Moloch

Moloch was once an archdevil in the Nine Hells that served as Baalzebul's viceroy in Malbolge before being exiled after the Reckoning. Though formerly the greatest duke of Hell, he was untrusted by his masters and betrayed by his subjects in a devious coup, after which the hated governor plotted his resurgence.

"Moloch obsesses over power he lost rather than power he could gain elsewhere in the planes. What a pity he so wastes his potential."

- Mordenkainen

Description
Standing over tall, Moloch had a powerful, almost square physique. His short arms and legs were especially thick and ended in enormous hands and feet that were both cubic and clawed. He had reddish orange skin and a bestial visage, his huge, horned head hosting fiery, slanting, unblinking eyes and a salivating, gaped mouth filled with shark-like teeth.

Personality
As a soldier, Moloch was a dauntless foe that struck fear into the hearts of tanar'ri hordes with just a mention of his name. He was known for his unending hatred of his opposition and his malice wasn't halted by his rise to power nor tempered by the nature of his victims. Gleefully, he tortured and disfigured other devils in a variety of creative ways with cruelty rivaling that of Baalzebul. Being deposed did nothing to stem his ambition and the prideful devil had no qualms about using deception and confusion to return to power.

Possessions
Though Moloch was eventually left with few physical possessions, he did still possess his scourge, a six-tailed whip composed of an alloy known as dajavva, a flexible, light green-grey substance forged from a combination of iron and a metal exclusive to Hell called arjale. Moloch could deliver shocking strikes through the whip, although the whip itself had no power, and he could decide how powerful each strike was, fully recharging his power every minute that passed. Moloch's scourge was greatly feared by weaker devils since ordinarily devils had little to no resistance against electricity.

Moloch was also known to have another scourge that ended in four pliable strands of metals and which burst into pale blue flames when swung.

Activities
Following his failed coup, Moloch spent most of his time plotting ways to regain his lost power. He was occasionally found scheming in Malbolge or other layers of the Nine Hells, though he was stripped of his powers every time he entered the realm. He spent a significant amount of time traveling other planes, hoping to find the means with which he could invade Malbolge. He was rumored to spend time in Sigil, where he attempted to recruit yugoloths to his cause. Moloch was known to offer mortals information on the Nine Hells and other planes, in exchange for material wealth which he desperately needed to enact his plans.

Worshipers


Though Moloch once had some base of worshipers, apparently having inspired fanatical loyalty in at least some of them, it crumbled away after his defeat. Many of them fled to the service of other archdevils after their master's long absence and the few fractured cults that remained were small and its members were incapable of casting spells over 3rd level. Still, a few glorifying statues of the duke with faint remnants of power existed deep in ancient dungeons that attracted new, monstrous followers, although the crystal eyes could also attract treasure-seeking explorers.



Appearances

 * Novels
 * Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils
 * Brimstone Angels: Lesser Evils