Asmodeus, Lord of Lies
The Prime Betrayer, architect of The Great Betrayal, and the being that directly set in motion events that led to the end of the Age of Divinity, the Calamity, and subsequently every other horror that exists in the world he helped shape. It is said, by those knowledgable in the deep histories of Nainoxia, that Asmodeus sits on a throne made of the bones of millions. At the same time however, the Lord of the Hells holds a tragic aspect to him, having been manipulated and betrayed by the Empire Gods, and been delt a terrible hand from fate, which he used to become one of the most powerful figures in existence. In truth, Asmodeus remains an enigmatic figure, which can be portrayed either as a terrifying villain, or a misunderstood anti-hero, and this is how he wishes for things to remain. This record will provide an exhaustive account of events, and some of the authors opinions, with final conclusions left for the schollars reading this to determine for themselves.
Image Credit: Critical Role - The Founding
While heretical in nature, I feel it an imperative of the preservation of knowledge to mention the following question. Before the gods arrival to the material, they went to the plane now known as The Nine Hells, and made the inhabitants of said plane into a race subservient to Asmodeus. Was this done because those inhabitants were an asset during the Holy Crusade, were they too much of a danger to be left alone, or was there something else there besides them that had to be dealt with before their presence was announced ? Research into this subject is prohibited by the Empire, but the knowledge is also jealously guarded by the Devils, who are also keeping this a secret. One can only guess as to what in fact rests at the deepest pits of the Hells.
During the Holy Crusade, the Devils of Asmodeus fought on the same battlefields as Angels and Mortals, but were not treated as equals by them, and as they were not made by the gods, they were viewed as outsiders, and distrusted. The forces of Asmodeus outnumbered all other individual gods, as he held domain over an entire extraplanar Plane. As such, it was agreed upon by all the gods, that Asmodeus and the devils would take the leading role in the Holy Crusade, a fact that has since been expunged from records. They fought the hardest battles, took the most losses, and pushed the hardest against the Elementals, Giants and Dragons of old. By the end however, Asmodeus realised his folly, as he realised that while he and his legions were being bled dry achieve a swift victory in the Crusade, the other gods had nurtured and grown the Mortal races, who in turn worshipped them as Gods, and grew their power.
This created an argument between Asmodeus and the other gods, but as they were still to a large extent allies, and resentment had not come between them, it was agreed that they would let it pass, as both sides tried to manipulate the other. After the Holy Crusade however, Asmodeus and his forces were greatly depleted, and the other gods were brimming with power, and newly created worshippers. His power and influence would therefore be greatly reduced to a scant number of cities and citadels, compaired to the sprawling Empires under the other gods. It is said, by modern members of the Cult of Asmodeus, that this is when Asmodeus was betrayed and pushed aside, which created the first seeds that would later bloom into the Schism. However, it is important to also point out that at the time Asmodeus was the only God who held exclusive rule over an entire plane, a fact that remains to this day.
Was this a sign of Asmodeus being power-hungry, and demanding a position that would allow him to take over the Material Plane, or was it a group of Gods using his power to take over, and then discarding him and his Devils ? This scribe will not comment further on the matter over fears of herecy and execution.
During the Age of Divinity, the Devils numbers were woefully thin, as there were very few humans that were willing to make a deal with them in order to serve in the blood war after their death. Evil was also far less prevelent in the Material, and only a few unlucky dregs ended up serving the lord of the Hells. Asmodeus and his forces would have been overrun multiple times during those days, if it were not for the timely intervention of his brothers and sisters, who summoned their bright, powerful and spotless legions, to save the pitifull devilish armies from complete defeat. This also led to them being viewed as lessers to the Angels and Mortals of the material, an outlook which created much resentment from the Devils, and some say Asmodeus himself.
Had everything been left like that, many schollars theorise that all the non-empire gods would slowly fade away, and the material plane would become a peaceful utopia, ruled over by the Empire Gods. Perhaps Asmodeus saw that future as well, though he has not admitted to it anywhere on the imperial records. At the time, all the gods were technically allies, and the idea of a war between them was not something that was considered possible. Instead of discussing, arguing, or even removing himself and his worshippers from the material, Asmodeus chose to insidiously manipulate events and people, to bring about the destruction of the world as it was. More than that, due to these actions, the world was thrown in a state of chaos, war and destruction, from which it would never trully recover.
Image Credit: Games Workshop
After the near-killing of Vitaria, as Yiortis and Vindicta rushed to her aid, and while they claimed their vengence, the forces of Gruumsh, Zaberon, Osryx, Bearer of Plague and Famine, and Asmodeus, wreaked havok upon the world, destroying and killing as they went. The battles of the time were titanic, and of a scale that had not been seen since the Holy Crusade, and would not be seen again. In every turn, the Gods would find the traps and secrets that had been laid out by Asmodeus. From corrupted artifacts, to brainwashed warriors and spies, the odds were against the Empire gods and their mortal followers. The magical and divine arms race that took place was disasterous, and would seed the world with artifacts and rituals of extreme devastation, when they would be uncovered in the future.
Finally, seventy years after the Great Betrayal, the great ritual to implement the Divine Seal was successfull, and most gods and the most powerful extraplanar being were shunted from the Material Plane, where they remain to this day. The mortal races were stripped of their greatest protectors, and left to fend for themselves, with only a few Angels to guide and protecy them. The blame for this betrayal would forever rest on Asmodeus, who would eternally be hated by all, for the betrayal and slaughter he caused.
Under the leadership of Astaroth, the Undying King, the infinite legions of Demons spilled out from the Abyss to flood the material plane. In an effort to stop the incursion of demons, the gods tightened the Divine Seal, which made all the angels dissapear from the world (earning the event the title of AngelDeath), but also stopped less powerful devils from venturing in the material to strike deals and exert their power. This, combined with the massive loss of life that occured as a result, were terrible for the nine hells, as they had far less people to strike deals with, and recruit. At the same time, in the outer planes, the River Styx overflew, and brought with it legions of Devils, that turned the tide of the blood war against the Devils, and very nearly led to the fall of Asmodeus's rule over the plane.
For the next two hunded and fifty years, during the Scouring, Asmodeus was locked in a desperate battle against the demonic hordes, nearly losing the Blood War at several points, but managing to maintain his grip due to his complex machinations. It is said, that during those times, Asmodeus was offered assistance by the Angels in fighting the demons and re-establishing order. When the angelic force arrived, they were betrayed and captured by the Devils, and twisted by their powers to become weapons of war, which angered the gods that had sent them. In responce, Asmodeus told them that they had agreed that the Angels sent would be used to fight against the Demons, and the state in which they would do that was not stipulated. The leader of those Fallen Angels, Zariel, First of the Fallen Agels, would later come to serve as the ruler of the first layer of the Nine Hells, as a sign of defiance against the Empire Gods.
Those within the Cult of Asmodeus claim that there is another layer to this story. In order to win the battle against the demons, Gondor Lionel needed the help of the Prime Betrayer and his Devils. It is said that after he was chosen by the gods, he struck a bargain with Asmodeus, where he would receive power and assistance by him in reclaiming the Material Plane, and in return he would allow for the Empire he would later found, to be infiltrated and corrupted by Asmodeus. In this bargain, Asmodeus not only gained the ability to create his cult, which has been a thorn on the side of the Inquisition to this day, but also a structure for peoples greed for money and power, would lead them to make deals with Devils, thus bolstering the numbers of the Devils.
The believers of this theory claim that Devils and their worshippers assisted the battles, and acted in subtle ways to weaken the enemies of the Empire during the First Crusade. Asmodeus and his minions would attack, trick, or disrupt the forces that were laid against the The Emperor and his imperial army. If this is the case, in the same vein that devil deals are explained above, the First Emperor would have pledged his soul to the service of Asmodeus for a period of time, no doubt a deal too good to pass up for the Prime Betrayer.
There is also a far more heretical rumor amongst the depraved and those who have abandoned all reason, that the Emperor made such deals with all the non-Empire Gods, and that is the source of his title as Omnipaladin. This theory is unsubstantiated, and in this scribes opinion, veers far into the land of theory, and anti-Empire propaganda.
Image Credit: Aleksi Briclot
To this day, Asmodeus sits on his throne in Nessus, commanding the Devils, and plotting for the day when they will rise up from the pit they were cast down in all those years ago, claim victory in the Blood War, and tear down the Empire Gods and Angels from their perches. Such great ambitions require much planing and work however, so for now, the Lord of Lies bides his time, and grows his numbers, while his minions gnaw at the foundations of The Empire.
These records are best viewed in conjunction with the Nainoxia Timeline, to provide context to the events mentioned.-A humble Scribe's note
The Elemental Chaos / Holy Crusade
As with all accounts before the Age of Divinity, not much detail is known about the formation of Asmodeus before his arrival to the Material Plane. It is confirmed that he already held all his Domains at the time of his arrival, holding domain over Lies, Deals, Devils, and the dreaded Hellfire. Asmodeus's domains have always been a perplexing topic, but one that merits much discussion, as he is the only divine being that holds specific domain over the inhabitants of a plane. It is known that Angels are celestial beings formed of the gods, but there are also other native beings residing in planes such as Mount Celestia. This therefore begs the question, of who or what inhabited the Nine Hells before Asmodeus changed and adopted its native inhabitants as the Devils we know today.While heretical in nature, I feel it an imperative of the preservation of knowledge to mention the following question. Before the gods arrival to the material, they went to the plane now known as The Nine Hells, and made the inhabitants of said plane into a race subservient to Asmodeus. Was this done because those inhabitants were an asset during the Holy Crusade, were they too much of a danger to be left alone, or was there something else there besides them that had to be dealt with before their presence was announced ? Research into this subject is prohibited by the Empire, but the knowledge is also jealously guarded by the Devils, who are also keeping this a secret. One can only guess as to what in fact rests at the deepest pits of the Hells.
During the Holy Crusade, the Devils of Asmodeus fought on the same battlefields as Angels and Mortals, but were not treated as equals by them, and as they were not made by the gods, they were viewed as outsiders, and distrusted. The forces of Asmodeus outnumbered all other individual gods, as he held domain over an entire extraplanar Plane. As such, it was agreed upon by all the gods, that Asmodeus and the devils would take the leading role in the Holy Crusade, a fact that has since been expunged from records. They fought the hardest battles, took the most losses, and pushed the hardest against the Elementals, Giants and Dragons of old. By the end however, Asmodeus realised his folly, as he realised that while he and his legions were being bled dry achieve a swift victory in the Crusade, the other gods had nurtured and grown the Mortal races, who in turn worshipped them as Gods, and grew their power.
Deals with Devils
On the topic of striking deals with Devils, it is important to understand the nature of those deals, and how they lead to more Devils being made. The deals usually have a transferance of money or power to the mortal, and in repayment, the mortal has to do or give certain things demanded by the devil. As an additional part, everyone striking deals with devils has to offer their soul to the Blood War for a certain ammount of time. This means that when the Mortals die, their soul is taken by the River Styx, and they are reborn in the Nine Hells as a low ranking Devil, to serve for as many years as stipulated in their contract. However, during their service, time can be added or removed based on performance, and many souls are corrupted by the acts they have to commit during that service. As a result, many of the sentences are continually legnthened forever, or when freed, the soul has become evil, and is sent to the Hells forever, having given up on whatever fate they originally had. This is the insidious nature of deals with devils, which are the main way the the devils grow their numbers, aside from just lawful evil individuals, whose souls are made into Devils anyway.-Explanation of Deals with Devils, unnamed Inquisitor
Birth of the Tieflings
He was not cought completely off guard however, and being the God of Lies allowed him insights to predict this coming betrayal. As the devils under his command had conquered lands, they left behind a few small but powerful sources of Hellish power. These sources would not have had any effect if the conquered territories remained empty as the war continued, but if someone tried to quickly poppulate them before the Hellish energies faded, the species that would come to take that place would be partially corrupted. When the Mortals quickly followed, and the Gods, eager to grow their own cities and worshippers, expanded on these lands, they were partly corrupted with these powers, to sometimes give birth to beings known as Tieflings, that are tied in their bodies and souls to Asmodeus and the Hells.This created an argument between Asmodeus and the other gods, but as they were still to a large extent allies, and resentment had not come between them, it was agreed that they would let it pass, as both sides tried to manipulate the other. After the Holy Crusade however, Asmodeus and his forces were greatly depleted, and the other gods were brimming with power, and newly created worshippers. His power and influence would therefore be greatly reduced to a scant number of cities and citadels, compaired to the sprawling Empires under the other gods. It is said, by modern members of the Cult of Asmodeus, that this is when Asmodeus was betrayed and pushed aside, which created the first seeds that would later bloom into the Schism. However, it is important to also point out that at the time Asmodeus was the only God who held exclusive rule over an entire plane, a fact that remains to this day.
Was this a sign of Asmodeus being power-hungry, and demanding a position that would allow him to take over the Material Plane, or was it a group of Gods using his power to take over, and then discarding him and his Devils ? This scribe will not comment further on the matter over fears of herecy and execution.
During the Age of Divinity
The Age of Divinity was a great and awesome time, when the Gods walked the The Material Plane, and wielded magic of epic scale to do everything their worshippers needed. When fresh water, food and angelic protectors could be conjured from thin air in an instant. It was a time of plenty, safety, and joy, where no diseases, famine, or untimely death would ever plague the mortals, as the Gods led them by the hand to a time of unrivaled prosperity. This was not the case however in the The Nine Hells, where Asmodeus and the Devils resided. In fact, it was one of the most difficult times, as the Blood War raged on, and demons poured into the Nine Hells from the River Styx.During the Age of Divinity, the Devils numbers were woefully thin, as there were very few humans that were willing to make a deal with them in order to serve in the blood war after their death. Evil was also far less prevelent in the Material, and only a few unlucky dregs ended up serving the lord of the Hells. Asmodeus and his forces would have been overrun multiple times during those days, if it were not for the timely intervention of his brothers and sisters, who summoned their bright, powerful and spotless legions, to save the pitifull devilish armies from complete defeat. This also led to them being viewed as lessers to the Angels and Mortals of the material, an outlook which created much resentment from the Devils, and some say Asmodeus himself.
Architect of the Great Betrayal
In that state, the years and centuries passed. As the other gods basked in the worship and power given to them by their followers, Asmodeus and his creations and worshippers were pushed aside. Relegated to the far outskirts of cities, and seeing his contributions to the slaughter of the elementals slowly erased, and his glory stolen by his brethren. However, he was not alone in this fate. Besides the five to-be-empire gods, Vitaria, Empire Goddess of Life, Yiortis, Empire God of Justice, Vindicta, Empire Goddess of Vengeance, Artis, Empire God of Trade and Cognitiosis, Empire God of Knowledge, all the other gods were seeing their power diminish, and followers abandon them. It is important to note however, that this was the result of their own actions, as the empire gods were the only ones that nurtured and guided their followers, and did not use them as tools for their wars, domains, and amusement.Had everything been left like that, many schollars theorise that all the non-empire gods would slowly fade away, and the material plane would become a peaceful utopia, ruled over by the Empire Gods. Perhaps Asmodeus saw that future as well, though he has not admitted to it anywhere on the imperial records. At the time, all the gods were technically allies, and the idea of a war between them was not something that was considered possible. Instead of discussing, arguing, or even removing himself and his worshippers from the material, Asmodeus chose to insidiously manipulate events and people, to bring about the destruction of the world as it was. More than that, due to these actions, the world was thrown in a state of chaos, war and destruction, from which it would never trully recover.
The Betrayal, and the Cataclysm Wars
Before the wars even started, Asmodeus knew that in order for his side to stand a fighting chance, they had to eliminate Vitaria, Empire Goddess of Life. After millenia of life and prosperity, she had grown to such immense power, that at the time of the betrayal, she was more powerful than all other gods put together. As such, the betrayal was started when Zaberon, The Beheaded Betrayer, a close ally of Vitaria, in a secluded location, stabbed her through the heart with the Blade of True Darkness, a terrible artifact forged by Zaberon and Asmodeus in the depths of the Nine Hells, which was infused with the divine essence of Zaberon.After the near-killing of Vitaria, as Yiortis and Vindicta rushed to her aid, and while they claimed their vengence, the forces of Gruumsh, Zaberon, Osryx, Bearer of Plague and Famine, and Asmodeus, wreaked havok upon the world, destroying and killing as they went. The battles of the time were titanic, and of a scale that had not been seen since the Holy Crusade, and would not be seen again. In every turn, the Gods would find the traps and secrets that had been laid out by Asmodeus. From corrupted artifacts, to brainwashed warriors and spies, the odds were against the Empire gods and their mortal followers. The magical and divine arms race that took place was disasterous, and would seed the world with artifacts and rituals of extreme devastation, when they would be uncovered in the future.
Finally, seventy years after the Great Betrayal, the great ritual to implement the Divine Seal was successfull, and most gods and the most powerful extraplanar being were shunted from the Material Plane, where they remain to this day. The mortal races were stripped of their greatest protectors, and left to fend for themselves, with only a few Angels to guide and protecy them. The blame for this betrayal would forever rest on Asmodeus, who would eternally be hated by all, for the betrayal and slaughter he caused.
Angeldeath, and the aftermath
In the following years, Asmodeus and the Devils prospered, as the death and desperation they caused, would lead many to seek deals, and offer their souls to the Lord of the Hells and his Archevils in return for power. This continued for many years, as civilisation slowly begun to rebuild itself, and the mortals started to create their own weapon, armors and cities, no longer being able to rely on their gods to conjure such things. This was a golden age for the Nine Hells, having much increased their numbers from the war, their power continued to grow and surge, and had been extremely dominant in the Blood War . This would come to an end however, with the events of AngelDeath, the Calamity War.Under the leadership of Astaroth, the Undying King, the infinite legions of Demons spilled out from the Abyss to flood the material plane. In an effort to stop the incursion of demons, the gods tightened the Divine Seal, which made all the angels dissapear from the world (earning the event the title of AngelDeath), but also stopped less powerful devils from venturing in the material to strike deals and exert their power. This, combined with the massive loss of life that occured as a result, were terrible for the nine hells, as they had far less people to strike deals with, and recruit. At the same time, in the outer planes, the River Styx overflew, and brought with it legions of Devils, that turned the tide of the blood war against the Devils, and very nearly led to the fall of Asmodeus's rule over the plane.
For the next two hunded and fifty years, during the Scouring, Asmodeus was locked in a desperate battle against the demonic hordes, nearly losing the Blood War at several points, but managing to maintain his grip due to his complex machinations. It is said, that during those times, Asmodeus was offered assistance by the Angels in fighting the demons and re-establishing order. When the angelic force arrived, they were betrayed and captured by the Devils, and twisted by their powers to become weapons of war, which angered the gods that had sent them. In responce, Asmodeus told them that they had agreed that the Angels sent would be used to fight against the Demons, and the state in which they would do that was not stipulated. The leader of those Fallen Angels, Zariel, First of the Fallen Agels, would later come to serve as the ruler of the first layer of the Nine Hells, as a sign of defiance against the Empire Gods.
The corruption of Zariel (pictured above) and the other Fallen Angel is a point of constant debate amongst schollars of the Empire, as to how it was done, if it was done at all. Many believe that the whole story is a fabrication, meant to discourage and dishearten the people of the Empire, so the knowledge of it should be kept within those trusted to keep it safe.Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast
Founding of the Empire and Beyond
The scouring was finally ended, and the demons banished from the Material Plane, when Gondor Lionel, The Omnipaladin was chosen by all the Empire Gods, and rose up to battle the evil of the world. After an epic battle to retake the Empire Capitol of Exelnar, he defeated the evil, and with his divine might, banished Astaroth, the Undying King and his demonic legions from the world. On that day, the Empire was founded, which would organize the Mortals, so that they would never again fall prey to corruption. This story of the foundation of the Empire, and the end of the Scouring, is a story that has been told a million times, with even more variations. Perhaps the least known of the variations, is the one that focuses on Asmodeus, and his role in its founding.Those within the Cult of Asmodeus claim that there is another layer to this story. In order to win the battle against the demons, Gondor Lionel needed the help of the Prime Betrayer and his Devils. It is said that after he was chosen by the gods, he struck a bargain with Asmodeus, where he would receive power and assistance by him in reclaiming the Material Plane, and in return he would allow for the Empire he would later found, to be infiltrated and corrupted by Asmodeus. In this bargain, Asmodeus not only gained the ability to create his cult, which has been a thorn on the side of the Inquisition to this day, but also a structure for peoples greed for money and power, would lead them to make deals with Devils, thus bolstering the numbers of the Devils.
The believers of this theory claim that Devils and their worshippers assisted the battles, and acted in subtle ways to weaken the enemies of the Empire during the First Crusade. Asmodeus and his minions would attack, trick, or disrupt the forces that were laid against the The Emperor and his imperial army. If this is the case, in the same vein that devil deals are explained above, the First Emperor would have pledged his soul to the service of Asmodeus for a period of time, no doubt a deal too good to pass up for the Prime Betrayer.
There is also a far more heretical rumor amongst the depraved and those who have abandoned all reason, that the Emperor made such deals with all the non-Empire Gods, and that is the source of his title as Omnipaladin. This theory is unsubstantiated, and in this scribes opinion, veers far into the land of theory, and anti-Empire propaganda.
To this day, Asmodeus sits on his throne in Nessus, commanding the Devils, and plotting for the day when they will rise up from the pit they were cast down in all those years ago, claim victory in the Blood War, and tear down the Empire Gods and Angels from their perches. Such great ambitions require much planing and work however, so for now, the Lord of Lies bides his time, and grows his numbers, while his minions gnaw at the foundations of The Empire.
Pictured above is Asmodeus in his form of battle, during the Holy Crusade.
Species
Realm
Church/Cult
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Prime Betrayer, Master of the Nine Hells, Lord of Nessus, Lord of Lies, The Archfield, The Devil, Keeper of Hellfire, Architect of the Schism
Children
Ruled Locations
Lies, Deals, Devils, Hellfire
Divine Symbols:
Three inverted triangles arranged in a long triangle, a crown with horns on the sides
Image Credit: Sascha Kozacenko
Pictured Above, Asmodeus leading his legions of devils against the gods during the The Great Betrayal.Archives of the Inquisition
The right hand of the Lord of Lies
Asmodeus is an incredibly mysterious and powerful entity, and much of his power is gained in others not knowing his exact capabilities. To maintain this, Asmodeus often orders other Devils do do his dirty work, and only ever personally takes part in battle in the most dire of circumstances. When even his most powerful minions are not up to the task, the Lord of Hellfire turns to an entity that is as seldom seen, as it is terrifying. A member of the very few surviving Devils that have served Asmodeus from the times of the Holy Crusade, Kozrath, The Bloodied Rage has served his Lord faithfully for millenia. Not the type to take part in infernal politics, Kozrath spends most of his time in isolation or battle, until called by Asmodeus. Unlike other powerful Devils, he does not have much of a presence in the Material Plane, and is only worhsipped by a very few Ogres and Orcs under the name Kragor or simply "The Destroyer".Image Credit: Midjourney
