Glasya
Archduchess Glasya (a.k.a. Princess of Hell, The Dark Prodigy, Queen of the Erinyes)
Glasya was the lady of Malbolge and daughter of Asmodeus, therefore making her the Princess of the Nine Hells. One of the most powerful and influential of the female devils, the Dark Prodigy was an unpredictable archdevil known for her subversiveness.
Glasya appeared as a 9 ft (2.7 m) tall, black-haired figure similar in form to a succubus. She was well-built and of unearthly beauty that remained undiminished by the small horns, large, leathery wings, and forked tail that gave away her diabolical origins. Notably, her skin was of a copper hue, itself not an extremely unusual trait for humanoids, but made prominent by its more metallic appearance. She was adorned with jewels, clothes, and various finery of incredible expense.
Personality-
Glasya was perhaps the least predictable of the archdevils, with a reputation for capriciousness and a history of whimsy and mischief. She took pride in her nonconformity and openly flouted the norms of Hell at her leisure, breaking tradition while bending the rules. Surprising others with unexpected gambits was a source of delight for her, and even before she became an archdevil she was somewhat rebellious and defiant, moving between courts as the mood struck her. Despite her often contrarian moves, Glasya was no less cruel than any other diabolical denizen of Hell. Her style of torment often had a verbal element; she delightfully informed those she lured into Hell of their impending doomed and vividly described the horrors awaiting those who crossed her. She was also articulate, combining subtle mockery, verbal games, cruel teasing, and noble snobbishness to toy with those at her mercy before she grew bored and sent them off to be tortured. Her sadism extended to the physical, as she extracted much joy from watching her victims suffer cancerous disease, and the only thing her lordship changed was the increased openness with which she expressed her twisted desires. Glasya's sense of aesthetics belied her inner corruption, as the Princess of Hell was equal parts lovely and loathsome. She had a disturbing love of beauty, sparing those she found appealing and refraining from killing captured servants of good those that seemed open to her attempts at seduction. Conversely, she couldn't tolerate the hideous appearance or mewling whimpers of the lemures. She used the corpse of the Hag Countess to create a domain of achingly pleasant palaces and gardens from a contrasting foundation of ugliness and decay, and made some of her victims enthrallingly beautiful while turning others into suffering mockeries of life. Like the realm that reflected her, Glasya's enchanting surface level disguised a truly rotten core. Manipulation-
Much like her cruelty, Glasya's propensity for concocting sinister schemes was inherited from her mother. Her ambition wasn't stemmed by her relation to Asmodeus, and Hell's own criminal mastermind had demonstrated a willingness to cross any line for power. She was an intelligent manipulator, possessing in abundance the conniving guile needed to exist in Hell. Glasya owed her continued survival to her ability to deflect suspicion and insulate herself from blame, typically by having her allies serve as scapegoats. Despite her uncaring demeanour, her sycophants often willingly sacrificed themselves for her, for Glasya knew how to evoke sympathy even in those fighting her and use seduction, deception, and even honesty to win allies for her cause. She preferred to talk rather than directly confront, make allies rather than more enemies, and was quick to show her attackers the "error of their ways". Activities-
Unlike most other archdevils, Glasya had little interest in matters outside the Nine Hells, although her endless machinations to expand her power still extended beyond her own plane. She focused her efforts as a scheming manipulators, one of the best among the archdevils, on the political developments within Hell. She served as the warden of Malbolge, the prison system of the Nine Hells, and so part of the sadistic princess's duties was overseeing the punishments of law-breaking devils. Glasya spent a great amount of her time roaming the more beautiful parts of her plane or indulging in luxury, but given her new responsibilities as archduchess, she could no longer partake in her prior favourite pastime of personally seducing mortals into Hell. Instead, she had to relive such experiences vicariously, instructing her favoured erinyes to tempt targets of her choice, with self-righteous paladins and corruptible elder priests being her particular favourites. Captives that weren't powerful enough to be a threat to her were tortured in her palace where she could watch or participate at her whim. https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Glasya Glasya was believed to be Asmodeus's only child, and the circumstances of her birth were shrouded in mystery.[3] Beings of god-like status rarely shared their power with offspring, divine children being rare at best, and his plans for her daughter were unclear.[8] Glasya wasn't above using her familial-relation to Asmodeus as a shield to protect herself from retaliation.[7] Glasya had gone so far as to win the loyalty of some of the Dark Eight, his insidious cabal of pit fiend generals, though who was to say which of them were loyal to her and which would side with her father if the two went to war.[8] The two had a long, volatile history; Glasya often consorted with his enemies and openly resisted his efforts to control her,[14][13] and Asmodeus's move to make her serve in his court only made her bored and dissatisfied.[1] He gave his blessing when she took over Malbolge (the role he played in the process debatable),[13][18] but it was possible that he reasoned that with responsibility over a Hell, her ambitions would be kept in check.[5] Despite not always seeing eye to eye, Glasya still generally supported her father since the two shared a similar outlook and methodology.[19] Glasya's mother, Bensozia, viewed her daughter as a tool to carry her resentment and spite. Asmodeus had essentially taken his consort as a trophy, and the mastermind of the Hells failed to anticipate the depths of this loathing. Believing that Glasya could do what she couldn't―kill Asmodeus―she nursed her daughter on poisonous hate, taught her seduction and intrigue, and filled her empty heart with murderous intent. The seed of hate Bensozia planted eventually grew until replacing her father became Glasya's dominating desire.[8] The archduke Mephistopheles, despite loudly announcing his intent to replace Asmodeus, could be said to be a family member of Glasya since he was somewhat of a godfather for her. Baalzebul and Moloch, the former rulers of Malbolge, vehemently detested Glasya. A majority of assassins sent at Glasya were from Baalzebul,[8][22] for not only had the princess teased him in the past to try and supplant him as ruler of Maladomini, but she was a participant in the conspiracy that lost him the plane she went on to rule.[14] Moloch, though he rejoiced at Malagard's death, was also irritated by Glasya's rule over his former dominion, a clear act of nepotism by Asmodeus.[22] The ever-cautious Dispater was sent into paranoia when Glasya killed the Hag Countess, seemingly with her father in on the scheme, and began taking even more defensive measures in response.[23] Glasya harbored a special hatred for Levistus, who she had stated her intent to kill for an ancient crime regarding the death of her mother.[4][8] She had been described as being obsessed with him, going between pining misery and murderous rage, though since Levistus had his own defenses, her actual claims were considered posturing.[8] After becoming archduchess, she used her intelligence network of paeliryons to gather information on her nemesis, hoping to obtain enough evidence that her father would grant her approval to destroy him for good.[4] Despite this, Levistus still toyed with the idea of making overtures to the rebellious child of Asmodeus.[24] The only archduke that liked Glasya was Fierna, another archdevil's daughter and a likely ally for when her relatively weaker forces attacked Levistus.[8][20] Despite rumors that she killed Naome, Fierna's mother,[8] (who had a distaste for Glasya when she was still alive)[25] Fierna held only besotted admiration for Glasya and couldn't stop talking about her when the subject arose.[20] Friends even before Glasya's rise,[8] Fierna was inspired by her example, and encouraged by her to develop a network of devils and cultists separate from her father Belial's forces. Belial was hampered both by Fierna's ambition, a potential liability, and the interruption of plans to invade Malbolge. For a time he schemed to loosen Glasya's influence over Fierna, albeit with the utmost caution as to avoid incurring Asmodeus' wrath.[20] Glasya used to be Mammon's consort, but their true feelings for each other weren't clear.[8][13] He was still bitter and wanted payback against her for manipulating him in the Reckoning,[8] and was frightened by her ascension,[26] yet he sought to have her at his feet when he ruled Hell.[27] Glasya hated the squalid slum of Minauros,[8] but yet, after taking Malbolge, had been manipulating some of his dukes to try and take his domain for herself.[28] Asmodeus might have assigned Glasya to Mammon,[8] or she might have went to him, either out of actual passion or just to stir up trouble for the archdevils,[1][13] though either way Asmodeus put an end to the relationship after the Reckoning. There were rumors since Glasya became archduchess that they'd rekindled their affair, but others claimed that Glasya resented the feckless serpent for not fighting for their love, although given political romance in Hell, both could be true.[13][3]
Glasya was perhaps the least predictable of the archdevils, with a reputation for capriciousness and a history of whimsy and mischief. She took pride in her nonconformity and openly flouted the norms of Hell at her leisure, breaking tradition while bending the rules. Surprising others with unexpected gambits was a source of delight for her, and even before she became an archdevil she was somewhat rebellious and defiant, moving between courts as the mood struck her. Despite her often contrarian moves, Glasya was no less cruel than any other diabolical denizen of Hell. Her style of torment often had a verbal element; she delightfully informed those she lured into Hell of their impending doomed and vividly described the horrors awaiting those who crossed her. She was also articulate, combining subtle mockery, verbal games, cruel teasing, and noble snobbishness to toy with those at her mercy before she grew bored and sent them off to be tortured. Her sadism extended to the physical, as she extracted much joy from watching her victims suffer cancerous disease, and the only thing her lordship changed was the increased openness with which she expressed her twisted desires. Glasya's sense of aesthetics belied her inner corruption, as the Princess of Hell was equal parts lovely and loathsome. She had a disturbing love of beauty, sparing those she found appealing and refraining from killing captured servants of good those that seemed open to her attempts at seduction. Conversely, she couldn't tolerate the hideous appearance or mewling whimpers of the lemures. She used the corpse of the Hag Countess to create a domain of achingly pleasant palaces and gardens from a contrasting foundation of ugliness and decay, and made some of her victims enthrallingly beautiful while turning others into suffering mockeries of life. Like the realm that reflected her, Glasya's enchanting surface level disguised a truly rotten core. Manipulation-
Much like her cruelty, Glasya's propensity for concocting sinister schemes was inherited from her mother. Her ambition wasn't stemmed by her relation to Asmodeus, and Hell's own criminal mastermind had demonstrated a willingness to cross any line for power. She was an intelligent manipulator, possessing in abundance the conniving guile needed to exist in Hell. Glasya owed her continued survival to her ability to deflect suspicion and insulate herself from blame, typically by having her allies serve as scapegoats. Despite her uncaring demeanour, her sycophants often willingly sacrificed themselves for her, for Glasya knew how to evoke sympathy even in those fighting her and use seduction, deception, and even honesty to win allies for her cause. She preferred to talk rather than directly confront, make allies rather than more enemies, and was quick to show her attackers the "error of their ways". Activities-
Unlike most other archdevils, Glasya had little interest in matters outside the Nine Hells, although her endless machinations to expand her power still extended beyond her own plane. She focused her efforts as a scheming manipulators, one of the best among the archdevils, on the political developments within Hell. She served as the warden of Malbolge, the prison system of the Nine Hells, and so part of the sadistic princess's duties was overseeing the punishments of law-breaking devils. Glasya spent a great amount of her time roaming the more beautiful parts of her plane or indulging in luxury, but given her new responsibilities as archduchess, she could no longer partake in her prior favourite pastime of personally seducing mortals into Hell. Instead, she had to relive such experiences vicariously, instructing her favoured erinyes to tempt targets of her choice, with self-righteous paladins and corruptible elder priests being her particular favourites. Captives that weren't powerful enough to be a threat to her were tortured in her palace where she could watch or participate at her whim. https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Glasya Glasya was believed to be Asmodeus's only child, and the circumstances of her birth were shrouded in mystery.[3] Beings of god-like status rarely shared their power with offspring, divine children being rare at best, and his plans for her daughter were unclear.[8] Glasya wasn't above using her familial-relation to Asmodeus as a shield to protect herself from retaliation.[7] Glasya had gone so far as to win the loyalty of some of the Dark Eight, his insidious cabal of pit fiend generals, though who was to say which of them were loyal to her and which would side with her father if the two went to war.[8] The two had a long, volatile history; Glasya often consorted with his enemies and openly resisted his efforts to control her,[14][13] and Asmodeus's move to make her serve in his court only made her bored and dissatisfied.[1] He gave his blessing when she took over Malbolge (the role he played in the process debatable),[13][18] but it was possible that he reasoned that with responsibility over a Hell, her ambitions would be kept in check.[5] Despite not always seeing eye to eye, Glasya still generally supported her father since the two shared a similar outlook and methodology.[19] Glasya's mother, Bensozia, viewed her daughter as a tool to carry her resentment and spite. Asmodeus had essentially taken his consort as a trophy, and the mastermind of the Hells failed to anticipate the depths of this loathing. Believing that Glasya could do what she couldn't―kill Asmodeus―she nursed her daughter on poisonous hate, taught her seduction and intrigue, and filled her empty heart with murderous intent. The seed of hate Bensozia planted eventually grew until replacing her father became Glasya's dominating desire.[8] The archduke Mephistopheles, despite loudly announcing his intent to replace Asmodeus, could be said to be a family member of Glasya since he was somewhat of a godfather for her. Baalzebul and Moloch, the former rulers of Malbolge, vehemently detested Glasya. A majority of assassins sent at Glasya were from Baalzebul,[8][22] for not only had the princess teased him in the past to try and supplant him as ruler of Maladomini, but she was a participant in the conspiracy that lost him the plane she went on to rule.[14] Moloch, though he rejoiced at Malagard's death, was also irritated by Glasya's rule over his former dominion, a clear act of nepotism by Asmodeus.[22] The ever-cautious Dispater was sent into paranoia when Glasya killed the Hag Countess, seemingly with her father in on the scheme, and began taking even more defensive measures in response.[23] Glasya harbored a special hatred for Levistus, who she had stated her intent to kill for an ancient crime regarding the death of her mother.[4][8] She had been described as being obsessed with him, going between pining misery and murderous rage, though since Levistus had his own defenses, her actual claims were considered posturing.[8] After becoming archduchess, she used her intelligence network of paeliryons to gather information on her nemesis, hoping to obtain enough evidence that her father would grant her approval to destroy him for good.[4] Despite this, Levistus still toyed with the idea of making overtures to the rebellious child of Asmodeus.[24] The only archduke that liked Glasya was Fierna, another archdevil's daughter and a likely ally for when her relatively weaker forces attacked Levistus.[8][20] Despite rumors that she killed Naome, Fierna's mother,[8] (who had a distaste for Glasya when she was still alive)[25] Fierna held only besotted admiration for Glasya and couldn't stop talking about her when the subject arose.[20] Friends even before Glasya's rise,[8] Fierna was inspired by her example, and encouraged by her to develop a network of devils and cultists separate from her father Belial's forces. Belial was hampered both by Fierna's ambition, a potential liability, and the interruption of plans to invade Malbolge. For a time he schemed to loosen Glasya's influence over Fierna, albeit with the utmost caution as to avoid incurring Asmodeus' wrath.[20] Glasya used to be Mammon's consort, but their true feelings for each other weren't clear.[8][13] He was still bitter and wanted payback against her for manipulating him in the Reckoning,[8] and was frightened by her ascension,[26] yet he sought to have her at his feet when he ruled Hell.[27] Glasya hated the squalid slum of Minauros,[8] but yet, after taking Malbolge, had been manipulating some of his dukes to try and take his domain for herself.[28] Asmodeus might have assigned Glasya to Mammon,[8] or she might have went to him, either out of actual passion or just to stir up trouble for the archdevils,[1][13] though either way Asmodeus put an end to the relationship after the Reckoning. There were rumors since Glasya became archduchess that they'd rekindled their affair, but others claimed that Glasya resented the feckless serpent for not fighting for their love, although given political romance in Hell, both could be true.[13][3]
Divine Domains
Manipulation, Blood, Evil
Mental characteristics
Personal history
In her early days, before her rise, the Reckoning, or even the ancient imprisonment of Levistus, the rebellious Glasya flitted between the courts of various archdevils at a whim.[13][3] This fanciful trouble-making ended,[1] however, when Bensozia died.[8] Though exactly what happened was shrouded in mystery and conspiracy, it ended with Levistus being sealed in his icy tomb and Glasya becoming primarily Mammon's consort. Something about the events that transpired during this time magnified the hatred that Bensozia had fostered in her daughter's heart towards her father, and it was at this point she became dedicated to supplanting him.[8]
Reckoning-
Unfortunately, Mammon was a lesser archdevil, a self-indulgent and rather craven lord, and being his consort gave her little opportunities to rise in status outside of manipulating others to do her bidding. The individual archdevils standing in her way were too dangerous to try defeating and would be reluctant to move against Asmodeus themselves, not wanting to risk their own domains or disrupt Hell's delicate, pre-established power balance. Fortunately for Glasya, this uneasy peace was so unstable that only a few pulls would cause the entire thing to become undone.[8] Glasya appealed to the bitterness of Mammon's seneschal and her own bodyguard Focalor, who resented his foolish and lazy master for leaving him to do all the actual work. Focalor was not only a powerful protector but a reliable source of political information, and at Glasya's urgings, he convinced Mammon that Baalzebul was planning on attacking his ally Mephistopheles. While Mammon wrestled with this information and whether or not to inform Mephistopheles, Glasya went to Moloch's court and recruited his consort Malagard,[8] though she wasn't the only one helping on that front. Malagard was co-conspiring with Geryon, the Lord of Stygia at the time and Moloch's archenemy, while the ambitious devils Beleth and Tartach joined the scheme on their own.[14][22][29] Through Malagard, Glasya convinced Moloch that Mephistopheles was planning to attack him,[8] convincing him to inform Baalzebul of the rumors. Baalzebul started massing his armies in response, thus confirming the misinformation that Mammon had, at that point, given to Mephistopheles. With a bit more subterfuge to get the archdevils to war rather than simply posture, possibly involving the murder of Fierna's level-headed mother, Hell's armies marched and the Reckoning began.[8] Asmodeus, however, was not unaware of the scheming of his archdukes, and Geryon was acting as his agent during the Reckoning. Just when the two factions led by Baalzebul and Mephistopheles were about to launch into their final confrontation, Geryon blew his horn and signaled their pit fiend leaders against them, thus abruptly ending the conflict. The Reckoning caused dramatic upheaval within Hell's hierarchy, and Glasya was certainly impacted by it.[8][33] Glasya was forbidden to continue consorting with Mammon and told in clear terms that if she wanted to maintain her prestigious position, she would have to start taking on some responsibilities.[3] After the Reckoning-
Asmodeus dubbed Glasya the "Queen of the Erinyes", though Glasya initially threw a fit when this happened;[3] the Dark Eight, which was possibly formed or at least rose to greater power around this time,[33] was responsible for dealing with the erinyes, and as their Queen, she fell under their watchful scrutiny too. Despite this lack of privacy, her new role had many unexpected benefits. She enjoyed her new duties, often spying on her charges while polymorphed to ensure they were doing their jobs, and could personally visit the Material Plane and its many charms at she so chose.[8][3] The Dark Eight was also incredibly influential, so the other archdevils couldn't attack her without provoking their wrath. Glasya took advantage of her diplomatic skills during this time by recruiting a small army of her own in the event that a chance for a military coup arose.[8] At one point, Glasya established the first organized crime syndicate in the Hells, her own "coin legions", to help her gain power and wealth. Her followers operated like a thieves' guild on the Material Plane, but unlike their mortal counterparts, had the benefit of Glasya's knowledge of the law. Many of Hell's devils made the mistake of following traditions like laws, despite only the laws having actual penalties for not following them, and Glasya exploited this fact for coin. She had her followers purchase souls in Minauros on her behalf using counterfeit coins she made by transmuting lead into gold, the law on minting coins only specifying the material before processing. The coins would eventually revert to their base metal, but by that point the souls and other resources would already be bought and then quickly sold at a marked-up price.[5] When this occurred in relation to Malagard's death in 1375 DR was uncertain, but Glasya would arrive to the sixth layer sometime following her criminal activities. Many of the Countess's most loyal servants were crushed or fell to death in the horrific process by which she fused with her domain, and the layer's survivors had to claw their way out of the collapsed earth.[13] Glasya was quick to claim Malbolge as hers; her forces swept the land unchallenged[8] as she rode into her new realm on a luxurious canopy with silken pillows held aloft by winged devils. When her authority was questioned, she presented a letter of authority from her father stating his support and declaring her the Archduchess.[13] Even if the archdevils were willing to risk attacking Asmodeus's daughter, the Dark Eight had been given dominion over much of Hell's military. The archdukes wouldn't risk starting another Reckoning at this point, allowing Glasya to claim her birthright and become a Lord of Hell.[8]
Unfortunately, Mammon was a lesser archdevil, a self-indulgent and rather craven lord, and being his consort gave her little opportunities to rise in status outside of manipulating others to do her bidding. The individual archdevils standing in her way were too dangerous to try defeating and would be reluctant to move against Asmodeus themselves, not wanting to risk their own domains or disrupt Hell's delicate, pre-established power balance. Fortunately for Glasya, this uneasy peace was so unstable that only a few pulls would cause the entire thing to become undone.[8] Glasya appealed to the bitterness of Mammon's seneschal and her own bodyguard Focalor, who resented his foolish and lazy master for leaving him to do all the actual work. Focalor was not only a powerful protector but a reliable source of political information, and at Glasya's urgings, he convinced Mammon that Baalzebul was planning on attacking his ally Mephistopheles. While Mammon wrestled with this information and whether or not to inform Mephistopheles, Glasya went to Moloch's court and recruited his consort Malagard,[8] though she wasn't the only one helping on that front. Malagard was co-conspiring with Geryon, the Lord of Stygia at the time and Moloch's archenemy, while the ambitious devils Beleth and Tartach joined the scheme on their own.[14][22][29] Through Malagard, Glasya convinced Moloch that Mephistopheles was planning to attack him,[8] convincing him to inform Baalzebul of the rumors. Baalzebul started massing his armies in response, thus confirming the misinformation that Mammon had, at that point, given to Mephistopheles. With a bit more subterfuge to get the archdevils to war rather than simply posture, possibly involving the murder of Fierna's level-headed mother, Hell's armies marched and the Reckoning began.[8] Asmodeus, however, was not unaware of the scheming of his archdukes, and Geryon was acting as his agent during the Reckoning. Just when the two factions led by Baalzebul and Mephistopheles were about to launch into their final confrontation, Geryon blew his horn and signaled their pit fiend leaders against them, thus abruptly ending the conflict. The Reckoning caused dramatic upheaval within Hell's hierarchy, and Glasya was certainly impacted by it.[8][33] Glasya was forbidden to continue consorting with Mammon and told in clear terms that if she wanted to maintain her prestigious position, she would have to start taking on some responsibilities.[3] After the Reckoning-
Asmodeus dubbed Glasya the "Queen of the Erinyes", though Glasya initially threw a fit when this happened;[3] the Dark Eight, which was possibly formed or at least rose to greater power around this time,[33] was responsible for dealing with the erinyes, and as their Queen, she fell under their watchful scrutiny too. Despite this lack of privacy, her new role had many unexpected benefits. She enjoyed her new duties, often spying on her charges while polymorphed to ensure they were doing their jobs, and could personally visit the Material Plane and its many charms at she so chose.[8][3] The Dark Eight was also incredibly influential, so the other archdevils couldn't attack her without provoking their wrath. Glasya took advantage of her diplomatic skills during this time by recruiting a small army of her own in the event that a chance for a military coup arose.[8] At one point, Glasya established the first organized crime syndicate in the Hells, her own "coin legions", to help her gain power and wealth. Her followers operated like a thieves' guild on the Material Plane, but unlike their mortal counterparts, had the benefit of Glasya's knowledge of the law. Many of Hell's devils made the mistake of following traditions like laws, despite only the laws having actual penalties for not following them, and Glasya exploited this fact for coin. She had her followers purchase souls in Minauros on her behalf using counterfeit coins she made by transmuting lead into gold, the law on minting coins only specifying the material before processing. The coins would eventually revert to their base metal, but by that point the souls and other resources would already be bought and then quickly sold at a marked-up price.[5] When this occurred in relation to Malagard's death in 1375 DR was uncertain, but Glasya would arrive to the sixth layer sometime following her criminal activities. Many of the Countess's most loyal servants were crushed or fell to death in the horrific process by which she fused with her domain, and the layer's survivors had to claw their way out of the collapsed earth.[13] Glasya was quick to claim Malbolge as hers; her forces swept the land unchallenged[8] as she rode into her new realm on a luxurious canopy with silken pillows held aloft by winged devils. When her authority was questioned, she presented a letter of authority from her father stating his support and declaring her the Archduchess.[13] Even if the archdevils were willing to risk attacking Asmodeus's daughter, the Dark Eight had been given dominion over much of Hell's military. The archdukes wouldn't risk starting another Reckoning at this point, allowing Glasya to claim her birthright and become a Lord of Hell.[8]
Divine Classification
Archdevil
Alignment
Lawful Evil
Species
Realm
Church/Cult
Children
Current Residence
Pronouns
She/Her
Ruled Locations
Comments