Dispater

Dispater

(Deity)

Titles

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

Realm

Iron Scepter, Dis, Hell

Alignment

Lawful evil

Areas of Concern

Cities
Prisons
Rulership

Worshipers

Evil and privileged hermits, the forlorn and forsaken, obsessed administrators, outcasts

Edicts

Uphold absolute law, pursue perfection in your surroundings, speak with refinement

Anathema

Act above your station, neglect your defenses, betray a lover

Follower Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Evil, Law, Nobility, Trickery

Subdomains (1E)

Deception, Devil, Leadership, Legislation, Thievery, (Tyranny)

Follower Alignments (2E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (2E)

Cities, confidence, duty, tyranny

Favored Weapon

Heavy mace

Symbol

Iron nail, crown, and ring

Sacred Animal

Hound

Sacred Colors

Iron gray, red

Images of Dispater

Source: Book of the Damned, pg(s). 44–45 (1E)
Lost Omens Gods & Magic, pg(s). 124–125 (2E)

Ⅰ

Ⅱ

Dispater

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful, shapechanger)

CR

27

Environment

Any (Hell)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Images of Dispater

Source: Bestiary 6, pg(s). 22–23

Ⅰ

The archdevil Dispater (pronounced DIHS-pay-tuhr) is Hell's greatest jailer and politician and 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. His religious symbol is an iron spike driven into a golden ring with a red and purple crown. His symbol of office is an artefact known as The Eclipsing Eye.

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. The First King's staff of office is The Eclipsing Eye, a bladed staff with a great ruby through which Asmodeus constantly watches him.

History

Dispater is a fallen angel, originally the lieutenant of Baalzebul, who in turn was the champion of Asmodeus. Following his war against Ihys, when Asmodeus led his host to Hell in the Exodus, Dispater fell with his commander and was rewarded for his loyalty with the status of Lord of the Second.

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.

Relationships

Dispater has allied with the archdevil Mephistopheles as they both enjoy the art of ruling, and is married to Erecura.

Travel

Dispater rarely leaves the city of Dis. When he does, he orders the uprooting of whole gardens, menageries, markets, and theaters to go with him on his journey so that the denizens of Hell may see examples of Dis's greatest wonders. The most powerful of his armies travel with him and serve as his bodyguard, for Dispater knows that even an archdevil is not safe in Hell, surrounded by rivals and potential usurpers who are always looking for a moment of weakness. The Iron Lord never travels to the Universe, not even in aspect, finding the mortal realm beneath him. Instead, he sends an erinys servant or a member of his court to deal with matters there.

References

Paizo published articles on Dispater in Princes of Darkness and the hardcover Book of the Damned. Kobold Quarterly #23 also contains an article on Dispater.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

External links

• Dis Pater (real-world deity) on Wikipedia
• Dispater (Dungeons & Dragons) on Wikipedia