Cult of the Faceless Sphinx

The Cult of the Faceless Sphinx is a Darklands-based cult dedicated to the worship of the Outer Gods, particularly Nyarlathotep.²

History

The Cult of the Faceless Sphinx was founded by Mafaere Alonsyn, a drow¹ from House Dolour in Zirnakaynin³ who, after being assassinated, rose as a ghost and destroyed all members of the house responsible for her killing except for one housemaid, Falaim, who escaped to Osirion on the surface. Mafaere almost destroyed herself in her rage over this failure, but received a vision of Nyarlathotep in his aspect of the Faceless Sphinx. The god promised Mafaere the completion of her vengeance and destruction of her house's enemies, but she would need to perform tasks for him first. Mafaere embraced her new god and began to carry out his instructions. She swayed other drow of her house to her faith, and formed a network of influential drow from other houses whom she had recruited away from worship of the demon lords and to that of the Faceless Sphinx. These agents joined Mafaere in venturing to the surface to carry out their god's complex commands.²

Goals

The Cult of the Faceless Sphinx focuses on spreading the worship of Nyarlathotep and carrying out the god's commands and instructions, with the ultimate goal of returning the Outer Gods to this reality. Nyarlathotep commands his cult to manipulate the government and history of Osirion by indoctrinating its leaders into the Faceless Sphinx's worship, giving aid to those who spread his doctrine, and causing Osirion to decline or prosper according to Nyarlathotep's design.²

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Paizo retroactively removed drow from the Pathfinder campaign setting as part of the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project. A canon replacement for drow in this context might not exist. See Meta:Drow.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Scott D. Young. “Cults of the Darklands” in Lord of the Black Sands, 68. Paizo Inc., 2020
↑ Paizo retroactively removed drow from the Pathfinder campaign setting, and in the process also retroactively changed the city of Zirnakaynin into a haunted ruin about which very little is known. A canon replacement for places, people, and events related to Zirnakaynin might not exist. See Meta:Zirnakaynin.

[drow-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Paizo retroactively removed drow from the Pathfinder campaign setting as part of the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project. A canon replacement for drow in this context might not exist. See Meta:Drow.

[lord-of-the-black-sands-68-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Scott D. Young. “Cults of the Darklands” in Lord of the Black Sands, 68. Paizo Inc., 2020

[3] Paizo retroactively removed drow from the Pathfinder campaign setting, and in the process also retroactively changed the city of Zirnakaynin into a haunted ruin about which very little is known. A canon replacement for places, people, and events related to Zirnakaynin might not exist. See Meta:Zirnakaynin.

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