Corruption | Creation | Justice | Knowledge | Murder | Protection | Thievery | Trade
Master of All Thieves, Shadowlord, Lord of Shadows
Holy Symbol: A black velvet mask, tinged with red
Wealth rightfully belongs to those who can acquire it. Strive to end each day with more material wealth than you began it with, but steal what is most vital, not everything that is to hand. Honesty is for fools, but apparent honesty is a very valuable thing. Make every untruth seem plausible, and never lie when you can cleave to the truth but leave a mistaken impression. A bridge burned means much rebuilding if you need to cross over there again. Subtlety is everything. A bribe is the least subtle of the tools Mask gives to us. Never force someone to do something when you can manipulate them into doing it (and into thinking the decision and the deed are entirely their own free-willed work). Never do the obvious, except to conceal a secondary or tertiary deed or arrangement. Spin secrets atop secrets, but do so unconcernedly, not with the sly excitement of untutored youth. Trust in the shadows, for the bright way makes for easy targets.
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Cleric, Bard, Thief, Witch, Wizard
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Any race
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Non-Cleric Initiation: Pull off a spectacular heist, pass off a blatant lie as truth, and hide something obvious/pass yourself off convincingly as someone else
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Level 0 Spell: Light
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Too bright.
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Level 3 Spell: Animate Dead
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Too obvious.
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Level 5 Spell: Revelation
- Too easy.
(If you wish to become clergy of this god, take three of these as your vows—if you violate them you lose any moves, spells, and any other benefits granted by this god until you atone.)
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Steal (You must end every day richer than you started, by whatever means are most efficient; this can apply not only to material wealth, but to connections, reputation, blackmail material—anything that is a net gain for you and a loss for someone else)
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Disguise (Forbidden: revealing your true identity, thoughts, or feelings)
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Exploit (Forbidden: Using brute force; find (or secretly make) a weakness, an oversight, a chink in the armor—and take advantage of it)
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Hide (Forbidden: Allowing any of your plots, plans, or secrets to be discovered)
Mask (MASK) was the deity of intrigue along with being the patron of thieves, but his disastrous perusal of the Cyrinishad led to Cyric being able to steal this aspect of his portfolio from him. One school of thought believed the god totally destroyed after reading the Cyrinishad and having his Godsbane avatar form destroyed by Cyric, another held that Mask was totally subsumed by Cyric, and a third school believed that Mask, engaged in his own intrigues, faked his loyalty to Cyric and later his own death. The truth is that Mask survived the enslaving effects of the Cyrinishad and the destruction of a major avatar form at great cost, losing much of his godly power in the process.
Mask is very self-possessed and confident—too confident for his own good. He enjoys erecting convoluted and intricate plots to achieve his ends and then playing them out to his benefit. As he has recently learned, however, such predilections proved a weakness for him, and he is now trying much more direct methods to accomplish his goals than before in order to avoid such needless—and unwanted—plot twists as nearly cost him his life and his godhood in his manipulations of Cyric.
Home Plane/Realm
Plane of Shadow/Shadow Keep
Portfolio
Thieves, thievery, shadows
Favored Weapon
Longsword
Myths
Mask's New Direction
Known for his constant scheming, cool head, and oft reserved biting comment he has recently lost a significant portion of his power, the intrigue portfolio, to Cyric. This has, of course, led to two things: an enduring hatred of Cyric, and the Lord of Shadows leading himself to be more direct than he was in his prior, elaborate plots.
History
The history of Masks' church has been long shrouded in mystery. While many stories have emerged from the bowels of their temples, a majority are disseminated by a vast disinformation campaign to ensure that if relevant information ever is discovered, it is still considered suspect.
What is known is that the church of Mask arose sometime around the beginning of the Aer Arnad Empire, andthat its fortunes tended to be inverted from those of the other "Dark" gods. Maskarrans have thrived most on the excess and wealth of society, which requires a healthy state and an enduring wealthy class; their goals tend to be less revolutionary than others'.
Relationship with other gods and churches
Simply put, Mask is a loner. In the past he has had frequent, and presently has infrequent, alliances with Bane. If nothing else, their sizable hatred of Cyric gives them a common ground in addition to their history of working together. Mask is also at direct odds with Waukeen, the goddess of merchants and honest trade. All guardians of light, knowledge, and duty are opposed to him. This includes Selûne, whose light tends to expose his own faithful whilst they work.
Associated Lesser Deities
The followers of Mask have been reduced to their central core: thieves and thieves. guilds. (However, in addition to thieves and more shadowy individuals, courtiers and diplomats have also been known to evoke the Shadowlord ‘s name in hope of guaranteeing a smooth negotiation.)
Many guilds still have their shrines to the god, and in those regions where thievery is not actively frowned upon, temples to Mask survive. The priesthood of Mask is independent in each major city or region to prevent the frequent actions against one thieves' guild or temple from spilling over and affecting others.
The hierarchy makes use of clerics, specialty priests, and thieves in about a 30/40/30 ratio. Clergy of Mask are known as Maskarran. Specialty priests of Mask are called demarchesses (deh-mar-KESS-es) if female and demarchs (deh-MARKS) if male. There has been a significant increase in the number of specialty priests in the faith since Mask lost the intrigue portfolio to Cyric; he feels that specialty priests are the most effective adjunct to the thieves who are his mainstay of worship and so has been furiously encouraging their recruitment and advancement by gifting them with more special abilities than before.
Hierarchy
Maskarran address each other as Brother/Sister Shadow, regardless of rank, and hold the titles (in order of rank): Unproven (novices), Proven Brother/Sister, Veteran Brother/Sister, and Master Brother/Sister, with the leader of a temple assuming the title Lord/Lady Master. The elite of Maskarran are largely specialty priests, but nonspecialty priest high priests are known as Hidden Ones.
Vestments
Maskarran wear no badges of rank nor differing vestments, but all senior clergy members strive to purchase, have made, or (preferably) steal useful magical items like slippers of spider climbing, teleport rings, rings of shadow (that generate magical darkness), rings of invisibility, wands of viscid globs, ropes of entanglement, and protective garments enchanted to provide feather fall protection (as well as a wide array of enchanted weapons and armor).
Ceremonial Maskarran dress consists of tunics and trousers in a bright motley. The tunics sport ballooned sleeves and cuffs and bright embroidery, displaying wealth. The entire outfit is covered with a full-length, hooded gray cloak that can be drawn shut to hide the bright color beneath. A black cloth mask is worn beneath the hood. In some areas where Mask has fallen on particularly hard times, the gray cloak and mask only are worn as a symbol of the Shadowlord’s favor.
Inside a temple of Mask, the masks are of black gauze and do not conceal the identity of the wearer; in public, such masks are usually thick, black wool or heavy, double-thick silk and extend to cover most of the face in an effective disguise. (A bearded priest, for example, would have a mask that extended well down over the chin.) There is a saying that “the degree of law in a town can be seen on the face of a priest of Mask.”
Priests of Mask are encouraged to hide their true nature and masquerade as other priests or commoners. Normal dress for clerics of Mask is similar to that of any merchant, craftsperson, or adventurer in the area or similar to that of any armored battle cleric or itinerant adventuring cleric of any faith. Specialty priests of Mask usually dress as thieves in leather or other light armor or assume the guise of typical peasants one might meet on any town’s or village’s streets.
Rites and Duties
There are no calendar-related rituals in the Church of Mask, but at every full temple of the god, the Ritual of the Unseen Presence is celebrated at least once a month. This ritual is an acknowledgment in chanted verse, hymns, and offerings—wealth/coinage stolen by the faithful that is melted down in altar-flanking braziers or crucibles—of the constant regard of Mask, who sees all deeds, however well hidden.
Lay worshipers and Maskarran also participate in daily Sunset Prayers, in which they kneel, proffer coins to the clergy and worship before the Altar of the Masked God. Praying junior clergy members give coins to senior clergy members, and the highest-ranking priest of a holy house of Mask gives his or her coin to the lowest-ranking priest present in recognition of the wry humor of Mask, who so often makes the high low, and the low high. The Altar of the Masked God is always a massive stone block over which floats an enspelled black velvet, fur, or silk mask of giant size (6 feet across or more) or which has a mosaic in inlaid precious gemstones of a similar giant mask behind it.
The Church of Mask has darker rituals associated with the elevation of clergy members in rank known only to the initiated. These secret observances and the Ritual of the Unseen Presence are always guarded by striking shadows spells cast by senior clergy members to slay or keep away eavesdroppers
Maskarran are perhaps the wealthiest clergy in the Realms, second only to those of Waukeen.
They able to call on untold wealth stolen in the past and hidden away in secret places. Maskarran do not hoard and gloat over their takings like dwarves croon over gold; they actively use it to buy agents, bribe officials, sway agreements, and manipulate folk to do thus and so, working behind the scenes to achieve mysterious ends. The mark of a successful priest of Mask is to state to a superior that this or that end (in international politics or the doings within a realm) will be worked toward and achieved within such-and-such a time—and then fulfill this promise. Maskarran who fail in their promises seldom rise far in the hierarchy, though several attempts at bringing something about are perfectly acceptable so long as none of them too obviously reveal the priest at work behind the scenes.
From day-to-day Maskarran typically tend to their plots and provide support to and collect tithes from individual thieves and thieves' guilds. Each church of Mask has its own policy about reporting rogue thieves to the guild of a region: Some provide aid to them but covertly inform the local guild, others refuse aid and inform, and still others provide aid to whoever pays the proper tithe and inform no one.
Affiliated Orders
The church of the Shadowlord has no affiliated knightly orders. Members of the clergy who have pulled off a particularly daring heist or intricate piece of manipulation of people and events are often admitted (voted on by acclamation at a secret yearly meeting of members of the order) to the Circle of the Gray Ribbon. Many thieves' guilds (as well as individual thieves) throughout Orben have connections to the church and rely on it for medical and tactical support.
In areas with a single strong thieves. guild, the temple or shrine to Mask is usually connected to the guild hall via underground tunnels. In large cities with competing guilds, the temple is in an underground location and is recognized as neutral ground by all sides. Maskarran strive to keep hidden these days, sometimes holding services of worship in underground shrines (often cellars reached by old sewers) and often keeping hidden inside local thieves. guilds. It is to the advantage of such seasoned conspirators as Maskarran that many folk of Orben think Mask is dead, and his worship reduced to scattered, bewildered cults.
Major Centers of Worship
The House of the Master’s Shadow in Aditum, where Lord Master Most Hidden Jalaun Ibri leads over 300 Maskarran in worship, is the largest temple to Mask in Orben. Jalaun has initiated several energetic programs designed to build the ranks of Mask’s faithful, including a network of undercover contacts in all major cities of Orben who double as information-gatherers and the spreaders of rumors about this or that treasure (to attract the interest of those interested in thievery). These agents, known as "local shadows," identify important thieves and those rebellious to authority and approach both of these sorts of folk to recruit them to the faith or at least offer them training—for fees—in thievery or intrigue. Jalaun has also set his clergy members the twin tasks of building their temple magic (including the spells they are currently researching) into a network of powerful, practical stealth and battle magic and working themselves into positions where they can influence the politics of all realms in Orben behind the scenes. Needless to say, these ambitious goals are achieving success only slowly.
For Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Clerics/Wizards
If you are a Cleric or Wizard (and your god permits your class), choose from the following domains. You add all spells of the chosen domain to your spell list, up to level 7 (once you meet the mana requirements) or up to level 9 (if it's the primary domain and once you meet the mana requirements).
Primary Domain
Thievery (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and this level 9 spell)
Primary Domain Move
Sticky Fingers
Free Action
If you are not vulnerable and an enemy is, you can steal an item from their combat inventory. Roll +DEX.
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On a 10+ you got it!
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On a 7-9 you got it, but are now vulnerable.
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On a miss you don't got it, and you're now vulnerable.
After you use Sticky Fingers on someone they are no longer vulnerable.
Level 9 Spell
Falsehood | Level 9 | Ongoing
While this spell is active, if someone successfully uses scrying or divination on you, you can make up fake posts to show to them. You cannot be compelled to answer truthfully by any means, magical or otherwise.
Secondary Domains
Darkness (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Luck (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Moon (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Trade (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
For Non-Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Non-Cleric/Wizards
If you are not a Cleric or Wizard, you gain access to all spells of your chosen domain up to level 3 and can cast them using the Cast a Spell Cleric move (you do not however gain any spells from the Cleric spell list). You can also gain a secondary domain move from that domain, in addition to the domain spells.
Primary Domain
Thievery (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and a Secondary Domain Move)
Primary Domain Move
Sticky Fingers
Interrupt
If you are not vulnerable and an enemy is, you can steal an item from their combat inventory. Roll +DEX.
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On a 10+ you got it!
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On a 7-9 you got it, but are now vulnerable.
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On a miss you don't got it, and you're now vulnerable.
After you use Sticky Fingers on someone they are no longer vulnerable.
Secondary Domain Moves (choose 1):
Prince of Thieves
When you impersonate an authority figure to give an order, roll+CHA.
On a 7+, they choose one:
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Attack whom you dictate on their next turn (cannot be an ally of theirs)
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Confide something useful to you
On a 10+, you also take +1 forward against them.
On a miss, they do as they please and you take -1 on your next roll against them.
Gekko Vision
When you compare items, you can instantly tell which one is more valuable. Take +1 forward to take or steal steal the more valuable one. Take -1 on your next roll if you decline to take or steal it.
Secondary Domains
Darkness (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
I Am the Night
When you use Defy Danger to avoid being seen, take +1.
Luck (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
Double Your Luck
Once per encounter, you can re-use the result of one of your rolls on your following roll.
Moon (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
Goodnight Room
When you set a vigil over an area no larger than 20 meters wide, you are alerted instantly by anyone entering, even if they’re disguised or invisible. This vigil ends if you make any standard or interrupt moves.
Trade (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
Gold to Lead
If you spend several minutes studying an item of great alleged value, you will get a gut feeling if it's a fake. Ask a storyteller to confirm the validity of an item; you will know immediately if it’s counterfeit, though you may not be able to prove it.