Geryon/Kingu

Kingu was a god in Babylonian mythology, and—after the murder of his father Apsu — the consort of the goddess Tiamat, his mother, who wanted to establish him as ruler and leader of all gods before she was slain by Marduk. Tiamat gave Kingu the 3 Tablets of Destiny, which he wore as a breastplate and which gave him great power. She placed him as the general of her army. Eventually, he was killed by the god Marduk to prevent his rise and his blood was used to create humankind. With his death, Marduk took the Tablets of Destiny and became ruler of the gods.

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.

Full netbook can be found on the following website

Dicefreaks d20 Community

Geryon the Deposed is the best known of the arch-devils, although this status is not one Geryon himself appreciates. In the not-too-distant past, He was the Lord of the Fifth and the trusted lackey of Asmodeus. Despite his former station and his loyalty, Geryon was cast down from his Lordship and finds himself cowering in the shadows of Stygia’s icebergs, awaiting the opportunity to return to his former station and avenge himself against his master.

Geryon’s past is filled with disparate reports. Most who know of Geryon only know him to be the Lord of the Fifth before Prince Leviathan (indeed, some think that Geryon was the original Lord of the Fifth). Some legends insist that he was simply a monster that Asmodeus raised to Lordship to offset the predations of others. Others insist that he was a Fallen Lillend, the serpentine celestials known for their love of music. However, a growing number of explorers and scholars have appeared bearing documents long thought lost that reveal a totally unexpected tale of Geryon’s origins. These texts explicitly state that Geryon is the result of a pairing between the greatest of all pit fiends, Aesmadeva, and the Queen of Dragons, Tiamat.

According to these legends, the original ruler of Hell, Lucifer the Satan, believed that his control over Tiamat was waning. Tiamat had become integrally involved with a number of Prime worlds, attracting attention not just to herself (and receiving worship as a goddess at that), but to Hell. Lucifer’s concern was that this attention would result in certain groups and entities coming to Hell to conduct investigations that could have uncovered information he was not ready to see leave his domain. Thus, Lucifer sent his most trusted servant, Aesmadeva, to convince Tiamat to curtail her behavior or suffer the wrath of The Satan. Aesmadeva’s audience was a success for Tiamat would faithfully obey Lucifer for eons to come and would even bow her heads to Asmodeus when he took the Serpent’s Throne. It is believed that part of Aesmadeva’s success stemmed from a liaison between the paragon Pit Fiend and Tiamat. The result of this liaison would be the half-devil, half-dragon monster, Geryon.

GERYON, Arch-Devil of Duplicity
Lord of Fraud
fighter 5/monk 20
Gargantuan outsider (Devil, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Symbol	Handsome male head on a black field surrounded by a serpent’s coils
Hit Dice	45d10 + 20d8 + 910 (1520 hp)
Initiative	+14 (+10 Dexterity, Improved Initiative)
Speed	120 ft., Fly 200 ft. perfect
Armor Class	75 (-4 size, +10 deflection, +10 Dexterity, +4 monk bonus, +34 natural, +6 profane, +5 Wisdom-dom), touch 41, flat-footed 65
Base Attack/Grapple	+53/+92
Attack	Claw +79 melee (6d10+29 + 2d6 (lawful) 18- 20/x2)
Full Attack	Greater flurry of blows (claws) +79/+79/ +79/+74/+69 (6d10+29 + 2d6 (lawful) 18-20 x2) and 2 wings +71 melee (4d8+13 + 2d6 (lawful)) and tail sting +71 melee (5d8+13 + 2d6 (lawful) and poison)
Space/Reach	20 ft. /15 ft.
Special Attack	Binding of the Beast, breath weapon, call devils, diabolical aura, the presence of Hell quivering palm (Fortitude DC 25), rend, spell-like abili-ties, Stunning Fist 32/day (Fortitude DC 50)
Special Qualities	Abundant step, arch-devil qualities, damage reduction 30/epic, good and silver, Darkvision 60 ft., Diabolical Prowess, Duplicity’s Boon, empty body (20 rounds), Face of Fraud, Mark of the Beast, immunity to acid, fire and poison, improved evasion, ki strike (adamantine, lawful, magic), purity of body, regeneration 28, resistance to acid 30 and cold 30, see in darkness, slow fall, Spell Resistance 65, telepathy 1,000 ft., tongue of the sun and moon, wholeness of body (40 hp)
Saves	Fort +48, Ref +44, Will +41
Abilities	Strength 65, Dexterity 30, Constitution 38, Intelligence 28, Wisdom 20, Charisma 30
Skills	Appraise +13 (+17 for sculptures, +17 for stone-work) Balance +62, Bluff +53, Climb +62, Concentration +78, Craft (sculpture) +32, Craft (stonemasonry) +29, Diplomacy +56 (+62 with evil beings), Disguise +32, Escape Artist +30, Hide +53, Intimidate +67 (+73 against evil creatures), Knowledge (Arcana) +29, Knowledge (nature) +33, Knowledge (the planes) +49, Knowledge (religion) +69, Listen +68, Move Silently +77, Search +49, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +33, Spot +68, Survival +48 (+52 above ground, +52 on the planes, +52 while tracking), Swim +68, Tumble +50
Feats	Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Corrupt Spell-like Ability B , Dark Speech B , Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Bullrush, Improved Critical (claws), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Mobility, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (blasphemy), Snatch, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (claws), Weapon Specialization (claws)
Epic Feats	Epic Evil Brand B, Epic Weapon Focus (claws), Exceptional Deflection, Improved Stunning Fist, Infinite Deflection, Keen Strike, Righteous Strike, Shattering Strike,
Environment	Coldstone, Stygia, the Fifth of the Nine Hells of Perdition
Organization	Unique (Solitary) or squad (Geryon, 1 -6 osyluths, 1 -2 Gelugons, and Amon)
Challenge Rating	53
Treasure	Quadruple standard plus Horn of the Beast
Alignment	Lawful Evil

It is unknown how long Geryon remained confined to The First. It is known that in the early centuries of his existence, Geryon was known for a lust for destruction more worthy of a demon than the nature of his parents would have suggested. For whatever reason, it was Tiamat’s black head, an aspect of Chaos inherit in most Chromatic Dragons, which dominated Geryon’s being. As the centuries passed, and as he suffered endless torture from his mother, the Serpentine Lord slowly purged his destructive desires and eventually became a purveyor of order and tyranny. Satisfied that his existence would not be an embarrassment to her, Tiamat formally announced Geryon to Lucifer (who likely knew about the Beast all along). Geryon became a Duke in the Court of Stygia.

In Stygia, Geryon would prove to be a loyal retainer for the ravenous and traitorous Prince Leviathan. As a Duke of Hell, he saw to the borders of Stygia, patrolling The Fifth with legions of barregons and answering only to Leviathan. Leviathan valued Geryon’s strength, which stood only second to his own physical might in Hell. However, Leviathan did not know that Geryon was playing him for a fool. Geryon’s position in Stygia was granted by Lucifer to prepare for what The Overlord of Hell knew to be the Prince’s eventual treason. After the Battles of Light and Greed, which resulted in Asmodeus’ successful coup of Hell, Leviathan sensed that his opportunity to take control of Hell had arrived. He commanded Geryon to hunt and subdue Queen Bensozia, Asmodeus’ consort; Leviathan had learned of her travels through his layer through reliable informants (actually agents of Asmodeus) and decided to strike. When he brought the Queen to Tantlin, Leviathan demanded that she disclose the secret to Asmodeus’ power. The Queen almost acceded to the Prince’s demands, but he blew his mighty horn. Suspecting that Geryon’s intent was to announce danger, Leviathan slew the Queen and was prepared to flee when he realized that Asmodeus himself had appeared. Seemingly enraged with Leviathan’s act, The Overlord of Hell stripped him of his Lordship, encased him inside a huge iceberg, and sent his comatose form into the depths of Stygia. To Geryon, who knew all along that he was to blow his horn the moment Bensozia seemed prepared to disclose whatever secrets she knew, Asmodeus granted the Lordship of Stygia.

For untold years, Geryon ruled Stygia. Unlike the other Lords, The Beast was always satisfied with his station and utterly loyal to Asmodeus, although he bowed to his master’s wishes and joined up with Mephistopheles’ cadre of “true devils” after the arrival of the fallen angels. Geryon enjoyed traveling to the Prime to lure unsuspecting mortals to his layer where he could hunt them for years within his fortress. He accomplished very little else during his incredibly long tenure as Lord of the Fifth, always believing that his loyalty ensured him a permanent place of power in Hell. Asmodeus, of course, had other ideas.

Asmodeus did indeed value Geryon’s loyalty; however, Asmodeus also found it repellent. The Nine Hells was no place for that kind of weakness and Asmodeus determined that Geryon needed a painful lesson about how such weakness was culled from Hell’s servants. As was so often the case, Asmodeus’ plans for Geryon coincided with his decision to teach all of his wayward vassals a much needed lesson about humility. In preparation, Asmodeus explained to the fawning and unsuspecting Geryon that the Dies Irae was approaching and how it would change the face of Hell for
hundreds of thousands of years. Asmodeus instructed The Beast as to his own role in the Dies Irae and promised that the rewards would be incalculable.

Even as Beelzebub and Mephistopheles slowly increased the pressure against the other’s camp, Geryon remained in the background, taking orders from Mephisto and relaying valuable bits of information to Asmodeus, who in turn made sure that Beelzebub was in-formed. In time, the Dies Irae raged into an inferno and eventually the Lords of the Nine found themselves and their armies at the base of Fortress Malsheem in Nessus. As instructed, Geryon again blew his horn even as Asmodeus stripped the Lords of their power. The pit fiends that commanded the armies quickly defeated their almost powerless masters and waited as Asmodeus appeared and declared his intent. The rewards were indeed great for the pit fiend generals, who would become the Dark Ministry, and they were indeed great for Asmodeus who had just again proved his status as The Overlord of Hell. For Geryon, however, the reward was a lesson in the true nature of Hell and evil. Loyalty had no place in Perdition. Geryon, the Lord of Fraud, found himself the victim of his master’s duplicity as his Lordship was removed. Cast out of Nessus with a flick of Asmodeus’ hand, Geryon returned to his former layer as an arch-devil even as Prince Leviathan was partially raised from his imprisonment to once again rule Stygia. It is unclear whether he did learn his lesson. He continues to be manipulated by Asmodeus who knows that The Beast would do anything to regain his status as Lord of the Fifth. However, there is no doubt that Geryon absolutely hates Asmodeus and this hate has made him far craftier than he was in the past. Geryon is actively involved in various activities for Asmodeus, all of which, The Overlord claims, will play a meaningful role in Geryon’s return to power. He is dubious about anything Asmodeus tells him, but believes that he has no choice but to accept these opportunities since they do allow him continual access to Hell’s resources. Geryon is cautious when he travels outside his hidden fortress Coldstone, knowing that Leviathan continuously seeks him (Coldstone’s location is kept hidden by Asmodeus himself). When he does leave, he usually does so disguised.

Geryon used to spend his time hunting and studying. Since his fall from power, he only hunts that which will aid him and studies that which will bring victory. His title of Arch-Devil of Duplicity is well-earned as he has betrayed his allies twice, and continues to promote the same behavior in mortals. However, the title is really directed towards his dual nature as a being of immense, monstrous strength coupled with a keen intellect and clean appearance. Geryon values cleanliness and crispness. He despises dirt, and always wears white and silver. Oddly, though, Geryon loves to get his hands covered in blood from time-to-time, and often allows the blood of his victims to bathe his titanic body. Of course, once he overcomes this brief
bloodlust, he is always appalled to discover his appearance and the appearance of his surroundings.

Geryon has few allies in Hell. He continues to maintain the loyalty of Amon, the Dog of Hell. Or so it seems. In truth, the deposed Duke of Hell is currently serving a new master in Malbolge, Lilith. Why Lilith is encouraging Amon to maintain ties with Geryon is anyone’s guess, but it is possible that Lilith has a mind to incorporate aspects of Geryon’s nature under her influence and is biding her time before dealing with the Arch-Devil of Fraud. When they were Lords of Hell, Geryon and Moloch had a heated, bitter rivalry that almost matched that of Beelzebub and Mephistopheles. The two came to blows during the Dies Irae and each almost killed the other. However, when they were both deposed at almost the same time, they found that they had a great deal more in common that they had thought. Still, neither former Lord is interested in establishing ties with each other, although this seems to be more due to Moloch than to Geryon. Beyond Hell, Geryon detests the Demon Prince Baphomet. The nature of this animosity is unclear, although some suggest that it is due – at least in part – to minotaurs. While most legends insist that Baphomet is responsible for the proliferation of this cursed race, there are a minority that believe that Geryon, himself a half-breed, had some role in the growth of minotaurs. To what lengths this is true, it is known that Geryon has a small percentage of minotaur worshippers and that these are always harassed by those that call Baphomet their patron. Baphomet, particularly since his apotheosis to Demon Prince status, all but ignores Geryon, viewing him as an incompetent fool with whom he will deal with when his affairs in the Abyss are tended to and under control.

Geryon is one of the largest devils in existence. Towering over 30 feet high, Geryon possesses a heavily muscled torso of a giant man with a beautiful sea-green color. Geryon’s arms are likewise thick and heavily muscled and covered in groomed, black, feathery hair. His hands are large and end in very sharp, hooked black claws. Geryon’s face is like that of a ruggedly handsome man with somewhat reptilian features. His amber eyes never blink and his check bones and eye-sockets are prominent. Two small, black horns adorn his head, and a mane of well-groomed black hair course down to his broad shoulders. Trailing from his torso is a 60-foot long draconic tail, which allows Geryon to slither about like a serpent, ending with a needle-pointed tip. Beautiful decorations adorn the scales, which are largely a sea-green, light purple, and ivory white in color. Tremendous bat-like wings of the same color sprout from his back. Geryon speaks with a powerful, booming voice that exudes masculinity. Aside from the Horn of the Beast, Geryon rarely carries any weapons, knowing that his claws and tail can rip apart most adversaries.

Combat

Although Geryon often claims a disinterest in battle, the truth is he loves to fight and loves to rip creatures apart with his bare hands.

Geryon will always enter battle with his Diabolical Aura and Presence of Hell and lead with his breath weapon. He will then begin casting quickened blasphemy only so those in the area are frozen long enough for him to begin ripping them to pieces. He will only Snatch spellcasters, and almost always Awesome Blow warriors. If Geryon finds that his adversaries are up to the challenge, he will cast greater invisibility on his person and then begin to Bind the Beast. Only after a significant amount of time has passed will Geryon use his Horn or call devils.

Binding of the Beast (Su): In the same manner he mastered his initial need for destruction and his tendency towards Chaos, so too can Geryon Bind the Beast within lesser beings. Three times a day as a standard action, Geryon can reduce the physical prowess and overall power of all creatures less than demigod status within a 50-foot cone. Binding of the Beast has a number of different attributes, all of which possess a Will save DC 49.

• -First, Binding of the Beast allows Geryon to reduce certain physical modifiers and scores of those caught in its blast. The victim’s Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Initiative, Fortitude, Reflex, damage, and base attack bonus are all reduced by 5 points for the next 5 rounds; furthermore, the victim behaves as if slowed by a 49 th level caster.
• -Second, Geryon can use Binding of the Beast to immediately end any form of raging, like that of a Barbarian. A being cannot fall under the effects of rage before 5 rounds pass.
• -Third, Geryon can force shapechangers that take the form of beasts (like Lycanthropes) to assume their least dangerous form (usually their humanoid shape). Geryon cannot affect beings like Doppelgangers or Phasms since these entities possess numerous shapechanging options. Once so changed, the being cannot change shape before 5 rounds pass.
• -Fourth, Geryon can quell the destructive intent of dangerous animals or magical beasts. No animal, aside from a familiar or a druid’s animal companion, will attack Geryon unless he attacks them first. magical beasts will attack Geryon only when magically compelled to do so; under such compulsion, the magical beast receives a Will save DC 49 to overcome Geryon’s Binding.
• -Fifth, Geryon can use all three of his Bindings to accomplish his Binding Curse 1/day. Those within the cone’s area of effect suffer permanent reductions in physical modifiers and scores, and slowness unless a remove curse is cast by a 31 st level cleric or a demi-god or greater cosmic or divine power.

Breath Weapon (Su): Once per day as a standard action, Geryon can exhale a 120-foot line of freezing acid; those within the range suffer 6d12 points of acid damage unless they succeed in a Reflex save DC 53 for half damage.

Call Devils (Sp): As a standard action he can attempt to call devils. He may attempt to call up to three times a day, 3 pit fiends, 9 Gelugons or cornugons, or 18 of any lesser type of devil. Since these devils are called, they have the ability to summon other devils as their Monster Manual descriptions allow. Geryon is one of the few arch-devils who still retains the ability to call devils with no impediments due to his unique situation in Hell’s hierarchy. Still, Geryon is extremely hesitant to call on too many devils since he fears that this will eventually draw the attention of one of Leviathan’s allies, if not the current Lord of the Fifth himself; indeed, Geryon will use his Horn of the Beast before calling devils. Geryon prefers osyluths beyond all other devils, approving of their cool efficiency and their willingness to take bribes for their services. He will call Gelugons only if sorely pressed, knowing that their presence is almost certain to draw the attentions of Leviathan’s agents.

Diabolical Aura (Ex): Geryon’s Diabolical Aura can be ignored on a successful Will save DC 49.

Duplicity’s Boon (Ex): Geryon’s dual nature, though sometimes an embarrassment to him, is also a great aid to him at times. Any time that Geryon is subjected to an effect that allows a saving throw and that specifically targets him, he rolls twice and takes the best result. This boon does not extend to saves against his Face of Fraud ability in the event that it is reflected back on him, nor do area effects.

Additionally, 3/day Geryon can force an opponent to reroll an attack, caster level check, or other variable roll that affects him, and force his opponent to take the lower result.

Face of Fraud (Ex): Those that look into Geryon’s handsome face often forget that they are dealing with an extremely evil monster. This effect is not entirely natural, as Geryon has mastered illusory magic to increase his comeliness when interacting with other beings, particularly during his Mark of the Beast (q.v.). Geryon can call on his Face of Fraud 3/day. All beings within 50 feet of Geryon who can see his face receive a Will save DC 49. Those who fail behave as is under the combined effects of a charm monster and suggestion spells cast by a 49 th level sorcerer, believing that Geryon has nothing but their best interest in mind. Such beings are willing to engage in any kind of action Geryon proposes. In the event that Geryon proposes an act detrimental to victims (like his Mark of the Beast), they receive another Will save, although the DC is increased to 54. In any case, the effect lasts
for 5 rounds at which time another Will save DC 54 is made; if successful, the effect ends, if unsuccessful the effect continues another 5 rounds. However, there is a flip-side to Geryon’s Face of Fraud.

Those who manage to save against it can in return attempt to make a suggestion Geryon himself for one round! Geryon does not receive a normal save from this ability, instead using his Sense Motive as his Will save modifier; the suggestion functions as if cast by a 49 th level sorcerer. Geryon will do almost anything asked of him that does not risk harm or injury to himself or to something (and rarely someone) of value to him. Amazingly, Geryon seems utterly unaware of this aspect of his power and some believe that another Lord of the Nine (probably Asmodeus) cursed him with this bizarre side effect.

Mark of the Beast (Ex): Geryon can make deals with mortals seeking to increase their physical attributes in return for the small price of their soul. 3/day, Geryon can write the Mark of the Beast on the soul of a lesser being. For the next ten days, Geryon can increase their physical prowess or appearance as requested by the client. Geryon can only affect the following: physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), Charisma, base attack bonus, physical saves (Fortitude and Reflex), Bluff skill, or Diplomacy skill. Each day, Geryon can grant a +2 bonus to any one of these attributes. For each increase, the victim receives a -2 penalty to his Will save (this cumulative penalty is kept from the victim). Once the ten days conclude (or if Geryon determines that he is uninterested in granting more boons) the victim makes a Will save DC 49. If the victim fails, he slowly and painfully dies as his muscles, sinew, and bones explode from a sudden increase in even more power; his soul finds its way to Geryon’s stronghold in Stygia, Fifth of the Nine Hells. If the victim succeeds in his save, he immediately loses the bonuses but his Mark of the Beast suddenly becomes noticeable to others. The Marked victim will be unable to enter any consecrated or hallowed place, will immediately register as evil in the eyes of paladin or goodly cleric, and will not allow the victim to be healed by any good spell (or any magic item created by a good being). In order to remove the Mark of the Beast, the victim must have an Atonement spell, followed by a quest spell, cast on his person by a 31 st level good cleric; the quest must be completed within 10 days or else the victim is forever Marked. If a victim dies with the Mark still in place, his soul is sent to Geryon in Hell.

Poison Sting (Ex): Those who believe the tales that present Geryon as the son of Tiamat point to the deadly poison of Geryon’s tail as proof. Like Tiamat, Geryon’s long, serpentine tail ends in a rapier-like stinger. Any being struck by Geryon’s tail sting not only takes the skewering damage, but must also make a Fortitude save DC 53 or suffer 3d8 points of Constitution damage; one minute later the victim must make another Fortitude save DC 53 or suffer 3d8 points of Constitution damage.

The Presence of Hell (Su): Geryon’s Presence of Hell has a 1,200-foot radius, and all effects are as those cast by a 49th level sorcerer.

Rend (Ex): If Geryon hits with two of his claws in the same round, his talons dig into the victim’s body and tear the flesh. This attack automatically deals an extra 6d10+ 58 + 2d6 (lawful) points of damage.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will – animate dead, blasphemy, charm monster, create undead, deeper darkness, delayed blast fireball*, desecrate, detect
chaos, detect good, detect magic, flame strike, greater dispel magic, greater invisibility, greater teleport, Magic Circle Against Chaos, magic circle against good, mass hold monster, mirage arcana, persistent image, polymorph, power word stun, raise dead, suggestion, symbol of pain, unhallow, unholy aura, wall of fire*;

3/day – destruction, firestorm, meteor swarm;

1/day – hellball, wish.

*These spells deal cold damage. All spells are cast as a 49 th level sorcerer (save DC 29 + spell level).

Horn of the Beast (major artifact):

Geryon’s legendary Horn of the Beast appears to be made from the horn of a tremendous bull. Its shell is a pristine white, and it is austerely decorated with inlays of gold and silver. The Horn of the Beast possesses a number of powers.

Sounding the Horn of the Beast is a standard action that produces a blast of sonic energy that deafens and stuns any foes within 60 feet of the Horn’s bearer. The deafening effect is permanent; the stunning lasts for one round. A Fortitude save (DC 49) negates both effects.

The Horn’s blast also summons bovine creatures to the aid of its bearer when sounded. With a single blast, it can summon 2d10 minotaurs or 1d8 gorgons, which remain for 10 minutes before disappearing. By sounding a longer call upon the Horn, more powerful creatures may be summoned. If the Horn is sounded as a full round action, the summoned gorgons will be fully advanced. If sounded for 2 full round actions with the intent to bring minotaurs, it summons a single minotaur champion. (Treat as a 20th level minotaur fighter).

Anyone touching the Horn of the Beast without Geryon’s express permission must succeed in a Fortitude save DC 49 or immediately be polymorphed into minotaur under the domination of Geryon. Only creatures possessing a divine rank of 0 or greater are immune to this effect. Creatures that are not alive are simply dominated.

Summoning Geryon

Geryon requires very precise conditions in order to respond to a summons. First, most of the summoning chamber must be constructed of white marble (at least the floor). Second, the location must be within a place that serves an intended dual purpose; a thieves’ guild masquerading as a church or a hospital that also serves as a brothel are examples of appropriate environments. If one of these two conditions is not met, the DC to summon Geryon increases by 10 points; if both conditions are not met, the DC increases by 50 points. Geryon will refuse any summons if the location is a place of filth and dirt; however, if Geryon is summoned via circle of locking the Nine Gates, he will arrive dazed in a filthy environment for 1d6 rounds.

If the location is sufficient and the summoning attempt successful, a chilly wind will race through the chamber followed by the crashing of water against rocks. The floor within the magic circles against evil will fall away as murky, ice-cold water fills them. From the storm clouds that gather overhead, fluffy white snow will descend. As snow touches the dark water, the dirty liquid will quickly appear crystalline and sparkling. Geryon’s tremendous form will slowly rise from this clean water, although his form will be covered in bile and blood. The contamination will rinse from his form once he rises 30 feet from the pool of water.

Geryon is courteous but not exactly patient and will implore that his summoners get to the point of their request quickly. If he finds that his summoners are overly diplomatic or bordering on rude (DMs discretion), Geryon will use his Face of Fraud power. Through some loop in the nature of this power, it still functions even through the wards binding him; however, Face of Fraud may only be attempted once and those beyond the wards receive a +5 bonus to save against the effect. If his Face of Fraud succeeds, Geryon will ask his new friends to dust the place off, particularly the floor. Once the wards are breached, Geryon will kill any remaining summoners unaffected by his Face of Fraud and will then pursue whatever goal he believes can be accomplished within nine days. It takes a lot for Geryon to lose his temper enough to try tearing down the wards through violence.

Geryon is typically uninterested in matters that require a great deal of planning. In most cases, the Arch-Devil of Fraud will not bother with making arrangements of any kind unless at least one of his summoners is willing to accept his Mark of the Beast for the time he has wasted. If this offer is refused by all, he will attempt his Face of Fraud as above. Geryon is always amenable to plots and offers that revolve around duplicity or the opportunity to embarrass the servants of Dukes of Hell or another arch-devil loyal to Hell.

Once the summons concludes, Geryon will descend into the pool which will take on a bloody hew. The snow will change to hail, striking the water and turning it icy. The icy, filthy water will spread across the entirety of the summoning chamber, affecting the surface as a grease spell cast by a 49 th level sorcerer. There is a 5% chance that the icy water will transform into chunks of black diamond within five hours. If these diamonds are taken, the holder is effectively Marked by the Beast.