Moander was an ancient deity of rot, corruption, and decay. The "Darkbringer" never had a large following, but various cults had venerated Moander since before the rise of Netheril. Moander was alternately referred to as he, she, or it in the ancient texts and the deity's gender remains unknown to this day. The Darkbringer was generally a cruel, controlling tyrant, delighting in the torment and destruction of lesser beings and seeking to corrupt any who refused to bow down to it.
Worshippers
Many lonely folk, adrift in the world at large, were drawn to the Darkbringer for the firm direction It gave their life. Servants of Moander were required to endure a ceremony to join the cult that involved the absorption of a 'seed of Moander.' If worthy, the seed gradually grew in the initiate's body until the entire internal structure was replaced with rotting plant matter. A small flowered tendril protruding from the ear and wound through the hair was the only visible indication of the change. At this stage, whenever it wished, Moander could assume complete direct mental and physical control of the recipient. It could also speed up or slow down the rotting process, which allowed for further control of Its servants through fear. Cultists were expected to kill something or gather vegetation on a daily basis in order to spread rot and decay. Most also celebrated Balefire on the first of Hammer (month) by constructing huge bonfires in its name to hold back the cold.
Priests of the Darkbringer were referred to as Minions of Moander, with senior clergy taking the title of High Minion and the high priest being called Master Minion. The head of the entire Faerûniun church was the Mouth of Moander, usually a human female priestess. Extremely rarely, a Master Minion would become an Undying Minion upon death, an ooze-like undead creature known as a skuz. Minions were expected to spread rumors of Moander's power, feed its Abomination, and infect new followers with the 'seed of Moander.
History
Although the deity's origins have never been made clear, Moander appeared throughout some of Faerûn's earliest historical recordings and folklore. One legend holds it responsible for corrupting Tyche, the goddess of fate in ancient times, which resulted in the deity splitting into the two "sister" goddesses of fate that existed later, namely Tymora and Beshaba.
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