Lucentius
Elder evil god of tyranny, deal-making, and the plane Inferna, Lucentius is a Baatan god of great wit, wiles, and power. He is seen by most as a great manipulator, and most experts agree that a good deal of plots across the ages can be traced to him or his cults. This aspect of his personality has spread unto his creations, the tyrannical and litigation-prone devils. He rests at the top of their infernal hierarchy, with all devils that draw breath owing their allegiance to him, though most are loath to accept that fact.
In addition to this, his status as the god of tyranny has led many an evil ruler to seek his aid, damning themselves in the process. This is common to most tales of Lucentius, as he is often seen as a dealmaker with or corrupter of once-good individuals. It is very rare for him to target an already evil person, though such creatures seem to approach him in droves.
Divine Domains
Tyranny, Order, Trickery, Devils
Holy Books & Codes
Codex Inferna: An ancient series of scrolls and manuscripts that dictate the laws, traditions, customs, and statutes of the Plane Infernal, supposedly penned by Lucentius himself. Diabolic individuals are expected to memorize the entire thing, though only the most intelligent devils have managed that feat. Fairly common among devils, but considered very rare and valuable outside of the Hells.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Triple Triforce, Sharp Valknut, Smiling Devil Face
Tenets of Faith
Stations are meant to be kept, and should never be allowed to shift.
Laws and Deals are binding and absolute. You are only as strong as your resolve, though it need not be ironclad.
Freedom is a pathetic and primitive ideal. Ensure you take it from some, so-as to improve intelligence of the whole.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Almost all portrayals of Lucentius portray him as a man of great stature and power. While he is occasionally cast in a sneaky or groveling manner, he is more often described as high-class and very noble-like, with ornate clothes and well-kept hair. He is usually groomed in a manner befitting a noble, so the specifics are not always constant between cultures.
Body Features
While he takes a myriad of forms, all descriptions of Lucentius agree on his possession of devilish features. Curled horns, forked tails, and cloven hooves are pretty common sights on his body. Much of the racism towards tieflings comes from this similar appearance, as uneducated individuals just see their resemblance to Lucentius and assume they may be him in disguise.
Mental characteristics
Gender Identity
Lucentius usually presents himself as a straight-laced male figure. However, certain stories seem to point towards him adopting the forms of other creatures at his own discretion.
Intellectual Characteristics
Lucentius is intelligent, even for a deity. He great intellect is cited by a variety of tales, though he is neither omnipotent nor omniscient. However, he has been known to temper this great intelligence with a keen mind for scheming, allowing him to manipulate entire kingdoms or planes without anyone's knowing.
Morality & Philosophy
To Lucentius, chaos is the greatest force of strife and uncertainty in the multiverse. In his mind, a perfect world would only exist when everything existed in a perfect system of law, one which would of course place him at the top. This system would harshly punish any and all who broke it's laws, though only if they were caught.
Social
Contacts & Relations
The chosen of Lucentius are separated into two groups: the Saints proper and the Archdevils. Saints are those mortal followers who were anointed at the end of the Age of Celestials, while Archdevils are the high-ranking devils that each rule over a layer of Inferna. Both are considered to be on equal footing as each other, though the Devil Lords being tied to their realms makes them more sedentary than the Saints. In addition, the title of Archduke has been held by a number of different devils, whereas only the three Saints have ever been.
Saint Seretia: Manipulator and puppetmaster, Seretia acts as the patron to aspiring politicians or hucksters who hope to pull strings from the sidelines. Since her anointment, she has spent the centuries manipulating entire continents and clashing with Caelan Saints, most notably Corella of Verandra. While many have learned to not trust her, the disguises and debtors under her wings are many enough to make her help preposterously useful.
Saint Callathas: Cruel and iron-fisted, Callathas is the saint of tyranny and absolute laws. His ideals are those of might makes right taken to the extreme: only governments that rule over their populaces like ants are worthy of his attention, with all lands following such ideals in his ideal world. Despots or similar leaders are chief among his worshippers, and his "gifts" only further their abilities to exert control and power over others. However, the gifts of Callathas are often costly and entrapping, making the supposed "rulers" pawns to his celestial power.
Saint Kapentaa: Unique among her peers for being forced into her role, Kapentaa is the saint of those who have made deals with literal devils and are now expected to follow through with them. This status has caused a distinct dichotomy in her depictions; half paint her as a cold, remorseless shark who gives little and takes much; others show her in a more sympathetic light, a Saint forced into servitude who is sympathetic to those like her, though such sympathy is very few and far between.
Archduchess Chaenatus: Ruler of the First Ring of Inferna, Chaenatus is a brutal, war-minded archduchess charged with the protection of Inferna. Her realm is one of watchtowers and check-points leading to the inner rings, culminating in the five strongholds that guard the entrances to the Second Ring. Her frontlines are always hungry for more troops, and as such she usually makes deals with warriors, promising martial strength in return for their eternal service in death. She rarely interacts with the Saints, though she has a known respect for Callathas.
Archduke Dissafer: Cunning and skillful, the Archduke of the Second Ring is the head trademaster of Inferna. His courts manage the complex trade relations across the Hells, and distribute trade through the other Rings. Among such trade is that of labor and skill, with Dissafer himself being considered a very skilled artisan. Those who seek him out often do so for skills and knowledge, or the ability to undercut the skills of others.
Archduke Lophiddom: Handling the money side of Dissafer's trade, Lophiddom is a miserly devil whose greed rivals that of Avaritum herself. He is tasked with cataloguing the trade of souls across Inferna, and has a stake in many forms of more traditional coinage. The Banks of the Third are legendary for the amount of currency that passes through them, and much of Inferna's currency system stems from decrees made by Lophiddom.
Archduchess Volupitas: Mistress of pain and pleasure, the Fifth Ring is the beating heart of hellish night-life and healing, with Archduchess Volupitas ruling over both. While both aspects are often considered treats to the denizens of hell or Volupitas's numerous petitioners, the gifts of Volupitas invariably lead to a kind of dependance or addiction. Most intelligent devils have learned to temper their urges when contacting her, but many mortals lack that knowledge, and get so invested in their vices that they become reliant on her "gifts".
Archduke Krasunax: Gross and sluglike, Krasunax runs the unenviable task of providing food for the rest of Inferna, as his lands lie in the perfect middle-ground between the searing heat of the outer rings and the biting cold of the inner. However, his realm is a ruinous one plagued with festering blights and frequent famines, making working there an unending slog of hard labor and little returns. However, such actions have shown to strengthen the resilience of workers, a trait that has caused many mortals to beg Krasunax for.
Archduchess Insidia: Perhaps the most unruly archdevil of Inferna, the "Princess of Hell" exists within a unique situation. She is said to be the daughter of Lucentius himself, but despite this seems to constantly work against her father and attempt to disrupt his reign. In turn, she has been shackled with maintaining the labyrinthine forests and bogs of the Sixth Ring, a task that requires constant effort and leaves Insidia perpetually trapped within her own domain. She offers aid to those who, like her, wish to instill a little discord or circumvent the rules, though she is limited to doing so only in ways that do not break said rules.
Archduke Carcero: Trapped within an enchanted iceberg by Lucentius, Carcero is the archdevil charged with running the vast prison of the Seventh Ring of Inferna. His cold and unrelenting domain is used to punish the traditionally hot-blooded devils, serving terms as both jailors and prisoners rather than be reduced in rank after transgressing the various laws of Inferna. He often makes deals with those who wish to escape similar forms of imprisonment, though Carcero's boons always have a habit of coming back to haunt the user in unexpected ways.
Archduchess Wethistol: One of Lucentius's eldest allies and rivals, Archduchess Wethistol is an unparalleled master of the arcane, often being recognized as one of, if not the single greatest magician in all the realms. It was her magics that sealed off Inferna from the spreading plague of the Abyss and made magic travel through Inferna impossible, and her knowledge is often sought out by mortals with an intense hunger for arcane knowledge. She also holds the unique place of being the only Archduchess of the Eighth Ring, as all attempts to unseat her have been foiled.
Divine Classification
Greater Diety
Alignment
Lawful Evil
Current Location
Realm
Church/Cult
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Lord of Tyranny, Master of Manipulation, Grand Archduke of the Plane Infernal.
Children
Quotes & Catchphrases
"Everything that exists serves something. I aim to be that something."
"Freedom is wasted on the stupid and the unprepared."
Aligned Organization
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