Devil

Devils are fiends, or evil outsiders, native to Hell.

Devil, Endbringer (Dhalochar)

For countless eons, Hell’s legions have undermined the Material Plane, subtly corrupting mortal empires and laying waste to entire worlds. The malebranche—diabolical generals advancing hellish agendas on terrestrial fronts—call upon the planes’ most fearsome agents to claim strategic footholds. Some of these campaigns call for truly terrifying displays of force. Thus, when the lords of Hell seek to make a whole world shudder, dhalochars take to the battlefield. Known as endbringer devils, dhalochars are forged to embody diabolical conquest. They are vessels and weapons of ruin, designed to create beachheads upon even the best-defended worlds. Dhalochars were made to withstand the depths of space and can traverse the void, stalking worlds like apocalyptic meteors. Any witnesses who survive a dhalochar’s devastating crash landing swiftly realize that the titan’s assault has only just begun. Within its body, each dhalochar houses a cavity capable of holding a deadly payload—an infernal strike force or a portal-generating organ. This space isn’t magical but is well protected, able to withstand any attack as long as the devil remains alive. As dhalochars are close cousins to levalochs, they most commonly transport these deadly infernal shock troops. Upon landing on a world, dhalochars release their cargo and reconfigure themselves. In their terrestrial forms, they appear as many-legged titans, a form which readily demonstrates that they are not mere machines of war. They are calmly arrogant and quick to pronounce a world’s inevitable destruction. While dhalochars participating in a major planetary assault might crash-land in heavily populated areas and immediately attack, most favor staying undiscovered so they can gradually conjure more devils in preparation for even greater diabolical offensives. Dhalochars have no ability to launch themselves into space. As a result, after a dhalochar in starship form uses its cataclysm ability, it returns to Hell using its plane shift spell-like ability and waits to be conjured back to space. A dhalochar stands roughly 90 feet tall and weighs approximately 400 tons.

Devil, Hacker (Lislaroth)

Lislaroths are Hell’s digital spies. They gain access to sensitive data, which they use or trade to corrupt mortal souls. A lislaroth stands 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds.

Devil, Imp

Imps are among the lowest-ranked of the fiends of Hell. However, they serve an important role in corrupting mortals. Easy to summon to the Material Plane, imps willingly form bonds with spellcasters who call them. While on the Material Plane, an imp influences anyone it can to perform diabolical deeds. If serving a mortal master, the imp plays the part of a loyal servant, offering advice, infernal foresight, and even mystic tutelage. The imp’s true goal, however, is the delivery of as many souls as possible into damnation. An imp is also the devil most likely to be found freely roaming the Material Plane. Without help, an imp has no means of returning to Hell. Therefore, a masterless imp remains and continues its Hell-bound duties. The creature insinuates itself into a new situation, either with a different master or a group of wicked mortals. Among weaker creatures, an imp might rise to a leadership role. But such a fiend is more likely to be a dark influence on a stronger leader. In this way, the imp can direct a group toward depravity but take no blame for any failings. An imp is about 2 feet tall and weighs nearly 13 pounds.

Devil, Warmonger (Levaloch)

Few devils personify the infernal approach to military operations like a levaloch. This fiend’s mind is simultaneously logical and passionate, driven to promote Hell’s order through conflict. Its restless spirit finds joy only in battle. Within Hell’s hierarchy, levalochs serve in elite strike forces composed entirely of others of their kind or as commanders of units of other warlike devils. Fearsome in appearance and skill, warmonger devils are diabolical essences infused into constructed metallic frames. Standing 10 feet tall and weighing 1 ton, a levaloch’s body resembles the torso of a hellish, armored knight placed atop six fiendish, clawed, insectile legs. Even compared to other devils, the anatomy of a levaloch is an enigma. They have no internal physiology at all, being little more than living suits of blasphemous chitin and Hell-forged armor. As a result, levalochs are often misidentified as constructs. A single levaloch is quite powerful on its own, but the devils’ true might lies in working alongside other devils in battle. Levalochs lead from the front lines, inspiring their allies and terrifying their foes. They are demanding, stern leaders, but they aren’t dismissive of devils lower in Hell’s hierarchy. Levalochs instead assess a given ally based on that being’s capabilities and strategic utility, knowing a single powerful devil might not be able to accomplish what a horde of lesser fiends can. Warmonger devils’ grasp of strategy and tactics is undisputed, and they can understand and execute complex maneuvers. Coupled with this tactical mastery is a devious creativity that allows a levaloch to respond well to unexpected changes in a situation. This adaptability surprises foes that assume the ordered minds of devils are stagnant and resistant to change. In any confrontation, warmonger devils prefer to wipe out weaker targets first and cut off routes of escape, leaving dangerous foes without allies to call upon or any recourse but defeat or surrender. Levalochs try to avoid throwing away their own troops needlessly, not out of any sense of compassion, but out of a desire to preserve numerical advantage. Fewer troops mean a diminished ability to wage war. Regardless, levalochs value infernal warriors over mortal troops and utilize them in battle accordingly. When the forces of Hell engage in interplanetary assault, levalochs ride in the cargo cavity of a dhalochar to serve as a supplemental incursion force, quickly quelling pockets of resistance and paving the way for wider devilish invasion. Sometimes they remain within the dhalochar’s cargo cavity until the spacefaring fiend crashes to the ground. Other times, they teleport to the planet while the dhalochar remains in the atmosphere to demolish any air defenses a defender might scramble. Levalochs can also serve as useful agents provocateurs, whether preparing a world for conquest or serving a mortal summoner. Stealthy despite their large size, they can infiltrate target locations with guile rather than numbers or direct force. A levaloch’s true allegiance is to Hell, however, and sloppily worded contracts and orders can lead one of them to undermine mission objectives if the levaloch believes doing so is in the best interests of its infernal masters. While warmongers do not ingratiate themselves to mortals who have summoned them as easily as other devils do, they hide their motives well. Among mercenary captains in and near the Pact Worlds, stories persist of training camps run by levalochs where mortals can receive expert training at the hands of devils, paying with various services or currencies—especially souls. For the downtrodden and desperate, this deal can be tempting. More than a few amateur warriors have disappeared for a few months, only to resurface later with devilishly fierce skills in battle. Even more disturbing are the reports of a mercenary company consisting entirely of levalochs. These devils supposedly offer their services as soldiers of fortune to the highest bidder, though once again, care must be taken when drawing up the contracts for such services to avoid any conflicts of interests with the levalochs’ loyalty to Hell itself. As befits creatures designed for combat, levalochs have a particular interest in weapon technologies. Rumors swirl that several arms manufacturers use levalochs as consultants on projects, sometimes over the protestations of other employees. Corporate lawyers who craft these infernal pacts assure staff that the levalochs’ contracts are airtight. Such reassurances and the potential for increased profits are enough to assuage the fears of the corporate elite.