Devil, Ariyan Governor of Tantlin

It is often said of the Barregons that their loyalty to Hell has been swallowed whole into the maw of Leviathan, the Prince of Stygia and the Eternal Traitor of Hell. Almost to the last, the Barregons of Hell are more loyal to Leviathan than they are to the Hierarchy of Hell, spending their time plotting to undo the work of the Dark Ministry and, more importantly, the plots of the other Lords of the Nine – especially Asmodeus. In this pursuit, the Barregons focus a lot of attention on the pit fiends that do business in Stygia since the greatest of the common devils are wholly under the grip of The Overlord. However, like so many things said about Hell, these rumors are not entirely accurate. Just as there are Barregons loyal to Hell, there are also pit fiends loyal to Leviathan and Ariyan, Governor of Tantlin, is one such pit fiend.

The Gates of Hell (Dice Freaks)

Grimoire of Cosmic Entities Volume One By Eli Atkinson, William Church and Serge W. Desir, Jr.
Original Concept by Serge W. Desir, Jr.

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Ariyan, Governor of Tantlin
Pit Fiend (8th Circle General of the Legions of Hell)
Large outsider (Devil, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Wizard 10/Sea Witch 9
Hit Dice	28d8 + 19d4 + 564 (737 hp)
Initiative	+11
Speed	40 ft., Fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class	48 (+5 armor, +11 Dexterity, +23 natural, -1 size), touch 20, flat-footed 32
Base Attack/Grapple	+38/+55
Attack	Rod of tyranny +59 melee (2d6+22); or claw +50 melee (2d8+13)
Full Attack	Rod of tyranny +59/+54/+49/+44 melee (2d6+22), and bite +48 melee (4d6+6 plus poison plus disease) and 2 wings +48 melee (2d6+6) and tail slap +48 melee (2d8+6); or 2 claws +50 melee (2d8+13) and 2 wings and bite and tail slap
Space/Reach	10 ft. /10 ft.
Special Attacks	Briny deep summoning, call maelstrom, constrict, curses, disease, fear aura, improved grab, poison, spell-like abilities, spells, summon devils
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 20/epic good and silver, Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 15 and cold 15, regeneration 7, see in darkness, Spell Resistance 46, telepathy 200 ft.
Saves	Fort +42, Ref +41, Will +41
Abilities	Strength 37, Dexterity 32, Constitution 34, Intelligence 30, Wisdom 28, Charisma 26
Skills	Balance +40, Bluff +37, Climb +36 (+38 with ropes), Concentration +43, Diplomacy +28, Disguise +28 (+32 acting), Escape Artist+11 (+13 with ropes), Hide +22, Intimidate +37, Jump +21, Knowledge (arcana) +60, Knowledge (geography) +29, Knowledge (nature) +58, Knowledge (the planes) +41, Knowledge (religion) +29, Listen +29, Move Silently+30, Profession (sailor) +30, Search +30, Sense Motive +34, Spellcraft +66, Spot +44, Survival +40 (+46 above ground, +42 avoiding hazards, +44 on other planes, +42 tracking), Swim +57, Tumble +42, Use Rope+31.
Feats	Cleave, Corrupt Spell, Dark Speech, Energy Admixture (cold), Energy Substitution (cold), Enlarge Spell, Great Captain, Iron Will, Leadership, Multiattack, Piercing Cold, Power Attack, Scribe Scroll, Ship’s Mage, Track, Violate Spell, Widen Spell
Epic Feats	Automatic Violate Spell (x2), Epic Leadership
Climate/Terrain	Stygia, Fifth of the Nine Hells of Perdition
Organization	Solitary (unique), or crew (9 pit fiends, 81 barregons, 270 hamatula)
Challenge Rating	34
Treasure	Rod of tyranny
Alignment	Lawful Evil

Ariyan has served as the Tantlin’s Governor for as far back as most gods can recall. To those outside Hell, her power over the primary city in Stygia is perceived as a reward for her steadfastness, her management of the River Styx, great Diplomacy with the gods that have realms in the Perdition, and her control over petitioner souls. Indeed, even some devils believe that Ariyan’s status is a reflection of her success. And, in a warped way, both mortals and ignorant devils are accurate. Ariyan was successful and she was rewarded properly in a manner unique only to Hell. Tantlin is her eternal punishment for supporting Prince Leviathan when he killed Benzosia, the Queen of Hell. Ariyan served Leviathan faithfully in all things, although much of her “loyalty” was based upon fear and loathing. It was she who alerted Leviathan and Geryon about the Queen’s approach and it was she who planned the destruction of Benzosia’s honor guard. Shortly after Leviathan was stripped of his Lord-Regency, locked into a tremendous iceberg, and cast into the depths of the River Styx by Asmodeus, Ariyan was visited by Martinet. As befitting a pit fiend loyal to a Lord of the Nine, Martinet announced that Ariyan would be rewarded with a high honor: rule of Tantlin. However, because Ariyan selected the wrong Lord to support, she – like her master – would be frozen for all eternity. She would never receive another promotion, recognition, or benefit within Hell. She would rule Tantlin and the waterways of Styx for all eternity, never to forget how her stupidity cost her.

Ariyan is filled with suppressed rage, anger always lurking under the surface of her glassy demeanor. As Governor of Tantlin, she oversees the security of Stygia, Malbolge, Cocytus (Maladomini), and Cania and reports to Minister Zimimar of the Denomination of Morale. Theoretically, all transport on the River Styx is supervised by her and commands a large number of barregons, especially in Stygia. In reality, a stupid mistake has cost Ariyan much of her actual authority with these barregons. A particularly talented Barregon known as Dulahad served as her lieutenant faithfully for many centuries.

Rather than demote him to Cornugon (and lose the use of his services), Ariyan had him constantly transferred to different positions within her command. Her plan worked well for a time since Dulahad succeeded beyond expectations constantly. However, one day he disappeared for nearly a year. When he returned, madness burned in his eyes, and a power potent and primal emanated from his body. He threatened the bitter Pit Fiend with her existence if she interfered with his actions in the future. Ariyan had no choice but to accede. Since that day, although she’s managed to transition Dulahad more completely under the Denomination of Strategy, she has had to cover up the loss of several lesser and least devils being sacrificed to the Styx, grant periodic leave to many barregons for their “pilgrimages”, and offer a goodly portion of her own wealth to the River. In return for this, Dulahad pretends to remain her servant, keeping his change a secret from Hell at large. Ariyan currently is considering whether or not she can gain more from following Dulahad into greatness or betraying him to the Dark Ministry. She is yet unsure whether she would be rewarded for exposing a hellspawn, or punished for allowing it to grow to maturity under her gaze in the first place.

As she cannot leave Tantlin, Ariyan knows the city intimately and is capable of singling out new faces with perfect accuracy. However, because of this, Ariyan’s rule of the city has been haphazard and lackadaisical at best, particularly during the reign of Geryon. However, with the return of Leviathan, Ariyan is slowly regaining her old pursuit of perfection, hoping against all hope that one of Leviathan’s many plots releases him from his prison, allowing him to gain his vengeance on Asmodeus, resulting in her own freedom.

Ariyan appears as a very fat pit fiend with moist, drooping flesh and puffy eyes. Speaking in a gurgling voice, Ariyan is always looking for an excuse to bring misery to another. Ariyan carries little beyond her rod of tyranny, although she herself is usually carried in a sedan-chair by eight hamatulas.

Combat

Ariyan is always eager to beat some poor fool into the ground. In the event that a fight ensues, Ariyan will immediately invoke her fear aura and cast tyranny with her rod of tyranny. She will then enter into melee, targeting the weakest looking opponent. In the event that it appears that her targets may attempt to escape after angering her enough, Ariyan will use her rod of tyranny to lock the gates of Tantlin.

Briny Deep Summoning (Sp): Twice per day (or at will within Stygia), Ariyan can summon forth creatures of the deep to aid her. She can summon Scylla, or 1d4+1 fiendish dire sharks or greater water elementals.

Call Malestrom (Su): Once per day, or at will if in Stygia, Ariyen may create a Maelstrom within one mile of her location that lasts for up to 9 hours. This can range in strength from a normal Maelstrom up to a greater maelstrom in power. Ariyan’s greater Maelstrom empties into the Elemental Plane of Water only if she creates it in the waters of Stygia, otherwise it empties into Stygia.

Constrict (Ex): Ariyan deals 2d8 + 26 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Curses (Su): Ariyan may awaken the dark side of the ocean’s power to curse her foes. The curses are usable at will if she is within Stygia, otherwise she may use each of them twice per day.

Curse of the Sea Witch: This functions identical to bestow curse except that a creature so cursed may remove it by spending an hour more than a mile away from the nearest large body of water.

Curse of the Albatross: Ariyan may strike a ship and its crew, slowing the ship’s movement rate by 10 feet, and inflicting a -4 penalty on the crew’s Profession (sailor) and Swim checks. This curse cannot be removed by remaining away from water, but only through magical means such as break enchantment, remove curse or more powerful spells.

Disease (Su): A creature struck by Ariyan’s bite attack must succeed at a DC 36 Fortitude save or be infected with a vile disease called devil chills (incubation period 1d4 days, damage 1d4 points of Strength).

Fear Aura (Su): Ariyan can radiate a 20-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 32 Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell (caster level 28th). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by her aura for 24 hours. Other devils are immune to the aura.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Ariyan must hit a Medium or smaller opponent with her tail slap attack. If she gets a hold, she can constrict.

Poison (Ex): Injury; Fortitude DC 36; initial damage 1d8 Constitution, secondary damage death.

Regeneration (Ex): Ariyan takes normal damage from good-aligned silvered weapons, and from spells or effects with the good descriptor.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp):

• At will · animate dead, blasphemy, Charm Person, create undead, desecrate, detect good, Detect Magic, greater dispel magic, greater invisibility, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds only), magic circle against good, major image, mass hold monster, power word stun, produce flame, polymorph, pyrotechnics, suggestion, unholy aura, unhallow, wall of fire;
• 1/day · meteor swarm and symbol of pain;
• 1/year · wish.

Caster level 28th; DC 18 + spell level.

Spells: Wizard spells per day: 4/7/7/6/6/6/6/4/3/2 Caster level 38th; DC 20 + spell level. As an infernal Governor, Ariyan has near limitless access to magical knowledge. Her spellbooks contain all of the spells found in the Player’s Handbook, and many found in the Book of Vile Darkness and Spell Compendium. Ariyan favors spells that deal with water and ice of the Evocation and Conjuration schools, and also many abjurations. She tends to disdain spells from the Necromancy and Enchantment schools.

Summon Devils (Sp): Thrice per day, Ariyan can automatically summon two Lemures, Osyluths, or Hamatulas; or one erinyes, cornugon, or gelugon.

Possessions: Aside from her rod of tyranny, Ariyan only wears bracers of armor +5, a cloak of resistance +5, and a ring of elemental command (water).

Cohorts: Ariyan’s first mate Bhunik is an arrogant and swaggering barregon who commands her flagship in her absence. Her favor is all that stops the pit fiend members of the crew from tearing him apart 26 HD barregon, legendary captain 10.