|
I was reading the blurb on the Chelax faction and it occurred to me that I wasn't exactly sure why someone would choose to worship Asmodeus?
1. Is it that they just believe devils are superior to humans, et al. and are the rightful rulers of the world?
2. Is it that they believe he's going to win anyway so they want to be on the winning side, hoping to receive some boon for their loyalty?
3. Have they been duped and think they are worshiping a god who cares for them?
4. Or do they actually buy into his philosophy? In other words, does he represent a world view that would actually appeal to large number of people, one that we may define as evil but could sound reasonable to non-evil folks?
Personally, #4 is my favorite. It allows for more shades of gray in that not everyone who worships Asmodeus is a bad guy. There would actually be a number of his worshipers who genuinely want to make the world a better place.
I'm not expert on Greyhawk, but didn't the Church of Hextor achieve this to a certain degree? At least on the surface they weren't about slaughter or debauchery or anything anti-social, they were about order, order at any price. The strong rule the weak because the weak aren't able to rule. But the strong protect the weak (by not letting them think for themselves). From where we sit today, this is unappealing, but this message has certainly played well historically across the world. I've been in developing democracies where people long for the "good ol' days" of dictatorship because there was order and predictability, everyone knew their place. Sometimes the average Joe is willing to give up his freedom - maybe even his soul - to know that he is safe and that their will be a plate of food on his table.
That's scarier to me that a belief in infernal superiority or a bunch of deluded followers because you can't look that guy in the eye and tell him he's wrong.
|
|
So, here are my thoughts on Cheliax vis-a-vis the worship of Asmodeus:
I believe that they worship Asmodeus for the power that he can bring them. When the God Aroden died, it left Cheliax with nothing and its empire began to crumble almost immediately. Nations revolted against Chelish rule and they lost influence in the Inner Sea region. In general, they were not having a good time.
Then someone might have come up with the bright idea of asking Asmodeus for help, perhaps signing some kind of deal to provide him with worship from all Chelaxian people as well as human lives in exchange for bringing their nation back to the prominence it once had. This devil-pact was spearheaded by House Thrune, the first house to bring devil binding to Cheliax (IIRC).
So that's the thing: They made a deal with the devil, and they have gained incredible power from that. However, as a price, the nation has become very evil in many ways. They promote slavery (in order to pay off the human lives owed to Asmodeus), they deal with devils to do their dirty work, and as time goes by, societally, the people of Cheliax will grow to accept this religion as being a good religion to follow.
But, like most deals with the devil, it won't last forever. Eventually, the devil will take back what he has given through some loophole or contrived reason. And then Cheliax will be left with nothing but a decrepit, evil society with nothing to hold it together. Those time will probably be even worse than when Aroden died.
Well, there's probably a lot of LE people who are all into laws and contracts - and how they can abuse them for their own ends. So they're shopping for a deity, and after a lot of "you can join after you do a lot of penance for your evil ways", along comes Asmodeus and tells them that they're fine the way they are, and he can help them bend the law their way and lord it over weaker people.
It's a match made in hell!
I think the basic motivation for almost all worshippers would be, that worshiping him is a form of an alliance that will benefit them greatly in the end.
Sure, most end up as dumb lemures in afterlife, but they were dumb fools in life before. But of course you are different from them. You are more than capable to stand your ground in the negotiations and asure a profitable position for you in afterlife. Maybe as an Osyluth or Erinyes in Asmodeus private army. ;)
To worship a demon prince, you probably have to be quite crazy to begin with. ^^
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I don't want to delve too deeply into real-world politics, but it's been my experience that societies get "lawful", in a D&D sense, the more they're worried about some external threat, and the get "chaotic" the more they feel safe.
Of course you would object to having the police be able to keep tabs on your location 24/7. But then (American:) you go out and get Lojack Tracking installed on your car or (British:) you let them mount monitors along every highway, for security.
Imagine telling the TSA baggage screeners that it's your private luggage, and it's none of their business how much shampoo you're carrying.
So...
It makes perfect sense to me that when the god Aroden died, his chosen people of Cheliax found themselves suddenly vulnerable and retreated to a more lawful atmosphere. They wanted security. Individual liberties were luxuries they could no longer afford. And the Churches of Tyranny were waiting with ready-made security contracts.
So, people are willing to put up with the evil, in order to get the lawful. People will eventually be selling their kids to Asmodeus, but it'll be framed as "registering" the children with the Church "for their own safety". The fine print in those registration forms can't really mean what a plain reading would suggest.
I'm reminded that C.S. Lewis described Hell as akin to a corporate bureaucracy where everyone does his job to the documented best of his abilities, tries to get promoted over his peers, serves his managers faithfully until the one neat moment of betrayal, and makes sure that any blame for failure never settles on him. Utterly "lawful" and lacking any shread of compassion or joy.
Why does someone choose to worship Asmodeus? Simple: POWER.
It's the same reason Dr. Faustus cuts his deal with Lucifer.
It's the same reason most evil clerics/paladins/other spiritual classes follow most evil deities.
Asmodeus is a more pleasant evil deity to follow than most evil deities, because he presents an orderly worldview in which the strong rule the weak, and where a person can acquire more power through him.
'Nuff said!
In the real world, very few people "choose" their religion. They just get indoctrinated into it at an early age.
I don't know anyone who chose to be catholic, jewish, or hindu. I know a lot of people who's parents are catholic, jewish, or hindu and were raised as such though.
Sure, people convert to new religions all the time. But they're a minority.
In Golarion, people who worship Asmodeus probably do it because their families have been doing it for generations. These people would view devil worship as part of the natural order of things. Watching a sacrifice to Asmodeus would just be business as usual for them.
Why wouldn't someone choose to worship Asmodeus when there are so many exciting opportunities to pursue in his name?
|
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
|
Hmm, is it bad that my inner Lawful evil likes Chelax a bit more?
And I'm sure some worshipers underestimate Devilish patience. I mean, a mortal bargins his soul to summon devils for what? 20 years, maybe as long as 80? What's that to a being that is, by its very nature, timeless?
My last Lawful Evil Character was a follower of Zuoken. well Follower might be a bit much, admirer might be a better term. He accepted the existance of deities, and looked to become one himself. So why wouldn't a Chelaxian think, "Well there are laws, and there are laws surely there's an infernal loophole that will get me a (in)decent positition."
|
|
In Golarion, people who worship Asmodeus probably do it because their families have been doing it for generations. These people would view devil worship as part of the natural order of things. Watching a sacrifice to Asmodeus would just be business as usual for them.
I'm trying to figure out if the average Asmodeus worshiper says, "Hi. I follow Asmodeus. I'm evil."
I'm guessing most don't. They probably don't even think in those terms (although some of that is most likely denial and rationalization). Devil worship is pretty hard to justify as anything other than evil, but believing that you are in control and are forcing the devil to do your bidding could be rationalized (like at the Academy in Korvosa).
Followers of Vol in Eberron are another example of folks who worship an evil god/power but aren't necessarily evil themselves. They simply look at worshiping undead as the most logical and (oddly) hopeful choice in a frightening and chaotic world.
Certainly the Chelish nobles are in it for power, but how 'bout your average Chelaxian? I'm going with safety and security on one hand, and the hope that maybe, just maybe, someday they might be able to move up a little and grind someone else down the way they've been ground down on the other (it's the whole bully as weak, looking for someone who is weaker to make themselves feel strong situation). I can see a lot of imps as pseudo-servants of low-level social climbers just to foster this attitude (calling them "Master" all the time just to inflate their ego while secretly undermining them so they have to deeper into 'debt').
|
Sure, most end up as dumb lemures in afterlife, but they were dumb fools in life before. But of course you are different from them. You are more than capable to stand your ground in the negotiations and asure a profitable position for you in afterlife. Maybe as an Osyluth or Erinyes in Asmodeus private army. ;)
Not to mention; do the regular folk even recognise the existence of the outer planes?
As players, you have a gods-eye view of how the game-setting is.NPCs, especially low-level ones, only hear how their after-life might be.
Who's to say there's any after-life at all?
The average labourer or farmhand has never met anyone who's died and come back to tell the tale.
For many, it's a calculated gamble.
|
In Golarion, people who worship Asmodeus probably do it because their families have been doing it for generations. These people would view devil worship as part of the natural order of things. Watching a sacrifice to Asmodeus would just be business as usual for them.I'm trying to figure out if the average Asmodeus worshiper says, "Hi. I follow Asmodeus. I'm evil."
I'm guessing most don't. They probably don't even think in those terms (although some of that is most likely denial and rationalization).
No I'm sure that they don't go around with that outward disclosure to just anyone. But like any well-organized society with extreme views they of course approach social situations with a motive in mind to find the right people to be persuaded towards their ideals.
Aside from those who grew up in a family that passed the religious views to you, they gather outsiders just like those that exist in the real world; They talk to you, chum it up with you, make a rational inclination that you're the type of person that would fit in with them, invite you to a few functions, and suddenly before you know it, and now you can't even figure out why; you're selling Amway!
Robert
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Listen here, berk, and I'll give you the chant. Fact is, youse is gonna die one day after some basher gives you the laugh in the wrong corner of town. Face it, that chant is the Truth and they ain't nothin' youse is gonna do to stop it.
So, when you kick the can, where you wanna go?
Now, alla youse clueless Primes pay special close attention to this: the Celestials been fillin' yer heads with propaganda from day One 'bout how "good" they are an' how "bad" we are. See, they want you to bow down and worship them so you'll belong to them when you die, right? Then they can use your soul to fuel their Power and you get to be just like them... Ain't that nice?
Yeah, you bow down to 'em while they give you the laugh. That's a real great position to be in your whole life ain't it; face in the dirt and your butt in the air waitin' for any ole cutter to disrespect you. Maybe youse ought to read the openin' chapter of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children -- it'll do youse all some good.
See we don't ask you to bow down to nobody. I mean Nobody. You like bein' in that position then this ain't for you. And we'll tell you stratight up, we want yer soul just like everyone else; souls is some serious jink here.
But wit' us, you get to be pretty damned powerful while you're still a prime. Money? Dames? Respect? Whatever you want we'll work out a deal for you.
And yeah, when youse is dead you belong to us. Now, them Celestials been spreading lots o' bad stuff about what we do to you at first and some of it's true; I ain't gonna lie to you. That's disrespectful. So yeah, it's gonna hurt at first.
But that ain't the end, basher; youse gets to climb up the ladder. And there ain't NO glass ceiling here.
So let me ask ya,
How would you like to be a Pit Fiend in a hunderd years?!
-(pamphlet found on the body of W. E. Ray)
Why wouldn't someone choose to worship Asmodeus when there are so many exciting opportunities to pursue in his name?
Exactly! Praise Asmodeus!
Aside from those who grew up in a family that passed the religious views to you, they gather outsiders just like those that exist in the real world; They talk to you, chum it up with you, make a rational inclination that you're the type of person that would fit in with them, invite you to a few functions, and suddenly before you know it, and now you can't even figure out why; you're selling Amway!
Robert
Funniest crap I've read all day. LOL! :)
Not to mention; do the regular folk even recognise the existence of the outer planes?
As players, you have a gods-eye view of how the game-setting is.
NPCs, especially low-level ones, only hear how their after-life might be.
The great joy of using other settings than Greyhawk or Faerun. It's the same for pcs and for npcs. ^^
|
|
Mosaic and anyone else interested in this should really get the Fiendish Codex from Hell. It's loaded with the best fluff WotC ever put out for 3E and it devotes a whole chapter to this kind of stuff.
My own personal homebrew for the three cults of Asmodeus is quite controversial.
See, Asmodeus wants a monolpoly on souls, evil and good. All he and his cult have to do to the good ones is convert them without their knowing -- get them to lead LE lives while believing they're LG.
Very few people will join a church of an evil Power who wants to torture them when they die. Asmodeus is smart. In my homebrew he creats a church that pretends to be Lawful Good. The vast majority of worshippers really believe that what they're worshipping is "good." The very top brass -- the ones who write the dogma -- are the ones who know the truth and they write dogma that slowly and insidiously degenerates the followers.
Now, this church needs an enemy so who better than Asmodeus to represent as that enemy.
So, if you're a member of the "good church" you're really following Asmodeus. And if you don't like the church you can join the church's enemy: Asmodeus.
The third cult is for the agnostics -- yep, Asmodeus tries after them as well.
-W. E. Ray
|
|
I'm trying to figure out if the average Asmodeus worshiper says, "Hi. I follow Asmodeus. I'm evil."I have a saying I'm fond of. "Everyone goes to bed a hero in thier own mind." Most people even those that commit the foulest acts for the most part feel justified in thier actions. It's an extreme minority of people that actualy acknowledge themselves as evil.
For the most part it's only in the movies that villains actually cackle, gloat, or twirl a mustache.
Other than Lazar's example, Other notable examples would be the severing of a head of an innocent journalist in front of cameras to get ones political or religious views heard around the world; or flying Boeing commercial jumbo-jets into buildings full of innocent people; or experimenting and murdering on 12 million russians during World War II. They didn't do it because they thought "Hey look at us - we're evil and proud of it!" they did it becuase they thought it was in their best interest to protect their way of life. Of course, this doesn't mean they're any less messed up in the head - but I'm sure the followers of Asmodeus are similarly not all right in the head either.
And as for the age-old tradition of Asmodeus' as well as other vile religions to sacrifice young virgins; don't read too much into it, as it is mostly just a conspiracy to get girls to put out!
Robert
|
|
Funniest crap I've read all day. LOL! :)Aside from those who grew up in a family that passed the religious views to you, they gather outsiders just like those that exist in the real world; They talk to you, chum it up with you, make a rational inclination that you're the type of person that would fit in with them, invite you to a few functions, and suddenly before you know it, and now you can't even figure out why; you're selling Amway!
Robert
Thanks, Steve. I'm here all week. :-)
The above is written and documented from real-world personal experience....
Robert
|
|
Aside from those who grew up in a family that passed the religious views to you, they gather outsiders just like those that exist in the real world; They talk to you, chum it up with you, make a rational inclination that you're the type of person that would fit in with them, invite you to a few functions, and suddenly before you know it, and now you can't even figure out why; you're selling Amway!
kudos for a great post!
-W. E. Ray
And as for the age-old tradition of Asmodeus' as well as other vile religions to sacrifice young virgins; don't read too much into it, as it is mostly just a conspiracy to get girls to put out!
I always maintained that the old "dragons eat virgins" is something Eros negotiated with them so his worshippers could come and "rescue" them.
But the virgin part is actually true in the case of Asmodeus. His new temple in Korvosa was consecrated with the blood of 17 virgins. And the kicker of this is that they all went along with this of their own free will (and 4 even refused city-paid resurrection)
On the small scale how many people you know go to church on Sunday, say thier prayers and don't blink twice on purchasing pirated material?
People pay for pirated material? Why pirate it?
For the record, I don't know any people who pay for pirated material. I'm not saying that I don't know people who own virtually stolen media, just that they didn't pay for it.
And I don't know many who go to church on Sunday, either.
To worship a demon prince, you probably have to be quite crazy to begin with. ^^
Archdevil. Big difference to a demon prince. They're fiends of their words. They'll bend the rule, stretch them - but not break them. You better make damn sure you understand that contract you're signing, including all the small print and the grey areas, but unlike Lamashtu, Asmodeus probably won't go and renege on a deal just because he feels like it. That would be demonic, i.e. insulting.
As for people willingly serving evil powers and ideals and masters: It's not as if the world didn't have anything like this. There are satanists out there. They know that Satan is evil. They think it's cool. They love the power they think they're getting. I'm sure that there are a lot of other dark powers out there that are venerated for what they are.
And, as many have pointed out, a lot of people commit the vilest of deeds and think they're actually doing good: Suicide bombers who think they do their god's will, crusaders who murder in the name of their lord, inquisitors who think they do the guys a favour by torturing them a couple of days (since thoiugh they'll die, they won't go to hell, and anything is better than eternal damnation, right?), soldiers or other officials who murder and torture because they think they have to or it's patriotic to do so.
Finally, there's those who just follow orders. They think it's not their place to question the chain of command.
Really, in our world, for every Evil person who knows he's evil and likes it, there are thousands of evil persons who don't know. (I'm still not sure which type is worse).
In a world where the servants of that dark power can demonstrate the power they're granted, their lure is a thousandfold for those who just want power.
|
|
To worship a demon prince, you probably have to be quite crazy to begin with. ^^
Archdevil. Big difference to a demon prince.
To clear up any confusion: Neithan was preempting any response suggesting folks worship a Demon Lord instead of a Devil, making it clear that while a sane person may worship a Devil only idiots would worship Demons. He was not confusing the two.
Get it right Chaos-boy ;)
-W. E. Ray
|
|
Think of this in terms of Soviet Communism for a moment. There were the "useful idiots" who really believed that the system worked... Other apologists will claim that any evil done by the system is justified until they get the situation under control... Those at the top understood the system and understood its true nature...
This is very much how I imagine it.
So what is the dogma the Church of Asmodeus feeds to the masses?
Think of this in terms of Soviet Communism for a moment. There were the "useful idiots" who really believed that the system worked... Other apologists will claim that any evil done by the system is justified until they get the situation under control... Those at the top understood the system and understood its true nature...This is very much how I imagine it.
So what is the dogma the Church of Asmodeus feeds to the masses?
Do they actually have one? There's a reason the faith of Asmodeus is rather obscure and he's not considered a god, despite being at least equally powerful as many of them.
I think it's rather the other way round. He doesn't invite you, you have to "make him an offer he can't refuse".When a cult invites someone as a follower, I guess it's mostly like offering a job. Join the gang and share the spoils. There isn't really much of a theology behind it.
|
|
Think of this in terms of Soviet Communism for a moment. There were the "useful idiots" who really believed that the system worked... Other apologists will claim that any evil done by the system is justified until they get the situation under control... Those at the top understood the system and understood its true nature...This is very much how I imagine it.
So what is the dogma the Church of Asmodeus feeds to the masses?
Do they actually have one? There's a reason the faith of Asmodeus is rather obscure and he's not considered a god, despite being at least equally powerful as many of them.
I think it's rather the other way round. He doesn't invite you, you have to "make him an offer he can't refuse".
When a cult invites someone as a follower, I guess it's mostly like offering a job. Join the gang and share the spoils. There isn't really much of a theology behind it.
Its more like being invited to join a gang with extreme views.
Watch the movie: American History X and see how one becomes enamored with extreme views - as the propoganda continues to feed on his most basic fears.
Watch the movie: Higher Learning - as Michael Rappaport's character who is affraid, awkward, and a loner slowly beomes enamored with those in the gang around him - he begins to feel he finally fits in and has friends, and has a means to feel safe.....he can't know that he's getting in over his head into some bad juju mon.
Thats probably how most of these kinds of religions find their followers (those that weren't born and raised within it).
As far as the church goes - it probably serves people by giving them what they think they want and need most.
Check out Stephen King's "Needful Things" Thats a devil/asmodeus style seducing people if I ever saw one.
Robert
To clear up any confusion: Neithan was preempting any response suggesting folks worship a Demon Lord instead of a Devil, making it clear that while a sane person may worship a Devil only idiots would worship Demons. He was not confusing the two.Get it right Chaos-boy ;)
Right. I have spontaneously forgotten how to read. Maybe it's those painkillers, though the insert didn't mention anything like it. Or did it? Maybe I forgot.... <_<
Do they actually have one? There's a reason the faith of Asmodeus is rather obscure and he's not considered a god, despite being at least equally powerful as many of them.
Not on Golarion. He's a full-fledged deity there, with centers of Worship being Cheliax, Isger, Nidal and Cheliax (yes, I mentioned it twice. He's that important there).
Think of this in terms of Soviet Communism for a moment. There were the "useful idiots" who really believed that the system worked and that its faults were the result of "wreckers" and/or "limiters". Other apologists will claim that any evil done by the system is justified until they get the situation under control. Others will join the apparatus because they can avoid being the victims of its oppression. Some will even rationalize that they will be less malicious in their pursuit than someone else who actually believes in dogma of Asmodeus. They see themselves as more merciful than true enthusiasts of the faith.Those at the top understood the system and understood its true nature. Despite this they still made efforts to justify their actions to the public. This served to keep the masses docile and deflect criticism and opposition. Apply this approach to followers of other gods.
I disagree that the people at the top, in general, understood the true system and recognized that it was flawed. Most actually believed in what they were doing.
Even the truly evil individuals such as Stalin and (in Nazi Germany's case) Hitler believed in what they were doing and believed that they where acting in the best interests of their people. We'd vehemently disagree but they believed in their causes. Most people do.
I imagine the picture below yesterday's blog entry explains why 90% of Asmodeus' worshippers bow down to him. ;-)
|
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
|
I imagine the picture below yesterday's blog entry explains why 90% of Asmodeus' worshippers bow down to him. ;-)Well, sure, if you don't mind having your soul sucked out of you in the process. It would also make Asmodeus' clergy fairly heavily biased towards one gender, I'd think.
Erinyes, not succubus. Golarion still has both.
That said, any fool can soul suck, Devils receive them from you willingly, gift wrapped :-)
A couple of thoughts on the worship of Asmodeus.
One is the fact that in times of turmoil, the promise of order, direction, and safety can often overrule common sense and goodness. I think if you look you can find more than a few examples of this kind of behavior in actual life.
I dread using the Nazi's as an example on the internet, but there it is...and it's certainly not an isolated incident in our world. Often people will hold order up as decency, even if that order involved indecent behavior. Asmodeus may represent evil, but also represents order and law.
Often those who lead and have the respect of the masses can make a decision that others will follow. I choose to look at the worship of this fiend as a combination of these two things.
|
In addition to all of the above, there's also any number of lies Asmodeus' followers might try to drill into the heads of the common Chelaxian. "All mortals are consigned to the Pit, the Upper Planes are a lie, you might as well resign yourself to your fate and strive for a place of honor in Hell." and so on.
Here's something I'm curious about: How does the clergy of Asmodeus feel about frivolous lawsuits? Because that can be a frightening threat to have hanging over your head in urban settings like Korvosa. Regardless of your innocence(or worse, actual guilt), they just keep coming and coming until you lose everything.
I think it's important to note that Asmodeus has both Law and Trickery as domains. Interesing combination for the God of Contracts...
I think many worshipers of Asmodeus probably emphasize the fact that they are on the Law side of the Law/Chaos divide. They may just change the subject if Good vs. Evil comes up.
But I'm sure there are also plenty of Asmodeus worshipers who freely admit to the evil bits, and then follow up with "what's your point, worm?"
I imagine all of them are saying "Might makes Right" and "We're Large and In Charge" and that sort of thing.
I don't think it's always useful to try and draw too many parallels between D&D and the real world in situations like this. Although you have "moral gray areas" in both D&D and the real world, some things in D&D are a bit more clear because they are defined as part of the rules system.
If you (as a player) want to know if Asmodeus is Evil, you look on page 59 of the Gazetteer. You see Alignment: LE. Asked and answered. If a PC wants to know if a cleric or other follower of Asmodeus is Evil, he can get an answer by casting a spell (and countering any magical obfuscation that might be in place). If someone casts a spell with the "Evil" descriptor, that's an evil act as defined by the game. And in the game, you can summon a Devil to do your bidding.
In the real world, things are much less clear. People spend a lot of time trying to figure out "The Lesser of Two Evils". People in the real world have to decide if it's worth it to do something terrible to a few people (that they don't like to begin with) in order to mabye possibly save the lives of people they care about.
It takes a lot of guts to stand up and say "I won't do this bad thing even if me and my love ones have to die a horrible death as a consequence." And it's a lot easier to take that stand in D&D, because you know where heaven is (page 18 of the Gazetteer).
The adherents of the real world's various faiths don't necessarily say they are "good" as defined by Gary Gygax (R.I.P) and the 8 alignments in the D&D rules. But most of them say they are "right". And sometimes, the more extreme the view, the more "right" they think they are.
|
|
I'm not sure this really contributes this much to the discussion, but then again, maybe it does.
I really don't CARE why someone throws in with evil. Once that choice is made, they will suffer the consequences of their actions. I would imagine that's a more common sentiment than you'd think. If someone is enslaving and murdering innocent people, sacrificing virgins and torturing anyone who disagrees with them to death, their motivations are of trivial importance. Just another perspective, I guess.
Also, if we drag real-world examples into this too much, it will become a flamewar. No society is perfectly clean, but some are much worse than others. (Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, Ancient Egypt, Cambodia under Pol Pot, etc.)
Also, if we drag real-world examples into this too much, it will become a flamewar.
I totally agree. It's better to try to look at things from a totaly "D&D mindset".
I think the basic answer to the OP's question is: Power and Prestige. If you worship Asmodeus, maybe pick up a few cleric levels, clearly you will be granted power. A rare cleric of Asmodeus might be LN, but I'm sure the majority are Evil.
Because the political leaders in Cheliax worship Asmodeus, joining the church is probably the key to prestige in that country. It's possible that you have some non-evil folks showing up at the services, especially among the econmomically disadvantaged. People with the means and a good alignment would probably just leave Cheliax.
In Korvosa, it's a bit less clear-cut, because the Diabolists haven't taken complete charge of the colony yet.
Because they prefer warm weather and an eternity of damnation in Hell suits them?
I asked a similar question over on the WotC FR boards once - why on earth would anyone worship an evil god? So you get to live with the prick when you die?
Thats no reward.
|
|
Because they prefer warm weather and an eternity of damnation in Hell suits them?
I asked a similar question over on the WotC FR boards once - why on earth would anyone worship an evil god? So you get to live with the prick when you die?
Thats no reward.
Power.
I know this involves closed-content material, but here's my case. Devotion to evil comes with some pretty useful perks, if one is an aggressive sociopath. Easy access to the warlock class, vile feats, and dark craft XP among them. A good cleric 20 is not as powerful as an evil warlock 1/cleric 9/eldritch disciple 10, and they're nowhere NEAR as powerful as an evil binder 5/warlock 1/ur-priest 2/eldritch disciple 9/hellfire warlock 3 who follows a dead god (elder evil; bonus vile feat at levels 1,5,15,15,and 20) who gets his magic items for "free" because he crafts them using Dark Craft XP from human sacrifices, commands a legion of undead, and so on. The blackguard class is more powerful than the paladin class, too.
Also, if the person serves the evil power well enough, they're told they may become a demon or devil in the next life (they mistakenly believe that they will still be themselves when this happens) and then there's becoming an immortal undead (like a vampire or lich) to factor in.
If you start using material from third-party sources instead, it opens up options like the spell addict (Plot & Poison; Green Ronin) the Forsaken Shigmaa (Ptolus; Malhavoc Press) and the use of Chaositech (Chaositech; Malhavoc Press).
And then there's the undead legions again.
|
|
There are also those that genuinely believe in the ideals embodied by those deities. Some people might choose Asmodeus over Torag because they think the latter's "sentimentality" only serves to weaken the very law they should be enforcing on a disordered world. Some might take refuge in the worship of Lamashtu because they feel rejected by the world at large and don't believe that any other deity would be as accepting of them as their loving Mother.
Desperation, feeling lost and aimless in an uncaring world, absolutist belief in an ideology, etc., there are plenty of things that could lead people to the worship of evil gods.