Called the Lord Who Watches, the Lost Lord of the Pit, Hidden Lord, and the Tenth of the Nine, Gargauth is a Baatezu noble exiled to the Material+Plane long ago. His former rank is unclear - some say it was Treasurer of Baator, if only because he was unwilling to accept the responsibility of a higher office - but in any case he was one of the most powerful entities on the plane. Some say he ultimately challenged Asmodeus and lost; others say he left upon the destruction of his closest ally, Beherit. Still others claim that Asmodeus and Gargauth are staunch allies, Gargauth acting to further the aims of the Lord+of+the+Ninth from the Material Plane. He has never supported any other baatezu noble's attempt to unseat the Lord of Nessus, though because of his great power he is continually sought after for that end.
At some point after his initial exile, Gargauth slew the [[Abyssal
lord]] Astaroth, stealing his portfolio and mortal worshippers,
becoming a demigod of sorts.
Gargauth is a loner who prefers the company of serpents, undead, and blue dragons to other devils. He sees himself as more powerful, intelligent and cultured - and less rash - than any of the current hierarchy of Baator. Of the Lords of the Nine, he respects only Asmodeus, Alastor, Bifrons, and Mephistopheles. He sees Mephistopheles as a young, rash, inexperienced version of himself. His veneer of civility, compassion, and good humor mask the supreme cruelty and corruption beneath. He is incarnation of utter evil, too depraved, some say, for even the other Lords of Baator to tolerate. His ultimate goal is to transform a world of the Material Plane into a tenth Layer of Hell.
Sources: Dragon #28, Dragon #91, Powers & Pantheons, Faiths and Pantheons
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