Hello and welcome to the fifth installment of the Troll's Edu-threads!
It's been a couple of hectic weeks for the Troll… Lots of things happening, stocks are going up,
and business is booming… Especially in Canada!
In any case, one thing's for sure, the Troll has received a flood of love letters from certain
Slayerettes. 
You know who you are so don't get all giggly and such. Apologies for not writing back promptly.
The Troll's workload tends to get in the way but that by no means, suggests that I'm blowing
any of you lovely Slayerettes off. (If anyone is gonna get blown off, that would be me!
) In any case, when I
find some idle time, I'll send off some quick & steamy la'mour letters.
Oh and thanks Winkerbean for the cute card.
I believe I'll take you up on that offer. Red or green Jello? Oooh la la!
Anyway, before I start my Edu-thread, I want to take a moment to announce the return of the
heart-stopper and friend to The Heartbreak Kid and yours truly, The Rock!
After taking some time off and recuperating at an Israeli commando camp, The Rock
has officially returned to my hometown of Capeside in full force. For the moment, he is still
getting oriented but once he gets his schedule in gear, he plans to make a visit to my Well
in Sunnydale. So when you see him, give him a warm and oh so loving welcome. I know you ladies
out there can party with the best so don't you Slayerettes let the Troll down.
Anyhow, without further ado, here is tonight's topic! Plus an additional bonus topic as requested by the folks at Brimstone…
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Topic: The Lieutenants of Hell
Excerpts taken from:
"The Devil: A Visual Guide to the Demonic, Scurrilous, and Bad" by Genevieve and Tom Morgan
When Lucifer fell, he took with him an army of 2400 legions of angels turned to evil.
According to the 16th century theoretician Johannes Wierus, there are eleven princes of Hell
commanding 6,660,000 demons each, but others have estimated the number to be twice that. Each
legion reportedly has a rebel commander who, upon entering Hell, was given a position in the
Infernal Council. Like some perverted mirror of Heaven, the higher the angel's original
position in Heaven, the more profound the fall. In Heaven, there are nine celestial orders of
angels. From the most powerful group to the least, they are: Seraphim, Cherubim,
Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities,
Archangels, and Angels. Each order has its own head angels or leaders who are
known as princes. Lucifer appointed a certain number of these distinguished fallen
angels to positions of authority, but luckily for humans, many principal devils have a saintly
antidote in Heaven.
Although Lucifer is the Prince of Hell, each rebel angel is an equally powerful arm of the octopus of evil. The following is an abbreviated list of the more well-known and significant of the fallen angels, those comrades Lucifer relies on most heavily to run his kingdom who, in turn, preside over millions of lesser demons. These princes of woe spend most of their time in a state of chaotic squabbling, bickering amongst themselves, and thinking up new ways to tempt and punish humanity.
(For continuity, devils are described as masculine with the understanding that they can change their sex at will.)
IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER…
ABBADON: The Angel of the Bottomless Pit, also known as "The Destroyer". Abbadon inspires anarchy and chaos. The fallen angel of death and destruction, in Hell he is chief of the demon locusts that have the faces of humans, tails of scorpions, and bodies of winged horses.
ADRAMALECH: The King of Fire. Originally a Throne angel, Adramelech
is now an archdemon and a great minister of Beelzebub's Order of the Fly.
When called, he manifests himself in the form of a mule or a peacock. He was overthrown by the
angels Uriel and Raphael during the War in Heaven. He is in charge of the Devil's
attire and livery and is the patron of hypocrisy. Kinda like an evil Calvin Klein.
ASMODEUS: This dandified devil, the patron evil spirit behind passion, lechery, pleasure, luxury, and sensuality, runs the casinos and gambling houses in Hell. Able to appear as the most beautiful, well-dressed young man (or woman), he tempts his victims by encouraging them to buy fancy clothes and follow meaningless fads. He is the prince of profligates and loves to lure happily married couples into adulterous affairs, sometimes with himself. This hapless devil prides himself on arranging ridiculously inappropriate marriages and leads humans into squandering their assets. He wreaks havoc in convents and monasteries by seducing their inhabitants. His mother may have been human (or, according to some, she could have been Lilith), but his father was an angel. When Asmodeus visits some poor human in his real form, he actually has three heads symbolic of lechery, those of a bull, a ram, and a man. He also sports the feet of a rooster. He cavorts around on the back of a dragon wielding a spear. He is credited with having invented carousels, music, dancing, drama, and, one may assume, recreational drug use. Asmodeus' adversary in Heaven is John the Baptist.
ASTAROTH: The Treasurer of Hell. This devil was once a Seraph (Seraphim) but now carries a viper in his hand while riding backwards on a dragon. Astaroth also serves as a diabolical coach, giving pep talks to the newer demons when they lose heart and spurring them on to greater evil. He inspires sloth and idleness. His adversary in Heaven is Bartholomew.
BAAL: The Second Chief of Staff of the Abyss, Baal is the patron devil of idleness. He commands 60 or 70 legions of demons and resides in the eastern region of Hell. He shows himself as a pudgy creature with the arms of a spider and three heads: a toad, a cat, and a man.
BAAL-BERITH: Hell's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Secretary, and Keeper of the Infernal Archives. He is often called upon to notarize pacts between humans and the Devil. A cantankerous spirit, he tempts men to be quarrelsome, contentious, and blasphemous. He also inspires them to commit murder. Baal-Berith is the patron devil of disobedience.
BEELZEBUB: The Devil's Chief of Staff and second only to Lucifer in the organization of Hell. Known to many as the Prince of Death, Beelzebub was Lucifer's closest companion and a fellow Seraphim angel in Heaven. Beelzebub manifests himself in the shape of a fly and presides over the Order of the Fly. He tempts men with the grandparents of all sin, envy and pride. He can send plagues of flies. Heresy is attributed to Beelzebub, who blows his bellows into the ears of heretics.
BEHEMOTH: The Devil's Cupbearer, Behemoth is the patron devil of despair and gluttony. He appears in the shape of a monstrous elephant with two bear's feet. He will also take the form of a crocodile, whale, or hippopotamus and is related to fellow demon, Leviathan. Behemoth presides over the feasts in Hell and is responsible for dishing up food and wine for the Devil. He entertains Hell's motley crew with song and plays the role of night watchman, as he is often awake all night. Unsurprisingly, he creates chaos and havoc in the lives of men.
BELETH: One of the governors in Hell, Beleth presides over 85 legions of demons. He rides a pale horse and is announced by a blare of trumpets.
BELIAL The patron devil of arrogance, lies, and deceit, Belial is one of the great fallen angels. A prince in the angelic Order of Virtues, he fell directly after Lucifer. A great orator, he may appear briefly as a gentleman, but his true nature always reveals itself because the image is hollow. Belial tempts men to disloyalty, gossip, and rebellion, and instigates women to dress in finery, gossip in church, and indulge their children. Belial's adversary in Heaven is Francis de Paul.
BELPHEGOR: A party devil, Belphegor manifests himself in the shape of an attractive young woman. Once a prince of the angelic Order of Principalities, he is now the patron devil of discoveries and ingenious inventions.
CARNIVEAN: The patron devil of lewd and obscene behavior, he tempts people to act shamelessly. He is often invoked by witches during a Sabbat. His adversary in Heaven is John the Evangelist.
CARREAU: Once a prince of the angelic Order of Powers, Carreau makes people harden their hearts. His adversary in Heaven is Vincent and Vincent Ferrer.
CROCELL: Another former prince of the angelic Order of Powers, Crocell presides over 48 legions of evil spirits. He teaches geometry and the liberal arts and has the power to turn water freezing cold or scalding hot in moments.
DAGON: Dagon was the national god of the Philistines (i.e. Goliath), appearing in the form of a kind of merman with the torso of a man and the body of a fish. He serves as the pantry chef in Hell's kitchen.
DOMMIEL: The patron demon of terror and trembling, Dommiel is the adversary to Saint Peter and guards the gates of Hell. (Incidentally, there are no keys for Dommiel to hold because the gates of Hell are open 24 hours a day and are never locked. )
FORCAS: A senator in Hell, Forcas spends his infernal days teaching rhetoric, logic, and mathematics. He is the master of the Devil's stables and can render objects invisible at will. When invoked, he can help find lost objects. (Pardon me, but I can't find one bad thing about this guy…)
FURCALOR: A murderous fallen angel and a former member of the angelic Order of Thrones, Furcalor enjoys sinking warships. He appears as a human with the wings of a griffin.
GAAP: Governor of the southern region of the Pit. Gaap rules 66 legions of demons and manifests himself as a human sporting huge bat wings. (And no, he is not the patron devil of khakis and Robin.)
GRESSIL: Once a prince in the angelic Order of Thrones, the lecherous Gressil now tempts men with impurity and slothfulness. His adversary in Heaven is Saint Bernard (not the dog, mind you).
HAURUS: One of the 72 devils King Solomon shut up in a brass vessel and threw into a lake, Haurus is a leader in Hell and is able to divine the truth about events occurring in the past or future. He may take the form of a leopard, a human, or some combination of both.
HORNBLAS: A patron devil of musical discord, he blows the trumpet to gather the ministry of Hell together.
IMAMAIH: Imamaih oversees voyages and can be invoked to destroy and humiliate enemies.
KOBAL: The Dramatist and Manager of the Infernal Theater, Kobal tempts men with pretense and fraud.
LEVIATHAN: The Admiral of the Devil's Navy, Leviathan is depicted in the Bible (Isaiah 27:I) as the primordial she- (or he-) dragon of the sea. Created with Behemoth on the fifth day, these two gargantuan devils devour damned souls. Leviathan has hordes of water demons, sprites, and nymphs to do his bidding. On Judgement Day, this sea monster will swallow all but the saved.
MAMMON: The patron devil of avarice, Mammon tempts men to covet belongings. He is so stooped with the weight from his fall from Heaven that he cannot stand erect and spends his days staring at the ground.
MASTEMA: This rebel angel is the Accusing Angel of Hebrew mythology. He is the executioner who slaughtered the firstborn of Egypt and who tried, unsuccessfully, to murder Moses.
MEPHISTOPHELES: The patron prince of deceit, Mephistopheles is a smooth character with an engaging wit and a polished manner. Due to his uniquely entertaining personality, he is, on occasion, allowed an audience with God. Because of his dashing ways, he is often sent by the Devil to tempt modern humans to sell their souls. (Mephistopheles is also the patron devil of trolls. )
MISROCH: Misroch is the Devil's cook and inspires hatred between men. He was originally an angel of the Order of Principalities and worshipped by the Assyrians. Misroch has the head of an eagle and was at one time the guardian of the famed Tree of Immortality, the fruit of which he uses in his recipes.
MOLOCH: A terrifying devil, Moloch serves as the Chief of the Army in Hell. He was once a Canaanite deity, worshipped by early Semites who sacrificed their firstborn children in the fires of his temple located just outside Jerusalem. Moloch's face and hands are smeared with the blood of murdered children and the tears shed by their grieving mothers.
OLIVIER: Once an Archangel, Olivier now encourages mortals to be cruel and insensitive to the poor. His adversary in Heaven is Saint Lawrence. (Lawrence Olivier???)
PAIMON: A high-ranking devil, Paimon takes the form of a young woman wearing a crown and riding a camel. He is the Master of Ceremonies in Hell and commands 200 legions of fiends. He supplants mortal thoughts with his own.
RIMMON: Rimmon is the only doctor in Hell. In Babylonian times, he was believed to be the conjurer of thunder and storms. His symbol is the pomegranate.
ROSIER: The patron devil of seduction, Rosier tempts humans to fall in love. He puts syrupy words of love in the mouths of mortals and causes them to act like fools. (I met this dude a couple times. Pretty cool guy. ) Rosier's adversary in Heaven is Basil.
SAMMAEL: His name is a combination of the Hebrew sam, meaning poison, and el, or angel. He is the devil of death and prince among demons and magicians. In some traditions, it is he who slithers into the Garden of Eden and seduces Eve, thereby impregnating her with Cain. Sammael is reportedly a handsome, redheaded young man and is quite difficult for females to resist. He is said to have a great appreciation for human art and considered to be the first art critic.
SATAN: Satan is the Vice President of Hell, second only to the Devil himself and a significant player in the hierarchy of Hell. His name means adversary in Hebrew, and he is the angel who occupies that role in the Old Testament. One of God's angels of destruction, it is Satan who rains misfortune on the head of poor Job. In the New Testament, Satan becomes synonymous with the Devil. It is Satan who tempts Eve through the serpent and plagues Jesus in the desert. Often confused with Lucifer, Satan also was a Seraphim angel bedecked with 12 wings, twice the amount customarily allotted to an angel of that rank. It may be that Satan really is the Evil One, the Prince of Hell, but enough writers and artists have depicted him as Lucifer's principal vassal that he merits a separate entry. Satan tempts humans to anger, in addition to every other sin imaginable. Satan was overthrown by the archangel Uriel.
SUCCOR-BELOTH: Another indignant devil who tempts men to lechery. Succor-Beloth presides over the Devil's harem. (Woo!! What a job! )
VERRIER: Verrier tempts men to disobey by making their necks too stiff to bow to the yoke of obedience. In other words, he encourages revolution. His adversary in Heaven is Saint Bernard (same saint, not the same dog).
XAPHAN: A rabble-rouser of the worst sort, Xaphan suggested the rebel angels set fire to Heaven during the War of the Angels. His idea met with a warm reception, but before a spark could fly, the lot of them were cast into the Abyss. Xaphan fell hard thanks in part to his fiendish inventiveness. Now he fans the Flames of Damnation. A set of bellows is his symbol.
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BONUS TOPIC: The Angel, Michael
Excerpts taken from:
- Angels A to Z: A Who's Who of the Heavenly Host by Matthew Bunson
- A Dictionary of Angels, including the fallen angels by Gustav Davidson
Michael, perhaps the greatest of all angels, whose name most likely means
"Who is like God?", is the most beloved of all the heavenly residents (with the possible
exception of Gabriel). The figure of Michael probably originates in Chaldaea
as a protective god or spirit. Accepted by the Jews, he emerged so major an angel in Jewish
lore that he was honored as the patron angel of Israel. In this particular role, he was the
only guardian angel of nations (out of 70) who did not fall from grace during the War in Heaven.
Michael appears twice in the Old Testament and is noted, with Gabriel and Raphael, as one of the few angels actually mentioned in the Bible. In Daniel (10:13), he is called "Michael, one of the chief princes," and later (12:1) is a "great prince." Aside from these specific references, he is declared the ruling prince of the Archangels, chief of the choir of Virtues, the prince of the presence, and an angel of mercy and repentance. He is also credited with being the angel who spoke to Moses in the burning bush, the messenger who stayed the hand of Abraham before he sacrificed his son, and the angel responsible for massacring the Assyrian army of Sennacherib - a deed normally attributed to an otherwise unnamed angel of destruction but perhaps accomplished by Uriel, Gabriel, or others. He is accepted in lore as well as being the patron of Adam. Supposedly, he was the first angel in all of the heavens to bow down before humanity. Michael then kept an eye on the first family, remaining vigilant even after the fall of Adam & Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
Michael was embraced enthusiastically by Christianity and honored as the leader of the angels whose very name was used as a war chant by the holy angels during the War in Heaven. As commander of the heavenly armies, he led the good angels in their successful conflict against Lucifer and the fallen angels. He is named in the Book of Revelation, fighting against Lucifer, and at the end of the world, he will command the armies of the Lord in the final conflict.
The Catholic Church honors Michael with four main titles or offices. He is the Christian angel of death, carrying the souls of all the deceased to Heaven, where they are weighed in his perfectly balanced scales (hence Michael is often depicted holding scales). At the hour of death, Michael descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus avoiding the Devil and his minions. Michael is the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament and is the guardian of the Church. It was thus not unusual for the angel to be revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages (i.e. Templars). Last, he is the supreme enemy of Lucifer and the fallen angels.
Michael has been the object of considerable examination on the part of theologians, especially regarding the apparent inconsistency of having an archangel - a member of the eighth and second-lowest choir of angels - lead the hosts of the Lord. Some, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, declare him to be chief of the angelic order of Archangels. His high post is presumably explained by the fact that archangels are in the forefront of the fight in the world against evil, so Michael, as their chief, assumes command of the angels by virtue of his experience. Others, most notably St. Basil the Great, wrote that Michael was superior to all the angels, appointing him as the ruling prince of the Seraphim, the highest choir of angels and thus, the highest angelic position in Heaven.
Michael has been venerated by the Church from an early time. His elevated position is made clear by his title of saint, by the number of churches dedicated to him, and by his many appearances in history. He supposedly visited the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (AD 337) at Constantinople, intervened in assorted battles, and appeared, sword in hand, over the mausoleum of Roman Emperor Hadrian, in an apparent answer to the prayers of Pope St. Gregory the Great (AD 590-604) that a plague in Rome should cease. In honor of this occasion, the pope took to calling the mausoleum the Castel Sant'Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel), the name by which it is still known.
A favorite angelic subject in art, matched only by Gabriel, Michael is most often depicted as a proud, handsome angel in white or magnificent armor and wielding a sword, shield, or lance. In some paintings, he is shown with a banner or holding scales. He is never shown lacking splendor or elegance.
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Well folks, that certainly was one of the longest Edu-threads I've had! It was quite long,
wasn't it? If there's anything I'm quite well known for in this business, it's length.
I'm quite proud of my length tonight. In any case, did any of you Slayerettes enjoy my bonus?
Was my bonus very satisfying? I know many of you lovely Slayerettes can't get enough of my
bonus so please don't feel bad for wanting more. If there's one thing Slayerettes like,
it's my bonus. If you're good, I'll give you another bonus later.
<=
Anyhow, if any of you have been terrified from reading about the particular devils I have posted, please go to the following site for enlightenment & refreshment:
And on to the topic of fallen angels… For all you PC gamers out there, the Troll has
acquired the recently-released game: Requiem: Avenging Angel. If any of you are fans
of first-person shooters and enjoy the subject of fallen angels ala the movie,
"The Prophecy," Requiem is the game to get! Requiem is a Quake-style
shooter whose storyline revolves around a futuristic angelic war. In the game, you play a
character called Malachi (Messenger of God), a Chosen angel of God who is sent down to
Earth to stop an army of fallen angels (led by Lilith) from taking over the world.
Gameplay is very smooth but the graphics are not as intense as let's say, Unreal. In
any case, the storyline alone and the action are enough to make up for what the graphics lack.
Not only does Malachi get to use an arsenal of "secular" weaponry (i.e. assault rifles,
rocket launchers, etc.), but you also gain angelic powers as you progress in levels.
Such powers would include "Blood Boil" (basically bursting a dude's guts out), "Pillar of
Salt" (turning someone into salt), "Locusts" (self-explanatory), and a host of other
offensive & defensive powers. This game is incredibly fun to play not only because of the
action, but also the storyline, demonic sounds as you traverse through Hell (AKA Chaos),
and the animated cut-scenes throughout the game. If you're a fan of Quake-style shoot-em-ups,
get Requiem at your nearest CompUSA or Babbages and tell `em the Troll sent you (as if
that means anything). Oh and cheat codes are already out so you can still play God mode if
that floats your boat. (The Troll only plays in God mode because trolls are almost
godlike. )
Thanks for coming everyone and as always, I hope you've got a new wrinkle in your doodle. Stay tuned for my next Edu-thread…
Lilith… The Queen of Hell!
Ciao!
Capeside_Troll
Business Troll, Staff Civil Service founder, & Inactive Reserve Staff Member
Decorated Veteran of the Staff Civil War (02/99). Recipient of the Orange Heart. Vescere bracis meis
Sunnydale Green Card #: CUZ1G0T2H@VF@1TH
Unnofficial Sunnydale Tourguide #666
"They have long fixed the romantic imagination of priest and poet alike. At one time we called them Trolls."
Thanks to Games Workshop, Warhammer 40k for the wonderful troll & seal images