August Release Post
Get this collection when you Subscribe in the month of August! You'll also get a 50% off discount on other models in our store ✨
It's been scorching here at Cobra HQ, so maybe that's why we started thinking about the deserts of Jebel Irhoud. High above the endless dunes, the floating cities of the Ahurazad Sphinxes (who call themselves the First-born), keep watch over the world. According to their histories, they are the first children of the true creator god, Anu. Capable of wielding immense power through their Riddle and Glyphic magics, they are more powerful than the gods of the world, but have chosen to withdraw from worldly matters. Their histories tell of the hubris of one of their kind, whose experiments with Riddle magic shattered the creator god and nearly wiped out reality. Now they dedicate their immortal lives to upholding the Laws which bind reality together, sending out their agents and creations to monitor, judge, and correct those who step too close to the line...
Our beautiful bases and terrain pack was sculpted by Calrais, with concept art by Paul Ferret. Paul came up with an interesting idea for planter boxes to put tufts inside, so it's like a raised garden bed or a hedge wall holder. I've never seen that before, but I think it could look really cool! I'm going to try my best to work through some stats this month, as the wonderful Conflux Creatures has been working hard on banging them out!
As usual, the greater lore can be found on our CobraCompenium, including the origin story of the Sphinxes: https://bit.ly/3om6snO
This month's specific lore below:
Zarha-Anu, Ahurazad Sphinx
Belonging to a benevolent faction of the sphinxes who believe that the minor gods and Third-Born are all aspects of the shattered creator god, Zarha-Anu regards the creatures of the world as sacred. She is of the opinion that the will of Anu flows through all her creations, and as such, if they subvert the Laws, then it must be correct. This is an unpopular take amongst the Ahurazad, who mainly believe that it is their duty to uphold the Laws, and thusly, the fabric of reality itself. However, through her extensive study of Riddles and Glyphic magic, she has come to the conclusion that the only way to make Anu whole again is to unravel the ancient Laws that bind together the shattered pieces and allow the chaos to take its course. It should be noted that this is an extremely fringe theory that few other sphinxes support - the mainstream theory with the most evidence is that breaking the Laws would set the world into the infinitely recursive loop of destruction described in their ancient texts.
Namur-Ezid - Ahurazad Agent
Namur-Ezid means “the ancient fate set in stone”, a fatalistic moniker chosen by one who is of the last of their kind. She belongs to a long-dead civilization whose only survivors today are agents of the Ahurazad, for time moves differently in the floating cities than it does on land. Namur-Ezid’s people were the first Geometers of the world, and the modern day Geometer’s Guild of Jebel Irhoud was built on their principles and knowledge. As such, she uses Geometer-style magic alongside her glyphic staff, expanding on the types and forms of power she can shape with it. Because of her ancestral link to the Geometers, she is often sent to monitor and deal with them when they step too close to the boundaries of the Laws.
Dumara-Tel - Ahurazad Agent
Her chosen name, meaning “the pillar of judgment”, says much about her character. An agent of the ancient and divine Ahurazad, Dumara-Tel has willingly given up her personal identity and life in service to the sphinxes. Given incredible leeway in her judgement, she acts as judge, jury, and executioner in all matters that threaten the Laws, and in turn, the fabric of reality. She enforces her judgements using glyphic-tools, powerful implements created by the sphinxes that are imbued with their special Riddle magic.
Ahurazad Homunculus
The Ahurazad Sphinxes have made several attempts at creating their own life forms, and the Homonculus are one. Although they’ve never succeeded at creating intelligent life, the homunculus are quite durable and capable, possessing agile, armored bodies and fitted with glyphic weaponry. Powered by Riddle magic, they can fire a focused light beam that is extremely destructive to anything it touches, essentially disintegrating it back into its component parts. This homunculus form is made to accompany and protect Ahurazad agents, acting as muscle and arsenal.
Ahurazad Witness
A particularly unsettling form of homunculus created by the sphinxes, the Witnesses are their eyes and ears wherever they desire information. Since the sphinxes rarely bestir themselves from their floating fortresses, the Witnesses are sent out to gather and record events, and can serve as scrying devices for real-time observation. Although an essential part of every agent’s entourage, they can and do operate independently, and are regularly sent out to discretely keep track of emerging or potential threats to the Laws. They have limited intelligence however, and no ability to defend themselves except to flee.