Mask
Overview Mask is self-possessed and very confident, and is fond of intricate plots, though his schemes are always getting him into trouble. He is the patron of ne'er-do-wells, spies, and thieves, and all that occurs within shadow is in his purview.
Overview
Mask is self-possessed and very confident, and is fond of intricate plots, though his schemes are always getting him into trouble. He is the patron of ne'er-do-wells, spies, and thieves, and all that occurs within shadow is in his purview. As far as he's concerned, the world belongs to the quick, the smooth tongued, and the light fingered. Stealth and wariness are virtues, as are glibness and the skill to say one thing and mean another, twisting a situation to your advantage.
Description
Mask's form is always changing, but he usually appears as a sardonic, slightly built human male clad in soft gray leather armour, wearing a black cloak and a black mask tinged with red. He has also appeared as a soft-spoken human female with pale skin, bright white starry eyes, and floor-length dark hair, who always walk barefoot and is shrouded in shadow-like gloom.
Holy symbol
Mask's symbol is a black velvet mask tinged with red.
Favored weapon
Mask wields a longsword known as Stealthwhisper, which is always completely silent, reflects no light from its black blade and cannot suffer any damage from corrosion. The longsword can shrink to the size of a dagger or enlarge to the size of a greatsword, and has the abilities of a sword of quickness and a sword of wounding. Mask has also been known to carry a second longsword, known as Shadowblade, which has similar abilities to that of Stealthwhisper.
Realm
World Tree cosmology
In the World Tree cosmology of Realmspace, Mask resides within his realm, known as the Shadow Keep, which is located on the Plane of Shadow. The Shadow Keep is a small castle built of raw shadowstuff, swathed in shadows, and is almost impossible to see, even close up, against the background darkness of the plane. Only a daylight spell, or a spell of similar power, can make the Keep stand out enough to be visible. Mask spends little time even within this excellent hideout as he prefers to move about the planes, thieving and engaging in endless intrigue.
Great Wheel cosmology
In the Great Wheel cosmology, Mask resides within his realm, known as the Shadow Keep, which is located on Niflheim, the second gloom of the Gray Waste of Hades.
Worship
The church of Mask is widely feared, not so much for its supposed cruelty but for its penchant for thievery and stalking the shadows. Most outsiders view it as little more than an organized guild of rogue cloaked in a veneer of religion - a surprisingly accurate description. Those who favor Mask usually pursue thievery and other forms of acquisition of what belongs to others, such as pickpocketing, burglary, mugging, and congames. Ordinary folk pray to him to avert his eyes from their valuables, but whisper a prayer to Mask whenever stealth is required or intrigue is afoot. Courtiers and diplomats invoke the god's name in hopes of a smooth negotiation. Priests of Mask are usually thieves by profession, and often serve as higher-ups in the local underworld or criminal syndicate.
In Spelljammer
Mask is a member of the Faerûnian pantheon and as such is considered native to Realmspace. Priests of Mask can cast spells normally within wildspace as well as the phlogiston. However, once they have left Realmspace, they can not recover any spells until they have returned.
Appendix
External Links
- Mask article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Mask article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.