Belial

Belial is a Prince of Hell, styled Lord of the Fourth, the Pale Kiss, who rules over the Phlegethon in Hell. His principle domains are, paradoxically, adultery and purity of the soul. A native Devil of Hell, Belial has lived longer than some gods and has risen to a commensurate level of power. While not widely worshipped by the mortals of Ahren, he nevertheless has followers among those who would use their guile and sexuality to enrich or empower themselves to harm others.

A lawful evil diety, he is best known by the inscription of his name in infernal, though the symbol of a whip (also his favoured weapon) applies. Divine spellcasters inspired by the Lord of the Fourth gain access to the Law, Evil, Charm, and Destruction domains - Belial's dominion of seduction embodies the destructive aspects of the acts to which such charms often leads.

History

Belial is the Lord of the Fourth, who rules over the fourth layer of Hell, and has been since before The Enemy took the Highest Seat, San Meteo took leadership of the Infernal City, or Ogharod the Conquerer attempted to bring hell to heel. His rulership of the fourth leads him into frequent conflict as possession of the soul-forges of Phlegeton is highly desirable.

Relationships

Belial is at his most genial when dealing with San Meteo, and of all the Princes of Hell, he is the most likely to treat fairly (as devil standards go) with the once-human prince of the Infernal City. While his cousins deride Meteo for once being mortal, Belial is literally in the business of reforging the souls of departed mortals into infant Devils, and recognizes the potential it would have taken to transition directly from mortal to godhood.

By contrast, he is forever the pawn of his nearest neighbours, Mammon and Greyon, whose layers are to either side of his and who use him as a proxy in their conflicts against one another, both by turns attempting to wear Belial and his forces down enough to claim the Fourth Layer for themselves.

Appearance

Belial has no one universal form, but is instead a consumate shapeshifter. He can take the appearance of any being, even other gods, if doing so is what would make him most attractive to whoever he is attempting to court, beguile, or address.

Realm

Belial claims rulership the Phlegethon, the fifth layer of Hell. It is within these infernal forges that souls are melted down, amidst the clang of hammers and the stench of burning flesh. Once purified of weakness and rebellion, these souls are recast into the forms of true devils.

Providence

Belial shows no sign of his providence, and apart from the gifts of magic he can give in support of his most faithful, he cannot force the hands of fate in favour of his chosen or against their enemies.

Servants

Many species of devils pledge their loyalty to Princes of Hell, among whom Belial is no exception. Imps and Lemures go without saying, but the Phlegethon is particularly known for the presence of Chortov devils among its host.

Hydrazalgol

Hydrazalgol is a unique and singularly ancient Pit Fiend who has served Belial since long before the most recent shuffle of the layers of hell. He is the general of all the Phlegethon and commands several other pit fiends along with their legions in the name of Belial, occasionally leading raids against vulnerable planes and dimensions in order to bring fresh stock to the Phlegethon.

Church

Belial's church is organized, but secretive, and is few in number. His conspiratorial followers meet in public, speaking in double-entendre or in code, and conduct business in some of the largest cities of Wisteria.

Worshippers

Belial's worshippers fall into one of two major camps - the whores and the politicians. Some, short-sighted, wish to use their charisma for destructive ends, seeking to seduce their enemies into compromising or lethally-vulnerable positions. The rest, playing longer games, seek to use their charisma to influence and pervert those around them, either directly to the worship of the Lord of the Fourth, or indirectly into positions that hamper the goals of the cult's enemies.

Clergy

Belial is rare to grant the status of priest to anyone, in keeping with his state as a pseudo-god rather than a true divinity. Only those whose ambitions and mindset truly align with those of the Pale Kiss can serve as direct conduits for his power, becoming clerics or oracles in his service.

Far more of his formal church is the fallen clerics of other gods who have fallen into his service in exchange for his power, or indeed warlocks who have forged deals with him or his lieutenants in moonlight ceremonies.

Temples & Shrines

Raising permanent temples to Belial is a dangerous game; her worship is illegal under punishment of exile in the Hearthlands and by death in Bastonia and the Atarlie Empire. Even in the Lordless Lands, where intelligent beings have great latitude in their choice of diety, Belial is seen as evil, and his followers are often driven away from the mainstream bands of the Orcish Nation or Confederacy of Sages at best, or warred against at worse.

Indeed, it is only recently, since the Great Collapse opened up the Shimmering Shore to the influences of the planes and threw the region into chaos, that any effort to organize the church beyond country cults meeting in secret was possible. He is rumoured to have now a temple known as the Devil's Playgrounds in the wilds somewhere near Baghar.

Holy Texts

The Princes consider nothing sacred. No word, much less a facsimile of their word, may be used to bind them. Belial enters into a contract, usually written, with any in his service, either personally or through intermediaries. These contracts, which are often as simple as a grant of power in exchange for the immortal soul of the contractor, comprise the full code of conduct of that individual follower.

Many formulate their own codes of conduct above and beyond these contracts that they feel would be pleasing to Belial, in hope that their transition through his forges will be quick and they will quickly re-emerge in some more pleasant form in his service rather than languishing for centuries in the torturous forges of the Phlegethon.

Church History

Belial's church on Ahren has never been organized enough to be a meaningful historical force.