Author: chatdemon

Esteemed Ilbrysis,
Librarian Corypheus, Royal Archive at Cryllor
I have recieved your inquiry, and I am glad to be of aid in your research. I have had the junior sisters of our temple compile a brief teatise on the subject of the Devil Iblis, which I am assured will suit your needs adequately. I duly hope that, as you suggested, the information I am providing can help those who seek your council in their quest to root and, expose and destroy the vile cult of the Outcast.
Hesitate not to call upon my services if they are needed, and feel welcome to pay us a visit here in th Ruby Mother's house. With the teeming masses of uneducated heathens that fill this city, 'twould be an acceptable pleasure to share the company of one as learned and wise as yourself. We must also speak again soon upon the topic of our proposed house of learning for the impoverished and downtrodden youths of our city, I feel the Ruby Mother's will is with us on this endeavor and I am anxious to solidify our plans.

Mother's blessings,
Shiara Neltheod,
Magistra, Temple of the Ruby Scepter, Cryllor.
-- From Dispatches & Diversions; collected letters, by Ilbrysis Noltheod of Cryllor, 592 CY

Iblis
The Defiant, The Outcast
LE Devil Lord of Defiance and Strength (symbolic strength, not physical power)

For aeons, a host of celestials have served the Suloise gods as ambassadors to other divine factions, and even as messengers among the pantheon itself in the times between the gatherings of the Celestial Court every 10 years. Once, in ages past, the leader of that band of celestials was a Solar named Iblis. The most able, beautiful and charming of all the Solars, Iblis loyally served all the lawful gods of the Pantheon, and some Suloise fables even speak of a rumored romantic connection between him and the goddess Zaliira.
Iblis, though lawful good, always valued lawfulness over goodness, and was fascinated by the workings of pantheonic law by the Ruby Queen, Wee Jas. It was never even considered by any of the gods that he would one day defy her.
Then came the age of Suloise Arcane Magic, when Wee Jas gathered the 11 most loyal and gifted mortals and elevated them to sainthood (bear in my mind that in my Suloise cosmology, sainthood means simply hero-god status, and carries none of the traditional implications of the term saint) in order to teach each of them one of the Arcane paths so that they might return and spread the knowledge of magecraft among the Suloise people. Upon bringing the 11 saints back into her palace after they had gone forth onto Oerth and taught the first generation of Suloise wizards their craft, Wee Jas decided to reward them by constructing a small palace for each upon her celestial domain. She consulted Iblis and instructed him to gather the other celestials and construct these palaces. Iblis obeyed and the 11 Arcanadels of Suloise myth were constructed in a ring around the palace of Wee Jas herself. The Ruby Queen then informed Iblis that she had deemed the saints of equal stature as the gods themselves, and had decided that he and he other celestials would serve the saints as they had served the gods for ages. At this, Iblis balked.
Iblis and the other celestials were creatures born of the outer planes, their very blood pulsed with the essence of law, goodness and divinity. He could condone a plan that force him to bow his head to a creature of Oerth, a creature created in the dust of a imperfect world. He defied Wee Jas, and convinced a great number of the other Suloise Devils to follow in his rebellion. Iblis had no plan to overthrow or replace Wee Jas, he simply sought a change in her decision to have him and the other celestials serve the Suloise saints, but Wee Jas is a stern and harsh goddess, and in a fit of petty rage at being defied, cast Iblis and the rest of the celestials out of the Celestial Court and deemed that forever would they wander, without homes and without any of the worship or respect they had once recieved from the Suloise people.
Wee Jas was wrong...
The cult of Iblis, a secretive group of Suloise malcontents, has grown steadily in power and influence in the centuries that have passed since. Clerics of this cult are always Lawful Evil, but it must be considered that the only law they serve is that of Iblis, who teaches only that might makes right, and that no offense or insult should go unpunished. Blackguards are occasionally found in the cult's ranks, the fallen paladins of other faiths that were seduced by the lure of infernal power. Summoners (prestige class from Relics & Rituals) and Acolytes of the Skin (from Tome & Blood are also often found within the ranks of Ilbis' cult.
The primary goal of any Iblist (as the cultists call themselves) is the undermining and destruction of any established church of a Suloise god. Tactics used to acomplish this range from blackmail, extortion and political manuevering to kidnapping, murder and even small scale holy wars. Iblists will also act to overthrow and seize control of any governmental body they see as weak, or pandering to the weak and unworthy at the expense of the strong and self sufficient. While there is little respect in the cult for outside bodies, the heirarchy of the cult is severe and brutal. There are only two punishments, for even the most minor infractions; death and exile, and the choice of punishment is left to the individual who was slighted or harmed to decide.
Domains: Evil, Law, Trickery, Domination, Summoning
Weapon: Falchion
Garb: The cult's laws regarding ceremonial vestments are complex and traditional, always involving black hooded cloaks, but sometimes incorporating regional modifications or additions. While not engaged in ritual worship of Iblis and the other related devils, there is no restriction on what must be worn, and styles vary greatly from cultist to cultist. The holy symbol of Iblis is a 5 pointed star of blackened iron with a flawed ruby set into the center.