The Deathstalkers of Bhaal

Any drunken halfwit with a blade can murder an unsuspecting person. There’s no sport, no challenge, no mystery, no tension. Bhaal rejoices in the delicious lead up to murder almost as much as the act itself. While Bhaal takes notice of all murders, he does not offer favor to any normal murderer.

Initiation
Those who wish to become something more than a servant of Bhaal must walk a different, far more dangerous path. For those who choose Bhaal's dark path to becoming a Deathstalker would have the ability to fade into the shadows and sneak with extreme care. There are two stages to joining the Deathstalkers. The first is the Adorned.

The Adorned
All members start as Adorned. They serve as information hubs, spies and missionaries. When a place seems ready to hear Bhaal’s messages the cult leaders scatter them to specific cities and towns around the world to influence and recruit the people.

The Deathstalker
The second step is becoming initiated as a Deathstalker. Once initiated, there is no returning. In order to become initiated as a deathstalker, one must have fulfilled a set of strict requirements. First of all, an initiate must worship Bhaal as their deity and be adept in hiding, moving silently, and surviving in difficult scenarios. The potential deathstalker must also be able to strike quickly and have proof of committing at least sixteen different murders, in sixteen different ways. The initiate must also be able to cast spells at a certain level of difficulty, and be attuned to either the Death or Destruction domains.

Once initiated, the Deathstalker must adhere to the law of Bhaal. Deathstalkers believe that every murder committed in the name of Bhaal bring him closer to his resurrection. They are required to murder at least once a week, and if this cannot be fulfilled (say, due to incarceration), they would have to make up for each murder missed. If a Deathstalker murders another Deathstalker, they gain favor with Bhaal. If they die by any means other than by another Deathstalker, they lose favor. Thus having a member of the cult nearby can be both a blessing and a potential curse. They could murder you to gain Bhaal’s favor, but if they’re not there to finish you when your end comes... Either choice offers a level of uncertainty.

The Adorned are safe from this. Deathstalkers use the Adorned to gain information, send letters to the cult leaders, and confide in who might be the only person they can be honest with. When attempting to contact an Adorned unknown to the Deathstalker, usually within a newly traveled information hub such as a bar or tavern, a Deathstalker would signal his presence by placing thirty silver coins upon the table or bar in front of them. Of course this could attract unwanted attention as the Adorned are often watched carefully by the other Deathstalkers who use them, and anyone talking to an Adorned is a potential Deathstalker, and as such, a possible target. The Adorned know sensitive information, and the Deathstalkers keep a watchful eye on them to make sure they stay safe and can fulfill their duties to the cult.

With murdering one another an important aspect of the cult, they need a way to identify one another, and so all Deathstalkers are branded with the mark of Bhaal.

The reward for becoming a part of Bhaal’s cult is not of this world, instead it is in the hereafter. The more favor they gain in the cult while alive, the greater their position will be in Bhaal’s ranks when they reach the next life. Rumors say that the figure that sits at the right hand of Bhaal was once a mortal. Through their devotion and skill, they overthrew Bhaal’s first commander.