Asmodeus

The Second Brother

The Great Evil

Reality warping

Teleportation

Asmodeus was the Lorianian deity of evil and tyranny, as well as the supreme ruler of the Nine Hells and father of the devils. He was one of the oldest and most powerful beings in the universe, having existed since The Sundering with the other Elder Gods.

## Description

Asmodeus's true form was that of an incomprehensibly large serpent, with scales of black obsidian and blood of liquid fire. Asmodeus's true form dwelt at the very deepest part of the Infernal Plane, coiled around the crackling source of the Chaos Flame. This form was so massive and powerful that even moving from his lair would catastrophically upend the planes themselves.

As such, Asmodeus relied entirely upon his numerous avatars to communicate with and direct his lessers. These avatars could take many forms, but Asmodeus seemingly preferred that of a male humanoid, standing 13 feet tall. His skin was a grey ash-like color, his eyes a deep red. his voice in this form was said to be deep and commanding, yet with a charming and disarming drawl. Asmodeus preferred clothing of greys, blacks, and reds, and changed outfits often as the thought struck him. Asmodeus could manifest numerous avatars at a time, should he need to, though he normally manifested 10. One avatar would keep an eye on each layer of the Nine Hells, while another would visit Bahamut, eternally haranguing and debating the ethics of ruling reality with his estranged brother, much to the latter's irritation.

## Personality

Asmodeus was a manipulative, vindictive, and intelligent being. His main goal was to rule over all reality, though he was content to slowly attain this goal rather than recklessly pursue it like other evil beings often would. Asmodeus was quite happy to spend centuries watching the other gods gradually weaken and lose their control over reality. When the time came, he knew he could strike and seize power for himself.

While he was most often in a state of ominous calm and joviality, he could be spurred into a terrifying rage at a moment's notice. It was also notable that he was in a constant state of agony due to the still-lingering wounds from his battle with Bahamut at the dawn of time. While he normally hid this pain well, he would occasionally go through a brief period of distraction, as the Chaos Flame whispered to him as it licked his still-bleeding wounds.

## Abilities

As an Elder God, Asmodeus's power was not tied to the worship of mortals, but to a fundamental aspect of reality. As such, he was truly immortal, being impossible to permanently kill, as darkness and evil would always exist and enable him to reform. Even attempting to destroy him was an impossibility, though, as his true form lay deep within the Nine Hells, protected by nearly endless armies of the damned. When at full strength, he was entirely impervious to nearly any form of damage, even from god-consecrated weapons. Only the powers of another deity, or some very rare toxins could hope to even weaken him.

Asmodeus, of course, never needed to fight his enemies. He had numerous methods of dealing with would-be threats, including practically any form of divine magic. While within the Nine Hells, Asmodeus could instantly cast any form of magic with no limitations. His will within the Infernal Plane was nearly absolute, and as such he could manipulate the very environment to his advantage. He also had immense powers of intellect and strategy, capable of formulating grand plots spanning entire mortal lifetimes. It was said that even if a being could reach Asmodeus with the intent of harming him, it was only because Asmodeus had deliberately allowed them to do so.

When Asmodeus did need to go after a threat, he typically acted through proxies. He would typically send assassins, plagues, entire armies of devils, or one of his Archdevils before even lifting a finger of one of his Avatars. When Asmodeus did appear, it was typically a sign of horrible catastrophe to come.

## History

### Birth

Asmodeus was one of the oldest beings in the universe, born during The Sundering some untold number of eons ago. Asmodeus formed from the inky blackness of the early universe, darkness incarnate. Along with his brother, Bahamut, he was one of the first two deities to exist. Asmodeus, however, was not always a being of evil. In the early days of the universe, he worked with Bahamut (and eventually the other Elder Gods) to weave the universe into a shape that suited their needs.

### The Chaos Flame and the Great Schism

For millions of years, the gods busied themselves with the universe and crafting new stars and worlds. They, despite differences, viewed themselves as siblings and comrades in a vast and empty universe. However, at some time, Asmodeus discovered a most interesting thing. Fire. Unlike anything before seen in the universe, the flickering red flame seemed to burn endlessly. The flame spoke to Asmodeus, whispering to him and warning him of future calamity in the universe. Asmodeus coveted the flame and the power it represented, and moved to claim it.

Asmodeus spent eons listening to the flame, it's voice gradually twisting his mind and turning him against the other gods. It spoke of endless power waiting to be taken, as well as a coming betrayal from the other deities. Asmodeus listened to the flattery of the flame, gradually developing a sense of grandeur for himself and bitterness towards the other gods, Bahamut in particular. Bahamut came to Asmodeus, and pleaded for his brother not to listen to it, calling it a burning flame of chaos that spoke naught but lies. Asmodeus mistrusted his brother for the first time, and refused.

The relationship between the two soured as time passed, eventually spurred into an all out battle. Bahamut sought to snuff out the flame, worried it was changing Asmodeus. Asmodeus attacked his brother, and the two began a brutal battle that spanned centuries. Their godly ichor flowed to the planet below, onto the raw and barren land that would one day become Lorian. From Bahamut’s blood sprang the Primordial Dragons, while Asmodeus’s blood fell into the Chaos Flame, spawning the first Demons as the flame greedily flared and grew. Bahamut, however, was the victor of the brawl. Seeing no other option, Bahamut opened a portal in the universal fabric and hurled Asmodeus’s broken form into it, along with the Chaos Flame and demons it had spawned.

Asmodeus lay amid the darkness, the Chaos Flame the only light he saw. The hot flames licked his wounds, further spurring on his anger and resentment towards Bahamut. The flame spread through the new domain, eventually becoming the Infernal Plane. More demons spawned from Asmodeus’s bleeding form as the flame licked up the ichor. And still the flame whispered to lonely Asmodeus in the darkness, further twisting the Second Brother's mind.

### Creation of the Devils

After an untold time in the Infernal Plane, Asmodeus sought to begin shaping the realm to his own liking. He crafted the Nine Hells, a sprawling mountain amidst the sea of inchoate flames. Though the demons of the realm were spawned from his blood, they did not serve him. They were beings of chaos, and as such he did not trust them. He instead used his godly ichor to create a new race, the Devils. These beings were created in particular to serve him, and they populated the Nine Hells. Asmodeus spent eons raising a massive army of these fiends and expanding the Nine Hells into a sprawling realm of their own.

Asmodeus intended to eventually raise this army to invade the Mortal Plane and eventually the Celestial Plane. However, in the years since he has found himself at war with the constantly spawning demons, which only seek to consume and destroy, including him and his devils. As such, the fast majority of his forces have been wrapped up in defending his realm against demonkind, preventing either faction from attacking the Mortal Plane or anything beyond.