Astaroth, Devil of the Pit

Legends say that thousands of years ago, before Old Imperium was even a thought, the Kellen People commanded a large empire. The stories surrounding this empire from the long ago are fantastical indeed, and if they are to be believed, the Kellens owed much of their success to their taming of giant lizard-like beasts, which they used in their armies. Where these beasts have since disappeared to, none can say but none have ever been seen in the Basin for as long as it has existed. Even so, there is some tantalizing evidence in support of these claims, as unlikely as that sounds. Archeological digs in the region have unearthed a variety of clay pots depicting Kellen warriors riding on the backs of such creatures. Of course, these things could also be nothing more than examples of an ancient Kellen potter's overactive imagination. It is impossible to say. In any event, Reyhue led this vast empire when he was still mortal, and at some point, it was challenged by a rival nation that had secured a diabolic alliance with the fearsome devil Astaroth. The Kellens were able to defeat this rival, but the war between the two shattered their empire. Reyhue personally fought Astaroth and defeated him, but was left badly battered and scarred. In his victory, it is said that he hurled Astaroth into a pit so deep that it ran to the center of the earth. Exactly where this pit is, none can say, but over the years, hundreds of adventurers have attempted to locate it, either to kill Astaroth once and for all, or to release him from his prison. He is a cunning, powerful Devil, and imprisoned or no, his whispers still filter out of his dark cell and into the Basin, catching the ear of any who are willing to listen and trade favors for power....

Joining the Cult of Astaroth

Supplicants of Astaroth are bound to do his bidding, but as an Arch Devil, he has cunning plots within cunning plots that weave a tangled web. His purposes are inscrutable, though undoubtedly one of his long-term goals is to find a champion from among the folk of the Basin who is strong enough to free him from his long imprisonment and isolation. One does not have to be evil to become a supplicant of Astaroth, only to desire personal power and secret or forbidden knowledge, and while it is unknown how many followers the Arch Devil has in the Basin, there are probably more than most people realize. Secret Societies whose ranks are drawn from the disaffected. Society’s outcasts who wish to see the existing order torn down so that something new can be fashioned in its place, and of course, many of Astaroth’s supplicants mean to be sure that they are the ones in power when the new order arises. Ultimately, whether the goal is access to forbidden knowledge or greater personal power, there are a great number of people living in the Basin right now who would willingly make a deal with that particular devil, especially given that he is known to be more fair and generous than most of his kind. The stories say that those wishing to invoke Astaroth as a Patron must stand at any crossroads on the night of a full moon, and offer themselves, along with the blood of a freshly killed beast in a goblet as a token for the Arch Devil. If their offering is deemed worthy, an emissary of Astaroth will appear.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Astaroth's first and primary goal is to escape the prison he was placed in, thousands of years ago when Reyhue defeated him and cast him into an impossibly deep pit. If he can find a follower with the power to locate the pit, descend into its depths to discover what mechanisms are in place to keep him there, and disable those mechanisms, even temporarily, he would be free to roam the Basin and the other planes once more. From there, his motivations are anyone's guess.

Age

Unknown

Children

Gender

Male

Eyes

Glowing red

Hair

Longish, unkempt, salt and pepper

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Ruddy

Height

6'8"

Weight

290 pounds

Astaroth, Devil of the Pit