Blood Lord Aergulf/Mask of Blood
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Mask of Blood | |
| Owner: | Blood Lord Aergulf |
|---|---|
| Classification: | Cursed Mask |
| Bestowed Powers/Abilities | |
| Unnatural Strength and Reflexes, Lightning Control, Mystic Senses, Immortality. | |
| Known Materials | |
| Unknown. Believed to be some sort of leather. | |
| Usage | |
| Worn and its power must be sought. | |
| The mask is one of many Relics of Power. These items are highly powerful, but corrupt and change its owner. | |
Contents |
Appearance
The Mask of Blood looks to be an ordinary red leather mask with intricate and unusual writing all over it. The material, at closer inspection, is completely rough and course yet is light and durable. Worked into the sides of the mask are two 2 foot long horns of unknown origin. The horns are an unnatural red and black hue and don't look to have come from any animal that existed on this planet. The runes and writing adorning all around the mask are currently not part of any known language. The writing is very small and crisscross all around the mask.
The Power and The Price
The Mask itself is a relic of monumental and ancient mystical power. The greatest of all these powers is that it grants true immortality. The wearer of the mask literally becomes forever. It slowly grants it user more and more mystical knowledge and insight that the user gains almost god-like mystical knowledge and senses. After its user mentally and mystically fills out, the Mask then slowly grants its user command over lightning while increasing its user's strength, mass, and agility. It is possible that the mask could turn a 5' tall 100 lb. half-wit into a 8' tall 2000 lb. genius in only a few years.
The price the Mask initially extracts from its users is simply the wearer's humanity. The change is subtle and hard to notice. First the user slowly distances himself from those it loves and knows. Then the user's passions and joys become less and less important to them. In time their emotions become dull and apathetic. Eventually they become mere observers of human behavior, viewing it with disdain and confusion.
The History
Much of the history of the Mask of Blood lies with Blood Lord Aergulf, but is not limited to the events shared with him. The Mask was unearthed in what is known as Siberia in 13000 BC, by the being known as Halius the Cursed. Halius kept the Mask secreted away in a mountain in what is today known as Mt. Ararat in Turkey. It was hidden within that mountain for more than two thousand years and found by a group of lost nomads in 10800 BC. From there it was taken to the shores of the Black Sea and used as a head-piece for the tribe's effigy of their god. Oddly enough the tribe had another relic of power attached to that same effigy.
Ten years after its discovery in Mt. Ararat, the Mask was stolen by a warring band of nomads and taken further west around the Black Sea. The chief of the nomads donned the Mask and the other relic of power and declared himself god of the region. For two years the chief ruthlessly slaughtered all opposing tribes and began a settlement in the area of modern day Ağrı in Turkey. There the chief's behavior grew more erratic and dangerous. Finally there was an uprising and the chief fled this settlement. Five years after the chief fled Halius the Cursed once again found the Mask. The chief, his settlement, and his tribe were gone by then and Halius returned the Mask to his cave in Mt. Ararat.
Once again the Mask languished in the cave for another two thousand years. It was only disturbed once when an ancient vampire unearthed the cavern and dwelt within the caves for seven years. The vampiress known as Ka'Amit Tehth'et Ahn sought after the other relic of power and lived in the caves while she shaped the relic into a suit of armor. She all but ignored the horned mask. Shortly after she left the caves, Halius returned and picked up the Mask and brought it to a lowly hound training mortal by the name of Malith.
Relics of Power
The Mask of Blood, like all relics of power, are artifacts of the most vile evil intelligence. Their purpose is to corrupt other beings and ultimately merge their wills with that of their wearers, all the while distributing more relics of power to continue this process.
The intelligence and ultimate power dwelling within the mask is that of an outsider named Ygthrrha'Bwhbbtia. Ygthrrha is a massive disgusting creature. Its natural form is immense and psyche shattering. It chooses a somewhat less horrifying appearance in this reality. Atop its massive eight foot tall height is a crown of four interlacing horns. Its eyes and head burn with a furious rancid electricity that smells of burning aluminum. Its "wings" are really interlacing tentacles and spines. Its body lacks any skin and is always bulging and rippling with exposed muscle. Its surface is constantly weeping blood and mucus. Everywhere it goes it taints the land with its vileness.
