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MASQUERS

ARCANOI

A Masquer  can learn the following Arcanoi at initiate and common level

MOLIATE             USURY          PHANTASM

Any other Arcanoi a Masquer  learns is common level only

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Plasm, the stuff of which wraiths are made, often seems like flesh… but it isn’t. Among other things, it’s far more malleable, easier to mold and shape. The Restless call the power to do this Moliate, and those who practice it Masquers. (Older wraiths sometimes prefer the archaic term Soulshaping, while younger wraiths favor the names Fleshworking and Plasmatics.) Using their arts, Masquers can turn wraiths into objects of great beauty, disfigure their enemies, or inflict horrific wounds in combat. And of course, Masquers can also change form to imitate other wraiths, making them unparalleled actors — and spies. A Masquer’s most elaborate creations may take days or weeks to craft, but it takes very little time to turn one’s fingers into claws and rip another wraith’s throat out.

 

Guildmarks

Since a Masquer can change shape to remove or alter any physical feature, what identifies him as a Masquer is that he has one prominent, distinguishing characteristic he cannot change — it remains the same, mutatis mutandis, in every form or shape he adopts. The most common such feature is the color of his eyes, but other examples include: a notable scar or tattoo; a snaggle tooth; an oddly shaped finger; or a nose that was broken and set badly so it’s got a distinctive “crook” to it. For example, if a Masquer’s guildmark is a scar along the left side of his face, even if he uses Imitate to impersonate another wraith’s face, the scar remains (thus potentially spoiling the disguise). If he uses Armory to protect himself with a “barrel helm,” the outside of the helm has a crease the same shape and length as the scar. If he Bodyshapes into a piece of furniture, the chair becomes will have a scratch or burn mark the same shape and length as the scar on the appropriate part of his form.

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The Guild

What would become the Guild of Masquers began ages ago as what amount to fashion houses and “art galleries.” Wraiths learned early on that they could shape and stretch plasm. Fascinated by the possibilities, some of them studied this phenomenon in detail and developed Moliate. Many early Masquers focused on making other wraiths (or themselves) more attractive. Wealthy wraiths visited the Masquers’ “houses” daily or weekly, chasing the latest trends in the shape of the self. But more practical Masquers — and those they served — saw beyond the cosmetic applications of their art. Espionage, assassination, infiltration, and even open combat are child’s play for a wraith who can change the shape and capabilities of his body at will. In time, the Masquers became as well known for these “services” as for their artistic pursuits, and many wraiths feared and avoided them. When the Guilds revolted, the Masquers followed their close allies, the Usurers, into the rebel camp — and when the Usurers abandoned the cause, the Masquers did the same. Deprived of the advantage of Masquer spies and killers, the rebels found their position weaker than ever and were soon forced to capitulate. This only further increased the distrust and animosity most wraiths felt toward the Masquers. In the often chaotic times since, with Charon gone and much of the Underworld facing uncertainty or turmoil, the Masquers are in greater demand than ever. Trust and respect, on the other hand, are almost impossible for the masters of Moliate to obtain. Anyone who’s anyone in the Underworld probably has at least one Masquer in his employ, if not several — but he keeps a close eye on them.

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Factions

The Masquers’ Guild in some ways resembles a large partnership more than a true Guild, with Circles (many of them rather small) joining forces primarily to share information and resources. Most Circles form based on a common interest or practice, and these “interests” essentially define factions, such as: the Chorus of Faces, who use their skills to entertain and amaze; the Fleshwrights, practitioners of the ancient arts of molding wraiths’ plasm for aesthetic or practical purposes; the Secret Order, master spies, burglars, and assassins (often referred to by fearful wraiths as “the Spiders”); and the Janissaries, feared bands of shape-shifting, flesh-rending warriors.

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