Masks of Office

"You know why the imperials wear masks, dontcha? It's to remind you that you're dealing with the Empire and not some person that you might be able to make an emotional appeal to in order to be treated with some basic human dignity. They hide behind those masks so you feel like you're talking to a statue and they don't have to hide their evil little smiles when you beg them for mercy." 
"Bollocks! It all started back when the Empress first took over. Turned out that a lot of people couldn't handle looking upon the true face of a god. They'd fall down sobbing or stand there frozen or maybe even jab a dagger through their own heart right where they stood. Somebody came up with the idea of putting a mask on Kyra and the other gods to put a little distance between people and the idea of a living god standing there in the flesh. Eventually all the imperials started wearing them."
"Are you sure about that? I heard that some Imperial Minister of the What-Have-You started the practice when sores from Dalyra's Malady started showing up on his face. Poor buggar went mad not long after, but not before people started wearing masks of their own."
"Well I for one don't care why the imperials wear those things, they give me the creeps. The only thing I can imagine that would be worse would be trying to have a conversation with Ilka the Faceless. At least the imperials have faces painted on their masks."

They say that the members of the Imperial Court in Tanrilar‌ rarely remove their masks outside of their own homes unless they're having a meal or coffee‌. In Khezvaros (and most other parts of the empire), officials tend to be more casual about the practice of wearing masks of office, usually reserving them for formal occasions. An Imperial Magistrate‌, for example, will wear a mask while sitting in judgement or delivering a verdict, but will usually remain unmasked when speaking to claimants or visiting the hall of records to consult the legal codes.

Standing woman wearing mask standing in front of fence by Graham Guenther

When the practice of mask-wearing began, masks were custom-designed by the wearer, but over the years particular patterns evolved to represent specific imperial ranks and offices: Magistrate masks have a serene, neutral appearance, the masks worn by tax collectors are stern with cruel lips, and the masks that imperial foresters (rarely) wear have antlers. While there is still some room for individual customization, the basic mask design is based on one's station.

The most common "blank" mask--just a featureless face void of expression--is readily available in the bazaar and is worn by low-level imperials whose office does not require a mask as well as normal citizens who have formal business with the imperial bureaucracy and want to make a good impression. Masks representing specific offices and titles are presented to the wearer upon election or appointment to office by appropriate imperial bureau and are kept in secure locations when not in use. Masks for especially important or powerful positions are often given over to the care of the imperial treasury.

Red Costume by Lívia Chauar

Rarity

The difficulty of obtaining a particular mask varies according to the office it represents.

Raw materials & Components

Most imperial masks are made of porcelain, but are often coated or accented with gold or silver leaf, encrusted with gemstones, and decorated with feathers, rare fur, and other embellishments. The only rule regarding modification of masks is that the enhancements may not obscure the marks of office.

Two classes of imperials are permitted to make replicas of their masks of office: Nobles may re-create their masks in any material of their choosing and soldier may have their mask design built into their helmet. In both cases, the mask not currently in use must be given over to either the house patriarch (for nobles) or commanding officer (for soldiers) for safe-keeping.