Malagard

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Formerly ruled by Moloch, who was cast down by Asmodeus, Malbolge is one of the most inhospitable layers of Hell. The current lord is Malagard, the Hag Countess. She was a prominent member of Moloch's court, and some say his lover as well. In the time leading up the Reckoning, she encouraged Moloch to join Baalzebul's alliance. When both Mephistopheles and Asmodeus were out of the way, she whispered to Moloch, then he could dethrone Baalzebul and become the King of Hell.
Moloch needed little encouragement to come into the war, and he prosecuted his attacks with gusto. Unbeknownst to him, Malagard was in secret communication with Geryon. and she arranged for Moloch's armies to betray him at the climax of the war. While the other lords fled in the face of Asmodeus, Moloch stood his ground. Malagard told him that Asmodeus would respect his strength if he remained defiant, and Moloch all but spit in the face of the Dark Lord of Nessus. For this impudence in the face of utter defeat, Asmodeus cast down Moloch and replaced him with Malagard. The Hag Countess kicked her former lover out of Malbolge, and he has not been seen since.
Since then, Malagard has ruled the Crushing Lands from a hidden fortress said to be inside a perpetually
rolling boulder. Unlike other lords, she does not hold court as such. Her nobles are scattered throughout the layer in copper fortresses, and she visits them periodically. She usually appears in disguise, so the fortress commanders must always be on their best behavior. More than one disrespectful noble has found himself staring at the wrong end of Malagard's flaming sword.
For the most part, Malagard stays out of baatezu politics. She witnessed the strength of Asmodeus once, and she knows better than to mess with him. While Baalzebul and Mephistopheles continue to bicker, she has bent her will toward a different goal: achieving godhood. Malagard knows that the lords are not true powers, and she is trying to find the means for her ascension. She has made several trips to the Astral Plane to investigate the bodies of the dead gods that float there, but so far she had no success in determining what the essence of godhood is.
==Combat==
Although Malagard appears as a withered old hag she can move with alarming speed and agility. She wields a flaming sword that is as light as a feather in her hand. This a weapon of +4 enchantment that inflicts 1d12+14 damage per strike. She has absolute control over the physical aspects of her realm, and is nearly invulnerable while in Malbolge. She can cast meteor swarm once per round, in addition to her other attacks. While in Malbolge, she can start avalanches at will, often directly under the feet of her enemies. Three times per day she can summon 1d4 spinagons, 1d3 barbazu, or 1 gelugon with an 85% chance of success.
Category:NPCs
Category:Guide to Hell NPCs