Demon Lords

Obyrith Lords Although obyriths were the oldest of the demonic races, and their lords among the most powerful, only a handful of obyrith lords survived the rebellion of the tanar'ri demons. Known obyrith demon lords included:

Dagon: Prince of the Darkened Depths, Dagon was a primeval leviathan of a demon lord whose presence brought a fear of the sea and all that lurked beneath the water. He was a maddeningly massive being, ancient and powerful even by obyrith standards, and yet also an isolationist that acted as an oracle for the tanar'ri from within the depths of the Shadowsea.
Dwiergus: Referred to as the Chrysalis Prince, Dwiergus was a house-sized soup of everchanging limbs that ruled The Fleshforges, an undulating, protoplasmic realm of hate and hunger. The eldritch, primordial demon lord was driven primarily by the desire to reshape all living things into demonic lifeforms, and implanted the overwhelming urge to remove a body part out of the irrational belief the Prince had tainted it.
Obox-ob: The original Prince of Demons, Obox-ob was said to be the first obyrith to rise from the primordial matter of the Abyss, an entropic demon lord of putrescence that could inject others with raw chaos stuff that consumed their bodies and souls. After being deposed and forced to retreat to the deep Abyssal realm of Zionyn, he was reduced to a patron of poison and spreader of entomophobia as the Prince of Vermin.
Pale Night: The so-called Mother of Demons that came to be known by the name Pale Night was an unknowable being of such awful shape that reality itself tried to hide her. To see the truth beyond the veil was to court death, her incorporeal form a harbinger of insanity and dreadful births. Seen as a mother figure by many in the Abyss, there was no knowing what horrors she was truly responsible for spawning.
Pazuzu: Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms, Pazuzu declared all Abyssal skies as his, and few cared enough to fight him over such a claim. Though once an obyrith lord, he had somehow "evolved" into a kind of intermediate form between obyrith and tanar'ri, gaining a bond to evil creatures of the air in place of his once-maddening form. Upon the calling of his name thrice, he appeared to offer corruption disguised as aid.
The Queen of Chaos: Her actual name stricken from history, the self-styled Queen of Chaos led the obyriths to war against the rest of reality, specifically against the forces of law. Certainly a force of change, the Queen was behind the fall of Obox-Ob, and had killed, imprisoned, and weakened those obyriths that opposed her. She retreated to The Steaming Fen after her defeat and despite the hopes of a few obyriths, hadn't been seen since.
Ugudenk: Referred to as the Squirming King, Ugudenk was a worm-like obyrith that primarily dug through his Writhing Realm. Seemingly immortal, it was speculated he was himself an Abyssal layer, his maw a feeding tendril that sometimes reached across the multiverse to devour at apparent random. His presence brought a fear of that which burrowed, and the crippling thought he could burst from the ground at any time.

Demon Princes The most powerful of the demon lords, aside from the obyrith lords, were called demon princes. These were tanar'ri demons. Known tanar'ri demon princes were:

Demogorgon: The third Prince of Demons, he was a monstrous demon with a humanoid, scaly body, two mandrill-like heads, tentacles in place of arms, clawed feet, and a tail.
Orcus: The self-proclaimed Lord of the Undead, Orcus had the legs and head of a ram, a long tail, bat-like wings, and a humanoid body. He was the archenemy of Demogorgon and Graz'zt.
Graz'zt: Also known as the Dark Prince, Graz'zt was a guileful, cunning demon lord that appeared as a handsome, muscular humanoid with obsidian skin, six small horns on his head, pointed ears, and six fingers on each hand. He was the archenemy of Orcus and Demogorgon.
Baphomet: The Prince of Beasts looked similar to a gigantic minotaur with coarse black fur that covered his body. He was widely worshiped among minotaurs as well.
Yeenoghu: Similar in appearance to the gnolls who worshiped him, Yeenoghu, who was also called the Lord of Savagery, maintained a feud with Baphomet.
Juiblex: Juiblex, the Faceless Lord, was a monstrous, multi-colored ooze covered in red eyes. He was mainly concerned with causing destruction.
Fraz-Urb'luu: The self-styled Prince of Deception was a mysterious, winged demon lord.
Kostchtchie: Kostchtchie was a demon lord who corrupted frost giants into worshiping him, and called himself the Prince of Wrath.
Malcanthet: The Queen of the Succubi and one of the more subtle demon princes.
Zuggtmoy: A demon princess whose powers and concerns primarily involved fungi.

Other Demon Lords

Abraxas, called The Unfathomable, was a demon lord associated with magic words, arcane secrets, and talismans. He ruled Death's Reward, the 17th layer of the Abyss.
Adimarchus, called the Prince of Madness, was a demon lord associated with insanity. He ruled Occipitus, the 507th layer of the Abyss.
Ahazu, called The Seizer, was a demon lord associated with night and abduction.
Ahrimanes, called Chief of the Cacodaemons, was a demon lord associated with exiles and wanderers. He ruled Ahriman-abad, the 452nd layer of the Abyss. He was known to have a iron fortress in which he kept his body while astrally traveling.
Aldinach, called The Lady of Change, was a demon lord associated with transformation. She dwelled on Pazunia.
Alrunes, called The Soothing Spirit, was a demon lord associated with sisterhood and protection. What layer she ruled or dwelled on was unrecorded.
Alvarez, called The Purging Duke, was a demon lord associated with inquisitions and torture. He ruled Torturous Truth, the 57th layer of the Abyss.
Alzrius, called the Lord of Infernal Light, was a demon lord associated with fire and destruction. It ruled Conflagratum, the 601th layer of the Abyss.
Anarazel, called The Daring Darkness, was a demon lord associated with adventurers. He ruled The Emessu Tunnels, the 79th layer of the Abyss.
Ansitif, called The Befouler, was one of the first tanar'ri demon lords to rise after the fall of the obyriths, and he quickly seized control of the Sixth Pyre, the 21st layer of the Abyss. Whereas most demon lords sought divinity for themselves, Ansitif loathed the very existence of deities and, unable to challenge them directly, took out his fury by corrupting and destroying religious sites and sacred relics. It was said that at the height of his power, his layer was littered with broken relics and ruined temples of countless faiths. He was also said to have enjoyed the company of succubi, that he was one of Malcanthet's first lovers, and that the first lilitu were born as a result of their meetings. However, he was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals; in his case, he was imprisoned in the The Wells of Darkness and became a vestige.
Ardat, called The Unavowed, was a demon lord associated with secret or failing marriages and harpies. What layer she ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Arendagrost, called the Maw of the Abyss and the Tarrasque of the Great Wheel, was the eldest offspring of Malcanthet and Demogorgon. A massive, writhing tangle of tentacles with three heads, a savage, seemingly-mindless being of pure hate, Arendagrost was imprisoned in secret in Abysm for an age, for it was so abominable that even Demogorgon could not bear to look upon it. However, it was later released by Demogorgon's general Lord Kargoth as part of an unholy ritual that lead to Arendagrost cutting a swathe of destruction through a kingdom on Oerth. Its eventual defeat there banished it back to the Gaping Maw for a century, but not before it had proved its worth to the Prince of Demons. He gave it a lair in his realm, under a fortress where it would help guard an approach to his capital, and also used it to dispose of powerful prisoners. After its first term of banishment ended, Demogorgon began carefully unleashing Arendagrost against enemies: both on other layers of the Abyss- both Graz'zt and Orcus had fought Arendagrost, and Orcus had slain it twice, but always at great cost in servants- and against other planes; legend spoke of a small Material world that was cold and dead after it incurred Demogorgon's wrath and he let Arendagrost loose on it for a century. Arendagrost could kill with its very gaze, but delighted more in the destruction its three breathe weapons caused; creatures that begged for mercy or shook in terror only amused it. It only ever withdrew from combat on Demogorgon's direct order. Thankfully, Arendagrost did not seem able to produce offspring of its own, and since it tried to destroy all other beings it encountered, that was unlikely to be proven incorrect. It did not need to eat or sleep, but ate fallen enemies anyway. It could only be permanently killed in the Gaping Maw.
Argolcheir was a dead demon lord imprisoned in The Wells of Darkness.
Arzial, called the The Blooded Baron, was a demon lord associated with subterfuge. He lived in Azzagrat.
Aseroth, called The Winter Warlock, was a demon lord associated with ice and cold. He ruled Soulfreeze, the 566th layer of the Abyss.
Astaroth, called Diabolus, was a long-dead demon lord associated with prophecy.
Azael, called The Ensnared, was a dead demon lord associated with rebellion and war. He once ruled the Death Dells.
Azazel, called the Prince of Scapegoats, was a demon lord associated with both blame and absolution. He ruled Outcasts' End, the 137th layer of the Abyss.
Baltazo, called The Seeping Sovereign, was a demon lord associated with diplomacy and strategy. He ruled a fortress on Pazunia.
Barbu, called The Unwelcome Guest, was a demon lord associated with discord and ruined peace. What layer she ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Bayemon of the Unhealing Wound was a demon lord associated with the afflicted. What layer he ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded. He was a bat-like demon lord whose still-living head hung from the ceiling of the eighth level of Kostchtchie's citadel.
Charun, called The Hammerer, was a demon lord associated with massacres. What layer he ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Cormanda was a plaguechanged demon lord trapped in Mount Cormanda after his lower body fused with the mountain's lava tube.
Cyndshyra of the Seven Torments was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals.
Eblis of the Unbended Knee was a demon lord associated with the refusal to surrender. He lived on Pazunia. He was known to have a iron fortress in which he left his physical body while astrally traveling.
Eldanoth, called The Bloodless Scion, was a demon lord associated with crime. He ruled The Arc of Eternity. He was a former slave of Orcus who escaped when the goddess Kiaransalee destroyed that demon prince, after which he fled to the Arc of Eternity. Eldanoth aspired to become a god of crime and hatred, and he had many adherents of the layer of Thanatos amongst the demonic cultists there, to whom he had become something of a folk hero to during Orcus's exile. Of course, Orcus erased all of Eldanoth's following upon his return (although some sacred texts and dark hymnals remained). Eldanoth resembled a cheerful male tiefling with snakes growing from his fingertips, and his symbol was a snake wreathed in blue flame.
Eltab, called the Lord of the Hidden Layer, was a demon lord associated with hatred and retribution. He ruled The Hidden Layer.
Felex'ja the Tiger King was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals.
Gresil, called the Custodian of Records, was a demon lord associated with Abyssal lore. What layer he ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Haagenti, called the Lord of Alchemy, was a demon lord associated with alchemy. He ruled Garavond.
Ilsidahur, called The Howling King, was a demon lord associated with barlgura. He ruled The Guttering Grove.
Ixinix the Lord of Blackwater was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals.
J'zzalshrak, called The Errant General, was a demon lord associated with Blood War campaigns. What layer she ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Kardum, called the Lord of Balors, was a demon lord associated with balor demons and fire. He ruled The Sixth Pyre.
Kerzit, called the Guardian of the Tome, was a demon lord associated with the Tome of the Black Heart. What layer he ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Lamashtu, called She Who Erases, was a demon lord associated with deformities and monstrous births. She dwelled in Torremor.
Laraie, called The Stalking Terror, was a demon lord associated with pursuit. What layer he ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Lazbral'thull, called The Butcher, was a demon lord associated with torture and bloodletting. He was imprisoned in The Wells of Darkness.
Lissa'aere, called The Noxious, was a demon lord associated with poison gas. She ruled Malignebula.
Lupercio, called The Baron of Sloth, was a demon lord associated with sloth and darkness. He ruled over Slugbed, the 128th layer of the Abyss.
Lynkhab, called the Lady of Regret, was a demon lord associated with depression and desire. She ruled in The Sighing Cliffs.
Malgarius, called The Demon Tree, was a demon lord associated with evil sylvan creatures. What layer he ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded.
Mastiphal, called The Hunting Sovereign, was a demon lord associated with the pursuit of prey. He ruled the fortress of Vanelon on Pazunia, a romantic place with sweeping towers and magnificent facades with rose-colored marble pillars leading to it. The structure guarded a pit-portal to Shendilavri. It was also the home of Malcanthet's Favored Consort, a title that Mastiphal was the most recent holder of. He gained the title after he presented Malcanthet with the head of a huge fiendish smilodon that he killed on the fields of Spirac. Mastiphal was a handsome humanoid fiend with bright red skin, four arms, and a rack of ibex antlers on his forehead. He was a calculating person but some part of him longed to leave Vanelon and hunt. However, his audiences with Malcanthet had also grown less frequent and he was desparate to regain her attention. Any interlopers were brought by the patrolling glabrezu to his trophy-filled audience chamber, and only tales of invincible wild beasts could dissuade him from simply killing spies.
Munkir, called The White Guardian, was a demon lord associated with the afterlife and the back door to paradise. He was one of the two demon lords that ruled over The Gates of Heaven, the 77th layer of the Abyss.
Nekir, called The Black Guardian, was a demon lord associated with the afterlife and the back door to paradise. He was one of the two demon lords that ruled over The Gates of Heaven.
Nocticula, called The Undeniable, was a demon lord associated with night. She ruled over Darklight.
Oublivae, called the Queen of Desolation, was a demon lord associated with ruin and history. She ruled The Barrens.
Qij-na the Shattered was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals.
Rhindor'zt the Black Prince was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals.
Rhyxali, called the Queen of the Shadow Demons, was a demon lord associated with shadow demons and secrets. She ruled over Shaddonon.
Sch'theraqpasstt, called The Serpent Reborn, was a demon lord associated with yuan-ti. He ruled over The Mind of Evil.
Sess'innek, called The Emperor Lizard, was a demon lord associated with lizardfolk and civilization. He ruled The Phantom Plane, the 7th layer of the Abyss.
Shaktari, the Queen of Mariliths, was a demon lord associated with marilith demons. She ruled over Vudra.
Shami-Amourae, called the "Queen of the Succubi" was a demon lord associated with succubi. She was imprisoned in The Wells of Darkness. Shami-Amourae appeared as a succubus with pale skin and golden hair. Her cult sacrificed handsome male humans, half-elves, or elves to her at midnight on the night of the full moon. She had warred with good goddesses associated with love, such as Hanali Celanil, in the past, when she was powerful enough to be considered a demipower in her own right. Then, she was associated with debased eros and called the Lady of Delights.
Siragle the Ineffable was a demon lord associated with secret oaths. He ruled over The Steeping Isle.
Socothbenoth, called The Persuader, was a demon lord associated with perversion. He ruled Goranthis.
Soneillon, called The Youthful Crone, was a demon lord associated with rejuvenation. She lived on the layer of Spirac.
Tharzax, called The Chattering Prince, was a demon lord associated with poisonous vermin. He ruled the second layer of the Abyss, Driller's Hives.
Thralhavoc, called the Shadowmaster, was a demon lord associated with undead shadows and subterfuge. What layer he ruled or dwelled upon was unrecorded. Some tanar'ri priests were known to pledge themselves to Thralhavoc's service.
Turgalas (sometimes spelled Turaglas), called The Ebon Maw, was a demon lord associated with hunger and consumption. He ruled over Sholo-Tovoth.
Verin, called the Voice of Graz'zt, was a demon lord associated with diplomacy. He lived in Azzagrat. He was among the first to bow down and relinquish his realm to Graz'zt.
Volisupula, called The Flensed Marquesse, was a demon lord associated with finery and ostentatious ceremony. He ruled the eighth layer of the Abyss, called The Skin-shedder.
Xinivrae was a succubus-turned-demon lord who reveled in the seduction of women and was once one of the primary contestants for the title "Queen of the Succubi" before she fell to a horrid wound from Malcanthet's lash and was cast by her into the Dreaming Gulf. It was possible that after Shami-Amourae escaped her imprisonment, she retrieved and allied with Xinivrae in a plot against Malcanthet.
Vucarik, the Consort of Chains, was a demon lord associated with chains and torture. He ruled over Nethuria.
Wejindhastala the Tempest was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals.
Yibyiru, called The Rancid Lady of Bitter Bile, was a demon lord associated with poison. She lived in Shedaklah.
Zanassu, called The Spider Demon, was a dead demon lord once associated with spiders and aranea.
Zuregurex, called the Lord of the Drowned, was a demon lord associated with storms and the drowned dead. He once desired the waters of the Gaping Maw, Demogorgon's layer, and invaded it while the Prince of Demons was invading Hollow's Heart. He lead and army of undead and demonically-fused air elementals in an attack on Lemoriax, and was just dismantling the gates the palace Ungorth Reddik when a furious Demogorgon returned. So enraged was Demogorgon at being both torn away from a near-sure victory against Fraz-Urb'luu and at having his home defaced that not only slaughtered Zuregurex's army, but also pursued the lesser demon lord all the way back his own layer of Guttlevetch. He invaded the layer, a place of hurricanes and shipwrecks and blood-soaked beaches, and turned the waters against Zuregurex and sunk islands. The Lord of the Drowned was forced to flee to a different layer, The Scalding Sea. Guttlevetch remained in ruins and Zuregurex in hiding, although there were whispers that he had returned to Guttlevetch in secret to begin rebuilding.
Zzyczesiya, called The Ungrasped, was a demon lord associated with confused and malevolent ignorance. He dwelled in The Forgotten Land.

Former Demon Lords

Arlgolcheir
Astaroth
Zanassu

Political Influence & Intrigue

Each demon lord had a unique appearance and set of abilities and ruled over at least one layer of the Abyss. Those that controlled several layers and rose higher in power gave themselves the title of demon prince. Both "demon lord" and "demon prince" were self-proclaimed titles by those who had gained enough power and influence. The demonic fiends were in an eternal struggle, edging and fighting for dominion over one another. Unlike the archdevils, the chaotic evil demon lords did not have a rigid hierarchy, though they appeared in greater numbers throughout the Blood War. A demon lord, when slain in a plane other than the Abyss, was banished to the Abyss for a hundred years, whereas ordinary demons, including the mariliths and glabrezus, risked being reborn into a lesser form, or not at all.

Type

Religious, Pantheon

Deities

Demon Lords

Political Influence & Intrigue

Articles under Demon Lords

Abraxas

Adimarchus

Ahazu

Ahrimanes

Aldinach

Alrunes

Alvarez

Alzrius

Anarazel

Ansitif

Ardat

Arendagrost

Arlgolcheir

Arzial

Aseroth

Astaroth

Azael

Azazel

Azuvidexus

Baltazo

Baphomet

Barbu

Bayemon

Charun

Cormanda

Cynshyra

Dagon

Demogorgon

Dwiergus

Eblis

Eldanoth

Eltab

Felex'ja

Fraz-Urb'luu

Graz'zt

Gresil

Haagenti

Ilsidahur

Ixinix

J'zzalshrak

Juiblex

Kardum

Kerzit

Kostchtchie

Lamashtu

Laraie

Lascer

Lazbral'thull

Lissa'aere

Lupercio

Lynkhab

Malcanthet

Malgarius

Mastiphal

Munkir

Nekir

Nocticula

Obox-ob

Orcus

Oublivae

Pale Night

Pazuzu

Qij-na

Rhindor'zt

Rhyxali

Rr'ikin'aka

Sch'theraqpasstt

Sess'innek

Shaktari

Shami-Amourae

Sifkhu

Siragle

Socothbenoth

Soneillon

Tharzax

The Queen of Chaos

Thralhavoc