Duke Szeffrin and Pazrael

Duke Szeffrin, ruler of the Almorian lands, is the other main power player with a firm alliance with a fiend of great power. The Abyssal Lord Pazrael (documented in Iuz The Evil and also noted in the Almor chapter here) lends strength and magic to Szeffrin. Plus, tanar'ri in his service use the gate at Onyxgate to enter the Prime Material plane.

Szeffrin plots the destruction of Ivid, in revenge for his conversion to an animus. And knowing of the overking's alliance with baatezu, an association with tanar'ri to oppose him is ideal.

Pazrael's game is more complex.

This Abyssal Lord has an alliance with Iuz, not the least because Pazrael is very wary of Graz'zt, Iuz's tanar'ri father. But Pazrael also has the long-term goal of supplanting Iuz as a ruler on Oerth.

What Pazrael is doing in Szeffrin's domain is simple; he is testing magical strength on a scale which he doesn't want to offer to Iuz. Pazrael wants to see how his most mighty magics work in Almor, to "field test" them for the day when he can act against Iuz. Iuz knows this, and sends spies to watch over events in Almor. This makes for some intriguing complications in the politics of Oerth and the Abyss.