Bhaal

Bhaal (pronounced Beh-HAHL), 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.
Despite his most common title, Bhaal was the god of death, but he especially favoured violent or ritual deaths. While originally he was the patron of assassins and their victims, it wasn’t long before common murderers used a claim of his worship to justify their sadistic actions, warping the manner of his worship. As a result, Bhaal was feared throughout Faerûn – especially in the island realm of the Moonshaes.
The nature of what the Lord of Murder has power over is contested – in his best incarnation he may take strength in violently punishing murderers and warmongers, others that he judged whether a murder was righteous or not, while the Bhaalspawn simply believed he wanted more murder.
Worshippers
Of all the (arguably) 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 is believed by some to have been locked away on the Upper Planes, preventing his resurrection. His worshippers, while scattered, all hold to the idea of one day bringing their deity back from his banishment. Some believe the path to doing so is through biweekly ritual sacrifices and pacts with other deities who have known banishment or condemnation.
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.
In the land of Faerun, Bhaal worshippers are known to be a solitary lot, preferring their own sadistic methods than the bonds of cooperation with others. However, along with the Rise of Tiamat, several have shown cooperation with the Goddess of Dragons and her worshippers, lending credence to the idea that Tiamat and Bhaal are allied in the planes beyond. At least for now.
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. 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 remained 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. 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.
For a time it was believed 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 Adrian as he spoke to a crowd in the portion of town known as The Wide. The ultimate winner of the duel is unknown, although it matters not as the victor 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.
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.
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.