Asmodeus

King of Hell

Asmodeus
File:Asmodeus01.jpg Asmodeus, King of Hell.
General information
Portfolio:	Power, domination, tyranny
Home:	Nine Hells
Alignment:	Lawful evil
Gender:	Male
Superior:	None
Rules items
Domains:	Diabolic, Evil, Law

Asmodeus is an Archdevil of the Nine Hells (Baator), and the Overlord of the Dukes of Hell. His symbols include a clawed fist gripping a skull and a ruby-tipped rod.

Asmodeus retained his position all through the Reckoning of Hell, unlike many of the other archdevils. Asmodeus is lord of Nessus, the Ninth Layer of Hell, though he is generally recognized as lord of all Baator.

Asmodeus has the power to alter the form of lesser devils, including the other Lords of Baator. He transformed Mammon into a humanoid/serpent hybrid, and cursed Baalzebul with the form of a gigantic slug with tiny, useless arms.

Description

Through all four editions of Dungeons & Dragons, Asmodeus is depicted as the strongest, most cunning, and most handsome of all devils. He is typically described as appearing as a giant human, over 13 feet tall, with dark skin and hair, red eyes, handsome features, and small horns on his forehead. He dresses in regal finery of unimaginable expense. Beneath his clothing, Asmodeus's body is covered in bloody wounds which he sustained when he fell from the Upper Planes. His wounds ooze blood daily, and the drops of his blood which touch the ground grow into powerful devils.

Relationships

Asmodeus is the father of Glasya, through his consort, Bensozia.

Vassals

The following beings are among the most notable subjects of Asmodeus on Nessus. The forces at their disposal are listed, where appropriate:

• Adramalech — Chancellor of Hell, Keeper of Records (DR76).
• Alastor the Grim, pit fiend — Executioner.
• Baalberith, pit fiend — Major domo.
• Bensozia — Consort of Asmodeus, Queen of Hell (deceased) (DR76).
• Buer — 15 companies of pit fiends (DR76).
• Bune — 30 companies of cornugons (DR76).
• Glasya - Daughter of Asmodeus and Bensozia, former Mistress of the Erinyes, now Lord of the Sixth (DR76).
• Martinet, pit fiend — Constable.
• Morax — 9 companies of pit fiends (DR76).
• Phongor — Inquisitor of Hell (DR76).
• Rimmon— 5 companies of gelugons (DR76).
• The Spark Hunters - Lord Asmodeus's personal guard of 13 hamatula rangers/mortal hunters who capture and/or slay mortals who draw their master's ire.
• Zagum — 30 companies of hamatula (DR76).

Dogma

Asmodeus is devoted to oppression and might. He imposes strict rules and harsh punishments on his followers. The cult of Asmodeus urges its adherents to seek power over others, to repay evil with further evil, to exploit kindness for personal gain, and to show no compassion for the weak and downtrodden.

Worshippers

Though Asmodeus's faith is by far the largest of the diabolic cults, few of Asmodeus' followers are known by name. A notable exception is Christophe Jean Markosian, "The Devil Behind Thrones," a hierarch of the Horned Society. Most of Asmodeus's worshippers are based in the towns and cities of humans and demihumans, though Asmodeus has some monstrous followers as well. His cultists use his faith as a stepping stone to wealth and power. They form secret alliances, using their wealth and connections to bring status and power to other members of the society.

Clergy

The favored weapon of Asmodeus's clerics is the heavy mace.

Temples

In most lands, temples to Asmodeus are hidden subterranean complexes, though in places dominated by lawful evil, they may dominate the landscape. If a cult of Baalzebul overthrows the local government, cultists of Asmodeus typically assume control of their headquarters to bring the local diabolism into its "establishment phase."

Artifacts

Asmodeus is never seen without his Ruby Rod, a glowing rod of pure ruby that serves as a badge of office as well as having several powerful offensive and defensive powers. The Rod allows Asmodeus to attack with elemental forces, force his enemies to cower in fear, or cover himself with a field which heals and protects him. The Rod has the names of several good-aligned deities spelt backwards. Asmodeus's Ruby Rod allows him to use several powerful offensive and defensive spells at will.

Myths and legends

At least three different accounts of Asmodeus's rise to power have appeared in D&D literature. However, as these stories are told as myths, it is difficult to verify which, if any, is most accurate.

The Politics of Hell

In Dragon # 28, the article "The Politics of Hell" by Alexander von Thorn details the history and politics of Hell in the AD&D universe. This article gives a different history to that detailed below, and includes statistics for Satan, Belial and Astaroth. Satan is more powerful than any other Devil, but lacks support, having been exiled from hell by Baalzebub following a revolution. Baalzebub ("Lord of the Archdevils") was himself overthrown by Asmodeus and is forever after known as Baalzebul ("Lord of the Flies").

The Book of Vile Darkness somewhat backs up this story, as it states that while Asmodeus is the oldest devil in the Nine Hells, he may not be the original ruler.

Elder Evils names the original ruler of Hell as Zargon, a creature originally described in Dungeon Module B4: The Lost City, by Tom Moldvay.

The Serpent

A Guide to Hell and the Manual of the Planes suggest a different story. According to these works, Asmodeus's true form is that of a giant serpent, hundreds of miles long, once the twin of Jazirian. He was cast out of the Upper Planes before the creation of the current gods, and his fall created the 8th and 9th layers of Hell. He is currently still recovering from his wounds in the pits of the 9th level, and his devil form is just an avatar of the real Asmodeus. No one who tells the story of the true form of Asmodeus survives more than 24 hours after the telling.

The Pact Primeval

According to Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus began life as a servant of the lawful gods. Asmodeus is described in some versions of the myth as an "angel." He was "the bravest, toughest, fiercest and most beautiful of angels." He and the other angels were created to fight the demons of the Abyss, so that the gods could concern themselves with creating worlds and sentient beings.

After eons of fighting the creatures from the Abyss, Asmodeus and some of his fellows began to change. They grew similar in appearance and methods to the demons which they fought. Afraid of his power and of the changes he had undergone, the gods put Asmodeus on trial and demanded that he be cast out of the Upper Planes. However, he argued effectively (and correctly) that he and his fellows had not violated the Law. Asmodeus and his followers successfully sued for access to the Upper Planes and the honors to which they were entitled.

Once the gods created worlds and sentient beings, the demons attacked these, too. The gods created mountains, oceans, and wastelands to seal up the gates to the Abyss, but their creations defied their orders and explored their worlds, accidentally unsealing the gates. The gods could not understand why their creations did not follow their instructions, until Asmodeus explained to them that their system did not work because it relied solely upon voluntary compliance. Asmodeus explained that the only way to ensure obedience was to threaten mortals with a disincentive; hence, Asmodeus invented the concept of punishment.

Asmodeus convinced the gods to sign a contract called the Pact Primeval. This contract allowed Asmodeus and his fellow devils to take up residence in the abandoned realm of Baator, to punish the souls of wicked mortals, and to extract magical energy from the souls under their care in order to fuel their powers. Otherwise, Asmodeus reasoned, they would have to be granted the powers of godhood in order to do their job, which the current gods would surely find unacceptable.

At first, the gods found the arrangement agreeable. However, they eventually realized that fewer and fewer mortal souls were ascending to the Upper Planes, and Asmodeus was deliberately tempting mortals to damnation. When they arrived in Baator, the gods found that Asmodeus had turned it into a nightmarish world of endless suffering, filled with countless new devils. When called to account for his actions, Asmodeus uttered the famous words, "read the fine print."

This story is presented as mythology, and Fiendish Codex II itself admits that it does not tell the whole truth. For example, it is known that Asmodeus did not depart from the Upper Planes under amicable circumstances: He was cast out, and literally fell into the Lower Planes, sustaining serious wounds which have never healed. Part of Asmodeus' long-term plans includes using the magical energy harvested from souls in order to heal his wounds, and ultimately, the complete destruction of the Upper Planes, as well as to one day achieve godhood.

The names of the "gods" involved seem to change depending on what world and source the myth is told on, and some aspects and versions of the origin myth contradict others. For example, the version told in the Fiendish Codex II states that Saint Cuthbert became a distinct deity when he agreed with Asmodeus that "retribution is the basis of all Law," while the Deities & Demigods sourcebook states that Cuthbert is a mortal who ascended to godhood.

Creative origins

Asmodeus is named for the Judeo-Christian demon, Asmodai from the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit and for a fallen angel of the same name who appears in John Milton's Paradise Lost.

Publication history

Asmodeus debuted in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), and his realm was further detailed in Ed Greenwood's "The Nine Hells Part II" in Dragon #76 (1983). Asmodeus did not initially appear in 2nd edition, and in the Planescape line the lord of Nessus was unnamed and mostly a secret. Eventually, the Lord of the Ninth was revealed indeed as Asmodeus, in Guide to Hell (1999). In third edition, Asmodeus appeared along with the other lords of the Nine Hells in the Book of Vile Darkness (2002). He was further detailed in Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (2006). Asmodeus appears as one of the gods of evil in the 4th edition Dungeon Masters Guide (2008).

Bibliography

• Brunner, Frank. "Strike on the Rabid Dawn." Dungeon #111. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004.

• Cook, Monte. Book of Vile Darkness. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.

• Greenwood, Ed. "The Nine Hells Part II." Dragon #76. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.

• Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. Manual of the Planes. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.

• Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1977.

• Laws, Robin D., and Robert J. Schwalb. Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.

• Pramas, Chris. Guide to Hell. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999.

• Schwalb, Robert J. Elder Evils. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2007.

• Von Thorn, Alexander. "The Politics of Hell." Dragon #28. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1979.

• Wyatt, James. Dungeon Master's Guide. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008.

External link

• Asmodeus at Wikipedia.