Ashmadai The Ashmadai were a secretive devil worshiping cult based in Neverwinter dedicated to the god Asmodeus . The cult was well connected in Neverwinter prior to the cataclysm in 1451 DR and was even better connected as of 1479 DR . In the years prior to Neverwinter ' s destruction , the Ashmadai worked as agents of Thay although since the cataclysm , the Ashmadai are no longer allied with Szass Tam . The Ashmadai had the ability to summon devils . However , whenever they summoned a fiend , they bound its essence to the body of a mortal . Because of this the Asmadai kidnapped residents of Neverwinter in order to make them vessels for summoned devils . History . Under Thay . Years before the cataclysm of Neverwinter , cultists of Asmodeus allied themselves with Thay . The exact nature of the bargain between the cult and Szass Tam was unclear , what was known was that Thay ' s regent , Valindra Shadowmantle , possessed a staff that the Ashmadai considered precious . The Ashmadai served Thay loyally , though all they simply desired was the staff . When control would be given to Sylora Salm , the Ashmadai would continue to serve loyally . After destroying Neverwinter to create a Dread Ring , the Ashmadai would again attempt to wreak havoc with Salm by trying to use the primordial of Gauntlgrym to destroy New Neverwinter . But the interruptions of Drizzt Do ' Urden would result in the death of Salm and the transferring of leadership to Valindra Shadowmantle , under whom the loyalty would waver . The cultists would stick with Valindra when she would show her possession of the staff , and though they had not seen it since , the assumed her to still have it . Though in reality , Szass Tam had reclaimed the staff . Diverging Interests . As of 1479 DR , the Ashmadai now ran in two groups , one slavishly loyal to Asmodeus , this faction was led by the dwarf Favria . His faction consisted of older and less studied cultists who still served Thay in belief Valindra was the staff ' s holder . This sect was little more than thugs and brutes loyal only to Asmodeus and Favria . The other sect , led by Mordai Vell , was populated by cunning and manipulative individuals who care more about the acquisition of power rather than paying homage to it . Vell has been credited for bringing about the rise of the Ashmadai into New Neverwinter ' s shady and secretive powerhouse . Although Vell ' s sect still pay ' s lip service to Thay , it advances plots of it ' s own . Vell , once he gains Valindra ' s phylactery or the staff , plans to move against Thay . However , as Vell lacked the numbers and individual power to control Neverember , he used a pod system to shroud the Ashmadai from the eyes of others . The highest ranking members of the sect were unaware of each other and each reported only to Vell . Each of those members had their own pod , and the members of that pod reported to that individual and so on down through the ranks . Mordai readily encouraged his followers to mark shellacked buildings and corpses with the symbol of Asmodeus . This was to intimidate others into joining the ranks of the Ashmadai . The symbol was effective as it managed to scare the townsfolk into co - operating with the demands of the Ashmadai . Although Favria disagreed with the plan , she did not deny it ' s effectiveness . Thay - Shadovar War . A huge part of the Thay - Shadovar War was the conflict between the Ashmadai and the Abolethic Sovereignty . Mordai was determined to make sure that the Aboleth s made no advances in New Neverwinter . To do this , Mordai wanted to undermine the Chasm in southeast Neverwinter , a place of interest to the Sovereignty . The cultists constantly hampered the Aboleths ' attempts to make people mindless slaves , under the belief that all belong to the Ashmadai , and took special note in killing or driving out Abolethic agents . However , the Ashmadai were relatively unsuccessful , thus the Aboleths did not take the Ashmadai as a threat and have not wiped them off the face of New Neverwinter . The Ashmadai ' s other dealings in the war were relatively minor . It mainly consisted of planning to dispose of Thay and sporadically working with the Netherese against their former masters . Relationships . New Neverwinter . The Ashmadai tried to corrupt New Neverwinter supporters at every opportunity . Cultists were not able to sway Mayor Soman Galt , so they began focusing on the Mintarn mercenaries instead . Mordai VeIl had his suspicions about Galt , but the sect leader wanted more evidence before he marked the mayor for death . As of 1479 DR , Mordai was working on General Sabine , whom he regularly invited to his estate . Ultimately , the devil - worshipers aimed to corrupt Lord Neverember and send him back to Waterdeep so the Ashmadai could actively run both cities . As for Neverember , he thoroughly enjoyed Mordai ' s company , and the two spent time together often . Thay . The Ashmadai cultists still payed some fealty to Valindra , at least enough to keep her from seeing the knife they held poised behind her back . Once they recovered the scepter or found her phylactery , they intended to move against the lich . Shadovar . The devil - worshipers were in awe of the Netherese , whose representatives approached Mordai on several occasions . The cultists could not allow the Thayans to see them in bed with the Netherese , however , so such meetings were kept a close secret . While the Shadovar Prince Clairburnus saw the Ashmadai as simple lapdogs of the Thayans , other Shadovar do not . The Netherese cleric Orthinos Eln dispatched troops to learn if the Ashmadai were diverging from the Thayans .