Editing Asmodeus (section)

===[[4e]]===
Talking about Asmodeus in 4e gets complicated, for a very simple reason: there are ''two'' of him in that edition. One is native to the [[Nentir Vale]] setting, the "core" of 4e, who is functionally a brand new individual in terms of lore, and the other is native to the [[Forgotten Realms]], and is supposed to be the same one who's been plaguing the Realms from the very beginning of D&D, resulting in the need to "build on from" his lore from at least 3rd edition.

The Asmodeus of the Nentir Vale was once the most powerful [[archangel]] of a goodly god, but during the [[Dawn War]], he became convinced that his master was holding back the forces of the gods with his "virtuousness" and that harsher, more ruthless behavior was required to win. This may have something to do with his claiming a shard of the Seed of Evil from the [[Abyss]], something that also sparked the [[Blood War]] of the [[World Axis]]. He spread his beliefs amongst his fellow [[angel]]s like a poison, swaying them until they were able to rise up en masse and murder their former master. So thoroughly did Asmodeus obliterate even the memory of his former master that only the fact of his prior existence remains in the world today, resulting in this god being called only "He Who Was". Filled with paranoia that if his old master's name is ever rediscovered, the god could be brought back, Asmodeus stops at nothing to scour for any clues he might have missed.

Did this Asmodeus get what he wanted? Well... yes, and no. It is hinted his taking charge of his old master's troops actually did help boost the gods in their war effort, and he was accepted amongst the gods... right up until they realized his treacherous rat-bastadry and ambition wasn't sated yet, at which point they backed off. Plus, He Who Was cursed Asmodeus and all his followers as he died, transforming [[Baator]] into the current hellhole that it is, warping them into their present devilish forms, and forcibly binding them in Baator as an inescapable prison until Asmodeus figured out a loophole or two.

Incidentally, this is what defines the devils of the Nentir Vale setting; whilst any angel can serve an evil god and still be considered an angel, devils are ''fallen'' angels, marked by a divine curse for their treachery and deicide.

As a god, Nentir Vale Asmodeus has the portfolio of Power, Domination and Tyranny, and his associated [[Cleric Domain]]s in "Divine Power" are Civilization and Tyranny. His three commandments are:
* Seek power over others.
* Repay evil with evil, and exploit the kindness of others.
* Show neither pity nor compassion for those caught underfoot on your rise to power; the weak do not deserve compassion.

Aside from killing He Who Was and creating the devils, and possibly orphaning [[human]]ity - some believe He Who Was used to be humanity's patron god, but then again, others claim that humanity's patron was a different god who was murdered by [[Zehir]] - the most notable influence that Asmodeus has in the [[Nentir Vale]] is being the creator of the [[tiefling]]s. Long story short, the nobles of the waning [[human]] empire of [[Bael Turath]] made diabolic pacts with Asmodeus for the survival of their empire, transforming them all irrevocably into the first tieflings. Even though Bael Turath fell in a mutual-kill with the empire of [[Arkhosia]], scattering tieflings and [[dragonborn]] alike across the world and breeding a strong distaste for their former master in many tieflings, the heirs to Bael Turath are still stereotyped as Asmodeans by default in the present.

As for the Asmodeus of the [[Forgotten Realms]]...

Basically, this version profited hugely from the [[Spellplague]], seizing advantage of the death of [[Mystra]] to murder & consume one of her divine underlings, [[Azuth]]. This not only propelled him to godhood, but allowed him to tap into the [[Spellplague]] just long enough to reshape the very structure of the planes themselves, forcing the [[World Tree]] into the [[World Axis]] and decisively ending the distraction of the [[Blood War]]. At least, he ''claims'' reshaping the multiverse was his doing; he may just be lying. The lord of all devils does that, you know.

Also, he supposedly used his new power to "claim" all of the tieflings in the Realms, mutating them into their 4e canon forms as a side-effect of marking them.