Who the Hell Are These Guys 3: Never Enough (Hell part 9)
Gluttony by Pieter van der Hayden, 1588.
In this installment, we detail Immzebul, Devil Princess of Gluttony and Decay.
I recommend reading my entire Hell series for context, links at the bottom.
The third Hell of Kurnugia is called Ra’av, the Hell of Famine. Here, lush feasts are laid on groaning tables, and the seemingly fortunate higher echelons have more than they could ever hope to eat. Decadent delicacies are the order of the day, including sapient beings, some of which are eaten alive. Immzebul is also the Lady of Flies, and her minions buzz over every meal. The food spoils quickly, turning to rot and decay faster than even the gluttonous inhabitants of the realm can consume it, and their hunger is never sated, no matter how much they eat. The foul nature of the food does not stop them from gorging, and they eat without joy.
Others in Ra’av go forever without food or drink, tantalized by seeing the feasts they are never allowed to join. They rise up, from time to time, these lower classes, and the tables are turned. The destitute become the feasters, the feasters become those forbidden to feast. Starving ghouls and other ravenous undead wander everywhere in the Hell, attacking and eating whatever they might catch, especially mortals and other damned souls. Sometimes they are unleashed on the world of mortals to feast and spread rot and disease, returning to Ra’av when they are “destroyed”.
In the center of it all, always accessible to the denizens of the realm, lies the sprawling palace complex of the Mother of Flies. Vast gardens and pastures and vineyards with every possible kind of food and drink are scattered in and around the palace, which greatly resembles what we would call a Roman villa, though of ridiculous size. All manner of luxury is found there, only available to Immzebul and her servitors, as well as her fleeting favorites. Not only do they devour the delectable foods available, but they intentionally spoil and waste what they do not eat, befouling it with their own feces and urine before scattering it to the ravening hordes allowed to watch their banquets.
Immzebul herself is rail thin, always hungry, always eating, but unlike the poor souls confined here she is satisfied, physically at least. Of course, even she always wants more. For Immzebul there is always more to be had, but she would eat worlds if allowed.
Immzebul is hauntingly beautiful, in that way that Victorian noblewomen were. Her skin is bone white, her hair black as coal, her lips as red as blood. She is both vampire and ghoul, and her eyes blaze red when she is angered. She is almost skeletal, with an impossibly tiny waist. Her form nonetheless hints at curves beneath her wide skirted black dress. Flies crawl in and out her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears at odd moments.
When brought to battle, she fights with pitchfork and cleaver, eating implements writ large, and loves to bite her foes, eating them alive. If sorely pressed, she takes the form of a huge humanoid wolverine, still gaunt, resembling the gluts whom she favors as mortal servants. She also wields hunger itself as a weapon and a means of control.
In earlier installments, we've covered that Hell Has Its Laws, https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/hell-has-its-laws-part-1 , Hell Has Its Place https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/hell-has-its-place-hell-pt-2 , that Hell Hath No Fury https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/hell-hath-no-fury-hell-part-3 , and the reasons Dungeons and Dragons, depicts Nine Hells, in How Many Hells and Why https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/how-many-hells-and-why-hell-part-4 .
We covered where names come from, in A Hell of a Set of Names. https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/a-hell-of-a-set-of-names-hell-part-5
And then we talked about the Hells themselves, in What Fresh Hell Is This? https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/what-fresh-hell-is-this-hell-part-6
I wrote about Ibacar, Devil Princess of Despair, as well as some of her minions. https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/abandon-all-hope
and most recently I covered Jajax Lal Anim, the Archdevil of Greed, Lord of Laqq.
https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/who-the-hell-are-these-guys-2-eye-of-the-needle
