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Originally posted by Fellfire

Shemmy, or anybody else who may know, I remember PF had big plans for the kyton. Did they follow through? If so, can you point me in the right direction?

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Originally posted by Ayrik

I don't quite understand your distinction.

Devils were introduced in the 1E Fiend Folio monster book; the name was amended to Baatezu in 2E, and Baatezu were firmly established as a type of fiend in subsequent 2E Planescape lore.

I've recently read Faces of Evil: The Fiends and Hellbound: The Blood War, in particular all the sections relating to Baatezu (they relate to my own project). No distinction is made in those books - Baatezu are always referred as such. In fact, the planar cant calls out the fact that "Devil" nomenclature is used only by the most stubbornly parochial fools, vastly greater in ignorance than even the normal varieties of clueless primes. The Baatezu themselves tend to hate being called Devils and usually get very angry about it (and so of course the Tanar'ri perpetuate the terminology).

My books do state that the plane of Baator was already inhabited "by a race of powerful, unknown creatures" before the first Baatezu arrived. The larvae of these natives were somehow formed from the very essence of Baator (instead of the "normal" method of larvae being formed from the souls of lawful evil mortals). Whoever/whatever they were, the Baatezu exterminated or absorbed them entirely. Sometimes larvae will naturally spawn nupperibos (apparently the "young" of this lost Baatorian race); the Baatezu see to it that larvae aren't left unsupervised and tend to herd nupperibos for demotion back down to lemures (so that they will die or "properly" evolve into Baatezu spinagons instead of repopulating the lost Baatorian race). Some of the most ancient and powerful Baatezu may have originally been members of this lost race reforged into the Baatezu form. The distinction is meaningless; nupperibo and lemures are treated as least Baatezu and that's the end of it. In any event, it is noted that this race are also definitely not "Devils".

Baatezu are described quite fully in these tomes and many of your questions are answered. Without these books you can draw from the monster entries well enough. The normal course of things is that lawful evil souls and spirits are formed into larvae which can die on Baator (and be forever lost), die elsewhere (and be reformed again as larvae on Baator), or be promoted to greater rank. Each promotion basically involves a long time (sometimes years or centuries) of torment in some kind of pit of pure evil nastiness, and those who survive emerge with their bodies, minds, and essences fully reshaped into their new Baatezu form. Baatezu society is rigidly structured, there are no ways to "cheat" the system and no ways for incompetent Baatezu to be promoted. Ever.

Erinyes are just one of the 13 Baatezu stations and (like all the others) they serve very specific purposes within the Baatezu hierarchy. Erinyes are formed from promoted Abishai, Kocrachons, or sometimes any of the lesser stations; they can employ disguises of beauty but are certainly not descended from outside the Baatezu ranks.

Kytons are described in Planes of Law as a two page monster entry. They are carefully not called Chain Devils in the writing.

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