Baalzebul (Bay-ale-ze-bull)

Lord of the Seventh, Archdevil of Maladomini

For more information on all Archdevils, see: Archdevils

Baalzebul, formerly an archon known as Triel, is the Lord of Maladomini and the most infamous Archdevil next to Asmodeus himself. He is known as the Lord of Flies because his webs of intrigue are so tightly woven that not even flies can escape, but the form he was cursed with by Asmodeus earned him a new title; the Slug Archduke.

Physical Description

Triel was once renowned as among one of the most beauteous denizens of Celestia but was physically altered after his corruption. His new form was that of a 12 foot tall humanoid with shimmering, sable skin and the jittering, compound eyes of a fly. Still angelically stunning even after his fall from grace, Asmodeus put a curse upon him as punishment for a later crime, forcing him into an even more demeaning form.
The former celestial's mutated form is that of a 25 foot tall slug, a grotesque abomination infamously unpleasant even to other devils. The Lord of Flies is constantly surrounded by swarms of the buzzing, scuttling creatures that earned him his title. His body glistens with mucus and thanks to his curse, fecal matter and other rancid filth manifest in piles wherever he goes, resulting in his notoriously noxious stench. His deformed arms rest at his front and are more comparable to prehensile tails in functionality. Replacing his handsome visage is a gross, human-like face with torpid lips, incapable of properly pronouncing words without a slimy, wet lisp. However, even when reduced to such an unsightly state, faint glimpses of the Slug Archduke's previously glorious appearance can still be made out.

Divine Realm

The personal residence of Baalzebul is the fortress city of Malagard, one of the few that are actually inhabited where a panoply of the last remaining plants of the plane are tended to. Constructed of innumerable black stone spires that extend into the sky and stretch for miles on end, Malagard is so vast that not even its lord knows all of its millions of miles of passages and rooms. The towers are connected by both open and covered bridges that slant and criss-cross crazily in every direction and the dungeons are so deep that many of those who escape the clutches of their devil tormentors actually flee into them in order to escape. Perfectly straight streets and fragile yet frightening fountains can be seen throughout the infernally magnificent citadel.

Tenets of Faith

• Convey yourself with regal dignity.


• Claim what you desire and deserve.


• Seek vengeance from those who wrong you.

Social Aptitude

Of Baazelbul's numerous flaws, his most crippling is his perfectionist extremism. His unfiltered dedication to achieving physical flawlessness and greater dominion is likely what caused his initial fall from Celestia, as such callous ambition is more befitting of a devil. Seemingly incapable of realizing when he has gone too far, his utter arrogance leads him to undermine his own plans by overreaching. He might have even been able to defeat his rival Mephistopheles if, in his overconfident scheming, he didn't also aim to defeat Asmodeus, causing him to fall even further than before.
Baalzebul makes an effort to seem calm on the surface, often withholding his true feelings from others. In truth, the Lord of Lies views his transformation into a slug not simply as an obstacle to be overcome but as a humiliating experience. He has become an abusive taskmaster during his time in Hell, a sadistic torturer that displaces his anger on his subjects and loves disheartening them, but after being cursed, he became neglectful and miserable himself. Often times, he ignores his depressing duties in favor of plotting revenge and fantasizing about regaining his original form.
Despite his flaws, Baalzebul is still dangerously cunning and charismatic. If not for interference, he might have not only been able to best Mephistopheles during the Reckoning, but even oust Asmodeus himself. Even when trapped in his inarticulate, slug-like form, he is still the Lord of Lies, whose every deception and false statement is made with ease. He is not to be mistaken as a pathological liar as he tells each untruth with a purpose in mind and, indeed, managed to keep a hold on his layer for several millennia without lying, at least to other devils.

Worshipers

Of all the Archdevils, Baalzebul is second only to Asmodeus in terms of infamy and is as popular as any other Archdevil in Iolcus, not that his cultists make their worship public knowledge. Even after his transformation, his cult is larger than those of his peers, although most mortals are unaware of the curse that dooms those who make deals with him. Whether as the Lord of the Flies, Lord of Lies, or the Fallen One, he is despised as much as he is revered, luring in mortal followers as the dual patron of sly charm supported by brutal power.
Baalzebul specializes in mass-scale corruption and deception, with his religious orders functioning more as conspiracies against previous establishments. His sects are often comprised of nonconformists, rebels and other malcontents, and focused on disrupting through a combination of charismatic guile and terror campaigns involving assassination. He tries to instigated coups against the leaders of lawful empires in order to place imperial dictatorships in their stead, but as a result of his subtle methods, it can take his cults generations to actually succeed. When such plots actually do come to fruition, Baalzebul's servitors normally prove more adept at subverting authorities than acting as them. Because of this, Asmodeus, who normally targets an already existing authority rather than secret societies, occasionally swaps temples with Baalzebul, with Asmodeus taking over Baalzebul's finished projects and Baalzebul being granted access to hidden shrines to Asmodeus in just kingdoms.
Those formally dedicated to the Fallen One are treacherous and ruthless, willing to use any deceitful tactic and betray even their closest friends and family to achieve their aims. They can summon swarms of flies but specialize in using cunning and eloquence to tell bold-faced lies. Allies are rarely kept around along before being backstabbed although his disciples excel at manipulating them so long as they are required.

Contacts & Relations

Archdevils

Baazelbul has several rivals in the Nine Hells and enough enemies that, at some point, he was given the insulting corruption of his sobriquet, Lord of Lies, although in some cases, it is still used as a compliment. His notable foes are Mephistopheles and Dispater, both of which are ancient Archdevils whose seniority contrasts Baalzebul's quick upstart and who scorn the one they view as an outsider. Both were pleased to hear of his transformation into the Slug Archduke.
Although he feigns subservience, Baalzebul's primary target of hatred is Asmodeus for cursing him, yet the Lord of Nessus occasionally favors him for seemingly no reason, possibly viewing him as a worthy opponent. Despite Baalzebul keeping them in his castles and having them as servants and bodyguards, he only begrudgingly allows pit fiends into Maladomini, suspecting them of being puppets or spies for Asmodeus.
Incapable of admitting his own fault, Baalzebul places the majority of blame for his curse on Mephistopheles. The Cold Lord is the greater of his rivals and the two can be said to be quite similar, particularly in their insatiable hunger for power and recognition. Both believe that the key to their success is to defeat the other, making them the second greatest Archdevil and strong enough to potentially overthrow Asmodeus. Each spend much of their time either machinating against their archenemy or having their forces engage in skirmishes and battles in a constant stalemate, which ironically is part of the reason Asmodeus tolerates them.
A keeper of many secrets, Dispater's hatred for Baalzebul is the most well-known in Baator as the two constantly fight wars of intrigue. Even with the support of Mephistopheles, the forces of Dispater and Baalzebul slowly whittle down each other, and protecting himself from such plots appears to consume much of Dispater's time and distract him from further plans of expansion. Part of the reason behind his utter loathing of the Fallen One is that he views him not as a true devil but just an exiled celestial undeserving of the respect he shows Mephistopheles. More recently however, Dispater sought to politely distance himself from his allies and make peaceful gestures to his foes, however impossible being a truly neutral party in the Nine Hells is.

Belial

One of the curses inflicted by Asmodeus upon Baalzebul is that any deal struck with him will inevitably end in catastrophe for the other party, a decree that generally wards off other devils from doing so. Despite this, Baalzebul still has his allies, such as the former Lord of the Fourth, Belial, who has been with him both before and after the Reckoning. Their relationship was kept private after Baalzebul was demoted but both sides come to the other's aid if they are in danger, although in Baalzebul's case, that is based on the assumption he could find some benefit in doing so.

Divine Traits

General Information

Alternative Name(s)
Archdevil of Maladomini
The Fallen One
Lord of Flies
Lord of Lies
Lord of Maladomini
Lord of the Seventh
The Slug Archduke
Triel (formerly)

Alignment
Lawful Evil

Pantheon
Lesser Idol - Archdevil

Areas of Concern
Arrogance, flies, lies

Favored Weapon
Halberd

Sacred Animal(s)
Fly

Sacred Color(s)
Yellow

Symbol
Iron crown and diamond

Worshipers
Nonconformists, power-hungry spellcasters, rebels, seekers of revenge, self-serving lords

Plane
The Nine Hells - Malagard, Maladomini (7th layer)

Pathfinder 1e

Domains
Air, Death, Evil, Law

Subdomains
Devil, Murder, Undead, Wind

Pathfinder 2e

Domains
Air, Ambition, Death, Trickery

Alternate Domains
None

Divine Ability
Dexterity or Charisma

Divine Font
Harm

Divine Skill
Deception

Cleric Spells
1st: Fleet Step
2nd: Vomit Swarm
6th: Mislead