As the chief lord of the Zhentarim, Manshoon had long been plagued by Cyric's whims. Ever since the Dark Sun took control of the Zhentarim, he had repeatedly changed his doctrines, leaving his subjects at a loss.
The most typical example was Cyric's fondness for issuing completely contradictory oracles to his followers, then gleefully watching them slaughter one another. In the Dark Sun's eyes, as the Three-Crowned King appointed by the Overgod Ao, he was duty-bound to spread strife, betrayal, and fear. Thus, Cyric regarded such acts as a blessing, a reward for his followers' devotion.
Manshoon thought Cyric might have been imitating Bane. When Bane, the God of Tyranny, ruled Zhentil Keep, he too had liked dividing his followers into two factions: conservatives and reformers. Bane enjoyed seeing his followers oppose one another, then stepping in as their arbiter. This maintained his authority, strengthened his church's followers through conflict, and allowed him to test whether conservatism or reform was the better course for the church at any given time.
Bane's political wisdom was always embedded in his designs for institutions and systems.
By contrast, Cyric had learned nothing but the superficial meddling. The clearest example was that Cyric also encouraged infighting among his clerics, but the Dark Sun Prince never acted as arbiter. His subordinates had to take the initiative in interpreting his bizarre, self-contradictory oracles. If they won the struggle, they had understood Cyric's supreme will. If they lost, the Dark Sun's intentions had been good; the clerics had simply carried them out incorrectly.
What exactly were the Dark Sun's intentions? They could only guess. In any case, the Dark Sun was never wrong, because Cyric was a god, and gods were naturally wiser than mortals. Anyone who dared question Cyric met only one end: death.
Two incidents