Bel

There are few success stories in Hell more profound or fantastic than the meteoric rise to power as that accomplished by the current Lord of the First. Bel, the most highly decorated Devil general in the Blood War, the pride of the Dark Eight, and the only Pit Fiend in countless millennia to actually turn down an invitation to join the coven of diabolical generals. His "sacrifice" was clearly one that paved his way for his current position.
For as long as most immortals can remember, Bel was the chief general leading the armies of Devils against the hordes of Demons in the Blood War. Unlike most Devils integrally involved with the Blood War, Bel was also an important member of the court of the original Lord of the First, a Devil commonly known as Zariel or Zavebe (although many rumors insist that Tiamat was the original ruler of Avernus). As the beachhead of any Abyssal invasion into Hell, Zariel always concerned herself with the Blood War to a degree beyond that of the other Lords of the Nine. And, as such, Zariel knew how important it was to recognize Bel's accomplishments in the war and his status and power among Devils. In short order, Bel became Zariel's greatest Duke and a trusted ally, even going as far as defending her. However, this apparent loyalty was simply a ploy to erase any remaining vestiges of doubt in Zariel's mind about Bel's loyalties.
To this day only Asmodeus himself knows precisely how Bel imprisoned Zariel and stole her power. Since this event hundreds of years ago, Bel has slowly consolidated his power while maintaining an active campaign against the hordes of The Abyss, causing many to remain ignorant of his status as the new Lord of the First until relatively recently.
In the politics among the Lords of the Nine, Bel is neither trusted or admired (at least not openly). Dispater, his neighbor, views him as a lucky simpleton and generally ignores his overtures for an alliance; the Iron Duke refers to him as the Pretender, a nickname that has reached the lips of all throughout Hell. Likewise, both Baalzebul and Mephistopheles have rebuffed Bel's offers of friendship, knowing full well how crafty this former Pit Fiend can be. Indeed, Bel's only ally among the Lords is the Dark Lord of Nessus himself. Asmodeus is very pleased with Bel, as he has one less established Lord to deal with; furthermore, Bel continues to spend much of his time in the Blood War, further diluting any potential threat he may pose to the status quo in Hell. In addition, Bel is still beholden to his responsibilities to the Dark Eight by order of Asmodeus himself. Still, Bel has now reached the point in which his control of Avernus is all but solidified. He has also established partnerships with the Queen of Dragons, Tiamat, allowing him unfettered access to her Abishai. It is only a matter of time before Bel's status as Lord of the First is final and immoveable. What happens thereafter for the star of Hell remains to be seen.
Until recently, Bel appeared as a tremendously huge Pit Fiend wearing elaborate bracers of armor, often astride a gargantuan nightmare, wielding his huge sword, Abyssbane. In the past few decades, as the mantle of Lordship has settled on him, while still huge and of the general build, wings, and hooved feet of a Pit Fiend, his face has taken on a more humanoid appearance, and his scales have become the color of burnt ash. He has also taken to wearing finely designed leather kilts.

Personality

Calculating and calm in his assessments, Bel was one of the greatest military minds in the Nine Hells, using every tactical advantage available and only engaging in battle on his own terms. His favored tactics involved ambushes, double-crosses, feints and counter-feints, and backstabbing his enemies while anticipating the treacherous moves of his rivals. While he occasionally erupted with anger upon being foiled, he was generally cool-headed—a far cry from the constant, fiery fury of Zariel.
Cunning, analytical and, above all, a realist, Bel was fully aware that demons were infinite in number, if not literally then effectively, and so depended on slow defensive advances to fend them off. He was a long-term logistician, and in his mind the most he could do was contain the endless hordes of The Abyss. Even if victory only lasted a day, he valued the assistance of anyone, mortal or otherwise, and gave fair hearings to those who offered. Though certainly evil and sadistic, his duties came before his amusements.
Almost impossible to surprise, difficult to deceive, and typically only attacking when attacked, at least directly, Bel could be a reliable ally if approached with respect rather than duplicity. He could provide riches, information, letters of safe passage, and other forms of aid, but he was a shrewd negotiator who, as one might expect, kept his promises to the letter and cared less about their spirit. Perhaps Bel's only psychological weakness was his disdain for and suspicion of magic, preferring martial rather than magical might.

Powers

Bel's powers are simply those of a physically and magically enhanced pit fiend. His sheer presence is so overwhelming that weaker beings of virtue are left paralyzed with terror, while others are struck with awe.
As a general, he preferrs to fight from afar and never goes into battle without minions to command, always using variety when summoning aid. He uses cornugons as aerial attackers and seemingly favors summoning gelugons, which he uses to deal with the most hard-hitting opposition. Meanwhile, he lets loose destructive spell-like abilities like walls of fire, rarely deigning to enter melee himself unless he holds some advantage, and even then rarely committing to it. When he does enter close-quarters combat he is incredibly dangerous, but saves his most potent weapon, his venomous bite, for arcane spellcasters.

Worshipers

Zariel's already-meager worshiper base scattered upon her defeat and didn't transfer their devotion to Bel, with many mortals simply not realizing there was ever a change in management. Worse yet, Tiamat's ever-present nature in Avernus leads to her being mistaken as the true Lord of the First, keeping the Bellic worshiper base small.
While Bel enjoys cruelty and corruption, he doesn't actively try to cause the fall of useful mortals in his employ, although as an entity of pure evil, he has a tendency to corrupt them even without conscious effort. He lacks any kind of cult; he was only occasionally worshiped by warriors, although he attempts to recruit close-range combatants to help him defend his domain. Some of the most extreme paladins sworn to an Oath of Conquest have gone so far in their quest for order that they deal with the infernal forces of Hell, and many of these "hell knights" are the most ardent supporters of the Warlord of Avernus.
It is important to Bel that those pledged to him succeeded in battle for as long as they live, and unfailing allegiance to him could give one genius tactics and unique insights into how to best their foes. Those in Bel's service can call upon his power to manifest accursed green flames, which dance across their weapons and overpower resistance to fire. His brand, the mark of one's service to him, is a cold iron longsword or greatsword that glistens with green hellfire, which is particularly effective against good-aligned beings and even more so against demons.

Divine Classification

Devil

Alignment

Lawful evil

Current Location

Avernus

Species

Devil

Realm

Avernus

Aligned Organization

The Hordes of Hell