Dark Eight

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The Dark Eight were a coven of pit fiend generals who resided on Nessus, the ninth layer of the Nine Hells. They plotted and strategized the movements of Hell's armies.

Organization
Originally the Dark Eight had nine members, but after the death of their founder Cantrum, the remaining eight renamed the council rather than attempting to find a substitute for their irreplaceable leader.

Contrary to what one might expect, their structure was democratic rather than hierarchical, where one member's actions could be voted on by the remaining seven. Befitting beings of law, the members of the Dark Eight were excellent in regards to teamwork, cooperating to accomplish their grand plans and for the continued prosperity of the baatezu. At the same time, the pit fiends of the council were still ambitious devils that viewed one another as rivals. More often than not, council members were left to their own devices, engaging in treacherous intrigues and political power plays to achieve their nebulous aims. Keeping the Dark Eight focused on their duties was Asmodeus, sometimes directly and at others via the archdevils. Unlike the infernal nobility above them, the Dark Eight were generals and each member was responsible for managing one aspect of the Blood War according to their personal judgement.

Historians of Hell were often baffled by the Dark Eight's apparent immortality, as even after eons of conflict every member outside of Cantrum himself remained in power. This was despite the fact that the Dark Eight fought personally in the battlefields of the Blood War while still having to contend with the regular assassination attempts and internal conflicts of Hell. While it would appear that they managed to maintain their longevity through guile and cunning rather than magical powers, the very idea that the original Dark Eight remained in power was a devilish deception. In order to create the illusion of an invincible authority, members of the Dark Eight were swiftly replaced by a physically altered pit fiend formerly under their command whenever one could no longer fulfill their duties. Combined with the loyalty of and threats of execution to those under their command, the secret of the Dark Eight had been kept for eons.

Activities
The Dark Eight controlled not only the Blood War, but influenced every part of baatezu culture, particularly in ensuring that Hell's edicts matched the desires of the archdevils without overwhelming the common baatezu. The names of the original Dark Eight correlated with their duties and each possessed a garrison of forces on one of Hell's circles excluding Nessus.


 * Baalzephons were the Supply Masters of Baator, responsible for keeping the legions of Hell fully stocked for the Blood War. Their agents provided rations and provisions, ensured that troops had usable and effective tools, and otherwise fueled Hell's war machine. They led the Stygian Champions that worked under Levistus, swashbuckling forces that used superior mobility to outmaneuver the demonic hordes. When the infinite forces of the Abyss began to overwhelm Hell the Stygian Champions used their massive numbers against them.


 * Corin forces specialized in espionage and information collection, ensuring that Baator was never caught by surprise. Their spies had infiltrated not only the ranks of the baatezu, but some yugoloth and celestial forces as well, although they specialized in demonic reconnaissance. The Spymaster of Baator ran the network of secret agents known as the Serpentine Order in Cania, although the zealous devils in its ranks were known to report to Mephistopheles first and the Corin second. Their members also engaged in prisoner interrogation and assassination missions.


 * The Marshall of the Pit was the title given to the pit fiend that assumed the mantle of Dagos. Such devils took on the role of strategists and court-martials, directing other generals throughout Baator in the Blood War and punishing baatezu that attempted treason in various ways. The strategies of the Dagos were revised and reworked based on the intel gathered by the Spymaster. Their garrison legion was known as The Few and was composed of a small amount of troops, although despite their low numbers they were a dangerous regiment. The Few dwelt in Avernus and specialized in teleportation, whether shifting behind or within enemy ranks.


 * A Furcas was responsible for he Ministry of Mortal Relations that supervised interactions between important mortals and devils. While the vast majority of mortals were seen as vermin, some mortals had accrued enough magical power or combat prowess that they were worthy of a small amount of respect. Mortal Relations focused on corrupting and recruiting such mortals, missions that often left those in question feeling betrayed. All devils tasked with traveling to the Material Plane, whether for a summoning or to freely pursue targets, was briefed by Mortal Relations. The legion commanded by the Furcas known as the Creeping Cadre formed relatively recently due to Malbolge's cancerous transformation. Their weapons were hideous diseases, festering poisons, enervating wands, scrolls of energy drain and other pestilent armaments.


 * As the Chief of Research, a Pearza was responsible for researching new magic, techniques and technology capable of destroying the tanar'ri. They also specialized in interrogation through the expert kocharon torturers from the Knoll of Blades, an association that drove many devils to attempt to enter her ranks for quick advancement. The legion known as the Walkers in Fire was also under the orders of General Pearza, a region of fire-wielding devils from Phlegethos that exploited the devils' immunity to flame by hurling fireballs at those below.


 * The Minister of Promotions, known as a Zaebos, maintained the complex and expansive bureaucracy that decided on the promotions and demotions of all non-unique devils. Using the meticulously written records of Hell and Blood War reports from Dagos, it fell to the Zaebos to decide which devils rose through the ranks and which stayed behind. As the being responsible for preventing many promotions, the Minister of Promotion was possibly the most commonly replaced out of the Dark Eight, and most despised out of all the baatezu. They were also responsible for Mammon's Gleaming Guard, so called for their pilfered and corrupted, but nonetheless angelically illustrious equipment. As the best-equipped of the garrison forces they were summoned when certain magical equipment was required.


 * Zapans were responsible for contending with various immortal beings, normally with deception, including yugoloths, archons, the proxies of evil deities and even demons. Under orders from the Minister of Immortal Diplomacy, devils were forbidden from stealing petitioners from the deities in Hell in order to avoid the cataclysmic war that would result from such a scenario. The Minister was also in charge of the Iron Defenders of Dis, devils trained in engineering, tunneling, ending sieges, and holding ground.


 * Zimmimars were the Ministers of Morale that kept baatezu legions orderly, in a sense making them responsible for covering the other Dark Eight when their mistakes caused rebellion. Not limited to encouragement, threats were also used to enforce obedience and eliminate insurrection with the minions of the Minister going around before battle to strengthen resolve. They led the Maladominiaar, savage shock troops that used their indomitable ferocity to shatter enemy formations and divide soldiers.

Tactics
Devils of greater status were more closely monitored in Baator and baatezu wishing to be promoted had to meet an immovable set of criteria. If there weren't enough devils that met the requirements for promotion than a caste would be understaffed until enough competent devils rose up, although there were punishments for superiors if not enough devils could ascend or they tried to fill out the ranks with fodder.

Every century, the Dark Eight gathered in a ceremony called the Ring of Cantrum with 100 osyluths in order to decide the promotion of the gelugons specifically. The osyluths gathered in a ring around the Dark Eight and provided information about the exploits and ethics of the recruits, making up one out of the nine votes.

A rumor had recently emerged that the Dark Eight was planning a dangerous, lengthy and monumental, magical ritual known as The Bringing. It involved the sacrifice of a million soul larva that would be consumed in the process as fuel in order to help annihilate the tanar'ri. The baatezu had recently been purchasing soul larvae from the night hags at an increased rate although whether or not the ceremony was really being planned was unknown.

Base of Operations
As the buffer between the Abyss and the rest of the Nine Hells, Avernus was run not by dukes and duchesses but by the Dark Eight. From within the inner regions of his Bronze Citadel, Bel strategized with the Dark Eight and so each possessed a household within his fortress.

The Dark Eight descended into Nessus once every four years to hold meetings with Asmodeus about their upcoming plans for the Blood War. This was also the site where they discussed potential promotions as well as where they passed down their decrees to the greater and lesser baatezu.

Possessions
Hidden within their base in Malsheem, the Dark Eight were rumored to keep the dagger of Ra-than, a sacred baatezu artifact of great historical significance despite it being a simple enchanted weapon.Its symbolic importance was great enough that the tanar'ri wished to acquire it in order to demoralize Hell's legions and possible even throw their forces into chaos.

Relationships
Bel, Lord of the First Layer, was once a mighty leader on the battlefields of the War, and used his influence with the Dark Eight to retain control of Avernus.