Nintoch: Holy Godfather

Nintoch is normally depicted as a male of a Gith race, though it is hard to determine if he is Githzerai or Githyanki. On the world of Toril, Nintoch is also present, but under a different name. Here he is known as Quinton, a drow male. He wears black leather clothes in both forms. As a Gith-race he has a black topknot of hair and sharp eyebrows with piercing eyes. As a Drow his hair is pulled into a topknot as well, but is white as snow.

According to legends, Nintoch learned how well a group could work together back when he was a mortal in the organization known as the Multi-Universals Agency (MUA), an investigation firm in Sigil that investigates crimes and other events throughout the multiuniverse. Nintoch is said to have more than just a passive interest in the agency still.

Nintoch is also credited with the creation of a group of secretive deities known as "The Shadow Circle". This group fashions itself the first divine guild of Thieves ever (though there are many who dispute this claim), composed of Nintoch as it's organizer, with other powers that are interested in thievery and roguish arts as members alongside him- or so Nintoch's faithful claim.

Nintoch may normally be considered a lesser power, but if the rumors of his dominant role in the Shadow Circle are true he may be very powerful indeed.

The Shadow Circle is said to attract such deities as Mask, Vhaeraun, Abbathor, Hermes, Brandobaris, Baravar Cloakshadow and host of other powers with similar interests. The idea of a lesser god lording it over this motley collection of often dark and mysterious gods seems to lend itself to doubting The Shadow Circle's true existence, as reported by Nintoch's priests, but the legend persists, and the priests are adamant about it's existence. It is a strongly debated topic, even among clerics and proxies of the gods who are supposedly aligned with it.

Perhaps, however, a conspiracy is present. The implications of these powers and others like them working together may be frightening to the powers who oppose the members of the Circle personally, those who oppose their portfolios, and even those who oppose the superiors of these deities.

The Shadow Circle is said to have an "Honor Among Thieves" that protects the members of this group from backstabbing each other, though sages have said that honor among thieves is like priests among the Athar. It doesn't exist.

What the goals this group may have are unknown, and even the proxies of the powers reportedly involved have remained tight-lipped, or merely have denied it. How these powers could actually work together,when gods are so notoriously egocentric and concerned about their own churches, is also unknown. This leads many people to dismiss the Shadow Circle as a mere rumor. Nintoch has, however, earned the name "Holy Godfather" among his worshippers, from their belief that he is masterminding the Circle.

A legend goes that when Nintoch was a mortal he started the Planar Private Investigation Academy of the Mind (P.P.I.A.M.). The agency/academy is still active in Sigil, teaching classes on the roguish arts and investigating crimes throughout the multiverse. It is a holy place to all who worship the holy godfather, and priests are required to undertake pilgrimages to it, at least once in their lives.

It also teaches classes. Any who are interested in classes are instructed to send all inquiries to "P.P.I.A.M. Neutral Lane, Sigil, Center of the Multi-Verse." care of either Sharky, Broscka or Fritss. Sharky will receive all inquiries of "Mind and Stealth", Broscka will receive all inquiries of "Magic and Stealth" and Fritss will receive all inquiries of "Hide Go Seek". All students must start at beginner level classes. For all advanced classes, interested students can send inquiries to Eidolon Mimick, Dean and Lord of the Academy, who is also a proxy of Nintoch. All students entering the Academy for advanced classes will then be asked to pass an examination. Upon passing, students will get an invitation from the Dean of the Academy for a personal screening and congratulations luncheon. All beginner students need only pass a screening of one of the three school instructors mentioned above. P.P.I.A.M.'s classes give hands on experience.

Class will consist of, "class" 20% of the time and being "out on the field" 80% of the time. "There is no better teacher than Experience!" is the Academic school motto.

The list of deities that have reportedly "hired" Nintoch's faithful in the P.P.I.A.M. for various investigations, hunts, and even rumored assassinations is forever growing. Bounty Hunting, being the church's specialty, makes them rather good at it.

Nintoch seems to have a pet interest in uniting the Githzerai and Githyanki, as well. Nintoch reportedly has an enclave of worshippers calling themselves the "Gith" on the Material Plane who say that they were the only colony that didn't split to make the two races of Githzerai and Githyanki.

Nintoch opposes both the Wizard/King of the Githzerai and the Lich ruler of the Githyanki,and his priests attempt to unite the races whenever possible. Working together with others for a common goal is one of the most powerful forces of the Multiverse, to Nintochians, and many say that this example of a racial split is exactly the kind of unholy division that they must stop. Many sages sniff their noses, saying that even if the two races want to be reconciled, it may be far too late in the battle.

Not unlike his interest in uniting the Githzerai and Githyanki, Nintoch, in his incarnation as Quinton, is working at uniting the Drow with the other species of elves, bringing them back to the surface so that the elven races can work together and become stronger.

The legend behind Quinton says that when Nintoch was still mortal, he entered the prison plane of Carceri and had successfully broke out a prisoner. His clerics brag that this was never done before, and Nintoch irked many by this action. The The Harmoniam put out a "Wanted Dead" ransom on Nintoch's head and the return of the prisoner. Through reasons the priests chalk up to "being a master of disguise", Nintoch became a drow known as Quinton. This charade went on for years and Quinton hung out with some drow on Faerun who had fled the confines of Llothian, female-dominated culture. Nintoch grew quite fond of his drow disguise and became an activist for the drow plight. After returning to the planes and becoming a diety, Nintoch wanted to return to Toril and help his drow friends. The legend contintues to say that Nintoch was not allowed worshipers, or even a presence on Toril, for deities wanting activities or worshipers in Toril had to get approval and pass through the Cynosure, a divine court for the deities of Toril.

Eventually, Nitnoch was allowed to be worshiped, but only in the form he appeared in while on Toril, Quinton. He has ever since organized and worked hand in hand with the goddess Eilistraee protecting renegade drow from the tortures of an outdated culture.

The priests of Nintoch are well schooled in the art of marketing their other talents, too. People can come to them for help in finding lost things. This can include people, objects or even memories. Nintochians are reputed to be able to acquire just about anything. There's sternness about them. They don't pull any punches, and will talk about "price" from the get go.

Once in their lives, the clergy members of Nintoch are expected to make at least one pilgrimage to Sigil to visit the P.P.I.A.M. (see above). Running and creating guilds or academies is a prime goal of the priesthood, as it represents the ability to have people working together. Being in control of them, as they believe Nintoch is in control of the Shadow Circle, is highly encouraged in this religion, and you don't go far without becoming the leader of some club or another.

Because of the psionic influence of Nintoch's myths, the mental bent of the P.P.I.A.M., and the fact that many of the worshippers are outcast githyanki and githzerai trying to ally their races, Nintoch also encourages psionic disciplines as divine and has been known to grant spells aping psionic effects. Many of his clerics are actually multiclass cleric/psions, cleric/rouges and cleric/psions/rouges.