INFERNAL LORDS

The Infernal Lords are the most powerful fiends amongst those who live in Inferno (which means "damnation", and is a demiplane coexistent with Ajsalium). Depending on each one, they can be located in any of the five inner Circles, leaving unoccupied only the first and outermost Circle. These Lords were not always infernals, not at all; but rather, most of them were champions of good. But to further the interests of Hell during the Long War, Azeth the Overshadow, leader of the invading hordes, ordered later to be known as the eight Lords of Temptation, his lieutenants* and fiends of confidence, to tempt until total corruption twelve champions of good especially powerful, thus to totally unbalance the scales in favor of evil (but in return this caused the unexpected breakthrough in the fight of the dragons). From some of them there's not the slightest idea of what or who they were in their former lives, and from the rest there are only suspicions, rumors or speculations at best. Those listed and described below were the chosen ones, creatures that are now so dark and evil as bright and caring in their time, who live tortured because they remember their fall but know that there's no possibility of redemption; and today they project that torture and self-hatred against the world, which they yearn to break in its entirety. The power of the Infernal Lords is absolute respect of their subordinates, and only the Lords of Temptation, their creators (whom they love and hate alike) have the authority to give them orders; in fact, today the main task of Infernal Lords is to rule in Hell representing their too busy masters.

ABADDON
The infernal title of Abaddon is "Exterminating Angel", a title that gives a good account of the grim, violent and cruel mood of this terrible Lord. This abyssal fiend has established his dwelling in the Sixth Circle of Hell, a place usually avoided even by the rest of Infernal Lords (except Azrael, practically the only one so dark and gloomy as Abaddon, as to relate to him). Wherever he travels, Abaddon sows the most complete ruin, the total destruction, the irreversible desolation; he' a true destroyer in every sense, and therefore one of the best examples of what Hell is. A common way that he uses to wreak havoc in the world are the plagues, that he periodically breaks out, trying to capitalize on moments when mortals are weaker (for example, after a war or during a drought) to maximize the damage caused. It's no surprise then that he's the "Master of Locusts", which, according to some theories, are formed from souls dead at the hands of Abaddon, so every sighting of a simple lobster is considered a sign of bad omen. On what might have been Abaddon before being tempted and damned there's no notice; but so low you can only fall from the top, so if so he should have been a powerful celestial...

AZRAEL
Azrael's name is rarely uttered by mortals, as he's the one that causes the deepest fear, and there is a superstition that states that just by saying his name his curse is invoked. To refer to him it's often used the title of "Angel of Darkness" or "Angel of Death", both very suitable to describe this Lord, who dwells in the Sixth Circle of Hell, with only Abaddon. As usual there's almost no information on him, though some visionaries say he was once a mere mortal, a human pure and innocent, but extremely lonely, who finally embraced the angel of destruction (Abaddon?) who offered him a new fate, his destiny. Today he's a being of pure evil, so pure that he's even free from the malice present in other Lords: Azrael meets his duties with a coolness that scares even many fiends. As an angel of death, and in his infinite zeal, before killing his victims he destroys their personality; with a patient and insidious work, which is taken as his duty and honor; first he eliminates the dreams and hopes, then destroys the mind driving it into the pit of despair (perhaps that's the origin of his title of "angel of darkness"); and only after all that does he take the life, that the victims arrived at that point surrender voluntarily, believing that death is preferable to the prosecution and non-life imposed by the relentless Azrael.

BELIAL
The origin of Belial, although with some gaps in his history, is fairly well located and identified: it seems that Belial was already living at the time the Vortex appeared and the Long War broke. Supposedly, according to some sources, he was a half-elf (the offspring of a human and an elf); but most sources claim that he was a king of Vidolgreen, so then he should be a full-blooded elf. Anyway, what everyone agrees is that his small kingdom near the eastern limits of Vidolgreen was an embarrassment to the elven race, as indulgence had reached a less than unseemly peek. It's logical, then, that this incorrigible epicure, very fond of the very young, fell into the temptations of Hell, thereby becoming the patron of sodomites. His character, over the millennia, has only further fall in his vices, and today he's the most rebellious, disobedient, vain, wicked and incorrigibly liar Lord; but also most beautiful. Maybe that's why he's called the "Prince of Fire", comparing his way of being with this element; and is also known that his mortal followers usually held orgies in his honor and attempted invocation in January, in midwinter, when the "fire" that Belial provides is most welcomed. Fond of visiting the world of mortals, his lair lies at the Second Circle of Inferno.

BELPHEGOR
Truth to be told, Belphegor is one of the less known Infernal Lords, and probably also one of the less powerful (but this doesn't mean much at this level). Unlike other Lords he has no infernal race under his command, nor any of mortals either; yet actually there are more Belphegor worshipers than what might be supposed. And the relatively large number of followers comes from the fact that this Lord sponsors inventions, discoveries and wit. Of course these are typical of dwarves and humans, but nobody really thinks that there may be a relationship between these two races and Belphegor (except some elves and orcs perhaps). Yet, its sphere of influence assures enough allies among humans (almost in the manner of a Lord of Temptation), who are always anxious to advance their technology; and for this unpleasant coprophagous rites are run, either on statues with an open mouth and an obscenely phallic tongue that comes alive during the ceremonies, or on other statues of female appearance, in a vaginal variant of the same theme (in these rites there may also be involved demons sent by Belphegor, and occasionally even him, though rarely). In Hell he dwells among the sulfur deserts of the Fourth Circle, which explains the nickname of "Belphegor of the Sulfur Wells".

DAGON
Dagon is one of the Infernal Lords that has thrived the most since his conversion to the dark cause, and although himself is not amongst the most powerful ones, he has huge armies under his command, of both infernals and mortals, so nobody in his right mind would directly oppose him. He's an infernal fish, a monstrous creature of enormous size and bloated appearance; his origin has been tried to track back to the members of some of the evil aquatic species from Ajsalium (koprus, kuo-toas and sahuagin), but he might as well have come from another plane of existence with intelligent aquatic life. At his arrival to the oceans of Ajsalium he killed, with the now lost "sword of Dagon", the decadent Wuquosa, ancient god creator of the above mentioned races (a three-headed deity, who discussed among themselves so much that he finally went mad), and usurped his place in the worship of his subjects, who appreciated having a new sane Lord, even if infinitely evil. Since then Dagon has moved to the Second Circle of Hell, the only one that in some places has access to the oceans (remember that in the First Circle live no Lords, because it doesn't entirely belong to Hell). From there he pursues his patronage over evil aquatic beings, using the aquatic imps as his servants and slaves, and other powerful oceanic fiends as ambassadors and carriers of his will.

EBLIS
This Infernal Lord is well-known throughout the continent of Rynath, but much less elsewhere in the world, except by those who have more dealings with the sunburned rynathians. The reason for this is that Eblis is the master of the flying imps (called "shedim" in the near forgotten tongue of ancient Rynath), strange infernal bird-like humanoids, except for the absence of wings. The sighting of these creatures is common in this continent, and many legends include them as the greatest danger that can be encountered in the already quite dangerous deserts; and Eblis, as his master, is considered the incarnation of evil and the enemy (but really he's only one of the many that exist). His appearance, of course, is that of a bird, with plumage so dark that no gloss on his feathers helps to distinguish the shape, which always seems just a black silhouette outlined against the background. He lives in the Fifth Circle of Hell, a very hot place partly due to its connection to the heart of the planet Ajsalium, and mainly a vacuum so that it gives him plenty of room to fly, because this Lord does not like to set foot on land never, not even to copulate with his many consorts, an act that is performed in flight; if the results of these matings are the shedim, another unknown race, or whether they produce no offspring, is something that no one knows or will ever know.

HABONDIA
This is one of the three Infernal Ladies, and the only one that's really beautiful, although her dark way. She's certainly a fascinating infernal, helping to make her even more dangerous, because she has no moral or scruples, of course. Thanks to her charms and manipulative mood she has achieved a high position in the parody of infernal hierarchy, something that no one disputes. Habondia is also the mistress of couril, small infernals that look like a macabre underworld version fairies, who usually live among mortals, pestering until they are driven beyond the borders of despair. Another use this clever Lady gives couril is that of spying, something for which they are well gifted; and the vast amount of information she collects serves for her political intrigues. Habondia loves these little malicious creatures and lovingly caress them; although she's able to smash with one hand a paladin or celestial while with the other she tickles her subjects. These usually call her the "Queen of Fairies", a title known by mortals that and makes them wary of all the fairies, although the sylvan creatures (elves included) know that most of these are beings of great kindness, and that couril are nothing but an aberration. In Hell Habondia dwells in the Third Circle, where, for some reason, is where the three Infernal Ladies are concentrated (perhaps because of its morphology similar to a negative version of the Ajsalium fields).

LEONARDO
This Infernal Lord looks like a normal human, although endowed with a grave and melancholic appearance, with a long and well kept gray beard, and eyes of intelligent expression that seem to pierce the heart of those who are looked; his taciturn face also seems absent, as if Leonardo always were immersed in his own thoughts, much deeper and important than anything that can happen around him. Despite his human form, scholars generally agree that he is no man from Ajsalium, but must come from some alien reality, perhaps an alternative material plane. Anyway, Leonardo enjoys a high place in the hierarchy, something which is mainly due to two reasons. The first, that being the most serious and intelligent of the Infernal Lords he's the most trusted by the Lords of Temptation, who often use him as a messenger and spokesman to the rest of Lords. Furthermore, regarding the mortals, Leonardo is one of the most often associated with these, as he has the role of chairing the black masses and cults of greater importance throughout the world; hence he's a key part in the interaction between humans and infernals at the highest level. In Inferno, his abode settles in an almost unreachable rocky perch from the Fourth Circle, submerged in a cloud of sulfur.

MANIA
Another of the Infernal Ladies, of Mania there's no doubt about her origin and previous life: she's a nymph who was tempted to exploit her vanity, self-indulgence and narcissism, until once corrupted she was damned and turned into a horrible monster. Previously fatally beautiful (because she went to the point of enjoy killing mortals appearing naked in front of them), she now has a cadaverous thin body, with a skin so thin and transparent that she almost seems to be flayed. To hide her terrible appearance she has grown her hair to cover herself with it, and is therefore sometimes called "Mother of the Manes"; but as a part of her curse her hair has gotten a life of its own, and it withdraws to reveal her true aspect whenever she meets someone. As you might imagine, seeing her naked remains fatal, but now because of her infinite ugliness. She can be found in the depths of a twisted and black forest of the Third Circle of Hell, where she's surrounded by a legion of undead, the only ones who cannot be affected by her ugliness (can't even perceive it), and over time this has made her a "Queen of the Dead", a title she sometimes uses. To satisfy her sexual needs she continually calls to her presence incubus and succubus, but needless to say that only the most heinous of these are willing to copulate with her, which fills her with disgust and more resentment and hatred.

NOCTICULA
The third Infernal Lady, which as noted above lives in the Third Circle of Hell, is not as horrible as Mania, but she's certainly closer to this than to Habondia. Nocticula is the infernal matron of witches, so it is suspected that in her time she must have been a powerful sorceress, though her race or natal plane is unknown, as she didn't even need to be a mortal from Ajsalium. Her appearance is similar to that of witches, that of a crooked and hunched crone, with long but thin and dirty hair, and skin as rough as wrinkled, full of pimples and warts. Although her vision doesn't cause real harm it's sufficiently disgusting so most of the world (and this includes the infernals) ignore her; something that she actually prefers, because she's very lonely and prefers to live surrounded by the nauseating ingredients used to make new potions, the recipe of which she will then offer to mortal witches. With these she usually communicates through dreams, which explains why witches often get up in the middle of the night and start to work at these ungodly hours. But the fumes that are generated by manufacturing their potions are poisonous, and eventually end up transmuting any witch in a being so deformed as Nocticula; of course, to counter that they also make potions that allow them to change shape, adopting that of beautiful maids.

SAMAEL
This is the Infernal Lord most beautiful and attractive, although his appearance is far from resembling that of humans or any other humanoid race (and therefore his origin is completely unknown). Samael is a giant red serpent, with twelve wings of beautiful white feathers with multicolored iridescence, and that in his flight leaves a dark trail behind. Despite his bizarre appearance seeing him is certainly a beautiful show, something that of course he knows well, since he's a great sexual tempter. Moreover, his non-affiliation to any known race favors that all can relate to him alike. Samael is an incubus, and a very good and famous one as well, eclipsed only by Bitru, the Lady of Temptation who gave him the infernal immortality. He's, of course, frequent partner and ally of wayward Belial; although he doesn't live in his Circle but in the Fifth, more fit and pleasing for flying infernals like him, and where winds continuously carry moans of pleasure from one end to the other. Naturally, all those infernals of connotations and overtly sexual behavior are his soldiers, dedicated to extending sin amongst mortals, being their favorite victims innocent and ignorant girls, who accept their suggestions in ignorance of what is sin.

UPHIR
Uphir is the twelfth and last of the twelve former champions of good thatwere tempted until they succumbed and became the Infernal Lords who govern and control much of Inferno and which have been the penetration wedge of this in Ajsalium. Uphir is a great expert in chemistry, and so it's the alchemists who know him best and the most likely to become his servitors; cabalistic symbols and rituals soon turn into darkness and the invocation of evil, however much his original intentions might be pure. Uphir was pure at one time too, and he was perhaps the Lord that better remembered his previous life, what caused him deep and unbearable pain; and to avoid it he put all his alchemical arts in making a potion that would allow him to forget the past; the result was the resin distilled from nepenthe, which has become popular among mortals. Today Uphir doesn't remember his previous life, or even which of the Lords of the Temptation is his infernal "father"; he only recalls the struggle for dominance of Ajsalium. He divides his time between the Second Circle of Hell, where his real home and laboratory is, and the Fourth, where apart from sulfur many other chemical and magical elements can also be found, that are useful for his experiments; and he's one of the few that go to visit Nocticula in the Third Circle, too.

ARCHDEVILS

The devils are the fiendish creatures living in Avernus (a word meaning abyss). This plane was once that in which angels lived (see the description of the hellish planes in this regard); it was a plane with a slightly lawful alignment, and mostly empty, because all angels were flyers and required nothing but floating islands on which to build their civilization. But when Thanatos was full of demons, they were driven to conquer another plane; and sadly for angels, theirs was the chosen plane. After a long campaign under the military leadership of Satan, the plane was conquered and became the home of demons, being imposed the new fiendish name of Avernus. Given the lawful nature of the plane, it was the demons with such trends who moved to live there, led by Lucipher. Over time, these demons started calling themselves "devils", the name by which they are known today; and some new purely diabolical races have appeared with no past and no relation with the demons from Thanatos. Of course, the evil tendency of all fiends caused wars and conflicts to arise between demons and devils, even in a shaky truce pacted between their leaders.

ABYSSUS
As most Archdevils, Abyssus has become the living embodiment of a negative emotion. In his case, it is despair; and this Archdevil has the bad luck of falling prey to his sphere of power himself. Therefore, although he looks fairly humanoid, framed by two gnawed black wings, the grimaces of pain and despair that he doesn't stop doing for ever and ever have deformed his face to an extent that would be cartoonish if not for the feeling that emanates from him. That despair from which he's a source makes him avoided by most Archdevils, who just by approaching him begin to suffer and mourn his hellish condition. And if this is true with the powerful Archdevils it's easy to comprehend how much he can affect the souls that fall under his rule: it's the most feared fate, and any deal can be made to get rid of an eternity under his influence.

ADRAMELECH
He's perhaps the most elegant Archdevil of all the inhabitants of Avernus, or of any of the hellish planes, and this is because Adramelech is the Master of Vanity. His obsession with physical appearance is such that his wardrobes occupy most of his vast palace, which means that he stores more clothes than what could be found in many whole human cities. He also likes to alter his own physique to match the clothes he wears, although he feels a predilection for dark shades of blue and metallic greens; as these colors are present in the feathers of the peacock he's often decorated with them, and in fact it has become his emblem. As an Archdevil he holds little power, but gets along well with most others, to whom he serves as an aesthetic consultant; and in his dealings with humans his extreme handsomeness and diplomatic and protocol delicacy gives him a great advantage.

ALASTOR
This Archdevil stands out among the others due to his severity and always relentless spirit, what has earned him the nickname "The Executioner". But it's not as if he presided over summary executions and cruel justice (that is left to others), but over the justice that the very spirit applies to itself: remorse. Alastor is capable of causing deep remorse attacks worldwide, not only to those guilty of major crimes and sins, but also to anyone who feels that has committed some fault, however small that is. The appearance of this Archdevil does justice to his personality, and his eyes that watch from under a perpetually furrowed brow can distill a sentence able to rip through the souls of all who face him. He's the only bearded devil, and that is because the dwarves are his main victims, as their deep sense of honor makes them likely to have regrets.

ASMODEUS
One of the best known Archdevils in the material plane, and one that has the largest predicament; also in Avernus he's very high in the hierarchy, due to his power, his age, and the deeds which he staged. Asmodeus is the great corrupter, dedicated to extending the depravity and licentiousness among all civilizations in the cosmos. Of course, it's the lawfully aligned civilizations those in which his destructive power is more noted, because as the corruption spreads among the levels of their hierarchies they eventually become unstable and collapse like a castle made of cards. Perhaps only the devilish order is immune to the corruption caused by him, as this is grounded in their system naturally. However, his activities causes that Asmodeus does not keep good relations with Nergal and his associates; while on the other hand Adramelech is one of his closest friends and allies, and has a (limited) favour from Lucipher.

BAALBERIT
This Archdevil has little power, but has managed to make his way step by step in Avernus and between Ajsalium's mortals too. Baalberit could be classified as the "Prince of Wayward Lawyers", because his specialty is the legal and judicial rhetoric; and in a lawful society like that of devils, you can make a very profitable use of this ability (which is what this Archdevil is devoted to). Of course, his complete lack of scruples makes that he can constantly switch sides, so he has no real ally, but also no notable enemy. On the other hand, humans call him the "Archivist", because given his prodigious memory he can remember thousands of data on any topic; and some have gone to him to acquire knowledge of the history of the cosmos. Of course the reliability of the version explained by a devil is something that leaves much to be desired, since for Baalberit knowledge does not imply veracity.

BAALCEFON
This Archdevil is subject to Nergal, for whom he's his right hand and, in many ways, his most faithful executor. In diabolical society, Baalcefon occupies the lackluster but eventually influential rank of chief of sentries and guards. No civilization devotes more resources to these endeavors that a lawful evil one, so the network of agents depending from Baalcefon is extremely broad, and his contacts are so abundant that there is virtually no plot or plan of which he won't learn. This is the kind of services he's ready to offer to mortals (for a price, preferably in blood), along with another equally valuable: he's capable of ensuring the loyalty of slaves, and their complete submission to their masters. Finally, it is noteworthy that, like Baalberit, he's a relative to the Demon Prince Baal (hence their names), but no one but themselves know what this relationship exactly is and how it can affect loyalties.

BUCON
Bucon is one of the most sadly busy Archdevils in the material world since the beginning of time, and its supreme malice surely will guarantee that he never abandons his tasks. He is nothing less than the popularly known as "Demon of Jealousy", but actually he's a devil. For some reason, probably due to the intervention of a deity, this devil was doomed to never be loved, while he himself is driven by passion. This contradiction tortures him continuously, and is the reason that has forged his resentful character against all those who can enjoy mutual love. Thus he's dedicated to sow discord between lovers, imposing in their hearts the shadow of a doubt that grows in depth and darkness until it corrupts love and turns it into hate and madness. In addition, Bucon takes that moment to offer his services to eliminate any possible rival in exchange for the soul of the jealous lover, thus sealing his doom.

GAAB
For an Archdevil, the extremely passionate character of Gaab leads him to behave in a way that rather suggests a demon. But make no mistake: behind this facade of apparent fanaticism hides a mind as cold and ruthless as few. His empire on extreme passions makes him deeply hate any tepidity, and he's sometimes known as the "Scourge of Neutrality", because for him that is a real aberration, and has proposed to eradicate it from the cosmos. And if he hates all neutrality you can imagine his fury at true neutrals; his eternal campaign against monks is the greatest suffering that they must endure. Gaab enters their dreams and thoughts, awakening all seeds of radicalism to make them abandon their neutral and equidistant stance. Gaab's passion for his cause leads him to attack not only mortals but also any other creature, even gods, as he's not even afraid of these (being Ivellios the fetish of his hatred).

GOLEENBAN
Goleenban is one of the two she-Archdevils of Avernus, and she's quite beautiful and elegant, but her beauty cannot compensate for even a fraction of her terrible evil. She lives in an area of Avernus rather peculiar, since it is an absolutely vast uninhabited desert, and separated from the rest of floating islands in which her fellow Archdevils live; in fact its landscape is quite similar to that which can be found on most of Thanatos. The reason for the voluntary isolation of Goleenban is that this devil from the desert is the Spirit of Solitude. Every time someone gets lost and is left alone, especially if that happens in places of difficult access and exit more than unlikely, Goleenban comes swiftly and wraps the lost one in a tenuous cloak that makes him keenly aware of his loneliness. After a few days, the oppression caused is so strong that he begins to go mad, finally leading to his death as all sense of reality is lost too.

JEZBETH
This is one of the Archdevils with a most pleasant treatment, as his manners are very far away from the seriousness that most Archdevils have. Great striker, he looks like a handsome and charming young, and exudes a big confidence in himself and a certain arrogance. The reason for this behavior is that Jezbeth is the devil of imaginary wonders, fraud and deception. With him around, you can never be sure of what is real and what is not, since he likes to alter all of reality around him, and he does so almost unconsciously. So for centuries and millennia has been invoked by the mortals from the material plane as protector for liars and swindlers, to free them from the clutches of earthly law; making him one of the most popular Archdevils. As an anecdote about Jezbeth, it's noteworthy that his name has a feminine tone, and in fact some believe that this is a she-devil, whose first and longest deception is impersonating a male one.

LEVIATHAN
Second only to Lucipher himself, the name of Leviathan is known and feared throughout the whole cosmos. Their appearance is impressive, and has a strong military air. Not surprisingly, since he's the diabolical Lord High Admiral, and Lord of Avernus' seas (i.e., the vacuum flows in which the islands float), in which he's usually found aboard weird constructs driven by the energy of thousands of enslaved and tortured souls. His credentials do not end with war, though, but apart from his military worth he's a big liar, and therefore also triumphs in politics (the continuation of war by other means). He's also a great epicure, a powerful incubus who likes to "enjoy" famous women, which are passionately attached to him, and manipulated at will. The rituals to invoke his attention are often held in the dead of winter, and is best done in the middle of a snowy and icy wasteland.

LUCIPHER
There was a time when Satan reigned supreme over all the progeny of fiends, and when Lucipher and Belzebuth were his faithful lieutenants. After their rebellion, nowadays Lucipher can only be compared to Belzebuth, and he's therefore the most feared Archdevil. His power is immeasurable and incontestable, the reason why he's the leader of the Archdevils, with the title of "Prince of the Abyss." his name means "Morning Star", a truly romantic name, which is due to his unbelievable handsomeness. His face is flawless, and has an expression of melancholy that makes him yet more appealing; he wears a crown of fire (similar to Belzebuth's one), but that burns with softness and fluidity; and from his back sprout four wings of feathers perfect but as black as the deepest night and death. For some reason that nobody knows, his worship has spread in recent times across Alterria and its civilized feudal countries. His followers carry rites in his honor between spring and summer.

MEPHISTOPHELES
He is, by far, the most widely seen Archdevil in Ajsalium (and other alternative material planes), because in a sense he's like an intermediary between Avernus and mortals. He could not perform this function if he didn't know to appear helpful, kind, clever and polite, but also ruthless when the time comes to retrieve the agreed price and immune to any kind of affection. He's in charge of sealing all major agreements, what makes him enjoy a very high position, having the obligation to report only to Lucipher. But this does not make him happier, because he repented long ago of doing evil deeds, but because of his diabolical nature he's bound to act evil against his will; besides that he can't overcome his pride and inability to love. Getting far away from Avernus on a regular basis could make him vulnerable to attacks, but even the most powerful celestials dare not do it, because although he has never shown much power it's suspected that he has it at the level of the greatest Archdevils.

NERGAL
Nergal is a tenebrous Archdevil, chief of the secret police from Avernus; he is the embodiment of vindictive justice. In the diabolical hierarchy he depends directly from Lucipher, and has the control over the very wide police system of Avernus, needed to keep the fierce order and control that these lawful beings love so much; being Baalcefon his subordinate. Despite his relation with Lucipher, Nergal is not considered one of the most important Archdevils as his functions are considered minor as they are limited to the plane of Avernus and not to extend the evil cause across the cosmos. He believes he is owed more respect and admiration, because if not for his zeal society would have fallen into demonic chaos; this resentment makes him especially relentless in his work and strive for perfection at any cost. In the material plane sometimes the souls of the worst murderers sentenced to death are assigned to Nergal, but only in isolated cases of utter depravity.

RHABDOS
The other she-Archdevil, alongside Goleenban, is even more sinister than the latter. Her nickname is the "Strangler", given the pleasure she finds killing her enemies in this way; for that she has entwined in her complex dress multiple pieces of string or strips of many different fabrics, from silk to leather, gone through rough hemp. Rhabdos is the matron of murderers, torture and sex, preferably when all this is happening in unison; many psychopaths and rapists have ensured that a female inner voice drove them to commit their crimes; if true, it would be Rhabdos, although the clerics set up to judge these criminals are very aware that Rhabdos doesn't enter a heart that has not already opened to her voluntarily. Moreover, this she-Archdevil is the symbol of betrayal, leading to suspicion even amongst her fellows, except Baalberit, her lover and the closest thing to an ally with which she can count, this female always thirsty for blood and pleasure.

DEMON PRINCES

Of the three Hellish Planes, the first one to exist was Thanatos (word meaning destruction), and this is the plane where demons live in. These are, in addition to evil, of a generally chaotic alignment, something that can be seen as they generally have a monstrous appearance. Usually, they are the strongest physically, and the most bloodthirsty and impulsive. Therefore, we cannot say that the Demon Princes are genuine rulers, because Thanatos is too chaotic for the existence of something like a minimally stable and controlled society. They are simply the most powerful and strongest amongst them, and the rest of demons obey them for sheer terror at the prospect of unbridled anger. And among them there is no other hierarchy than that of the more powerful over the weaker (although talking of weakness in any case is an euphemism). From a mythological or theological view, the Demon Princes are also embodiments of monstrosities of all kinds, and idols of savage and primitive mortals. The following list is not exhaustive, so inventive gamemasters are free to create new Demon Princes at their convenience; but hopefully you will find here everything needed to develop an adventure or campaign.

AHRIMANES
Ahrimanes is a Demon Prince particularly ugly and hideous: it has three feints of faces in his head, "feints" because they have only two atrophied vestigial eyes and holes filled with crooked teeth in the manner of mouth, from which perennially arises an incredibly breath foul; the head is surmounted by three curved horns. His repulsive appearance is enhanced by being always surrounded by an almost solid darkness, moving with him. According to some legends, this horrible demon was the first fiendish creature to put its feet on the material plane; habit that still keeps today, and it's from him that emanate many of the terrestrial monstrosities. Anyway, despite what might be thought, he's not a too powerful demon; although his importance lies, not only on his horrific appearance, but on the fact that he's one of the oldest inhabitants of Thanatos, one of the first born; and that's enough to earn him the admiration of other younger demons.

ANEBERG
This Demon Prince looks like a giant horse, equipped with exceptionally strong muscles and a fur as black as the darkest pits of hell, fur that is marked with many scars that give off a bloody and sticky ichor. His eyes shine like two red-hot irons, and it's hard not to die of terror in front of his eyes full of anger; and if that fails, his breath is fatal. He lives buried in the depths of Thanatos, and it's almost impossible to find on the surface; it is assumed that he also likes to move around the earth elemental plane. In Ajsalium he's especially feared by dwarven miners, and there are numerous accounts from survivors of catastrophic collapses in mines which claim that they were caused by Aneberg, and that the unhealthy gases in mines are but his breath.

ASTARTEA
This female demon is, in many respects, an exception to the rule that dominates the looks and habitual tendencies of the rest of her species. In fact, Astartea meets the schemes of the devils, and certainly would have moved to Avernus if not for staying with her husband Astaroth (see below). The case is that Astartea is very beautiful and elegant; she's got a pale complexion and rugged but beautiful features, she dresses with nice silks of the most elaborate softness, and adorned with threads of gold, silver, platinum, and other even more exotic metals. Her head is scalloped by the horns of a silver crescent moon, and in fact she's often taken as the "Lady of the Moon"; so she could be a renegade member of the race of angels who live there, or perhaps a descendant of the Rat who lived there for some time. His admirers often undertake, with each moon's last quarter, venereal rites full of sensuality.

ASTAROTH
Astartea's husband, Astaroth seems almost her opposite; it's hard to imagine a couple with most different and opposed appearances, and impossible to guess the motives of their union. For everything that Astartea has of beauty, Astaroth has of repulsiveness: perhaps only Ahriman is as ugly and nauseating. Astaroth is a grotesquely fat demon with nasty habits, dropping saliva off the corner of his lips and mucus from the nostrils. Also, the stench is for him a business card which precedes him whereever he goes. And despite all that he enjoys some popularity among mortals, because in Thanatos he's the Prince in charge of custody of the hoards and treasures, which they like to accumulate despite their futility at the hellish planes. Another of his attributes is being patron of insects, especially of the most annoying ones, and it is said that he leverages the height of summer to launch his army of hornets, mosquitoes and the like all over the world, to inflict small torments to mortals.

AZAZEL
One of the most famous Demon Princes, it's also common referring to him in books as "the messenger", because his role in the demonic host is being the prime standard bearer of the demonic armies. That makes him the right arm of Baal, and one of the greatest allies of Beelzebuth. Azazel's appearance has become a typical image to represent the fiendish creatures: it is a male goat that walks upright like a humanoid. His physical strength is very considerable, and his determination on the battlefield absolutely unwavering; the banner that he bears, in addition to its terrifying magical powers, is topped with a sharp blade with which he cuts the throat of anyone who puts in front. The rituals in his name include the sacrifice of goats to purge the sins that he would punish, whence comes the term "scapegoat."

BAAL
Baal is probably the second most powerful Demon Prince, only behind Beelzebuth himself. He is the commander in chief of the demonic army, which he rules with absolute and uncontested authority, in addition to great intelligence and wisdom. His physical strength is immeasurable, and is his extensive martial skills, which he's always willing to put to practice, against both voluntary and forced opponents. Curiously, despite all these traits normally regarded as masculine, Baal is hermaphroditic, although his general appearance looks more masculine than feminine. His self-begotten offspring are some terrible winds that, from time to time, travel and plague Thanatos itself, and that reach the material plane, where during the autumn make leaves fall from the trees and extend the kind of death of nature which later remains during the winter.

BAPHOMET
Another major Demon Prince, especially for the minotaurs, for whom he's their patron, and presumably their creator. That should not suggest that his appearance is that of a minotaur, but he's a two-headed demon with the face of a beautiful woman on one side and a bearded man on the other, and yes, large bull horns. He supposedly created the minotaurs when he cursed a vain hero of ancient times who wanted to be as strong as a bull; the irrepressible sexual appetite of the created monstrosity caused it to become a race. Baphomet lives in a colossal labyrinth, the most difficult of all that may exist, because, in addition to its immense size and complexity, it constantly changes its layout. Only Eurynome (a Lord of Temptation from Inferno) got in and out of it, which humbled Baphomet so much and filled him with such rage that he tore Eurynome's eyes as punishment (such events are common among all the fiends).

BEHEMOTH
This is one of the less powerful Demon Princes, but that does not prevent him from also being one of the most dangerous ones, even to their own kind. Behemoth is extremely clumsy and stupid, and many demons mock him right in his face; and although he's easily irritated, his clumsiness and slowness of movement does only take dodging to avoid him. His danger comes from being the Prince of Gluttony; his shape is that of a gargantuan ox (so big that it is incredible to believe even seeing with your own eyes). And this huge ox cannot stop eating for a moment, and can literally eat anything. So much so that they keep him chained and locked up almost all the time, because otherwise he would be able to eventually eat the whole plane of Thanatos. In fact, there is a terrible hole that stretches for hundreds of miles and is the result of Behemoth's constant devouring; and wise men don't forget the threat that hangs over mortals if he were released in the material plane.

BELZEBUTH
Belzebuth is the undisputed leader of the Demon Princes. He's the most powerful of them all, and his power is only comparable, now, with that of Lucipher, with whom he devised the plan to get rid of Satan when his ascension to godhood broke the "feudal" balance between master demons and devils. He looks downright impressive, and has nothing to envy anyone: his size is prodigious, his forehead is encircled by a crown of fire, which glows as much as his menacing eyes. Other characteristic features are his huge bat wings and the horns, and the ability to breathe flames like a dragon; his general appearance is also a fiendish archetype. His name means "Lord of the Flies", as he is always accompanied by these nasty bugs (which makes him easily recognizable to any careful observer), and in fact he may take the form of a giant fly at will.

HALFAS
This Demon Prince is one of the most hateful and frightening. Among other titles, he's the proud holder of "Destroyer of Cities", which gives a clear idea of his concept on the fate of the life and works of mortals. This Prince of Annihilation only finds joy in spreading ruin everywhere, and his hatred of all that remains standing is inextinguishable. Fortunately, his power is not comparable to that of the major leaders; granted that that is little consolation to those who suffer his wrath, since the devastation caused by him always takes years to rebuild and regenerate. This extends to Thanatos too, where every building eventually undergoes his harassment, sooner or later; and in this sense Halfas is a good example of an extreme case of chaotic evil alignment, unable to make any distinction. Although preferably he likes roaming planes and places inhabited by beings of law, to destroy their buildings, which are usually neat and impressive.

LILITH
As Astartea, Lilith is a happy exception to the common monstrous aspect of demons. This ancient Demon Princess is the Queen of the Succubi, the mother of them all, and the most notable for its irresistible charms. This "man-eater" (in the most sexual sense of the expression), within her evil still keeps tremendously attractive manners and attitude, so few are able to resist her advances. She feels a special fondness for human males, and it's said that when the first men appeared Lilith embodied in Ajsalium, copulating with them and generating the first half-demons, whose blood was then diluted in the entire human race (a theory supported mainly by elves and dwarves, but much less by human scholars). Anyway, Lilith's sexual appetite seems to be incapable of being ever satisfied, or at least there has been no consort of any race or species capable of leaving her completely satisfied; she is still searching.

MALTHUS
Malthus is one of the Demon Princes most feared by all mortals, because its main attribute is being the Prince of Diseases. This also directly confronts him with the goddess Fiolsvinn (who is, among other things, a goddess of protection of life and health); a type of confrontation that most fiends don't follow because defeat is likely. What doesn't mean that almost every of them won't support the unwholesome activities of this demon; except those with a greater martial spirit, for whom it is a shame that an opponent die all by himself instead of killing him with their own hands. But Malthus, like a big kid, enjoys creating new diseases and indiscriminately disseminating them everywhere, including the material plane, where he uses rats and other strange followers to desolate the lands.

MICTLAN
Mictlan is a Prince of Gluttony, like Behemoth, yet the differences are striking: while Behemoth is a clumsy and dumb ox whose eating habits are due to an insatiable hunger, Mictlan is governed by the true vice of gluttony, eating just for the sheer pleasure of eating, to the point of madness. This also extends to greed, to the excessive desire to accumulate and accumulate. The appearance of the demon does justice to his repulsive personality and sour character: his skin is dark and has a greasy luster, and from all body parts many tentacles sprout, with which he holds any edible object (if still alive, the better; and if they scream, much better). In his face stand his little and completely black eyes, small windows to his rotten soul, and, of course, a huge mouth in constant motion, always brooding with great pleasure and unpleasant pasty noises.

MOLOCH
Moloch is well known to mortals, as he's one of the Demon Princes that hold more predicament among them in ancient times, and whose rites were more gruesome. His name means (or so the sages understand) "Prince of the Land of Tears", which has been linked to the extreme pain caused by the sacrifices that this demon has always required: babies and innocent children, who were to be teared apart, alive, and whose blood was for the cultists to bath in. In exchange for these bloody sacrifices Moloch offered fertility, both to humans and for agriculture and livestock. The idols carved in his image and likeness, always cast in bronze to reflect the blood of this demon, that is molten bronze, always carry a royal crown, and the head of some kind of beef (bull, ox, cow, or even buffalo), perhaps because of his popularity among the first farmers and ranchers.

XAFAN
Among the Demon Princes, Xafan is the youngest of them all, and the only one who actually has a sense of humor, albeit in the manner of a demon. He is totally immune to fire, and besides there is nothing he likes better in all existence. He spend as much time, or more, diving through they plasma of the elemental plane of fire as in Thanatos itself, where he always ignites huge bonfires in which to rest. The immunity does not prevent his body to get blistered and sore, nor his skin to be a bright red. His passion for the unbridled fire once led him to try to burn an entire heavenly plane; and although he didn't achieve his purpose, the temerity of such an act won him the sympathy of many fiends, and the other Demon Princes allowed him to maintain fires all across Thanatos. He's also able to teleport between any flames too, and that has been tapped to make him a kind of messenger.