Demon Lords and Princes of the Infinite Abyss

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Demon Lords and Princes of the Infinite Abyss

Demon lords, also known as Abyssal lords, were archfiends who gained great power and established a position of preeminence among demonkind. Over millennia, these demons had amassed tremendous power and authority over their domain.

• Baphomet
  
• Dagon
  
• Demogorgon
  
• Fraz-Urb'luu
  
• Graz'zt
  
• Juiblex
  
• Kostchtchie
  
• Malcanthet
  
• Obox-ob
  
• Orcus
  
• Pale Night
  
• Pazuzu
  
• Yeenoghu
  
• Adimarchus
  

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Baphomet
Prince of Beasts, Lord of Minotaurs

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A twisted circular maze awash in blood
Realm: Endless Maze, the 600th layer of The Abyss

Portfolio: Minotaurs, vengeance

Worshipers: Minotaurs, ogres, giants

Domains: Animal, Chaos, Evil, Strength, [Fury], [Hatred], [Retribution]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Greataxe

Cruel and bestial Baphomet is the patron demon lord of minotaurs, although his feral nature appeals to evil rangers and barbarians.

Baphomet is served by fiendish and half-fiend minotaurs, many of them possessing levels in barbarian, cleric, or ranger. His ability to cast awaken once per day ensures he always has a powerful ally such as an intelligent dire bear, dire tiger, dinosaur, or similar minion at hand. Baphomet is also served by bulezau and goristro demons.

A growing number of humanoid cultists have taken to his worship in poor rural areas. Desperate commoners sometimes turn to beast-cults organized by evil rangers who claim to venerate a nature deity who promises vengeance to those who have been wronged by the local government. These rangers call themselves the Temple of Redemption (or simply "Redeemers"). Rituals involving the decapitation of prize bulls are an important part of the Redeemer faith. It is said that those who listen at the mouth of a sacrificed bull can sometimes hear whispers of advice on how best to punish those who oppress the common folk. These whispers are, of course, the doubtful advice of Baphomet himself.

Baphomet has a complex relationship with Pale Night. The two demon lords share control over the same Abyssal layer, although Pale Night's influence doesn't truly extend beyond the vast plateau on which her castle is located. The two demons have never joined forces to accomplish a goal, but any attempt to lay siege to one of their holdings in the Endless Maze might result in the other coming to his or her aid.

Baphomet regards several other demon lords with particular hatred, especially Graz'zt (who imprisoned Baphomet for some time recently) and Yeenoghu (with whom Baphomet has been at war for eons).

Baphomet's driving goal is the destruction of his hated foe Yeenoghu. Neither demon lord remembers the genesis of this mutual hatred, but most of Baphomet's actions on the Material Plane are tied in some way to his war efforts against the Demon Prince of Gnolls, be it the harvesting of fresh souls to fuel his Abyssal holdings to the acquisition of potent magic items to be transported into the hands of his most powerful agents and generals.

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Dagon
Prince of the Depths, Prince of the Darkened Depths, Lord of the Shadowsea

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Set of six spiraling tentacles arrayed around a fanged mouth
Home Plane: The Abyss
Realm: Shadowsea, 89th layer of the Abyss

Domains: Chaos, Evil, Knowledge, Water, [Entropy]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Harpoon (Spear)

Ancient Dagon is among the oldest demon lords of the Abyss and the patron of those who dwell in the lightless depths of the sea.

Dagon is survived the rise of the tanar'ri in large part due to his isolationist nature. When the Queen of Chaos called upon the obyrith lords to aid her in her battle against the Wind Dukes of Aaqa, Dagon refused her call. Other obyriths did so as well, and the Queen destroyed them for their trouble. Dagon was powerful enough that the Queen dared not raise her tentacles against him. When the obyriths were defeated, Dagon knew his choice had been the right one.

Today, Dagon is held as an oracle and seer among the tanar'ri. They come to this ancient demon with offerings of weapons and sacrifices in return for ancient knowledge of the Abyss and its holdings that predate the rise of the tanar'ri. Dagon has built a mighty empire in his realm on these offerings and today is one of the mightiest demon lords in the Abyss. Dagon's realm lies directly below Demogorgon's, and the two have entered a strange sort of alliance.

Dagon is served by all manner of aquatic demons and monsters in his realm, which is known as Shadowsea (layer 89). Despite his obyrith nature, myrmyxicus demons often pay him tribute if only to keep him appeased. His favored minions are the wastriliths--once obyrith themselves, these demons retain loyalty to Dagon despite the fact that they have evolved beyond their ancient roots into their
own beings.

Dagon's presence is felt on the Material Plane as well. He is sought by powerful and insane spellcasters for the ancient secrets he guards, and has been known to grant these secrets through spells such as contact other plane. Treat Dagon as a demideity on all topics except for the ancient history of the Abyss, on which topic he is treated as a greater deity who always knows an answer (treat results of "don't know" as "true answer" results).

Dagon is also venerated as a god by certain aquatic races. Kraken are known to worship him, as do some chuuls, sea hags, and water nagas. The most fanatic of Dagon's Material Plane worshipers are certain ancient tribes of kuo-toa that dwell in the depths of the open sea and have never heard of Blibdoolpoolp. These kuo-toa hold that their race has existed for eons before the advent of the gods and that, in these ancient times, they were the chosen minions of Dagon. Today, their numbers are small and dwindling--they have been hunted nearly to extinction by intolerant sahuagin who view Dagon as a threat to Sekolah's power. Isolated pockets of these ancient kuo-toa have relocated to shallower homes off the coast of isolated stretches of land. In many cases, these kuo-toa have come in contact with coastal communities of surface dwellers. These unsuspecting coastal villages are quickly converted to Dagon's worship by force or trickery--in so doing, these kuo-toa hope to rebuild their numbers and strength so as to some day reclaim rulership of the depths.

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Demogorgon
Prince of Demons, Ahmon-Ibor the Sibilant Beast, Siosivash, Lord of all that Swims in Darkness, Aameul & Hethradiah, The Child, Bane of Souls, The Lizard King, The Dark Lady

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Forked tail
Home Plane: The Abyss/88th layer
Realm: Gaping Maw
Portfolio: Demonkind

Domains: Chaos, Evil, Plant, Water, [Demonic], [Corruption]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Light or heavy flail

The Prince of Demons holds his title through sheer might alone. His name alone can inspire a primal fear.

Inside the Prince of Demons rages a secret war for control of himself. Demogorgon has two heads and therefore two minds, and each one seeks domination of the other. Aameul is the persona in control of Demogorgon's left head, while Hethradiah controls the right. Each is unable to control the other, nor could one slay the other without also perishing. By most definitions, this internal conflict would be described as insanity, but that would be applying inappropriate mortal standards to one whom such standards can never apply.

Demogorgon's war with Orcus and Graz'zt has been epic in scope. Their armies have clashed throughout the Abyss since the dawn of the tanar'ri race. For a time, Orcus vanished (apparently slain), as did Graz'zt (who was imprisoned on the Material Plane by the archmage Iggwilv), yet never has the Abyss known complete peace from this eternal war.

Demogorgon is served by all manner of demons, some of which (such as the retriever) were actually created by him. Many powerful and unique demons serve him as well, and he commands armies of evil lizardfolk, scheming yuan-ti, sadistic troglodytes, vampiric ixitxachitl, and countless shoals of Abyssal aquatic predators. His close alliance with the ancient demon lord Dagon has provided him with access to Abyssal secrets that the other demon lords could only guess about. The methods of creating the powerful undead warlords known as death knights represent the least of these secrets, yet they are horrific and potent nevertheless.

Worshipers of Demogorgon are more likely to be scaly things that hide from the light than humans or members of other civilized races. Despite his statue in the Abyss, the vast majority of the Material Plane is blissfully ignorant of his existence, yet they know his works, if only indirectly. The troglodytes worship him as Ahmon-Ibor, the Sibilant Beast, and use his teachings to bring vile intelligence and fanaticism to the beasts of the wild. Yuan-ti know him as Siosivash and raise great temples to him in sunken caverns. The unknowable ixitxachitl are his chosen minions on the Material Plane, and even they dare not speak his name aloud. The rare human cults that venerate the Prince of Demons welcome piracy and cannibalism with open arms.

While humanoid cults dedicated to Demogorgon might be rare, individual humanoid worshipers of the Prince of Demons are more likely menaces. These followers often control the societies they live in or have much influence over those who do. They keep their faith secret from society, and use their power to spread evil and misery in his unspoken name.

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Fraz-Urb'luu
Patron of Illusionists and Tricksters, Prince of Deception

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Partially-devoured human skull with reversed eyeballs
Home Plane: The Abyss, 176th layer

Realm: Hollow's Heart

Worshipers: Wizards (illusionists), sorcerers, clerics, bards, warlocks, rakshasas, charlatans, deceivers, those deceived by Fraz-Urb'luu

Domains: Chaos, Evil, Luck, Trickery, War, [Demonic]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Deceptive Fraz-Urb'luu is the patron demon lord of illusionists and tricksters, a wrathful prince who only recently escaped imprisonment on the Material Plane.

The most significant event in Fraz-Urb'luu's recent past was his imprisonment on the Material Plane below Castle Greyhawk by the mad archmage Zagig. Fraz-Urb'luu remained imprisoned in those infamous dungeons, trapped in a bas-relief carving on a wall, for over two hundred years before he was accidentally released by a pair of adventurers whom Fraz-Urb'luu promptly repaid by destroying their gear and stranding them in his Abyssal realm.

Since his escape, Fraz-Urb'luu has spent the past 25 years rebuilding his Abyssal realm of Hollow's Heart and searching for his staff, a potent artifact that was stolen at the time of his imprisonment. Fueling these goals is rage--rage focused primarily on all of humanity. Fraz-Urb'luu hopes that when he has fully re-established his power over Hollow's Heart and has reclaimed his staff, he'll be able to bring this rage to bear on his enemies.

Fraz-Urb'luu counts no other demon lord as an ally, because his ability to deceive them and trick them makes him a particularly hated demon lord. Rumors hold that this hatred might have encouraged some of the other demon princes to aid in Fraz-Urb'luu's imprisonment. For now, his enemies keep a watchful eye on Hollow's Heart but dare not move against him. He might be alone, but Fraz-Urb'luu remains one of the more powerful of the Abyssal lords nevertheless.

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Graz'zt
The Dark Prince, The Ebon Lord of the Abat-Dolor

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A black, six-fingered hand
Home Plane: The Abyss
Realm: Azzagrat
Portfolio: Tyrants, despot, guile, debauchery

Domains: Chaos, Charm, Evil, [Demonic], [Temptation]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Bastard sword

Of the demon princes, none appears more human than Graz'zt, the Dark Prince, patron of tyrants, despots, and all those who would rule by force.

Graz'zt's war with the other demon lords of the Abyss is legendary. He controls the largest kingdom--his realm covers three adjacent layers of the Abyss. Unfortunately, control of a larger realm doesn't exactly translate into an advantage to a demon lord.

Graz'zt's goal is nothing less than total conquest of the Abyss. He despises the fact that Demogorgon is known as the Prince of Demons--he covets that title more than anything else. His crusade to dominate the Abyss proceeds apace. His most recent triumph was the deposing of the Demon Prince of Madness, Adimarchus. With the aid of his son, Athux, Graz'zt was able to engineer Adimarchus's imprisonment on Carceri. Unfortunately, Graz'zt was unable to conquer Adimarchus's realm, Occipitus. The Dark Prince's cold war of intrigue, sabotage, and slander against Malcanthet has also been consuming much of his time of late, and Abyssal rumor holds that an all-out war between their realms is drawing nigh.

Although a master tactician and accomplished swordfighter, Graz'zt's true strengths lie in seduction and guile. It is not by force alone, he realizes, that one can win control, but by controlling those who think they are in control. He enjoys the notion that he is the most intelligent, cunning creature in the Abyss; certainly, there are few who can match him in this arena (with the possible exceptions of Malcanthet and Pazuzu).

Unlike many other Demon Princes, Graz'zt pays a great deal of attention (through spies, mostly) to what goes on in the Material Plane. He is fond of trading favors with mortals, giving aid or information now for services to be demanded later. His most infamous alliance with a mortal is his relationship with the witch-queen Iggwilv.

Using lore stolen from the mad archmage Zagig, Iggwilv managed the audacious and shocking feats of conjuring Graz'zt and imprisoning him on the Material Plane. The two became unlikely lovers, and before long a child was born. But as time wore on, Graz'zt began to suspect Iggwilv had no intention of ever releasing him. He could see how his aid had elevated her power significantly, and the time finally came when he could use some of what she had taught him to increase his own power, if only he could escape.

Eventually, Iggwilv faltered in her control, and Graz'zt turned on her. An epic battle ensued, forcing Iggwilv to expend every spell, artifact, and ally she could, and although she managed to banish Graz'zt back to the Abyss, consigning him to a century of imprisonment, she was herself weakened to the point where she was forced to go into hiding. Eventually, Graz'zt had his revenge and managed to lure her into the Abyss where he imprisoned her for a time and was finally able to regain his stolen power, and then some. Iggwilv eventually escaped back to the Material Plane, and today she and Graz'zt maintain a love-hate relationship, each seeking to use the other to gain power in their own domains.

Graz'zt's cult is small except among certain monstrous races such as the lamias. Most of his priests, known as the Chosen, are female--a testament to his insatiable libido, although the Dark Prince has been known to take on male priests as well. His temples are dark, secluded places often guarded by lamias, harpies, or succubi with class levels.

Graz'zt enjoys contrasts, oppositions, and mismatches others find jarring or disgusting. Despite his fantastic wealth and love of the grotesque, he lives fairly simply. Wily and cunning, he keeps his mind clear from distractions so he can focus on claiming more land and minions by defeating his enemies, one at a time.

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Juiblex
The Faceless Lord, The Lord of Nothing, The Lord of Slime

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A pseudopod dripping slime
Home Plane: Abyss

Realm: Shedaklah

Worshipers: Aboleths, demented individuals, hezrous, oozes

Domains: Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Evil,  [Corruption], [Ooze]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Unarmed Strike

Juiblex, the wretched Faceless Lord, cares little for cultists or companionship. Yet still, there are those who find reasons to worship the lord of slime.

Of all the demon lords of the Abyss, Juiblex is perhaps the simplest (and therefore easiest to understand) in his goals. Put simply, Juiblex has no goals other than to simply exist, destroying and killing and corroding anything he can get his tendrils around. He hates everything and revels only in destruction.

Juiblex shares the 222nd layer of the Abyss with Zuggtmoy, the Lady of Fungi. The two demons have a long history of conflict and war, with Juiblex's constant attempts to surge upward into Zuggtmoy's holdings a constant source of contention between the two. Other demons despise and loathe Juiblex, yet most see him as a faceless menace that poses a threat only to those foolish enough to stand in front of him, and they wisely choose to leave him alone.

There is no organized cult of Juiblex, although a few demented souls do revere the Faceless Lord as a god. It's doubtful that Juiblex knows of these few, and if he does, he certainly doesn't encourage them or reward their loyalty. His primary minions are the countless slimes, oozes, and jellies that shudder in the depths of his realm. Of these, only one is intelligent enough to serve the Faceless Lord willingly--a unique demonic black pudding known as Darkness Given Hunger.

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Kostchtchie
Prince of Wrath, Patron of Frost Giants, The Lord of Wrath and Rage

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Symbol: A hammer rimmed with bloody ice

Worshipers: Frost giants, barbarians

Domains: Chaos, Evil, War, Strength, [Fury], [Winter]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Maul

The deformed demon-giant Kostchtchie rules the polluted frozen reaches of the Iron Wastes. He is the patron of frost giants and the lord of wrath and rage.

Kostchtchie's wrath and hate are legendary in the Abyss. He has no allies among the other demon lords, but is allowed to rule his realm on the 23rd layer of the Abyss with little interference as a result of his ruinous temper. This realm is utterly and completely under his command, yet Kostchtchie remains unsatisfied with its power. His giants conquer and claim a distant mountain in his name, yet from that mountain's peak the Prince of Wrath can always see one more mountain farther out that remains unclaimed. Worse, he is constantly aware of the simple fact that there exists elsewhere in the multiverse legions of frost giants who do not revere him as their master.

The concept that these "lost children" exist enrages Kostchtchie like nothing else, and so he spends much of his time plotting incursions into regions on other planes (particularly Ysgard and the Material Plane). If he can avoid it, Kostchtchie prefers to convert new tribes of frost giants without slaughtering them. His favorite method is to appear to a new tribe, slay their current jarl, and then lead the tribe on a gruesome war against their enemies. If the tribe is slaughtered, Kostchtchie dismisses them as failures--not "true" giants. If they succeed, they are rewarded with entrance into the Iron Wastes, where the tribe can serve him eternally.

Of course, these raids have done much in establishing his reputation as a war monger among those peoples he incites the giants to assault. Kostchtchie has a particular hatred of frost giant tribes who worship other deities and often launches assaults on these tribes simply to discourage such heretical acts. Most of Kostchtchie's cultists are frost giants, although it's not unheard-of for particularly brutal tribes of humanoid or ogre barbarians to venerate him as well. These cultists rank lower in Kostchtchie's eyes simply because of their smaller stature, although he does begrudgingly admit that a tribe of fiercely loyal humanoid or ogre barbarians can have its uses.

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Malcanthet
Queen of the Succubi

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A pair of feminine lips, the lower of which is pierced with an iron thorn that drips a single drop of blood
Home Plane: The Abyss

Realm: Shendilavri

Worshipers: Succubi, hedonists, prostitutes

Domains: Chaos, Charm, Evil, Trickery, [Temptation]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Whip

Malcanthet dwells on an exquisitely beautiful plane of the Abyss known as Shendilavri (layer 570). To the casual observer, this realm might seem like a hedonistic paradise--in a way, this is exactly what it is. The problem for visitors is that it serves only as Malcanthet's paradise, and the Queen of the Succubi often takes great pleasure in the torment and ruin of her guests.

Malcanthet is served in her palace by numerous incubi and succubi, along with a cabal of 13 lilitu bards called the Radiant Sisters. These lilitus do not exhibit their kind's notorious intolerance for other lilitus or succubi, and their songs can be heard throughout Malcanthet's palace at all times, haunting and erotic melodies that can have unwelcome effects on those whom Malcanthet has not invited into her realm. Lamias, harpies, and half-fiend nymphs serve her as well.

Among the demon lords, Malcanthet's greatest allegiances are with her sometime lovers Pazuzu (with whom she has sired numerous particularly deadly succubi children) and Demogorgon (with whom she has sired things best left unmentioned). She has had trysts with most of the other demon lords, although these were idle affairs engineered by the Queen of the Succubi to gain some favor or prize. Many other minor demon lords such as Shami-Amourae and Lynkhab vie for the title of Queen of the Succubi, but none have been able to usurp Malcanthet from her throne as of yet.

She has long been in conflict with Yeenoghu, and her only contact with him now is when she sends armies to his realm to assault his kingdom (or vice versa). The exact source of their conflict is unclear, but it seems tied to the Maures, a powerful family of wizards who dwelt years ago in a massive castle on the Material Plane. Among the Maures, Malcanthet's greatest servant was a woman named Elluvia. Other factions in the Maure family served Yeenoghu, and when Elluvia attempted a coup to gain control over the family's holdings (with Malcanthet's support), the resulting magical catastrophe ruined the entire family and left none (except perhaps Malcanthet herself) the victor. In any event, Malcanthet and Yeenoghu have been at war ever since.

Only her relationship with Graz'zt is worse. Malcanthet maintains that she spurned Graz'zt for being unworthy of her attentions eons ago when he tried to court her, and that his wounded pride created the legendary rift between the two. Graz'zt, of course, maintains the opposite. In any event, the conflict between these two is less one of open warfare and more one of constant scheming on how best to upset and ruin the other's realms and plans.

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Obox-ob
The Prince of Vermin

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A scorpion hanging from its tail, threaded in the sockets of a jawless human skull
Home Plane: The Abyss/Blood Shallows

Realm: Zionyn

Worshipers: Ekolids

Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Plant, [Entropy]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Dagger

Primeval and ruinous, the obyrith prince Obox-ob was once the Prince of Demons in an ancient age. His power is much diminished today, yet his lust for its return grows with every passing second. He is the lord of vermin and patron of those who see divinity in their
repugnant frames.

Obox-ob once held the title Prince of Demons during the Age before Ages, when the Abyss was ruled by the obyriths. He had this title stolen from him by the Queen of Chaos, who killed him and granted his title to Miska the Wolf-Spider. Although Obox-ob was slain, his most powerful aspect survived and went into hiding on a deep layer of the Abyss called Zionyn (layer 663). For many eons, Obox-ob lurked here, a shadow without a true form. In time, he grew bold and emerged from hiding, only to find the Abyss had moved on in his absence. The tanar'ri now ruled, and Obox-ob had been forgotten.

Obox-ob is not content to rule Zionyn and constantly rages across the face of this layer, bringing destruction and ruin to the ekolids who dwell there and worship his fury. Reduced to the Prince of Vermin, Obox-ob wants nothing less than to murder Demogorgon, claim his title, and then cleanse the Abyss of the taint of tanar'ri and return it to obyrith rule. But before he launches this plan, he first seeks to reclaim the true power he held so long ago.

Obox-ob's search for power extends to the Material Plane. On some Material Plane worlds, his cult is quite powerful--he recently almost managed to draw an entire world into the Abyss to fuel his ascension, but failed at his task when heroes of that realm opposed him by engineering a devastating disruption of the flow of magic at a crucial moment during the ritual. Since this humiliating defeat, Obox-ob has quietly observed his remaining cults, waiting for one to achieve similar chances at success in the future. Until then, these cults maintain a low profi le, often basing their activities in ruined cities lost in vast deserts, where they can be close to the scorpions so sacred to his faith.

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Orcus
Prince of the Undead, The Goat, Master of the Dead, Lord of Darkness, The Black Prince, Tenebrous

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A black, skull-topped mace
Home Plane: Abyss
Realm: Thanatos

Domains: Chaos, Darkness, Death, Evil, [Demonic]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Light or heavy mace

Of the innumerable demon lords of the Abyss, dread and vile Orcus, Prince of the Undead, might be the one most often worshiped as a god.

After becoming complacent in his eternal war with Demogorgon and Graz'zt, Orcus was recently murdered and deposed. But then, Orcus rose from the dead--an undead demon--and took the name Tenebrous for a time, hiding in the shadows of the multiverse and waiting to take his revenge. Now he has reinstated himself to his former position and reclaimed his realm Thanatos, and once again finds himself in a struggle for dominance with many other demon lords.

Orcus is no longer content to grow fat and decadent in his castle. He focuses his anger and hate on the absolute destruction of his enemies and the spread of woe and havoc among mortals. He covets Graz'zt and Demogorgon's realms above all others, and commands a host of undead and demons that ravage entire layers of the Abyss at his whim.

Against Graz'zt, Orcus's tactics are fairly direct. He constantly sends wave after wave of his limitless undead armies against Graz'zt's three Abyssal layers, continuing these battles eternally since Orcus can replace fallen undead soldiers as quickly as they are destroyed by Graz'zt's defenders. This relentless assault is inexorably penetrating deeper and deeper into Graz'zt's territory, but at nowhere near the pace that Orcus wishes.

He realizes that Demogorgon is a more powerful foe, and as a result, Orcus's actions against the Prince of Demons are more subtle. He sends small bands of nabassu, vampires, and liches into Gaping Maw and other places Demogorgon holds sway to undertake missions of precisely calibrated assassination and sabotage.

Yet while Orcus himself might not be as powerful as Demogorgon, and his realm might be dwarfed by the size of Graz'zt's holdings, Orcus's cult on the Material Plane is in truth his greatest resource. In particular, orcs, half-orcs, ogres, and giants revere Orcus, as do a large number of corrupt and despicable humans. His temples are usually hidden, and his worshipers form secret societies that commit atrocities and wage wars in his name. He demands living sacrifice from his cultists, and blood and skulls are important parts of the imagery used in his worship. Intelligent undead rarely serve him willingly, although many vampires, liches, and other undead creatures are forced into his service by dark pacts or compelling magic.

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Pale Night
The Mother of Demons, Matron of Androlynne

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A billowing white sheet draped over a starry field.
Home Plane: Abyss

Realm: Androlynne

Worshipers: Demon-spawning spellcasters

Domains: Chaos, Evil, Knowledge, Magic, Corruption

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Unarmed Strike

Mysterious and enigmatic, Pale Night claims to be the mother of many demon lords--certainly she is one of the oldest of their ilk.

Pale Night is an enigma. An obyrith who was ancient even during that race's reign on the Abyss, Pale Night dwells in a bone castle located on the 600th layer of the Abyss since long before Baphomet claimed that layer as his own. Indeed, Baphomet's maze avoids a particular stretch of existence around Pale Night's castle, and he has never openly attempted to influence matters within her realm. Pale Night is also the matron of Androlynne, where she still torments the ancient offspring of the eladrin host that tried to cleanse the Abyss of the obyrith presence after their defeat on the Fields of Pesh.

Much has been written about this mysterious demon lord. The Mors Mysterium Nominum claims she is the mother of several tanar'ri lords, including Graz'zt, Lupercio, and Vucarik of Chains. The Black Scrolls of Ahm claim she is the mother of nothing less than the tanar'ri race. Iggwilv's Demonomicon, on the other hand, portrays her not as a mother of demons but as a mother of several notorious and monstrous Material Plane races such as the harpy and the lamia. What seems certain is that Pale Night is viewed as a mother figure by not only her cultists but also by many of the denizens of the Abyss itself.

Pale Night's reaction to visitors in her realm depends upon her mood at the time of their visit. Sometimes, she merely sends them on their way. Others she embraces and adds to her haunted gallery of stolen lives.

On the Material Plane, Pale Night's cult is virtually unknown. Cultists that do exist are few in number, usually consisting of only three or four spellcasters who seek ways of introducing horrific new races of demonic terror on the world by impregnating female creatures of all kinds with raw Abyssal chaos. The issue of these births is always a half-fiend, and often one with unique and distinctive abilities beyond the norm for their kind.

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Pazuzu
Demon Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms, Demon Prince of the Air, Pazrael, Pazuzeus

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Twisted bird talon
Home Plane: Abyss

Domains: Air, Chaos, Evil, Trickery, Temptation

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Greatsword

Mighty Pazuzu is one of the oldest of the tanar'ri princes. His realm is the skies above the Abyssal layers, and he takes great delight in the corruption of purity.

Pazuzu is a unique example of survival in the Abyss. Originally one of the more powerful obyrith lords, his independence was a constant thorn in the Queen of Chaos's side. As it turned out, Pazuzu has since evolved with the new rule of the Abyss. While he is still an obyrith, he has been accepted by tanar'ri and represents a sort of "missing link" between the two races. Due to this duality of nature, Pazuzu's form has taken on a less horrible appearance with the passing of eons, and his form of madness ability has transformed into his current aura of servile avians. He has also gained several tanar'ri-like qualities, including the ability to summon tanar'ri.

Although Pazuzu commands the respect and loyalty of all evil things that fly in the Abyssal skies, he is rarely forced to call upon these creatures. Perhaps alone in the Abyss, Pazuzu has no active enemies. The other demon lords seem to begrudgingly award him the skies above their realms, if only because there seems to be little there to claim. Graz'zt alone has been known to speak ill of Pazuzu, yet he has never taken direct action against him. The one demon lord that could be counted as his enemy is wretched and deformed Lamashtu, although the Queen of Monstrous Births has been imprisoned by Pazuzu on Torremor for countless ages, so she is hardly a threat to the demon prince.

Pazuzu does not lust for the rule of a realm in the Abyss (although he nonetheless controls the 503rd layer of the Abyss, and his presence is nearly constant on the 1st layer), nor does he wish to rule over his fellow demons. His goals are higher--he lusts for innocence, purity, and honesty. These sweet nectars are his greatest vice, and as he consumes them, he leaves bitterness, cruelty, and wickedness in the shells of those he has corrupted. Since these qualities are so alien in the Abyss, he logically has little interest in what dwells there in and instead turns his attentions to the Material Plane. Pazuzu has tested his ability to manifest on Material Plane worlds without drawing the undue attention of the gods who protect them for some time, and in that time has mastered the art of telling mortals what they think they want to hear.

Pazuzu's cults start with a single soul who cries out to the demon prince for aid. Pazuzu gives this aid, and those who call on him grow dependent on his aid. They crave the power his touch can bring. Within a year, those who have called upon him invariably join or found a new cult dedicated to his teachings, where they seek to capture and convert new innocents to his vile worship.

[Fox²]

Yeenoghu
The Demon Prince of Gnolls, The Beast of Butchery

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A triple-headed flail
Home Plane: The Abyss/422nd layer

Realm: Death Dells

Worshipers: Gnolls

Domains: Animal, Chaos, Evil, Strength, [Bestial], [Demonic], [Fury]

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Heavy flail

Savage and ruthless, Yeenoghu is the patron of all gnolls and commands the servitude of ghouls through the subjugation of the demonic King of the Ghouls.

Yeenoghu is one of the lesser demon lords, yet he still commands a large empire on the 422nd layer of the Abyss, a region known simply as "Yeenoghu's Realm." He spends much of his time hunting lesser creatures or captured mortals and idly plotting assaults on the holdings of powerful demonic entities who are not themselves demon lords quite yet.

One of Yeenoghu's greatest and earliest triumphs was the subjugation of Doresain, the King of the Ghouls. Once a vassal of Orcus, the King of the Ghouls controlled his own layer of the Abyss until Yeenoghu's army invaded and conquered the layer and its undead ruler. The King swore fealty to Yeenoghu and continues to pay him homage to this day. Doresain still rules the White Kingdom today, but as a sworn ally of the more powerful Prince of Gnolls. Orcus's attention has been elsewhere, and so far, he has not acted against the Prince of Gnolls for the theft of one of his subjects.

One of Yeenoghu's great desires is to see to the prosperity of his people, the gnolls. He envisions a Material Plane dominated by his children, where elves and humans and dwarves and halflings are slaves at best and food at worst. Yet he realizes that all the gnolls in the Material Plane could not achieve such a goal--as a result, he actively supports cultists of other races who turn to him for support. The enigmatic leader of the Maure family once represented his most powerful cult among humanity at the time, yet internal
strife caused by rival demon lord Malcanthet saw to the ruin of this resource. Today, Yeenoghu counts the Queen of Succubi as one of his greatest enemies and periodically raids her realm. He is always turned back by her defenses, but one day he hopes to gain enough allies to see to her ruin.

Only Yeenoghu's eternal war with Baphomet nears the level of his hatred for Malcanthet. The source of the conflict between the Prince of Gnolls and the Prince of Beasts is unclear, likely forgotten even by the two demon lords themselves, yet they show no signs of ceasing their eternal hostilities.

Yeenoghu demands living sacrifices in remote wilderness regions on altars of crude stone. His faithful wear dark brown robes accented by mangy yellow furs. They are not allowed to clean these robes, and in time they grow horrific with clotted blood and foul odors.

[Fox²]

Adimarchus
Demon Prince of Madness, Lord of the Smoking Eye

Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: An eye surrounded by black flame
Demonym: Adimarchan
Home Plane: Orthrys, Carceri (Formerly Occipitus, Abyss)
Serves: None (imprisoned by Graz'zt)

Portfolio: Insanity, duplicitousness, mind-control, treason

Worshipers: Insane cultists, lone madmen, usurpers, rebels, the imprisoned

Domains: Chaos, Charm, Evil, Trickery

Nature Deity: No
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE

Favored Weapon: Longsword

Adimarchus was a fallen planetar who once led a demonic army with the goal to invade Celestia. During that battle and in order to contain the invasion, the angels detached a portion of the plane and cast it into the Abyss, where it merged with the existing layer of Occipitus. Adimarchus survived the battle, and became the ruler of the layer by incorporating the wreckage of Celestia into Occipitus, becoming a demon lord in the process. As a demon lord he often waged war against his most powerful rival, the demon lord Graz'zt. During his reign, Adimarchus created the Test of the Smoking Eye, a difficult challenge that would be used to find a suitable successor should anything happen to him.

As the ruler of Occipitus, Adimarchus could draw tremendous evil power from the fabric of the layer itself. He could remake the landscape with a wave of his hand, and could control magic use across the layer. As the Demon Prince of Madness, Adimarchus had the power to plant fragments of his consciousness into the minds of distant creatures, even on different planes.

After several hundred years of rule, Adimarchus was betrayed by Athux, the son of Graz'zt, and disappeared from Occipitus. He was imprisoned in Orthrys, the first layer of Carceri, where he was driven to further madness. Some sages suggested that Adimarchus's deposition, together with Waukeen's imprisonment in Azzagrat in 1370 DR and his numerous other schemes, was a component of Graz'zt's plot to unify all demons of the Abyss.