Demon Princes

The Demon Princes of the Abyss have no formal hierarchy or any other semblance of organization, but rather strive against each other for greater dominion over the Prime Material and the Abyss itself. Demons can be divided into two categories: tanar'ri, the group which most of the Princes on this list belong to, and Obyriths, an almost extinct race of Elder Evils born from nothing but the primal fears of mortalkind. The Obyriths do not necessarily "rank" above other Princes but certainly have much more potent, ancient power. Pale Night, the Mother of Demons, is one of these Elder Evils, and it was she who bore many of the other Demon Princes such as Graz'zt and Beshaba, and who became a sort of adoptive mother figure for tanar'ri rejected by her rival, the Obyrith known as the Queen of Chaos. Dagon, too, is an Elder Evil, and manages to secure his own continued existence despite even the competition of saints.

Some Demon Princes have the level of power to be considered gods, whereas others have hardly any worshippers at all. The Demon Princes widely considered to be at least lesser deities are Lolth and Beshaba, but their power largely stems from the worship of their followers, rather than something as innate or ancient as what lends power to the Obyriths. It is believed by many that Pale Night has the power to slay any Demon Prince she wishes to without even a thought, but that she chooses to spare the tanar'ri, as she feels a strange sense of motherhood over them.