The Infernal Lords II: Astarte

“From our castles we sent ships with demons,
Witches’ lovecraft.
Now she’s gone, yet I feel her breathing
While I tell her story.

Bow my head to the allmighty,
I have lost my way.
Time stood still when we danced the last
Dark and pure September day.”
[ The Allmighty – Gothminister & Nell Sigland ]

Duchess Astarte is a Higher Demon and the third most powerful woman in Hell. She is the twin sister of Duke Astaroth, whom she loves dearly, but her powerful sibling is certainly not the reason of her high status in the Infernal Peerage: she was the original Queen of Heaven before her own Fall and the subsequent ascension of the Virgin Mary, and as the Chief of Seraphim, the highest-ranking Heavenly Choir, she was adored like a Goddess by fellow Angels and mankind. She was not part of the first group of Fallen Angels because, after the Great Heavenly War, she stayed in Heaven undercover, faking loyalty to Yahweh while using her pure, holy appearance to lead the newly-created mankind to adore female motherly deities instead of the patriarchal Yahweh. Such was her appeal that, through many different names, she was known to the majority of ancient human cultures. Her cover resisted the turmoil caused by Countess Agares after the Babel Tower incident, but she rebelled openly and was cast out of Heaven when her close friend and fellow Fallen Seraph, Marquise Anamelech, foretold her that Yahweh intended for a mere Mortal woman to become the new Queen of Heaven in her place, in order to have mankind adore a surrogate, less powerful Heavenly Mother to bring the cult into his patriarchal religion.  Thus, she was the last Great Angel to officially fall from Heaven.
As the nemesis the Virgin Mary, who stole most of her looks, Duchess Astarte has become the Demon of Abortion, Miscarriage and Infertility. Sharing part of her brother’s elemental power over Air, she can control Humidity and related atmospheric phenomena, playing an important role in the fertility of Earth itself. She is also an Astral Demon, mastering the astrological influence of Planet Venus. She still occasionally appears on the Earth as a fake Madonna to hinder the Virgin Mary’s propaganda.

Beside her friendship with Marquise Anamelech and fellow Astral Demon, Marquis Andrealphus, she shares a sort of friendly rivalry with Queen Barbelo and Princess Lilith, two other prominent ladies who embody other aspects of femininity. Thanks to her great powers, prestigious past and the delicate mission she carried on, she’s one of the highest-ranking Demons just below the Seven Satans, being the de facto Leader of the Second Demonic Level, as Princess Lilith often neglects her duties. Due to her seraphic, solemn appearance and gentle manners, many Fallen Angels still tribute her the reverence she once received as the Queen of Heaven and take part in her retinue, most notably fellow former Seraphim Archduke Beelzebub and Marquis Leviathan.