Baatezu

The lawful evil badguys from another dimension, in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition. Formerly known as devils in the earlier editions, living in what was once called The Nine Hells. This change was because of one-time CEO of TSR Lorraine Williams, for caving in to Jack Chick and his ilk to force the renaming. The term Baatezu is a trademark of Wizards Of The Coast, so you won't find them mentioned in any Open License products like the d20 SRD nor Pathfinder. Their home is now called "Baator", but each of the nine levels still has the same names from Dante's Inferno.

Baatezu represent the lawful side of evil. The concept that cruelty and malice should be distributed in an orderly and efficient fashion. Backstabbers, vicious politicians and cruel warlords can opt to become petitioners in the "nine hells". You start off as a Lemure: a disgusting parody of a humanoid with flappy and fatty skin. If you please your dark lords enough through a combination of gathering corrupted souls, guile, defeating your enemies and helping your master defeat theirs, you may be promoted to a Spinagon; a grotesque, spiny gargoyle-esque monster. From stage to stage, you start looking more and more like your horrible masters. They fight the Blood War against the Tanar'ri at the behest of Asmodeus, the ruler of Baator.

Baatezu are not born as mortals are. While only the most powerful of devils can breed at all, most opt not to do so because a child is a dangerous rival and a potent tool for their enemies. Instead new devils are made from the tortured souls of the damned, who are reprocessed after an extensive period of torture to strip them of their individuality. These soul shells are then reprocessed and turned into Lemures, starting their new existence as Baatezu.

The Hierarcy of Hell

Baatezu are Lawful to a fault. Thye are masters of forming contracts that give themselves as many loopholes to exploit as possible while bringing those for the other party down to zero. If a devil turns out to be clever, powerful, deceitful, lucky and butt-kissingly enough they may be promoted in an agonising ritual that grows a miniature fetal version of the new form inside of the devil, eventually bursting out in a grotesque and agonizing display. It a subject however fails its master, is betrayed in some way or if the master needs the energy that is released when doing so a baatezu can be demoted back into a lesser form: a great humilitation for a devil. All the various forms are part of a ranked hierarchy: the higher up the more powerful a devil is. Devils can only be promoted and demoted by their direct superiors, so it is not possible for rival devils to demote all of their rivals' servants or promote themselves to increase in power. As mentioned before, there is only so much power around to promote devils, gathered from souls. If a "drought" of sorts were to befall an area high-ranking devils would be more stringent with their promotions or even demote their followers to reallocate resources: the latter is a powerful motivator for all devils to keep corrupting souls.

Category	Rank	Form	Punishment	Fallen Angels	Abishai
Least Devils	1	Lemure
	2		Nupperibo		White Abishai
	3	Spined Devil			Black Abishai
Lesser Devils	4	Bearded Devil			Green Abishai
	5	Imp			Blue Abishai
	6	Steel Devil			Red Abishai
	7	Chain Devil
	8	Harvester Devil Pain Devil		Erinyes
	9	Amnizu
Greater Devils	10	Bone Devil Orthon	Malebranche
	11	Barbed Devil
	12	Ice Devil	Xerfilstyx
	13	Horned Devil		Pleasure Devil
	14	Assassin Devil
	15	Paeliryon
	16	Pit Fiend

A few of the forms in the hierarchy are not part of the regular advancement. The wretched Nupperibo is the result of a demotion of a higher-ranking devil but outranks the lowly Lemures. But it is skipped in the regular progrssion and is a form used as punishment, as are the Malebranche and the Xerfilstyx.

The Erinyes are an unusual group. Instead of being created from soul shells they are either fallen angels turned into their current form or born from another Erinyes. The most powerful of the Erinyes can be promoted to the rank of Brachina, or Pleasure Devil. These creatures are alluring seductresses and are ruthless in their searches for advancing to the highest ranks of devilkind. But because the step between Erinyes and Brachina is so big, only the most accomplished of Erinyes can be promoted to this rank.

Finally there are the Abishai. They are beholden to Tiamat, who lives on the first layer of Baator.

The Devils' Many Forms

As they progress through the ranks Baatezu change into new forms: stronger, cleverer, more magical and so on. While some details might differ a higher ranking Devil is always more dangerous than its last form in some way or shape. Baatezu is the name the devils use for themselves: to make it more confusing it is also a creature subtype. All Baatezu devils have the following abilities: immunity to fire, immunity to poison, cold resist 20, acid resist 20, can see in total darkness including magical darkness, telepathic communication 100ft.

Inside the Hierarchy

• A Lemure is a small, pitable creature standing at a mere 5' tall. Lemures are mindless and cannot speak, though they can understand telepathic commands. They are cruel and try to claw apart whatever they can as a way to get revenge on the multiverse. Promotions from Lemures are often made as a matter of convenience for a higher ranking fiend: they promote a batch of them into forms like Imps if they need spies, or Beared Devils if they need more shock troops for their armies.
• A Spined Devil, also known as the Spinagon is a small gargoyle-like creature covered in spines. They are sometimes used as spies by high-ranking devils, but because of their low intelligence their reports are not always dependable and tend to miss the finer nuances of what they had observed. They are cruel beings, but because of their low standing a single Spinagon is only a threat to lemures and Nupperibos, on whom they vent their frustration and cruelty.
• A Bearded Devil sees often employ as shock troops for powerful fiends. Bearded Devils (also called Barbazu) are aggressive and revel in fighting, where they swing their powerful glaives with skill. So much in fact that if they land a hit the wound will fester until attended to by either a skilled healer or a powerful healing spell is used, and even then the wound is difficult to treat. A Barbazu's beard can inflict a powerful disease upon a foe, infecting them with Devil Chills which saps away their strength. The disease has a short incubation period and lasts a lifetime when untreated, however short or long that may be. Bearded Devils can also burst into fits of frenzy, cutting through enemies in a way much like a raging Barbarian would.
• Imps are less physically imposing than their other forms, but they pose a new kind of threat. Instead of fighting they prefer to try and tempt people into evil, laying claim to their souls if they manage to do so. Imps are cowardly and stay away from fights but they are willing to sting with their tails if the oppertunity to do so arises.
• Steel Devils are powerful wariors, fighting on the front lines of the wars of Hell: either in the Blood Wars or against the armies of fellow devils. These Bueroza take the shapes of humanoids in heavy steel armor, covered in cobwebs and dust. While they can strike with enough force to send an enemy reeling, their strength comes from them gaining bonuses from fightin in ranks with their fellow Bueroza, becoming swifter and more durable as they fight. Their most potent ability is their chanting: a horrible shrieking that debiltates enemy casters and makes it more difficult for them to cast spells, making them easy prey for the Steel Devils.
• Chain Devils resemble tall humanoids dressed in nothing but chain. They can swing these around in deadly fashion, tearing at their prey in horrible ways. They can take control of chains in their range and have them attack anyone at will, and while it is possible to breake a Kyton's control of a chain they will not let anyone just do this whenever they want. Chain Devils can also change their visage to resemble that of someone's loved ones or hated enemies, stunning a target. They can also regenerate parts of their bodies that were cut off and are adapt at metalworking. Chain Devils are sometimes charged with torture, something they relish. This has caused them to grow a rivalry with the Pain Devils.
• Harvester Devils are often found in the material planes where they offer mortals contracts of power, wealth and other such things in exchange for their souls. They lurk in sewers, at crossroads at midnight, in back rooms of corrupt businesses or serving as courtiers to nobility. Any who approach them can ask for an infernal pact: anything they want for the price of their undying soul. They are not powerful combatants; while they carry blades that will instill a curse upon anyone that forces them to strike a good creature. Instead they will try to escape when entering combat, trying to find someone else to tempt with their contracts. But they cannot be killed without them fighting: for some strange reason the Falxugon are protected by powerful magic that remains in place unless they strike someone first. They look like mostly humanoid beings but with horns, tails and hooves, and tend to go dressed in expensive clothing.
• Pain Devils are masters of torture. Because they are hated by all other Baatezu and will be destroyed when not beholden to a lord they offer themselves to the service of powerful devils as torturers. They are very good at this, inflicting untold pain upon anyone unfortunate enough to fall into their hands. They torture the soul shells entering Hell and whoever has failed their masters, making for a powerful motivation to not fail. The Excruciarchs carry great spiked chains which they can embue with powerful agonizing energy or swing around to hit all standing close to them. The ycan alsoe inflict wounds upon non-Baatezu by just standing nearby, gain more power from inflicting wounds and can study an enemy to negate any damage reduction it might have.
• The Amnizus are the bureaucrats of hell. They record the soul shells that enter Baator, stand guard at the portals to and from the plane and record all who go through, often extorting them out of their valuables. Amnizu are particularly ambitious and try their best to improve their lot in life, working their way up the ranks through politics, intrigue and assassination. They are also tasked with hunting down fugitives, something they relish. When facing an enemy that they cannot defeat on their own without any significant risk to them they will send their minions to deal with the target. When they can fight an Amnizu prefers to take wing and strike targets with their intelligence-damaging touch.
• Bone Devils police the Nine Hells, observing the activities of other Baatezu and reporting on them. They are tall and strong and possess some magical ability. The Osyluth as they are sometimes called are freakishly thin and have large stingers with which they can inject targets with potent poisons. They will ruthlessly attack anyone who opposes them.
• Orthons are powerful soldiers in the front lines of the Blood War, specialized in killing demons. They use a combination of their bladed spears that are usable in both long and short range and magical crossbows that shoot powerful blasts of energy. Orthon are large, covered in metal plates bolted directly onto their bodies, possesses large tusks and has a pained look on its face. Orthons are skilled in fighting in formation, increasing their power and durability. They also possess the ability to stop all interdimensional movement in a 20' radius. When an Orhton is slain maggots burst from its body, who try to devour anything near the slain host before expiring themselves. Because of the nature of their armor Orthons are in constant pain, and only battle takes their mind off of this. They are very loyal though, and will not plot against their masters.
• Barbed Devils serve as the guards and boduguards of Hell. They are tall and covered in spikes, hitting all that come too close to them. Fighting a Hamatula in close range will always result in the devil using its many spikes to stab or even impale an enemy that comes too close to them. They possess some magical ability, being able to cast Hold Person so they cna use their impale attacks at their leisure.
• Ice Devils, also called Gelugon are commanders of the armed forces of hell. They prefer to not fight when it is not needed, but when it is they will not hesitate. They are quite tall and look something like white devilish ants, often carrying large spears. Striking with its spear will cause a powerful numbing effect on a targer, making it an easy prey for either the Ice Devil itself or one of its servants. They can cast several spells as well, most of whom are ice-based.
• Horned Devils are powerful creatures, serving as the elite soldiers of Baator. It is a large scaled fiend with huge wings, often carrying spiked chains. They can use these weapons to deliver blows powerful enough to stun a target, and they can use their tails to cause dangerous persistent wounds. The Cornugon also possess magical abilities and can regenerate.
• Assassin Devils are widely feared and distrusted. They are vaguely humanoid with featureless faces aside from their mouths, lined with sharp teeth. They can meld into shadows with eaase and cast clouds of fog to hide themselves, striking when they feel the time is right. The original Assassin Devils were natives to Baator, melted down and reforged into the Dogai. The most experienced of the bunch often have levels in the assassin prestige class.
• A Paeliryon is an information broker, trading knowledge for hefty sums of money, souls or other information. They are putrid creatures who dwell in comfort, opulence and excess, often bathing in disgusting pools and eating the finest of foods. They are some of the most powerful creatures in Baator, and not just because of its personal power: a Paeliryon, also known as a Corruption Devil, has a lot of information about a vast number of beings and can use this information to manipulate or blackmail them in a way that is profitable for the Paeliryon. These devils are very vain, and will use their claws to disfigure their opponents in combat and belittle them as they do battle.
• The Pit Fiends are the nobility of hell. They are immensely powerful, can use many kinds of magic, have teeth that carry Devil Chills, poisoned claws, can strangle enemies to death with their bare hands and are horrifying to behold for non-Baatezu. At this level the intrigues of hell are the most dangerous and cutthroat, with enemies on all sides trying to get the upper hand over any given devil. From this position Pit Fiends can be promoted to the rank of duke. From there one an be promoted to an unique devil with their own gender, powers and personalities, but this is seldrom done because of the huge threat such a being poses to the Archdukes of hell.

Other Promotions within the Hierarchy

• Nupperibo are bloated, ugly creatures used as base servitors in Hell. Used as a punishment for low-ranking devils, Nupperibo are slow, blind, deaf, unthreatening compared to other devils and fight without any kind of finesse. Yet they are used for frontline warfare in the Blood War, wher they pose little to no threat to a rampaging demon. As such they rarely promote back to their former form because of the high mortality rate. Still, Nupperibo are useful to the rivals of their superiors. By stealing one of thse fiends from its master and changing it back the devil might have important information about its master, and might even help its new master get revenge on the old one.
• The form of the Malebranche are used to punish fiends, yet allow them to keep fighting for their masters. A Malebranch is very large for a devil, standing at an imposing 22', with specimens of up to 60' not being unheard of. They are deadly in combat and use their massive ranseurs to strike with great force.
• Xerfilstyx are some of the most pitable creatures in Hell. Shaped like bloated slug-devils they live in the depths of the river Styx, stripping them of all their memories. The constant exposure to the Styx has driven them inade, with the creatures finding only some solace in the memories of the lost that gather at the bottom of the river. It is nearly impossible for a Xerfilstyx to be promoted back to a higher rank because of its insanity and it being bound to the Styx.
• Based on the Furies of Greek myth, the Erinyes originate from the angels that left heaven alongside Asmodeus when Baator was being established. Others joined their ranks in later eons, all of them fallen angels. While most of them are female in form there are a few males amongst their number, with no difference being made between them. The gorgeous Erinyes stand apart from their fellow devils, their corrupted angelic arrogance making them see the souls of the damned as being beneath them. In turn the other Baatezu see the Erinyes as stuck up pretenders and usurpers of the title of devil. Still they are respected for their strength, cruelty and intelligence. Unique to the Erinyes, their promoted forms and unique female devils they are capable of becoming pregnant. Their children will always be Erinyes, and are raised in secret and well-guarded compounds. Because of their arrogance Erinyes often forego promotion to higher forms, instead opting to stay in their current, less powerful form.
• A Pleasure Devil is an improved form of the Erinyes. Even more beautiful, seductive and powerful than their previous forms, the Pleasure Devils do intend to advance to the rank of Pit Fiend. They are connaving and plotting as the other devils of their ranks, and will use their considerable skills to advance themselves. Brachina as they are sometimes called are send to tempt those of particular virtue and goodness to evil, using their wiles, bodies and spellcasting to get their way. Because of their unearthly beauty they are popular playthings amongst the highest ranking devils, discarded as quickly as selected. Because of this and the ambition of the Brachina they tend to spend a lot of time on the material plane so that they are in command, and not some other fiend.
• Abishai are the cruel servants of Tiamat. They are arrogant, even for draconic creatures; they consider themselves far above the rank of Tiamat's other servants, including full-blooded dragons and the dragonspawn. They exist in several colors are very cruel, hate everyone not of their own kind. Souls that enter the Nine Hells under her control still become Lemures, but after that become Abishai, dragon-looking devils who tempt mortals to enter pacts with them, only to torture the mortal to the limit of their suffering. After the rank of Red Abishai they can continue to promote as normal, starting with becoming a Chain Devil, but almost all Abishai stop advancing at the rank of the Red Abishai.

The Archdukes of Hell

The various layers of hell are ruled by a group of unique devils. Each of them is a force to be reckoned with, commanding vast resources and armies of Baator. They all carry the blessing of Asmodeus in some way, which is very important: Asmodeus can withdraw his support at will and without explanation, as poor Moloch can attest. While the various lords have to deal with the machinations of their servants like all devils do, their greatest foes are their fellow lords, plotting and scheming against one another. In their high positions there are only two ways to gain a promotion: either by defeating one of their rivals and usurping their territories or overthrowing the Overlord of Hell himself, Asmodeus. Hence why Asmodeus never leaves the place that instantly kills anyone he doesn't want to be there, ignoring all defenses.

Bel

The Lord of the First, Bel is the Hells' premier success story. He frequently uses treachery, double-crossing and ambushes to further his agenda. Bel started out as a powerful Pit Fiend general in service to the Dark Eight, the devil generals in charge of the Blood War. His campaigns against the demons resulted in success after success until he seemingly changed sides and joined the Tanar'ri. When he gained their trust he lead them into a battle against the devils, only to betray his demon allies and have them all killed by his forces. He returned to Baator as a hero and became the right-hand devil of Zariel, the then-archduke of Avernus. He served her many centuries and eventually became her lover. This became her undoing as Bel turned her court against the fallen angel and overthrew her. He somehow managed to capture her and slowly strip her of her powers while he declared himself the new Lord of Avernus. Of course, given the fact that they are both devils and he has a long history of working as a deep-cover agent, it could just be an elaborate sex thing. Devils are big on S&M.

He prepared himself from an invasion from the other archdukes in an attempt to overthrow him and claim Avernus for themselves, but instead he was visited by Martinet, the constable of Asmodeus. He informed Bel that Asmodeus congratulated him on his guile and skill, and was willing to accept him as the new Lord of the First on the condition that Bel retained his position as a general to the Dark Eight. Somewhat relieved at these terms Bel accepted. What he discovered too late was that this meant that he had less time to spend politicking with the rest of the Lords. They did not really mind this: they all saw the Pit Fiend as an upstart and a double-crosser and none of them were willing to accept him as an ally. The only one whom sees Bel as more than a nuisance is Asmodeus himself, but even then the Overlord of Hell doesn't really think very highly of him.

If adventurers approach him with information regarding taking the fight to the Tanar'ri he is more than willing to listen. Mortals who treat him with respect and without duplicity will find a surprisingly reliable ally, unmatched in the Nine Hells. But if they try to deceive him or fail he will display the rage and cruelty one would expect from an archduke.

Dispater

The Iron Duke is a paranoid individual. He has good reason for this, being sandwiched between a power-hungry social climber and the greediest motherfucker in existence, but even considering that his paranoia defies reason. He mainly sits in the Iron Tower, his citadel. In here he is completely invulnerable, which is why he seldom leaves it, not even to meet with his peers or Asmodeus himself. The Lord of the Second is no coward though: he is calm, composed and well-mannered, even when angered. He is the infernal patron of strife and discord, and this is mirrored in his obsession with spy-games and intrigue.

He acts though intermediaries to engage in his plots, where he employs some of the most loyal devils in the Hells to fit his mad control-freak nature: aside from large numbers of Erinyes he also has scores of iron golems and other such trustworthy, unbribable, mindless constructs that follow his every command. Dispater is very skilled at the political games of Baator, where he is conservative, careful and methodical. He is usually allied with Mephistopheles because the two of them have worked together all the way back when they first came to Baator, and they ally against the hated Baalzebul who in Dispater's eyes deserves no respect since he is a fallen archon rather than a "true" devil.

Mammon

Mammon is a selfish being, even for a devil. He is a patron of greed and is frequent in his betrayals. His treacherous nature has made him very unpopular with the other Lords, meaning none will even consider striking an alliance with him. As such he turned to the Material World to gain in power, corrupting rich and powerful mortals to become greedy and lecherous monsters. As a result of having no friends, the Lord of the Third is a very paranoid devil and will punish his servants at the slightest provocation by demoting them. This high turnover rate means that Mammon also promotes more devils more frequently than any other Lord, and will pay a good price for a soul fitting for a specific promotion. Noticing the cycle here?

He once had an affair with Glasya, but after his role in the Reckoning Asmodeus forced his daughter to end the relationship. Both of them seem to bow to this command, but some claim that now that she's no longer right under her father's nose Glasya has rekindled the relationship. Others claim that she despises Mammon for not fighting for their relationship. It's even possible that both are true, though how they manage an affair around Old Scratch turning Mammon into a snake-man to give him the "Walter Peck" treatment is a riddle for the ages. Unlike Baalzebul's punishment, Mammon can adopt his original form of a bloated Pit Fiend when he wants. While the relevant books don't say anything about this, it's likely he can only spend a limited amount of time in that form, otherwise Mammon's new form wouldn't be much of a punishment. Whatever the case, since Glasya's ascension Mammon has redoubled his effort to increase the flow of souls to his realm by corrupting the Material World via appealing to its inhabitants' greed, and increasing his power when they sign over their souls to him or his minions.

Belial and Fierna

The twin Lords of Phlegethos, Belial and Fierna are a father and daughter pair who run the Fourth layer jointly. After a failed coup that Belial was a part of, he offered to share power with his daughter Fierna to appease Asmodeus. He accepted and so Fierna became the co-ruler of Phlegethos. Both of them look almost completely human, aside from their horns and clawed fingers. Both are rather attractive with sadistic personalities: they revel in killing and bloodshed. But they are no fools and will retreat when in trouble. Belial is very much a traditional devil: he's cautious, scheming and making plans to overthrow his fellow devils. He personally trains his daughter in how to be a good devil, including personally taking a hand in teaching her about "love and pain", which is exactly what it sounds like. Bleh.

Fierna is more of a free spirit, enjoying the life of a spoiled daughter-turned-figurehead leader of Phlegethos. But things began to change when Glasya came to the scene. This thwarted Belial's plot to invade Malbolge because attacking the freshly-established Lord of the Sixth is a Very Bad Idea when you're still going to be working for her dad after you're done. His plots were further compromised when Fierna and Glasya really hit it off at a hell party. The two quickly became best friends, bonding over the rigors of having an Infernal Duke for a parent, much to Belial's chagrin. He sees Glasya as a bad influence who puts all sorts of naughty ideas into his daughter's head. This would be kind of sweet, if said ideas did not include the gruesome murder of many of his more-loyal subordinates. And for the fact that Glasya murdered Naome, Belial's consort and Fierna's mother in her plot to start the Reckoning. Fierna is rapidly becoming the biggest threat to her father's reign, and it seems only a matter of time before the one-time hellish party girl will attempt a coup of her own. Of course, given infernal ethics, Belial will probably be rather proud when she finally kills him... probably.

She's also started dating a pit fiend, Gazra the commander of the Hamatulas, who doesn't like her dad much either. Levistus is making a bid for his loyalty, but the smart money's on him turning the old fart down.

Levistus

The Lord of Stygia is currently in quite a predicament. The handsome and mostly-human-looking (his completely black eyes are something of a giveaway) rogue archduke is trapped in an indestructible prison, locked away by Asmodeus for the crime of murdering Bensozia, the Overlord's queen and Glasya's mother. It is told Levistus attempted to seduce her away from her husband, in both senses of the word, and when Bensozia told to get bent, he killed her in a fit of rage. Asmodeus's punishment was swift: Levistus was imprisoned in a massive glacier more than half a mile across, completely impervious to any sort of magical or mundane damage. This prison floats in the waters of Stygia, occasionally drifting into and out of the Styx.

The truth however is more perplexing. Asmodeus' consort, Bensozia, never loved the big man. But since he is the Overlord of Hell she couldn't exacty just dump him because that would make him look bad, which would have dire consequences for her. So she approached Levistus whom she started to push towards a coup, and the two began to have an affair. Levistus however had trouble keeping it in his pants and seduced Glasya, with whom he also started an affair. When the Princess of Hell had a big fight with daddy she stormed off to Levistus and wanted to become his consort. Instead she found him balls-deep in her mom. In a fit of rage and jealousy she murdered Bensozia. If this were to come out Asmodeus' position would be rather damaged, so the big man's majordomo had the idea to pin the blame on Levistus instead. And so Levistus ended up as a popsicle. This would have been the end of Levistus, were it not for one of the most perplexing turn of events in Hell.

After the rebellion of several archdukes, Asmodeus made the bewildering decision to strip Geryon, the only archduke that remained loyal to him during these events, of his title of archduke and force him into exile. In his place, he appointed Levistus as the new Lord of the Fifth. But Asmodeus cleverly avoided either imbuing Levistus with the proper mantle of an archduke or freeing the murderer from his icy prison. Since that day, Levistus' minions have tried to free their old boss using every possible weapon, magic, trick, and skill check they can scroung up, but thus far nothing has worked. The fact that he is still imprisoned fills Levistus with hate: for his fellow archdukes, who naturally shun him like a leper, for Glasya and her rise, and most especially for Old Scratch himself. As such he is working tirelessly to subvert the courts of the other archdukes by planting spies in their courts, working through avatars and long-range communications for obvious reasons. He plans to make overtures to Glasya in order to see if she would be willing to aid in overthrowing her father. Whether or not he knows that Glasya hates him and would use any possible justification to destroy Levistus that presents itself is unknown. Perhaps he does and will try to avert this, trying to be more careful than the last time he tried to turn someone close to Asmodeus against him.

Glasya

Named after Glasya-Labolas, the demon from the Ars Goetia that provides the name of another big-name villain in a franchise belonging to Wizards of the Coast, Glasya is the daughter of Asmodeus and the current Lord of the Sixth. She looks like a beautiful young woman with brown skin, wings, a tail with a half-moon shaped tip and a pair of horns jutting out of her forehead. She is more than willing to lure unsuspecting victims into her embrace, only for her to release a virulent disease that sloughs the flesh from their bones and has them suffer a hideously painful death, with the last thing they hear being Glasya's laughter. Fortunately for their relationship, Mammon's totally into that.

Glasya overthrew the previous ruler of Malbolge by making her predecessor gruesomely explode and reshaping the layer forever. Any who challenge her rule or, even worse, humiliate her will receive endless sessions of hideous torment. She is very sadistic and enjoys both observing and inflicting torture, training many highly-skilled servants in the infliction of pain. The Princess of Hell urges her cultists to experiment in various ways to increase their depravity, readying them for an as-of-yet unknown goal. She gets along great with Fierna, since they're very alike, and has started turning her against her father. Glasya might also have rekindled her relationship with Mammon, but both go to great lengths to keep whatever's going on between them to themselves. Officially she despises Levistus and wants to destroy him in revenge of her mother's death, but as of yet is unable to do so, because her father wants her to first maneuver him into breaking infernal law first, as a training exercise. Unofficially she wants to do this to prevent the truth coming out that she murdered her mother, and not Levistus. While in his prison Levistus is safe, but Glasya will take the first oppertunity she gets to destroy him. The others lords keep their distance, mainly because they see her as a tool of Asmodeus to consolidate his rule over the Hells. Outwardly she seems loyal to her father, but since she is a devil it is only a matter of time before she will turn against him. Old Scratch brought her up "right," after all.

Baalzebul

Baalzebul is one of the middle crop of infernal dukes. Back in the day, Baalzebul was known as the archon Triel. Triel was a very selfish perfectionist who kept wanting more and more out of his existence, which eventually caused his fall from grace. After being welcomed into hell, Triel rose through the ranks and attained the title of the Lord of the Flies, supposedly because his webs of intrigue were so tight that not even a fly could slip past him, though many pointed to the archduke's multifaceted, fly-like eyes.

Baalzebul eventually made his way to the rank of archduke and partook in the rebellion against Asmodeus. He was defeated but, though clever maneuvering, managed to hold onto his lordship anyway. All the same Asmodeus had his revenge and stripped the vain devil of his handsome shape, turning him into the shape of a massive, corruption-filled slug that oozes with the most horrid materials imaginable. Now Baalzebul is easily the most grotesque and disgusting of all the archdukes.

Since this day Baalzebul craves the downfall of Asmodeus as revenge for this humiliation. Thus far, he's had little success with this plan, but the Lord of the Flies has established a notable cultist presence on the Material Plane through a combination of lies, charm and promises of power. Aside from Asmodeus, Baalzebul despises Mephistopheles, who was one of his opponents during the rebellion in Hell. He counts Belial as an ally, but Fierna's relationship with Glasya and her growing power base makes this alliance at best unreliable.

Mephistopheles

This archduke looks like the classical fictional devil: red, big, horned, winged, clawed, fire-cloaked, still kinda handsome, and so on. As the second most powerful devil of Baator, there is only one way for the Lord of the Eight to go upwards: he has to overthrow Asmodeus himself. Nearly every moment of his existence is spent plotting towards this end. He is a being of pure ambition and avarice, incapable of satisfaction with anything less than supreme power over Hell itself. He is currently the steward of the only portal into Nessus, commanding the armies that protect the gates into the last layer of Baator with his vast armies of Ice Devils and Pit Fiends. Because of this limitless ambition he has alienated himself from all but a few archdukes. One of his few allies is Dispater, with whom he has an alliance that dates all the way back to the days of the founding of Baator.

Mephistopheles' ego is his biggest flaw. He sees himself as the rightful ruler of Hell, superior to all of his peers. He especially hates Baalzebul, seeing him as a pretender and no "true devil," since the latter is a fallen archon. He also sees the Lord of Lies as a threat to Asmodeus, and thus a threat to his own inevitable lordship over Baator. The Lord of the Eight does not really have a strong cultist presence on the Material Plane. Mortals often confuse him with Asmodeus, which rather infuriates Mephistopheles. Why Asmodeus puts up with Mephistopheles is unknown, but it is possibly because of a devil-you-know scenario, or because his struggle with Baalzebul keeps Asmodeus' position more secure.

Had a pretty big part in the Hordes of the Underdark campaign in Neverwinter Nights, where he was the BBEG (not really a spoiler), and gets a lot of interesting backstory. He has a pretty cool, semi-original plan to beat Asmodeus that is, naturally, foiled by a PC and his gang of badass heroes.

Asmodeus

The Overlord of Hell, Asmodeus is the uncontested ruler of Baator. All devils eventually answer to him in some way or the other, either directly, indirectly or through subterfuge. He has his own article, which can be found here.

Other Archdukes

Over the eons various archdukes have risen and fallen, overthrowing their masters and being kicked out of office by their underlings. A few of them are notable in the history of Baator.

Zariel

The previous Lord of the First, Zariel was a fallen angel with burned wings and a piercing gaze. She had Bel as her loyal servant, general and perhaps lover too. To her folly she trusted him too much, which eventually lead him to turn her court against her and imprisoning her. Ever since she remained locked up in the dungeons of the Bronze Citadel, where she is drained of her power by Bel and has her flesh cut cup and fed to the lord.

In 5e however there was a change of power: by decree of Asmodeus Zariel was freed and reinstated as the Lord of the First while Bel was demoted to her adviser. The only reason given as to why this is was because Bel fell out of favor. The exact reason behind this is unknown and likely to remain unexplained until the next version of the Fiendish Codex or The Manual of the Planes is released.

Malagard, The Hag Countess

A former adviser of Moloch, the previous Lord of the Sixth. The Hag Countess was not a devil or even a fallen angel. Malagard was a Hag, an evil creature normally living on the Gray Wastes of Hades. She was a prominent member of Moloch's court and possibly also his lover. During the Reckoning she encouraged her lord to rise up against Asmodeus, which he did fervently. Malagard meanwhile was in correspondence with the loyal Geryon, plotting his downfall. When the gig was up Moloch was the only lord who defied Asmodeus because Malagard told him that Asmodeus would respect his strength if he did. Asmodeus was of course not amused and stripped Moloch of his power, replacing him with Malagard. The new Lord of the Sixth quickly booted Moloch out, and the former lord is on the run since. She used to visit her nobles in disguise, so those who treated mysterious visitors with disrespect quickly found themselves at the ire of their lord. Malagard knew better than to test her political mettle with the other lords and instead aimed for something higher: godhood. She knew all the other lords were just pretenders and no true powers and as such was not content with just being one of them. Malagard frequently went to the Astral Plane to study the dead gods floating around there, but she made little progress in her research as to what the essence of godhood is.

The Hag Countess met an extremely gruesome end. One day she began to suffer terrible spasms and began to swell to beyond grotesque proportions. With her the entire layer changed, from a vast slope into a more level surface. Her body was torn apart; her fingers turned into spires, her hair into a grotesque forest, her ribs became bizarre mountain ranges and her skull grew to the size of a citadel, which is used by Glasya to this day. This proved to be the permanent undoing of the Hag Countess, replaced by Asmodeus’ daughter. This is likely the reason that the Overlord of Hell chose such an unusual being as the Lord of the Sixth: she was meant as a placeholder until he could tame Glasya and have her take responsibility. With the demise of Malagard it seemed that this time was ripe, making the former lord useless.

Geryon, Former Lord of the Fifth

After Levistus initial removal as lord of Stygia, the devil Geryon was allowed to rule there for many centuries. At least until the Reckoning, where Geryon was the only Archduke to rise in the defense of Asmodeus. The reward for his loyalty was to be deposed and have Levistus reinstated (although never freed from his icy prison).

What happened to Geryon remained a bit of a mystery, though it is said that after the betrayal he began to doubt his actions and lost all hope at which point Asmodeus struck him down even further, obliterating him. Some believe that the energy was never transferred back to Levistus, since why would he need it if buried under a glacier of ice? The story goes that Levistus was being used as a novel distraction for the rest of the Archdukes and that Geryon's energy was being stored until Asmodeus' daughter Glasya was ready to be promoted to rulership over the Sixth layer.

As for Geryon himself, stripped of his power, what remained of his essence departed into that in-between space where Vestiges go, granting those who seek him out powerful vision bonuses and a gaze attack, though his influence is to force his binders into becoming overly trusting to the point of being dangerously naive.

Gargauth, "Lord of the Tenth"

Worshipped by some in Faerun as a demigod of corruption and betrayal. He was apparently exiled from Baator because he was too much of a handful for the other Archdukes of Hell, though much of what happened is never actually revealed. He was probably just a casualty of the politics of hell, but rather than being cast down or destroyed, he managed to get out.

Afterwards He travelled the planes, returning to Toril time and time again. He spreads his cults and corruption around, with the aim of ensnaring the planet and dragging it back to the Nine Hells where he can rule it as a Tenth layer, because it worked sooooo well for Mephisto when he tried it. Though he is also opposed to other evil deities like Shar and Cyric.

The fact that Gargauth holds some actual divine status shows that he could have been a serious power player in the politics of Hell, since it took Asmodeus so long to attain similar status for himself. Although that also illustrates the point that personal power alone can mean very little on the planes when the Archdukes of the Nine had much more widespread influence and control.

Dungeons & Dragons 4E

The term "Baatezu" isn't used any more. The names of devil-type monsters are also reverting to what they were in AD&D.

Hell is one of the worlds in the Astral Sea, with nine layers. A long time ago they were divine servants for one of the Astral gods, but in a rebellion lead by Asmodeus they slew their master and are now cursed with wretched forms. The devils still claim territory in the Astral Sea despite having no divine master, and still accumulate souls, but instead of worshippers and petitioners they swindle mortals into selling their devotion and afterlife to the Nine Hells. Devils compete with each other fiercely for who can accumulate the most souls for Hell, but all are united in accumulating souls and denying the gods their petitioners.

• Imp level 3 lurker
• Legion Devils compose Hell's armies, level 6-21 minions
• Spined Devil or Spinagon, level 6 skirmisher
• Succubus are devils in 4E not demons, level 9 controller
• Chain Devil or Kyton, level 11 skirmisher
• Bearded Devil or Barbazu, level 13 soldier
• Bone Devil or Osyluth, level 17 controller/leader
• Ice Devil or Gelugon, level 20 soldier
• War Devil or Malebranche, level 22 brute/leader
• Pit Fiend level 26 elite soldier/leader