Bensozia
| Bensozia | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Home: | Nine Hells |
| Alignment: | Lawful Evil |
| Gender: | Female |
| Superior: | Asmodeus |
Bensozia was the consort of Baator's overlord, Asmodeus. She's also referred to as the Queen of Hell.
Description
According to scholars, Bensozia appeared as a beautiful, wingless, red-skinned she-devil with long white hair and completely black eyes.
Relationships
Bensozia was the consort of Asmodeus, and the mother of Glasya, their daughter. Her demeanor was cold and haughty, but polite.
History
Bensozia is often noted as having been a loyal and devoted consort who stood by her master at all times. Unlike Asmodeus and her daughter, Bensozia appeared quiet and not so forceful, since little was heard of her until her recent death. She used to be the most powerful of the consorts but only could wield her power through Asmodeus, having little authority by herself. She is known to have commented, "I do not speak, it's not my place," in regards to this situation.
Shortly before the Reckoning of Hell, Bensozia was assaulted by the arch-lord of the 5th layer of Hell, Levistus. While she was leading a routine inspection of the layers, Levistus came to her with the offer of becoming his consort if she helped him depose Asmodeus. Upon her harsh refusal, he became infuriated and killed her along with her pit-fiend bodyguards. Asmodeus quickly spotted the act and imprisoned Levistus in a thick block of ice as punishment. The archdevil Geryon replaced him as the new ruler of Stygia. Later, when the Reckoning was over, Hell's overlord deposed Geryon and returned control of Stygia to Levistus.
Whether or not the Queen of Hell really died has been unclear for quite some time, given that in first edition supplements, Bensozia was still Asmodeus's consort during Geryon's reign on Stygia. However, as of Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells, her death is now confirmed.
Oddly enough, it looks like Asmodeus showed quite a liking for her since he has yet to take another consort. More importantly, their daughter Glasya, who overthrew the Hag Countess as ruler of Malbolge (Hell's Sixth Layer), is now planning revenge against Levistus for daring to murder her beloved mother. This is with the approval of Baator's overlord, who will grant his daughter the right to utterly destroy the Lord of Stygia as soon as she can provide any evidence of major transgression.
Creative origins
Bensozia was named for a real-life mythological figure, the French dark goddess of witches. This name is derived from the term bona socia, literally "the good neighbour." Her name supposedly was invoked during the ritual sabbath of the witches.
Bibliography
- Cook, Monte. Book of Vile Darkness. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
- Ginsburg, Carlo. Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches Sabbath. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.
- Greenwood, Ed. "The Nine Hells Part II." Dragon #76. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II. Lake geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
- Laws, Robin D., and Robert J. Schwalb. Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.