Banedeath

The Banedeath, also known as the First Banedeath, was the systematic purging of the Banite faith from the city of Zhentil Keep in 1361 DR. It was carried out by the followers of Cyric, who supplanted Bane as the God of Strife.

Description
Over the course of several tendays, all the shrines and temples of Bane in Zhentil Keep were torn down, and when possible, destroyed outright. Nearly every Banite priest was slain, and those that survived were forced underground.

Location
The first Banedeath was carried out entirely within Zhentil Keep.

Activities
Cyric's loyal priest Xeno Mirrormane led his followers throughout the streets of Zhentil Keep, defacing or destroying any Banite places of worship along with any effigies that depicted Bane himself. Lay worshipers of Bane were taken from their homes, their shops and places of work were vandalized or burned down outright.

To ensure their success, Cyric imbued more that two score of his priests with greater power, destroying their forms in the fires of the Black Sun. They were transformed into fiery undead referred to ask burnbones.

Xeno and his fellow Cyricists sacked the temples associated with the two sects of the Banite faith, the Black Altar of the reformed sect, and the Dark Shrine of Banite orthodoxy.

Some Banite priests were slain outright, while lesser-ranking individuals were given the opportunity to convert to the worship of Cyric. Those that refused were reportedly forced to personally explain to Cyric why he was unworthy of their devotion.

History
On Marpenoth 30 in the, a massive column of flame descended from the night's sky and struck the Black Altar temple. This was said to be a signal sent by Cyric to initiate the purge of the unfaithful from his city. That very night, Xeno Mirrormane initiated the crusade against Bane and his worshipers in Zhentil Keep.

During the fighting, Xeno personally slew his older brother Maskul Mirrormane and subsequently took over as leader of the Cyricist Circle of Darkness.

Despite reports that he had been killed, High Inquisitor Ginali of the orthodox Church of Bane managed to escape from the chaos and flee the city.

Interestingly enough, Bane's high priest Fzoul Chembryl was allowed to remain within the city, due to a unique relationship he maintained with Cyric.

The inquisition of Bane's followers from Zhentil Keep was declared officially completed on Hammer 1 of the. Its end marked the beginning of what the Cyricist church referred to as "Year One of Cyric's Undisputed Rule."

The occasion of the Banedeath was celebrated as a holiday within the Cyricist church for seven years, until the Second Banedeath and subsequent Fall of Zhentil Keep in the.

Outcome
The worship of Bane became almost entirely nonexistent amidst the streets of Zhentil Keep the years that followed th Banedeath. Some surviving Banites that refused to convert to Cyricism instead chose worship Iyachtu Xvim, the half-fiend son of Bane himself. Yet others were driven underground, forced to carry out services and ceremonies in Zhentil Keep's sewers, specifically those beneath the Foreign Quarter.

The Circle of Darkness was later reformed at the site of Bane's Black Altar, renamed the Black Altar of Cyric. Xeno Mirrormane ascended as the new temple's high priest.

The Banedeath inspired a similar inquisition against the worshipers of Bane in the Lands of Intrigue. Influenced by Xeno Mirrormane and his priests, Tellvon Bloodshoulder let a similar crusade against worshipers of Bane in Amn the year after the Banedeath began.

One unintended consequence of the Cyricist grab for power was a redirection of resources by the mage Manshoon. The leader of the Zhentarim began the gradual shift of operations from Zhentil Keep to the Citadel of the Raven in the Moonsea North.

For some unknown reason, Cyric continued to grant divine magic to those few remaining priests of Bane that survived the purge.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Prince of Lies
 * Prince of Lies