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"We were once bound here, among the stars, long ago. Bound to remain and bound to possess..."

Asmodeus, 2271

"Asmodeus' race" is a non-physical species that existed at least as far back as time of the emergence of the First Ones. The species was permanently sealed away on Earth as punishment by Lorien and the First Ones.

History

Long ago, Asmodeus' race could travel the galaxy of their free will and encountered Lorien and the First Ones. Initially welcomed into the ranks of the First Ones, over the millennia these beings started believing they were as knowledgeable as Lorien and the other First Ones and challenged their cosmic order. As punishment they were cast out, exiled and bound to the primitive Earth, unable to leave. Eventually as the Human species advanced, these non corporeal beings began taking an interest in them. Their tales of being cast out and exiled became the basis of many of Earth's religious beliefs. During Europe's medieval era, they tried to possess countless humans, which was interpreted as demonic possession. On Friday June 17th 1614, The Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul V on the Roman Ritual was delivered at St Mary Major in Rome. Unknown to all, the exiles had influenced the drafting of the rite of exorcism as a means of dispossessing a host body, their only way of escaping Earth to return to the stars in the future [1]

During the Third Age, one of these aliens, Asmodeus, possessed Simon Burke during a trip to Earth and remained within him when the young man returned to Babylon 5. Asmodeus' intention was to escape the planet and convince a servant of God to set him free while away from the planet, thus again rendering him free to dwell among the cosmos. His plan was foiled by Colonel Elizabeth Lochley, who discovered the truth about Asmodeus' plan. Asmodeus was sent back to Earth where he was exorcised by clergy of the Roman Catholic Church.[2]

Notes

  • Lochley predicts that Asmodeus and his race would all die when Sol went nova. However, when that event came to past,[3] it was unknown whether Asmodeus' race had found a way to set themselves free or were still bound to Earth. Therefore, it is not known if this race went extinct.
  • Believed by Humans to have been a source of demonic possession during the European Dark Ages, this race could be called "Demons". Nevertheless, the terms "Asmodeus' race" and "Demons" are used here only as descriptors, as no official name for this race was ever mentioned.

References

  1. Across Time and Space: The Chronologies of Babylon 5 - Straczynski confirms these beings were responsible for the stories that formed the basis of Earth religions
  2. Babylon 5: The Lost Tales: Over Here
  3. The Deconstruction of Falling Stars
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