Asmodeus, The Prince of Pleasure
Asmodeus is Lord of the Ninth, the leader of all devils of the Nine Hells. Asmodeus is the only other mortal to be raised to godhood, and not a creation of the Titans themselves. Asmodeus was once a Deva, and son of Tyr. He believed his father to be witless, and slow in his hand of judgement. When Bane, came to Asmodeus with an alliance so foul it left a mark on Tyr that even eternity could not fix. Bane took one eye, and Asmodeus took the other, leaving The Watcher blind, and his sons capable of raising armies to rival the prime deities. Asmodeus became the creator of the Devils, a race so foul and dangerous that rose to power quickly. When the demons released by the Betrayer Gods were released on the material plane though, it was the devils who were able to hold them back. While the Prime Deities and their warriors barely managed to hold the line, it was the turn of Asmodeus and his legions by a contract negotiated by Tempurus, the Time Keeper, that eventually lead to the defeat of the Betrayer Gods. It is said that Asmodeus' power rivals that of half the prime dieties combined, however his attention is focused on keeping his Archdevils in line, and the Abyss at bay that he lacks the will to once again take on the Prime Deities. Plus, the contract he negotiated with the Time Keeper is said to be the ultimate end of Asmodeus' rule, although none know what that could mean. Meanwhile, the Prime Deities know that they lack the power to hold the armies of the Betrayer Gods and the Abyss at bay without the power of Asmodeus.
Thus, the nine hells were given to Asmodeus and his followers, who were allowed to carve their dominions into the shape they wanted. In return, the devils wage an endless war against the Abyss, and their betrayer gods. Asmodeus in his contract with Tempurus was allowed to recruit souls to his cause, so long as they agreed.
People know devils to be iron-minded and silver-tongued purveyors of temptation, whose price for their boons can be as dear as one’s soul. It’s said that when a soul waits on the Fugue Plane for a deity to take it to its appropriate afterlife, devils approach the soul and offer it a chance at power and immortal pleasures. All a soul needs to do is take one step out of the dust and the milling crowd and put a foot on the first rung of the infernal ladder that represents the hierarchy of the Nine Hells.
The faithful of Asmodeus acknowledge that devils offer their worshipers a path that’s not for everyone — just as eternally basking in the light of Tyr or endlessly swinging a hammer in the mines of Gond might not be for everyone. Those who serve Asmodeus in life hope to be summoned out of the moaning masses of the Fugue Plane after death. They yearn for the chance to master their own fates, with all of eternity to achieve their goals.
To those not so dedicated, priests of Asmodeus offer the prospect of a reprieve in the afterlife. All souls wait on the Fugue Plane for a deity’s pleasure, which determines where a soul will spend the rest of eternity. Those who lived their lives most in keeping with a deity’s outlook are taken first. Others, who have transgressed in the eyes of their favored god or have not followed any particular ethos, might wait centuries before Kelemvor judges where they go. People who fear such a fate can pray to Asmodeus, his priests say, and in return a devil will grant a waiting soul some comfort.
Today, shrines to Asmodeus are still rare and temples are almost unheard of, but many folk have adopted the habit of asking Asmodeus for reprieve from their sins. After transgressing against a god in some way, a person prays to Asmodeus for something to provide respite during the long wait. Asmodeus is known to grant people what they wish, and thus people pray for all the delights and distractions they desire most from life. Those who transgress in great ways often ask Asmodeus to hide their sins from the gods, and priests say that he will do so, but with a price after death.
Asmodeus lords over his fiendish hordes from within his fortress of Nalsheem, nestled in the depths of Nessus, the ninth and deepest of the Nine Hells.
Divine Domains
Indulgence, Greed, Lust, and Ambition
