The Mask

Item from Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas

A Dread Trove artifact that grants dominion over the dead — terrible power at a terrible price, because the dead remember being commanded and they do not forgive.

The Mask is one of the Dread Trove — artifacts of primordial power that were never meant to be used by mortals or Vanir. It grants the wearer control over the dead: corpses rise at their command, spirits speak truth, and even the Under-King's authority can be superseded. But the Mask feeds on the wearer's life force, and prolonged use drives the wearer mad — or worse, makes them comfortable with the madness. Bryce used it in House of Flame and Shadow. She survived, but the Mask left a mark — anyone who wears it carries the memory of commanding the dead, and the dead carry the memory of being commanded.

Appearance

An ancient iron mask, cold to the touch and heavier than its size suggests. Its surface is etched with symbols that shift when observed directly. When worn, it fuses to the face and the wearer's eyes become empty voids of darkness. The air around it smells like old blood and grave earth.

Also known as: The Mask, The Death Mask

What They Know

• The Mask overrides the Under-King's control over the dead — it is a higher authority in the death hierarchy
• Prolonged wear erodes the boundary between the wearer's mind and the dead's collective consciousness
• It can raise armies of the dead, but each corpse draws energy from the wearer — raise too many and you die
• The Mask was originally designed for the Starborn and works at full power only in Starborn hands

Connections

• wielded_by — bryce
• feared_by — under_king

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