Caim, Duke of False Logic
This is a continuation of my long term goal of rewriting the fluff of D&D, mostly drawing upon the various 3rd party sources and other popular sources. Right now, I am combining Dicefreaks Gates of Hell with my own work.
Caim, the Duke of Logic, Lord of Utopia.
“But my Lord of Rohan, am I to be called a murderer, because valiant men have fallen in battle? If you go to war, needlessly, for I did not desire it, then men will be slain.” Saruman Two Towers
To many dwelling in sophisticated societies, the common assumption is that the Infernal Realms seek nothing less than to help the foolish and unwary condemn themselves to an eternity of despair and suffering. For many such cultures, the urbane gentleman, always dressed in dapper attire and possessing a quick wit, is the archetype of devils. This image has become so popular that many plays and stories across Creation from vastly different cultures feature devils in this fashion. As a result, this has diluted the far and threat that should accompany stories of Devils. There is one Duke, previously of Hell but now of the Grey Wastes, who fits the mold so closely that some suspect that he is the reason that these attitudes exist. That devil is Caim, the Duke of Logic and Dispater's greatest servant. Caim is an ancient devil, having served Dispater for as long as any can remember, and for as long as any can remember, Caim has condemned countless mortals and immortals souls to Dis for betraying their beliefs and ethnics under the glare of his seemingly pristine logic. Seriously, pristine logic, flavor meets mechanics my ass. More than any devil, Caim is the cause is for the most non violent, societal shifts to Lawful Evil behavior in the Cosmos. As the Duke of Logic, Caim uses his fantastic intellect to reveal the flaws inherent in the attitudes and ideals to which many cling. But Caim is not stodgy or boring; and the occasional exaggeration in his argument, makes him come across as an inviting figure of common sense and interest. His powerful personality and charm make his illusions and logics all the more convincing. Caim often asks questions often asks questions that quickly put the unwary of the defensive. What is goodness if those in power are not willing to do what it takes to make sure everyone is equal and benefits from societies bounty? What is balance, if existence is always in flux because no one is willing to institute perfect stability? What good is chaos when one is responsible for his or her actions, particularly when such people do not contribute to the greater good of society? These ideas are no good and are nothing but illusions that accomplish little more than inequality and anarchy. But, Caim always offers a solution: Truth. The Truth, Caim states, dow not encourage selfish individuality nor does it encourage a lack of society responsibility. While caim tears down the arguments of those who support concepts of goodness, balance or chaos, he in turn offers arguments that supports the nation of a strong society with firm rules and swift consequences for breaking those rules. Caim argues that in the ideal society, everything and everyone has a place and that by accepting this, society can become better prepared for new challenges, better able to defend itself against outsiders, and able to spread its ideals to those who may need a push in the right direction. Of course, such societies must have elites who recognize the importance of tradition and their stations, as well as understand that their goal is to promote the Truth for all Creation. Those without the intellectually fortitude to lead must serve the will of society in the proper capacity as determined by the elite. All must accept that there are rules and that rules must be followed or else anarchy or misplaced individuality will shatter the ultimate goal of the Infernal Truth. Utopia. What Caim truly seeks is to create a society in which the powerful are tyrants and the followers are (willing or unwilling) slaves. His arguments eek to stamp out Chaos as well as love or balance because such attitudes dilute the creation of an ideal world. Caim offers arguments that seem to make sense, but really lead those who accept his suggestions to abandon their faith and their ethnics in return for an illusion for the perfect society and a reality of demagoguery and oppression . Caim supports the nation that the few at the top do little work in the guise of leading and direting, while the masses toil and slave for the benefit of the elite. That is Caim's Utopia. That is the reality of Hell.
In Hell, Caim is the greatest of Dispater's servants, which is why he was assigned to the Grey Wastes. He has sown countless seeds of perdition in thousands world, and Dis' population of the Damned has swelled as a result. Unlike most Dukes, Caim is rarely summoned because he spends so much time publicly seducing intelligent mortals without offering anything more than illusions of utopia and perfection, and so mostly operates from the Grey Wastes. Due to his population in the Cosmos, Caim spends most of his time among mortals and despises this. Despite his success, Caim knowns that his role in the Mortal Coil is truly a punishment. He is certain that he would make a far more successful Lord of the Second since he is neither as cautious nor as slow to move as Dispater. The Duke of Logic views his liege as a coward, and such behavior as unworthy of a Lord of the Nine. He attempted a coup, which was failed but Dispater couldn't conclusively link his connection. Despite this lack of evidence, Dispater was still aware of Caim's contempt, how is unknown, but the Iron Duke dealt with Caim efficiently. When Caim was caught attempting to create his own church, Dispater "rewarded" him by moving him to the Grey Wastes, and destroying his Church. Caim continues to bring more and more souls to Hell and he continues to rank as successful duke of Hell; he is simultaneously exiled among the beings he despises. Aside from Dispater, Caim has few consistent relationships. On occasions he works with the demigod Gargauth, though he has recently acquired a hatred for the two "intellectual"Courtiers of Perdition for destroying his Avatar
Avatar- Currently destroyed, due to one of the very few alliances between the two intellectuals.
Secrets- Caim has a truly terrible secret, and with the exception of true Love, he might have the greatest secret in Hell. He actually does very little to tempt souls to Lawful Evil, most of his work is done for him.
