Baalzebul, the Lord of Lies, rules the seventh level of Hell. The Fallen One, also called the Slug Archduke, fell from the Upper Planes when his arrogance and ambition led him astray. Ironically, it was these same flaws that led him to his current wretched state.
Long ago, an archon named Triel achieved fame as one of Celestia’s most beautiful and powerful angels. But his lust for physical perfection led inexorably to his corruption. Some say that his spiritual downfall was personally engineered by Asmodeus, who appeared to him in the form of a lovely but venomous flower, but this persistent myth cannot be corroborated.
In any case, Triel awoke one day in Baator, his skin burnished to a glittering obsidian hue, and the compound eyes of a fly jittering in his head. From this moment forward, Triel was no more, having morphed into a new unique devil named Baalzebul. Though his spirit was irrevocably tainted, his power had been greatly magnified by the transformation, and Asmodeus soon made him ruler of his own layer, displacing an ally who had been with him since before the Pact Primeval was signed. Baalzebul’s rapid promotion won him the enmity of the archdukes of long-standing stature - most notably Dispater and Mephistopheles. Eons have passed since these events, but the two archdevils still consider Baalzebul an interloper.
Recently, Baalzebul suffered a comeuppance that delighted his rivals. Asmodeus recast him into an even more grotesque form - that of a mammoth slug, trapped forever in a layer of garbage and filth. Prideful but chastened, Baalzebul has been carefully plotting his return to grace. He aims to prove his usefulness to Asmodeus indirectly, by undermining his rivals. In particular, he hopes to see Mephistopheles and Dispater transformed into even more humiliating forms than his own - or, better yet, obliterated entirely. To this end, he has renewed his efforts to plant spies in their courts. Ideally, his spy network will unearth evidence of their treachery against Asmodeus. Failing that, he plans to create some. Baalzebul is happy to reward any devils or mortals who can further this scheme, at least as long as they demonstrate their continued utility to him.
Baalzebul’s greatest failing is ambition. Even with the power and prestige he attained, he was never satisfied. As the politics of the Nine Hells drew him deeper into plots and conspiracies, he found himself at greater and greater odds with Asmodeus until the two came into conflict during the Reckoning. Like others, Baalzebul suffered for opposing the Lord of the Ninth, and for his disloyalty, he was transformed into the hideous creature he is today.
Baalzebul still counts Belial as an ally, but he is uncertain of Fierna, whom he sees as a threat to their alliance thanks to her flowering relationship with the new Lord of the Sixth. The Slug Archduke blames everyone but himself for his predicament, especially Mephistopheles. However, Baalzebul reserves a special hatred for Asmodeus. His curse is more than just an obstacle; it is humiliating. Baalzebul will avenge himself and regain his true form. It is just a matter of time.
Baalzebul retains a sizable following on the Material Plane. Mortals seem helplessly drawn to his doctrine of lies, his charm, and the power he offers. The most numerous of his followers are bugbears, who personify Baalzebul’s dualistic nature by being both strong and cunning.