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The third plane of the Nine Hells is
ruled by Mammon, the clutching ?Lord
of Avarice,? and nothing of value exists
for long on this plane before being destroyed
or taken inside the walls of his
many-pillared fortress. This nameless
abode is built of black stone brought
from another plane (possibly the Prime
Material), and stands crazily upon great
pillars that sink constantly, slowly, into
the bottomless ooze of the marsh.
The outlands of Minauros form one
great dismal marsh of stinking, rotting
earth, covered with carrion and some
inches of water. It is a place of eternal
rain; dirty water mixed with hail falls
ceaselessly, at a steady pace, from the
murky, fog-shrouded air. The bodies of a
great many creatures lie here; indeed, it is
said elsewhere in the hells that Mammon
?s house is built upon them.
Disease (DMG, pp. 13-15) is rampant
here; the base chance of a creature not
native to the hells contracting a disease
here is 13% per trip (including the modifiers
for polluted water, etc. ? but note
that this base chance is doubled if a creature
imbibes any of the water on the
ground of Minauros, deliberately or inadvertently).
Bones and the like are always
handy for use as weapons ? but their
?handiness? also obstructs movement,
causing constant stumbling and occasional
falls for those who travel overland.
A fall may do serious damage if the victim
strikes an upthrust bone, or is
knocked unconscious, perchance to
drown.
The fortress of Mammon is the only
building of any sort on Minauros; in the
marshes, Mammon allows stone to be
used only in ?cells.? These are great shallow
pits (two or three feet deep in water)
in which one or more great stones lie.
Fastened to the stones at one end, and
dangling away from them, are great
chains and manacles of iron or brass. The
vigilant barbed devils will capture any
intruders and bring them hence, where
they sit or stand chained in the cold, fetid
water until they die, are taken away for
interrogation or torture, or escape. Sometimes
when Mammon or his lieutenants
are occupied elsewhere, the barbed devils
will let a prisoner ?escape? and then
hunt it for cruel sport. What they cannot
capture they kill, or else call on Focalor,
the pit fiend Zimimar, or Mammon himself
to deal with.
Typically, barbed devils perch atop the
stone of a cell, burning the heads and
exposed portions of the prisoners below.
Prisoners soon learn (if they survive that
long) to sit tight against the rock so that
they can use it for protection and support,
to elevate themselves out of the
water by sitting on a pile of bones, and to
keep their heads above water even when
sleep comes. Barbed devils can control the
intensity and size of their produce flame
ability with great accuracy. The ground
water of Minauros will douse such a
flame, but the resultant scalding steam
can also do considerable damage to the
unprotected. (Barbed devils are not
harmed by the steam.)
Toward the center of the plane, Minauros
rises into a vast tortured volcanic badlands
of ash-hills and slime-filled rifts.
The palace of Mammon sits in a marshy
bowl at the heart of these volcanic lands,
where many rifts meet. It is here where
Mammon?s seneschal, Focalor, stands
guard over Glasya (Mammon?s consort),
Mammon?s palace, and Mammon?s affairs
when his master is out hunting across the
badlands. The pit fiend Zimimar commands
the ?palace guard? of 6 companies
of bone devils, and will either be found at
the palace or hurrying elsewhere to protect
Mammon or enforce his will.
The vassal dukes of Mammon rule
stretches of volcanic ridges and ashchoked,
lifeless woods far from the central
palace, between the uplands and the
marshes where prisoners lie in dolor.
Chief among these vassal dukes is Bael,
who can gather 66 companies of barbed
devils (and actively plots to supplant
Focalor, and ultimately Mammon himself).
The duke Caarcrinolaas commands
36 companies of barbed devils, and
although he is aware of Bael?s ambitions,
neither supports nor betrays them. The
duke Melchon, who can muster only 18
companies of erinyes, chooses to be eagerly
and actively loyal to Mammon ?
which has earned him the deep suspicion
of the seneschal Focalor.
| Focalor (Duke of Hell) | - | Caarcrinolaas (Duke of Hell) | - | Melchon (Duke of Hell) |
| Minauros | - | - | - | Hell |
FOCALOR (Duke of Hell)
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -3
MOVE:. 12?/16?
HIT DICE: 121 hit points
% IN LAIR: 80%
TREASURE TYPE: F, I, Q (×3)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6, or by
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: Genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M (6? tall)
weapon type +4
PSIONIC ABILITY: 223
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Focalor is seneschal (an agent, or bailiff)
to Mammon, and wields much of the
real power in Minauros, for his master is
somewhat neglectful of security and
diplomacy. The thin, often silent Focalor
is careful in word and deed, and a master
strategist. He is respectful, too, and takes
no risks with the safety of Glasya (Mammon
?s consort) and that of the palace
itself. Most of the other archdevils (and
the outcast Nergal; see Avernus section)
believe that Mammon would be easy prey
were it not for the strength of his few
dukes, and for the wise care of Focalor.
Focalor?s loyalty seems unshakeable; most
of the archdevils have in the past tested it,
and they continue to do so.
Focalor can employ the following
spell-like powers, one at a time and once
per round: pyrotechnics, produce flame,
invisibility, detect invisibility, detect
magic, read magic, tongues, dispel magic,
gust of wind, water breathing, teleport,
know alignment, passwall, and (fulfill
another?s limited) wish.
Twice per day Focalor can blink, once
per day he can cause blindness by touch,
and four times a day he can remove (or
bestow) curse. He can use a symbol of
stunning once per day, and he can summon
1-2 barbed devils (40% chance) or 1-4
erinyes (65% chance) at will. Focalor
causes fear by his breath, a cone of foulsmelling
vapor 1? in range, spreading
from a mouth-sized base to a 3?-wide
spray. He can direct this at any target(s)
in the area of effect, one exhalation per
round (save vs. spell at -1 to avoid).
Focalor regenerates 1 hit point per round.
Description: Focalor appears human ?
a thin, bearded, and middle-aged statesman
or sage with power and heavy concerns
? until he unfurls his feathered
wings from his flowing robes or reveals
his brown cloven hooves. Focalor wears
an iron gauntlet on his right hand, as his
badge of office, and with this gauntlet he
can strike for 1-6 damage. He is normally
armed with a staff, but will seize any
weapons in battle. His skin is a pale
pink-green, and if his armpits and flanks
are revealed, tiny scales will be seen.
When summoned to the Prime Material
Plane, Focalor will seize any chance to
swim (for this he enjoys), and revels in
the use of two powers of his that are ineffective
in the hells: fish command (as in
the trident of fish
command, DMG p.
155; all fish save at +1), and call storms
(usable only when at sea), basically a
combination of call lightning and control
winds. The call storms ability, when
employed, evokes lightning discharges
from any clouds present, bringing also
rain and strong winds in the direction
and intensity Focalor wills, the whole
effect lasting 4 turns. If no clouds are
present, this power attracts them (which
may take several hours, or a day or more).
When they arrive, Focalor (if still present)
can use the call storms ability again, as
described above, to bring the storm out of
the ?summoned? clouds.
CAARCRINOLAAS (Duke of Hell)
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -3
MOVE: 14?/12?
HIT DICE: 104 hit points
% IN LAIR: 55%
TREASURE TYPE: G, P
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type +6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M (7½? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 203
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Caarcrinolaas is a duke in the service of
Mammon, and leads 36 companies of
barbed devils into combat at his master?s
behest. In battle he wields a +3 scythe that
does 5-11 (2-8 +3) damage vs. targets of
any size, and wears armor with a highspired
collar to protect his head (for he
wears no helm). He is indifferent to the
ambitions of others, preferring to follow
orders and wait for any opportunity to
better himself to come along. Let others
risk their necks in intrigues; Caarcrinolaas
will sit and watch patiently.
He can use the following spell-like
powers at will, once per round and one at
a time: pyrotechnics, produce flame,
detect invisibility, detect magic, read
magic, dispel magic, animate dead, teleport,
invisibility, fire shield (either version),
and (fulfill another?s limited) wish.
Once per day Caarcrinolaas can cast a
death spell, and twice per day he can petrify
one creature by touch (as in flesh to
stone; normal saving throw allowed).
Once per day he can use a symbol of
pain, and he causes fear by touch if he so
wills. He can summon 1-3 barbed devils
with a 65% chance of success. He regenerates
1 hit point per round.
Description: Caarcrinolaas is a
gray/brown-furred, dog-headed humanoid
with scarlet bat-like wings, upright
scarlet horns protruding from a bony
brow-ridge above each temple, black
hooves, and a scarlet, forked tail. In the
center of his brow is a third horn. Taller
than the two up-curved flanking horns, it
protrudes straight up, and can be
employed (3-6 thrusting damage) against
any targets directly above Caarcrinolaas
(a rare circumstance). He has strong,
bony, scarred hands of human appearance,
and glittering yellow eyes.
FREQUENCY: Unique (very rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 13?
HIT DICE: 101 hit points
% IN LAIR: 55%
TREASURE TYPE: G, P
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE ATTACK: By weapon type +5
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 70%
INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M (6? tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 189
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Melchon is a duke in the service of
Mammon, on whose behalf he leads 18
companies of erinyes in battle. A devil
most jealous of his stronger fellows, Melchon
is something of a malcontent in
Minauros, and would welcome any setback
to Bael or Focalor ? but he masks
his true feelings.
Melchon can employ any one of the
following spell-like powers in a round,
one at a time: pyrotechnics, produce
flame, envenom (which turns water ? of
any sort except holy water ? to a caustic,
viscous venom used by erinyes and Melchon
himself upon their weapons), detect
invisibility, detect magic, read magic,
dispel magic, teleport, and suggestion.
Twice per day Melchon can cast a
delayed blast fireball of 6d6 damage, and
once per day he can use a symbol of hopelessness.
Melchon causes fear in all creatures
within 1? of any living being he
strikes, including the target struck; all
must save vs. spell (the target at -2) to
avoid). Melchon can summon 1-3 erinyes
(70% chance) whenever desired. He regenerates
2 hit points of damage every round.
Description: Melchon is a fiery redskinned,
humanoid devil with upturned,
bull-like horns; black, curling brows and
beard; black hooves; and large, crimson
wings. In battle he strikes with his weapons
? usually a trident or a great twohanded
war axe (12? long, damage 3- 12
vs. S/M, 3-18 vs. L).
His weaponry may vary, but Melchon?s
weapons are never magical, and they are
always envenomed (see Monster Manual,
Erinyes, for effects of the venom).
Melchon
also makes use of his long, agile
forked tail, which ends in a sharp sting.
This sting does 2-8 points of stabbing
damage, and Melchon usually envenoms
it prior to any expected combat. Melchon
is immune to the effects of his, and other
devils?, caustic venom. Melchon?s venom
does not dry out in the hells (although
usage does wear it off of a weapon), but it
is harmless outside the infernal regions
unless it is continually within 1? of a
devil (an erinyes, or Melchon himself).
