Bogmire, the Jaded Duke

"It's always better to con a rich man than a poor man. Not for riches, mind you, but for the satisfaction it brings."

- Bogmire to an imp merchant

For the first two millennia of Baatorian history, Bogmire served in Minauros as its lord before stepping down. His absence marked the downfall of the City of Minauros, which quickly deteriorated under Mammon’s rulership.
Bogmire was a natural fit, knowing the rules of Baator by heart, and, much like Glasya, bending them when necessary. Bogmire claimed that this arbitrary game of semantics was him “stress-testing” the system, but it was no secret to close partners that he simply found a sort of humor in loopholes. Having come before Mammon, he is often compared to the new ruler, but opinions of Bogmire are vastly more mixed compared to the infamy of Mammon.

A Good Man?

An opinion shared by every archdevil—perhaps even by Bogmire himself—is that he did not fit the mold most devils found themselves a part of. In fact, mortals debate whether Bogmire was a devil at all, as accepting that part of his identity meant admitting he was, at heart, evil. His welcoming and generous demeanor made him favored among the mortals of the Prime Material, something he chose to ignore when fraternizing with devils.
Though Bogmire would never go into detail, he claimed this attitude was born from his experiences outside of Baator. He had a strong appreciation for mortal lives, often visiting the Prime Material himself to make deals with the rich. Bogmire loved the intimacy of in-person dealings, loathing the idea of lending the task to a lower-ranking devil. To him, the trust between a dealer and their patron was sacred. Though this caused his relationship with other devils to deteriorate, none could deny that mortals were more likely to deal with him than most others. There is always a group in most developed settlements that publicly wear his symbol.

Bogmire's Departure

"I tried leadin', and I did a damn good job. But, it isn't for types like myself."

- Bogmire

In handing the rulership of Minauros to Mammon, Bogmire left behind countless hours of work and responsibility. Though many debate the circumstances of his retirement, it is generally agreed upon that the transition of power between Bogmire and Mammon was relatively peaceful. It was only after Bogmire had long left Baator and the City of Minauros had become rundown and neglected that Bogmire claimed he personally spoke with Asmodeus and stepped down soon afterward. It was then that Asmodeus and Dr. Leviticus Morgan Esquire hand-picked a promising successor. Not a soul could have predicted the fate of Minauros in Mammon’s hands until it was long lost to incompetence. Ever since that time, Morgan has attempted to convince Bogmire to return.

Faustian Celestials

An archfiend in Mount Celestia was practically unheard of until Asmodeus walked in and left unscathed using only his wits and words. Bogmire, having heard of this act, felt bold and invited the angels of Mount Celestia to a conference, but he requested that they meet on the Prime Material. There was no written word, no shaking of hands—Bogmire asked Morgan to stay behind and tend to Minauros in his absence. The talk between Bogmire and the angels was riddled with suspicion on part of the celestials, and Bogmire appealing to their sense of righteousness only worsened it. Despite their attempts to goad a false confession out of him, Bogmire never once rebuked them and insisted that they not trouble themselves with the Blood War. By the end of their talk, Bogmire had sowed seeds of doubt in their hearts, and it was a matter of time before he was called back.
These bi-yearly meetings quickly gained traction among the celestials, with several at a time requesting to speak with Bogmire in the hopes they’d convince him to renounce his ways. Bogmire, comparing his actions to Asmodeus, was surprised that he was not being tried in Mechanus for his sins and quickly jumped at the opportunity to turn this odd circumstance into something profitable.
With the help of the celestials, Bogmire drafted a contract known as the Moralis Fundamentum. Lemures frequented the River Styx and were often distributed according to whoever harvested the soul. Under the Moralis Fundamentum, these people would be offered a way to escape in toiling under Minauros rule. If Bogmire deduced that the lemure had grown beyond its evil nature—more often than not, he did—the lemure would be transferred out of Baator, killed to release its soul, and then given to Mount Celestia, where they would begin a new afterlife. The lantern archons they would become would retain the brand of Bogmire proudly upon their bodies.
The initial effects of this contract caused outrage among devils, with most calling for his dismissal and execution, yet Asmodeus stayed his hand, sensing trickery. Curious mortals, perceiving a good in Bogmire's mark, sought out the man behind the brand, and it was through this that they eventually found Bogmire himself. Naturally, Bogmire swayed these souls to evil, and as per the rules of the Moralis Fundamentum, they were not born of the River Styx and, as such, were not bound by the contract. Eventually, there were fewer lemures than contracted souls, and Bogmire’s pockets only became more full as a result.
The celestials, realizing their folly, rendered the Moralis Fundamentum void, spitting a curse on Bogmire. Bogmire had this to say:

"Are you going to blame the fine print?"

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Crests by Chenthooran

Divine Classification

Devil

Alignment

Lawful Evil (Among fiends and celestials)
Chaotic/Neutral Good (Among mortals)

Honorary & Occupational Titles

The Lord of the Third
 The Laughing Fiend
 Old Ear-To-Ear
 The Good One
 The Jaded Duke
 Archduke of Minauros 
 The Catfish
 The Redeemer

Currently Held Titles

• Northern Star

Cleric Domain
Knowledge; Trickey; Twilight; Light

"If you ask me, celestials are the same as fiends. They're out for themselves, not the Prime Material, even if they claim to be morally superior. If you're a good man, why do you need to tell us you are?"

- Bogmire on celestials

Fortune and Misfortune

Something that everyone throughout the Outer Planes knew was that Bogmire was impossible to win against in a gamble. It is unknown if he has powers over misfortune or simply a level of clairvoyance that exceeds magical obstruction, but Bogmire has never lost a bet since mortals and immortals caught wind of his existence. It is rumored that the only person to have won against Bogmire in a bet was a man that would eventually become the legendary Father Holliday, a figure that appears during the winter to bless the good and curse the evil. This man supposedly used nothing but weighted dice. Predictably, the devils that worked under Bogmire called foul, claiming such a basic trick would never slip past him.