BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
PHLEGETHOS
Most of this translates over fairly well into 3.5, except for the mix-up with the pit fiends, and the split of allegiances (the same lords are still around though).
Didn’t I read somewhere that Naome had been killed? Did Belial take on a new consort (besides Fierna, heh)?
Now that’s confusing – Zapan and Zaebos left to join the Dark Eight didn’t they? (so far that book had been good about keeping the Dark Eight out of the Lords’ courts!) you said above that Gazra now does Zaebos’s old job, in addition to the other things he’s known for. We agreed that Merikel from Weapons of Legacy would take over Zapan’s cornugons.
Dragon #75 said:Belial rules from the huge, hollowed-out shell of a dead volcano. His stronghold is known as Abriymoch, “The Mount of Leaping Flames.” The archdevil is attended by his consort Naome, his legate Chamo, and a few malebranche (notable among them the great scarred specimen known as “Night Fang”) under the command of the pit fiend Zapan.
Abriymoch consists of several tiers of chambers, opening into the central shaft like balconies, and connected to each other by stairs, shafts, and a great spiral path that winds about the central gulf or shaft of the dead volcano. Some chambers stretch through the sloping walls of the volcano and have windows or doors opening out onto the volcano’s outside flanks. The lips of the volcanic crater are crowned by Abriymoch’s basalt towers. A few erinyes under the command of the pit fiend Zaebos, Belial’s lieutenant, serve as messengers within Abriymoch and between it and vassal dukes or outlying patrols. These erinyes are often bullied and are quite miserable, and as usual have their eyes always on bettering their own positions in the hells. Chamo suspects that the erinyes have served as the spies of Asmodeus, Baalzebul, and perhaps other archdevils in the past, but he has not yet been able to prove anything.
Abriymoch is staffed by spined and bearded devils, and has a kennel of hell hounds that can be used by Zapan’s forces to help defend and guard the palace.
The vast, smoking plains surrounding the volcanic heart of Phlegethos are the domain of Belial’s vassals: Balan, who commands 40 companies of bearded devils; Bathym, who can muster 30 companies of barbed devils; and Gaziel, who leads 11 companies of bone devils. These vassals are usually dealt with and commanded by Zaebos, speaking for his master Belial, who, assisted by Chamo, is usually occupied with matters of diplomacy and intrigue within the Nine Hells.
Most of this translates over fairly well into 3.5, except for the mix-up with the pit fiends, and the split of allegiances (the same lords are still around though).
Dragon #75 said:Naome is consort to Belial, the ruler of Phlegethos. She spends much of her time in Abriymoch, but is highly regarded in the hells for her settling of disputes when others have failed, and her shrewd bargaining ability. In battle she uses her spells and a long scimitar; although she rarely engages in combat, it is said she enjoys a good fight…
Her gaze can, if she so wills, cause fear (save vs. spell to avoid)…
Description: Naome is a short, burly, middle-aged female devil, with long brown hair and cold, pale blue-green eyes. She has a tinkling laugh and a surprisingly light, easy sense of humor. Quick-witted and glib-tongued, she rarely makes enemies (although she bears no love for Glasya, the consort of Mammon, or Lilith, the consort of Moloch), and is most friendly with Baftis, the consort of Baalzebul. When clad in flowing robes (she prefers green or claret-colored silken garments), only her tiny horns, gray hooves, and crimson forked tail betray her diabolic nature. Her face, shoulders, and hands have a pale, human-like complexion, but the rest of her body is deep crimson in color. Her hands have long red nails.
Chamo serves Belial as legate, and plans one day to supplant his master. He fears Naome more than Belial, for Chamo and she too often think alike to suit him. Polite but abrupt, Chamo always appears calm and fearless. He is said to know every hiding place in Phlegethos, and possesses an iron-shod staff capped with the linked (by rings of beaten brass) skulls of sixteen paladins defeated by him over the years. This staff is +1, parts or negates all web spells, wizard lock spells, hold spells, and other locks or bindings at a touch, and it can detect good; the skulls upon its top glow with a pearly white radiance when a creature of good alignment is within 9”…
Twice per day Chamo can reverse gravity (for as long as desired, or until his concentration is broken by events or attack), and once per day he can petrify (flesh to stone of permanent duration) one creature, by touch. He causes fear by his stare (save vs. spell to avoid), and can employ a symbol of stunning once per day…
Description: Chamo appears as a white-haired, middle-aged man with big brown eyes. He has upward-pointing horns, black hooves, a forked tail, and black bat-like wings. His skin is scarlet, darkening to blue on his long-nailed hands. He usually wears loose robes of black with a high stand-up collar.
Balan is a duke in the service of Belial, and leads 40 companies of bearded devils into combat. Like his soldiers, he is cruel and aggressive, given to wild, lustful rages and violent sport. Little liked even among his fellows on Phlegethos, Balan is at the most respected, and at the least tolerated. He will never back down from a fight, although he is shrewd enough not to be drawn into conflict with superior foes, given any choice in the matter. In battle he fights with his spined limbs and a weapon, favoring large axes, blades, or halberds (but he has no special or magical arms). Balan is belligerent, roaring, and loves a rough-and-tumble fight with opponents he considers weaker than himself.
Along his forearms from his elbows to the backs of his hands run rows of spines six to eight inches in length. These spines pierce and rake for 2-4 points of damage per arm per attack, and a struck opponent must save vs. poison or immediately develop a burning rash which reduces dexterity by 1 point per round for six rounds after the attack. Subsequent poison attacks on the same target will not hasten the loss of dexterity points, and a 6-point loss is the most that can be suffered. Recovery of lost dexterity points begins, at the rate of 2 points per round,
on the round after the victim reaches the maximum penalty of -6. Any poison strikes suffered by a victim during the recovery period will drive the victim back toward the maximum dexterity loss of 6 points, counteracting points gained back up to that time and delaying further recovery…
Balan causes fear with his roar (save vs. spell at -1 to avoid) in all creatures within 2”…
Description: Balan appears as a giant, yellow-skinned man with fierce black brows and a beard which grows in tufts (somewhat resembling the lower barbels of a catfish). He has gray hooves and a body which darkens to scarlet about his legs and his forked tail. He typically wears a leather weapon belt and girdle, but shuns armor. He has red, flaming eyes visible at some distance, and a hoarse voice. He is quite a wit (despite a coarse sense of humor), although few converse long enough on friendly terms with him to discover this. He wears a badge upon his belt depicting his own head next to a bull’s head (signifying his brutal, aggressive nature) and a ram’s head (denoting the lusty side of his nature). Balan is polite and respectful to Naome, his master‘s consort, but other she-devils will rarely tolerate his presence.
Bathym is a duke in the service of Belial, and leads 30 companies of barbed devils. He is sometimes called “The Black Duke,” after his custom of wearing jet black armor (with full helm) and a black cloak. In battle Bathym wields a black +3 mace which dispels light, continual light, and faerie fire radiances upon contact with the affected area, and causes dancing lights to fade away. Bathym is also armed with a long-bladed, envenomed knife (treat as a dagger of venom), and his spell-like abilities. He rides a nightmare into battle. If summoned or bargained with, he will reveal (for a high price) knowledge of the magical lore of gemstones, herbal lore, and low-level magic-user spells (material components, casting, and general principles)…
He causes fear by pointing at a target (one creature only per round, effective only within 5” range; save vs. spell to avoid)…
Description: Bathym dresses in black, and has black-hued eyes, black hooves, and black nails. His skin, horns and tail are a dead, fishbelly-white color. Bathym’s forked tail is short and curled like a pig’s; he is most sensitive about it and keeps it concealed. When angry, Bathym hisses like a snake when he speaks.
Gaziel is a duke in the service of Belial, and leads 11 companies of bone devils into battle when called upon by his master. He does nothing he does not have to do, and appears to spend much of his time brooding. In battle, Gaziel is cold and mechanical - a perfect general, never missing or forgetting any aspect of a skirmish or possible tactic. On rare occasions he appears to take some personal interest in such a fight, whereupon he becomes most savage. He fights by spitting acid up to 2” with his forked tongue (3-12 corrosive damage, will eat through metal, hide or cloth), and with whatever weapons are at hand…
Once per day he can slay living (one creature, by touch), and twice per day he can paralyze a victim within 4” by pointing at the character or creature (save vs. paralyzation to avoid)… Gaziel radiates fear in a 2” radius at will…
Description: Gaziel has a white, skull-like head with hollow eye sockets and small, curling pink horns, so that from a distance he resembles a bone devil. He has a brown to blood-red hued humanoid body, a red forked tail, and black hooves. His tongue is long, slim, purple-red, and forked. His wrists and knees have bulbous, bony joints, and his elbows have hooked spurs (1-6 gash damage).
Faces of Evil: the Fiends said:Two of his (her?) lieutentants - Zaebos and Zapan - went on to become members of the Dark Eight. The fiend Naome (also of intermediate gender) stands by the lord as consort, and the duke Chamo stands with them. Chant is Chamo's looking to take over, but hey - if I can find out this information, it sure as Sigil means the lord can, too.
Didn’t I read somewhere that Naome had been killed? Did Belial take on a new consort (besides Fierna, heh)?
Book of Vile Darkness said:Gazra is Fierna’s constant companion and consort. While she luxuriates in magma-filled pools, he goes about many of the mundane affairs of state that she ignores. Levistus – through his servants – has attempted to convert Gazra to his camp on many occasions. Eventually, the pit fiend might indeed succumb to the temptations offered by Levistus. For now, he is loyal to Fierna. Should she ever turn her affections from him, however, things could change. Gazra is jealous and hateful toward Belial, but he keeps those feelings hidden.
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells said:Fierna is nominally served by several dukes, including the unique devils Balan, Bathym, and Gaziel, plus the pit fiend Gazra. Balan and Gaziel are still loyal to Belial, but Bathym and Zapan have cast their lot with Fierna. The loyalties of Chamo (Legate of Abriymoch) and his deputy Zaebos remain unknown.
Now that’s confusing – Zapan and Zaebos left to join the Dark Eight didn’t they? (so far that book had been good about keeping the Dark Eight out of the Lords’ courts!) you said above that Gazra now does Zaebos’s old job, in addition to the other things he’s known for. We agreed that Merikel from Weapons of Legacy would take over Zapan’s cornugons.