Marchosias, The Infernal Duke of Humility

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Belial’s Hand, Belial’s Hound, the Duke of Humility, the Fire of Shame, the High Inquisitor of Phlegethos
Home Plane Phlegethos, Fourth of the Nine Hells of Perdition
Alignment Lawful Evil
Superiors Belial, Fierana

“Oh, that we might be spared;
I to inflict,
And thou to suffer!”

Phlegethos is filled with those who enjoy inflicting pain, both physically and mentally. Its inhabitants specialize themselves in the inflicting of the gravest harm that can be achieved without outright killing their victims. Some of these tormentor’s wallow in the suffering of their inferiors or prisoners, while others do so in response to being abused themselves – in most cases, both reasons coincide. There is another reason why one might want to inflict suffering, however: by torturing a being, one humiliates it, both to itself and to onlookers. This is the domain of Marchosias, the Duke of Humility, also known as the Fire of Shame.

In ages past, the planetar Marchosias was assigned to just punishment of those who dared summon fiends to the Mortal Coil. It dawned upon him that he was always late; always, the vile act had already occured. Punishment meant little after the fact – it was no deterrence for those who considered themselves powerful enough to come out on the better side of an agreement with Hell itself. After all, if even the vile torments of Perdition cannot hold one back, what good could the threat of imprisonment do? Marchosias realized that he should not punish these wicked people after they had succeeded in their plans. Rather, they should be prevented from ever doing it, from ever attempting it. It was fairly simple to do this: he would simply need to make examples of those he suspected of fiendish associations. It began with simple public declarations of his suspicions, but quickly, it grew more and more serious. Before the eyes of their entire community, he stripped people – both guilty and innocent – of clothes, property and respect, denouncing them as no diffferent from the fiends they supposedly associated with. Even public torture became commonplace, leaving offenders branded with symbols denoting their supposed depravity. Realizing the errors of his masters more and more, Marchosias gladly answered the call of Eblis and Beelzebul, following them in the Great War of Heaven, and hence in the Great Fall, which left him among the weakest of his compatriots.

Ages after that, Marchosias dwelled throughout Hell purposeless. His sole sense of meaning in existence had faded as he had come to be one with his foes; nevertheless, the mental and physical agonies that he inflicted on them brought him a hollow, shallow memory of the joy he once knew in Heaven. However, arbitrary torture is frowned upon in Perdition, to say the least. As such, the Fire of Shame sought for excuses, and found them in the overinterpretation of slight negligences, in perceived inhumility towards superiors and order itself. Excuse swiftly became justification. Justification evolved to be rationalization, and that eventually came to be the duke’s motivation. Over the eons, the planetar specialized himself in the most humiliating punishments, rather than those inflicting the greatest physical pain (though horrid pains are still to be expected when suffering under Marchosias’ attentions). Unlike some other devils, the great majority of these sessions were (and still are) held in public, for all to see, so that respect for the victim fades away into nothing. Thus, almost always, he has been able to pose himself as the best possible candidate for an available office – an office which was sometimes only vacant after one of the planetar’s sessions. After a mere few millennia, he had risen as high as current politics allowed him to: he had been granted the office of Duke of Hell.

The Duke of Humility always holds a goal in mind when tormenting others. His abuses are never pointless; there is always a reason, for pointless suffering holds no value. If it is possible, multiple aims are fulfilled at the same time. Those who take part in one of Marchosias’ ordeals often have their reputation weakened, if not destroyed utterly. Those who see or hear of what happened take a step back from recent victims, fearful of being a victim themselves. As word spreads, such withdrawals have often politically isolated Marchosias’ enemies. It is ironic that such actions have rendered the Fire of Shame politically isolated himself, a few exceptions aside. Almost none dare associate themselves with Marchosias, fearing the ire of the incredible amount of enemies he has gained over the ages. The Duke of Humility even considers the Lady Fierana deserving of his loathing. In fact, some have interpreted his latest moves as suggesting an ongoing plot to discredit the Lady of Lust and her lover. In fact, if there is such a plot, it is aimed solely at Gazra alone. Marchosias dares not offer any true resistance to Fierana; at most, he exerts his powers upon her minions with the most minor excuse in petty eruptions of frustration.

After all, attempting to openly revolt against Fierana would quickly result in his demotion, or even his destruction (which he may even prefer above the former). The Master of Pains and Suffering would not permit his puppet ruler of Phlegethos to be overtaken – although what might be called Marchosias’ crusade against Gazra pleases him. Still, he considers the Fire of Shame as useful (and powerful) a tool as any other duke; nevertheless, the Lord of the Fourth is more than wise enough to realize that every tool can be put to better or worse uses. Aiming a valuable inquisitor as Marchosias mostly at spreading his portfolio across the Mortal Coil would be far less efficient than focusing his attention at maintaining order in Phlegethos. As such, he generally uses the Duke of Humility to ensure his servants know their exact position: far, far below that of the Lord of the Fourth. These errands for Belial have not decreased general hatred for the duke by any significant amount. The realization that his actions are ordered by another detracts little from the fact that the planetar practiced these methods long before he arrived at this position, let alone the obvious joy Marchosias feels as he publicly rapes nobles of Hell. Rather than granting him respect in the eyes of his peers or even inferiors, his service to Belial has granted him mockery. His many enemies have come to call him Belial’s Hound, a duke with no power of his own, a mere extension of his Lord’s will. It is folly, ofcourse, to think that this is limited to Marchosias alone – as he realizes all too well. All lords of Phlegethos are tools, and those below them are their tools once more. In honoration of this relationship, the Fire of Shame has adapted this offensive term into one he carries with honor: Belial’s Hand. The official title his task carries with him sounds less impressive – Marchosias is the High Inquisitor of Phlegethos. This form of address may remind of the Dark Ministry’s Branch of Truth, an institution to which the Duke of Humility indeed has some connections, even though the title Belial awarded him has no meaning within the military organization of the Ministry. Marchosias’ involvement with the Branch of Truth is more subtle. With respects to his function as High Inquisitor, the Fire of Shame has made arrangements with Vhesage that allow him to access a percentage of the branch’s troops throughout all domains on the layer. Obviously, the Scourge does not make such concessions or agreements without any gain. One of the agreement’s main points involves Marchosias serving as an educator towards prospective dread inquisitors – although Vhesage is known to utilize Marchosias’ nobles as moles at times when she distrusts giving a matter out of hands to the Denomination of Espionage. Nevertheless, though as justification, these concessions seem appropriate, they do not suffice as motivations for the governor of Malsheem to initiate the agreement. Some suspect pressure from Belial, but more likely is the personal distrust Vhesage carries with regards to Gazra, her equal in the Ministry. Though she is personally prevented from investigating the situation, the general believes that some investigation may happen even without her orders, if she allows one of his greatest opponents access to such an amount of resources.

In any case, it is certain that this function has awarded Marchosias with a despicable and frightful reputation – and, appropriately, has extended the latter part of this reputation towards his master. Some suspect that the Fire of Shame’s hatred of Gazra is Belial’s doing. After all, degrading the pit fiend and stripping him from his position of power would reduce the small power base that is truly Fierana’s own. Marchosias on the other hand cares little if his master was the originator of such a goal: even should these speculations prove false, the Duke of Humility would not be motivated any less to dispose of the hateful fiend, and perhaps usurp some of his influence. Beyond this, Marchosias’ attempts at increasing his sphere of influence by approaching the very limits of what his function allows him, often include infringement on another’s domain, or imprisoning another’s servants (whether noble or otherwize). Even though such attempts fail occassionally, resulting in embarassment for the High Inquisitor, most Dukes of Phlegethos have broke all associations with Marchosias, except for one notable exception: Carniveau. It is not that Marchosias values the Duke of Purity’s for personal influences or alliances; rather, the arrangement goes the other way. Given that Marchosias almost cannot interfere with Carniveau’s realm, due to the incredible control that duke exerts over the body, he is the only of Marchosias’ equals that can still associate with him. This situation expresses clearly a similarity between the two’s portfolios; as such, the pair has often worked together with satisfaction.

Some speculate that Marchosias craves to return to the Heavens from whence he fell, believing that he has never truly fallen from good. This is not too far from the truth: in fact, the duke is tormented in an everlasting duplicity. He realizes very well how low he has sunk, the depravities to which he has given in. However, though a desire for return fills all his heart, his actions condemn him utterly. He is bound to what he is and does, as firmly as any devil: though he would be willing to renounce his portfolio, to renounce ever humiliating any other being for his own wellfare, he is not willing, not even able to ever submit himself to the powers that cast him out of the Heavens ages ago. So deeply has he become one with humiliation itself, that he realizes its torments all the well: the degradation of bowing to these victors, who would bestow upon him pity, is all too high a price.

It is to be noted that, though Marchosias applies his arts equally among devils, fallen and mortals, there is a substantial difference in motivation. The duke still considers devils lowly creatures which must be brought to conformity, and which deserve punishment. It is diffent for mortals, however: It is oh so easy for them to renounce their former, vile ways, and be relegated to the eternal bliss of Heaven. The Fire of Shame both envies and hates them for this, for he knows he can never achieve this, even as his heart longs for it infinitely – and this longing only amplifies Marchosias’ efforts when dealing with mortals. Similarly, his envious hatred for other Fallen, who do not yet wallow in a depravity as vile as his own, and for whom redemption is not utterly out of reach, exceeds even his hatred for true devils.

The duke’s arsenal of humiliating torture techniques is quite impressive. Any observers have been loathe to detail exactly what goes on at such sessions, considering the acts too vile to tell on, though those pushing for information are often told the victim’s genitalia were involved. When the approach of Marchosias and his faithful pet Baltzegaurd – a malicious maeelephant of considerable size and strength – is noticed, nobles and onlookers tremble in fear of what is to come.

Marchosias’ general appearance is an odd combination of humanoid, lupine and ox-like traits. His head is that of a red-haired wolf, his nostrils erupting in flame with every breath. Glowing yellow eyes highlight his terrifying gaze. A pair of great bovine horns stands proudly atop his head, surrounded with long, red hair, which reaches down his back about three feet. Marchosias’ body is practically unadorned by clothing, revealing an impressive bulk. His arms, legs and torso are covered with suggestive patterns of red fur, which emphasize the obviously muscular build, the surface of which is gleaming as though Marchosias was sweating. Out of the duke’s back erupt a pair of feathered, vulture-like wings, though their color has distorted over the ages into an agressive, almost brown dark red. Marchosias’ private parts are hidden only by a loincloth held aloft by a belt covered with a pattern of symbols, both his and Belial’s.

The duke is ashamed of his appearance, which he consideres a pale reflection of the majesty the Upper Planes represent. He dreads being seen in this disgusting form, and forbids all inferiors to even glance at him: it is widely known that to look upon the Fire of Shame directly earns his ire. All who are not at least Marchosias’ equal in authority are to cast down their eyes in his passing. Even those who would speak to him are forbidden from lifting their eyes towards the duke. Ofcourse, such demands cannot be upheld when dealing with other dukes, or beings of even greater power, such as Fierana and Belial. As such, when in their presence, Marchosias wraps himself in a cloak, which covers even his face (the duke takes special care in order to ensure that his nose remains unseen). Belial tolerates these measures in public, allowing his servant to maintain great dignity where the rest of Phlegethos is concerned. However, during private audiences, the Lord of the Fourth demands Marchosias supplicate himself in all his nakedness, to Belial’s feet, and indulge in the most humiliating carnal pleasures (some of which provide him with inspiration for his own public torments).

Originally Posted by Kain Darkwind of the Dicefreaks d20 Community.

On this Thread

Flense (Ex): Marchosias can strip the flesh from a victim who is helpless. Using his massive claws, he peels away the skin, causing the victim to suffer 1d8 negative levels. The process requires two rounds to complete; interruption causes the victim to instead suffer 1d4 Constitution damage.

Spell-Like Abilities: Always active –detect good, see invisibility, true seeing;

• at will— animate dead, cure critical wounds, deeper darkness, greater dispel magic, greater restoration, harm (DC 24), polymorph any object (DC 27), power word stun, red fester (DC 22), Shriveling (DC 22), speak with dead, symbol of pain (DC 26), unholy smite (DC 23);
• 3/day—blasphemy (DC 26), raise dead, Stop Heart (DC 24), Thousand Needles (DC 25), waves of fatigue;
• 1/day—feeblemind (DC 24), greater restoration, limited wish (DC 26), waves of exhaustion.

Caster level 28th

Spells: Marchosias casts spells as a cleric with the Pain and Suffering domains.
Spells per day: 13/8/8/8/7/7/6/6/5/5 (Caster level 25th, DC 17 + spell level)

Summon Devils (Sp): Twice per day Marchosias can summon 2d10 kocrachons or 3d10 excruciarchs.

Wracking Touch (Su): Those struck by Marchosias’s claws (in a normal or touch attack) must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 32) or become helpless and blind for 3 minutes as incredible pain doubles them over.

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