The Nameless One Character in Pathfinder: Crusades | World Anvil

The Nameless One

The Unknowable, Not All That is Lost is Forgotten

The Nameless One is a Great Old One that exists as an aspect of Iolond. It reigned over The Disciples of Ruin and used them as tools for destruction and damnation for four centuries. After the cult fell apart, worship of the Nameless One started to dwindle. With it, its power grew weaker with each passing decade until it was a shell of its former self.   It was left in the Far Lands by Iolond to die in isolation. With Jordeira Ferus returning to its shadow, it had a soul that could keep its lifeline from snapping into non-existence. The Nameless One requires the sacrifice of souls in order to maintain a steady level of power. These souls are consumed by it upon their death, rendering it impossible for them to go onto an afterlife plane.   With none of its remaining followers sacrificing souls to it, it's stuck in a strange limbo of being a powerful, incomprehensible deity who is at the mercy of not only its creator, but Jordeira as well. It seldom manifests in a form that mortals can truly understand. Instead, it appears as a writhing mass of charred tentacles all woven together to form a vaguely feline appearance. The space where its heart should lie glows brightly like an open flame and all along its form are vein-like areas that glow like embers. Its face has several amber eyes and a mass of tentacles float off of the back of its head. Razor sharp claws adorn each of its hands and feet, burning anything they tear into to. It also has nine barbed, whip-like tails.   The artifact associated with it is The Mace of Shadows.

Divine Domains

  • Chaos: Entropy
  • Destruction: Catastrophe
  • Evil: Corruption
  • Fire: Ash
  • War: Blood
  • Void: Isolation

Divine Symbols & Sigils

The main symbol of the Nameless One is a skull with the "All-Seeing Eye", which has heavy associations with occult groups of all kinds. Beneath the skull are thorny vines and above it are five candles. Other symbols are sinewy tendrils, bramble vines, wildfires, bloodstained blades, chains, and black candles.

Tenets of Faith

Sacrifice

Power and magic come with a high price. Everything is lost at one point or another, but a soul that understands that and can still do away with that which they hold dear is deserving of the power they seek.  

Isolation

Camaraderie is an illusion of hope. It's an anchor that will drop at the first sign of danger, taking one's trust, and possibly even their life, with it. In desolation, it's every man for themselves and the only person someone can trust is themselves. Survival is crowned to the strongest and the weak are nothing more than prey.  

Catastrophe

The only path to an age of great, personal power is through hardship. What doesn't kill someone should make them stronger and if it doesn't? They're fuel for the fire that is wild and unrelenting change. Disaster and violence are what keeps the world moving and a life without either of them will become stagnant.  

Corruption

The strong should always show pride in their power and wield it as a weapon. They should put themselves above others, becoming an example of mortal perfection, untouched by the worthless laws set forth by society. People must be shown that there is power in chaos and with it comes a new level of freedom.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

The Nameless One's goals are entirely selfish and made for its own self-preservation. All the abomination wants is power and with that power, it'd lash out at the other gods for leaving it in a boneyard of fading deities. In order to gain such power though, it needs to consume the souls of many powerful beings. Unfortunately for the Nameless One, it has no means of obtaining these souls as Jordeira Ferus has no desire to give it that level of power and its other followers aren't capable of slaying powerful beings.   It was associated with doomsday prophecies long ago and played into it by encouraging rampant violence throughout Eisoth. While its cult believed that they were saving their people from corruption and ushering them into a brighter, better age, they were only fueling the god's madness and lust. Nowadays, the Nameless One's goal is to simply survive long enough to try and snag new power for itself when the universe reaches its end or until its worship is reignited on the material plane.

"A secret is a secret for good reason."

Divine Classification
Great Old One
Alignment
Chaotic Evil
Church/Cult
Children


Cover image: by Kal V, derivative work created with the Canva Content License
Character Portrait image: by Frankie Valentine

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