Asmodia

Asmodia as it appears on the Io World Map

**Asmodia** is a continent on the planet of Io. An island continent in the southern hemisphere consisting mostly of desert, Asmodia was once home to the industrial superpower that was the Kingdom of Asmodia. However, ruin fell over the land when shadowy creatures invaded through a breach in reality. Though these devilish beings were banished back to their home plane, Asmodia was forever changed, with a permanent gate to the Shadow still tormenting the land and its people today.

## Appearance

Asmodia is a large island continent with a vaguely pentagonal shape. The continent is mostly an arid desert of sand and stone, with more verdant areas restricted to the coast and oases. the ruins of civilizations past are still scattered among the sands. To the east of the continent lies a series of mountain ranges which form a discontinuous ring around the gateway to the Shadow, a plane of darkness, suffering and death. The influence of the Shadow has warped the lands near the gate, making them as desolate and twisted as itself.

## History

### Early History

Asmodia was first settled in the early years of Io, with its oldest known inhabitant having been from an established settlement 800 years before Phase 2. It is unknown what role the people of Asmodia played in the Age of the Gods, whether they favored one or if they attempted to stay neutral in their conflict. One of the most significant events from early Asmodian history was the destruction of a whole town in one of its old kingdoms. A sorcerer known only as Brin was conducting experiments with a hitherto unknown plane called the Shadow Veil. However, his experimentation went wrong, causing a massive explosion that wiped out his tower and the nearby town, killing everything nearby. The town itself and the souls of its inhabitants were subsequently transported to the Shadow, where they remained for over 800 years. Not much else is known about Asmodia prior to the death of the gods, though it is likely it too fell into a dormant state for decades like the rest of Io.

### Asmodia Ascendant

Upon reawakening, new civilizations began to emerge in Asmodia following the death of the gods. Two in particular rose to promience, the Kingdom of Lux and the Kingdom of Asmodia. The Kingdom of Lux was a theocracy that began to worship the sun, and much of its society revolved around ensuring its light was spread everywhere, not too dissimilar from the old worship of DIV. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Asmodia abandoned religious beliefs in favor of a more humanistic doctrine. Focusing on the elevation of mortality, the kingdom discovered a substance called coalsand in the desert sands. Coalsand proved to be an efficient fuel source and the Kingdom devoted itself to harnessing its power for its own advancement. Over time, the Kingdom of Asmodia underwent massive technological advancements, turning itself into an industrial giant that outstripped other kingdoms' efforts by leagues.

### The Call of the Shadow

However, this rapid onset of advancement proved to bear unknown risks. Increased pollution from the coalsand factories began to shroud the land in darkness, allowing for the influence of the Shadow to be felt on the continent once more. During the reign of Dmitrius Asmodia II, the young vain monarch was contacted by a shadowy being calling himself Deus. Deus offered the king the means by which to fulfill his grandest ambition; of making Asmodia the most powerful nation on Io. Foolishly, Lord Asmodia accepted this offer. His new benefactor provided him with a new source of fuel called Nessium, which the factories would burn. In addition, the kingdom was to increase its industrial activities to unprecedented and unsafe levels. All the while, Deus' servants in the Shadow would reach out and influence the people of Asmodia to aid in carrying out this task.

## Phase 2 Story

### A Failed Revolution

By the Year 735, the demands of the kingdom had become too much for its people to bear. Pollution was rife across the Kingdom of Asmodia and a huge class divide had developed. The poor of the kingdom were forced to slave away under the watchful eye of the Asmodia Peacekeepers and to suffer the detrimental effects of the toxic air the factories produced incessantly. Meanwhile, the rich and wealthy lived in luxury, mostly unaffected by the pollution and uncaring or oblivious towards the suffering of their fellow man. Incensed by this inequality, some of the citizenry formed into a group of freedom fighters called the Smeared and began to fight back against their oppressors. The group gained some support from the neighboring Kingdom of Lux, whose Holy Order greatly worried about the pollution blotting out the sun and believed it would allow dark entities to break into Io. One such gesture of support was the Holy Order sending one of their acolytes to directly assist the Smeared in their mission.

The Smeared managed to strike a decisive blow against the Kingdom by sending in a strike team to destroy one of the older factories; Coalsand Factory No. 21. This factory was a major source of pollution despite its comparatively low power output, but the Kingdom was keeping it active in order to test the burning of Nessium. Though technically a victory, the resulting explosion caused the deaths of several workers and the strike team itself, while also tearing open a rift into the Shadow. Such a pyrrhic victory did not prove worth the cost, as the Smeared never got enough support or momentum to fight back against the Kingdom. The pollution continued to worsen and the skies darkened over Asmodia, in accordance with Deus' designs.

### The Shades of Old Asmodia

Some months after the explosion, a pirate captain named Layton Beardthrone found his way to the Shadow. He arrived in the wreckage of Old Asmodia where he met the scholar Brin in his dilapidated tower. Though tormented by the Shadow for 800 years, Brin was relatively sane when Layton found him, though he appeared to have lost his mind for years on end before the captain's arrival. Two of the strike team that destroyed Coalsand Factory No. 21, Reina and Morvog, also joined them at the tower. Together, they managed to defeat the warped monster that patrolled the area and found a portal to the old ruined town. There, Layton Beardthrone used his sword Immortality to absorb the husks of those who died in the explosion 800 years ago to lay them to rest. Brin traumatically recalled his involvement in the tragedy, while Reina and Morvog discovered that they two were wandering souls of the deceased. Layton agreed to ferry their souls from the Shadow and they too were absorbed into the sword. Layton then managed to escape from the Shadow back into Asmodia proper, finally putting its past to rest.

### The Death of a Kingdom

A week after the sky barrier was rent asunder, Deus put his plan into action. Receiving the Ruby-Eyed Scepter of the All King from a broker called Mr. Mephisto, Dmitrius Asmodia II allowed himself to become a puppet for Deus, effectively killing himself. Meanwhile the pollution in Asmodia went out of control, becoming so toxic that everyone in the kingdom, rich and poor alike, died from the smog. With the sun blotted out and a kingdom's worth of corpses ripe for possession, Deus, through his new vessel, used the Ruby Eyed Scepter to complete the ritual he had so painstaking constructed.

Channeling the souls of Asmodia's citizens, who swirled listlessly in the sky above, Deus ripped open a gate to the Shadow allowing its influence and its people to come forth. Shortly after, Layton Beardthrone confronted the shadow, horrified at the desecration he had wrought. Deus informed this would-be reaper that he could take what souls he could and leave, but that from Asmodia, the Lords of Shadow would rise and reclaim the planet they had once lost. At this, the first and most powerful of the Devils transformed into a towering shadowy figure and declared he should have a new name. Combining the name of the kingdom he had ruined and his old moniker, he christened himself Asmodeus, Lord of All Shadows. At this proclamation, Layton Beardthrone teleported away, but not before vowing to return and to rally the people of Io against Asmodeus and his ilk.

### The Shadow Invasion

Asmodeus wasted no time in establishing his dominance over this dead kingdom. He channeled the forces of the Shadow Veil to create a protective field around Asmodia to prevent any external interference. It is unknown what became of the Kingdom of Lux but it is likely that they were unable to present any resistance to Asmodeus. As he shored up his defenses, Asmodeus also created his Shadow Lords, individuals of immense power that would serve him in his conquest. He reconvened with three of these lords to plan the invasion, deducing prime targets to attack and control. With this plan in motion, he sent his Shadow Lords away to complete their mission, while he stayed behind to maintain the gate between the Prime Plane and the Shadow.

However, the people of Io were no more idle than Asmodeus. True to his word, Layton Beardthrone returned with a host of allies in tow, several with personal grievances against Asmodeus. Sailing across the Great Journey to Asmodia, they managed to penetrate through the dark barrier into the kingdom itself. There, in the Royal Court of Asmodia, they fought Asmodeus for the freedom of Io in an event that would be known as the Shadow War. The heroes of Io were successful, and managed to banish Asmodeus through great effort. With his banishment, the other escaped shadows were also forced back into their former prison with the gateway shutting behind them. The native energies of the Shadow dissipated and Layton Beardthrone, fully attuned to his sword, was able to absorb the lost souls of Asmodia's citizens to be ferried to the other side. With this victory over the Lords of Shadow, Asmodia returned to normal, if only as a home to a ruined kingdom among the desert sands. It is as of yet unknown if Asmodia was reclaimed or rebuilt in the following centuries.

## Phase 3 Story

### The Shattering of Io

When Lagos, the Emissary of the End, attacked Io 500 years after the Shadow Invasion, the continent of Asmodia was caught up in the resulting catastrophe. However, Asmodia, along with the rest of Io, was saved by the new gods, who held the planet together via chains of energy constructed from the Deitic Veil. Asmodia became one of the many floating Arks that were anchored to Io's core, allowing life on Io to endure and adapt to this new paradigm. However, the destruction of Io also rent open the old gateway between Asmodia and the Shadow, causing its influence to be felt on Io once more. Despite this, people continue to live in Asmodia and have developed significant resistance to the inherent corruption brought on by the Shadow and its denizens.

## Regions

### The Kingdom of Asmodia

The Kingdom of Asmodia primarily consisted of a technologically advanced city state located in the desert. It was a densely populated area that existed in tiers, with more wealthy and aristocratic citizens living at higher levels. Much of the kingdom was connected via a railway system with locomotives using coalsand as fuel. Several power plants were also located around the lower tiers of the city, causing much of the pollution. In the center and uppermost tier was the Royal Court of Asmodia, an open-air plaza where the King held his court and was the site Asmodeus chose to make his seat of power. Asmodia exists mostly in ruins now as a result of the Shadow Invasion.

### The Shadow Gate

With the Shattering of Io, the tear in reality between the Prime Plane and the Shadow Veil was weakened. As a result, a massive gateway opened in eastern Asmodia. This gate allows for two-way access for those confident, desperate or foolish enough to make the journey to the other side. With mountains on either side and the Shadow corrupting the hinterlands, the gate is difficult to access easily, which is probably for the best.

## Campaigns

The following campaigns and events take place on the continent of Asmodia.

# **Into the Shadow's Breach**

## Etymology

Asmodia is derived from Asmodeus, a prince of demons that occasionally appears in Abrahamic texts and folklore. Dungeons and Dragons also features a character by the name of Asmodeus, who is the lord of the Nine Hells and ruler of all devils.

## Mechanics

*Main article: Technical Details*
The world of Io is a heavily homebrewed setting with many experimental mechanics working at the same time. As an example, there are mechanics that apply only to a single campaign, and there're mechanics that are shared between multiple campaigns.

## Trivia

* Asmodia was first introduced in Episode 0 of the Eye of Asmodia campaign.