Dispater

Dispater was the Lord of Dis and an archdevil whose extreme vigilance almost personified caution. The Iron Duke ruled the Iron City from within his Iron Tower, and was legendary for his impregnable layers of defense.

Description
Dispater appeared as a tall, dark-haired humanoid with sable skin as cold and hard as iron. His infernal heritage was revealed in several aspects of figure: his glowing, red eyes, tiny horns, tail, and cloven left hoof. The devilishly handsome archduke dressed in only the finest attire, such as his velvet gloves, and always wielded his mace-like rod.

Personality
A master strategist and expert in intrigue, Dispater had a well-earned reputation for being the most carefully calculating of the archdevils. His personal safety was always his top priority and to catch him off-guard would be to outwit one of the most clever and resourceful beings in reality. During every step of his dominion he acted with patient cunning and unshakable discretion. Although he, like the other archdevils, schemed to take over the Nine Hells, he avoided taking big risks, not out of cowardice or insecurity but because of his unique view of the system.

Dispater viewed reality from the perspective of a contestant in an enigmatic game governed by unclear rules, and he analyzed the worth of everything by how it might help him glean its true nature. By solving all the mysteries of the multiverse, he would gain the best chances of winning, allowing him to control the Nine Hells and then the rest of reality. The chance to learn a new secret was one of the few things that could compel him to act against the other archdevils.

Despite his analytical approach, Dispater still held diabolical charisma and carried himself with appreciable self-control. He was calm and composed at all times and was undeniably persuasive, delivering reasonable arguments with the courtesy of a true gentleman. His ability to withhold his anger even when it passionately burned not only made him a dangerously suave entity but was a source of personal pride for him.

However, behind Dispater's sophisticated posturing and soft finery was nonetheless a tyrant's iron fist, much to the chagrin of predatory members of his court. He was a malicious manipulator whose gentle words were laced with deceit and his acts of supposed charity were always political in nature. Even when committing acts of unspeakable evil his chivalrous façade never wavered and if someone did manage to break his iron-clad stoicism he'd rather destroy them than leave them alive to potentially expose his folly.

More recently however, a flaw had appeared in Dispater's seemingly invincible defense; his never-ending vigilance had been slowly transitioning into anxiety and paranoia. Unless otherwise forced to, he never left his city or even his tower, fearing a fate like Geryon or Moloch before him. Noone was trusted, surprises were, at best, unpleasant and he went out of his way to make clear who was in charge. The gloomy archdevil's paranoia affected his every action and the ever-cautious Lord of the Nine had at least nine escape routes and back-up plans at any given time.

Abilities
Dispater's touch could instantly corrode metal or convert flesh into iron. A favorite tactic of his in combat was to transform an opponent into an iron statue, then immediately rust the unfortunate victim away into dust.

Activities
The Lord of the Second, Dispater, controlled the layer of Dis from his Iron Tower.

Dispater never took risks and thus almost never left his Iron Tower, and then, only to the call of Asmodeus. At all other times, he relied on his aspect to deal with the other archdukes of the Nine Hells. Dispater's Iron Tower, a nigh-impenetrable fortress, was itself an extremely powerful magic item that amplified his powers and made him nearly invulnerable. The Iron Duke received all necessary information from his consort Lilis. Known as the Iron Maiden, Lilis was the only consort Dispater was known to have, and her intelligence network covered all Baator and beyond, making her one of the most knowledgeable creatures in the Nine Hells. In terms of politics, Dispater and Mephistopheles, Lord of the Eighth, were allies and are usually scheming against Baalzebul, Lord of the Seventh.

Since Glasya's elevation and the apparent ease with which Asmodeus arranged it, Dispater's already healthy paranoia grew, prompting him to retreat further into his Iron Tower and work harder than ever to root out traitors both actual and potential. He had half of his servants spying on the other half. He also tried to distance himself from his allies and seek peace with his enemies to avoid having any enemies, a futile goal.

Relationships
Dispater's sole consort was Lilis, the Iron Maiden. Since her intelligence network covered all of Baator, she supplied Dispater with much necessary information.

Malachlabra, Duchess of Hell, was his daughter. She had three long sinuous barbed tails, an obsidian-hued lush human body, and bat wings coming from her shoulders.

In terms of politics, Dispater was allied with Mephistopheles, the Lord of the Eighth. Together, they schemed against Baalzebul, the Lord of the Seventh.

History
Dispater, along with Mephistopheles, was once an ally of Mammon, but Mammon betrayed them both.