Asmodeus

Asmodeus, the Lord of the Nine Hells is the devil god of the Nine Hells. He is the god of tyranny and domination, and a skilled manipulator.

Appearance
Asmodeus is typically depicted as handsome humanoid with dark red skin, long black hair, and two curling horns rising from his brow. This is true to how he appears to Zerxus Ilerez, although Asmodeus has the ability to appear in the form of whomever the viewer finds most beautiful.

Relationships
Asmodeus has many enemies even among the Betrayer Gods, many of whom only follow him out of fear. His archenemy, however, is Avandra, the Changebringer, who defeated him during the Calamity by tricking his armies into attacking each other.

Vespin Chloras
The archmage Vespin Chloras released the Betrayer Gods from their planar prisons in the hopes of gaining power. Instead, they immediately enthralled him. Post-Divergence, Vespin is said to be a devil serving at the left hand of Asmodeus.

Desirat
Desirat was the companion and mount of Asmodeus during the Calamity. She was captured and imprisoned beneath Mount Mentiri by the original pre-Divergence Cerberus Assembly and remains there as of 836 PD.

Zerxus Ilerez
Zerxus Ilerez first dreamed of Asmodeus, and then had a vision in which he saw the gravely wounded god shortly after Asmodeus had been released. He healed him and listened to Asmodeus's story, and in exchange for his sympathy Asmodeus cast Protection from Good and Evil on him.

Known worshipers
Mynarc Furdahl, an undead warlock of Asmodeus living in the island of Kaltsel, on Eiselcross.

History
Asmodeus, himself a fallen celestial, corrupted other celestials into the first devils. As with all the Betrayer Gods, he was sealed away prior to the Age of Arcanum.

During the Age of Arcanum, Archmage Vespin Chloras released the Betrayer Gods from their prisons. From their new capital of Ghor Dranas in Wildemount, the Betrayer Gods spread their influence and eventually made an assault on the bastion of Vasselheim. The battle lasted twenty days and nights but, with the divine aid of the Prime Deities, Vasselheim and its inhabitants stood triumphant, if battered, at the end.

The gods prepared for war. The Betrayer Gods each forged a sentient weapon with the life force of a greater fiend: the Arms of the Betrayers. Asmodeus, for his part, forged the Mace of the Black Crown from the life force of an erinyes named Xartaza, who attempts to recruit more souls for Asmodeus by manipulating the wielder. During a brief period of unified interests, Asmodeus and Lolth exalted an immortal assassin, Jourrael, the Inevitable End, who could not be completely destroyed as long as their contract remained intact; as of 836 PD, Jourrael remained immortal.

One theory on the origin of tieflings is that they were created in Ghor Dranas as a result of some of the city's inhabitants tying their bloodlines to Asmodeus in exchange for magical knowledge.

During the Calamity, Asmodeus deceived and betrayed Sarenrae, and killed most or all of her worshipers, in one stroke.

Avandra defeated Asmodeus during the Calamity by tricking his armies into attacking one another.

Exandria Unlimited: Calamity
Zerxus Ilerez had recurring dreams of Asmodeus falling to Pelor and begging Zerxus for mercy as he sin the streets of Avalir. While at the Hall of Oracles, Zerxus noticed Asmodeus in a mirror and had a vision in which Asmodeus, gravely injured, told him that he and the other Betrayer Gods had recently been released. Asmodeus expressed grief over the Primordials and his and the other Betrayers' rejection by the Prime Deities and by mortals. Zerxus showed him sympathy and began to cast Ceremony on him, but Asmodeus interrupted him and cast Protection from Evil and Good on him and told Zerxus he would not forget him.

After Laerryn Coramar-Seelie destroyed the Tree of Names, Asmodeus stepped out. Zerxus helped pull him through into the world. Asmodeus then healed him, and Zerxus began to cast the atonement Ceremony again but Asmodeus became angry and told him he'd done nothing wrong. While repeatedly killing and resurrecting Zerxus in anger, Asmodeus explained that prior to the mortals, the Prime Deities and Betrayer Gods were as siblings, but the Prime Deities choosing to side with the mortals destroyed that relationship. Zerxus expressed pity towards Asmodeus and his mindset of hate, and Asmodeus killed him a final time and created the Mace of the Black Crown from Xartaza, an erinyes, and offered a deal to Zerxus. Zerxus ultimately took it, though Vespin Chloras rewrote the contract to give him until sunrise before it took effect.

Appearances and mentions

 * Campaign 1
 * Campaign 2
 * Exandria Unlimited: Calamity
 * Campaign 2
 * Exandria Unlimited: Calamity
 * Exandria Unlimited: Calamity

Trivia

 * One of the oldest objects in Grog Strongjaw's Bag of Holding was a signet ring with the symbol of Asmodeus, recovered from a "big demon" who had body-slammed him onto a spike. It was used to assert belonging to the cult of Asmodeus. This demon may have been Juurezel, a glabrezu demon who posed as a "devil prince".
 * The adventure hook Twilight Phoenix in the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount involves archmages who worship Asmodeus attempting to free his mount Desirat from her prison.