This post is harvesting copiously from a Reddit post I saw about five years ago, about the importance of making a Lawful Evil religion actually attractive to the people who follow it, instead of just being an excuse to be a jerk. The adage "no-one is a villain, in their own head" applies here.
In the original post, user u/almightyolive described Infernalism as below: [QUOTE] Infernalism first made it's appearance on the continent at the same time as the Fellborn pact (where humans allowed themselves to be transformed by the Devils in return for their and their future offspring's souls), but it is believed to be the dominant belief system among Devils. It emphasizes the importance of individual wealth and power, and while Infernalism advocates following the law it stresses that rules are meant to be bent. Infernalism is all about the individual and the present; it does not matter how the world was created because you are here now and you matter. Infernalism implores it's adherents to live in the moment, increase your personal power and not worry about silly things like the afterlife or reputation. It matches current scholarly thought on the nature of Devils, who are thought to be Fallen Angels who could no longer bear the responsibility of their duty and broke free of their bonds. The core of the religion is the Codex, or the set of codified rules that an adherent follows. There is evidence of a variety of conflicting rule sets in circulation (even among Devils) despite it's central importance, leading some scholars to speculate that some adherents view that even the Codex itself is inferior to one's power and can be changed at will. There are two existing forms of Infernalism worship; the Cult and the Induction.
Author's note: The following list is a selection of common rules that appear on most versions of the Codex. It is not an exhaustive list.
I've had this post saved for years, waiting for an opportunity to introduce it to my campaign, but it's never quite fit. That said, it might fit for some of you, wonderful readers. Here are some ideas and comments on how you could use such a concept: How you can use Infernalism in your game: - For Pathfinder players, this concept fits perfectly for a native of Cheliax and their practice of Diabolism. For players in other campaign settings, the Shadovar of Forgotten Realms, the Scarlet Brotherhood or the Empire of Iuz in Greyhawk, these kinds of beliefs might drive a Lawful Evil player character, without leading to them just disrupting the party and ruining everything. - For those who have played the updated versions of Doom, there's a religion similar to Infernalism going on, which the NPC Olivia Pierce follows and has led a cult in. This cult becomes an uprising that triggers off the main events of the game. This could be used as the basis for a new-age spiritualist belief system in a modern or sci-fi game with very little change. - Even if you (wisely) limit your player characters to not being evil, this kind of philosophy could be one that some of your Neutral or even Good characters might practice, eschewing the more manipulative or usurious commandments. Given that many of these commandments are to do with self-actualization and looking out for what's dear to you, it's not something that would necessarily "trigger off" someone's evil-detection senses. - The Ten Thousand Kings of Hell have become aware of the audacity practiced in seeding this religion among the mortal races, and even they are impressed with its success. They have elected one of their members, the Heresiarch, to orchestrate its growth. He is clad in darkened steel and cannot speak, only breathe words of fire that float upon the air, and yet his words are praised and listened to. The practices of concealment and deception are being discarded for honest semblance- and yet mortals still listen. Although this technically does not breach the Truce Celestial, the forces of the Heavens are mightily concerned by its growth, and would send word to their own agents to work against it. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 April 2020. Comments are closed.
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