So, you've made a deal with a devil.
No biggie, right? They promised you something that you just
really wanted, something they convinced you you could never get otherwise. Then, they bamboozled you with terms and stipulations until,
whoops, you just gave them your soul!
Or, maybe, you knew exactly what your end of the deal would entail. Maybe you were fine with it at the time. But morals and hopes and resolutions change, and... you can no longer justify the deaths or souls of that many people.
Or maybe you don't even want to get out of your pact. Maybe you've picked this up just for fun and are reading it because you think you'll never need it. Maybe you're just reading it to piss of your patron. That's fine, as long as you're reading it.
You see, there is
no such thing as a good bargain with a devil. Trust me, if you think it is, you're missing something - or, better yet, they are withholding something. Years ago if I'd have written this book, it would have been about "How to Get the Best Deal Possible from a Devil". But, years have passed, and I realise the errors in that statement, in that way of thinking. Back then, I'd have sacrificed the world for all of my ambitions. Maybe you're prepared to do so too. But this book will always be here for when you come around, when you start to regret your actions, like I did.
About the author
The publisher insisted on having this section. Something about the reader needing to know my qualifications. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances leading up to me writing this book, I can't say much. I'm a nobody, of sorts. Elf, if that helps at all, though it likely doesn't. I do have some experience with devils, and other extraplanar beings insistent on making deals. I'd consider myself an expert, if ever there's one to be had. Of course, I can't really share my qualifications, due to the nature of deals such as these. But I ask that you reserve a bit of trust for me and the knowledge I'm about to share with you.
Making the Deal
If you're reading this book, it's highly likely that you're gone well past this step. But I'm including it for the sake of any people who may not have yet made their deal, and are still just considering it. My advice to you, if you are one such individual, is this: do not go through with this. I promise you that you will regret it. I'm sure you've heard the stories, loopholes for themselves that devils weave into their pacts, how they'll try to pull one over on you. I'm sure you're convinced that you're the exception, that you've caught everything they've tried to throw your way. That this is the exception,
you are the exception, you and you alone will be getting a good deal.
You're wrong. I'm sorry, there's no less harsh way for me to get this across, but you are
not the exception, you are
not going to get a good deal. Allow me to remind you that the devils have been at this for far longer than you've ever been alive. They know how to manipulate you into thinking that you're getting a good deal. They want you to sign that page, after all. If you think you're pulling one over on them, it's much more likely that they've pulled one over on you.
And even if you are one of the few who
are actually aware of the scope of your pact, if you know exactly what you're giving them, and you think you're okay with it - morals change, wishes change, desires change. There are no promises that you'll still want what they gave you five, ten, fifty years into the future. And there are no promises that you'll still be okay with what you gave. Devil pacts don't care about that. Permanently bound until the end of all time. Even if it's what you want right now, I assure you that it is
not what you will want in the future.
Pact-Bound
So, what if you're already bound by an infernal pact? That's a bummer - and I say this from experience. It's likely you've now started to realise
just how many downsides this pact of yours has baked into it. Maybe you now know what you have truly given them. And now, you want to get out.
I am loathe to say that it is not an easy task. Devils are fully aware that those in their pacts will likely not want to keep the pacts once they realise all that comes with them. So, naturally, they make the pacts near-inescapable. This might sound like a hopeless feat, but I want you to understand that getting out of your pact is
nearly always possible - you'll just need to sacrifice more than you'd like to do so.
You see, devils are a prideful bunch. There's nothing they like more than seeing a clever person realise the loopholes in their pact, and it dawning on them just what it will take for them to get out of the pact. Because, whatever it is, it will be worse than whatever you did to get into the pact in the first place.
Finding the Loophole
But what exactly is your loophole? Well, the thing about a devil pact is that they are individualised specifically for the person who has made the deal. Theres no "standard" or "basic" pact that a person can get. Everything about the deal, from your meeting the devil to the way that you sign the pact, and even what medium it is held on, is cutom-tailored to you. Some of it will be to rope you in, to convince you to sign the pact. They'll sprinkle in some things that sound too good to be true, they'll make you think you've caught them when, in reality, they're just convincing you that you are the sole person who has been able to make an infernal deal with no downsides.
However, a lot of this personalisation comes in the deal itself. While working with you, before you even know that they are considering manipulating the circumstances around you so that you'll come to them for a deal, they will learn all they can about you: your desires, your dreams, your hatreds, your everything. And they will use it all against you. They'll weave minor things into the pact that make it look like you're getting everything you've wished for, while curtailing it with tiny things that will make you want to pull your hair out once you realise what they are.
Whatever loopholes they write into the pact to allow you to get out of it will be likewise personalised to you. They will likely require you to not only sacrifice what you made the pact for in the first place, but also whatever you had before. If you wanted fame and renown as a local bard, your loophole might involve no one knowing your name whatsoever, even those who helped support you before you ever turned your eye to the infernal. If you wanted to ressurect a family member, not only will they have to return to the grave, but perhaps the rest of your friends and family will have to join them.
Once you realise what the loophole is, I can assure you that you will not want to go through with it. No matter how desperately you want out of your pact right now, the devils will leverage against you the one thing that they are sure that you will never give up. At this point, you have two options for how you can proceed.
Living with your Pact
If you've decided that you can't go through with breaking you pact, you'll have to learn to live with the terms of it. Maybe this means minimising the effect that it will have on others - which could mean isolating yourself, or never letting anyone know how you are struggling. This is, of course, what the devils want, but it may be unavoidable. However, living with your pact could also mean tricking the devil. This is difficult, but doable.
When a devil makes a deal with a mortal, they are relying on your worst qualities. Your anger, your pain, your jealousy, your pride. They expect these qualities to be at the forefront of your decision making. They will rely on these qualities when dealing with you. You see, if you want to beat a devil, you
cannot try to beat them at their own game. Remember - they have had centuries, even milennia more experience than you could ever even imagine. What you need to do is be the opposite of what they expect. Be selfless, be humble, be forgiving. This won't come naturally, if you're the type of person that devils tend to prey on in their pacts. But it will be your only way to get through your pact without losing yourself in the process.
Breaking the Pact
However, if you decide that you do want to break your pact, and you know all that is involved - be prepared. Don't break it the first chance that you get, and definitely don't let your patron know that you know how to break your pact. You need this to be unexpected for it to work. If a devil knows that you are actually considering breaking the pact, and that their little loophole isn't enough deterrent, they will resort to other, much less pleasant, methods of trying to keep you in the pact. This could include kidnapping and holding hostage those that you care about, or it could be invoking a clause in your pact that you didn't even know about it. I cannot stress enough that the devil you've made your pact with
cannot know that you intend on breaking it.
You'll want to make a plan. When will you break your pact? How will you go about doing so? How much time will you have before your patron notices, and what will you do with that time? How will you get away? Because the minute that you've gone through the motions, the clock is ticking for you to act. Because now, you'll be facing the aftermath.
The Aftermath
There is a reason so few people get out of their deals with devils, and even further a reason why fewer live to tell of it. Devils do not like it when people actually get out of their pacts. Their standing in the Nine Hells is based on how many souls they can bring in, how much they can expand the Hells' residency. This problem grows larger the more souls that were promised to them from your pact - if it was one soul, not even your own, that was given, they are less likely to care as much about the loss of the soul itself. However, they will still go after you on principle. You surviving breaking your pact sets a bad standard for the rest of those in deals with them, which is the last thing that they want. All you really need to do in this scenario, however, is to make it as annoying as possible to get to you. Become an
acolyte and live on consecrated ground, or surround yourself will
demi-celestial friends. Live in a demiplane off of the
celestial plane itself, if you can reach it. Make sure to take with you anything that they devil might try to hold against you, to lure you out - or make sure that you won't be temped if they do. Make sure that if they want to go after you, they'll put themselves in danger, or go through too much effort to be worth.
If your pact involved multiple souls, however, things start to get a bit difficult. The more that was promised to them, the more they have a reason to anger at its loss. If your pact included the souls of dozens of people, the devil will not give up as easily. If your pact included millions, you can ensure that they will never stop trying to hunt you down. In these situations, you can't hide. They'll find you eventually, and they'll figure out a way to either trap you there, smoke you out, or enter. What you need to do in this situation is remain on the move. Never stay in the same place twice, and don't form connections with people unless they are moving with you. And most of all, do not make a name for yourself. Your survival relies on staying hidden and unknown.
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