| Game background | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | Chamberlain of Malbolge |
| Home plane | Baator |
| Power level | Duke of Hell |
| Alignment | Lawful evil |
| Portfolio | n/a |
| Domains | n/a |
| Superior | Glasya |
| Design details | |
Tartach is a Duke of Hell in the service of Glasya.
Contents |
Tartach first appears in Ed Greenwood's article "The Nine Hells Part II" in Dragon #76 (1983).[1]
Tartach was briefly detailed in Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (2006).[2] Tartach was detailed in the online version of Dragon, in issue #361 (December 2007) in the second part of the "Infernal Aristocracy" feature.[3]
Tartach appears as a human of giant stature wearing a beard and mustache and with stubby, hooked horns on his forehead. He has no tail, but his feet have the pads and fur (but not the claws) of a lion, and his skin is of a fiery orange hue. He wears robes of black or purple silk, and walks with cold dignity. Tartach has a dark, cruel sense of humor, and he savors the screams of the creatures he tortures. He is a powerful spellcaster, said to be one of the most dangerous workers of magic in the Nine Hells and certainly the most potent in Malbolge, except possibly for Glasya herself.
Tartach is currently Glasya's chamberlain and consort. He was formerly a servant of Moloch and Baalzebul, and briefly entered into an alliance with Geryon. While Geryon never appreciated his talents, Glasya has showered him with gifts and affection. Even so, he hopes to rise in status still further, hoping that Glasya might recommend him to her father Asmodeus when next the rulership of a layer of Hell lays vacant. He doesn't suspect she will, however, so he is attempting to ingratiate himself into another court, where he hopes to bring down a lord of Hell from within as once he helped bring down Moloch and Geryon. In particular, he would like to see Baalzebul brought low, though Baalzebul makes no secret of his hatred for his former servant, having sent several assassins after the chamberlain already.
Tartach also worries that Moloch will soon have amassed an army great enough to seize control of Malbolge again.
Like many of the oldest devils, Tartach is said to have once been a celestial. After Baalzebul was given command of Maladomini, Tartach bound his fate to the that of the Lord of the Flies. Baalzebul sent Tartach to Malbolge to serve as the legate to Baalzebul's viceroy Moloch. There, he served Moloch as his deputy and as the ambassador to Moloch's vassals. Though outwardly maintaining a facade of loyalty toward Baalzebul, Tartach chafed at what he considered to be an inconsequential position, seeing other devils of lesser strength being granted more important titles elsewhere in the Hells. So it was that Tartach entered into a conspiracy with Malagarde, Beleth, and Geryon to ensure Moloch's doom, hoping it would clear the way for Tartach to rise in status. Malagarde began cuckolding Moloch with Geryon, and when she was with Moloch she whispered words encouraging the viceroy to join a rebellion against Asmodeus himself, the war that became known as the Reckoning of Hell. When the rebels were defeated in that war, Malagarde and Beleth encouraged Moloch to remain defiant instead of humbled, and as a result Moloch was exiled.
Tartach intended to double-cross both Geryon and Malagarde, but while his treachery was said to play a part in Geryon's fall, Malagarde double-crossed both Geryon and Tartach, seizing control of Malbolge for herself and exiling every noble who once served Moloch, leaving only Beleth to serve her as her spymaster. Instead of being rewarded for his efforts, Tartach was recalled to Baalzebul's court to serve there once again. There, Tartach was seduced by Glasya, who had abandoned Mammon but was currently teasing Baalzebul. She took Tartach on as her new lover instead, convincing him to throw in his lot with hers. Before any of their plans could bear fruit, however, Malagarde's flawed attempt at apotheosis resulted in her merging with her layer, leaving a vacuum of power that was filled after Asmodeus appointed his daughter Glasya to serve as the new Lord of the Sixth. Glasya invited Tartach to join her as her chamberlain.