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 im-
mortal 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 deter-
mines where a soul will spend the rest of eternity. Those
who lived their lives most in keeping with a deity's out-
look 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 peo-
ple what they wish, and thus people pray for all the de-
lights 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.
S YMBOL O F AURILAURIL
The Frostmaiden, Lady Frostkiss, Icedawn
Auril, the merciless goddess of cold and winter, is
worshiped mostly in regions that are affected by deep
winters. Folk propitiate Auril with offerings and prayers
for mercy. Her priests warn others to prepare for winter,
and to stock extra provisions in order to have some to
spare as offerings to the goddess.
Few favor Auril except for those who make their live-
lihood from winter or those who truly love the season.
Her rare priests tend to be folk who would, but for their
status, likely be outcasts from their communities. They
practice celibacy and remain aloof from others when not
serving in their official capacity.
Luskan has a temple dedicated to Auril, the white-
spired Winter Palace. The structure is a roofless array
of pillars and arches carved of white stone. The rituals
of Auril's worship often seem cruel to outsiders. In
Luskan, visitors gather at the temple to watch the fre-
quent "wet parades," a ritual in which supplicants don
garments packed with ice. They then journey between
six white pillars known as the Kisses of Auril, which
are dispersed throughout the city. The worshipers move
from pillar to pillar, chanting prayers to the goddess.
Upon reaching a pillar, a supplicant must climb it and
then "kiss the lady," touching lips to a rusty iron plate
at the top. In winter, these events resemble frantic
footraces, with the added risk of frostbite and injuries
caused by falling from the slippery pillars. The parade
runners are cheered on by patrons who come out of
nearby taverns to place bets on the stamina of the par-
ticipants. Those who finish the race are thought to have
helped make the winter easier, and they rarely have to
pay for food or ale all winter long.AZUTH
The High One, the Lord of Spellcraft, the First Magister
Few pay homage to Azuth aside from wizards. For them,
the High One is the ultimate embodiment of all that they
hold dear.
Mystra serves as goddess of magic; Oghma is god of
knowledge; and Deneir is god of writing and language.
Azuth takes aspects of these general fields and applies
them to the specific practices of wizards. For instance,
while Mystra is the deity who represents the soul, art,
and wonder of magic, Azuth is god of a wizard's long
hours of study, exacting standards of movement andS YMBOL OF Al:UTH