Masquers Guild
Contents
Masquers Guild
"If you can't decide what you want to be, heck, I'll decide for you. Hold still. This won't hurt a bit."
The substance of a wraith, known as 'plasm' is much more mailable than flesh, and with the proper application of pathos can be sculpted and rearranged into almost any shape. Thus are the Masquers born as those who have become masters of reshaping their own corpus and the corpus of others into any shape imaginable. Masquers come talents are most often sought after from one of three schools. Beautification is big business in the underworld, as many wraith would pay to have a masquer make them into their idealized self, untouched by decay or death. Even an enfant will seek out the services of a masquer to cover up deathmarks, repair old scars and injuries, or simply to obtain the silky gossamer wings they always wanted in life. Masquers are often obsessed with beauty and perfecting their arts to provide whatever modifications a client asks for, no questions asked. Changes done by a masquer can be temporary or sometimes permanent depending on the amount of pathos invested.
The Warsmiths are a union of masquers that have their foundation in the earliest days of the underworld. Long before Nhudri was saved from the Labyrinth by Charon, and the art of artificing was born, warsmiths armed the denizens of the underworld against their foes. As corpus can be reshaped into something beautiful, it can also be re-shaped into something horrible or something destructive. With the proper application of pathos, a wraith may have their arms shaped into powerful claws, mighty tentacles, or swords as strong as steel. I proficient warsmith will often take on a form of war, which grants them exceptional durability, strength, and fighting power. Before the time of soulforging moliation was the only means of acquiring weapons, other than what few relics crossed the shroud on their own, and masquers still use their arts to arm stygian soldiers for battle. A talented Masquer can even craft Barghests; wraiths who have been partially lobotomized and shaped into the form of intensely obedient and terrifyingly ferocious war dogs. Often times a captured specter or unruly or weak thrall can be shaped into a most potent killing machine unfailing loyal to the masquer that crafted it.
When one thinks of the ability to shift ones corpus at their will one cannot help but think of spies and assassins. In deed the masquers guild excels in these arts and they are to be rightly feared. A good masquer can shape themselves to mimic almost any form the desire and gain access to even the most secure of areas. No art is infoulable, but the masters of this aspect of the art form are some of the most successful spies and assassins you've never heard of. Each of these facets of the guild are highly sought after and as such the masquers are one of the more powerful and wealthy guilds in Stygian society.
The arts of Moliate consist of Weaponry, Imitate, and Barghest form. This is a arconai commonly chosen by wraiths who were shifters in life, as working with claws and a crinos form come more naturally to them. It is also an artform taken by anyone who wants to be able to be armed at a moments notice, or change their costume however they like. While one player cannot copy another player or NPC, the potential for disguises and costume alterations are countless.
When one thinks of the ability to shift ones corpus at their will one cannot help but think of spies and assassins. A good masquer can shape themselves to mimic almost any form the desire and gain access to even the most secure of areas.
Some Masquer Archetypes
Fetches
Spies who re-shape their appearances for a perfect disguise. They are able to adapt to new personalities so well that if they replace the person, they can fool their target's closest friends.
Helldivers
The same as Fetches, except they hide among Spectres to gather information or destroy the most dangerous among them. Extremely dangerous and valuable. A very adept Helldiver may survive half a dozen missions before being destroyed.
Idunn
Those who reshape others for a fee. A very competitive and diva-like group at times.
Warsmiths
Like the Idunn, but they change the corpus for military applications.
