Cult of Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles was in something of an irritating situation when it came to cults, as despite being second only to Asmodeus, he had one of, if not the, smallest cults out of all the archdevils. Mephistopheles had been so effective in making himself the image of the devil that he had become generic in the eyes of many mortals, frequently confused with and believed to be the same as Asmodeus to the point where the Overlord of Hell left it to him to operate many of his cults. Not only that, but further blurring any sense of identity was his symbol, or rather symbols, since he constantly adopted new icons to represent himself. As someone who adored worship as a god, this mistaken identity was frustrating to no end.
Still, even before his recent discoveries, Mephistopheles had some distinct brand of corruption, existing as a patron of magic and the source of many warlock pacts. He had the advantage of having the lowest quotas of the archdevils but with the limitation of the highest standards. He and his harvesters specialized in luring skilled wizards and cunning sages into making deals by playing on their curiosity and ambition, the offer of magical might by itself often seen as proof of that mortal's greatness. Most of these types of cultists also sought to crush their rivals with said magical power, and gained the ability to deflect and absorb magic through the deal.
While skilled, the mortals being lured into Mephistopheles's traps were targeted due to gullibility or ego, and while the arrangement offered them magic it also ensured them misery. Mephistopheles's façade of charm only needed to last until the aspiring caster signed away their soul, and after death they would face decades of tedious routine, deep regret, and isolation to prevent dissent. The agents of Mephisto carefully avoided statements about their lord's behaviour and actions, and the clever clauses in the signed soul contracts allowed him to destroy the tricked sages with a word. Sometimes entire wizard guilds and sage conclaves fell under Mephistopheles's sway, as did magic-using beings like storm giants or oni.
Hellfire:
Mephistopheles's recent insights into hellfire gave him a new way to appeal to mortals, even despite the fact that it's diabolical nature typically required a sacrifice of the user's own vitality to be called upon. The beauty of offering hellfire laid in its accessibility; most types of magic required the user to slowly refine their skills and/or progress along a path of understanding on how to use it, a dangerous road of adventure being a frequently used method. Mephistopheles's cultists could offer the dark energy to even the most inept persons of influence, granting them an easy, painless, path to power, prestige, and dominion. Because this plan was as much a method of gaining souls as it was of increasing Mephistopheles's influence on the Material Plane, being lawful evil wasn't a barrier of entry to join the cult. Ritual:
The Lord of Hellfire offered magical power at unrivalled speed, for even though other archdevils learnt how to bestow hellfire to their minions, despite his efforts to keep it for himself, on top of some warlocks discovering how to tap into Hell's essence while just experimenting with eldritch blasts, Mephistopheles was its original inventor and greatest master, giving him a unique edge. Other hellfire warlocks had to have a fair amount of magical and extraplanar knowledge to call upon it, but the disciples of Mephistopheles, known as hellfire masters and hellfire stewards, had no such obligation. Depending on what the whims of the granter, typically a higher-ranking cleric, even a favoured initiate of incredibly low ability could gain access to power surpassing that of many accomplished magic-users. Initiation into Mephistopheles's cult first required a show of cruelty, the sacrifice of an intelligent being in magical flame, typically while the victim was still alive so as to provide screaming chorus to the silent prayers. Temples to Mephistopheles were strange, hidden, distant places often filled with great fire pits in which to conduct a sacrifice, rigged to suddenly flare at the appropriate times and on top of which were slabs of blackened stone to serve as altars for the ritual. A potential aid in this process would be the Book of Brimstone, a tome written in Infernal by a Mephistopheles worshiping monk, who shortly after writing it went mad and was lost in the Canian wastes. It was rumoured that only four copies of the book existed, the first half consisting of the proper ways to worship, adore, sacrifice, and become a disciple of Mephistopheles, among other rites, and the latter a small collection of vile arcane spells. Hellfire masters were much like Mephistopheles himself; obsessed with fire, donning red and black garb, wielding ranseurs and hiding great anger. On occasions where speech was required, they yelled rather than spoke, infected with their lord's same unpredictable anger. They were capable of independent action and working in groups equally well, whether their partners were wicked schemers, violent megalomaniacs, devils, or other wicked fire creatures like hell hounds or salamanders. Apart from those looking for easy power, Mephistopheles promoted himself as a "god of hellfire" to those who revered flame, as well as devil worshipers that had become dissatisfied with their current archdevil patrons. Fire giants were known for their attempts to become hellfire masters, and Mephistopheles was known to try to appeal to frost giants as well. Aspects:
Mephistopheles used aspects in many situations, and they weren't afraid of death knowing that they'd be recreated if destroyed. On the rare occasion when they left the Nine Hells to create new converts, they would mix with almost any society, devil or mortal, and sometimes even venture into the battlefield of the Blood War. They irregularly appeared in the Realms, normally bringing several other devils with them when they did, and it was rumoured that an aspect of him was trapped in Undermountain.
Mephistopheles's recent insights into hellfire gave him a new way to appeal to mortals, even despite the fact that it's diabolical nature typically required a sacrifice of the user's own vitality to be called upon. The beauty of offering hellfire laid in its accessibility; most types of magic required the user to slowly refine their skills and/or progress along a path of understanding on how to use it, a dangerous road of adventure being a frequently used method. Mephistopheles's cultists could offer the dark energy to even the most inept persons of influence, granting them an easy, painless, path to power, prestige, and dominion. Because this plan was as much a method of gaining souls as it was of increasing Mephistopheles's influence on the Material Plane, being lawful evil wasn't a barrier of entry to join the cult. Ritual:
The Lord of Hellfire offered magical power at unrivalled speed, for even though other archdevils learnt how to bestow hellfire to their minions, despite his efforts to keep it for himself, on top of some warlocks discovering how to tap into Hell's essence while just experimenting with eldritch blasts, Mephistopheles was its original inventor and greatest master, giving him a unique edge. Other hellfire warlocks had to have a fair amount of magical and extraplanar knowledge to call upon it, but the disciples of Mephistopheles, known as hellfire masters and hellfire stewards, had no such obligation. Depending on what the whims of the granter, typically a higher-ranking cleric, even a favoured initiate of incredibly low ability could gain access to power surpassing that of many accomplished magic-users. Initiation into Mephistopheles's cult first required a show of cruelty, the sacrifice of an intelligent being in magical flame, typically while the victim was still alive so as to provide screaming chorus to the silent prayers. Temples to Mephistopheles were strange, hidden, distant places often filled with great fire pits in which to conduct a sacrifice, rigged to suddenly flare at the appropriate times and on top of which were slabs of blackened stone to serve as altars for the ritual. A potential aid in this process would be the Book of Brimstone, a tome written in Infernal by a Mephistopheles worshiping monk, who shortly after writing it went mad and was lost in the Canian wastes. It was rumoured that only four copies of the book existed, the first half consisting of the proper ways to worship, adore, sacrifice, and become a disciple of Mephistopheles, among other rites, and the latter a small collection of vile arcane spells. Hellfire masters were much like Mephistopheles himself; obsessed with fire, donning red and black garb, wielding ranseurs and hiding great anger. On occasions where speech was required, they yelled rather than spoke, infected with their lord's same unpredictable anger. They were capable of independent action and working in groups equally well, whether their partners were wicked schemers, violent megalomaniacs, devils, or other wicked fire creatures like hell hounds or salamanders. Apart from those looking for easy power, Mephistopheles promoted himself as a "god of hellfire" to those who revered flame, as well as devil worshipers that had become dissatisfied with their current archdevil patrons. Fire giants were known for their attempts to become hellfire masters, and Mephistopheles was known to try to appeal to frost giants as well. Aspects:
Mephistopheles used aspects in many situations, and they weren't afraid of death knowing that they'd be recreated if destroyed. On the rare occasion when they left the Nine Hells to create new converts, they would mix with almost any society, devil or mortal, and sometimes even venture into the battlefield of the Blood War. They irregularly appeared in the Realms, normally bringing several other devils with them when they did, and it was rumoured that an aspect of him was trapped in Undermountain.
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