Bel

Bel was once an archdevil in the Nine Hells that acted as the Warlord of Avernus until he was supplanted by Zariel. He was a military genius that specialized in misdirection and led with careful tactics in contrast to his successor's berserker rage.

Description
Despite being an archdevil, Bel still closely resembled a pit fiend, appearing as a tall, crimson-scaled colossus with massive, bat-like wings, clawed extremities, and fangs that dripped a green, smoking venom. His visage was brutal and bestial but nonetheless infernal, warped by innumerable years of willful wickedness and hatred.

Personality
Calculating and calm in his assessments, Bel was one of the greatest military minds in the Nine Hells, using every tactical advantage available and only engaging in battle on his own terms. His favored tactics involved ambushes, double-crosses, feints and counter-feints, backstabbing his enemies while anticipating the treacherous moves of his rivals. While he occasionally erupted with anger upon being foiled, he was generally cool-headed, a far cry from the constant, fiery fury of Zariel.

Cunning, analytical and above all, a realist, Bel was fully aware that demons were infinite in numbers, if not literally than effectively, and so depended on slow defensive advances to fend them off. He was a long-term logistician and in his mind the most he could do was contain the endless hordes of the Abyss. Even if victory only lasted for a day, he valued the help of anyone who could aid him in his duties, mortal or otherwise, and gave fair hearings to those who offered. Difficult to deceive and typically only attacking when attacked, at least directly, Bel could be a reliable ally if approached with respect rather than duplicity, providing riches, information, letters of safe passage and other forms of aid.

Activities
As the lead general in the Blood War, Bel spent most of his time and energy advancing the devils' agenda against the demons. However, he had little time left over for other pursuits, such as establishing a mortal cult. Because of that, he was the only archdevil who did not have a cult, although some warriors worshiped him.

Relationships
Bel originally served the archdevil [Zariel, but he betrayed and dethroned her, eventually imprisoning her to absorb her power.

After his uprising, and subsequent transformation into an archdevil, he gained some favor from Asmodeus. However, the other archdevils did not trust him, and often called him the Pretender, due to his all-too-ready betrayal of his mistress. None of the other archdevils moved against him either, though, as Bel's uprising also wiped out most of their operatives.

As much as he lacked support among the other archdevils, Bel did have the support of the Dark Eight, a not-insignificant force itself. Moreover, he began to forge an alliance with Tiamat, who maintained a domain in Avernus.

History
Although an archdevil, Bel was originally a lemure. However, he climbed the ranks of diabolical promotion until he was a pit fiend in the service of Zariel, his predecessor as Lord of the First. Eventually, though, he betrayed her as well, dethroning her in a brutal uprising that left him as the Lord of the First.

Claiming that Bel's tactics were inadequate in defending Avernus from demon incursions, Asmodeus later reinstated Zariel as ruler of Avernus and relegating Bel to a supporting and advisory role. Because Zariel was at the mercy of Tiamat during her demotion, she looked forward to get rid of her presence in Avernus. For that reason, Zariel helped encourage the reformed Cult of the Dragon and the Red Wizards of Thay to summon Tiamat to Toril. Bel and his supporters, however, opposed that decision.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus