<><><>< The Faceless One ><><><>

Master of Secrets, the Voice of Maddening Whispers

Domain: assassinations, deception, drow, dusk, illusion, intrigue, lies, murder, strife, underdark

Symbol: a gray cloak marked with blood-red teardrops

Sacred Items/Creatures: smoky quartz, platinum, bats, spiders, scorpions, violets

Alignment: NE

Spell domains: darkness, evil, illusion, madness, suffering

Allies: None

Enemies: Jarmila, Callamir, Kreysneothosies, Kismet

Personality: Almost nothing is known about the Faceless One, other than he keeps his intentions, thoughts, and goals completely secret. His cults can have widely differing goals and methods and often times they fight amongst themselves. Some have even rumored that the Faceless One is actually many entities, each representing a differing aspect of this god. Many creatures from the Shadow Plane also seem to exist within the faith's hierarchy, but there seems to be a very tight compartmentalization of information between entities and cults.

History: Unlike the rest of the pantheon, while countless stories abound concerning the race, gender and origins of the Faceless One, they become impossible to verify beyond mere hearsay. Some, most likely ex-faithful of the Dark Sun, claim that he is the god of madness, raised to even greater strength than his prior incarnation through the murder of his enemies. Others voice a tale of a bitter crone, whose whispers stirred the greatest of the god's of madness servants to spill his blood upon the unhallowed grounds of his temple. Yet more, that she was a stunning harlot of half-elven blood, who seduced Mask himself only to steal from him the very relics of his divinity. Most drowkind believe him to be an assassin of their own lineage, sly enough to twist the surfacers activities to his own ends. Whatever the case, the true nature of the Faceless One remains shrouded in potential deceptions and lies even to this day…

Regards to Mortal: The Faceless One seems to actually be more proactive about contacting mortals than other deities. There is speculation on whether this is actually the Faceless One, but followers sometimes will hear a whisper from the shadows, usually only a single word, offering a clue of where to go, or who to find.

Regards to Undead: Undead are regularly called upon by the faithful, seen as one of numerous means to their desired ends.

Regards to Outsiders: The faithful see all outsiders as an opportunity, but they generally despise good-aligned celestials, deva, and devils. They revere shadow creatures and demons.

Vestments: No vestments are designated for the church of the Faceless One, save for plain hooded gray cloaks that are worn over all garments in any formal gatherings.

Dogma: The world and all its treasures are open for the taking, for those of quick wit and subtle hands. Do not be bound by the petty rules and standards of 'civilization', for in the end they are merely illusions, a veneer of order to hide the true chaos that lies in every heart. A deception can be as sharp a tool as a blade, and each has its uses. Learn to blur the lines between truth and fiction, so that others may not perceive the difference; honesty is for fools, but apparent honesty is valuable indeed. Force becomes unnecessary when others can be manipulated into action, or to thinking a decision is of their own free will. Trust in the shadows, for the bright way makes for easy targets.

Faith-based groups:

The Whispers: An alliance of particularly wealthy nobility, who actively attempt to turn the workings of various political systems to their own benefit, and that of the faithful. Rarely are they revealed, and certainly such public acknowledgement usually results in a shortened lifespan.

Cabal of the Dark Prince: A sect dedicated to the charge of the immortal known as Durias, only small in number but known to be utterly merciless. Their dark rituals are whispered of with fear within civilized circles.

The One Truth: A recently uncovered cult, The One Truth has been found to have infiltrated almost every major city, from the lowest levels to the top. This cult is dedicated to the advancement and eventual supremacy of humankind over all other races. It's said their leader was a being called a Puppeteer, a being from the Plane of Shadows that takes its victims' bodies for its own use.

The New Dawn: A relative newcomer to the scene, the New Dawn is said to believe in unrest and revolution, futhering its causes by sparking the fires of civil wars and using the resultant chaos as a ladder to greater power. Some say that this cult cares for little other than the disruption of normal life, revolution, all leading to chaos and war.

See also: deities