Asmodeus (az-MOE-dee-us)

LE god of Contracts, Pride, Slavery and, Tyranny

The Prince of Darkness

Hail, Asmodeus! Deliver us from chaos that we may serve you in eternity. Unmake the lies of our bodies and reshape our souls in your design

-Asmodean Monograph

Asmodeus is the First, the Dark Prince, the lord of darkness and law, and the ruler of the plane of Hell. If Asmodeus’s own scriptures are to believed—and they are corroborated by certain other accounts, like the angel-penned Book of the Damned—he is one of the oldest beings of the multiverse. These texts claim that in time before time, in a world not yet created, Asmodeus and his brother Ihys were among the first gods in existence. During these unnamed ages, the two gods quarreled over the fate of the souls of their creations, and Asmodeus slew his brother. Confident that Ihys’s act of granting mortals free will was folly, Asmodeus made his own convictions known: that existence is best served by absolute order and discipline. These claims contradict other popular creation myths, and both theologians and immortal agents of the gods doubt Asmodeus’s claims to varying degrees, but while there is no evidence to prove them, they are also difficult to refute.

Asmodeus can take any form he wishes. His best-known depiction, however, is the appearance he is given in popular art: an ancient being with striking red skin and black horns and hooves, surrounded with a pale aura of flames. He is shown either bearing a long contract scroll and a vicious‑looking flaming mace, or seated upon a throne ruling over hordes of devils above the apocalyptic landscape of Hell. Asmodeus is known to be eloquent, tactful, patient, and incredibly brilliant, but when angered, he is wrathful and terrifying.

Despite his fiendish depiction and the widespread knowledge of his disdain for free will, many mortals worship Asmodeus. Setting aside the question of good and evil (he most certainly is evil), Asmodeus is an immensely powerful divine being—perhaps one of the most powerful in existence. He represents strict discipline, as he was a being of order long before the concepts of right and wrong were created. This representation of Asmodeus as a champion of law means that his worship is not limited to cults and hushed whispers. Even though it is heavily frowned upon in most areas of the world, his worship is nevertheless widespread and occasionally, in cases like the nation of Q'orm, the primary religion of a region.

Servitors of Asmodeus include power-hungry priests, diabolists, lawyers, and the decadent nobility of Hell-bound regions like Cheliax. These followers find the inherent structure of Hell a virtue and even seek to emulate it through clever use of the law. Making use of such order allows followers to vie for higher positions of power, usually by taking advantage of complicated bureaucracies. This is a skill that most Asmodeans share, as the church’s holy text, the Asmodean Monograph, is itself a tome with several supplemental volumes and appendices that together require a deep understanding to even navigate, much less exploit. Asmodeans are careful in their pursuit of power, however, as a quick ascension or an overextension can leave one vulnerable to those intent on finding weakness.

Beyond his clerics and priests, Asmodeus has hold over several other types of worshippers. Soldiers and other martially minded individuals might welcome Asmodeus’s gifts and the dogma of force and dominance required to wield them, but regardless of their role, anyone seeking great power or wealth likely finds themself facing the Dark Prince’s temptations. These might take the form of a local Asmodean priest offering such gifts through questionable yet technically legal means. Other times, devils appear to offer literal infernal contracts accepting the signer’s soul in exchange for greater abilities, such as spellcasting or the ability to summon that devil.

Temples of Asmodeus vary greatly from region to region, depending on the faith’s reception. Public temples to the Dark Prince typically feature gothic or baroque architecture. In Q'orm, his temples sometimes double as government buildings or share space with such structures. Inside, bureaucrats, judges, and other government workers use their understanding of contracts and laws to maintain the infernal machine of order. In places less open to worship of Asmodeus, his temples may be secret sites, such as hidden shrines in personal homes or concealed temples accessible only via secret doors and halls.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER RELIGONS
Asmodeus is willing to deal with any god or entity as long as he believes that being will uphold its end of the bargain, which means he is open to all but Lamashtu and Rovagug. Even wily Calistria has worked with him in the past, though he typically considers the fickle goddess beneath his notice. Despite ethical differences, he has been a patron of Shelyn, an aide to Nethys, a supplier to Gorum, and an advisor to Bahamut, though it is not something his sometime partners care to admit. Though he is evil, he is quite charming and can often persuade reluctant deities to temporarily set aside their differences with him for the purpose of mutually beneficial arrangements. When dealing with potential enemies, he is careful to keep the terms of any agreement clear and obvious lest these parties become too suspicious of treachery, which would damage his perfect bargaining reputation.

Asmodeans regard other religions with amusement. They worship young gods who possess a fraction of the power ofHell's master, deities who will eventually fall in line with Asmodeus's will. They confidently assert power when dealing with other churches, and as their lord is officially recognized as the patron deity of Q'orm, they can generally be assured that in that country, at least, other faiths must show them respect. They are naturally inclined toward the followers of lawful deities, for they understand the need for order, and their dedication to law means they can at least agree upon rules within which to operate, while the congregants of chaos earn nothing but scorn.

Holy Books & Codes

The Archfiend's doctrine is recorded in the Asmodean Monograph, though that work is greatly simplified and relies on numerous appendices and supplementary volumes. The common version of the text is a mere 1,000 pages, and covers history, the writing and exploitation of contracts, the nature of power, the purpose of law, the fallacy of evil, propaganda, diplomacy, subtleties of speech, the hierarchy of Hell, and dozens of other topics related to rulership, all within the context of the faith. Its supplemental texts number in the hundreds, each focusing on, interpreting, and expounding on particular topics. To those unfamiliar with the complete library associated with the Asmodean Monograph, a religious discussion between two zealots might appear to be a battle over who can produce the most obscure reference. Because the church idealizes laws and rules, knowing which ones trump others and which ones need to be bent or broken to advance a greater cause is crucial. A worshiper could commit an egregious crime against the church but still be forgiven or even rewarded if he found a way to justify it by brilliantly citing some forgotten bit of scripture and proving the act was beneficial to Asmodeus.

Tenets of Faith

Edicts negotiate contracts to your best advantage, rule tyrannically and torture weaker beings, show subservience to your betters
Anathema break a contract, free a slave, insult Asmodeus by showing mercy to your enemies Areas of Concern contracts, pride, slavery, and tyranny
Follower Alignments Lawful Evil

Holidays

A truly ancient being, old even among the gods, Asmodeus's concept of time is boggling to mortals, and he couldn't care less about marking a specific day of the week, month, or year as more important than any other-they all belong to him, and mortals should bow to him every day.

Worship in Taldor

Like many other places in Tengaria, worship of Asmodeus is illegal.  Persons convicted of worshiping the Prince of Darkness are subject to imprisonment and execution.  However execution of follower of Asmodeus are rare in Taldor as the legal skills of his cultist often lead to long court battles with the judges of Abadar.

Aphorisms

Like other major religions across Panaraia, there are countless curses or praises among the worshipers of Asmodeus. Among these however, some are rumored to be more powerful than others.
Great is Asmodeus: A declaration in support and praise of Asmodeus, proclaimed with pride by his followers who know of his inevitable rule, or whispered as a sign of trust from one cultist to another in places where his worship is not accepted.
What once was his shall be again: Asmodean doctrine posits that the First once ruled over all of the multiverse, and his faithful maintain that he will eventually resume that total rulership. Worshipers repeat this assertion as validation among themselves, a call to arms, and a threat to any who oppose the Dark Prince’s law.
By his flames!: A passionate cry for help, and a request for divine intervention. The more devout followers of Asmodeus know all too well the danger of this request, for all contracts exact a price, and the cost of Asmodeus’s favor is far higher when the petitioner is in dire need and has no room for negotiation.

Religions

• Gods of Tengaria