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The second plane of the Nine Hells is
largely flat, with here and there a bare
hill or tor rising smoothly up out of the
plains. Its sky is a thick, smoky-hued
green without clouds, occasionally lit up
by high lightning flickers and faint
thunder. The black and cold waters of
stagnant rivers and streams are stretched
threadlike across the plain, radiating
outward from the moat surrounding the
city of Dis, which is the seat of the archdevil
Dispater.
The city of Dis, built of unrusting iron,
stands on an island in the center of a lake
where the rivers meet. The waters are poisoned
and give off odiferous vapors,
sometimes visible as smoky wisps or
plumes. Over the plains sweep ceaseless,
fierce winds, tumbling many lemures
helplessly through the air to strike
repeatedly against the ground or each
other. There is at least a 10% chance each
round that a land-based traveler trying to
stand or move against the wind will be
swept off his or her feet (20% chance if
mounted or standing high on an exposed
position).
Aerial travelers will find the wind
unpredictable and savage, so that unless
they have spent years learning to
maneuver in constantly changing winds,
they suffer a Flight Class penalty of -1,
and an aerial movement penalty of -3?.
(Those of Flight Class E retain the ability
to fly, but lose a total of 6? move distance
per round. Movement penalties in all
cases should end when a creature is
reduced to a maximum 2? move.)
Erinyes, being native to the plane,
can
navigate with comparative ease in the
gale (suffering no penalties), and some of
these devil-types are always aloft, buffeting
lemures for sport and watching for
intruders. Erinyes earn increased power
on the plane of Dis through the favor of
Dispater, who rewards them for unswerving
loyalty (he often arranges tests or
traps for his servants) and for missions
diligently and well accomplished. When
an erinyes encounters intruders in Dis, it
will usually fly near to observe clearly
their numbers and appearance, and then
head straight for Dis to inform the pit
fiend Baalzephon, Dispater himself, one
of Dispater?s other commanders, or one of
the ?Iron Guard? (Dispater?s bodyguard
of malebranche).
Almost certainly the erinyes will
encounter others of its kind while on this
journey, and these it usually informs in
passing of the intruders and their location,
so that said intruders will likely
suffer attacks from odd bands of erinyes
before any organized force is sent out
from the Iron City. If a group of erinyes
encounters intruders, all but one ? the
messenger to Dis ? will immediately
attack. They may not seek to slay the
intruders outright, for Dispater, like all
archdevils, is always alert for beings or
items that can help maintain or improve
his own position, and no erinyes deliberately
courts his wrath by destroying something
Dispater might have liked to have.
The Iron City itself is a dismal place of
eyrie-riddled towers, zombies, garbagechoked
streets alive with rot grubs (and a
black pudding here and there), and ironbarred
cells full of chains and torture
implements. Abishai, imps, and spined
devils, plus occasional barbed devils, hellcats,
and rakshasa, throng the dark, reeking
streets.
The island on which the city is built
rises sharply in elevation toward the center,
and on this rocky knob is the ?infernally
grand? palace of Dispater, many
towered and terrible. It is fashioned of
stone (unlike the rest of the city) and furnished
with iron, carved bone, and stone.
Its terraced approaches are adorned with
trees fashioned of iron. The palace is off
limits to those without a reason for being
there. Erinyes can be seen frequently flitting
in and out of the palace?s high,
arched windows (presumably to give or
receive information). There are many
caverns beneath the palace, known as
?the pits of Dis,? where prisoners live in
unmanacled savagery, fighting for the
edible garbage that falls into their lightless
realm down shafts from the palace
above.
Far from the central city, the plains of
Dis rise into rolling hills, haunted by
?wild? erinyes who seldom or never go
into the city, and by many hellcats. Pillars
of stone are said to move about in the
rolling hills of Dis, but nothing definite
is known of these.
Hellcats serve various of the lesser devils,
and can be found on all of the planes
of the Nine Hells (except the ninth, for
Asmodeus does not employ them and seldom
tolerates the servants of others in his
domain) from time to time, in accordance
with their masters? wishes. Most of the
devils regard hellcats as sneaking spies
and useful errand-runners, but untrustworthy
due to their mutable loyalty, and
of little consequence. Hellcats charged
with guarding or the performance of
other protective tasks will serve with zealous
diligence, hoping to gain favor with
their masters.
Between the city and the hills lie the
vast estates held in fief by Dispater?s vassals.
The duke Bitru is the strongest of
these vassals; he can muster 70 companies
of erinyes. Merodach (described below),
commanding 21 companies of barbed
devils, and the pit fiend Furcas, with 12
companies of bearded devils, also boast
sizable holdings. Mephits, achaierai, and
rakshasas wander these holdings, and
stench kows and spined devils are the
working backbone of them. Rakshasas
sometimes achieve positions of responsibility
in a duke?s household or retinue,
but are always watched closely, for they
are too self-willed and ambitious to be
trusted servants.
In the city of Dis itself ? and almost
always within Dispater?s palace ? can be
found Lilis, Dispater?s consort; his prime
minister, the pit fiend Baalzephon, who
orders and administers Dispater?s vassals
and armies; and Biffant, the provost, who
runs and commands the staff of the
palace itself. Titivilus, Dispater?s nuncio,
can be found here, as can the pit fiend
Bel, who commands the ?Iron Guard? (3
companies of malebranche), and Arioch,
Dispater?s avenger, who punishes all
those who have wronged or hindered the
will and plans of Dispater.
-
| Lilis (Princess of Hell) | Arioch (Duke of Hell) | Biffant (Duke of Hell) | Merodach (Duke of Hell) | Alocer (Duke of Hell) |
| Dis | - | - | - | Hell |
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -1
MOVE: 14?/26?
HIT DICE: 66 hit points
% IN LAIR: 85%
TREASURE TYPE: Q (×4), S
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type +3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 60%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M (5? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 211
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Lilis, consort of Dispater, is one
of the
older and weaker female devils, but her
careful diplomacy and strategies and her
attention to events in the hells and elsewhere
(her network of spies is said to be
second only to that of Asmodeus) has
kept her own position in the infernal
regions as secure as that of any of the
nobility of the hells. Lilis and Biffant
(q.v.), Dispater?s provost, are as trusting
and as close as two devils ever become ?
but both are (thus far) unswervingly loyal
to Dispater, making his control of Dis the
envy of other archdevils.
Once per round, at will, Lilis can
employ one of the following spell-like
powers: pyrotechnics, produce flume,
animate dead, charm person, dispel
magic, know alignment, detect lie,
tongues, read magic, dimension door,
repulsion, invisibility, (fulfill another?s
limited) wish. Once per day Lilis can
cause insanity by touch. She can cause
fear by pointing at a victim (one victim
per round; saving throw vs. spell applicable).
She can summon 1-3 erinyes (70%
chance of success), and can regenerate 1
point of damage every turn.
Description: Lilis has orange-red skin,
copper-colored hair and green eyes; she
looks like a short, plump, well-preserved
human female of middle age, except for
the hue of her skin, her tiny orange-red
horns, long red nails, forked tail, wings,
and delicate cloven black hooves.
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVE: 14?/20?
HIT DICE: 123 hit points
% IN LAIR: 65%
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 (bite), by weapon type +6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 70%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: L (9? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 226
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Arioch serves Dispater in the office
of
?avenger,? meting out punishment upon
all on Dis who defy or otherwise displease
his master. He also wards off the intrusions
of devils of all ranks from other
planes, and accompanies his master as
bodyguard in all situations of possible
peril (such as visits to the court of Asmodeus
or other planes). In combat, Arioch
employs a huge, 20-foot-long, doubleended
+1 halberd (having a blade at either
end, and wielded by grasping in the middle
of the shaft) of adamantite.
Arioch can use the following spell-like
powers, one at a time, once per round:
produce flume, blink, dispel magic, detect
invisibility, remove (or bestow) curse, and
magic missile (6 missiles per spell). Once
per day Arioch can use a symbol of death.
He radiates fear at will in a 6? radius (saving
throw vs. spell to avoid). Arioch
regenerates 2 hit points per round.
Description: Arioch?s flat, reptilian
head (rather like a stubby crocodile?s) is
ringed with a leonine mane. His skin is
dark wine-red, deepening to purple on
the head and shoulders, and on his great
bat-like wings. Arioch has a forked tail,
great cloven hooves, and heavily muscled
arms.
BIFFANT (Duke of Hell)
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -1
MOVE: 14?
HIT DICE: 84 hit points
% IN LAIR: 90%
TREASURE TYPE: Q (×8), S
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type +3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 70%
INTELLIGENCE: Genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M (6? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 219
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Biffant serves Dispater as provost, running
the affairs of that archdevil?s palace.
Consequently, he is almost always to be
found in the Iron City, usually in the
palace itself, where he is never without a
staff/guard of two ?messenger? erinyes
and six servant spined devils. Typically
he carries an ornate iron rod (equal in
damage potential to a morning star), but
will seize whatever is at hand in a battle.
Biffant prefers to let others fight for him,
however, and will try to summon or otherwise
call for aid if attacked. He is not
particularly brave or forceful, but is crafty
and plans far, far into the future. Biffant
and Lilis (q.v.) are said to be very
friendly; closer in mutual understanding
and cooperation, some say, than Lilis and
Dispater himself.
Once per round Biffant can use any one
of the following spell-like powers: pyrotechnics,
produce flume, wall of fire, read
magic, detect invisibility, detect magic,
detect lie, know alignment, locate object,
animate dead, and (fulfill another?s
limited) wish. Once per day he can
employ a symbol of hopelessness, or one
of pain. Biffant radiates fear in a 3?
radius at will. He is able to summon 1-6
spined devils (70% chance of success) or
1-2 erinyes (30% chance of success) when
necessary. Biffant regenerates 1 hit point
per round.
Description: Biffant appears as a
portly, blood-red skinned humanoid
devil, wingless but with a small, tufted
tail and two inward-pointing, hookcurved
horns that sprout from his head
above either temple. His eyes are of a single
hue, deep blue-green, and he is always
smiling.
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 14?/12?
HIT DICE: 92 hit points
% IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE TYPE: G, P
NO. OF ATTACKS: See below
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: L (12? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 196
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Merodach is a duke in the service of
Dispater, and leads 21 companies
of
barbed devils into battle on his master?s
behalf. Merodach has the body of a wolf,
large, feathered wings, and a prehensile,
serpentine tail. Atop Merodach?s head are
two huge, spreading longhorns, and these
he can turn slightly to strike an opponent.
A clumsy flyer (Flight Class D), he
prefers to run on all fours, but in battle
often rears up to wield a weapon with his
front claws. He has no special or magical
weapons, but favors polearms of all sorts.
In a fight his jaws do 1-10 damage, his
claws 1-4 and 1-4 (or one attack with a
weapon, damage as per weapon type +5),
and his horns 2-12 each. Merodach?s tail
does no damage in combat, but is used to
trip, blind, and disarm opponents, or to
carry weapons for Merodach?s use later.
At will Merodach can use the following
spell-like powers, one at a time and once
per round: pyrotechnics, produce flame,
animate dead, detect invisibility, know
alignment, telekinesis (5000 g.p. weight
limit), read magic, teleport, and (fulfill
another?s limited) wish.
Once per day, Merodach can employ a
symbol of pain. He is able to cause fear
by touch (save vs. spell to avoid). He can
summon 1-2 barbed devils with a 50%
chance of success. Merodach regenerates 2
hit points per round.
ALOCER (Duke of Hell)
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 12?
HIT DICE: 90 hit points
% IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE TYPE: G, P
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Bite 2-8, by
weapon type +4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M (7? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 196
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Alocer is a duke in the service of Dispater,
and leads 36 companies of erinyes
into battle. Warlike in attitude, Alocer
wears plate mail and fights with broadsword,
axe, mace, and dagger, wielding
one at a time and biting at the same time
with his great jaws. He will seize and
employ other weapons (incurring no
non-proficiency penalties) available when
in battle, and often rides a nightmare
Alocer has a humanoid body with redgold
flesh and a fearsome leonine head.
The fiery flash of his eyes can be seen for
some distance; if one meets their gaze, the
victim must save vs. spells or be blinded
for 2-12 days (devils are immune to this
power). A cure blindness or dispel magic
spell will restore sight to a victim.
about his estates or to war.
.
Once per round, Alocer can employ
one of the following spell-like powers:
pyrotechnics, produce-flame, detect
magic, detect invisibility, fly (enabling
him to act as an erinyes in terms of flight
class and move), dispel magic, dancing
lights, and read magic. Alocer can cause
fear by touch (save vs. spell at -3 to
avoid). Once per day he can use a symbol
of stunning or one of discord. Alocer can
summon 1-2 erinyes with a 65% chance of
success. He regenerates 2 hit points per
round.
