All answers are welcome, but the most helpful answers will pertain to a specific Archdevil, and if it comes from official source material then please say so (I won't hold your feet to the fire here, if your not sure then just say you read it somewhere or whatever). Also I am interested in this for any Archdevils / Dukes, etc.... in 1st through 5e, but please say which edition it relates to and any DR year/range when possible.
For example: I have read in several places that Mammon will deal for gold and other riches, but that he is kind of the only one. However, I think that unless a law prohibits it that a devil would probably be willing to deal for things other than souls so long as it is of equal or greater benefit and guaranteed.
In support of my logic, I know I read somewhere, I think it was 3.0 (or 3.5 I forget which) The Book of Vile Darkness that says that Bel will sometimes deal for ones service in the Blood War (usually for like 100 years or so, though I think the timeframe can vary).
Lastly, I think it would make sense that Levistus would deal for anyone that can free him from his icy prison.
I found this post that is on topic, but not relating to specific Archdevils, etc... so that is what I am really looking for here:
Broadly speaking any devil's bargain is made with the intent of either directly taking the other party's soul via the terms or corrupting the other party so they get their soul in the end anyways. More powerful devils tend to be more subtle, so they'd be more likely to use the latter method. So Dispater might empower or guide a wizard or warlock who's researching an esoteric branch of black magic in exchange for the knowledge they gain, whereas Mammon might accept tribute in gold, but at such a rate that the subject is forced to turn to really sketchy methods to make their payments. Granted, judging by MToF, he's more likely to play the loan shark angle than request gold as payment.
Without diving into D&D lore, they're intelligent creatures with a lot of power and resources and complicated agendas. They'll deal for anything they want and can't get through easier means. Souls are presumably particularly valuable and hard to get, which explains why they prioritize them. From what little of the D&D lore I know, they're very into political games with each other, so you can justify anything you want if it's going to sufficiently inconvenience a rival.
Without diving into D&D lore, they're intelligent creatures with a lot of power and resources and complicated agendas. They'll deal for anything they want and can't get through easier means. Souls are presumably particularly valuable and hard to get, which explains why they prioritize them. From what little of the D&D lore I know, they're very into political games with each other, so you can justify anything you want if it's going to sufficiently inconvenience a rival.
As far as affecting a rival, what is the value of denying souls to another archdevil compared to getting more souls for yourself? Does it matter where they end up, or is "Not with that guy" enough?
Without diving into D&D lore, they're intelligent creatures with a lot of power and resources and complicated agendas. They'll deal for anything they want and can't get through easier means. Souls are presumably particularly valuable and hard to get, which explains why they prioritize them. From what little of the D&D lore I know, they're very into political games with each other, so you can justify anything you want if it's going to sufficiently inconvenience a rival.
As far as affecting a rival, what is the value of denying souls to another archdevil compared to getting more souls for yourself? Does it matter where they end up, or is "Not with that guy" enough?
I think the value depends on the individual / soul in question, and what kind of inconvenience we are talking about here. I think one possibility goes beyond inconveniencing them and may be about helping them to usurp another Archdevil (i.e. Geryon usurping Levistus or Moloch usurping Glasya). Lol, Moloch usurping Glasya, maybe when Baator freezes over. Ok, totally cheesy, but legit I am cracking myself up right now.
Anyways, to get back on track here, my understanding of souls going to Baator is limited, but I believe they generally have to start out as a lemure, which are super weak. So in general, soul gathering is kind of a numbers game. The more souls gathered, the better the odds of a larger number of them actually climbing the ladder and amounting to something. That said, what if the devil is dealing with a powerful wizard like Elminster. Would the devil prefer his soul, or some other kind of service. No doubt, Moloch would be outmatched by Glasya in every way, but what if he had Elminster in his pocket, which would also probably never happen, but humor me for the sake of the thought experiment here. Maybe a powerful wizard's soul is more valuable in some way than I am aware of, but if not, then I would think Elminster's service would be preferable to turning him into a loyal lemure upon his death.
Inflicting pain gets your gold equal to the pain dealt. You COULD just stub your toe.. Or you can put a baby in a meat grinder... One's going to get you more gold than the other, and it's going to be a fun ride watching you make your way from point A to point B.... And your evil actions are likely to torment others so that they too are willing to do evil.
Another though might be to do small favors for certain.....things. A nice sword for your happiest memories. A purse of gold for your sadness.. Eventually you'll run out of things to trade...
Archfey are similar except they'll trade for anything as long as it staves off boredom.
Id say that depends on the goals of the devil in question. Dispater for example, might be willing to deal for secrets. Mammon for wealth, etc
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Devils and Archdevils will be neck deep in the Blood war. And by the mentioned rank, they will have been involved for a long long time. They have risen through the ranks, so they want power within their society, but they also want the total destruction of the Demons. This comes from reading a lot of material official and unofficial about the blood war. I particularly enjoy reading about soul larvae and the markets which feed the blood war. The official stance by WoTC is usually, "Figure it out, it is your game". So that said, when dealing with the motivation of high ranking demons and devils, I always use the perspective of the Blood war, and what can they get to change their own fortune within that war as Devils are structured, but still extremely selfish! Now mind you, there are occasions when you can motivate a devil by amusing it with your suffering if it gets bored enough. But I would definitely assume that would be for smaller favors.
Realize that to be in the service of the blood war, is to sacrifice one's self to either becoming a low level initiate demon or devil. So most deals will end with the person transforming into a soul larvae like entity in the end most of the time. These soul larvae are the first gestation of becoming a demon or a devil depending on which plane and what power is infused into them. I am a little rusty, but the bulk of my info comes from fan fiction, and the crumbs WoTC occasionally gives us.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
I would expect they would be willing to acquire the items that would entice someone to trade their soul. As an example, what sort of crazy powerful thing might do that? How about a magic item that would raise an important attribute above 20? Even the tomes that increase ability scores two points are beyond value in the Sane Price Guide to magic Items. So things on that list may well be the sorts of things a devil would want to obtain on his way to bagging another soul.
Also, magical means to restore life would interest a devil. How many times has someone said, "I'd gladly trade my life for theirs"? [Poof] A devil apparition appears and says, "I'm not interested in trading for you life. But I have something here that could do the job, FOR YOUR SOUL. What do you have to say about that?" This would give them the means for acquiring the soul of some virtuous people, which I believe is more appealing to them.
Beyond that, anything that might help them see into the future, so they could be ready on the spot to make their bargain when emotions are at their highest.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
That said, let me position the question like this. Say the devil is dealing with a PC that no longer possess there soul. What else could they bargain with?
Additionally, if there are any Lore Junkies out there that really know there stuff and have info on specific things that a specific Archdevil / Duke wants then that would be super helpful. This may pertain to the politics of Hell I suppose.
Dispater was the Lord of Dis (second layer of the 9 hells). He was known as the "Cautious One". He ruled the Iron City within the Iron Tower and his impregnable defenses were the stuff of legend. He is a master strategist and a lover of "Intrigue". His personal safety comes first, before all else. One way to get a favor from him, is to outwit him or catch him off guard. Which is also a feat of legend, so to make it believable you better bring your "A" game! He wants full control, but he is calculating and cautious. Another way to earn a favor is to help his rank and power somehow, without his needing to be involved or requiring any risk from him! He is also a huge Game Fanatic! He views everything he does from this perspective, so possibly beating him this way would earn favor but it would have to be 1 hell of a contest. He holds numerous secret techniques in mining and forging which does make him very valuable to the other demons. So a weapon or goods from him, could earn you a favor from other demons who are hell bent on winning the Blood War! But one other idea, would be offering him a secret in mining or forging that he doesn't know. For that he would risk acting against his own! So that would be a hell of a quest to obtain a lost secret! Read up on him in Forgotten Realms if you want to know how to play his personality right! I make him sound noble, but he is deceitful, manipulative, and a terror until his own!
Balan would be interesting as he was a Duke of Phlegethos. He serves Fierna, but his true loyalty is with Balial. If you could do something to help Balial without involving him. He would definitely owe you a favor. Balial retired, but that doesn't mean the Dukes approve of the new management. His thirst for combat and violence borders on lustful. He is belligerent and loud among his peers and superiors. And is way more dangerous than he appears.
Baftis was the first consort of Baalzebul. She is beautiful but scary as heck looking like a 9' succubus without a tail. Unlike Lilith she was quiet and subservient and very fearful of Baalzebul. If you made up a desire she wants without Baalzebul finding out, she would owe you a favor. She is sensitive about her pale skin on her back. Rumor has it a human on the Material plane once made an oath mentioning the "peally spine of Baftis", which she took as a summons and killed the guy without mercy. Just some thoughts to play with. Also if you read up on Lilith you can use her, or use her against Baftis. Lilith has a lot of references all over the place! Edit: Baftis is very reminiscent of the female demon from Hellraiser: Bloodlines!
Zepar was a duke of Maladomini who is a vicious and arrogant bully, who would avoid combat in favor of tormenting servants and anyone weaker than him. He has been known to slaughter groups of lesser demons for his own amusement. Not much more is written in the lore, which means you can literally do anything with this. Feed into his sick need to pull the wings off of flies to earn favor with him! Bring him that tortured soul that he craves but just hasn't been able to add to his collection! This route really takes an evil group, but would probably be the easiest for lower levels...... With help of course. Maybe a bargain with the right Night Hag for a special soul larvae that has been rumored to have been born from the death of someone intriguing. A favored warlock of one of his chief rivals would work well here!
Information. A foothold into the material plane. A change in circumstances in an area that would make its inhabitants much more willing to give their souls. The first step of a convoluted plan that will give the devil big rewards a few hundred years later.
Without diving into D&D lore, they're intelligent creatures with a lot of power and resources and complicated agendas. They'll deal for anything they want and can't get through easier means. Souls are presumably particularly valuable and hard to get, which explains why they prioritize them. From what little of the D&D lore I know, they're very into political games with each other, so you can justify anything you want if it's going to sufficiently inconvenience a rival.
As far as affecting a rival, what is the value of denying souls to another archdevil compared to getting more souls for yourself? Does it matter where they end up, or is "Not with that guy" enough?
Let's say the archdevil has a rival who they now realise has agents running a cult, which has just become very successful and is bringing in several dozen souls every day. They could claim 5 souls from these adventurers, or they could ask them to bring down this cult in exchange for keeping their souls.
Think of it like board games - sometimes it's more important to deny opponents points than to gain them yourself.
This is interesting, though my sources to contribute are limited. I have the Monster Manual and Descent into Avernus, so I’m only answering from those two sources.
fealty, including becoming a warlock or leading a cult in a devil’s name. In the case of arch devils, they value this almost as much as souls (DiA, Appendix A)
relics of enemies, for example, stealing a holy relic from a good-aligned temple and handing it over to the devil (DiA, Appendix A)
resisting temptation, for example, the deal is that the devil informs the character of the exact time, place, and manner of a horrible incident, and the characters swears not to intervene (DiA, Appendix A)
generic exploitation and corruption of the character, for example, not requesting the character’s soul directly but at least nudging said character toward evil acts and thus an evil afterlife (DiA, About section)
acceptance by the character of an evil gift from the devil (DiA, About section)
immoral actions committed by characters who have power over others (MM)
control, which relates to devils’ consistent desire to conquer, bully, and enslave others. This is mentioned multiple times in contexts separate from the reaping of souls. They really seem to enjoy hierarchy and bossing others around (MM, DiA in multiple sections)
simply impressing a superior, as devils also desire promotion; it’s implied in both sources that devils don’t care much for the souls so much as for the promotions which souls can bring (MM, DiA Appendix A)
That’s it for what can be directly read in the sources. What I extrapolate from this is that there are at least two scenarios, not directly written, which you could deduce without grasping for straws.
The first scenario relates to the fact that, per the MM, devils can only be promoted or demoted by an arch devil to whom they’ve sworn fealty; this is to prevent archdevils from interfering with each other’s subordinates. That just wouldn’t be lawful. It’s conceivable, given the conniving nature of devils mentioned in both sources, that they’d enlist a mortal’s help to see an opponent demoted through some convoluted scheme.
The second scenario relates to the fact that devils will settle for simple corruption even if a mortal’s soul is unavailable to them, per DiA. You can deduce from that various situations of the devil wanting a character not to corrupt themselves, but others; the character could just be an unwitting stooge who doesn’t comprehend the ramifications of what the devil has asked them to do.
That said, let me position the question like this. Say the devil is dealing with a PC that no longer possess there soul. What else could they bargain with?
Additionally, if there are any Lore Junkies out there that really know there stuff and have info on specific things that a specific Archdevil / Duke wants then that would be super helpful. This may pertain to the politics of Hell I suppose.
Thanks
Immediately i thin of pulling a John Constantine.
Bargain your soul with two other demons before everyone knows it's been sold, and when they come to collect, they'll fight amongst themselves for possession.
They all WILL be quite thoroughly angry with you and you may be hounded for all eternity, unable to really "die" as your soul won't really have a place to go but...
I haven't seen anything in 5E about that, but in older editions that trick wouldn't work: swearing your soul to a fiend left a mark that other fiends could see and know that the soul was already claimed.
All answers are welcome, but the most helpful answers will pertain to a specific Archdevil, and if it comes from official source material then please say so (I won't hold your feet to the fire here, if your not sure then just say you read it somewhere or whatever). Also I am interested in this for any Archdevils / Dukes, etc.... in 1st through 5e, but please say which edition it relates to and any DR year/range when possible.
For example: I have read in several places that Mammon will deal for gold and other riches, but that he is kind of the only one. However, I think that unless a law prohibits it that a devil would probably be willing to deal for things other than souls so long as it is of equal or greater benefit and guaranteed.
In support of my logic, I know I read somewhere, I think it was 3.0 (or 3.5 I forget which) The Book of Vile Darkness that says that Bel will sometimes deal for ones service in the Blood War (usually for like 100 years or so, though I think the timeframe can vary).
Lastly, I think it would make sense that Levistus would deal for anyone that can free him from his icy prison.
I found this post that is on topic, but not relating to specific Archdevils, etc... so that is what I am really looking for here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DescentintoAvernus/comments/g9c7hs/besides_souls_what_should_devils_ask_for_as/
Thanks all,
Broadly speaking any devil's bargain is made with the intent of either directly taking the other party's soul via the terms or corrupting the other party so they get their soul in the end anyways. More powerful devils tend to be more subtle, so they'd be more likely to use the latter method. So Dispater might empower or guide a wizard or warlock who's researching an esoteric branch of black magic in exchange for the knowledge they gain, whereas Mammon might accept tribute in gold, but at such a rate that the subject is forced to turn to really sketchy methods to make their payments. Granted, judging by MToF, he's more likely to play the loan shark angle than request gold as payment.
Without diving into D&D lore, they're intelligent creatures with a lot of power and resources and complicated agendas. They'll deal for anything they want and can't get through easier means. Souls are presumably particularly valuable and hard to get, which explains why they prioritize them. From what little of the D&D lore I know, they're very into political games with each other, so you can justify anything you want if it's going to sufficiently inconvenience a rival.
As far as affecting a rival, what is the value of denying souls to another archdevil compared to getting more souls for yourself? Does it matter where they end up, or is "Not with that guy" enough?
Good thoughts!
If my memory serves, then I think the black magic / knowledge angle might make sense for Mephistopheles as well.
Thanks
I think the value depends on the individual / soul in question, and what kind of inconvenience we are talking about here. I think one possibility goes beyond inconveniencing them and may be about helping them to usurp another Archdevil (i.e. Geryon usurping Levistus or Moloch usurping Glasya). Lol, Moloch usurping Glasya, maybe when Baator freezes over. Ok, totally cheesy, but legit I am cracking myself up right now.
Anyways, to get back on track here, my understanding of souls going to Baator is limited, but I believe they generally have to start out as a lemure, which are super weak. So in general, soul gathering is kind of a numbers game. The more souls gathered, the better the odds of a larger number of them actually climbing the ladder and amounting to something. That said, what if the devil is dealing with a powerful wizard like Elminster. Would the devil prefer his soul, or some other kind of service. No doubt, Moloch would be outmatched by Glasya in every way, but what if he had Elminster in his pocket, which would also probably never happen, but humor me for the sake of the thought experiment here. Maybe a powerful wizard's soul is more valuable in some way than I am aware of, but if not, then I would think Elminster's service would be preferable to turning him into a loyal lemure upon his death.
Thoughts?
Small acts that corrupt the self and others.
Inflicting pain gets your gold equal to the pain dealt. You COULD just stub your toe.. Or you can put a baby in a meat grinder... One's going to get you more gold than the other, and it's going to be a fun ride watching you make your way from point A to point B.... And your evil actions are likely to torment others so that they too are willing to do evil.
Another though might be to do small favors for certain.....things. A nice sword for your happiest memories. A purse of gold for your sadness.. Eventually you'll run out of things to trade...
Archfey are similar except they'll trade for anything as long as it staves off boredom.
Id say that depends on the goals of the devil in question. Dispater for example, might be willing to deal for secrets. Mammon for wealth, etc
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Devils and Archdevils will be neck deep in the Blood war. And by the mentioned rank, they will have been involved for a long long time. They have risen through the ranks, so they want power within their society, but they also want the total destruction of the Demons. This comes from reading a lot of material official and unofficial about the blood war. I particularly enjoy reading about soul larvae and the markets which feed the blood war. The official stance by WoTC is usually, "Figure it out, it is your game". So that said, when dealing with the motivation of high ranking demons and devils, I always use the perspective of the Blood war, and what can they get to change their own fortune within that war as Devils are structured, but still extremely selfish! Now mind you, there are occasions when you can motivate a devil by amusing it with your suffering if it gets bored enough. But I would definitely assume that would be for smaller favors.
Realize that to be in the service of the blood war, is to sacrifice one's self to either becoming a low level initiate demon or devil. So most deals will end with the person transforming into a soul larvae like entity in the end most of the time. These soul larvae are the first gestation of becoming a demon or a devil depending on which plane and what power is infused into them. I am a little rusty, but the bulk of my info comes from fan fiction, and the crumbs WoTC occasionally gives us.
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
Anything that gives them an advantage against the other archdevils and secures their own layer. Pure power basically.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
I would expect they would be willing to acquire the items that would entice someone to trade their soul. As an example, what sort of crazy powerful thing might do that? How about a magic item that would raise an important attribute above 20? Even the tomes that increase ability scores two points are beyond value in the Sane Price Guide to magic Items. So things on that list may well be the sorts of things a devil would want to obtain on his way to bagging another soul.
Also, magical means to restore life would interest a devil. How many times has someone said, "I'd gladly trade my life for theirs"? [Poof] A devil apparition appears and says, "I'm not interested in trading for you life. But I have something here that could do the job, FOR YOUR SOUL. What do you have to say about that?" This would give them the means for acquiring the soul of some virtuous people, which I believe is more appealing to them.
Beyond that, anything that might help them see into the future, so they could be ready on the spot to make their bargain when emotions are at their highest.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Hey thanks everyone,
A lot of great responses here.
That said, let me position the question like this. Say the devil is dealing with a PC that no longer possess there soul. What else could they bargain with?
Additionally, if there are any Lore Junkies out there that really know there stuff and have info on specific things that a specific Archdevil / Duke wants then that would be super helpful. This may pertain to the politics of Hell I suppose.
Thanks
Dispater was the Lord of Dis (second layer of the 9 hells). He was known as the "Cautious One". He ruled the Iron City within the Iron Tower and his impregnable defenses were the stuff of legend. He is a master strategist and a lover of "Intrigue". His personal safety comes first, before all else. One way to get a favor from him, is to outwit him or catch him off guard. Which is also a feat of legend, so to make it believable you better bring your "A" game! He wants full control, but he is calculating and cautious. Another way to earn a favor is to help his rank and power somehow, without his needing to be involved or requiring any risk from him! He is also a huge Game Fanatic! He views everything he does from this perspective, so possibly beating him this way would earn favor but it would have to be 1 hell of a contest. He holds numerous secret techniques in mining and forging which does make him very valuable to the other demons. So a weapon or goods from him, could earn you a favor from other demons who are hell bent on winning the Blood War! But one other idea, would be offering him a secret in mining or forging that he doesn't know. For that he would risk acting against his own! So that would be a hell of a quest to obtain a lost secret! Read up on him in Forgotten Realms if you want to know how to play his personality right! I make him sound noble, but he is deceitful, manipulative, and a terror until his own!
Balan would be interesting as he was a Duke of Phlegethos. He serves Fierna, but his true loyalty is with Balial. If you could do something to help Balial without involving him. He would definitely owe you a favor. Balial retired, but that doesn't mean the Dukes approve of the new management. His thirst for combat and violence borders on lustful. He is belligerent and loud among his peers and superiors. And is way more dangerous than he appears.
Baftis was the first consort of Baalzebul. She is beautiful but scary as heck looking like a 9' succubus without a tail. Unlike Lilith she was quiet and subservient and very fearful of Baalzebul. If you made up a desire she wants without Baalzebul finding out, she would owe you a favor. She is sensitive about her pale skin on her back. Rumor has it a human on the Material plane once made an oath mentioning the "peally spine of Baftis", which she took as a summons and killed the guy without mercy. Just some thoughts to play with. Also if you read up on Lilith you can use her, or use her against Baftis. Lilith has a lot of references all over the place! Edit: Baftis is very reminiscent of the female demon from Hellraiser: Bloodlines!
Zepar was a duke of Maladomini who is a vicious and arrogant bully, who would avoid combat in favor of tormenting servants and anyone weaker than him. He has been known to slaughter groups of lesser demons for his own amusement. Not much more is written in the lore, which means you can literally do anything with this. Feed into his sick need to pull the wings off of flies to earn favor with him! Bring him that tortured soul that he craves but just hasn't been able to add to his collection! This route really takes an evil group, but would probably be the easiest for lower levels...... With help of course. Maybe a bargain with the right Night Hag for a special soul larvae that has been rumored to have been born from the death of someone intriguing. A favored warlock of one of his chief rivals would work well here!
I am not sure what my Spirit Animal is. But whatever that thing is, I am pretty sure it has rabies!
Hey Prophet_Margin,, lots of great info and suggestions, thanks again!
For anyone who has had an interest in this topic, I found another article online that really hits the nail on the head.
It strongly recommends getting MToF for those interested in this topic among many others, which the article itself says it is based off of.
That said, here is the link for those that are interested.
https://halflinghobbies.com/making-deals-with-devils-in-dd-5e/
Thanks,
Information. A foothold into the material plane. A change in circumstances in an area that would make its inhabitants much more willing to give their souls. The first step of a convoluted plan that will give the devil big rewards a few hundred years later.
Let's say the archdevil has a rival who they now realise has agents running a cult, which has just become very successful and is bringing in several dozen souls every day. They could claim 5 souls from these adventurers, or they could ask them to bring down this cult in exchange for keeping their souls.
Think of it like board games - sometimes it's more important to deny opponents points than to gain them yourself.
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This is interesting, though my sources to contribute are limited. I have the Monster Manual and Descent into Avernus, so I’m only answering from those two sources.
That’s it for what can be directly read in the sources. What I extrapolate from this is that there are at least two scenarios, not directly written, which you could deduce without grasping for straws.
The first scenario relates to the fact that, per the MM, devils can only be promoted or demoted by an arch devil to whom they’ve sworn fealty; this is to prevent archdevils from interfering with each other’s subordinates. That just wouldn’t be lawful. It’s conceivable, given the conniving nature of devils mentioned in both sources, that they’d enlist a mortal’s help to see an opponent demoted through some convoluted scheme.
The second scenario relates to the fact that devils will settle for simple corruption even if a mortal’s soul is unavailable to them, per DiA. You can deduce from that various situations of the devil wanting a character not to corrupt themselves, but others; the character could just be an unwitting stooge who doesn’t comprehend the ramifications of what the devil has asked them to do.
I hope that helps. Have fun now…
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Immediately i thin of pulling a John Constantine.
Bargain your soul with two other demons before everyone knows it's been sold, and when they come to collect, they'll fight amongst themselves for possession.
They all WILL be quite thoroughly angry with you and you may be hounded for all eternity, unable to really "die" as your soul won't really have a place to go but...
I haven't seen anything in 5E about that, but in older editions that trick wouldn't work: swearing your soul to a fiend left a mark that other fiends could see and know that the soul was already claimed.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.