Ashlesh

Demonlord of Joy

Ashlesh, Lord of Joy is one of the most well-known demonlord. It feeds on primal joy such as delirium or obsession. Originally a spirit gone mad, after he was defeated by heroes, Ashlesh was imprisoned in the Abyss.

Characteristics

Physical features

Ashelesh has been described as "Big as a Dragon, with arms and legs muscled and proportioned like a gigantic wrestler. Two sets of horns, one arcing upward, outward, and backward like a steer's, the other arcing down and curving up like those of a humongous ram. Burning yellow eyes. Razor teeth, locked together in a rictus grin. A beard of bone spurs emerging from a wide jaw. Bat wings. Cloven hooves. Blood-red hide clothed in chains and skulls. And his brow, a wreath of flame."

Mental traits

Ashelesh embodies hedonism and is known for his capricious cruelty and megalomania. He is a consummate entertainer, whose mere appearance is an act of grisly performance art. A monstrous figure standing thirty feet tall, spreading enormous wings, crowned with fire and swinging a flaming scythe, Ashelesh demands the spotlight. His every entrance is a showstopper. Rakdos' armour resembles the signet of the Ashelesh cult.
Sometimes, after his grand entrance, Ashelesh crouches to witness the performances of those who adore him. To them, his opinion is the only one that matters, but he is a demanding spectator. He has seen thousands of years of circus tricks and has no patience for performers who don't give their all. His flaming sword has brought more than one tepid show to a sudden and spectacular close.
Yet his presence is only illusional, as Ashelesh's body is trapped within the abyss.

Abilities

Ashlesh feeds on joy. By absorbing the joy of others, Ashlesh can sustain itself for prolonged periods of time. The demonlord may also overwhelm someone with joy, sapping the creature from any other emotion for the rest of his life as it will be joyful even when facing death. The later ability might not seem that bad, but many know this can be a fate worst than death.

Worship

Worshiper

The Cult of Ashelesh worship the demonlord incarnating hedonism. They are performers who wishe to please the demonlord through their performance, wandering circus that set up with the night, bringing forbidden entertainment to the people of Toriel, and who vanish when the sunrise.
Ashelesh performers are spellcasters of spectacular sort, using expressive, free-wheeling, and dangerous Magic. These mages find inspiration in the responses expressed by witnesses of their magic. They can be equally gratified by howls of laughter or howls of horror — any attention, in their minds, is good attention.

History

From spirit to demon

Ashelesh was a spirit, a many-limbed spirit of joy, blessing those he encountered with eternal joy. The spirit was a prankster and loved to force its emotion on mortals, laughing as they could only smile and laugh when facing danger, his favorite trick was to bless leaders with eternal joy, only to seem them burst in laughter without reason, and become mad kings hated by their people.
Ashelesh started to experiment with more pranks, more ways to play with emotions. Sapping any joy from someone granted it satisfaction even greater, and the spirit started to feed on people joy. Hungering for joy, Ashlesh became a menace to the mortals, and a party of heroes faced him, trapping it deep in the abyss.
Here the abyss corrupted the spirit even further, turning it into a powerful demonlord.

Return of the demon

In 3921 BD, Izolda, Master of the cult dedicated to Ashelesh, freed Ashelesh from the abyss to wreak havoc on Toriel. She awakened him and planned on using a concoction of draconic cerebral fluid to take control of her demonic master After a brief rampage, Izolda was able to finish the ritual and took control over Ashelesh herself.
Unbeknownst to her, Nymue Loth was freed by Eithne Flosthùl to face of the demonlord. Nymue gaining fiendish power thanks to the influence of devil, killed Izola. During the fight, Ashelesh suffered extensive damage and retreated to the abyss.

Ashelesh

(Demonlord of Joy)

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Titles
Demonlord of Joy
Race
/
Sex
/
Alignment
Chaotic Evil
Symbol

by Sung Choi