Demarche

A demarche or demarchess  was a priest of the Church of Mask, though the term originally referred to Maskarran specialty priests.

Culture
Demarches were typically regarded as the elite of the Church of Mask, often rising to the position of high priest.

Abilities
Most demarches were proficient in thieving skills, and could communicate in thieves' cant. They were usually also skilled at the arts of disguise, forgery, and reading lips.

Through their devotion to Mask, demarches could gain access to Maskarran spells like shadowcloak. With time and training, they could also learn to cast various shadow-themed spells such as darkness, Lorloveim's creeping shadow, shadow door, shadow monsters, demi-shadow monsters, shades, Lorloveim's shadowy transformation, shadowcat, shadow walk, and vanish.

Unlike regular clerics of Mask, demarches could neither turn nor command undead.

Possessions
A demarche was typically outfitted in some form of leather armor and armed with either a bludgeoning weapon or a knife, dagger, or hand crossbow.

History
Following Mask's loss of status in the divine hierarchy after the Time of Troubles, the amount of specialty priests in the church increased significantly. This was because Mask felt demarches fulfilled a useful support role for thieves, who made up the bulk of his base of worshipers, and so he furiously encouraged the recruitment and advancement of specialty priests. As of the, demarches made up roughly forty percent of the Church of Mask, with regular priests making up about thirty percent. '

As of the 15 century DR, the term demarche (and demarchess) referred to any priest of Mask.

Notable Demarchs

 * Hond Rhauballa, Shadowlord Demarche of the House of Spires and Shadows in Westgate.
 * Avnon Des, First Demarche of the Hall of Shadows, a temple of Mask in Elgrin Fau, a city from another world that was trapped in the Shadowfell.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Soulbound • The Godborn
 * Video Games
 * Icewind Dale II