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.

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.