Rimmon

Former Lord of the Eighth Hell, currently Duke of Thunders in Nessus
Roaring One, Exalted One, Prince of the Gelugons
Aliases: Im, Barku, Tessub
Areas of control: Storms, wind, thunder, ice
Superior: The Dark Lord of Nessus
Allies: Corin, Alastor, Selm
Subordinates: The gelugons of Nessus
Rivals: Mephistopheles, Morax, Buer, Zagum
Symbol:  Pomegranate or lightning trident

Dearest Saltzman,

I received your letter yesterday. I'm glad to see you taking an interest in scholarly matters, but I must warn you that poking too deeply into the secrets of the Pit can be dangerous. Remember the fate of Willem the Dogged.

However, since you asked, I will share what little I know of the diabolic noble Rimmon. I have carried this information in my library for some time, and I have come to little harm.  Whether this is because such as you and I are of little consequence to the Lords of the Pit, or because the information is false, I have no idea.

I can confirm that, in previous Ages, a vast and thriving cult was dedicated to an entity known in various cultures as Rimmon, Barku, Tresseb, and Im. The diabolic nature of this entity is beyond question, as the taint of the Pit is still detectable on the relics of that long-forgotten faith. Whether the faith was originally a creation of the Baatezu or whether our dark presence usurped churches already established by weakened gods is up for debate. Rimmon seems to have been revered as a patron of wind and cold, invoked to defeat the gods and demons of enemy tribes.

Everything else I know is probably conjecture, though it comes from a number of impressive sources, some of whom have had frequent communication with powerful spirits of the Pit.

It seems the original ruler of the Hell called Caina or Cania was a powerful general named Oertha (or Shalgiel), who accoring to the myths of the pit fiends originally froze that circle of the Pit. Oertha is thought of as formless and incorporeal - as the wind of Caina itself. Oertha's servants were similarly formless.

Until Rimmon. Rimmon created cocoons with which he snared some of Oertha's servants and transmuted them, creating the first of the gelugons as his army. With this army he defeated Shalgiel, The remaining minions of the previous lord universally bowed down to their conquerer in order to save their miserable lives. Shalgiel was reduced to a mere wind, a spirit of the air under Rimmon's absolute control.

Rimmon was the uncontested master of Caina until Mephistopheles took it from him, wielding the dark sorceries of Nessus in ways Rimmon had never seen. Driven from his domain, Rimmon slunk into Nessus himself and sacrificed most of his power to the Dark Lord of that realm, in exchange for being permitted to serve there. Rimmon became lord of the gelugons of the layer, and a great master of weather magics.

More recently, Rimmon was permitted to enter the Material Plane, where he led the campaign that nearly turned an entire world to ice. The plan was ultimately defeated, though not without permanent scars to the world. Rimmon was banished back to Nessus, and has not been given leave to emerge since.

Rimmon's primary rivals in Nessus are Morax and Buer, nobles who command pit fiends as Rimmon commands gelugons. Rimmon seeks to prove that his minions are just as effective in diplomacy and battle. He also must contend with Zagum, who seeks to prove the potential of hamatula by training the fearsome Spark Hunters.

Rimmon's allies are fewer. Corin of the Dark Eight was once his servant, and the two are still respectful toward one another. Alastor the Grim, chief executioner of Nessus, and Selm, Prince of the Posessor Devils, are also extremely ancient nobles who respect Rimmon as a time-tested relic of the elder times.

Rimmon normally manifests as a gelugon, though unusually large and with some humanoid features. He has also been described as looking like a bloated baby human with a snake emerging from his naval, though this description seems to be archaic.