Asmodeus

{
  "name": "Asmodeus",
  "page": 100,
  "plane": "The Nine Hells (Nessus)",
  "title": "God of indulgence",
  "__prop": "deity",
  "source": "FRHoF",
  "entries": [
    "Both a god of indulgence and an archdevil, Asmodeus rules over his devilish kin from the bottommost layer of the Nine Hells. Asmodeus promises his followers pleasures and powers beyond their wildest dreams—for a price.",
    "Asmodeus's reputation for uneven bargains precedes him. Even so, folk of all moral leanings strike deals with the archdevil when they have nowhere else to turn.For instance, when followers of other deities transgress against their patrons, these folk might bargain with Asmodeus to hide their sins from the other gods. Asmodeus is charismatic and seemingly generous when he needs to be, and his messengers are as silver-tongued as he is. When attempting to manipulate a mortal into entering a pact with him, he sends a snake or an unassuming {@creature Imp|XMM}. He also enjoys using {@creature Erinyes|XMM} as messengers, since unwitting mortals might mistake them for angels. The birth of an animal with nine legs or nine eyes is considered an omen of Asmodeus's influence.",
    "Most cities don't explicitly outlaw the worship of Asmodeus. However, individuals who openly follow him earn the distrust of society, and temples to this archdevil are almost unheard of. Instead, many of Asmodeus's followers keep hidden shrines to the god in their homes.",
    "Priests who serve Asmodeus exploit individuals who succumb to greed and impatience. If a priest of Asmodeus fails to sway a potential worshiper with rewards in this life, the priest tempts them with promises about the afterlife instead. Many individuals fear their souls will languish for centuries in the Fugue Plane after death, awaiting Kelemvor's judgment. Asmodeus's priests promise such individuals that a devil will comfort their waiting soul or whisk them off to the Nine Hells, where they can assume a rank in the infernal host.",
    "Asmodeus's priests obey the commands of his Chosen, feigning humility just as lesser devils do with greater devils. Chosen of Asmodeus can gaze into people's souls, judging their character at a glance. This ability allows the Chosen to discern whether someone's soul has been claimed by a particular deity or whether their fate is still undetermined."
  ],
  "altNames": [
    "The Cloven",
    "The Lord of the Ninth",
    "Old Hoof and Horn"
  ],
  "pantheon": "Faerûnian",
  "symbolImg": {
    "href": {
      "path": "deities/FRHoF/Asmodeus.webp",
      "type": "internal"
    },
    "type": "image",
    "width": 850,
    "credit": "Helder Almeida",
    "height": 1012
  },
  "worshipers": "Corrupt politicians, desperate folk",
  "_isEnhanced": true,
  "previousVersions": [
    {
      "name": "Asmodeus",
      "page": 21,
      "title": "God of indulgence",
      "__prop": "deity",
      "source": "SCAG",
      "symbol": "Three inverted triangles arranged in a long triangle",
      "domains": [
        "Knowledge",
        "Trickery",
        "Order"
      ],
      "entries": [
        "Open worship of Asmodeus began roughly a century ago when small cults with charismatic leaders sprang up in the aftermath of the Spellplague. That catastrophe left many asking why the gods were angry or had abandoned them. To those questioners, the faithful of Asmodeus provided answers and a god who would forgive all their faults. Still, for the next few decades, the Cult of Asmodeus struggled for acceptance.",
        "In the beliefs of the people of the North - which coincide with many tales told by dwarves, elves, and others - Asmodeus is Lord of the Ninth, the leader of all devils of the Nine Hells. People know devils to be iron-minded and silver-tongued purveyors of temptation, whose price for their boons can be as dear as one's soul. It's said that when a soul waits on the Fugue Plane for a deity to take it to its appropriate afterlife, devils approach the soul and offer it a chance at power and immortal pleasures. All a soul needs to do is take one step out of the dust and the milling crowd and put a foot on the first rung of the infernal ladder that represents the hierarchy of the Nine Hells.",
        "The faithful of Asmodeus acknowledge that devils offer their worshipers a path that's not for everyone - just as eternally basking in the light of Lathander or endlessly swinging a hammer in the mines of Moradin might not be for everyone. Those who serve Asmodeus in life hope to be summoned out of the moaning masses of the Fugue Plane after death. They yearn for the chance to master their own fates, with all of eternity to achieve their goals.",
        "To those not so dedicated, priests of Asmodeus offer the prospect of a reprieve in the afterlife. All souls wait on the Fugue Plane for a deity's pleasure, which determines where a soul will spend the rest of eternity. Those who lived their lives most in keeping with a deity's outlook are taken first. Others, who have transgressed in the eyes of their favored god or have not followed any particular ethos, might wait centuries before Kelemvor judges where they go. People who fear such a fate can pray to Asmodeus, his priests say, and in return a devil will grant a waiting soul some comfort.",
        "Today, shrines to Asmodeus are still rare and temples are almost unheard of, but many folk have adopted the habit of asking Asmodeus for reprieve from their sins. After transgressing against a god in some way, a person prays to Asmodeus for something to provide respite during the long wait. Asmodeus is known to grant people what they wish, and thus people pray for all the delights and distractions they desire most from life. Those who transgress in great ways often ask Asmodeus to hide their sins from the gods, and priests say that he will do so, but with a price after death."
      ],
      "altNames": [
        "The Lord of the Ninth",
        "The Cloven",
        "Old Hoof and Horn"
      ],
      "pantheon": "Faerûnian",
      "alignment": [
        "L",
        "E"
      ],
      "symbolImg": {
        "href": {
          "path": "deities/SCAG/Symbol of Asmodeus.webp",
          "type": "internal"
        },
        "type": "image"
      },
      "_isEnhanced": true,
      "isReprinted": true,
      "previousVersions": [
        {
          "name": "Asmodeus",
          "page": 10,
          "title": "God of tyranny",
          "__prop": "deity",
          "source": "DMG",
          "symbol": "Three triangles in tight formation",
          "domains": [
            "Trickery",
            "Order"
          ],
          "pantheon": "Dawn War",
          "alignment": [
            "L",
            "E"
          ],
          "_isEnhanced": true,
          "isReprinted": true
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Asmodeus",
      "page": 10,
      "title": "God of tyranny",
      "__prop": "deity",
      "source": "DMG",
      "symbol": "Three triangles in tight formation",
      "domains": [
        "Trickery",
        "Order"
      ],
      "pantheon": "Dawn War",
      "alignment": [
        "L",
        "E"
      ],
      "_isEnhanced": true,
      "isReprinted": true
    }
  ]
}