Masks of New Tongues

The Golden Oracle

Appearance: Crafted from hammered gold, this mask has a smooth, expressionless face that depicts a calm authority.
Tongue Material: Pure gold, extending elegantly from slightly parted lips, with delicate engravings that resemble flowing script.
Age: Estimated to be over 5,000 years old.

The Jade Whisperer

Appearance: Carved from deep green jade, the mask features a serene face with closed eyes. The surface is smooth but the slight contours define its gentle expression.
Tongue Material: A sculpted piece of polished jade, the tongue is forked subtly at the tip, reminiscent of a serpent.
Age: Approximately 4,500 years old.

The Obsidian Screamer

Appearance: Made from glossy black obsidian, the mask has an intense, haunting visage with an open mouth frozen in a silent scream.
Tongue Material: Obsidian, sharply pointed and textured with fine ridges, giving it a tactile, almost sharp feel.
Age: Around 3,800 years old.

The Silver Enigma

Appearance: A mask of polished silver, tarnished in areas with age, depicting a face that is both masculine and feminine, embodying duality.
Tongue Material: An elongated piece of silver filigree, intricately woven into delicate patterns that catch the light mesmerizingly.
Age: Approximately 3,200 years old

The Bone Speaker

Appearance: Crafted from bleached bone, possibly from a large animal, the mask has a raw, primal aesthetic with minimal refinement.
Tongue Material: A tongue carved from bone as well, engraved with symbols resembling teeth or runes.
Age: Estimated at over 5,500 years old, potentially the oldest of the collection.

Manufacturing process

The masks exhibit mastery of metalworking, stone carving, and inlay techniques that were highly advanced for their time.
Some masks show evidence of magical or alchemical treatments, intended to imbue them with specific properties or to preserve them.

History

Origins and Ritual Use Each mask was created for a specific purpose within sacred rituals, often reserved for use by high-ranking priests, shamans, or royalty.
The masks were believed to be conduits for communication—whether with deities, spirits, or forces of nature.
 Strict protocols governed who could wear the masks, how they were stored, and the rituals associated with their use.

Disappearance and Rediscovery

Many of the masks vanished alongside the decline or collapse of their civilizations, hidden away to protect their power or stolen during conquests. Over the centuries, the masks surfaced sporadically, often in the possession of private collectors, secret societies, or as spoils of war.

Significance

Powers and Abilities

Wearing a mask purportedly allows the wearer to speak and understand any language, including forgotten languages. Some believe the masks enable communion with spirits, deities, or other entities beyond mortal perception.

The Curse

Those who wear a mask find it adheres to their face, and over time becomes impossible to remove by any physical or magical means known. The wearer's own tongue begins to change, slowly taking on the properties of the mask's tongue material.

Item type

Religious / Ritualistic

Raw materials & Components

Precious Metals and Stones: Gold, silver, jade, and obsidian are not only valuable but hold significant symbolic meanings in many cultures.