The Stratification of Power

The Stratification of Power – Most scholars divide the devils into three categories: least, lesser, and greater. Since it is probable that most of the individuals reading this text are familiar enough with devils to know which entities represent each category, we will not delve into the specifics. However, it is quite clear that this is an inaccurate stratification.

This classification system suggests that all pit fiends, including the Dark Ministry, are the epitome of the greater devil strata. This is not the case. Additionally, this does not take into consideration the Courtiers of Perdition. A more accurate stratification for devils is one that does adhere to the Rule of Three. There are the common devils. This would include the three generic categories of least, lesser, and greater. Even the Dark Ministry is included in this category. Despite their physical and political power, the members of the Dark Ministry are still considered normal devils by the powers that control Hell. They would be comparable to extremely powerful and resourceful knights or generals of many material plane worlds who, while maintaining land and a great deal of power, are not part of the nobility. There are also other pit fiends on this level of power. It should be noted that what most scholars assume to be the “common” powers of pit fiends are but those first manifested during the earliest years of a pit fiend‘s existence. Over the millennia, this epitome of the common devil grows in power, with its reality altering arcane and vast resources to aid it. Some become extremely proficient warriors while others concentrate in -learned magic. All eventually exhibit additional special abilities. Although never a member of the Dark Ministry, it is extremely likely that the current Lord of the First, Bael the Warlord, was one such pit fiend. The pit fiend Gazra, who commands the security forces of the first four levels of Hell from Phlegethon (Phlegethos), and the pit fiend Ariyan who governs the city of Tantlin in Stygia, are other examples of pit fiends close to, if not equal to, the power of the Dark Ministry. And, legends persist of a pit fiend so powerful as to rival the might of the greatest Dukes of Hell or arch-devils: Aesmadeva, Executioner of Hell. In terms of comparative might, such pit fiends tend to be equal in strength to the weakest hero-deities in the Cosmos. They are capable of slaughtering entire armies of demons (and certainly, mortals) on their own and have the power to challenge even entities like solar’s. However, they are not divine in any sense. They cannot grant spells, nor do they generate avatars. They are simply extremely old and powerful devils.

The 81 Dukes of Hell are the lowest members of the second strata of devils, the nobility. In many cases, these Courtiers were once pit fiends who, due to their ingenuity, bravery, or luck, were tapped either by another Courtier, an arch-devil, or a Lord of the Nine, to join this august and extremely selective rank. There are also a fair number of fallen angels and exceptional mortals within this station. There is no such thing as being born into the Courts of Perdition. Since devils do not procreate among themselves, there is no hereditary lineage to follow. However, once a devil joins the Court, it is all but impossible for these entities to be removed for anything less than treachery. The Dukes are often physically and politically more powerful than the Dark Ministry and are just short of possessing cosmic or divine power. The Dukes enact the will of the arch-devil or Lord they serve, but all have their own goals and agendas. Despite their political power, the Dukes still compete with the generals of the common devils for resources. The Dukes maintain their own armies of devils that serve the direct wills of the Courts and the Lords of the Nine. These forces are insignificant when compared with even the smallest standing battalions under the Dark Ministry, but they are still far larger than the greatest of mortal armies. Not all of these armies are militant in nature. Some focus on corrupting mortals or destroying bulwarks of Chaos. Whatever their purpose, a Duke’s forces carry out their tasks with a brutal efficiency, to garner power and prestige for the noble.

Next among the noble devils are the arch-devils. These devils, of which there are at least 27, occupy a peculiar station. While they out-strip the Dukes of Hell in terms of sheer power, the majority of them have no “legal” rights in Hell. Many arch-devils are outcasts among the diabolical and only a few live in Hell. Most tremendously fear and hate Asmodeus, whom they blame for their station, and all await the day they can avenge themselves against their master. Like the Dukes of Hell, most arch-devils maintain armies, but most of these are comprised of beings other than devils. Although out-casts, all arch-devils serve the will of Hell (witlessly in some cases) and all pay homage to Asmodeus if called before the Serpent’s Throne. A fair number of arch-devils are fallen angels. At least six arch-devils are former Lords of the Nine (Adremalech, Astarte, Geryon, Moloch, Sammael, and Tiamat). Four arch-devils, Glasya the Princess of Hell, Lixer the Prince of Hell, Merorem the Prince of the Powers of the Air, and Devil Naamah (Lady Fierana) co-ruler of the Fourth Hell, are publicly part of the Hellish hierarchy. Then there are the enigmatic Lords of the Nine. Interestingly enough, eight of the Lords of the Nine are considered members of Hell’s nobility. These beings are not gods, at least not in the traditional sense. However, they are and must be ranked similarly to the gods because of the grotesque amount of power they wield. The Lords of the Nine are true cosmic entities. The Warlord of Avernus, Bael, is the weakest of the eight and ranks with a lesser god. The Arch Duke of Dis, Dispater; the Arch Duke of Minauros, Mammon; the Arch Duke of Phlegethon (Phlegethos), Belial; the Prince of Stygia, Leviathan; and the Queen of Malbolge, Lilith, are all equivalent to intermediate gods. Greatest in might are the Arch Dukes of Cocytus (Maladomini) and Cania, Beelzebub and Mephistopheles, who are equal to greater gods. However, these rankings are only really appropriate when they are not in Hell. Indeed, within their respective -duchies,- the Lords of the Nine are virtually omnipotent. Despite suggestions otherwise, not even the gods of Hell are immune to the wills of the Lords. In Stygia, this is very apparent as Prince Leviathan comes closer and closer to all out war with the god Set due to his insistence on tributes, tithes, and taxes. As he has refused, the Prince has slowly begun to shrink his realms. Now, this is not an easy task as he is an extremely powerful entitiy (if it were so simple, His Infernal Highness would have already taken the lands away from the wayward gods), but the fact that it can happen is of major concern to the other gods in Hell. Despite Prince Leviathan’s actions, the other Lords of the Nine are not interested in initiating other wars on Hell at least not right now. Typically, the Lords of the Nine and the gods have made treaties and pacts. Usually, these treaties bar the Lords from looking within the realms or otherwise interfering with the gods and their petitioners. Of course, these treaties can and will be broken, but aside from Stygia, this is not the norm.

The epitome of the diabolical is The Overlord of Hell. Let it be emphatically stated that no one knows the true name of this obscure being. He has many different titles and at least two known aliases, the best known and most commonly used being that of Asmodeus (and, for simplicity, we will refer to Hell’s Master as Asmodeus throughout this treatise). The Arch Fiend stands alone in his station as the only true god among devils and the sole member of Hell’s royalty. Asmodeus is the god of devils and devils are his official proxies. They receive power from their connection to him as his “blood” created them. However, he is more than just a god. Despite suggestions that he is a greater power, this does not take into account the fact that Asmodeus governs not just a layer within a plane, but an entire plane of existence. The Nine Hells of Perdition are just as infinite as the Mortal Coil. For any being to hold unchallenged mastery since the beginning of Creation of such a vast and powerful plane means that this being would have to be more than even a greater god. At the very least, Asmodeus is an over god. Even the most powerful “normal” god pales in comparison with his might; indeed, there can be no such comparison. It is this power that allows Asmodeus to command the other Lords of the Nine.

Despite the power he wields, Asmodeus is extremely limited in his mobility. Trapped at the infinite base of Perdition in a pool of his own -blood,Asmodeus universe- spanning body is unable to leave the confines of Hell. Additionally, he can only generate one avatar on the material plane. Finally, his ability to grant prayers is vastly different from conventional gods. As an over god, he can make even the greatest of his desires reality, yet his unique imprisonment keeps him from exercising a permanent connection with mortals. The worlds in the mortal coil should rejoice at this knowledge.