For what price, a soul?

[ghost_warlock]

With all the emphasis on warlocks and their ilk in pop culture these days, and my usual pensive self this time of day/night, I started wondering about characters that agree to sell their souls and the various things they usually hope to acquire by doing so.

Assuming such a thing as an immortal soul exists, what would it take to get you to sell yours?

The Rules:
In this scenario, we can assume that whatever being it is that's participating in the bargain (be it fey creature, eldritch abomination, your traditional devil/demon, or something else) will uphold their end of the bargain and not twist it about maliciously. They're very honorable for a soul-collecting force of questionable ethics! :smallwink:

After negotiation of the deal, you will acquire whatever it is you want in trade, but will eventually die and then spend your afterlife in servitude to the creature you sold it to.

If becoming immortal/un-killable is part of the bargain, the creature will, at some unspecified future time (depending on the degree of invulnerability), call "time's up," remove the invulnerability, and claim your soul (effectively killing you).

Someone who later becomes immortal/un-killable will lose all benefits of the pact. If whatever it is that was granted by the pact cannot be stripped away, the creature will destroy your favorite possessions and/or loved ones (which ever is more dear to you) in a fit of rage since you've betrayed the deal.

Details about the creature you're selling your soul to are unneccessary, and assume that the time of servitude will be at least moderately unpleasant.

[Castaras]

I'd never sell my soul to anything or anyone. For anything. Period.

[The Rose Dragon]

If I can't be utterly immortal and invulnerable, eternally youthful and beautiful, why the hell should I sell my soul?

Can't my soul instead serve that creature in any afterlife he has while I'm having my four hours of sleep every day? It's still eternal servitude, since I get to live forever.

[ghost_warlock]

If I can't be utterly immortal and invulnerable, eternally youthful and beautiful, why the hell should I sell my soul?

Can't my soul instead serve that creature in any afterlife he has while I'm having my four hours of sleep every day? It's still eternal servitude, since I get to live forever.

Hm. I suppose we could revise the rules to say that you can be invulnerable/unkillable, but the creature granting these can essentially say "times up" and claim your soul (effectively killing you) at some unspecified future time. This probably wouldn't happen for several years, though.

Perhaps there'd be an inverse relationship between degree of invulnerability and duration of invulnerability. Able to survive swords, bullets, and such would be several years, maybe, while surviving direct nuclear strikes would result in the creature claiming your soul much sooner.

Original post edited. :smallsmile:

Edit: And you could certainly say that not having to sleep any more is part of the original bargain. :smallwink:

[turkishproverb]

Am I the only one that has seen Twilight Zone?

They can give you eternal life. Eventually you'll get bored and want to die.

[FoE]

I'd sell my soul for a donut. :smalltongue:

EDIT: What warlocks? The only warlocks I hear about are Fourth Edition Dungeons and Dragons warlocks.

[The Rose Dragon]

They can give you eternal life. Eventually you'll get bored and want to die.

I'm already bored enough. I still don't want to die, because the alternative - eternal oblivion and loss of awareness - is too scary to comprehend.

[FoE]

I'm already bored enough. I still don't want to die, because the alternative - eternal oblivion and loss of awareness - is too scary to comprehend.

Relax. Two things will happen when you die: either you become a Jedi ghost, or you go a giant restaurant. Admittedly, the latter is kind of boring, as it does take years for the waiter to get to your table.

[Lord Herman]

I'd sell my soul for a donut. :smalltongue:

EDIT: What warlocks? The only warlocks I hear about are Fourth Edition Dungeons and Dragons warlocks.

I think the OP meant your own soul, not any soul you may currently have in your possession.

[FoE]

I think the OP meant your own soul, not any soul you may currently have in your possession.

How can I sell something that I don't even have?

[The Rose Dragon]

I think da Rogue has Face of Evil's soul. :smallbiggrin:

[Dallas-Dakota]

Meh, souls are overrated.

[Lord Herman]

How can I sell something that I don't even have?

Hey, if those guys on Wall Street can, why can't you?

[ghost_warlock]

EDIT: What warlocks? The only warlocks I hear about are Fourth Edition Dungeons and Dragons warlocks.

3.5 D&D, 4e D&D, WoW, a couple other CRPGs/MMOs, a few movies feature them (although not neccessarily recent ones). I haven't done a complete survey of all known fantasy novels, but there's certainly a few that feature characters who've sold their soul for such-and-such.


How can I sell something that I don't even have?

The original post states that the exercise assumes the existance of a soul. Play make-believe if you don't personally believe they exist IRL.

[FoE]

I think da Rogue has Face of Evil's soul. :smallbiggrin:

No, just my heart. Awwwww ....


Hey, if those guys on Wall Street can, why can't you?

Oh snap! :smalltongue:

Any of you kids want to sell your souls to me in exchange for making your Christian rock band really popular? (http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0034/0034_01.asp)

[LCR]

Go along for the ride and bet on God to bail me out.

[doliest]

The leprechaun deal, which gives me a pot of gold, magical powers, and immortality(well all of these come with the deal and I'm guessing servitude, but that's sketchy in the movies.)

[Dallas-Dakota]

No, just my heart. Awwwww ....
And your wallet, and your sword, and your bow, and your axe, and your credit cards and your wig and your tail, you ought to be more carefull dude.

:smalltongue:

[Thanatos 51-50]

Da Rogue and I stole each other's wallets.

At the same time. There was no shift in total wealth, although I do have some wierd, black twisted mass, now.

I slipped it back in her pokcet. Cuase - seriously - yuck!

[Violet Octopus]

The power to stop runaway climate change. Once I knew the hypothetical being wasn't out to trick me, it'd be that in a heartbeat.

edit: just read another thread, to clarify I'm not interested in discussing the reality of (anthropogenic) climate change. Whether it exists is as important to this hypothetical as whether souls exist.

[randman22222]

Under these circumstances, I would not sell my soul. Fin.

[Silence]

No way I would ever sell my soul. For anything. Even though it's a pathetic, withered, blackened corpse.

[Gray Jester]

The only thing worth an eternity of servitude is something else that will last just as long, as an eternity is forever and ever.

I'd be willing to sell my soul for a certain period of time in return for something more mundane, but for an eternity of servitude you'd have to offer me something of equal value.

(For instance, 10 years of servitude for 10 more years on my life and full youthfulness until I died, with the understanding that in 10 years, the deal may be renegotiated to tack on another 10 years until I grew bored of the world.)

[Beholder1995]

I sold my soul to Nevitan for an avatar.

Someone else's avatar, I might add. :smallsigh:

[Jibar]

I would sell my soul if the demon would then remove all things good and wonderful in the world, forever.
And then if he'll write HAHA in giant letters in the sky, visible everywhere.

[RationalGoblin]

Simple. They collect souls, correct? And are therefore doing "evil", no? Then I sell my soul to have each and every creature of their kind (The soul collector kind) to embrace goodness completely and utterly.

Being a being (or beings) of complete goodness now, they would have to give me back my soul and give back the souls of anyone they bargained with.

How about them apples?

[Trog]

Souls retail for $24.99 + tax *nod nod*

[Archonic Energy]

Souls retail for $24.99 + tax *nod nod*

you're shopping in the wrong place.

Tesco Value Souls
every little helps

[Vespe Ratavo]

Couldn't sell my soul. My best friend has it. Not in that sort of way, mind you, he won it from me. Not that I mind - it's safe, he still lets me feel emotions and stuff, and the fact that I don't technically own it keeps me from taking up deals like this and from challenging devils to rock-offs.

[Darius Midnite]

What would happen if I sold my soul for absolute power and then used my new gained might to destroy this being? Would my powers vanish with the creature? Can it even be killed?

[streakster]

Can I sell my soul for a better model?

Now I'm not in servitude, and the being is happy, and I made out on the whole deal!

[Trog]

you're shopping in the wrong place.

Tesco Value Souls
every little helps

No prob. I haz a coopon! :smallbiggrin:

[ghost_warlock]

What would happen if I sold my soul for absolute power and then used my new gained might to destroy this being? Would my powers vanish with the creature? Can it even be killed?

Well, presumably whatever granted the powers can also take them away, as that would probably be seen as attempting to default on the deal in about the same way as becoming immortal to avoid making the payment; although that's apparently not the way it works in the media (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FaustianRebellion). :smallconfused:

Really, an intelligent negotiator would pretty much see any of the loopholes in the rules mentioned in the thread as the exploits they are, simply declare you've defaulted on the bargain, and snare your soul. If the 'evil' creature you're selling your soul to isn't being a jerk about the thing, why are so many people looking for ways to cop-out of their end of the bargain? Maybe humans are really the evil ones, after all (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HumansAreBastards). :smalltongue:

[Hoplite]

I would sell my soul without second thought if it gave me the power to change the world, enforce my ways on the unwilling and punish the immoral.

[Innis Cabal]

With all the emphasis on warlocks and their ilk in pop culture these days, and my usual pensive self this time of day/night, I started wondering about characters that agree to sell their souls and the various things they usually hope to acquire by doing so.

Assuming such a thing as an immortal soul exists, what would it take to get you to sell yours?

The Rules:
In this scenario, we can assume that whatever being it is that's participating in the bargain (be it fey creature, eldritch abomination, your traditional devil/demon, or something else) will uphold their end of the bargain and not twist it about maliciously. They're very honorable for a soul-collecting force of questionable ethics! :smallwink:

After negotiation of the deal, you will acquire whatever it is you want in trade, but will eventually die and then spend your afterlife in servitude to the creature you sold it to.

If becoming immortal/un-killable is part of the bargain, the creature will, at some unspecified future time (depending on the degree of invulnerability), call "time's up," remove the invulnerability, and claim your soul (effectively killing you).

Someone who later becomes immortal/un-killable will lose all benefits of the pact. If whatever it is that was granted by the pact cannot be stripped away, the creature will destroy your favorite possessions and/or loved ones (which ever is more dear to you) in a fit of rage since you've betrayed the deal.

Details about the creature you're selling your soul to are unneccessary, and assume that the time of servitude will be at least moderately unpleasant.


Easy. I sell my soul for the rules above being changed by me, and an extra bargain.

[Raien]

I had a dream one time that I sold my soul for the ability to control my perception of time and a kickass pair of thigh-high boots.

That being said, if souls exist, I wouldn't sell mine. I'm not giving up eternity for a short time in this world.

In real life though, I'd sell my soul for just about anything, since I don't believe it exists. If someone's stupid enough to give me money for it, yeah!

[Flickerdart]

I'd sell my soul for two souls of equal value, then run them dual-core.

[Drascin]

Well, if I was presented with a bargain like this, the solution is obvious.

Don't.

If a devil appeared before me and told me he wanted my soul for an eternal afterlife of suffering, I would get two pieces of data from it:

1- Despite what I believed until now, there is an eternal afterlife. Therefore, I don't need to be afraid of death, and one of my only three fears vanishes.

2- If the devil has to bargain for it, means he doesn't get it if I die normally. Therefore, whatever afterlife I'll go normally, it isn't the one with the brimstone.

Under those two conditions, selling my soul would be foolish, since it would mean tying myself up for an eternity I just discovered exists, instead of keeping free to explore it as I am wont to do.

[Dallas-Dakota]

If a devil told me he wanted to buy my soul I'd slowly manipulate him into believing how sad and insecure he really is.

[Lamech]

If it was a devil, I would tell him all this will ever do is prove the afterlife to people, make people more devout and in general make the world a batter place netting him negative souls. Then go risk my life to help people, in africa or afganistan or somesuch. Ditto to a demon. A genie or a fey I would go look up ways to trap them, after saying I need to do some research. Although angering super beings beings is generally a bad idea, so actually I would just tell them no, or maybe challange them to a game I know I can't be beat at, betting something less than forever though.

[Thufir]

Nothing would be worth enough, ever. And anything gained through selling one's soul would not hold the same worth as if it were obtained normally.

[Griever]

For the eternal happiness of everyone I know, so they may live out full lives and help others, I would do so without a second thought.

[paddyfool]

Pretty much this can only work out well for the protagonist in one of two ways:

1) The old "salvation through self-sacrifice" story, whereby someone sacrifiices their soul to a demon to stop a plague that's ravaging their land. Heaven then steps in to save their soul, in the story, on the basis that this was a virtuous act - but you'd have to note that this doesn't work if you believe, or even have half a hope, that it will, since then you aren't actually sacrificing yourself.

2) Telling the demon or devil to "get lost".

As I know about option 1 and therefore it probably wouldn't work for me, I'd have to go for option 2, tempting though it would be to ask the devil to do a wholesome and good deed, such as, for instance, curing all diseases (of humans) everywhere without harming or killing anybody. And giving humanity a simultaneous public broadcast alerting them to the dangers this poses visavis population growth, naturally.

[mikeejimbo]

Could I reverse that trade, where I am given into servitude to the being for the rest of my natural life, in return for an eternity of bliss?

Preferably servitude to a good entity, too.

[Collin152]

I'd trade it for dominion over that entity.

They can keep the soul, but i have jurisdiction over their every action now. So not only do I get a demon to command, but when I die, it's still in my command, so I'm totally fine.

[Jalor]

First of all, I'd have to be pretty stupid to sell my own soul. No offense to anyone who would.



Any of you kids want to sell your souls to me in exchange for making your Christian rock band really popular? (http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0034/0034_01.asp)

Second of all, don't even joke. My parents are Fundamentalists. I've had that argument hundreds of times (I swear, Ma, "In Flames" describes the fate of non-believers...).

[Flickerdart]

Could I reverse that trade, where I am given into servitude to the being for the rest of my natural life, in return for an eternity of bliss?

Preferably servitude to a good entity, too.
Yeah, people always seem to fall for the "I give you power for a while, and then I get your soul forever." Even if whatever they give you is worth as much as a soul, they should only get a lease on it for the amount of time they provided the service to you.

[Lord Seth]

http://galactanet.com/comic/Strip56.gif
If that doesn't display right, go here (http://galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=56).

[Cubey]

This situation rules. Not because I'm willing to sell my soul - I am not. If the devil or similar appropriate creature appears in front of me offering a soul pact, I politely refuse. After that, I skip away singing merrily, happily knowing that:

1. The meeting we just had was proof that I have an immortal soul, ergo an afterlife awaits me, and since I refused to make a deal with the devil then that afterlife will probably be a nice one.
2. I recorded the whole event with my hidden camera, creating a film that will make me rich and famous even if people will doubt its authenticity.

[puppyavenger]

well, I'd choose complete control over time and space, just don't go to far in the future in till you get bored. and pick the soul collector who gives out free time in the eternity of service.

[Phae Nymna]

A great, eternally youthful (for circa 350 years) body for me and my lover. Who would preferably be Collin or one of my other crushes. Such as (not exhaustively) RR, BM, RE, PG, ES, Dihan?, Zira, JG, or MD.

[Sequinox]

A klondike bar.

No, but really, never would I sell my soul.

[DanielX]

Ask the devil what the price is for his soul, obviously. :smallbiggrin:

Actually, given my charisma is too low to attempt to 'convert' the devil, the obvious answer is to tell him to fsck off. As pointed out by others earlier, this experience...
a. proves that the supernatural exists (unless I imagined it, in which case it can't hurt to say 'no' anyway)
b. proves that devils exist and attempt to acquire souls,
c. that my soul may not necessarily be going to hell if I don't sell it, but a neutral or positive afterlife.
d. Corollary: religious beliefs which consider the existence of a Hell run by devils or demons (such as Christianity or Islam) may be based on some sort of truth. Look into this further.
e. Observation: if folklore is correct, devils and/or demons are likely to find a way to get the better end of the deal, no matter how hard I would be capable of negotiating it (and I'm not much for negotiating to begin with).
f. A fair warning: devils/demons may wish to slight me or friendsrelatives if I refuse their offer. Tell friends/relatives about experience, possibly talk to a religious authority that would believe me, prepare for possible hardships.

[Overlord Nicy]

Sell my soul for his, I get his soul first.

[Flickerdart]

Sell my soul for his, I get his soul first.
You wouldn't know what to do with it. And there's no guarantee ol' Scratch has a soul.

[Collin152]

A great, eternally youthful (for circa 350 years) body for me and my lover. Who would preferably be Collin or one of my other crushes. Such as (not exhaustively) RR, BM, RE, PG, ES, Dihan?, Zira, JG, or MD.

Wooh, free youth!

[reorith]

I would sell my soul without second thought if it gave me the power to change the world, enforce my ways on the unwilling and punish the immoral.

you could go and buy a gun.

[ghost_warlock]

Okay, so the soul-selling deal proves that there's an afterlife...how do people know that the default afterlife isn't something like Eberron's dolurrh?

[FoE]

don't even joke. My parents are Fundamentalists.

Heh. Guess you guys didn't get the memo. Believers go to Christian Hell, non-believers get to go to Atheist Heaven. (There's cake!)

You see, God is powered by irony. :smalltongue:

[Lerky]

With all the emphasis on warlocks and their ilk in pop culture these days, and my usual pensive self this time of day/night, I started wondering about characters that agree to sell their souls and the various things they usually hope to acquire by doing so.

Assuming such a thing as an immortal soul exists, what would it take to get you to sell yours?

The Rules:
In this scenario, we can assume that whatever being it is that's participating in the bargain (be it fey creature, eldritch abomination, your traditional devil/demon, or something else) will uphold their end of the bargain and not twist it about maliciously. They're very honorable for a soul-collecting force of questionable ethics! :smallwink:

After negotiation of the deal, you will acquire whatever it is you want in trade, but will eventually die and then spend your afterlife in servitude to the creature you sold it to.

If becoming immortal/un-killable is part of the bargain, the creature will, at some unspecified future time (depending on the degree of invulnerability), call "time's up," remove the invulnerability, and claim your soul (effectively killing you).

Someone who later becomes immortal/un-killable will lose all benefits of the pact. If whatever it is that was granted by the pact cannot be stripped away, the creature will destroy your favorite possessions and/or loved ones (which ever is more dear to you) in a fit of rage since you've betrayed the deal.

Details about the creature you're selling your soul to are unneccessary, and assume that the time of servitude will be at least moderately unpleasant.

this coming from a guy who recently sold his soul: decent fanservice:smallamused:

[FoE]

Okay, so the soul-selling deal proves that there's an afterlife...how do people know that the default afterlife isn't something like Eberron's dolurrh?

And so we signal the beginning of weighty topics of discussion. Mods, ready your banhammers — YOU'RE GONNA NEED THEM!

[Ashen Lilies]

Well, assuming this is a Devil/Grim Reaper type being, who will let people free from their eternal servitude if they beat them in a game of chess, I'd sell my soul in exchange to beat anyone in a game of chess. :smalltongue: T spend the rest of my life making loads of money from being an unstoppable chess phenomenon. Then when my time is up, I challenge said being to a game of chess, which I will of course win. Then, I sell my soul again for a new life + whatever the hell I feel like getting. Then, when my time is up, I beat them in a game of chess. Repeat ad nauseum.

[ghost_warlock]

And so we signal the beginning of weighty topics of discussion. Mods, ready your banhammers — YOU'RE GONNA NEED THEM!

The question is rhetorical, meant to reveal people's assumptions that may not neccessarily be founded.

There really isn't any need to bring RW religions into this discussion, as the OP was intentionally open-ended regarding the nature of the creature offering the deal in order to avoid such a discussion.

[charl]

Sell my soul to three different kings of hell and then they will have to keep me alive forever because they can't come to an agreement over who has the ownership.

The first one to point out the reference gets a cookie. Of course my soul-selling is going to be a stylish reference.

[Roland St. Jude]

...There really isn't any need to bring RW religions into this discussion, as the OP was intentionally open-ended regarding the nature of the creature offering the deal in order to avoid such a discussion.
Sheriff of Moddingham: Agreed. This isn't inherently real world religious. But be careful to keep it fantastic and non-religious. This thread certainly has the potential for people to get into trouble.

[MethosH]

If I sell my soul for the end of everything there is, will the creature want to make a deal?

If I sell my soul for the creature soul, will the creature want to make a deal?

If I sell my soul for the creature superiors at the "Soul negotiation department", will I be able to order the creature to give my soul back to me?

Ok... I got it... I will sell my soul for the creature soul + a real time paradox + a time machine + two rail guns + the job of the creature superior at the SND (Soul negotiation departament) + the soul of death it self...

Or maybe I will sell my soul for the creature to sell her soul to her superior, and this one got to sell his soul to my mother...

Or maybe I can sell my soul for anything I want + a very bad contract about my soul selling so I can get what I want and walk away with what I want AND my soul + the end of the existence of the creature that is negotiating my soul...

Ok... screw it... just gimme 2 tacos for my soul.

Oh... Can I rent my soul for a short period of time in exchange for something not so great... Like... I don't know... Be the supreme ruler of little village town for the rest of my life?

[MethosH]

Sell my soul to three different kings of hell and then they will have to keep me alive forever because they can't come to an agreement over who has the ownership.

The first one to point out the reference gets a cookie. Of course my soul-selling is going to be a stylish reference.

Neil Gaiman

[charl]

Neil Gaiman

Actually no. Good guess though. I would've settled with the name of the work in question.

[FoE]

Sell my soul to three different kings of hell and then they will have to keep me alive forever because they can't come to an agreement over who has the ownership.

Constantine. Correctomundo?

[charl]

Constantine. Correctomundo?

Eh, close enough. Have a cookie.

(the comic is called Hellblazer)

[KnightDisciple]

An infernal being offers me whatever I want in exchange for my soul?
I'd go through the following steps:
1.)Make sure eyes/ears working, and that I'm awake.
2.)Laugh at it.
3.)Tell it no, no way, no how.
4.)Rebuke it to get out of my house.
5.)Go get a sandwhich. What, I'm hungry. :smallbiggrin:

[ghost_warlock]

Okay, so far for responses we have (give or take):

No way - 16
Sure - 11
Attempts to exploit/create a loophole in the deal in order to avoid upholding their end of the bargain - 11

[Kris Strife]

I think I'd sell someone elses soul. Demons arent exactly known to ask for ID.

[golentan]

I would tell the being to come back in two days, giving me time to draw up an exhaustive contract enumerating my non-negotiable requirements, and enumerating penalties for the breaking of the requirements at any point in the future (these include, for every item on the list, the freeing of my soul, together with a secondary penalty scaled to the severity of the term broken)

The short list is:
Indefinitely prevent the heat death of the universe through the bending or breaking of thermodynamics.

Indefinitely prevent the death of the universe (in the form of both "the big rip" and "the big crunch") by balancing gravity and the dark force on all scales.

Indefinitely prevent the death of the universe through proton decay, electron decay, neutron decay, or any other elimination of particles.

Indefinitely prevent the death of the universe through any and all means that are not enumerated, regardless of whether I am aware of them or not (If, in the opinion of myself and an unbiased third party selected at time of contract signing agree the universe has died, contract ends immediately.)

Enable principles that may be discovered by living beings which allow the technologies of "cheap" (to be defined by myself) space flight and faster than light travel.

Actively promote the existence and formation of intelligent beings throughout the universe. These beings must have sufficient life spans to both form civilizations and accumulate, pass on, and expand knowledge and technology. In addition, they may not have any form of faustian trade-off implicit in their biology (for examples, see "The Mote in God's Eye")

Grant all life forms and machines with a soul, and/or any sentient beings, a "socratic demon," I.E. a spirit which serves only to inform the being when they are deviating from some cosmically true form of morality (Moral Law). If the universe does not contain Moral Laws, the demon will inform the being when they are violating my own personal moral code, with myself as sole arbiter over what constitutes my moral code, and my decisions may not be influenced in any way by any outside party( I may not be reduced to incoherency/insanity/or other incapacitating states from any form of torture or suffering, or any other cause during my decision making process).

Grant me breaks from my servitude in which I am returned to my mental state at time of signing of contract (See above) for the purposes of any issue arises where I have been designated arbiter over a given clause in the contract. In addition, such breaks will be granted for a period of a minimum of one day every ten years so that I may observe independently that the contract is being upheld.

Grant at all times to myself and the aforementioned third party omniscience and the mental capacity to comprehend the knowledge granted by said omniscience. This granted ability is the sole exception to my return to original mental state in the above listed clauses. In addition, the third party will be granted indefinite extension of their existence, in a form designated by themselves, to end when they choose only after designating a substitute who I agree upon (no influences, see above). They will also gain irrevocable powers to enforce the terms of the contract.

Accomplish above goals in such a manner that no living being shall die, either directly or indirectly, as a result of the changes made.

If the third party rules that the letter OR spirit of the contract has been broken by one or both sides, the contract will end with an appropriate penalty to the side in breach. If there is at any point no third party to adjudicate, the contract immediately ends without penalty(no terms above need continue to be enforced, and I regain my soul) with the option to reinstate the contract upon my selection of a new willing third party.

I'd write out this, as well as the minor things (read personal desires which are negotiable) over the first day, then hire a first rate lawyer to translate it into legalese and get it printed out over the second day.

[Quincunx]

First and most important, to postpone the collection of the soul to the time I choose to relinquish it, since I'll need it;
with perfected health and all needs and persistent desires met, both physical and psychological;
grant me the power to make other people desire my dreams, and amplify my power to make other people believe my dreams.

Add as much of golentan's seller's protections as can be included without nullifying the contract before it's completed.

The souls-for-souls bargains amused me.

[Felixaar]

I can only think of it as for something that benefits all of mankind, and even thats unlikely.

[Violet Octopus]

A lot of people are assuming it's a deal with the/a devil, and that the period of servitude is infinite in duration and extremely unpleasant.
If that's the case, no wonder people are saying no. Infinite suffering in exchange for something finite is a pretty Stupid Evil decision.
However, there's nothing in the OP that indicates this is necessarily the case. I interpreted it as a long but finite period of servitude to a being that wouldn't use my servitude for nefarious ends (maybe mischievous ends).

To the people who said no, would your answer change if it was something like this, or would it stay the same?

[Silversword]

With all the emphasis on warlocks and their ilk in pop culture these days, and my usual pensive self this time of day/night, I started wondering about characters that agree to sell their souls and the various things they usually hope to acquire by doing so.

Assuming such a thing as an immortal soul exists, what would it take to get you to sell yours?

The Rules:
In this scenario, we can assume that whatever being it is that's participating in the bargain (be it fey creature, eldritch abomination, your traditional devil/demon, or something else) will uphold their end of the bargain and not twist it about maliciously. They're very honorable for a soul-collecting force of questionable ethics! :smallwink:

After negotiation of the deal, you will acquire whatever it is you want in trade, but will eventually die and then spend your afterlife in servitude to the creature you sold it to.

If becoming immortal/un-killable is part of the bargain, the creature will, at some unspecified future time (depending on the degree of invulnerability), call "time's up," remove the invulnerability, and claim your soul (effectively killing you).

Someone who later becomes immortal/un-killable will lose all benefits of the pact. If whatever it is that was granted by the pact cannot be stripped away, the creature will destroy your favorite possessions and/or loved ones (which ever is more dear to you) in a fit of rage since you've betrayed the deal.

Details about the creature you're selling your soul to are unneccessary, and assume that the time of servitude will be at least moderately unpleasant.

I sell my soul for a freking kondak bar.

[Copacetic]

I'm guessing the "honorable soul-collecting force of questionable ethics" is akin to Davy Jones. In that Case, I say no. And moon the big O'le Davy While I'm at it. That is just to funny to pass up.

[Weiser_Cain]

See immortality is a big one.
I'd trade the souls of others for an extended life.
If not I'd remake the world in my image.
In the event of my death I'd want to a subservient but ranking demon of my patron rather than fodder.

[Telonius]

Souls are apparently transferrable assets. I would find three other demons, and try to get them to bid up on a non-binding agreement, with escape clauses for me. Note the price that the first demon refuses to buy. As soon as the second demon drops out, sell the soul to the third demon. Then, offer to buy a soul from the first demon for exactly one dollar more than his drop-out price. :sabine:

[AKA_Bait]

I'd never sell my soul to anything or anyone. For anything. Period.

This.

I mean, if something, anything showed up and offered me a trade of anything in exchange for eternal damnation (which eternal servitute is basically the same as for me) then Pascal's wager comes pretty much full into effect. You can't ever win on a bargan of something finite vs. something infinite.

[MethosH]

Eh, close enough. Have a cookie.

(the comic is called Hellblazer)
Almost... At the first volume of Sandman (Preludes and Nocturnes (collecting The Sandman #1-8, 1988-1989)), by Neil Gaiman, Morpheus go to hell and met the 3 kings of hell, and they are the same characters of the Hellblazer comic, since is the same universe, and a little before Morpheus went to hell he went talk to Constantine about one of his magical objects that got lost on the world when he was imprisoned...

From wikipedia:


Dream is imprisoned for decades by an occultist seeking immortality. Upon escaping, he must reclaim his objects of power while still in a weakened state, confronting an addict to his dream powder, the legions of Hell, and an all-powerful madman in the process. Guest starring several DC Comics characters including John Constantine, Scott Free, J'onn J'onzz, Scarecrow, Etrigan the Demon, and Doctor Destiny. It also features the introduction of Lucifer.


More here: http://www.dccomics.com/media/excerpts/1696_1.pdf
Issue 4 - A Hope in Hell

=)

Can I have a cookie anyway?

[charl]

Yeah, sure. You can have a cookie, for the comic trivia.

And I have read Sandman. Just that the specific soul-selling happened in Hellblazer.