Dhanû Masks

From my heart - my mask speaks.

— Imari, Dhanû Clan-Warrior

In Dhanû, masks are symbols of who their wearers are and all they aspire to be. Elaborate constructs made from metal, Chitin, and ivory, the mask speak to the nature of those who wear them. It is a glimpse into the wearer's heart and soul - or at least what they wish to present.
Warriors wear the face of fearsome beasts to show their courage and ferocity, while others flaunt their ambition with leering devils or wicked spirits. No matter what they say, Dhanû listens.
It is an old and honored craft in Dhanû, with strict rules and customs.

Making a Mask

Measure carefully. You may never see another bone like this.

— Garoji, Master Artisan of Izhaso

Dhanû Masks are often made some creature, typically great beasts or grinning devils from Dhanû myth, depending on what attributes the wearer wishes to emphasize. The most common masks are forged from Chitin or carapace, then reinforced with metal. A few treasured masks are passed down through generations, particularly in families proud of their lineage.
Horns, tusks, and more are stripped from slain monsters and used to decorate the mask, based on whatever story it is meant to tell. It is considered especially auspicious if the warrior has themselves felled the beasts that provide the material.

by Shao Zhijiao

Nobles or wealthy warriors use more rare and valuable material to craft their masks. Some hire the Imaður to hunt for them, potentially making any beast that walks, crawls, or flies through Sheoin into potential material.
Some use precious metals and even gems to adorn their masks, though it is not common. Such ostentatious displays impress few of the austere Dhanû.
The poor of Dhanû use bones or hattick and color them with dye, decorating them with whatever they can. These are usually things related to their trade, such as mushrooms for a farmer or scales for a fisher. If neither can be acquired, they are sometimes forced to engrave their mask with the likeness of such elements.

Even then, a peasant must be careful, lest the voice of his mask offends his betters. A mask that speaks of ambition beyond what is appropriate for their station inevitably brings retribution.
No clan would stand for one of their own lacking a mask, and even the destitute are given aid to acquire one - at the cost of many obligations.

Wearing The Mask

You wear your mask like a naked blade.

— Dhanû saying, about threatening mask

The choice of mask is a deeply personal statement that the wearer makes to the world, but interpreting the mask's meaning is a complicated matter. Warriors who fear their courage might falter wear the mask of fierce beasts to draw strength from it, while others don the same to intimidate foes. They are matters of prestige and personal glory, with a well-kept and beautiful mask speaking well of its owner. Damaged masks are expected to be repaired as soon as possible, and lost ones replaced. Anyone who wears one poorly or in disrepair will find themselves shunned.

by Nguyen Trung Nghia

Warriors usually have two masks, one worn in peace and one worn during battle. These battle-masks are made for situations where the warrior must become more than himself - to become the beast or devil it depicts. To wear this visage in public is the same as carrying a drawn weapon.
When a warrior dies, his mask is left with his family and clan. They are sometimes broken apart and used in pieces to perform the Shikei on their skull. Others are passed on to sons and daughters or kept as mementos. Some clan gather the mask in the fallen in grand displays.

The mask is traditionally worn whenever the Dhanû is in public. It is seen as essential, as a glance into the wearer's heart. Those without one, or worse made to wear a mask of penance, are assumed to be dishonest, untrustworthy, or worse. The exception is during the Masquerades, light-hearted festivals where Dhanûians of all castes don cheap and exaggerated masks and act the personas.

He wears many masks.

— Dhanû Sayings

Dhanû
A city-state of proud warriors and laconic poets, Dhanû is nestled in the caverns of the Sheoin region. Theirs is a society bound together by obligations, honor, and desperate survival - always threatening to unravel.
Read More About Dhanû

by ArtDeepMind

Too Many Masks

Most Dhanû have one or perhaps two masks, but some amass entire collections. It is not a popular choice - they are considered deceptive or lacking in honor at worst and lost or confused at its most charitable. To be told they own too many masks is a subtle condemnation of characters.

Few things are taboo when it comes to what the mask looks like, though modeling them after other, living people is rarely done except by the most devoted zealots.

by tripple777

Becoming the Mask

Some unfortunate few become cursed with a madness that causes them to believe that they are what their mask depicts. These possessed warriors will run on all four, howl and bite, often ending in violent, bloody murder.
Such afflictions are believed to be the work of evil spirits, attracted by the broken oaths and lapses of virtue.
Read More About Becoming the Mask

To lose one's mask in battle is among the worst shames a Dhanû warrior can endure and sometimes believed that the one who owns it also owns a part of the warrior's soul.

by Call of Duty: Ghosts