Fierna (fer-na)
Archdevil Fierna (a.k.a. Lady of the Fourth, Archduchess Fierna, Fiery Lady of Phlegethos)
(https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Fierna)
Fierna was the lady of Phlegethos and, along with her father Belial, was the only archdevil allowed by Asmodeus to share rulership over one of the Nine Hells. In their peculiar partnership, Fierna was the young newcomer with fiery passion and undeniable appeal.
Personality:
Befitting an archdevil of fire, Fierna was well-known for her short fuse and volatile personality, her temper striking fear in almost any devil. Her rage escalated quickly, with frustration leading to fury that erupted, quite literally, as she angrily moved about on fire, driven by bloodthirsty vengeance, often with little warning. Additionally, she was self-absorbed, sadistic, and just generally mercurial, flitting about like a lit flame between her various obsessions and displaying a "party girl" attitude.
However, assuming Fierna was just a bratty beauty was a grave mistake for both political schemers and would-be courtiers. Fierna was prodigiously brilliant in the art of emotional manipulation, with charisma to match that of Asmodeus himself. She lit fires in the hearts of mortals and immortals alike, controlling them like any other. Her explosive outbursts seemed chaotic and random, but she was a being of law, simply following a pattern that perhaps only she understood.
Though she saw being viewed as incompetent as a useful ploy, she was no less adept at politics than other archdevils. Still, she had no interest in taking part in the overcomplicated, governmental web. The black-hearted archdevil had more hedonistic goals, desiring to use her position to indulge in luxurious comforts and lecherous pleasures while allowing others actually to administer. At least, this was her stance at one point. Later on, she became more professionally-minded, still toying with lesser beings but making efforts not to immediately discard them upon growing bored and attempting to enter the "grownup" world of diabolical conspiracies and power plays.
Activities:
Fierna's presence was rarely noticed in Phlegethos, as she spent most of her time losing herself in pools of lava as others made decisions regarding the actual rulership of the plane. Although commonly thought of as Belial's mouthpiece, this wasn't entirely accurate, but part of a half-truth perpetuated by the Archduchess. Much of her pool time was spent with Belial as the two discussed stratagems; rather than Fierna being a nominal puppet ruler or Belial being the true power behind the throne, both took a role in the decision-making, albeit with Fierna being more preoccupied with her comforts. She was rightfully thought of as insatiably lustful, thoughtlessly going through members of the opposite gender, a trait she seemed to have adopted from her father.
Given her unexpected immunities, some theorised that Fierna was trying to master a second element, possibly in order to take over one of the colder layers of Hell, although she seemed generally uninterested in gaining new territory.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Physical Description
Special abilities
Fierna had unmitigated mastery over fire, able to create it and cast a vast array of fire-based spells as well as control all fire within Phlegethos. Rather than rely on weapons, she fought with a blade of pure fire that she summoned to her hand, twice as powerful as ordinary flame blades. She rained burning death upon her enemies, first conjuring a fire shield before destroying her foes with a meteor swarm and flurries of fireballs.
Though she eagerly partook in slaughter, particularly enjoying the feeling of hot blood splashing against her, she only entered melee if victory was certain and was smart enough to know when to retreat, often with teleportation. Instead, she engulfed her foes with flames from afar, quickly summoning reinforcements in the forms of spinagons, barbazus, hamatulas, or a cornugon.
Strangely, magical or otherwise, the cold did little to stymie Fierna's flames and similarly water could not extinguish them, ironically only earning her fiery ire and getting the presumptuous assailant scorched.
Apparel & Accessories
Fierna appeared to be an incredibly attractive young woman, a lithe, statuesque, 6 ft (1.8 m) seductress of stunning physique. Tall, dark and sensual, her garments were as royally fine as they were scantily clingy, furthering her image as a being of perversion and indecency.
Giving away her infernal heritage were the small pair of horns that emerged under her hairline, and even then the fiendish features somehow managed to enhance her enchanting appearance. Her red eyes shined and smouldered like fires were dancing within them and implicit promises of pleasure could be gleaned from her gaze.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
After the disastrous results of the Reckoning, Belial decided to retreat from public view, elevating Fierna to the official ruler of the plane while continuing to run things from the shadows. Though beneficial to him in several ways, both Moloch and Geryon having been removed, the return of the more experienced Levistus prevented him from conquering Stygia and his original assault force, led by Gazra, was utterly destroyed. Afterwards, for a time, he focused on politically besting the Frozen Prince, sinking further into obscurity while allowing Fierna to take a greater public role. Eventually, his armies gained enough power that he became confident he could best both Levistus and the Hag Countess, until the sudden rise of Glasya, throwing all his plans to the wind by introducing a figure he couldn't attack, out of fear of provoking both Asmodeus and his daughter.
The previously content Fierna began seeking independence, and soon Glasya's sway over Fierna seemed to have weathered down the partnership between father and daughter. Fierna began inquiring about the operations of Phlegethos, claiming only to desire the knowledge in the case of Belial's passing, something he believed, possibly rightly, would only happen at her hands. As Fierna grew bolder, Belial's confidence waned, and it seemed that the two would eventually have some confrontation involving either Belial's resurgence or Fierna's proper ascendance.
The degree to which Glasya's wedge-driving worked, however, was debatable, as Fierna and Belial eventually reached some unorthodox, familial understanding. Rather than one destroying the other, the two ruled Phlegethos in tandem, Fierna handling matters regarding mortal souls and Belial governing Phlegethos itself. Belial's cults had been small, and Fierna was apathetic towards the "work" of being an archdevil, so their specialisation allowed the former to reclaim his position as an official ruler while Fierna could put her interpersonal talents to use.
However, calling the two partners wasn't exactly accurate, for just as the two had reconciled as allies, they had also become true rivals, showing a confusing combination of hatred and admiration for each other. The two were constantly trying to trap and undermine each other, but Fierna's charismatic personality and persuasive power cancelled out Belial's greater intellect and forward planning. Just as before, there were those who believed that their infighting could be used to overtake them, a partially true sentiment. But any short-term benefit provided by their conflict wouldn't last, for a true threat to their rightful reign would prompt father and daughter to unite and defend their shared dominion.
Forlarren:
Fierna once tried to court a mighty archfey, hoping to seduce them into relinquishing their soul. Her efforts ultimately went nowhere, but a group of the lord's satyrs became infatuated with her. Desiring some form of gain from her time spent on the lord, Fierna decided to corrupt the satyrs with her infernal powers and transformed them into the creatures known as forlarren.
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