Devil, Zaebos Minister of Promotion

A Grand Count of Hell, he is supposedly of a gentle disposition. Sometimes he is depicted as a handsome soldier riding a crocodile and known as Sallos.

“ He is a Great and Mighty Duke, and appeareth in the form of a gallant Soldier riding on a Crocodile, with a Ducal Crown on his head, but peaceably. He causeth the Love of Women to Men, and of Men to Women; and governeth 30 Legions of Spirits.

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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Zaebos, the Minister of Promotions, is quite probably the single most hated member of the Dark Ministry. As the final determining factor for promotions within the Legions of Hell, even the other Dark Ministers detest him for they must all receive his approval in order for their favorites to receive the necessary recommendations for promotion. Zaebos, perhaps the only Minister to have anything bordering on integrity, is meticulous and purposeful in his decision; he sees to it that every single recommendation for promotion is not just for the benefit of the promotee and his place in the Legions, but for the benefit of Hell. If there is a single mar, a single question or doubt, Zaebos does not hesitate to place a black mark on the Ledger of Success.

Zaebos, Minister of Promotion
Dark Ministry of Hell
Pit fiend (9th Circle General of the Legions of Hell)
Large outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Seal	A stylized, inverted red mountain tipped with a star on a black, inverted triangle
Telepath 18/Mind Spy 9
Hit Dice	22d8 + 18d4 + 9d6 + 441 (616 hp)
Initiative	+16
Speed	40 ft., Fly 60 ft. (average)
AC	45 (-1 size, +5 deflection, +8 Dexterity, +23 natural), touch 22, flat-footed 45
Base Attack/Grapple	+36/+53
Attack	Claw +48 melee (2d8+13)
Full Attack	2 claws +48 melee (2d8+13) and 2 wings +46 melee (3d6+6), and bite +46 melee (4d6+6 plus poison and disease), and tail slap +46 melee (2d8+6)
Space/Reach	10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks	Anticipate, constrict, fear aura, improved grab, psionics, spell-like abilities, summon devils
Special Qualities	Combat telepathy, damage reduction 15/good and silver, Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, instant mindscan, multiple surface thoughts, resistance to acid 15 and cold 15, regeneration 6, see in darkness, Spell Resistance 47, spherical read thoughts, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves	Fort +42, Ref +41, Will +46
Abilities	Strength 37, Dexterity 27, Constitution 28, Intelligence 33, Wisdom 33, Charisma 28
Skills	Appraise +46, Autohypnosis +40, Balance +12, Bluff +65, Concentration +56, Diplomacy +58, Disguise +34 (+40 acting), Gather Information +63, Intimidate +54, Hide +24, Jump +21, Knowledge (arcana) +36, Knowledge (history) +36, Knowledge (local) +36, Knowledge (psionics) +53, Listen +41, Move Silently +28, Perform (oratory) +23, Psicraft +58, Search +31, Sense Motive +63, Spellcraft +40, Spot +56, Survival +11, Tumble +50
Feats	Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Enlarge Power, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Leadership, Mobility, Multiattack, Overchannel, Power Attack, Psionic Dodge, Psionic Fist, Psionic Meditation, Spring Attack, Unavoidable Strike, Widen Power
Epic Feats	Epic Leadership, Epic Reputation, Superior Initiative
Climate/Terrain	Malsheem, Nessus, Ninth of the Nine Hells of Perdition
Organization	Solitary (unique), or troupe (9 pit fiends, 27 gelugons)
Challenge Rating	35
Treasure	Possessions plus triple standard
Alignment	Lawful Evil

Unsurprisingly, there have been many “Zaeboses” within the Ministry. Of all the Ministry stations, this is probably the only one in which none have been offered a place in the Courtiers of Perdition as most “Zaeboses” have disappeared entirely. The current Zaebos has served for about a millennium now and seems to have succeeded where his predecessors failed. While he is very particular about those whom he agrees to promote, he recognizes that for every promotion he allows that he can expect something in return. Zaebos has learned how to walk this thin line well, balancing the needs of his fellow Ministers with his own attitudes and the goals of Hell. So far, he has yet to make any enemies among his peers. About 300 years ago, in order to better facilitate the manner in which promotions are handled, Zaebos temporarily granted each Denomination the right to promote all devils from lemure to hamatula rank without his Denomination’s involvement. This test is designed to see if better productivity results from the individual Denominations have greater responsibility for their own actions. Thus far, the decision seems to have worked. In return, Zaebos now has much greater investment in the promotions of pit fiends throughout the Legions of Hell. Zimimar suspects that Zaebos hopes to eventually overthrow the other Dark Ministers since all pit fiends that have been promoted in the past 300 years owe their newfound stations to Zaebos. Zimimar has only informed Furcas of her suspicions; however, since the promotions have all resulted in some the best pit fiends in over 6000 years, Furcas has decided not to confront Zaebos yet, instead deigning to allow Zimimar to collect as much information on the promoted pit fiends for future blackmail as necessary. Interestingly, Zaebos counts Zimimar as his best ally among the Ministers.

What Zimimar has yet to determine is that most of the “Zaeboses” have been mind seed implants of the original. The original Zaebos (now known as Baron Vhison) was clearly the most talented of the first six or so that served in the Ministry and his talents won him an offer to join the Courtiers of Perdition as a baron of Cocytus (Maladomini). Due to his overwhelming need to maintain control over all things of interest to him, the original Zaebos could not help but keep tabs on the Dark Ministry after his promotion. Disgusted with the numerous retirements and horrible failures that occurred since his departure, the Baron Vhison tracked down the most talented pit fiend reporting to the then Minister of Promotions and infected him with a mind seed. In short order and with no assistance from the other Dark Ministers, the subordinate retired the “Zaebos” and promptly replaced him. While Baalzephon, Furcas, and Zimimar were all individually suspicious of the new Zaebos, noticing some startling reminders from the past, they never discussed it among themselves and simply watched. In short order, the new Zaebos proved himself and the suspicions – although not gone – were ignored in favor of productivity. Every so often, Baron Vhison sprinkled mind seeds to promising pit fiends in the Denomination, ensuring that if the current Zaebos was retired or promoted, an appropriate replacement would eventually rise through the ranks. The current Zaebos is the most recent beneficiary of a mind seed. Although he is not truly interested in taking over the Ministry, he is convinced that only he knows how to build a productive line of high ranking officers. So far, he has managed to fill his Denomination with mind seed copies of himself; he is also slowly beginning to place non-seeded favorites in the upper echelons. Baron Vhison only occasionally looks into his old Denomination at this point and has no direct ties to the current Minister of Promotions; knowing he would be in enough trouble if his manipulations with the non-political Legions were discovered, he sees no reason to make himself even more culpable.

Zaebos is tall pit fiend with pristine scales and smoldering, red eyes. He tends to wear leather doublets, a skullcap, a cloak, and a ring on each finger. He speaks carefully and with a great deal of articulation, using the right words to express his approval or disdain; in the case of the latter, demotions are almost always around the corner.

Combat

Zaebos is a shrewd, somewhat arrogant combatant, unafraid to face up against any foe. He normally begins combat by activating temporal acceleration, and using the “time-out-of-time” to buff and prepare fully for combat. Usual preparations include inertial armor, defensive precognition and ubiquitous vision, all augmented as he deems necessary. Spell-like abilities such as magic circle against good and unholy aura are also
activated if facing a good aligned party.

Zaebos will only keep out of melee range as he continues to prepare if he finds that his ability to second guess opponents is not enough to keep him unharmed (and, even then, he often resorts to activating an augmented mental barrier as an immediate action). Likwise, energy attacks that he is not immune to and that he deemed threatening will be countered by energy adaptation. Before launching physical attacks, he will typically manifest offensive precognition and offensive prescience. His last move before truly beginning to fight is normally to cloak himself in greater invisibility.

The Minister of Promotion loves to toy with his foes for a season before going on the offensive. He is extremely intelligent, though, and will not play with powerful enemies that could get an advantage on him in this time.

When he does finally go on the offensive he holds nothing back. He will normally unleash his meteor swarm spell-like ability into the center of a group, trying to cause as much damage as possible. He will then instantly begin to attack spellcasters or psions with crisis of breath augmented as needed and mindwipe likewise augmented to reduce their effectiveness. As he takes damage, he will use hostile empathic transfer to heal his wounds and cause injury to enemies, targeting weaker enemies first.

After unleashing his power allotment as his chosen target, Zaebos will move in close to engage in hand-to hand combat, making a full attack. The order he will attack enemies is psions, spellcasters, and then warriors. After an attack he will use greater teleport to retreat an appropriate distance and begin to attack again.

If any of his boosting powers expire, Zaebos will again activate temporal acceleration to restore them.

Anticipate (Su): Zaebos gains a +9 insight bonus to attacks made against any foes whose thoughts he is reading, and a +9 insight bonus to AC against attacks made by those foes.

Combat Telepathy (Su): Zaebos can maintain Concentration on his read thoughts power as a free action with a successful Concentration check (DC 10+damage taken on the previous round). If he uses another power or spell like ability, his read thoughts ends.

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

Disease (Su): A creature struck by Zaebos’ bite attack must succeed at a DC 30 Fortitude save or be infected with a vile disease called devil chills (incubation period 1d4 days, damage 1d4 points of Strength).

Fear Aura (Su): Zaebos 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 22nd). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by his aura for 24 hours. Other devils are immune to the aura.

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

Instant Mindscan: Zaebos immediately gains all the knowledge from read thoughts on the first round.

Multiple Surface Thoughts: Zaebos can read the thoughts of up to eight creatures at once.

Poison (Ex): Injury; Fortitude DC 30; initial damage 1d8 Constitution, secondary damage death.

Psionics: 279 PP. Manifester level 39th; DC 21 + power level. Powers known:

• 1 – defensive precognition, initial armor, offensive precognition, offensive prescience, vigor;
• 2 – biofeedback, cloud mind, detect hostile intent, ego whip, read thoughts;
• 3 – crisis of breath, hostile empathic transfer, mental barrier, touchsight, ubiquitous vision;
• 4 – correspond, detect remote viewing, divination, energy adaptation, mindwipe;
• 5 – psychic crush, mindprobe, true seeing, tower of iron will;
• 6 – remote view trap, temporal acceleration;
• 7 – divert teleport, energy conversion, evade burst, ;
• 8 – mind blank, mind seed*;
• 9 – affinity field, reality revision

*Zaebos targets outsiders with the devil subtype instead of humanoids of Medium or smaller size with this power.

Regeneration (Ex): Zaebos 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, and wall of fire;
• 1/day – meteor swarm and symbol of pain;
• 1/year – wish.

Caster level 22nd ; DC 18 + spell level

Spherical Read Thoughts: Zaebos may use read thoughts in a 60 foot sphere shaped area rather than a cone.

Summon Devils (Sp): Twice per day, Zaebos can automatically summon two Lemures, Osyluths, or Hamatulas, or one Erinyes, Cornugon, Gelugon, or Pit Fiends.

Possessions: Zaebos wears a skull cap that is in actuality a powerful cognizance crystal known as the Assessor. It holds 90 power points but these renew themselves every hour without the need to recharge it from an outside source. It also translates telepathic sensations into a heightened awareness. Any creature within range of Zaebos’ telepathy (usually 100 feet) suffer a -9 penalty to all attack rolls against him; he cannot be flanked or caught flat footed by such creatures. This special power is canceled by mind blank or similar effects.

Zaebos also wears a cloak of resistance +7, fastened at the throat by a greater torc of power preservation (reduces the cost of all powers manifested by 3 power points; minimum 0). A ring of protection +5 crafted of adamantine adorns the middle finger of his left hand. On his right is a cold iron band that turns the damage he deals with his claws into stored power points. The ring can hold up to 27 power points. Zaebos cannot manifest powers from the ring, but he can draw from the points within to replenish his own as a standard action.

Cohort: The mechanical Tyrpain (16 HD Gelugon, cerbremancer 10/psion 3/diviner 3) is Zaebos’ Inspector General and receives all reports from the branch general.