Arch-Devil Moloch

The career of the arch-devil Moloch has been a tumultuous one rife with dramatic triumphs and deplorable failures. Currently, Moloch has never been lower. However, his stubborn determination and his overwhelming dedication to revenge have managed to keep Moloch alive and a continued threat to Creation.

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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Moloch was originally a powerful astral deva. Unlike most such beings, who typically are sent into the Depths Below to battle fiends, Moloch was granted the responsibility of defending and protecting children. The Virtues of Heaven considered this a great reward for Moloch, who had cast down many demons and devils. Moloch, a great warrior, viewed his new station as an insult. For a time, though, Moloch served in his capacity as the defender of the innocent well, and soon came to be revered almost as a god. Realizing this newfound aspect to his new position, Moloch quickly began to demand tribute for his services, and it was here that his star began to dim. It is unclear what kind of punishment his behavior would have earned him since it was near this time that Eblis and Beelzebul began to challenge the Bastions of Righteousness. Recalling Moloch’s strength and aggressive nature during their time together in the Realities Beyond, Beelzebul approached Moloch and bade him to serve as a great general in the war against the Realms Above. Of course, the attempted coup ended in The Great Fall, and Moloch – along with Belial, Eblis, Beelzebul, and other notable celestials – was cast out of the Realms Above.

Filled with rage, Moloch was all too happy to accept Asmodeus‘ offer when he arrived in Hell. He joined with Beelzebul as a Duke of Hell. Unfortunately for Moloch, he was neither as crafty as Belial nor as intelligent as Beelzebul to become a Lord of the Nine and soon found himself under his former ally’s yolk. Moloch became Beelzebul’s enforcer and Grand Viceroy, ensuring his ascendancy to the Lordship of the Seventh Hell. In return for his loyalty, Beelzebul helped Moloch overthrow Lilith, Lord of the Sixth at the time, and placed him as his Imperial Duke. Thus, did Beelzebul control two layers of Hell through Moloch. Initially, Moloch was content enough, but soon he wanted to rule on his own. Unfortunately for him, he could not compete with Beelzebul’s network of spies and, as a result, Moloch found his hands tied. He took his frustrations out on his cultists, children, and his consort, the former Lord of the Sixth, Lilith.

Moloch’s term as the Imperial Duke of the Sixth came to an end during Dies Irae. Always allied to Beelzebul, Belial, and Astarte against Mephistopheles and his allies, Moloch had great enmity with the Lord of the Fifth, Geryon. When the Dies Irae raged, Moloch did his best to personally destroy Geryon. However, this plan did not come to fruition for the Dies Irae ended with the defeat of all the Lords at the hands of Asmodeus. Enraged, Moloch was susceptible to the whispers of Lilith, who encouraged him to curse Asmodeus to his face rather than supplicate himself at The Overlord’s feet as the other Lords had done; Moloch foolishly listened to Lilith, who claimed that Asmodeus would respect such a show of power on Moloch’s part. A grimly amused Asmodeus stripped Moloch of his Lordship and cast him out of Hell.

Since his second fall from power, Moloch has traveled the Cosmos, seeking ways to regain his power. At one point, he came extremely close, having built a great army he believed was strong enough to overthrow Lilith and her forces. Unfortunately for Moloch, a great cosmic calamity locked him from the conflict in Hell, resulting in the decimation of his armies without his guidance. Moloch blamed a group of powerful adventurers for this latest failure and he has since spent the past few years doing everything possible to ruin their lives short of killing them.

In the meantime, Moloch has decided to take a more subtle approach to destroying Lilith by passing himself off as a demigod of the sun, youth, and vitality on a small material world. So far, no one knows of this latest plot, but given Moloch’s track record so far, it is unclear whether or not much will come of it. Moloch has no allies in Hell and few beyond. If Moloch finds success in his venture as a cosmic alternative for sun worshippers, it is probable that he will expand his list of enemies. As a god of vitality, Moloch is offers a version of sun worship in which the fires of the sun offer energy and strength to those with the will and noble nature to use it. Sun gods across the Cosmos ‘ particularly those of good intent ‘ would likely turn a disapproving eye to the Twice Fallen. Moloch has few diabolical ties, and all are filled with antipathy on both sides. His greatest rival and a constant thorn in his side is Duke Amdusias of the Sixth Hell. Harboring a perverse dedication to children, Amdusias loathes Moloch and his appetite for child sacrifices. Although his own mother and liege, Lilith, also demands child sacrifices, Amdusias has no power to confront her; thus, Amdusias places all of his anger and disgust against the practice by harrying Moloch’s worshippers. Moloch has responded by sending his worshippers into forests he suspects have been dominated by Amdusias where they raze the entire area. The enmity between Moloch and Amdusias continues to grow and it is probable that Moloch and Amdusias will one day come to personal combat; although Moloch is clearly the stronger of the two, it is possible that Lilith herself may intervene on her son’s behalf not out of maternal instinct (she has none) but out of a need to humiliate Moloch once again. Moloch continues to have a severe rivalry with Geryon the Beast. Although not as intense with loathing as it once was, Moloch’s relationship with Geryon is still filled with hate. If Moloch could put aside his anger, it is probable that Geryon would take any offer of temporary unity in order gain revenge against the current Peers of Perdition. The final devil of note with whom Moloch has any dealings is Bael the Lord of the First. Although Moloch is not dedicated to warfare and combat, most who have started to worship him are drawn to his portfolio that promises strength of arms and uses flames as a totem. This is startling close to some Bael worshippers. So far, Bael is unaware of what has swelled his cultists on the world in which Moloch is currently operating, but once he takes the time to explore, Bael will probably continue to allow the charade. So far, Moloch has done nothing to contest Bael, although it is likely that if Moloch decides upon demi godhood rather than revenge against Asmodeus and Lilith that he will respond to the Warlord of Avernus forcefully.

Moloch has long since lost his angelic features. Incredibly tall, Moloch towers over most pit fiends and even most of the Lords of the Nine. His body is athletic and angular, seemingly made from a block of immobile stone, and is the color of a rotting orange. His head is large, as are his slanted glowing black eyes. He typically wears a large, iron crown that conceals most of his face, although wisps of flame and tendrils of smoke often drift from behind the grates of the front-piece of the crown. When Moloch removes the crown, he reveals his perpetually gaping maw, rows of shark-like teeth that glint in even the dimmest light. Two small horns top his head; the horns, like his face, are vaguely bovine in nature. Moloch wears severe clothes that cross the finery of a noble or king with that of a mortal taskmaster or torturer. Moloch speaks with booming declarations and screaming vindictives, often punctuating points with a crack of Oppressor.

MOLOCH, Arch-Devil of Torment
The Twice Fallen
fighter 25/Lasher 10
Huge outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Fallen, Lawful)
Symbol	A nail-tailed barbed whip, each lash wreathed in flames, on a dark blue inverted triangle
Hit Dice	40d8 + 35d10 + 825 (1495 hp)
Initiative	+16 (+12 Dexterity, Improved Initiative)
Speed	90 ft., Fly 200 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class	65 (-2 size, +8 armor, +10 deflection, +12 Dexterity, +21 natural, +6 profane), touch 34, flat-footed 65
Base Attack/Grapple	+58/+91
Attack	Oppressor +95 melee (3d6 + 44 + 2d6 (lawful) + 3d6 (electric) + 2d6 (evil) + 1 (vile)/17 – 20/ x 2 + 2d6 (lawful) + 6d6 (electric) + 2d6 (evil) + 1 (vile) + 1d6 + death (Fortitude save DC 52); or +83 melee, claw (3d6+25)
Full Attack	Oppressor +95/+90/+85/+80 melee (3d6 + 44 + 2d6 (lawful) + 3d6 (electric) + 2d6 (evil) + 1 (vile)/17 – 20/ x 2 + 2d6 (lawful) + 6d6 (electric) + 2d6 (evil) + 1 (vile) + 1d6 + death (Fortitude save DC 52); or Oppressor +93/+93/+88/+83/+78 crack of fate melee; or ppressor+91/+91/+91/+86/+81/+76 crack of doom melee; or 2 claws +83 melee (3d6+25) and bite +77 melee (3d6+12)
Space/Reach	15 ft. /15 ft. (30 ft. with Oppressor)
Special Attacks	Call devils, diabolical aura, the Presence of Hell, spell-like abilities, Lash of Punishment, Suffer the Children, crack of doom, crack of fate, death spiral, lashing whip, stunning snap 10/day (Fortitude DC 45), whip sneak attack +3d6, whiplash, wound
Special Qualities	Arch-devil qualities, close combat, cursed, damage reduction 30/epic, good and silver, Darkvision 60 ft., Diabolical Prowess, immunity to fire and poison, Low-Light Vision, magic circle against good, regeneration 22, resistance to acid 30 and cold 30, see in darkness, Spell Resistance 65, Submission of the Child, telepathy 1,000 ft., third hand, uncanny dodge,
Saves	Fort +52 (+56 vs petrification), Ref +53, Will +46
Abilities	Strength 60, Dexterity 34, Constitution 32, Intelligence 28, Wisdom 20, Charisma 30
Skills	Appraise (leather) +13, Appraise (metal) +11, Balance +26, Bluff +48, Concentration +69, Craft (leatherwork) +34, Craft (blacksmith) +29, Diplomacy +65 (+63 with good beings, +71 with evil beings), Disguise +10 (+14 in character), Escape Artist +65 (+69 escaping ropes), Handle Animal +40, Hide +51, Intimidate +94 (+100 against evil beings), Jump +67, Knowledge (arcane) +49, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (the planes) +49, Knowledge (religion) +55, Listen +22, Move Silently +37, Ride +44, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +33, Spot +61, Survival 30 (+34 on another plane), Use Rope +45 (+21 with bindings)
Feats	Alertness, Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Corrupt Spell-like AbilityB, Dark SpeechB, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip), Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Greater Weapon Focus (Whip), Greater Weapon Specialization (Whip), Improved Bullrush, Improved Critical (Whip), Improved DisarmB, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved TripB, Iron Will, lightning reflexes, Mobility, Mortalbane, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Spring Attack, Vile Martial Strike (Whip), Weapon Focus (claw), Weapon Focus (Whip), Weapon Specialization (Whip)
Epic Feats	Armed Deflection, Blinding Speed, Devastating Critical (Whip), Dire Charge, Epic Evil BrandB, Epic Prowess, Epic Weapon Focus (Whip), Epic Weapon Specialization (Whip), Improved Combat Reflexes, Overwhelming Critical (dagger), Penetrate Damage Reduction (adamantine), Spellcasting Harrier, Vile Death Strike
Environment	Any land and underground (wandering the Prime Material Plane)
Organization	Unique (Solitary) 2-12 Tophets
Challenge Rating	54
Treasure	Quadruple standard plus bag of holding IV, +8 bracers of armor, and Oppressor
Alignment	Lawful Evil

Combat

If there is one area in which Moloch excels, it is martial combat. Moloch relishes physical confrontations as he always eager to beat, lash, and whip pliable flesh into bloody, lacerated mewling victims. It takes little effort to instigate a fight with Moloch; often, a single poor phrase or strange look is all it takes to throw the Arch-Devil of Torment into a rage.

Moloch always begins battle with his Diabolical Aura; he always sets it to force his foes to cower as he wants them within easy reach to physically abuse. If facing good aligned adversaries, he will also call on his Protective Aura. Moloch will then use Suffer the Children, positioning himself in order to affect arcane and divine spellcasters to the utmost. When Moloch enters melee, he will use Lash of Punishment to different degrees. Against warriors and rogues, the Twice Fallen will beat them into submission; he will seek to sap spellcasters of their vitality and casting power. From this point on, Moloch will concentrate on horribly killing all within sight in the most gory, painful fashion. He will often draw out combat, leaving certain foes writhing pain for a few rounds before killing them. He has been known to accept damage in order to commit to a coup de grace.

It takes a lot for Moloch to bother with spell-like abilities in combat. If he does resort this sort of thing, the focus will be in tearing down any magical defenses his foes have. Multiple meteor swarms are par for the course. Moloch will rarely summon allies, believing that he must show all challengers that he is truly worthy of regaining his station as Lord of the Sixth.

Call Devils (Sp): As a standard action Moloch can attempt to call devils. He may attempt to call up to three times a day, 3 pit fiends (see below), 9 gelugons or cornugons, or 18 of any lesser type of devil. Moloch has a 50% chance of success with each calling attempt. Since these devils are called, they have the ability to summon other devils as their Monster Manual descriptions allow. Since he was deposed, Moloch has been wary to call any devils, fearing further reprisals from Asmodeus (who, in truth, could care less if Moloch calls devils and is amused by Moloch’s newfound humility).

Moloch is always in the company of three Nessian pit fiends that were banished with him after the Dies Irae. Bethage, Herobaal, and Tartach each command small armies of devils and have not lost access to their summoning abilities. Moloch may call any of these three pit fiends with no risk of failure. Although Moloch rightly suspects that at least one (actually all three) of the pit fiends are actually working for Asmodeus, he knows that he has need for them and that it would take a lot for any of them to defeat him. For now, the orders of these three pit fiends from Asmodeus is to obey the Arch-Devil of Torment in all things unless they hear otherwise from the Martinet, the Hidden Lord, or The Overlord himself. To date, Moloch has not attempted to establish any ties with other Fallen, finding all of them to be pathetic, undisciplined sops.

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

Lash of Punishment (Su): There are few beings in existence capable of wielding a Whip with greater proficiency than Moloch. So great is his mastery of this terrible weapon that Moloch can terrorize anyone who has felt its lick. Moloch has a variety of ways to issue punishment with a Whip. In all cases, Moloch may affect victims who have been injured by one of his Whip attacks over the past six rounds that are within 30 feet of his person. The basis for the effect is upon the most recent round, so if a victim is struck one round, and then struck again six rounds later, any attempt Moloch makes to punish the victim begins at the sixth round. Moloch can use Lash of Punishment up to six times a day.

• Moloch can demand a course of action from any victim of a successful Whip attack if they fail a Will save DC 49. Victims become so frightened of being struck again that they will do almost anything to avoid another lash. For the next six rounds, all victims of his Whip attack will do as told within the limits of the command spell except Moloch has an upward limit of nine words when issuing his commands. Once the victim saves, the victim is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
• Moloch can beat a person severely enough to drain them of energy and vitality. Moloch forces a victim struck by his Whip to make a Fortitude save DC 49 or suffer 3 negative energy levels and 3 points of Constitution damage. The effect lingers for 24 hours, after which the victim must make another Fortitude save (based upon the lowered Constitution score) or permanently lose 3 character levels and suffer a Constitution drain of 3.
• Moloch can strike a person in the face. If the victim fails a Reflex save DC 49, she suffers from blindness as cast by a 49th level sorcerer and suffers 3 points of Charisma damage from the terrible welt that mars the victim’s face.

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

Purge Innocence (Su): Much in the same way Moloch abandoned any sense of decency or goodness during the years immediately preceding and during The Great Fall, so too can he feed on the innocence and goodness in any being. 3/day, Moloch may Purge Innocence on any sentient being he touches or damages with his Whip, Oppressor. The victim receives a Will save DC 49 to avoid the effect. When Moloch does this terrible act, he causes the victim to slide one step away from goodness, to neutrality or from neutrality to evil. The victim then behaves from that point on as a being dedicated to its new alignment, although the victim is not necessarily beholden to obey Moloch. If Moloch uses this ability on Lawful Evil beings, they become his willing slaves. Once the victim’s innocence is purged, the only way it can be restored is if a remove curse, followed by an Atonement spell is cast, both by a cleric of a good god of at least 18th level. Moloch is loath to use this ability on any beings that are not Lawful in nature as he’s uninterested in perpetuating the forces of pure or Chaotic Evil. His favorite victims are common, good people, followed closely by paladins.

Spell-Like Abilities:

• At will – aid, animate dead, bestow curse, blasphemy, charm monster, contagion, continual flame, deeper darkness, delayed blast fireball, desecrate, detect chaos, detect good, detect magic, discern lies, dispel good, fear, 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, unholy blight, wall of fire;
• 7/day – inflict light wounds, see invisibility;
• 3/day – destruction, firestorm, meteor swarm;
• 1/day – blade barrier, harm, hellball, wish.

All spells are cast as a 49th level sorcerer (save DC 29 + spell level).

Submission of the Child (Su): As a former patron of children, Moloch now hates the young and the innocent. Where he once embraced them in love and protection, Moloch now seeks to watch them writhe in torment as flames, acid, or other terrible conditions consume their soft flesh. Although no longer a Lord of the Nine, Moloch can still grant power to those willing to commit the atrocious act of child sacrifice.

For every six children sacrificed to Moloch (see Suffer the Children below) within a six day period, the celebrant gains a boon from Moloch as per the Sacrifice rules in the Book of Vile Darkness. If the child is murdered in a quick ceremony (10 minutes), the rewards are as listed in the Sacrifice rules. If the child is murdered in an involved ritual that maims or mauls her before death (30 minutes), the celebrant receives a +3 bonus to his Knowledge (religion) check. If the child is consumed in flames in an altar dedicated to Moloch, the celebrant receives a +6 bonus to his Knowledge (religion) check.

Moloch prefers the sacrifice of children who are aware of what is happening to them, so they must be at least 10 years of age and no older than 16. They must always be ‘unspoiled’ and of good alignment. Finally, the child must be unwilling to die. If these three criteria are met, there is no limit to the nature of reward the celebrant gains (essentially, the celebrant can acquire a wish numerous times).

In the event that the celebrant is not evil upon his first sacrifice, he becomes irrevocably Lawful Evil and his soul condemned to serving Moloch as a lemure upon death. In most cases, Moloch consumes the former client, although in the past, Moloch usually used the stronger victims as slaves in his armies. The only way to escape this terrible fate is for the celebrant to acquire Atonement from a 31st level cleric of a good aligned god, losing all of his benefits from the sacrifice in the process; the penitent must then undergo a quest to right the wrongs and heal the hurts he caused to the loved ones of the murdered children. The penitent receives two weeks per child murdered. If the penitent cannot accomplish the quest with the time frame, he dies instantly and his soul becomes Moloch’s.

Suffer the Children (Su): Upon his Fall from the Realms Above, Moloch abandoned his patronage of children and demanded their deaths as punishment for what the Bastions of Righteousness did to him. Moloch can cause all within 60 feet to suffer in a manner similar to that of a symbol of pain in addition to the effects described below. While children (up to 16 years of age) do not gain a saving throw against this effect, all others must make a Fortitude save DC 49. Affected beings suffer for 9 rounds at which time they receive another Fortitude save DC 49 (while under the effects of the symbol of pain). Those who are successful only suffer 6 points of damage. Those that fail die, their souls consumed by Moloch.

When Moloch consumes an innocent soul (a child as described in Submission of the Child), all of Moloch’s ability scores, armor class, caster levels, and DCs are increased by one per soul for one day per soul. Nothing short of a miracle or wish cast by a good divine or arcane caster of at least 31st level (or the direct intervention of a god or cosmic entity with access to Alter Reality, Hand of Life, Life and Death, or Mass Life and Death salient divine abilities) can restore a soul (one soul per spell cast). If this soul is restored within three days of its being devoured by Moloch, he suffers a -2 penalty on all abilities for each restoration for three days at a time. Regardless of whether or not Moloch is adversely impacted by a restored soul, he is still aware of the restoration, as well as the location and power of the one who would dare rob him. There is a 1% chance per number of souls restored by a particular caster that Moloch will decide to avenge himself in a most gruesome manner.

Moloch does not receive any benefit from sacrifices done in his name unless he is physically present during the event or unless six children are sacrificed within a 24 hour period by the same celebrant.

It is suspected that when he was a Lord of the Nine, Moloch’s Suffer the Children was far more potent.

Oppressor:

The origin of this powerful Whip is unknown, although most suspect that it was a gift from Moloch’s former master, Beelzebub the Lord of the Seventh. Oppressor is a six-tailed Whip, its lashes made crackling lightning bolts, its handle the solidified protoplasm of a balor. Oppressor strikes as a +9 axiomatic, lightning blast, unholy mighty Whip. Any being touching Oppressor without Moloch’s express permission must make a Fortitude save DC 49 or be struck dead; one that survives suffers three negative energy levels so long as the Whip is in her possession. Moloch can effortlessly track Oppressor’s location and will do virtually anything to retrieve his favorite weapon. In Moloch’s hands, Oppressor always confers his maximum Strength score on attacks and damage (included in the statistics above). In the hands of another, the Whip grants a +4 Strength bonus to attack damage only.

Possessions: Moloch always carries Oppressor, and typically wears +8 bracers of armor. Due to his exile from Hell, Moloch has taken to carrying a bag of holding IV in which he carries a wide variety of items.

Summoning Moloch

Moloch’s summoning ritual is among the most elaborate and disturbing of all the Powers of Hell short of the Lords of the Nine. Moloch requires the sacrifice of the innocence in order to appear in the mortal coil and he accepts no substitutes.

The summons must take place in a stone encased location that is open to the sky. Unlike most devils, Moloch actually prefers to be summoned during the heat of the day under a burning sun; in such conditions, the summoner receives a +3 bonus to the Spellcraft check. Dormant volcanoes, abandoned temples of the sun, and similar locations are known to be ideal for summoning Moloch. Within the summoning area the summoner must place a Tophet of Moloch that doubles as an oven. The Tophet must be at least ten feet high and five feet wide. In some perverse parody of the celestial number seven, the likeness must have seven compartments that can be shut with either a stone or bronze cover while the base of the image must have enough room for coal or wood for burning fuel. Aside from the lowest compartment, which is fairly large and in the belly region of the image, the other compartments are typically small (the size of a small chest). There must be religious drumming and chanting (usually a refrain in which Moloch’s name is repeated over and over, growing in intensity and speed as the ritual progresses).

At the beginning of the ritual, the summoner enters and lights the furnace at the bottom of the image. As the other summoners begin to chant and drum, the summoner begins placing different items within the upper most six compartments. Moloch does not require specific offerings other than they must represent concepts related to purity, innocence, healthy, fecundity, or youth. Typical offerings include such things as the remains of a calf, the lock of a child’s hair, dove feathers (or a whole dove), and flour or yeast. In the final compartment, the summoner must place a living (preferably conscious) child no older than 16 years of age. The child must be devoid of blemishes (Charisma of at least 14) or hair and must be of good alignment. The child is burned alive within the lowest chamber. As the child is sacrificed, a blast of flames will explode from the belly of the image to consume the offerings in the upper chambers. Once the child is dead, eyes of the Tophet will flare up with yellow flames and a roaring column of fire will launch into the air. With an earth-shaking explosion, the image will burst apart leaving Moloch in its stead.

Moloch is extremely unpleasant in most summons, demanding that the summoners worship and praise him for at least one full minute, all the while debasing and insulting them. He is easily angered and it takes the most insignificant ill-thought comment to enrage and cause him to attempt tearing down the wards of his summons. For all points and purposes, Moloch is considered Hostile as soon as he appears unless there are five more sacrifice victims present. In such cases, Moloch will immediately call on Submission of the Child and consume their souls. Moloch will then offer any number of boons as described in Submission of the Child. In any case, Moloch will march around the summoning area, cracking Oppressor on occasion when making a point. He will shout, scream, and threaten. Although this behavior may seem Chaotic, in truth, Moloch is testing the mettle of his summoners. He hates weakness and will not parley with those who cannot at least try to conceal their fear (Moloch wants them to be afraid, though, make no mistake).

When the summons is complete, Moloch will return to the center of the room and his form will begin to glow an ugly, burning orange. Cracking and hissing sounds will fill the room as he turns into a new stone image of his person which can be used for future summons. As he disappears, the screams of any child sacrifice victims will fill the room and remain therein for the next nine hours. Any that enter the room during this time must make a Will save DC 49 or be affected by wail of the banshee (only one save is needed during the nine hour period per sacrificed child).