Asmodeus

**Asmodeus** (pronounced as-MO-day-us) is the most powerful of the nine archdevils that inhabit Hell, and the only one of Hell's rulers to claim full divinity. It was he who is credited with the penning the contract of creation, within which his followers believe is hidden the means for their patron's eventual rise to supremacy.

## Dogma

Asmodeus believes that the strong should rightfully govern the weak, who in turn owe their masters unwavering obedience. He loves negotiations and contracts, especially those that give one of the parties a distinct, hidden advantage over the other. He expects and appreciates flattery, but its never fooled by it, seeing it as a negotiation tactic, as well as a duty those in inferior positions owe their betters.

## History

The God-Fiend also played a key role in the defeat and imprisonment of Rovagug. The Rough Beast was sealed away in the Pit of Gormuz, the only key to his prison kept by the Prince of Darkness himself.

For obvious reasons, the Prince of Hell is quite interested in the nation of Cheliax, and is believed to have personally been involved with its rulers twice in the last century. His first interaction was with Queen Abrogail I, with whom he made the infernal bargain that still binds that nation to Hell, an agreement said to have taken place in the Barrowood. His second was with her granddaughter, Queen Abrogail II. He is thought to have recently sent the erinys Lrilatha to serve as her personal advisor and tutor.

According to the *Concordance of Rivals*, when the End Times come, a desperate Asmodeus will free Rovagug in the hope that he will consume the other apocalypse. Indeed, Rovagug will devour the rest of creation before consuming himself, leaving behind only Groetus to turn off the light of the cosmos and a Survivor to rebuild it anew.

## Relationships

Other gods find the Prince of Darkness the easiest of the evil deities to deal with, though they realize his aid is not to be sought, or accepted, lightly. For his part, Asmodeus regards other faiths with mild amusement, seeing them as weak, temporary distractions to mortal worshipers. Unsurprisingly, he gives more respect to other deities who stress the rule of law, but has an ongoing feud with Irori, who dislikes the Prince of Hell for tearing down and undermining the hard work of others.

### First of the Archdevils

Asmodeus is the lord of the Archdevils, the rulers of the nine layers of Hell, and the only one of his kind to claim the status of true deity. The other archdevils constantly vie for his power, but none have managed to ever outwit or overpower the Prince of Hell.

## Realm

Asmodeus is the undisputed ruler of Hell, particularly the lowest level of Nessus. He receives lesser beings in the Synod Eye, where his vast Hellfire Throne is orbited by eight salt thrones and a glass island; it floats over a dark, bottomless pit seething with Hell's malice. His personal sanctuary and throne is the Catafalque, a gigantic hall in Nessus, which no creature other than Asmodeus himself has ever entered. Countless rumours tell of what exactly transpires within the Catafalque, but no conjecture has produced a conclusion.

## Providence

The Prince of Law generally does not lower himself to directly interact with mortals, not even his own faithful. A particular powerful person will occasionally grab his attention and receive Asmodeus' support, as long as the mortal's actions coincide with the god's own interests. Failure or incompetence is punished quite severely, generally via burning pain, or writing that appears in blood or fire. Asmodeus often assigns his own infernal servants to assist these mortals, so that they might prod them in useful directions.

Ultimately, however, Asmodeus sees mortals as a flaw upon Creation, sowing chaos and fostering destruction. Many sages believe he seeks to remove that flaw, cleansing creation of all who are born and die, using stratagems spanning millennia. Consequently, the Lord of Hell offers no favor or power out of love; instead, he sees his faithful as useful tools to an end, and little more.

## Servants

The Prince of Darkness has many servants who rise and fall in popularity according to his whims. His divine servitor race are the hesperians, or accomplice devils, who travel to the Material Plane to help bring important mortals into Hell's grasp. In Hell (and sometimes) beyond, Asmodeus is served by a number of races that share his philosophy, including cerberi, shapechangers of all kinds, and of course, devils of all kinds, including the other archdevils, the infernal dukes, and the malebranche.

Every thirteen years, Asmodeus gathers the other eight archdevils to discuss infernal politics and be told his will.

## Church of Asmodeus

Asmodeus' faith is strongest in Infernal Cheliax and several of its vassal states, including Isger and Nidal, but he also has a significant following among the Chelaxians throughout the Inner Sea region.

### Worshipers

The Prince of Hell preaches strict discipline and unwavering devotion from his worshipers; the strong should rule the weak. The Prince of Darkness expects flattery from his followers, appreciating it for what it is, and delights in deals and contracts that secretly favor one party over another. Followers of the Prince of Darkness often include nobles and bureaucrats, especially those participating in the slave trade and in those nations where his worship is openly accepted.

Knights of Asmodeus wear the typical black and red associated with the Dark Prince, often wielding a spiked mace. They seek out order to gain power. Some call themselves paladins to give their behavior a gloss of righteousness.

#### Non-human worship

Beyond humans and other "civilized" races, Asmodeus is commonly worshiped by kobolds. His dogma of subjugation of the weak through trickery appeals to kobolds, who live in a society with a strict hierarchy and use deception to make up for their physical weakness. Asmodeus is also a god of fire, which kobolds use extensively in mining and metalworking. Kobold priests of Asmodeus appeal to their kindred's insecurity and lust for power, making them easily manipulated pawns.

### Clergy

Asmodeus' priests usually dress in clean and orderly red-accented black dress, and often wear horned masks or helmets for ceremonies. Clothing worn is usually expensive, and clearly so, as the faith preaches that wealth attracts wealth. In countries not under Cheliax's yoke, priests are expected to abide by local laws and take sacrifices only from willing victims. It is also common for individual priests to offer the sacrifice of a small animal before preparing spells.

The ranks of the Asmodean hierarchy are detailed and heavily tiered, much like the nobility of Cheliax and the rulership of Hell itself. High ranks include cardinal and demicardinal, and other ranks include high priest (a local position). Other ranks have largely not been specified.

### Organizations

The Church of Asmodeus is taking an active role in caring for the orphans left by Isger's Goblinblood Wars. Monasteries have been established to look after these unfortunates, and indoctrinate them in the worship of Asmodeus. The most well known are the Sisters of the Golden Erinyes.

The Hellknight Order of the God Claw venerates the lawful aspects of Asmodeus, along with those of a number of other deities, but is independent, and not part of the church hierarchy.

### Temples and shrines

Public temples dedicated to Asmodeus contain many diabolical motifs, and can be found throughout Cheliax and its dependencies, often existing alongside and within the nation's government buildings. In other places he is worshiped in secret houses that exist throughout Golarion. Many of his temples were originally dedicated to other gods, and later acquired by his faithful to serve their profane purposes. While in the churches of other deities Asmodeus is most often depicted as an adversary or foil, the Church of Asmodeus always shows him in a position of dominance, with other gods bowing down before him.

### Obedience

Some devoted followers of Asmodeus are granted special powers from a daily ritual whereby they use a knife with a ruby blade to draw blood from another—ideally unwilling—sentient creature, use the blood to draw a pentagram on the ground, kneel within the pentagram, and focus on the glory they intend to bring to Asmodeus.