Mask

Summary

A common snide comment in Talonn is, when asked if one knows where something is, to respond, "Why don't you find Mask?" A boon to teenagers and parents alike, the saying is founded on the unshakeable truth: finding Mask, and therefore one's lost item, is impossible.
Mask is a celestial unlike every other celestial. It does not give, only takes. It can be selective in its taking-- followers of Mask ask it to take away the sound of their footsteps, their shadows, their guilt. It is said that of all the gods besides Ioun, Mask is the most knowledgeable not because of its love for knowledge, but because it has stolen it. Nothing is safe from it-- emotions, objects, stories, memories, people, places, time. Mask is capable of stealing anything. It is, for all intents and purposes, one of the most dangerous creatures that exists, made only benign by its offbeat personality.
As far as anyone can tell, Mask delights in the challenge of stealing, in surprise and loss, but not in pain. It is mischievous but not malicious, for the most part, although there are tales of people and places vanishing without trace, or memories and personalities stolen from their very minds. Devotees of Mask have a specific living code, usually negotiated at a local or even personal level, that governs their thievery. Almost every medium-to-large settlement has their own Thieves' Guild, and each has their own leader who coordinates their group's efforts in the area. That is not to say that thieves do not exist outside the Guilds, or even outside the believers of Mask-- although choosing not to pray for Mask's aid in cat burglary would draw its attention and admiration anyway. Most thieves have an intensely personal relationship with the god-creature that is not easily translated into the mainstream worship of gods like Sune, Pelor, or Tempus.
Mask is one of the few celestials with only one aspect. It is said to appear as an unnervingly flexible black-furred creature with cat's legs and large hands that wears a large golden mask. It is unknown if the mask is its face or if there is something beneath it-- no one has ever dared find out, or had the chance to try.

Spread

The worship of Mask is in coppers tossed into a tiny shrine, quick muttered prayers before a heist, and in the breathless offering of street food after a successful take. Thieves Guilds do not typically govern worship, lead services, or sell trinkets. They organize their communities and nothing else, generally speaking, and those who do more are rare indeed.
The topic of the Planar Fence is a fraught one because of this. Many followers of Mask do not care about who is the creature's so-called favorite, other than the whispers of the incredible powers a Fence might hold. However, the Fence is defined only as the greatest thief living at any given point, and is not necessarily a lifelong state of being. It is said that each Fence meets Mask at least once during their career, which is where our tales of the god's appearance come from. Other than that, the relationship between the two is shrouded in mystery.

Cultural Reception

It is unsurprising that the worship of Mask is unpopular with governing bodies. Do the math.

In Art

Many, many talismans of Mask exist, all made by hand by thieves or for thieves. They can be as simple as the imprint of a cat's paw, or small statues for shrines, but all are made with the acknowledgement that someday they may just... disappear.