Archduke of Avernus
The archduke of Avernus is the title bestowed upon the archdevil ruler of Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells. Due to Avernus' location as the front line of the eternal Blood War, this position has changed hands more than any other archducal title in Hell.
History
Though Avernus was the last plane to be added to the Nine Hells, the title of archducal title was established at the same time as the other planes by Asmodeus.
As the Blood War began shortly after the Averniad, the demons of the Abyss began spilling into Avernus, turning the once verdant paradise into a war-torn wasteland. Thus the archdukes of Avernus were expected to be competant military leaders, and archdukes were replaced more often than the other infernal planes due to falling in battle or demotions following military disasters. The militaristic needs of the role also led to the creation of the Dark Eight, a group of archdevil generals and the commanders of the eight Blood Legions that were subserviant to the archduke of Avernus. Often, members of the Dark Eight would serve as the replacement for unsatisfactory archdukes.
For a time eons ago, Tiamat, the Dragon Queen whose prison resides in Avernus was also made the archduke of the plane, serving as both jailor and prisoner. In time, the role was taken from her again, as Tiamat's interests were not aligned with that of the greater infernal population.
Quite some time after Tiamat's reign, the archdevil Gargauth rose to prominence when he discovered that the demon Astaroth had infiltrated Asmodeus' court to become the Treasurer of Hell, and he was rewarded by becoming the new treasurer once Astaroth was discovered and expelled. Gargauth's rise continued until he was named archduke of Avernus, giving up the title of Treasurer to Mammon.
Gargauth's reign continued until he was overthrown by Bel, a member of the Dark Eight and the only archduke in Hell's history to rise from a lemure, the lowest form of devil. After Bel took control of Avernus, Gargauth left Hell, plotting some way to retake his former position, and perhaps more.
Bel's reign as archduke of Avernus encapsulates most of the early modern era, ruling Avernus through multiple conflicts and crises. However, his rule came to an end following his disasterous handling of the Rift War in the early 15th century CR. The title of archduke was stripped from Bel following Hell's victory in 1414 and given to Zariel, a former solar and the general that saved the forces of Hell from being fully routed in the Rift War.
Zariel's reign, in contrast to her predecessor's, was relatively brief. During the 1498 Battle of Elturel, the climax of the Damnation of Elturel, Zariel was redeemed by the Lost Star Detectives, reembracing her celestial nature and forsaking her titles in Hell. The resulting power vacuum was brief, as Gargauth, who had recently come back into prominence in Hell due to the actions of the Lost Star Detectives, rallied the disorganized Blood Legions left confused by Zariel's defection, securing for himself the title of archduke again.
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