The church of Bane has spies in many places across Faerûn (and elsewhere on Toril), and the clergy of Amaunator is no exception. Verped, a Banite residing at Fort Morninglord, intercepted the original message, and has come to a startling conclusion: The boy, Caom, is not some unfortunate innocent caught up in unknown powers. Verped believes him to be the subject of a long-forgotten prophecy. The boy will grow into the greatest tyrant of this or any age, eclipsing even the Chosen Imperator Fzoul Chembryl and heralding the Black Age of Bane.
www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/d...
I was wondering:
1. Has anyone used this sidetrek? How did you use it? Was it a one-off or part of a larger plot?
2. Has anyone used the Black Age of Bane?
3. What do you think is the Black Age of Bane? How would you use it in your own campaign?
A Black Age of Bane would involve a massive war of conquest by Caom, this young new warlord, and his fanaticly loyal Banite generals and their armies. Imagine lots of black clad armored warriors raiding the North, West and South of Fearun in the name of Bane and bloodshed. After this initial war a long period of oppression will begin, sacrificing free will of the people for stability and order.
Fort Morninglord is in Elturgard, the city run by (a bit too) righteous Paladins of Torm. I remember a thread about this earlier... It was discussed that the shadow of the altar in the temple could be a prison for Lathander, who might be the driving source of the Eternal Sun of Amaunator.
The Black Age could signify some sort of darkening in the skies of Fearun... Perhaps Caom manages or sets the stage for the extinguishing of the Eternal Sun?
Perhaps living in Singapore has affected me in that I like the idea that tyranny becomes an antidote to strife and thus an age of chaos may be followed by an age of tyranny as even good people tire of the lack of restrictions around them. In other words, Banites could take control and even good folk would support their control because they see it as better than the chaos that was previously around them.
So perhaps the Black Age of Bane needs an age of strife and chaos to shake things up a bit first so that the Banites are welcomed, more or less with open arms, as they enforce order and stability in the midst of tumultuous times. In that sense, the post-Spellplague years would have been perfect time for the Banites to start gaining converts by reason and proclamation rather than under the spike of a mace.
Anyway, I really like the idea of starting with the Eternal Sun being extinguished and this being Caom's role. Perhaps it is something he can do even as a child?
An age of choas can involve the works of Cyric, for his followers are good at spreading strife, fear and madness. It was always Banes intention to wage a holy war against the Dark Sun and his fanatic clergy, but Cyrics imprisonment and slow decline in influence on the Zhentarim put the need for a dark crusade against him on a backseat. Perhaps if Cyrics followers manage to spread their firm hold of Amn into the Western Heartlands, Tethyr and Calimshan, Banites could have the opportunity to feed the populace's hatred of cyricists and try to incite revolts all across the southern parts of Fearun.
Another nice politically unstable area to stabilise by the gauntleted fist of Bane are the Border Kingdoms in the north-western Shaar region. Its a bit far away from Fort Moringlord though, but trade routes to the Shaar are well travelled. This could give Caom a reason to march some well spoken banite nobles towards those warring little kingdoms to establish a single network of allies among the meriad of despots of the Border Kingdoms.
A large war campaign could give another reason for the darkness of his prophesized age, as the production of all the iron wargear a holy crusade needs requires extensive blacksmithing. An industrialised region designated to metallurgy for the legions of Bane is sure to blacken the skies with the soot of all the active smithies. Perhaps Caom grows up to be a brilliant engineer, able to construct massive war machines in the image of Bane so the Black Age of Bane could be the heralding of the First Industrial Age in the Realms.
The rest are good.
I don't have any more ideas, I'm not a huge fan of Bane, but I like good ideas.
As a result of this, Caom is revealed to be nothing more than a golem or homunculus holding the essence of a banelich. The banelich is revealed as the Eternal Sun turns to darkness. While this happens, the banelich chants a spell and it is further transformed into an aspect of Bane (but, as this is the end of the heroic tier, it will be something like a 12th-level solo controller) (oh, and I finally get to use my aspect of Bane miniature).
The aspect of Bane must then be defeated. When bloodied, the aspect splits and reveals the banelich once again.
The net result of this is that the Black Age of Bane has begun with the eclipsing of the Eternal Sun. This victory is even more sweet for the Banites because it happened on the watch of the followers of Torm.
Another nice politically unstable area to stabilise by the gauntleted fist of Bane are the Border Kingdoms in the north-western Shaar region. Its a bit far away from Fort Moringlord though, but trade routes to the Shaar are well travelled. This could give Caom a reason to march some well spoken banite nobles towards those warring little kingdoms to establish a single network of allies among the meriad of despots of the Border Kingdoms.
Banites already have a foothold in Mintar, as Fzoul Chembril and the Church of Bane were key elements in the rise to power of Teldorn Darkhope.
An aliance with the Border Kingdoms could give them the strenght to take complete control of the Lake of Steam.
This is pre-Spellplague, of course, since after the Spellplague, the Shaar is no more.
Fzoul Chembryl