Bensozia
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, Bensozia was the consort of Baator
's Overlord, Asmodeus
. She's also referred to as the Queen of Hell.
of witches. This name is derived from the term bona socia, literally "the good neighbour." Her name supposedly was invoked during the ritual sabbath
of the witches.
's article "The Nine Hells Part II" in Dragon
#76 (1983).
Bensozia was briefly detailed in Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells
(2006).
Millennia before the Reckoning of Hell
, Bensozia was assaulted by the arch-lord of the 5th layer of Hell, Levistus
. While she was leading a routine inspection of the layers, the ruler of Stygia came to her with the offer of becoming his consort if she helped him depose Asmodeus. Upon her harsh refusal, Levistus
became infuriated and killed her along with her pit-fiend bodyguards. However, Martinet
, Asmodeus' constable who was escorting her, managed to escape and report the traitorous act; not that this was likely necessary, as little happens in Hell that its Overlord does not see. Asmodeus imprisoned Levistus in a thick block of ice as punishment, vowing that he would never release the traitor. The archdevil Geryon
replaced him as the new ruler of Stygia. Later, when the Reckoning was over, Hell's overlord deposed Geryon and returned control of Stygia to Levistus, albeit he still remains imprisoned inside the ice block.
Whether or not the Queen of Hell really died has been unclear for quite some time, given that in first edition supplements, Bensozia was still Asmodeus's consort during Geryon's reign on Stygia. However, as of Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells
, her death is now confirmed.
Oddly enough, it looks like Asmodeus showed quite a liking for her since he has yet to take another consort. More importantly, their daughter Glasya, who overthrew the Hag Countess
as ruler of Malbolge the Sixth plane, is now planning revenge against Levistus
for daring to murder her beloved mother. This is with the approval of Baator's overlord, who will grant his daughter the right to utterly destroy the Lord of Stygia as soon as she can provide any evidence of major transgression.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game, Bensozia was the consort of Baator
Baator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
's Overlord, Asmodeus
Asmodeus (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Asmodeus is an Arch-Devil: a lord of the game's version of Hell . There he is the Overlord of the Dukes of Hell...
. She's also referred to as the Queen of Hell.
Creative origins
Bensozia was named for a real-life mythological figure, the French dark goddessGoddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
of witches. This name is derived from the term bona socia, literally "the good neighbour." Her name supposedly was invoked during the ritual sabbath
Sabbath (witchcraft)
The Witches' Sabbath or Sabbat is a supposed meeting of those who practice witchcraft, and other rites.European records indicate cases of persons being accused or tried for taking part in Sabbat gatherings, from the Middle Ages to the 17th century or later.- Etymology :The English word “sabbat”...
of the witches.
Publication history
Bensozia first appears in Ed GreenwoodEd Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
's article "The Nine Hells Part II" in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#76 (1983).
Bensozia was briefly detailed in Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Contents:...
(2006).
Description
According to scholars, Bensozia appeared as a beautiful, wingless, red-skinned she-devil with long white hair and completely black eyes.Relationships
Bensozia was the consort of Asmodeus, and the mother of Glasya, their daughter. Her demeanor was cold and haughty, but polite.History
Bensozia is often noted as having been a loyal and devoted consort who stood by her master at all times. Unlike the Lord of Nessus and her daughter, Bensozia appeared quiet and not so forceful, since little was heard of her until her recent death. She used to be the most powerful of the consorts but only could wield her power through Asmodeus, having little authority by herself. She is known to have commented, "I do not speak, it's not my place," in regards to this situation.Millennia before the Reckoning of Hell
Reckoning of Hell
In the cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the Reckoning of Hell was a civil war that shaped the political landscape of the Nine Hells into its current form...
, Bensozia was assaulted by the arch-lord of the 5th layer of Hell, Levistus
Levistus
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Levistus is the arch-devil currently ruling Stygia, the Fifth layer of the Nine Hells of Baator...
. While she was leading a routine inspection of the layers, the ruler of Stygia came to her with the offer of becoming his consort if she helped him depose Asmodeus. Upon her harsh refusal, Levistus
Levistus
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Levistus is the arch-devil currently ruling Stygia, the Fifth layer of the Nine Hells of Baator...
became infuriated and killed her along with her pit-fiend bodyguards. However, Martinet
Martinet (Dungeons & Dragons)
Martinet is a Duke of Hell in the service of Asmodeus, in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Publishing history:Martinet is first mentioned in Ed Greenwood's article "The Nine Hells Part II" in Dragon #76...
, Asmodeus' constable who was escorting her, managed to escape and report the traitorous act; not that this was likely necessary, as little happens in Hell that its Overlord does not see. Asmodeus imprisoned Levistus in a thick block of ice as punishment, vowing that he would never release the traitor. The archdevil Geryon
Geryon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Geryon was an Arch-Devil of Hell , also known as the "Wild Beast."-Creative origins:...
replaced him as the new ruler of Stygia. Later, when the Reckoning was over, Hell's overlord deposed Geryon and returned control of Stygia to Levistus, albeit he still remains imprisoned inside the ice block.
Whether or not the Queen of Hell really died has been unclear for quite some time, given that in first edition supplements, Bensozia was still Asmodeus's consort during Geryon's reign on Stygia. However, as of Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells
Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Contents:...
, her death is now confirmed.
Oddly enough, it looks like Asmodeus showed quite a liking for her since he has yet to take another consort. More importantly, their daughter Glasya, who overthrew the Hag Countess
Hag Countess
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Hag Countess, also known as Malagard, is the former ruler of Malbolge, the Sixth Layer of the Nine Hells of Baator...
as ruler of Malbolge the Sixth plane, is now planning revenge against Levistus
Levistus
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Levistus is the arch-devil currently ruling Stygia, the Fifth layer of the Nine Hells of Baator...
for daring to murder her beloved mother. This is with the approval of Baator's overlord, who will grant his daughter the right to utterly destroy the Lord of Stygia as soon as she can provide any evidence of major transgression.
Additional reading
- Cook, Monte. Book of Vile DarknessBook of Vile DarknessBook of Vile Darkness is an optional supplemental sourcebook for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The book was written by Monte Cook and published by Wizards of the Coast in October 2002. Described as a "detailed look at the nature of evil," it was the first Dungeons &...
(Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
- Gygax, Gary. Monster ManualMonster ManualThe Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
II (TSRTSR, Inc.Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, 1983).