16 years ago the gods walked the earth….. all the gods. Only they know why. Do you know of the city of Waterdeep? Or Thaymount? Or Baldurs Gate? Arabel?

Great cities all of them…. Massive. Some of the greatest most populous cities on the surface… massive numbers live there. Tantras was as great as any of them. It resides on the shore of a great ocean, a port city… massive. Over one hundred thousand people lived there.

As Torm, may his name be cursed for eternity… as he was mortal, so once, was Bane. And though Bane had no mortal children, he had a family, his parents, their siblings.. theirs. It so happened that this family was always carefully guarded, and their descendants… and theirs.

For generation after generation. The Holy Father kept them far from his church, from his quest to claim his rightful place as ruler of the world. It so happens that 16 years ago.. most of his family, who now numbered 417, all of them lived in Tantras. Few of them knew their heritage.

Torm walked the earth as a man.. and thought now to take revenge on Bane. To murder Bane’s family to cause him pain. So Torm walked as a mortal, though as a great mortal “hero”, as all the gods did, he walked to Tantras.

He began the slaughter….

Soon the holy father, Bane also arrived in Tantras and challenged Torm. He would not let him continue the slaughter of the innocent. For they had done no crime except to be his kin, which was no crime, but a great honor though few of them even knew it.

They fought as the city watched on and their battle moved towards Tantras’s great harbor. Bane wishes to control all the world for a singular reason. To end strife. Violence, hate, greed… all stupid human vices. When he rules, he will put an end to them all. Some say he is savage or evil. Hardly. He wishes to bring order to a world where children starve and the innocent die young. Even the Holy Father, who will do many things to reach his goal…. Even he would not commit to the depths of unspeakable evil, that Torm, Torm the “true” commited to.

Torm raised his hands and let out a cry and drew the souls of the people of the city into his very body. Not only Bane’s kin, but all the people of the city. He drew their souls into his body to cheat fate, to reclaim his godhood, to defeat Bane for as a man, Torm could not defeat Bane.

The Holy Father was not only a mighty warrior but also had a righteous cause. He faught to save not only his family but all of the city. Thousands died by the second, collapsing where they stood… all over the city, to be absorbed into Torm’s body. Their souls utterly destroyed for all time to feed his lust for power.

First the old died…the weak, the crippled but soon younger men, and younger… soon those who were barely adults themselves began to die, their souls ripped out of their bodies and destroyed. Bane could take it no more. To see not only his family die, but their very souls destroyed to feed such a monster.

He let out a scream of pain and took his mighty sword in both hands he raised it high… He took the sword and he fell on it himself, enchanting it with his holy blood. He raised his sword and stabbed it deep into accursed Torm’s chest.

There was a burst of light…. Torm was utterly destroyed. The holy father survived on for a few minutes… he died in a pool of his blood in the harbor. 100,000 people lay dead. Only the children survived.

So many dead… not only dead but their souls destroyed… such a horror. It rivals the fall of Netheril.

Could you imagine if Torm succeeded and became a god again while all others walked as men? The world would have been his, for all time.

*a day later* I have gone to the house of light and told some of the assembled clergy of the false return and the threat posed by a demon. Some of them seemed to not believe me. Some seemed skeptical. One of them was concerned enough to run after me after I left and question me further.

I addressed a Tormtard today as such and apparently he took offense. Since when have Tormtards gone by any other name? His Tyrian friend asked me if I had meant to insult him. I told him that if I had intended to insult the Tormtard I would have for I have no reservations on speaking truth about genodicial monsters.

The Tyrian asked if that was a threat. I told him it was not but if he wished to fight I would be all too happy to. He challenged me to spar. I told him if I won I wanted his vestment. He agreed. If he won I was to attend one of his services. I agreed but said I would not speak or perform any action in it. He was better equipped and more skilled. He won and left me on the floor. I raised myself gripping on my sword and told him to raise his weapon, that it was not over for I had not yielded. We continued. I awoke later.

I have found others who I think may join both the church and the effort to return to the surface.