Who the Hell Are These Guys 6: Pride is a Master of Deception (Hell pt 12)
Pieter van der Heyden, 1558
Welcome back to my blog about a new and ‘better’ approach to Hell.
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 then 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
We recently talked about Immzebul, Lady of Flies, Archdevil of Gluttony and Rot.
https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/who-the-hell-are-these-guys-3-never-enough-hell-part-9
Then we cowered in terror from Malhamit, the diabolical Bull of War, the Archdevil of Wrath.
https://www.ofgodsandgamemasters.com/blog/who-the-hell-are-these-guys-4-war-is-hell-hell-part-10
Most recently we spoke of repulsive Sha’Urcit, the Devil Prince of Lust.
Now, we descend yet further, into Ram-Tsor, the Hell of Pride, the High Fortress. Here, the Archdevil is Iddet-Leil, also known as Bet-Ur, the Devil Princess of Pride. Her raiment is always deep royal purple trimmed in real gold, of complex and exquisite cut. She generally wears layered gowns and robes reminiscent of a mix of Byzantine fashion merged with that or Imperial China, like a hanfu covered with a purple caftan. Her most common appearance is as a tall and slim noblewoman, beautiful and pale, although sometimes her skin is a fiery red. She is dark of hair, and her eyes are purple flecked with gold. The golden crown upon her head is decorated with amethyst, and her bearing is aloof and haughty. She embodies arrogance in all her actions.
The fortress city of Ram-Tsor occupies the entire 6th Hell. Iddet-Leil rules it all with an iron fist, with complicated bureaucracies and political machinations that put any material world government to shame. She considers none her equal, and schemes even against the Archdevil of Envy, and against the King and Queen of Hell, sure that she will rise to primacy and control, because she has no true rivals, and rulership is her right. It is possible that she is correct, for few plot as carefully as she does. Her o’erweening pride does not blind her to her opponents strengths, and she adapts when shown a mistake or weakness in her plans. She can, however, be provoked to rash action if one can manage to pierce her cool exterior and truly prick her pride.
Guards and spies are everywhere in Ram-Tsor. Great mirrors, framed in gold, backed with silver, decorated with amethyst, are everywhere in her city, and her palace, and it is said that she can see through any of them, or travel through them, at will. Nothing happens here that the Princess of Pride does not know, and her networks of spies (and mirrors!) extend into other Hells and many material worlds as well. As the embodiment of arrogance, her message is very appealing to rulers, tyrants, and would be conquerors, both large scale and small. She is the ultimate narcissist. She is not solipsistic, she merely believes that the only thing that should matter to *anyone* is their own advancement. Any tool maybe used, and people are just another tool. Ambition is tied strongly to Pride, as the idea that one is more important than everyone else brings the notion that obviously it is their right to have everything they desire, to rule, to control.
The Princess of Pride is also mistress of deception. She is one of the most capable liars in all creation, though rarely does she directly tell an untruth. Almost none can determine her true goals or beliefs, seeing only what she chooses to let them see. It is unknown if even the sovereigns of Kurnugia can tell when she lies, or is truthful . . . or if even she knows.
Iddet-Leil rarely sullies her hands dealing with challengers or threats. Her power and pride is such that her minions vie for primacy in her eyes by fighting other challengers in her name . . . even while plotting against her, as she would expect. Every now and then, though, she makes and example of some powerful being that has dared to offend her, to remind others of the consequences. Even then, she rarely has to take a more diabolic form. With grace and ease, she strikes down foes with her slim amethyst scepter, leaving them as violet gemstone statues that adorn her audience chamber.
If somehow pressed, however, she does have a rarely used battle form. Like some sort of unholy cross of a female eclectus parrot and a queen ant, she swells to a gargantuan size, her beautiful face, crown, slim torso and arms sprouting from atop the red carapace and thorax of a massive myrmex. Red feathers sprout from the shell, with deep violet feathers suggesting her tunic or gown around the middle. She has two sets of wings, one insectile, one feathered, and her six lower limbs all end in the talons of a bird. Two additional heads grow from the thorax beside her humanoid torso, one beaked and feathered, the other with mandibles and red chitin. She towers above others, and her voice is thunder.
Foremost amongst her servitors are the peacock-like Pride Devils and the selfless Myrmex devils who know only her will. Her Hell is also home to many hives of Devorim and their queens.
