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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 8569368" data-attributes="member: 2629">In the real world, many elements of morality/good/evil are handed down from religion.  In my setting, the same is true - the Gods and their rules form the foundation of moral discussion.  However, many, if not most, of my storylines challenge these moral beliefs.As an example, if you ask Asmodeus whether he is the ultimate evil, he'll tell you that evil and good are fabrications designed to deny him his due.  He took on the task of fighting the Blood War to protect all reality, and he was promised the resources (in the form of souls) necessary to wage that war.  As the Gods didn't live up to their end of the bargain, and denied him what he was promised (and what the multiverse needs to survive) he does everything in his rightful power to get those resources to fight that never ending war.That is a very precise statement - everything in his rightful power.  He doesn't cheat.  He never lies.  He is the most technically honest being in all existence, and he demands honesty and fair play from all those in his service.  However, his idea of fair is not the same as others.  Technicalities, omitted facts, etc... are something both parties need to be responsible for knowing, and your own ignorance resulting in you making a bad deal - well, you're responsible for that deal if you made it.  Nobody will force you to do it.  He and his servants will come to you when his deal is the best option you have, or when you have not been responsible enough to realize the risks you should be considering.  If you ask the right questions, you should get clear and unambiguous answers to them that reveal the truth.You may call him evil, but you live in a world with a Blood War in Avernus, and that Blood War has to be fought with the souls of mortals.  Who's gonna do it?  Heroes?  Demigods?  He has a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom! You weep for the souls twisted into Devils, Rakshasa and Night Hags.  You curse the Baatezu that rise to fight.  You have that luxury.  You have the luxury of ignoring what Asmodeus can't: That the corruption of those souls - while tragic - saves the universe on a daily basis! And his role - while groteque and incomprehensible to the heroes of the lands - saves that universe!  These heroes don't want to face that truth, because deep down in places they fear to talk about in their churches, those heroes want Asmodeus fighting the Blood War.  They need him fighting the Blood War.  Devils use words like "duty", "contracts" and "enslavement".  They use those words as the backbone of an eternal service defending everything from destruction.  Heroes use them as hyperbole while preaching to followers that are not free to choose their own beliefs!  Asmodeus has all the time in the universe, and honestly enjoys forcing heroes to face the reality of the situation.  Those heroes rise and sleep under the shield of souls that Asmodus leads and then curses the Baatezu for the manner in which that service is provided!  He doesn't need your thanks.  He learned that you won't give it, despite your very existence being made possible by that horrible service.  So, unless you're ready to sign a deal that makes your life better now, and that protects everything you ever loved when you die, he would rather leave you to your meaningless labels of Good and Evil so that he can get back to the only thing that really matters.Most people think of Asmodeus as the ultimate evil.  That is not how he sees himself.  And when the heroes, fighting deep into the gates of the 9 Hells, stand face to face with him and he gives them every opportunity to strike him down ... and they understand the stakes ... it gets interesting.</blockquote>

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