BAEL
With the Blood
War raging for eons and no end in sight,opportunities
abound for ambitious archdevils to
winfame, glory,
and power in the ongoing struggle againstthe demons. Duke Bae!, one of Mammon's most
import-
ant vassals, has won fame
and acclaim for his victories.Charged with leading
sixty-six companies of barbeddevils, Bae! has proven
to be a tactical genius, earningesteem for himself and his master as a result
of victoryafter victory over the abyssal host. Mammon
relies onBae!, because of his
battle acumen, to safeguard hisholdings. Mammon
has never been ousted during a timewhen so many
other archdevils have lost their positions,which is a testament to Bael's skill
on the battlefield.For his accomplishments,
as well as for the hue of hisskin, Baal ha
s been granted the title of Bronze General.His accolades
notwithstanding, Bae! has had a difficulttime navigating the quagmire of
infernal politics. Hiscritics call him naive, though nev
er to his face. His pri-mary interest
has always been leading soldiers in
battle,so he finds
it frustrating to have his ambitions of
ascend-ing to a higher rank constantly
s tymied by politicallyshrewd rivals.
Bae! prefers to
make servants out of his adversaries,and mortals bound
to his service earn their wretchedplace by falling victim to Bael's superior
stratagems.Bae! gladly spares the lives of those
he defeats, but onlyif they pledge their souls and serv
ice to him. Althoughhe is willing to corrupt almost
any being in this way, healways
destroys any demons he defeats.Bae
l also welcomes mortals into his service if theycan provide him with an advanta
ge in his own politick-ing. He recruits savvy individual
s and relies on them torepresent his interests
at Mammon's court, which leavesBae! free to pursue his
battle lust.Despite his lack of interest in affairs outside
battle, orperhaps because of it, Bae! has gained
a small followingof cultists. Those who worship at his
altar call him theKing of Hell, and the most deluded
believe that he isthe lord of all devils.
In arcane circles, certain writings,such as the dr
eaded Book of Fire, say that Bae! revealedthe invisibility
spell to the world, though some scholarsof magic
hotly refute such claims. Bae! is sometimes
de-picted as
a toad, a cat, a male human, or some comb
ina-tion of these forms, though
none of these images reflecthis true
appearance.C HA
PTE R 6 J BESTIARY