Red abishais have no equals among the abishais when it comes to leadership ability and raw power. Red abishais lead other devils into battle or take charge of troublesome cults to ensure that they continue to carry out Tiamat's commands. A red abishai cuts a fearsome figure, and that sight can be inspiring to the abishai's allies, filling them with a fanatical willingness to fight.

Red Abishai

Red abishais have no equals among the abishais when it comes to leadership ability and raw power. They can invoke Tiamat's authority to bend even dragons to their will. Red abishais lead other devils into battle or take charge of troublesome cults to ensure that they continue to carry out Tiamat's commands. A red abishai cuts a fearsome figure, and that sight can be inspiring to the abishai's allies, filling them with a fanatical willingness to fight.

Abishai

Each abishai was once a mortal who somehow won Tiamat's favor before death and, as a reward, found its soul transformed into a hideous devil to serve at her pleasure in the Nine Hells.

Emissaries of Doom

Tiamat deploys abishais as emissaries, sending them to represent her interests in the Hells and across the multiverse. Some have simple tasks, such as delivering a message to cultists or taking charge of worshipers to carry out a sensitive mission. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat, ready to lay down their lives if needed.

Outsiders in Hell

Abishais stand outside the normal hierarchy of the Nine Hells, having their own chain of command and ultimately answering to Tiamat (and Asmodeus, when the dark lord chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat's orders or Asmodeus's.

There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by Tiamat, but interfering with Asmodeus's plans invites certain destruction.

Tiamat is a force of Chaos bound to a place of Law. Are abishai her servants or her jailers?