The Archfiends of Hell

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Quote :

The Archfiends of Hell

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Lore written by Drak
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Quote :: "And our dark lord, like a vision of twisted glory, drew his ebony blade across his breast; and from this miasmic wound he drew a fist of the darkest ichor; 'With this Red Drink I tie the strands of a new realm, one anointed in fire and pain.' And he smeared this drink against the heavens, a scar to mimic his own. Brought screaming from the poisonous ichor and bits of swollen flesh came the lowest form of daemon, singing in the birthing pains of this new realm; from the flesh drawn from his breast sprouted the Archfiends, a darkest brood, whom were called forth from the girth of his new world.

'Behold,' he spoke as the first Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our deepest spite to the might of our foe be made manifest; our envious thoughts, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Vayrath let out a yell of bitter resent that stirred a grudge which burned deep within the hearts of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the second Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our greatest strength against our foe be made manifest; our hatred that fuels our wrath, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Berath let out a cry of rage which invoked a spark of dark intent within the souls of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the third Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our most darkest wills of selfish desire be made manifest; our hunger that shall compel us to covet all, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Orobiath let out a wail of demand that awoke a drive for that which was their birthright within all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the fourth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our most depraved and unquenchable yearning be made manifest; our intoxication which beckons us to the muse of our souls, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Narakath let out a shriek of desire that tugged at the innermost vices of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the fifth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our ambition which compels us onwards be made manifest; the stimulus that bids us to foster and nurture the thought of rebellion, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Marusiath let out a bellow of intentful declaration that splayed his vindictive agenda across the minds of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the sixth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our defiance to our foe be made manifest; the mind of rebellion which compels us towards our victory and shall bring decay to their ways, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Baatorath let out a call of twisted hope that rallied the hearts of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the seventh Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our unyielding opposition to our foe – the blade which shall cut and the whip which shall lash – be made manifest; our great unwavering dominance over creation, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Astnorath let out a roar of triumphant arrival that humbled the minds of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the eighth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our spirit which spurs conquest upon our foe be made manifest; the will that marches our legions on the ground of foreign realms, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Dantath let out a war cry of bloody incentive which roused a pure lust for battle within the souls of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the ninth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our greatest weapon against our foe be made manifest; the terror which we shall drive deep within their hearts, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Zaranath let out a howl that shook the hearts of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the tenth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our vengeance which awaits our foe be made manifest; the anguish to which their souls will cry out in symphonic tribute, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Sionath let out a scream that brought a shock of the deepest pain upon all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the eleventh Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our newly anointed ways of greatest conception be made manifest; the innovation upon which our order of darkest sanctity shall be built, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Sabalath let out a screech of inspiration that spread knowledge of dark magic and a cunning most rare within the minds of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the twelfth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our deepest confidence in our resolution be made manifest; our unfaltering resolve to bend not a single knee to our foe, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Malcavath let out a shout of conviction that instilled a sentiment of steadfast dedication in the souls of all lesser kin whom heard it sound.

'Behold,' he spoke as the thirteenth Archfiend emerged from his flesh, 'For I have declared our twisted tongue be made manifest; the words of carefully sown deceit which shall lure and entrap our foe, bound in union with us.' Thus as he said, Velath let out a mere wisp of fabrication so thick that it could almost rouse all of the lesser kin whom heard it from the frenzy they had been rallied into through the calls of their newly born lords.

'Behold,' he spoke, 'For I have created the icons of our defiance; a breed of darkest power and mind which shall pave our way unto the throne of victory.' Thus as he said, the Archfiends took their first steps unto the dirt of a newly created land of greatest fire and darkest glory that would match their own.

'For so long as I live shall this Dark Pact survive, for my heart is the heart of the world; as long as one beats they cannot be torn asunder, for one was created to satisfy the other.' With his final words, the legions of his creations let out an orchestra of passionate cries so triumphant that the heavens themselves would feel the quakes from their declarations."

- An excerpt from the Consortium Inferi.

Quote :: The Dark Powers

Sylornath: God of the Demonic Legions, Conquest, and Domination.

Vayrath: Archfiend of Envy

Berath: Archfiend of Hatred

Orobiath: Archfiend of Greed

Narakath: Archfiend of Lust

Marusiath: Archfiend of Ambition

Baatorath: Archfiend of Decadence

Astnorath: Archfiend of Tyranny

Dantath: Archfiend of War

Zaranath: Archfiend of Fear

Sionath: Archfiend of Torment

Sabalath: Archfiend of Deviation

Malcavath: Archfiend of Pride

Velath: Archfiend of Deception

General Overview:

Created from the flesh of Sylornath with the birthing of Hell itself, the Archfiends are the personification of their father's will. As they are birthed directly from him, they are the most powerful of demonic kind and have ruled Hell for thousands of years – though whether or not they do so in a unified fashion has been disputable since the death of Sylornath.

Each Archfiend represents an 'aspect' of Sylornath; or more specifically one of his emotions or concepts related to his rebellion against the Concord. What they represent is related to the order they were born in, depicting the gradual development for Sylornath's final solution that drove him to create Hell. With this in mind, the Archfiends can be broken into three separate groups: the Archfiends of Escalation, the Archfiends of Solution, and the Archfiends of Result. Escalation consists of the first to fifth Archfiends, the eldest whom represent the aspects which 'developed' their younger brethren. Solution refers to the sixth and seventh, Baatorath and Astnorath – whom represent the conclusions that Sylornath came to; his guiding ideology, and their greater policy against Concordic life. Result are the eighth to thirteenth; the aspects that are the 'result' of the solutions, and represent that which shall be brought upon all whom oppose the demonic legions in their expanse.

In essence, the Archfiends themselves represent a path towards Sylornath's dark enlightenment. While the uneducated and Concordic sources would argue that demons are nothing more than mindless servants of twisted evil that would seek nothing but to destroy – more often than not to the Archfiends, there is reason to their chaos. Like all others they have principals behind their reasons, and earnestly believe that what they are doing is right – whether it be that their actions are actually beneficial to lifeforms in the long run, or that they themselves simply embrace the true meaning of existence that the Concord denies with their concepts of law and order.

Prior to the beginning of the God Wars, the thirteen Archfiends ruled over the lands of Hell under Sylornath's watchful gaze. While they most certainly had a united enemy in the form of the Concordic powers, their father made it abundantly clear that while he would act as a mediator between them to keep their system from utterly fracturing – he wanted the Archfiends to compete with one another. In matters related to domestic governance, preparations for war, and eventually even the actual fighting of said war; Sylornath fostered the desire in the Archfiends to compete with one another in order to advance them and gain his approval.

When the God Wars finally began, the Archfiends led the demonic legions as its generals. With Astnorath and Dantath at the head of the demonic armies marching on campaign, the legions of Sylornath marched to war against their Concordic foes – and were ultimately defeated. Sylornath himself was eventually slain by Aten and Tyr, whom proceeded to cast his soul into the World Storm itself. Without it's leader, Hell quickly fell into a state of disarray as its system threatened to crumble. The Archfiends, though initially united, quickly began to fall away from one another – leading to a great division that would become civil war.

The Archfiends of Solution, Baatorath and Astnorath, made the strongest claims to the throne of the Dreadlord. Having led the majority of the offensive campaign against the Concord, Astnorath maintained that his claim to the throne upheld the most merit; while Baatorath felt that his brother was far too compulsive to properly rule as Dreadlord, and that his methods were far more balanced in comparison. While Astnorath argued that Baatorath was far too weak to rule, the latter still maintained a strong following due to his ideological foothold in the demonic legions. When Baatorath openly contested Astnorath's right to the throne, the tyrannical Archfiend responded by declaring total war upon his rival. The other eleven quickly found themselves divided on whom to support with Berath, Zaranath, and Dantath throwing their lot in with Astnorath rather quickly; while Orobiath, Narakath, and Malcavath cast their support to Baatorath. Vayrath, Marusiath, Sionath, Sabalath, and Velath remained largely unaffiliated at first – though brief periods of cooperation to the two sides occasionally came about. While some maintained their independence out of an uncertainty as to whom they should support, others such as Velath or Vayrath felt that they were deserving of the mantle themselves – though they remained out of the direct contest for the time being.

After securing his supporters, Astnorath quickly forged binding blood pacts with Berath and Zaranath – swearing them into his absolute service. Dantath however was unwilling to fully commit himself in such a fashion, refusing to abide by any restraints his senior brother might impose on him. While Astnorath was furious with this act of defiance, he ultimately held his tongue out of concern of Dantath defecting from his side of the war, which would lead to him taking his superior legions with him. In contrast however, Baatorath forged a much looser coalition with his own supporters, agreeing with them that they should see an assurance that he would become Dreadlord before they fully commit themselves to him – though even this alliance had blood pacts associated to it regardless.

With both Astnorath and Dantath – the two greatest generals of the demonic legions during the God Wars – poised against him, Baatorath found himself in a precarious situation militarily. While the conflict seemed certain to turn against him at first, he quickly evened the playing field by utilizing that which he had acquired during the wars under Sylornath's specific instructions. While Astnorath was occupied leading the legions against the Concord, Baatorath had been instructed by his father to breach that which was most taboo in the immortal society: he was ordered to seize control over the forces of death itself.

Forging an alliance with the minor deity Kelemvor, whom had been co-opted as an 'assistant' by Esura, the God of Death; Baatorath was able to gain access with him to Esura's realm – where all mortal souls naturally gravitated towards upon their passing in order to be consumed by the mindless death god. Working together, the two were able to isolate Esura from the souls which his hunger compelled him to consume, and was promptly killed in his weakened state. With the soul of Esura now in hand, Baatorath seized control over Esura's realm for himself – forcing Kelemvor out and thus assuming the title of 'God of Death' for himself. Baatorath quickly established the means by which to continue flowing the dead towards Esura's soul, whom was kept in a permanent state of unconsciousness; so that he may gather them for his father.

It was Sylornath's hope that this effective 'soul farm' would give Hell an edge over the Concord. But Baatorath's success came too late to prevent the death of his father, and he instead found himself in sole possession over Esura. While Astnorath may have had an advantage over Baatorath through superior military forces, he was unaware of his rival possessing such a secret weapon – a realization which quickly spelled disaster for him. Utilizing the natural influx of souls for both personal power, as well as the creation of new demonic soldiers, Baatorath began to gain an edge gradually over his opponent.

Additionally, Baatorath was intent to even weaponize mortal kind itself. While the natural order of death brought souls to him, he desired them to come at a more rapid rate. In order to achieve this, he began to reach out to Aeria in order to spread his will through the formation of a new dark religion. Fully aware that most mortals would have no incentive to consort or outright support demons for fear of what they might do to them in the long run, he sought to give them cause to reconsider. Putting his ideological beliefs to good use, he wove a faith that promised not only power to those whom showed their support to him – but the indulgence of their most depraved desires, and freedom from all restraints.

Baatorath's faith incentivized mortals through temptation to carry out their most unspoken lusts in his honor – for unlike the Concord which demands they restrain themselves through moral obligations, he bids them to do as they will. To kill, rape, steal, and strive for glory through whatever means they see fit. To set themselves free from the imagined moral lines and binding orders of the divine whom dictate instruction to mortals unjustly. This created a strong contrast to Astnorath's ideology, which demanded utter servitude to him; while Baatorath promised that his servants would be masters of those whom refused his grace. That through him, they would spend their eternity as rulers instead of slaves. He commissioned the creation of various new breeds of demons such as the Incubus / Succubus, whom were designed to tempt mortals closer to him. Though while these demon breeds may now be known for deceptively getting closer to mortals only to consume their souls, they did not do this at the time. Rather, they indulged the pleasures of mortals at the order of their master to further carve the notion that there were great rewards in his service.

Many still feared the wrath the demons had brought upon Aeria during the God Wars, though despite this some fell into the sway of Baatorath's words – which quickly led to a growing cult across the mortal world. While there were small pockets of those whom worshiped Astnorath, their faith lacked the tempting appeal of his rival – whom seemed to keep to his word by collecting the souls of his deceased followers to be reincarnated as demons in his service, free to carry out their wills upon those whom did not. It could easily be said that the appeal of Baatorath's faith is what incited the spread of underground knowledge in demonology and the Consortium Inferi.

With a growing following on the mortal world that incited numerous instances of bloody ritualistic murder, or outright unceremonious slaughter to send him souls, Baatorath's advantage quickly grew in the civil war. Realizing that he was hard pressed to fight back against his rival, Astnorath demanded that Dantath sign a binding pact to him – believing that unrestrained control over his legions would grant him the edge he would need to turn the tide. While this arguably might have helped, Dantath felt that it would not have been enough; leading him to respond to Astnorath's increasingly pressuring demands by defecting from his side of the conflict, taking his legions with him.

Not only did Astnorath's fear come to pass, but Dantath proceeded to offer an alliance to Baatorath, who was all too pleased to accept such a proficient ally into his ranks – sealing with him the same minor blood pact he had with his other allies. This put not only the force of death itself into Baatorath's hands, but also the most martially professional legions in Hell itself. With the Archfiends whom allied to Baatorath feeling far more assured in their support and neutral parties beginning to consider siding with him themselves, Astnorath's hopes for victory quickly began to slip away from him.

However, Baatorath's rapid success did not go unnoticed to those outside Hell. When word reached the ear of Aten that an Archfiend was close to assuming the mantle of Dreadlord, an intervention was ordered. By His holy mandate, the Archangel Chamuel met with Kelemvor in an effort to enlist his aid in the same fashion that Baatorath once had. Once an arrangement was made between the two parties, they traveled directly to Esura's realm to confront Baatorath whilst he consumed the souls of the dead.

The resulting battle within Esura's realm was a long and arduous one. Though he was caught off guard initially and not properly prepared for battle, Baatorath's accumulated power that had him nearly to the level required to become Dreadlord gave him an edge over the normally superior Archangel. But with Kelemvor working against him additionally – with his own knowledge as to how the realm of Esura functioned – the playing field was quickly balanced. While many different sources tell different tales of the battle and what factors led to the outcome, they all preach the same ending: Chamuel successfully killed Baatorath just short of becoming Dreadlord.

With Kelemvor raised to the mantle of Death God and given reign to control Esura's soul, Chamuel proceeded to hurl Baatorath's soul into the depths of the World Storm as Sylornath had once been. Though still not fully content with simply bringing an end to the Archfiend of Decadence, Chamuel then directly entered Hell itself with his forces; taking advantage of the path Baatorath had once used to travel between it and Esura's realm.

In an event that would sting Chamuel's infamy into the minds of all the lesser demons who witnessed it, the Archangel and his host proceeded to liberate a good deal of the souls that Baatorath had used Esura to accumulate and distribute, before escaping with them. This not only fully cemented the reality of Baatorath's death into the minds of the other Archfiends, but also caused the established order amongst them to fall apart all over again. With Baatorath gone, his allies quickly became independent once more – though they continued to loosely cooperate together in an effort to keep Astnorath and his armies at bay. While the Archfiend of Tyranny was more dedicated than ever to assert his superiority after the death of his long time enemy, his brothers were far too terrified of the repercussions they would receive for refusing – or outright opposing him – to even consider accepting his rule. Thus the civil war would continue to rage on for more centuries than it already had been; though Astnorath was now competing not against a single Archfiend contesting his right to the mantle of Dreadlord, but a coalition of Archfiends intent simply on keeping him from gaining a final victory.

As the passage of time marched on, the creator of the Blight known as Ossus would eventually assert himself into the civil war – intent on claiming the mantle of Dreadlord for himself. It was around this time that Malcavath, the Archfiend of Pride, managed to escape onto Aeria with his forces in an effort to maintain his independence. Marusiath, the Archfiend of Ambition, fell to the Blight soon after this when he failed in an attempt to arrange an alliance with Ossus – a fate which also came upon Velath, the Archfiend of Deception.

With Astnorath gradually losing ground once again – though this time to Ossus – the balance of the civil war was disturbed once more when he was killed by his mortal champion Marcus Olm, whom consumed his soul and thus ascended to become the divine Emperor. Inheriting the blood pact bound servitude of Berath, Zaranath, and Sabalath in the wake of this action, he proceeded to forge a confederacy against Ossus with Orobiath, Narakath, Dantath, Sionath, and Vayrath.

While this has effectively placed almost all of the Archfiends within the reach of the Emperor, he is still strongly opposed by both Ossus, and the Concord. Additionally, not all the Archfiends uphold the Emperor as their ideal vision of the Dreadlord – whether their reasoning be based upon any flaws on his character that they have noted, or out of a disdain for the fact that he is not a true born demon. Regardless of what their reasoning may be, despite their confidences or lack thereof, their alternatives are extremely limited – if not outright nonexistent for the time being.

Administrator Posts : 458 Join date : 2012-02-04

Quote :: Vayrath: Archfiend of Envy

Vayrath is the Archfiend of Envy, and the first of the thirteen to be born from the flesh of Sylornath. He depicts the aspect of Sylornath which looked upon the primordial gods – Aten first and foremost – with great resent and disdain. Like his father, Vayrath believes that they are not fit to hold themselves upon a pedestal, as if they warranted the right to rule over all life simply on the merit of existing alone. He also holds a great deal of spite for beings outside of demonic heritage, but his focus is mainly driven towards the Concord specifically – a continuation of Sylornath's initial envy of them. When the civil war of Hell broke out, Vayrath remained largely unaffiliated to any main contenders of the Dreadlord mantle. This was partly out of a personal belief that as the oldest Archfiend, he deserved the mantle himself; though he lacked the collective authority that Baatorath and Astnorath commanded amongst his brothers, which led him to spend the majority of the conflict sitting quietly within his keep to observe the proceedings.

Though after the death of Astnorath and the ascent of the Emperor, Vayrath broke his utter neutrality when he agreed to join his confederacy of Archfiends in an effort to withstand the expanse of Ossus and his Blight, whom he views as an immense threat to Hell – even though it is arguable that his only true motivation is driven by self preservation. He later swore an additional blood pact to hail the Emperor as Dreadlord in exchange for access through the Tower to invade Aeria; though his primary intent was mainly born from not only a desire to gain more souls for power, but to also remove himself from the direct threat of the Blight in Hell.

Like virtually all of his kin, Vayrath sets a standard for intimidation when he is engaged in battle. While he would normally stand at a much more manageable size outside of combat, he has been known to increase his size several times over to achieve an advantage over his foes. Like most other higher races of demons, his body is tall and humanoid, constantly adorned in a black robe with sections of armor plating equipped at all times. While some demons might wear armor outside of combat as a means to display their authority or intimidate all who see them, Vayrath does so out of an almost detrimental paranoia of possible attacks at any moment. This has been a staple of his character since the outbreak of civil war. He also prefers to keep his face concealed at all times; his ornately horned helmet providing a face cover adorned with his crest. Though at times when in conversation he has been known to lift the cover up to the bottom of his nose to reveal his mouth, giving those he speaks to an unenviable sight of his lower face.

As one might expect, Vayrath is an extremely jealous individual of those whom hold themselves above him, as he desires all that he does not possess; fueled by his belief that as the first Archfiend, he is the most worthy of becoming Sylornath's heir. While he may not presently have the power that he desires to push for the mantle of Dreadlord himself, he has been forced to bite down on his personal pride and bow his head for a long time – his immense sense of loathing for his superiors being all thanks to an inheritance from Sylornath that he cannot shake off, no matter how hard he may try. Unlike some of his other fellow Archfiends, Vayrath is not known for any great innovations on his part – but rather a skill and lack of restraint in incredibly underhanded, outright covert tactics to covet that which his kin have obtained for themselves. While he willingly signed a blood pact to recognize the Emperor as Dreadlord and adheres to the pact out of necessity, he does not personally hold any love for his master; he views the Empire as a shoddy attempt at a mortal utopia ripe with flaws that will one day tear itself apart on their own terms. Though despite this, he 'happily' plays along with the power games of the Emperor for the time being.

Berath: Archfiend of Hatred

Berath is the Archfiend of Hatred, and the second of his kind to be born. He is the manifestation of Sylornath's malice for the Concord, and is the perfect representation of the emotion made flesh. Unlike Vayrath, his spiteful outlook does not focus primarily on the Concordic races, but generally all life beyond demon kind – seeing them as inferior species fit only for destruction and eternal torment. After the death of Sylornath and the beginning of the civil war between Baatorath and Astnorath, Berath eventually swore allegiance to the latter. He saw Baatorath's tendency to consider alternatives to immediate war as a weakness, and a consideration other races did not deserve. Thus he saw Astnorath's policy of total conquest on all who would not submit to him as the perfect match to his own ideal practices. Like Zaranath, Berath swore absolute loyalty to Astnorath through a blood pact – even though this led to them both losing their titles as the Archfiends of Hatred and Fear to Astnorath in an effort to further glorify him. Their pact sealed servitude is something which was later inherited by the Emperor when he consumed Astnorath's soul.

As one would expect, Berath is a terrifying sight to behold. Although he will naturally assume a shape of considerable size whilst in battle, his form can be regarded easily as 'decrepit'; being fairly gaunt in his features compared to some of his kin. With a much thinner frame than the other Archfiends, to some he would not look as fit for close combat. In reality though, Berath has an inhuman agility and flexibility, his arms being disjointed due to a unique anatomy in his elbows that allow them to bend both inwards and outwards. In addition to his two most prominent arms, he has six others of considerably smaller size with only three fingers each that are kept concealed at most times. They would appear at normal intervals to be six 'ribs' folded against his chest; until he finds himself in a situation that demands they be utilized to their true intent. Thus while he is not the 'strongest' Archfiend in personal combat, his versatility gives him an edge above his competition.

While he is not above the usage of available weaponry, despite his lack of superior strength Berath has a tendency to prefer using his bare hands in combat. Using the flexibility of his multiple appendages, he's known to grasp an opponent from multiple angles in order to restrain them, just before ripping into them with spiteful fervor. Above most other Archfiends, his blood lust can get the best of him extremely quickly – making him almost irrational at times when it comes to the death of his enemies. On a personal level outside battle, he is not so different. He does not engage in social situations with pleasure, and while he respects his fellow Archfiends and once admired Astnorath immensely, he holds little inclination towards the Emperor. While he was initially somewhat hopeful that the Empire's warlike path would grant him an outlet for his hatred of the lesser races, he has become extremely furious with his appointment to be kept as a sentinel at the Tower. Though he obliges the order that the Emperor has delegated to him, he does not do so gladly – and continues to look at the Emperor with resent for both his assignment, and the fact that he is not a true born demon attempting to fill the role of Dreadlord.

Orobiath: Archfiend of Greed

Orobiath is the Archfiend of Greed, and the third to be born. As a manifestation of Sylornath's desire for power, Orobiath and his minions are known for their immense hunger for souls. Beyond all the other Archfiends, he is recognized as being the most responsible for the act of 'commerce' between demonic kind; or more specifically the trade of souls as if they were currency. It was his hand which led to the creation of many demons who consume various souls – even other demons – into themselves to be tortured in order to generate power. Contrary to some belief, they were not originally born for the purpose of entrapping numerous immortal souls solely for power gain, as they are known to do now; but for the mass collection and transportation of said souls from battlefields back to the plains of Hell, to be traded in a sick form of market commerce.

This was done to both buy the services of various demons into his legions, and to also give birth to a new market for souls – which is now manipulated by him in order to spur lesser demons of other Archfiends to trade souls to him and his underlings in exchange for various services. Taking advantage of the system he created once the rest of his race began to involve themselves, he has since used what can only be described as entrepreneurial business tactics to direct the flow of soul trade unto himself and his minions – this having been a successful venture that impressed even Sylornath himself, whom fostered competition between his children to fight for his approval. Orobiath has since also connected himself with a small cult of followers across Aeria, whom usually make oaths to him in exchange for assistance in achieving wealth in the mortal world. He uses these arrangements to both receive sacrifices of souls in exchange for the help he offers, and to also recruit new demons into his power cabal once his followers are given to him after death.

When the civil war began, Orobiath chose to ally himself with Baatorath – whom he knew would be the most accommodating to his personal ambitions, as Astnorath demanded nothing short of total servitude. He continued to expand his trade empire using some of the souls Baatorath delegated to him from Esura, using it to sway a great number of neutral parties to their side of the conflict. Though ultimately when Baatorath was slain, Orobiath and his allies were forced to become independent, only still working together unofficially to hold back the revenge of Astnorath – and eventually Ossus. When the Emperor entered the scene of the civil war, Orobiath was one of the Archfiends to join him in his confederacy.

Physically, Orobiath is one of the few Archfiends to have a sizable form outside of combat. Standing around twenty five feet in height at his most 'comfortable preference', his immense body is positioned atop four legs covered in a thick carapace like shell. His posture is normally one of obvious relaxation, with his four sturdy legs providing enough stability that he treats his lower half almost as if he were being moved around atop a seat. His form is decorated with a wide assortment of cosmetics. Golden rings and bands, expensive cloth tapestries, and various other implements decorate his visage. Though most would assume this to be purely because of his rather obvious egotism, he rationalizes his lavish garb to be a 'tactic of distraction' – believing that the eyes of many mortals and immortals alike are automatically drawn to such beautiful objects, and thus distracted from other actions. Though regardless of his rationale, even his palace mirrors this ornate preference – being perhaps the grandest structure in all of Hell; though not in sheer size or fortifications, but rather its beauty. The entire palace is decorated with the finest materials from all sources available to Orobiath, and is the center of commerce for Hell.

While he is arguably far more petty than the rest of his brothers, Orobiath believes that ingenuity comes in all forms. While he does not discredit the methods of innovation his more destructive and malicious brothers have carried out, he believes that even some twisted form of 'creation' through a demonic form of business can be equally beneficial. While some Archfiends such as Astnorath, Berath, and even Dantath see him as nothing more than a manipulative opportunist taking sole advantage of the weaknesses in others due to lacking any strengths of his own; various other Archfiends like Baatorath, Narakath, or even Marusiath look on him as a genius in his own right. While his true objective is ultimately power, he believes that power does not come solely from the mantle of Dreadlord – and thus has been largely content to not directly throw himself into competing for it. Rather, he aims to benefit from allying with whomever may eventually claim it; assuming that they are willing to abide him and his unconventional practices in the future.

As a confederate, he agreed to an alliance with the Emperor, though whether or not he fully believes in the power of his ally remains to be seen. He admires the ingenuity of the Emperor and does not hold his non-demonic heritage against him – though it is still a point of injury on his personal pride – instead respecting him for his underhanded methods of obtaining power. However, respect for his tactics aside, his initial hope for the Empire becoming a power basis for his 'commerce' on the mortal world has been utterly shattered not only through the numerous trade embargos placed on it by foreign powers, but also due to the Emperor's own policies. The Empire's extremely restrictive stance on the open market has not only made it difficult for his followers to gain personal wealth to better benefit him, but the Emperor's personal creed of selfless sacrifice and restraint has put a collar around the desires Orobiath's strategies prey on. Thus with the Empire stagnated both in matters related to foreign trade and domestic services that he would otherwise take advantage of, Orobiath views the Empire as a bogged down entity that is otherwise a waste of potential.

Narakath: Archfiend of Lust

Narakath is the Archfiend of Lust, and the fourth to be born. He was created as a manifestation of desire – though not of any one particular thing. Rather, lust for universally all things: power, wealth, or even the depraved pleasures of the flesh and other mortal comforts. Narakath has a strong bond of kinship with his brother Orobiath, as their aspects give them similar aims. Though while Orobiath might be seen as more opportunistic and entrepreneurial, Narakath is far more compulsive and outright demanding. While Narakath and his demons create much of the demand for various services in Hell, Orobiath and his practices forge the actual supply to satisfy them in exchange for souls.

Like his older brother, Narakath sided with Baatorath during the civil war; their ideologies meshing together well, which led to various members of Baatorath's growing mortal cult revering Narakath in addition to their dark lord. But like Baatorath's other allies, he and his forces were left independent after their favored candidate for the mantle of Dreadlord met his end at the hands of Chamuel and Kelemvor. Since then he has associated himself with the confederacy of the Emperor, recognizing the need to unite in the face of Ossus.

Despite his nature, Narakath is a visage of pure horror. His body is long and segmented, woven from deformed flesh rather than a carapace or scales – not at all entirely fit for direct combat. His movement is assisted by numerous spikes atop his back and insect like legs along his underside, with some longer ones functioning as arms. While the spikes also assist in movement – especially should he be overturned – they also serve as extensions of his sensory capabilities. Smaller ones are exceptionally sound and vibration conductive to afford him an extensive hearing range, whilst longer ones provide additional feeling stimulus. The features of his underside are also dominated by the presence of several orifices – some of which he uses to 'eat' the various types of cuisine from numerous cultures around the Crystal Sphere, despite the divine lacking a need for sustenance – while other orifices are home to organs he utilizes in the pursuit of other pleasures.

Rather than directing his ambitions into his own personal bid to become Dreadlord, thousands of years of serving proficient masters has lulled him into a much more simplistic objective to focus his vision upon: to throttle every last ounce of pleasure that immortal life has to offer him and his followers. To Narakath, a life of restraint and morality is a deplorable lie to deny the very nature of life itself; thus his personal mortal cult has been virulently encouraged to indulge their darkest desires on the world – a practice which found a home in Baatorath's personal ideology he relayed to Aeria. So long as Narakath and his desire to live his immortal life to its fullest potential goes unhindered, he is seen by most to be complacent and relatively harmless – though it is debatable as to whether or not his desires would eventually pressure him to push the established boundaries even further.

His daily activities are primarily held within his palace in Hell, which is home to various sources of entertainment he has designed not just for himself, but for all of his minions and servants – as well as any whom he might permit to attend. In keeping with his belief that life should be enjoyed to its fullest, he is almost uncharacteristically generous with guests at events he enjoys holding. Various instances of demonic variations of sports such as races or gladiatorial arena fights take place, alongside occasional morbid 'festivals' – more often than not arranged by Orobiath – to both expand on, and enjoy the collective culture of Hell. But more privately beyond the sphere of public entertainment, Narakath derives pleasure from various sources of comfort related to the physical body; whether they be indulging in different manners of cuisine, or his own sense of sexual depravity – which is fed by his own personal collection of slaves, in addition to a harem of succubi.

Aside from his personal harem however, Narakath's most favored servant is his recognized concubine, Zophiel. Once an angelic officer in the host of Ananiel, Archangel of Purity; Zophiel was once a holy warrior of Aten whom fought against the demonic legions during the God Wars. After the conclusion of the war and the subsequent imprisonment of Tyr at the hands of the Prophet, the hosts of the Archangels became far less unified and started to pursue their own ventures freely for a time. This also led to a period of development where numerous angels such as Zophiel began to explore new concepts such as the psychological gender identification of the divine – Zophiel having come to the result of personally recognizing her sense of identity as female. Though in accordance with Aten's mandates and in homage to him, Ananiel forbid such expression – unwilling to allow the purity of Aten's glory personified by his host to be tainted.

Alongside Chamuel, Ananiel and his host conducted small skirmishing operations against the demons long after the official conclusion of the God Wars. It was in the aftermath of one of these very battles that Zophiel was captured along with various other angels, and taken into captivity in Hell. The angels were brutally tortured and several converted into 'corrupted' visages of their former selves in service to the Archfiends in the civil war; Zophiel being subjected to numerous acts of physical and psychological torment. Through the trade of slaves – angelic souls fetching a high value – Orobiath circulated most of the captives to his own markets. It was through this that Narakath took an interest in Zophiel; originally interested in purchasing an angelic servant to twist as a mockery to Aten, only to find some small grain of sympathy for Zophiel's personal plight.

Narakath ultimately purchased Zophiel as a lowly servant, and in keeping with his original intent to mock the 'untainted purity of Aten's glory', he altered Zophiel's form into the visage of a demonic angel – and in an act of defiant individualism, distinctly female. Over the last thousand years, Zophiel has served Narakath loyally – arguably with only a hint of brainwashing or indoctrination required, as most of her devotion seems to have become genuine. She has since gained a great deal of favor with her master, and he now regards her as his concubine; spending a great deal of his time with her and noticeably enlisting the services of his succubi less and less over the centuries. She is usually seen in attendance with him as a personal guard at official events or meetings, and will often times stand in for him in an important discussion should he not be available himself.

Following the lead of Orobiath, Narakath joined with the Emperor's confederacy out of a desire to save himself from the rapidly expanding Blight – as the only thing Narakath fears worse than death is the notion of being robbed of any free will. Though he has quickly found a sense of regret in associating himself with the Empire after observing their philosophical practices, which he views as stagnating and hollow due to the Emperor's view of selfless morality and servitude; the latter of which being easily what drove him away from Astnorath in the first place. Thus while he says nothing on the matter, he sees the ways of the Emperor as being a thinly disguised version of Concordic values and ethics; collectively something he sees as a pointless restraint on the true value of life itself.

Marusiath: Archfiend of Ambition

Marusiath was the Archfiend of Ambition, and the fifth of his kind to be born – the last Archfiend of Escalation. He is a manifestation of Sylornath's growing sense of ambition to seize the power of the collective divine for himself, which drove him to forge the realm of Hell in the first place. While his younger brother Baatorath – viewed as the father of demonic ideology – is referred to by his father as the 'mind of rebellion', Marusiath is called the 'thought of rebellion'; the concept that gave birth to both him, and Astnorath. In keeping with his aspect, Marusiath was an ambitious Archfiend whom believed in his own right to rule as Dreadlord.

Before the civil war, Marusiath was a close ally of Baatorath due to the kinship of their aspects; though this came to an end when Baatorath contested the mantle of Dreadlord for himself. While several Archfiends fell in line under him and the Archfiend of Decadence personally extended an invitation for Marusiath to join with him, he refused the offer adamantly. Unable to accept being servile to any of his brothers, he instead sought to become his own party in the overall conflict; though Sabalath was the only Archfiend to show him any serious consideration. But even that token of faith was ultimately wasted when Marusiath declared himself as a contender in the civil war, only to meet a rather quick defeat at the hands of his opponents.

Left with only his life and forced to go into hiding with most of his forces bested by the martially superior armies of Astnorath and Baatorath, Marusiath's pride was crushed and he was left to sulk in exile. For centuries he watched the conflict from afar, bitter and resentful for his defeat. Even when Baatorath met his end and the balance of the civil war became skewed, he was unable to take advantage of any openings to assert himself once again, fully aware that the now independent Archfiends saw him as little more than a joke. But when the day came that Ossus entered the civil war with his Blight, Marusiath saw an opportunity opening before him once more. Approaching Ossus in an effort to secure an alliance between them, Marusiath was certain that with the Blight on his side, he would assuredly be able to make a comeback. Though while Ossus was more than pleased that Marusiath was willing to offer his assistance, he had his own intentions for how best to utilize his aid. The Blight turned on the ambitious Archfiend, whom was quickly overwhelmed along with his guards by its undeniable might.

Marusiath was promptly blighted and co-opted into its collective self. Converted into a biological factory producing countless blighted demons for Ossus' campaign against Astnorath – and now the confederacy of the Emperor – the Archfiend of Ambition is considered nothing more than dead by his remaining kin. Much to what would be his utter dismay, his legacy amongst demon kind has become something of a joke; the other Archfiends mostly remembering him as nothing more than a naive fool who dreamed of greatness, but lacked the merit to actually obtain it.

Baatorath: Archfiend of Decadence

Baatorath was the Archfiend of Decadence, and the sixth to be born. Widely regarded in the past as the God of Death – more specifically ritualistic deaths – he was the second being to hold sway over the forces of death prior to Kelemvor. He was the manifestation of Sylornath's intent to lay waste to Concordic society through the degradation of their cultural foundations. Out of all of the Archfiends, Baatorath gave a name and a reason to the ideology of Hell itself; something he continued to propagate as his personal philosophy after Sylornath's death and the split between himself and Astnorath.

Both Baatorath and Astnorath are classified as the Archfiends of Solution – the objective methods created by Sylornath to pave the way to victory over the Concord. Though compared to his 'brother', Baatorath is characterized by having been far more subtle in his methods for achieving his goals. While he was not afraid to exert brute force if need be, he was far more comfortable exploring less destructive alternatives first. Shrewd political tactics and underhanded tricks were not above him anymore than outright genocide. But it was this presence of careful tact that caused a rift between him and Astnorath after the death of their father, leading to the civil war of Hell. With both putting forward their methods as the superior solution to best the Concord, they fought one another for the claim of the Dreadlord throne. While Astnorath and his forces were easily superior martially to those owned by Baatorath and his allies, his trump card in the form of death itself proved to be his saving grace; along with his ability to create an underground religion that appealed to the darker instincts of mortals on Aeria.

After the defection of Dantath to his side of the war, Baatorath quickly found himself gaining a vast advantage over Astnorath. With the other Archfiends under his wing preparing to hail him as the new Dreadlord as he neared the power required to assume the mantle, it seemed as though his ultimate victory was assured. Though it was this near absolute chance of success that prompted the intervention of the Archangel Chamuel, whom enlisted the aid of Kelemvor to attack Baatorath within Esura's realm and engage him in battle. The engagement led to Baatorath's death, and the destruction of his soul within the bowels of the World Storm; the same fate that Sylornath himself was met with.

With Baatorath gone, his forces fractured and became independent – later becoming reunited loosely into the confederacy of the Emperor after the death of Astnorath. Though while the Archfiend of Decadence might be gone, his legacy still carries on a great connotation in demonic society, due to his creation of the ideological foundations their culture is based on. His close proximity to successfully obtaining the throne of the Dreadlord has also brought a continuing sense of respect from the remaining Archfiends, whom either dream of obtaining the mantle for themselves now – or wait eagerly for someone of equal capability to fill in his place.

Astnorath: Archfiend of Tyranny

Astnorath was the Archfiend of Tyranny, and the seventh to be born. The second Archfiend of Solution, he embodied the policy Sylornath dictated would be cast upon all that his demonic legions would conquer – one of utter subjugation and unforgiving brutality. While Baatorath gave name and reason to demonic culture and principals, Astnorath maintained a sense of total order, regimentation, and unrelenting authority that kept all servants to the dark powers in their rightful place.

During the time of the God Wars, Astnorath led the legions of Hell on campaign against the Concord while his 'brother' Baatorath focused on covert projects within Hell. The Archfiend of Tyranny's capabilities as a military commander and his unrelenting brutality earned him a great deal of notoriety in the eyes of all whom opposed the demonic legions. He was known for his simple, yet unforgiving demand to all life that he came across: willingly serve the will of Sylornath, or be tortured for his greatness in the eternity to follow. Nothing was left in his wake but either slaves, or charred ruins of cities that had been stripped clean of every last soul. These acts of utter genocide would not only bring a great deal of fear to the mere mention of his name, but the eventual creation of the title 'Bane' that was christened upon him by mortal kind.

Though while his martial prowess gained him immense respect – or simply fear – from his fellow demons after the death of Sylornath, others such as Baatorath felt that he lacked the tact or sense of self reflection to realize when his methods were not viable options to pursue. Regarding such statements as mere signs of weakness, Astnorath made a demand to all Archfiends that they must either serve him and recognize his claim to the throne of Dreadlord, or die opposing him. While some turned to his camp, others under the banner of Baatorath opposed him; leading to the civil war that would shake the foundations of Hell for thousands of years to come.

Astnorath forced Berath and Zaranath to swear their services to him through a blood pact – leading him to also take the titles of their aspects related to hatred and fear unto himself. He also found a valuable ally in his closest confederate during the God Wars, Dantath – whom provided immense legions of professional demonic soldiers that gave him a tremendous edge over Baatorath during the civil war. Though when the tide began to balance due to Baatorath's power over the forces of death itself, Astnorath pressured Dantath to make the same pact with him that his other two servants had; which only led to his ally defecting to Baatorath's camp, and turning his former advantage against him.

With defeat beginning to loom, Astnorath was only saved from total annihilation when Baatorath was slain by the Archangel Chamuel just short of the power he required to become Dreadlord. Quickly taking advantage of the disarray, Astnorath continued the conflict against the now independent Archfiends whom stood in scattered hold outs before him – still resisting his reach out of fear for the punishments he intended to ravage upon them for not siding with him.

Though after the arrival of Ossus, the civil war once again became a conflict that Astnorath was steadily losing due to the threat of the Blight. This pressure led him to enlist the aid of a Tiefling champion whom would later go on to construct a Tower for his lord in the lands of Sarkun. Though this monumental victory would soon turn sour for him when the ambitious Tiefling turned on his master with the aid of an old enemy – leading to the death of Astnorath, and the consumption of his soul by the Tiefling who would later become the Emperor.

Dantath: Archfiend of War

Dantath is the Archfiend of War, and the eighth to be born. The first Archfiend of Result, his image carries a great deal of infamy for his intensive blood lust displayed during the God Wars. Out of all of the Archfiends, he has been recognized as the most able strategist and tactician of them all – though not solely because of what aspect of Sylornath he was created from. But also from the fact that war and its practice has been his sole focus for the thousands of years he has lived; a time which he has taken to tirelessly perfect his art.

During the civil war in Hell, he initially allied himself to Astnorath due to his close partnership with him during the God Wars. However, unlike Berath or Zaranath, Dantath refused adamantly to swear his loyalty completely unto his superior through a binding blood pact, not wishing to restrain himself. While this infuriated Astnorath, he was unwilling to press the matter for fear that Dantath would turn away from him – taking his vast armies of superior quality demonic troops with him. Thus the two maintained a stable, but pactless alliance for the majority of the civil war. Though ultimately, Baatorath began to gain the upper hand in the war due to the influx of souls he received through his control over Esura. Astnorath responded to the turning tide by demanding Dantath's full allegiance in an effort to effectively own his armies. This did not sit well with the famed General of Demons however, who did not believe that such a restraint on him would win them the war. He ultimately broke away from Astnorath along with his legions, and instead offered his services to Baatorath, who was far less demanding for the time being and all too pleased to have Dantath turn to his side.

After his defection, the war turned heavily against Astnorath. Though when Baatorath met his end at the hands of Chamuel and Kelemvor, his side of the war effort crumbled with the Archfiend alliance falling to pieces. Dantath, along with all of Baatorath's other Archfiends, became independent in the fallout. Correctly fearing that Astnorath would show them no mercy for their opposition to him – Dantath especially – they all remained separate from his growing forces, and coordinated loosely between themselves to slow his rapid expansion.

When Ossus eventually entered the scene of civil war, Dantath and four other Archfiends were eventually pulled under the wing of the mortal Marcus Olm, who had ascended to divinity through his killing of Astnorath. Although they saw Olm as a mortal idiot, they agreed to join in a confederacy with him to hold back the expansion of Ossus – a task that Dantath's legions have been primarily focused on.

As one would predict, Dantath has an obvious inclination towards war – having gained an immense amount of infamy through the God Wars, in which he led Sylornath's legions along with Astnorath as his top generals. He believes that conflict is a root trait inherent in all forms of life, whether they be mortal or immortal. Thus he believes that petty ideas such as law and order are an after thought born solely from a desire of self restraint, and thus to engage in acts of extreme brutality is to embrace ones true instinct. This has put his ideology very close to Baatorath's, and made them function well together after Dantath's defection from Astnorath in the civil war.

However, unlike Baatorath, he has no interest in considering alternatives to conflict; thus preferring to either remain silent in discussions that are focused on peaceful topics, or flat out abstain from attending at all. This is not born from a hatred for all things peaceful, such as in Berath's case, but rather a lack of actual knowledge of such concepts. With little understanding of anything other than conflict and the true beauty of it, he simply lacks any ability to truly understand it.

Dantath's legions of demons, unlike others, are oriented much more towards skill and experience than simply immense numbers. While they still greatly outnumber the angelic hosts that still manage to dwarf them in individual combat abilities, his legions are of superior skills to most other demonic forces. A great deal of his forces are not a shapeless mash up of weaker demon kin, but mostly consistent of demons such as the infamous Hell Knights – whom exist in their largest numbers within Dantath's forces. The Archfiend of War himself is responsible for the creation of Hell Knights, in addition to most other professional soldiers of Hell; his fortress mirroring this fact through its extensive fortifications and militarization. Dantath's very lifestyle is one of strict conduct and professionalism, as he rarely takes a moment to indulge any vices – if he ever does at all.

Like other Archfiends, Dantath's appearance is one of immense size and raw power. Always entering battle clad in a set of full armor with two colossal wings dominating his back, and wielding a massive broadsword and mace in both hands, he is an intimidating sight to behold – not unlike the Hell Knights who serve him. While he is acceptably one of the most proficient Archfiends in personal combat, his true capability lies not in his skill on the front lines, but in his tact as a commander. Though he is an able strategist capable of complex invasion plans, he enjoys the implementation of tactics in direct battle over the calm of a command center. During his time in the civil war, he left the larger scale coordination of campaigns to Astnorath or Baatorath – instead applying his genius not in the planning, but in the fighting of battles.

Presently he is one of the Archfiends who joined the Emperor's confederacy – though he continues to see many glaring flaws in the Emperor's overall strategies. While it is true that he could offer his knowledge to correct the weak points he takes notice of, he refrains from doing so; believing that the true Dreadlord should be able to correct such errors on his own merit. Thus while he does not have a complete lack of faith in the Emperor, he continues to be on the fence as to whether or not he should fully commit his allegiance to him.

Zaranath: Archfiend of Fear

Zaranath is the Archfiend of Fear, and the ninth of his kind to be born. As a continuation of the unrelenting conflict that Dantath represents, Zaranath is the manifestation of the absolute terror that Sylornath planned to strike into the hearts of all whom opposed his legions. He is often considered to be nothing short of the incarnation of fear itself – not just because of his actions, but exactly because of what he himself is. His soul is of such potency that his sacred field seems to constantly change his visage depending upon whom perceives him – or at the very least, it alters their perception of him. This makes it almost impossible to determine exactly what he truly looks like, as for a mortal or lesser divine being to be near him would cause them to perceive him as the incarnation of their most horrid nightmares. Though it could be argued that even Zaranath is not immune to this effect, and does everything in his power to not gaze upon his own reflection; as the worst thing in the universe he fears is himself.

As most Archfiends, Zaranath believes in the might of the aspect he embodies; leading him to uphold fear as both the most powerful weapon against the enemies of Hell, and also a liberating emotion. Despite his own resistance to gaze upon his own visage, he has been known to infrequently do exactly that for increasingly longer periods of time in what he views as an effort to strengthen himself. While he views fear as a weapon, he also sees it as a tool for one to confront their own weaknesses of the soul and overcome them. He believes that without fear, there can be no courage, and thus no true source of might.

During the outbreak of civil war, Zaranath allied himself to Astnorath alongside Berath; both of whom swore binding blood pacts to his service, which led them to surrender their titles to their new master. Alongside Berath, he led the armies of Astnorath throughout the civil war – both against Baatorath, and eventually Ossus and the Blight. Though when Astnorath was eventually killed by the newly ascended Emperor, Zaranath's binding blood pact was inherited to his masters killer.

Much like Berath, Zaranath only follows the instructions of the Emperor out of a requirement of the blood pact – personally loathing him for his usurpation of Astnorath, whom he greatly admired for his methods of invoking fear, and thus progress, upon his servants. In contrast, he views the Emperor's desire to protect the people of the Empire from all possible harm and to create a utopia as a laughable vision that would create nothing short of weakness and eventual collapse. Despite his personal reservations though, he is forced to follow along with the instruction of his new master; being kept as a guard at the Tower. Like with Berath, Zaranath has little appreciation for this appointment and longs for a chance to once again strike fear into the hearts of his long time enemies.

Sionath: Archfiend of Torment

Sionath is the Archfiend of Torment, and the tenth to be born. Much like Zaranath, he is the personification of the retribution that Sylornath intended to bring down upon the enemies of Hell. Though while Zaranath believes primarily in the strength and courage one can derive from the presence of ever looming fear, Sionath believes that true might comes from the affliction of agony – their similar ideologies having brought them to view each other in positive lights.

To Sionath, agony of both the body and the soul is a torment that one must endure for the sake of bettering ones self. Even a divine form in his eyes is not perfect, and one must constantly strive to improve it. Thus his most long term practice has become the collection of countless souls into his reach – not just for the gain of personal power and the pleasure that he derives from tormenting them – but from improving them through the adversity of pain. Through ripping apart their bodies again and again while subjecting them to the most psychologically traumatizing events, he believes that weakness is being purged from their being. That when they have experienced so much pain, they will eventually no longer be phased by it – thus becoming far more resolute than they would have ever hoped before. It is not unheard of for him to eventually recognize mortal souls he and his minions have spent centuries torturing as finally becoming specimens of superior quality; proceeding to then reincarnate them as demons into this service in order to carry his enlightenment to even more mortals.

As a result of this belief, it is not uncommon for Sionath himself and his demons to perform gruesome torture upon even themselves. As reincarnated demons who repeatedly experience death and bodily harm gradually improve a natural armor within their flesh, a literal improvement is created from their acts of self mutilation. More often than not, their bodies are often contorted and stretched through various instruments and torture devices that they live their lives having imbedded in themselves. Sionath himself has been known to regularly interchange the devices that he wears, constantly altering his appearance through what parts of his body he is presently 'improving'. Even his preference of weapons, as well as that of his minions, focuses less on the outright death of his opponents and more on their anguish; both to derive some personal entertainment for themselves, and also from a perspective that they are not simply killing their foes – they are improving them.

Sionath remained largely unaffiliated during the civil war of Hell, recognizing grains of truth in the words of both Astnorath and Baatorath. If nothing else, he longed for the return of Sylornath to once again unite their strengths together to compensate for the weaknesses of the other. Thus as he was unable to decide whom to place his faith in, he chose neither options; instead remaining within his own corner of Hell, aiming to perfect his practices upon the souls he had collected throughout the God Wars. Though both of the contending Archfiends desired his services, with Astnorath trying to utilize Zaranath to convince Sionath to join him whilst Baatorath regularly gave souls to Sionath as tokens of good faith. If nothing else, both sides making such constant attempts at diplomacy is what kept him indecisive as to whom he should side with – a decision he ultimately did not have to make when Baatorath met his end.

After the arrival of Ossus, Sionath joined the Emperor's confederacy in an effort to escape the Blight. A part of him recognizes the strength of the Blight through such a morbid twisting of the flesh, but the other aspect of him sees it as an abomination that contorts the flesh for simply the act of power itself. With no true free will or individual being beyond Ossus to benefit from the strength gained through such deformity, he sees the Blight as a perversion upon all life in the universe.

Sionath later agreed to an additional pact along with Vayrath to hail the Emperor as Dreadlord in exchange for access to Aeria from the Tower. Along with his brother, he and his forces went on a campaign of terror through southern Sida – though while Vayrath did so mostly for the sake of power and an escape from the Blight, Sionath did so in his own personal crusade to empower the souls of local Sidans through the torment he brought to them. Though while he continues to hail the Emperor as his master out of the binding of the pact, he is largely indifferent to him – not opposed, but not entirely in admiration either. Though while he might abstain from detesting the Emperor entirely, he shares Zaranath's view that the desire of the Emperor to create a utopia for his mortal followers is born of weakness and is doomed to eventually fail.

Sabalath: Archfiend of Deviation

Sabalath is the Archfiend of Deviation, and the eleventh to be born. Recognized as the principal of innovation for the demonic hordes, Sylornath intended him to be the mind that would reimagine the universe once the demonic legions had made it theirs. That while other Archfiends would destroy, he would create new visages of dark glory upon the ruins of the old world. He is responsible for the design of the dark magic that demons are known to utilize, and is also responsible for the creation of multiple tools of warfare that have been applied for thousands of years. Some being nothing more than brutal siege machines, whilst others are gruesome new breeds of demons created from his twisted experimentation upon existing 'breeds'.

Often looked at with a sense of careful skepticism by his brothers, Sabalath is considered to be something of a pariah amongst the Archfiends. Though respected for his brilliance and the usefulness of what he creates, his personality has driven him into self imposed isolation at most times. While Sylornath was content to allow him to remain within his fortress to pursue the creation of new instruments of war on his behalf, his continuation of such isolation during the civil war has caused the other Archfiends to not have much faith in his reliability. At times he traded his creations to both sides of the conflict; and for a time even supported Marusiath's claim to the Dreadlord throne due to a friendship between the two, up until the Archfiend of Ambition met a quick defeat.

While he continued to cling to his independence as long as he could in the face of adversity brought from both Astnorath and Ossus, his separation from the other Archfiends quickly left him without allies and made him a prime target in the eyes of the Archfiend of Tyranny. Under the instruction of his master, Astnorath's champion – the Tiefling bounty hunter Marcus Olm – marched an army onto Sabalath's doorstep and forced him into submission through overwhelming force. With no other Archfiend available to help him, he was given no other alternative but to surrender. He was brought before the Archfiend of Tyranny and forced to swear a binding blood oath of servitude to him – which was later inherited by the very champion whom subjugated him in the first place when he consumed the soul of Astnorath and ascended to become the Emperor.

Forced into servitude to the Emperor, Sabalath now produces his creations for his new master – though he does not do so gladly. He views the Emperor in a foul light for having forced him into what he views as akin to slavery in the first place, and recognizes him as nothing more than a mortal attempting to fabricate his own right to power over Sylornath's legacy. This has left him with little love for the Empire, but he still continues to produce his creations upon the will of his master.

Malcavath: Archfiend of Pride

Malcavath is the Archfiend of Pride, and the twelfth to be born. As the manifestation of Sylornath's fierce sense of pride in himself, in all of demonic kind, and with Hell itself; Malcavath is regarded widely as the most boisterous and fiercely proud of all his kin. During the God Wars he did not spend the majority of time acting as a commander away on campaign, but as a governor keeping order and control within Hell itself. This brought him into a strong alliance with Baatorath, whose extensive domestic covert projects caused the two to work together on numerous occasions. A great deal of Malcavath's time was spent not just through seeing to matters of important governance and the organization of fresh troops to be sent off to war, but also through far more grand displays of power. The production of an ideological propaganda machine fueled by Baatorath's appealing rhetoric, and the organization of various rallies dedicated to the veneration of Sylornath and the Archfiends – more often than not, the favored subject being himself.

When the civil war broke out, Malcavath sided with his long time ally Baatorath rather quickly. Throughout the duration of the conflict he remained the most staunch devotee of his master, maintaining the propaganda machine within Hell to sway more demons over into the ideological tidal wave of their collective culture. But when Baatorath finally met his end at the hands of Chamuel and Kelemvor, the Archfiend of Pride slunk back in silence for the first time. With his long time ally gone, Malcavath became reclusive from the rest of the Archfiends – though still cooperated to a degree to keep Astnorath from overtaking them. What exactly Malcavath was working towards remained a mystery to most for a long time, whilst he stayed hidden within his fortress – moving towards an unseen objective.

This goal was eventually made clear when around the time that Ossus entered the scene of the civil war, Malcavath tricked mortals on Aeria into summoning him and his forces to their world – the apparent result of his long standing private efforts. He thus managed to escape onto Aeria just before the Blight arrived at his doorstep, hiding away in one of the darkest corners of the world beyond the sight of the Concord; where he and his legions have been working tirelessly to carve their own bastion on Aeria built upon the bones of the mortals whom summoned them.

Unlike most other Archfiends, Malcavath is rarely willing to take a form that is anything less than tremendous in size. Having no need for cosmetics or armaments, his body is not only gifted with a naturally well armored skin, but is equally ornate and impressive to behold. With his features dominated by his curved horns and majestic wings, his physical manifestation is intended to strike a sense of awe in even the divine.

Still arrogant and prideful to this day, Malcavath maintains a staunch sense of independence since the loss of Baatorath. While he still preaches the rhetoric that he had since as far back as the God Wars, his isolation has caused his memory to become distant to the rest of the Archfiends – though they all remain curious as to what ever became of him, and where exactly he had managed to flee to. More pressingly, they wonder exactly how the Emperor is going to approach Malcavath when they inevitably meet him once again; whether they successfully track him down, or he deliberately reveals himself.

Velath: Archfiend of Deception

Velath was the Archfiend of Deception, and the thirteenth and final to be born. The youngest of the Archfiends, but arguably one of the most powerful. His strength did not come precisely from any overwhelming brute force or obvious capability in offensive magic – but rather through the very nature of what he was. Like how Zaranath's soul was gifted with such a malignant intensity that it could warp his visage to appear as if the darkest fear of those who looked upon him, Velath was gifted with the ability to alter the very perception of reality for those near him. As the manifestation of the deceitful nature of his father, Velath was a master of lies and subterfuge – seen as a great innovator in his methods to obtain that which he desired through underhanded tactics.

During the God Wars, Velath acted as an agent for his father against the Concord – forging a network of spies through mortals he persuaded into his service and occasionally personally manipulating the divine into his hands. Though when the conflict came to an end and the civil war began, he chose to not affiliate himself with any major contenders; instead remaining obscured in the background with his loyal forces, using a network of spies to keep tabs on the daily events of the war.

After the defection of Dantath to Baatorath's camp, Velath saw Baatorath's victory as all but assured. Seemingly in respect for this, he met with Baatorath to offer a long delayed alliance to him at last, which the Archfiend of Decadence was more than willing to oblige. Though while Baatorath believed that the blood pact he was signing was one that arranged the same agreement he had made with the other Archfiends, Velath had a very different agenda. In reality, he was altering Baatorath's perception of their pact – tricking him into actually signing away his soul, and control over Esura's realm and his forces to Velath. Had this plan come to fruition, he would have likely impersonated Baatorath to the other Archfiends and consumed his power – becoming Dreadlord himself.

Before the pact could be signed however, Malcavath and Narakath intervened upon the meeting; having come to learn of the plot before it could be brought to its conclusion. This revelation shook Baatorath from Velath's guise and the Archfiend of Deception was forced to flee, hence forth being banished from Baatorath's lands. Even long after the death of the Archfiend he had attempted to deceive, Velath's other brothers – even Astnorath and his followers – looked upon their younger sibling with utter distrust. He was generally not even permitted to access their lands at all, for fear that he deceive a single soul under their charge. This brought about his effective banishment which forced him to live in exile up until the arrival of Ossus.

When Ossus entered the field of the civil war, Velath had seemed to have a similar thought to Marusiath – that an alliance with the Blight would be of great benefit to his potential resurgence. Though despite whatever may have been his reasoning, Velath ultimately met the same fate as Marusiath; becoming blighted by Ossus and converted into an immense biological factory to produce blighted demons. While the other Archfiends most certainly do not relish in the insurgence of more blighted foes to fight, they also do not shed any tears for his passing – feeling more sorrow for the blighting of Marusiath than they ever would for Velath the deceiver.

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