Bhaal

Bhaal (pronounced  Beh-HAHL) [1] , the  Lord of Murder, was originally a mortal and one of the  Dead Three. Along with  Bane and  Myrkul, Bhaal took the portfolios of the ancient deity  Jergal. [3]  Despite his most common title, Bhaal was the god of death, but he especially favoured violent or ritual deaths. Patron of  assassins, Bhaal was feared throughout  Faerûn - especially in the island realm of the Moonshaes.

Worshipers
Of all the dead deities of Abeir-Toril, Bhaal most likely has the most scattered cultists, the worst known as deathstalkers, attempting to bring him back to 'life'. However, after the Bhaalspawn crisis, his essence may have been locked away on the Upper Planes, preventing his resurrection permanently.

Relationships
A wholly evil, debased and sadistic god, Bhaal was served by the goddesses Talona and Loviatar who in turn served Bane and to a lesser extent, Myrkul.

History
During the Time of Troubles, when the gods were forced to walk Faerûn, Bhaal was slain, on Eleint 16, by the upstart mortal Cyric using the avatar of Mask, a sword named Godsbane, who then stole Bhaal's divinity and portfolio elements.[4] However, much like Myrkul - who invested his divine essence in the artifact known as the Crown of Horns - Bhaal was not utterly removed from Faerûn. Part of his divinity remains in the Winding Water, around Boareskyr Bridge where he was slain, his blood having flowed into the river. More importantly, Bhaal foresaw his death and impregnated many mortal women - creating his heirs, the Bhaalspawn.[4] The Bhaalspawn were involved in a series of conflicts along the Sword Coast, with one standing above the others and ultimately foiling Bhaal's plan to return through his children.[citation needed]

For a time it was beleived that Bhaal's resurrection had been ended. The last known Bhaalspawn, Abdel Adrian, resisted the murderous impulses caused by his lineage and became a famed and beloved figure in the city of Baldur's Gate. Near the beginning of the era known as "The Sundering" another Bhaalspawn, Viekang who was thought dead, attacked and killed Adrain as he spoke to a crowd in the portion of town known as The Wide. As the last Bhaalspawn alive Viekang transformed into a massive, blood soaked creature and began a rampage which was only stopped when a group of adventurers new to Baldur's Gate defeated and killed the monstrosity.[citation needed]

Dogma
Bhaalists believed that every murder committed strengthened holy Bhaal. As a result, they viewed murder as both a pastime and a duty. Bhaalists were required to deal death once in every tenday during the darkest period at the heart of the night. If imprisonment or other constraining circumstances made this impossible, they had to murder twice for each death missed. In accordance with the Lord of Murder's teachings, Bhaalists strove to ensure before they died, murder victims knew who was killing them and that their death was in the name of Bhaal. Novices of Bhaal were charged as follows: "Make all folk fear Bhaal. Let your killings be especially elegant, or grisly, or seem easy so that those observing them are awed or terrified. Tell folk that gold proffered can make the Lord of Murder overlook them for today".

Avatars
Bhaal had three avatar forms; a shape-shifting one called Kazgoroth, a human-sized one called the Slayer, and a giant called the Ravager. The Slayer appeared as a corpse-like male humanoid, whereas the Ravager was large and bestial. [citation needed]

In some extreme cases, Bhaal's mortal Bhaalspawn children could actually turn into creatures that were said to be these avatars after his death; however, these creatures were even more monstrous and inhuman in shape, acting as little more than powerful killing machines. They were also weaker than a true god's avatar, though still very powerful.