Ansitif
The Befouler
Planar tanar’ri lord of corrupting religion [he/him] / CE
Former Realm: Abyss / Sixth Pyre (Layer 21)
Former Lair: Abyss / Pazunia (Layer 1) / Cathedral of DesecrationsÂ
Current Lair: Abyss / Wells of Darkness (Layer 73)
We’re venturing into obscure lore Abyssal lore now cutter. Ansitif is a tanar’ri prince who stood tall at a staggering 12 feet, his body a fortress of terrifyin’ and grotesque beauty. We’re talkin’ massive, we are, with horns protrudin’ from all over and scales coverin’ his form, givin’ off the impression of an impenetrable armor. And don’t get me started on that tail, snakin’ around with a mind of its own, it has. A real nightmare to behold, it is.
Back in the day, this dark prince was known be enraged by the existence of divine beings. He had a real penchant for corrupting places of worship, desecrating them hallowed grounds, then dragging them back to the Abyss to transform them into realms of madness and depravity. It’s like taking a beautiful painting and smothering it with black tar, ruining every trace of beauty and harmony. He had a real nasty hobby, for sure, one that involved possessing the most virtuous of souls, those paladins and clerics with lawful and good hearts, and turning them into agents of chaos, wielding them like puppets to unleash mayhem and bloodshed in the most unimaginable ways.
But then hubris got the better of him and betrayal brought him low. Ansitif and six other tanar’ri lords joined forced to hunt down an obyrith named the Malgoth. Although they destroyed the creature, their victory brought only disaster for them. A series of squabbles and assassinations followed. While Ansitif was distracted from his realm of Sixth Pyre, he was betrayed by his chief balor general Kardum, who imprisoned the tanar’ri lord in the Wells of Darkness, and assumed control of his realm.
Ansitif now languishes in his prison in the Wells, scheming and plotting both his escape and his revenge. He exists mostly as a vestige, a shadow of his former self that can be called upon by binders. Those who should know better can summon him from the Abyssal depths to do their bidding, although he speaks only to those who offer him powerful stolen religious artefacts.
So next time ye find yerself in a quiet chapel or a revered temple, keep a watchful eye out, ’cause ye never know when Ansitif’s shade might decide to pay a visit, turnin’ a place of peace and sanctity into a playground of horror and despair. They say he’s imprisoned, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry when dealing with the unknown entities of the Abyss, so it is.
Canonical Sources: Dragon #357 Gazing Into the Abyss, p67 (information on history and dark pacts that can be made with Ansitif’s vestige), and Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (mention); expanded by Jon Winter-Holt, mimir.net
