Masked Grace
The Masked Grace is one of the Faithful of The Trinity, the Church of the Faceless. Her true identity is kept hidden by the featureless porcelain mask she wears at all times, and any other defining physical features are hidden beneath the folds of her robes made from heavy white wools, and overlaid with complex stitchings. Like all of the Faceless, no-one knows her true identity, but the locals in Omberstad are kept busy with rumour and guesswork.
You ask me, what is it I talk about with Annika Lux? I simply seek to understand the mind that spreads such falsehoods that might tempt the Multitude. I do this, for the very reason you ask this question. I am here to protect you from those such as her. Ask yourself, what is your interest in her? Do you see in her someone to admire? To celebrate? To worship perhaps? Careful now. She brought warmth to your homes, true. But that warmth comes from the Creator, not from Annika Lux. Beware what you ascribe to this woman, or you run the risk of the Multitude. There are No Aspects but the Three. Remember this, and you will remain safe. Forget yourself and ascribe powers to some other, and you risk Destruction. Of yourself and all you hold dear. We have seen. We know. That is the only truth you should concern yourself with. The Masked Grace, during congregation at the Lucent Chantry
Is she highborn?
The Masked Grace replaced the aging priest as head of the congregation of The Lucent Chantry in Omberstad. Unlike her predecessor, who's rough mannerisms marked him as coming from lowborn parents, the Masked Grace talks in the soft and lilting accent so common in the courts of New Lafaelle. Many suspect she is highborn, perhaps even planning to eventually unmask herself and take on a more overt political position. Possibly as a future Lord Protector and replacement for Lord Akron.Is she an Inquistor?
Rumour has it that she recently come to Omberstad upon the order of her superiors within the church. Many suspect she has come to investigate potential heresy within the Protectorate held areas of Tokaru. Some say it is a direct result of Lord Akron's defeat at the Drowning at Telela that has The Ministry so displeased. Others point to the growing protest within the Protectorates against their treatment of goblinkin, sparked by the emancipation of the goblins at Sudengard. They look to Omberstad, and the tolerance the population has of Annika Lux, who has ever been a vocal critic of the Protectorates. All these things could be enough to earn the ire of the conservatives within The Ministry, and the rumours of inquisition have made everyone in Omberstad nervous.Is she as devout as she seems?
On the surface, The Masked Grace is a devout zealot when it comes to the tenets of her faith in the The Trinity. At her sermons, she speaks often on the Doctrine of Bound Aspects, and the Heresy of Proliferation and the dangers to the congregations should either be ignored. At her core however, she is s seeker of truth over all things. And while she is fervent in her proselytising, she also wants to understand why the tenets of faith are the way they are. During her studies in the Library at New Lafaelle, she uncovered ancient texts that sowed seeds of doubt in her mind about the true cause of The Destruction. Some rumour that she her posting to the remote Uferbrech Archipelago is actually an exile of sorts because she delved too deeply into controversial documents in her studies. She has even been seen visiting with Annika Lux at the Lux Steam House, and some have said that their discussions on faith and truth have been regular. When asked, she simply nods and says: "even the most lost must be given a path back to purity of faith."Mental characteristics
Personal history
True origins
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The Masked Grace was not born from highborn parents as most suspect. The accent she puts on is an affectation to hide her true origins. Her parents were peasants, working in one of the many solar farms run by the Order of Salvitas in the snowy fields surrounding New Lafaelle. Over their life, they rose in stature amongs the Order due to hard work and a natural talent for the magics involved.
The Masked Grace was born into the Order, and named by her parents Espa. Unlike the highborn among the Protectorates, she never had a proper family name. Those born and raised within the Order of Salvitus take on the surname De Salvitus
Education and Masking
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During her Choosing, her father used his influence (and life savings) to have her accepted into The Academy at New Lafaelle as an Acolyte of the Faithful. She vowed to prove his faith in her, and threw herself into her studies. She was one of the very few from lowborn backgrounds to be accepted into the New Lafaelle Academy, and it proved to be a difficult time for her. She found herself ostracized by most of her peers, and spent much of her time instead with mentors and alone in the Library.
Her focus saw her quickly rise through the classes of the Academy, and allowed her an aloofness to the normal social mess of student life that made the jump to becoming a Faceless an easy choice for her.
A crisis of faith
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Some of the rumours about the Masked Grace point to a deep truth. She did indeed discover documents within the Library, including ancient texts from before The Destruction, such as the Testimony of the First Ascendant and others that pointed to forces other than unbidlied belief as the source of the Destruction. She delved and explored deeply within the restricted sections of the Library, and also discover The Lost Journals of Annika Lux held by the Academy, which had much to say about the naure of faith and magic as employed by others across Shadowfire.
These two avenues of exploration left their mark, and she began to question to very Doctrines that drove the Church of The Trinity. She was also acutely aware of the dangers of these thoughts, and has hid them well from everyone, including her superiors in the Church.
This is the Masked Grace's defining moment. She remains in utter terror of her own doubts being discovered, but she cannot unlearn what she has learnt. In private, she rails against what she sees as pure hypocracy, and her anger at the injustices she sees being perpetrated in the name of these false doctrines threatens to boil over.
Posting as an Inquistor
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From her crisis in faith, The Masked Grace volunteered to take the newly vacant position at Omberstad, and even pushed her superiors to allow her to investigate the goings on. On the surface, she used Lord Akron's defeat against the Motu as the reason, leveraging growing suspicions amongs the mainland Lord Protectors.
Her true motivation was to meet Annika Lux in person. After reading her controverisal journals, The Masked Grace wanted to meet her, and if she can be trusted, talk further about her experiences with faith and magics across other cultures.
So far, she has been unable to share with Annika her true beliefs. She does not know yet if she can trust her or not.
Current Status
Posted to Omberstad as a missionary and inquisitor
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
2965 AD
26 Years old
Birthplace
New Lafaelle
Children
Current Residence
The Lucent Chantry
Sex
Female
Eyes
Light grey
Hair
Unknown
Height
5' 8"
Weight
Slim
Belief/Deity
A low ranked Faithful of the Trinity
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
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