Dispater

Iron Duke

The archdevil Dispater is Hell's greatest jailer and politician who rules its second layer, Dis. Also known as the Iron Lord, Father of Dis and First King, Dispater is one of the more active rulers of Hell and one of Asmodeus's closest and longest-standing allies. He is an archdevil whose extreme vigilance almost personified caution. The Iron Duke rules the Iron City from within his Iron Tower known as the Iron Sceptre, and is legendary for his impregnable layers of defense.

Appearance

Dispater appears as a majestic, seven-foot-tall figure with rust-red skin, four horns, and a burning crown that hovers above his head. His skin bears dozens of scars and piercings, each of them a past wound turned into a mark of pride. He retains his angelic wings, though they are now black, and he keeps them retracted within his body at almost all times.

Personality

A master strategist and expert in intrigue, Dispater has a well-earned reputation for being the most carefully calculating of the archdevils. His personal safety is always his top priority and to catch him off-guard would be to outwit one of the most clever and resourceful beings in reality. During every step of his dominion he acts with patient cunning and unshakable discretion. Although he, like the other archdevils, scheme to take over the Nine Hells, he avoids taking big risks, not out of cowardice or insecurity but because of his unique view of the system.
Dispater view reality from the perspective of a contestant in an enigmatic game governed by unclear rules, and he analyzes the worth of everything by how it might help him. By solving all the mysteries of the multiverse, he would gain the best chances of winning, allowing him to control the Nine Hells and then the rest of reality. He holds numerous secret techniques in regards to mining and forging, for example, making him the greatest weapons supplier in Hell and possibly the multiverse and thus making him an important entity for the devils of the war-torn Avernus. The chance to learn a new secret was one of the few things that can compel him to act against the other archdevils.
Despite his analytical approach, Dispater still has diabolical charisma and carries himself with appreciable self-control. He is calm and composed at all times and is undeniably persuasive, delivering reasonable arguments with the courtesy of a true gentleman. His ability to withhold his anger even when it passionately burned not only made him a dangerously suave entity but was a source of personal pride for him.
However, behind Dispater's sophisticated posturing and soft finery is nonetheless a tyrant's iron fist, much to the woe of predatory members of his court. He is a malicious manipulator whose gentle words are laced with deceit and his acts of supposed charity are always political in nature. Among the archdevils, he is notable for rarely trying to force others to do his bidding, preferring to twist them into unwittingly carrying out his will. Even when committing acts of unspeakable evil, his chivalrous façade never wavers, and if someone does manage to break his iron-clad stoicism he'll rather destroy them than leave them alive to potentially expose his folly.

Abilities

The Iron Duke's touch can have two effects, each devastating on their own but when used in concert can easily fell the most dangerous of foes. The first effect allow him to turn flesh into iron, rendering almost any organic foe an inert statue. The second effect almost instantly corroded metal, rusting up to a 10 ft (3 m) cube worth of material into useless pieces in an instant. Only the most capable warrior could retract their weapon after striking him without it turning into dust first, but magical metal can resist his power and nonmetal items are completely immune. Because those he turns into statues are only made of mundane metal, one of his favored tactics is turning someone into metal before rusting them into oblivion.
Fortunately for those who would try to combat him, Dispater always acts defensively, creating scalding gates of steel and walls of deadly chains to hold back his attackers while he summons aid. Normally he would already have minions to fight in his stead, ranging from barbazu grunts, moderately dangerous cornugon devils and even pit fiends, who would keep the enemy busy while he evaluates their strength. Although pit fiends are his first choice of summon and he is also known for his use of erinyes, other devils might also be called based on the situation, such as osyluths, hamatulas or gelugons.
Dispater's very words are powerful and if he can't persuade someone with their contents he'd do so with their magical nature. Command spells were one way he'd make distance, and when fighting he would section off powerful adversaries from their allies in order to dominate them uninterrupted.

Possesions

The First King's staff of office is The Eclipsing Eye, a bladed staff with a great ruby through which Asmodeus constantly watches him. Rumored to have been empowered at the same time as the Iron Sceptre, The Eclipsing Eye is both a potent magical artifact and his symbol of ultimate authority.

History

Dispater is a fallen angel, originally the lieutenant of Baalzebul, who in turn was the champion of Asmodeus. Following the signing of the Pact Primeval, when Asmodeus led his host into Hell, Dispater forsake Baalzebul, who would later fall as well, and fell with his commander and was rewarded for his loyalty with the status of Lord of the Second, effectively becoming one of the longest-ruling Archdevils. He is the one and only ruler of the city of Dis. 
Alone among the lords of Hell, Dispater believes in the virtues of courtly love, and has taken three wives over the course of his eons-long existence. The first is forgotten, even by the Iron Lord himself, the only token of her existence a shattered statue in Dispater's throne room. The second was Feronia, an elemental demigoddess with whom Dispater shared a brief, tempestuous relationship that led to the birth of his son, the empyreal lord Ragathiel. Dispater's third and current wife is Erecura, a once-mortal demigoddess who was condemned to Hell for stealing the secret of eternal life from Pharasma.

Worshipers

Dispater is one of the, if not most known then most, understood archdevil by mortals and the patron of war and intrigue. His followers uphold the principles of planning and strategy, thinking like generals and having the prowess of warriors. Despite being defensive to the point of sequestering themselves, they were never truly trapped since part of Dispater's doctrine was the idea of making contingencies. When combat was necessary, they made sure it was on their chosen battlefield and under their terms.
They show an extreme attention to detail, particularly devils that live in Dis, and so have to be unerringly wary. They also have exceptional martial prowess with almost all weapons and armors, especially those of iron. More supernatural abilities include the power to summon erinyes, turn their bodies to iron, cause items to rust, detect the presence of metal, and teleport away in order to escape harm.
Cults devoted to Dispater do exist, but they aren't actually encouraged by the Father of Dis, rather he tempts influential individuals with promises of power. Dispater's agents aren't actual rulers but those who rule behind the throne by blackmailing the actual authorities with scandalous secrets and hidden weaknesses, such as villainous viziers, ministers and councilors. His true disciples are suspicious to the point of being paranoid and despite preferring to have others fight for them, they typically have few real allies and thus have to employ mercenaries and other minions to enact their will.
His actual cults are similarly secretive and militant, representing evil in its most stable, and thus stagnant, form. They are conspiratorial in nature, often attempting to overtake existing religious and government organizations. Warlike humanoid races like goblins or hobgoblins rever the Iron Duke as the image of indestructibility, and rogue mind flayers occasionally appeal to him seeking knowledge that would allow them permanent freedom from the elder brain.

Unholy Symbol

His unholy symbol is an iron spike driven into a golden ring with a red and purple crown.

Divine Classification

Archdevil

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Current Location

The Nine Hells

Species

Devil

Honorary & Occupational Titles

• Iron Duke
• Lord of the Second
• Father of Dis
• First King
• King of Iron
• Asmodeus's Eye
• Master of the Tower

Gender

Male

Eyes

Ruby Red

Hair

None

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Rust Red

Height

7'

Weight

240 lbs

Holy Symbol

Pathfinder Statistics

Divine Domains

• Evil
• Law
• Nobility
• Trickery

Favored Weapon: Heavy Mace

D&D 5e Statistics

Suggested Domains

• Trickery Domain