Asmodeus¶
Contested
This page is named in the open question Seven Hells or Nine Layers, which also concerns how many archdemons Asmodeus destroyed or subjugated. It follows the 2026 Cosmology Revision.
"I can sense you! My minions will feast on your flesh and I will drink of your soul." — the archdemon of Gor'Turra, to the Ascendant Inwe
Asmodeus, spelled Asmodean in the older documents, is the Horned-Demon archdemon of lust and revenge, "known for his long running schemes and machinations". Twice he has broken out of the Abyss and twice been imprisoned on the material plane; in the Sancturi Age the greatest of his schemes "came to fruition", giving him partial dominion of the Mithis plane, which he warped into the Hollow and from which he ruled as Daemiveus, the Archfather, head of a pantheon of his own. He holds three of the Seven Hells and a quarter of all demons, has destroyed or subjugated his rivals, and since the Redemption has been re-imprisoned in the Abyss, from which "he still has a lot of control" over the Rift.
Also called¶
Asmodean in the 2014 and 2015 archive and the 2019 Sancturi summary; Daemiveus, "Master of All, The Archfather", as the head of his own pantheon; "one of the lesser of the nine" to the Ascendants of the Kalari. "Devils" is the name given to demons following Asmodeus.
Nature¶
Asmodeus is a horned demon "of immense power". The 2019 Sancturi summary borrows an older description: he "is strong, powerful and appears with three heads; the first is like a bull, the second like a man, and the third like a ram; the tail of a serpent, and from his mouth issue flames of fire", sits upon an infernal dragon, holds a lance with a banner, and "governs seventy two legions of inferior spirits". He is associated with lust and revenge.
By the Sancturi Age he had changed his aims. "Asmodeus is no longer a Ravager (A demon whose prime motivation is consuming ethereal energy for power). Too much of his power is tied up in Terrun to want to see its complete destruction. His focus has turned to dismantling the old pantheons and consolidating his power." "He has become obsessed with being the one and only true god of Terrun." The devils who follow him are not loved by other demons: "most demons reject Asmodeus's path away from true demonic influences. They see Asmodeus as the true threat and make up a majority of demons in the abyss (Asmodeus has proven he has no intention of sharing and has in fact made it harder for normal demons to cross to the material)."
History¶
The Demon Wars and the Rift Wars¶
Asmodean was one of the archdemons who "escaped during the early Demon wars", after which "their souls are now reborn into mortal forms after each death" and must be kept imprisoned alive. In the First Rift War of the Age of Magic (1689 to 1804 MA) the orc summoner Thu'karam was persuaded to widen his rift "and allow more of their brothers through, including two arch-demons, Mephistus and Asmodean"; the demons turned on him, conquered most of the north, and were fought for seventy years "until the arch-demons were slain in the battle of Arne-Athosia". In the Second Rift War, by the 2020 History, "an arch-demon, Asmodean had been gathering demons to him to form an army", swept across the sea to the Amarin Empire, and "was slain by King Turic of Dunmir, with assistance from the last two arch wizards, one of which died in the fight". The 2015 Compendium gives that death to Belphegor; History holds the question (see First Rift War and Second Rift War).
A lieutenant of his, Abraxas, "seized on the opportunity to ascend to godhood during the First Demon War. He was cast from the Host of Asmodeus as a result and has been bitter enemies with the Archdemon ever since. Some accuse Abraxas of aiding the mortal races in the confinement of Asmodeus" (see Abraxas).
The Hollowing¶
Asmodeus's sovereignty of the Mithis plane is dated to 231 SM of the Fifth Age, and the Hollowing Period runs from it. In the Sancturi Age summary he was "partially free, imprisoned by the Light of Kalar on the material". From that prison "one of his largest and longest schemes came to fruition allowing him to take control of the Mithis plane and reform it. This has also enabled him to slip out of his imprisonment on the material plane." The Ascendants of the Kalari, meeting on the Dias of Algahanni, called it "the second abscission of the Denitrus plane, which the mortals are referring to as the Hollowing", and Aion of Kalar explained how: "The archdemon is Asmodeus, one of the lesser of the nine ... it is only partial dominion, Kalar remains principal. However there is no one presently capable of casting Asmodeus out while Kalar still sleeps." His instrument was the Druidic piece of the Mithis Heartstone, given by the Grand Archprefect of Kalar to the druids to help imprison two archdemons: "Taken by Asmodeus. This is what has allowed him to take over defacto control of the Mithis Plane and bend it to his will. He has had it mounted into an object he wears." He also tormented the essence of Arcantus to learn where the Apotheosis of Arcantus lies, "which is where you need to go with the Astral Key (Heartstone fragments) to claim ownership of Mithis", and he holds the Kalamite Helm of Truth and the Ring of Air (see Mithis Heartstone).
"He has taken complete control of the Mithis Plane and warped it creating The Hollow, an intermediate, fragmented plane between The Abyss and The Material." "All Mithis has been tainted by Daemiveus"; the name Mithis was lost with arcane magic and the stuff became Malum, "which taints anything it comes into contact with and spreads like a disease". "Asmodeus has tightened down the Mithis plane since coming into control of it. Only demons (devils) allied to his cause are allowed passage, and these devils are confined within the Hollow", which drives them to expand it and lets him "capture most of the Ethereal energy harvested within the Hollow". Most Hollows are ruled by his devils under a Hollowlord; the rest, Ravager Hollows, by demons who refuse him (see Hollows). Those who use Mithis after his ascension court demonic corruption, "since the death of Kalar and the ascension of Asmodeus over the Mithis plane, demonic corruption and the use of Mithis magic are intertwined". Elves and draconians with Mithis in their blood "became pawns of the Devils ... or were destroyed outright".
He used his new power against his own kind. "He is rumored to have used his newfound power to destroy Luciferon and Leviathus, wresting control of 2 additional layers of Hell. His recent successes have seen his recruitment bolstered with lesser demons anxious for opportunities to elevate themselves." The 2018 notes say instead that "Asmodeus is now undisputed ruler of the Demons. He has defeated 1 of the other archdemons and subjugated the other 5 (He keeps them in the Abyss)." His proxies fought Bhaal's in a "bitter battle", with "repeated attempts to weaken Bhaal's forces and displace him". Asmodeus knew his hold was not what he claimed: "He needs to search for it without telling anyone what he is searching for ... This is why he has initiated a crusade to collect all non-mithis metals. His stated goal is to infuse all metal with Irathus and arm his Demonic Army."
He courted the dead primal dragon Pravustiratel, whose bones his devils collected, and infiltrated the Brotherhood of Light to gather the relics that hold imprisoned Eldritch, wanting "uber powerful minions with astral connections". In the Sancturi-era underdark, Asmodean hollows held the old dwarfhold Kam'Darahl, the Deurgar and the dark elven Zur'Exhil, and Asmodean fire demons hunted the party of the Sancturi Campaign.
After the Redemption¶
The Divine's Redemption tore the Mithis plane out of the world and made it the Rift. Among the declining powers of the Fifth Age: "The Archdemons, especially Asmodeus. Re-imprisoned in the Abyss." Yet "the Mithis Plane is still a bridge between Material and Abyss (but much more distant). Asmodeus still has a lot of control here", and warlocks who deal with demons "are much more common now". Since the Mithis Astral Shard once "acted as the Gate to the Abyss, it now acts a primary transit point for Demons trying to escape the Abyss" (see Rift). In the Hollowing itself his dominion of a Kalari shard made him formidable; the 2026 revision counts him the holder of three shards of the Seven Hells, and notes that the archdemons "have also managed to claim additional astral shards once owned by the dead gods".
Worship¶
Asmodeus is the only archdemon the sources show building a church. "He has effectively formed a pantheon of his own and has amassed mortal worshippers as well as many hosts of demons (devils) to his side": Daemiveus, with Dexinas (Mephistus) his Right Hand and Causinis (Bhaal) his Left. The Sancturi name its worshippers devil worshippers and destroy them "outright"; its witches, "Daemiveus witches", work with the devils that control the Hollows. The pantheon is described under Archdemons.
Earlier accounts¶
The Dreams of Inwe, set after the Age of the Dark Sun, place a "great Hollow surrounding the ruins of Gor-Turra" under an archdemon powerful enough that "even Pravustiratel will think twice about entering the domain of an Archdemon"; the archdemon speaks into Inwe's mind as she escapes through the Hall of Artificers, where "dozens of demons have mortiqueries". The Dreams never name the archdemon of Gor'Turra, and the same document's council scene names Asmodeus only as the archdemon who took dominion of Denitrus.
Gap
No source describes Asmodeus's own Hell, his court, his lieutenants by name other than the two archdemons he claims, or where on the material his mortal form was kept. The 2023 Notable Demons leaves his lieutenants as a "TODO".