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Asmodeus is known as the King of the Nine Hells, The Lord of the Ninth, The Raging Fiend, The Reigning Serpent, and perhaps most sinisterly, the God of Evil. One would think that such a title would scare many denizens of aDungeons & Dragonscampaign away from him, but that is not so.
In fact, Asmodeus remains one of the most enduring figures within both the Faerûnian pantheon and Nine Hells and has shown his face in many a campaign as the ultimate villain, or, Big Bad Evil Guy. But what makes him such an appealing figure to villainize, and is evil his only ultimate goal?
Who Is Asmodeus?
Simply,Asmodeus is the closest thing Dungeons & Dragons has to a cultural devil, which is what a lot of Dungeon Masters use him for. He’s a figure of temptation and immorality, and the lore surrounding him supports and even encourages this interpretation.
Asmodeus' true form is that of amiles-long serpentcovered in thick, dark scales. Understandably, a serpent is not ideal to meet with one’s warlocks, worshipers, or subjects, so he takes on a few humanoid or infernal forms.These function as avatars through which he can cast.
While most pictures have him looking pointy and devilish, Asmodeus is supposed to be quite handsome underneath it all, utilizing devils' eternal youth to charm those he is speaking with. Though he wears splendid robes and gaudy adornments, he is said to have ever-bleeding wounds along his arms.
Some believe he is the literal father of Devilkind, with devils springing from his blood and populating the hells. While this may not be entirely true, most devils pay him a fair amount of respect, even as they clamor for his throne and power.
What Does Asmodeus Believe?
Asmodeus isa master of intriguesbut manages to bethe most soft-spoken of all the devils, contrasting heavily with his status as the most powerful being in the Nine Hells.His manners are said to be impeccable, and he can reason his way into or out of anything.
Picture the most suave politician you can, and you have Asmodeus. There is nothing out of reach, and if it is, it’s only a matter of time before he has it in hand.
In truth, however,Asmodeus is a tyrannical ruler who wields his authority to keep everyone beneath him.He believes that his domination over weaker beings is truly for the best, and freedom is another word for ‘unmitigated chaos.’
Despite his charisma and mild-mannered persona, Asmodeus relies on torture and blackmail to get what he wants, outwardly believing every mind is inferior to his own.
This is what makes his competence so frightening. It would be one thing if his beliefs were completely groundless, but Asmodeus always seems to have a claim he can root in some sort of reality and a mind ready to take on even the most altruistic of clerics.
How Did Asmodeus Become A God?
Asmodeus' divinity is a difficult thing to pinpoint. Canonically,he is a greater god, but the story tends to change as to how he got there. Most people in the Realms accept that heconsumed the essence of another god, Azuth, stealing their divinity.
His divinity is somehow maintained whether his cult is active or not, making him a peculiar case among the gods.
However, other interpretations have Asmodeus asthe pure embodiment of evil, which significantly increases his power. It’s ultimately up to the Dungeon Master how they want to play him, but as of fifth edition, Asmodeus remains divine.
He has complete control over the Nine Hellsand canalter whatever he wantswith a single thought, as long as the object of his ire is within the bounds of the Hells. As such, he can demote and raise other devils as he sees fit.
Relationships With Gods
Asmodeus' reach is so great thatmany current and former gods owe part of their divinity to his expertise.Gods such as Vecna and Bane have interacted with his vassals, subjects of his who often deal on his behalf.
He often impersonates other gods as well,turning their worshipers away from them to himself.Despite this, many gods, such as Set or Hecate, go out of their way to keep neutral relations with him to ensure their own machinations stay in place.
Asmodeus' Origin
Asmodeus' origin is actually that ofthree different origins! As a Dungeon Master, one might have the complicated job of assigning one to their canon.
Serpent of Law
The Serpent of Law canon claims that Asmodeus was one of two serpents circling the world at the dawn of time. This helps explain his serpentine form and title. They circled one another, creating the Outer Planes and everything within them. However, Asmodeus, who went byAhriman,fought with the lawful good serpentJazirian, until he was cast down into the lower planes after ripping free of the ouroboros the two had formed.
Pact Primeval
In this origin,Asmodeus was originally an angel who believed that to keep mortal souls from sinning, a plane of punishment would have to be made. He was the most beautiful and fierce of all angels, so his peers trusted him, relented, and let him form a torturous plane, believing no mortal would truly sin if they were threatened with eternal punishment. Asmodeus relished the power andbegan to tempt mortals into sinning so he could continue to punish them.Upon being confronted, he pointed to the Pact Primeval,the pact he had made the gods sign, and they realized that he was operating well within the law—his law. He was cast out, and upon falling to the bottom of the Nine Hells, received wounds that eternally bled.
He Who Was
Asmodeus was once an angel assigned to guard Tharizdun, the Chained One. He was tempted away from his station by Pazuzu, who fed into his belief that he was more righteous and good than He Who Was,his sworn deity, and plunged into the depths of the Abyss to fight in the Blood War for his own glory.He stole away a sliver of the Abyss, cementing evil within his heart. He became more violent and cruel until he rebelled against He Who Was, slaying him. However, upon the god’s death, He Who Was cast Asmodeus into damnation.All those who had followed Asmodeus were warped into devils, and they were forced into exile. Asmodeus then erased all knowledge of the former god’s name, unable to claim his divine power.
