“Torn from the bones of the Abyss, this vile seed of darkness will corrupt. Woe to he who masks himself. But great will be his vision, his voice, his bite, his spittle. The mask’s last moment will birth vengeance and terror.”
| Other Names | Chiradus' Bane |
| Category | Miscellaneous |
| Magical Strength | Major |
This horrific mask is fashioned from the skull of a demon. It has fits over the wearer's face like a mask. It has ten claws at the back fashioned from finger bones. When the mask is donned, the finger bones will wrap around the back of the head and "grip" the user in a ghastly embrace.
Legend states that during the Age of Sorrow, there lived a great wizard named Chiradus who was obsessed with the occult and dark, forbidden knowledge. It is said he consorted with dark powers, enslaved demons and performed terrible rites in the dead of night. There is a story of Chiradus that claims he traveled to Hell itself and slew the great demon Azul. He took the skull and bones of mighty Azul and, with them, traveled deep into the darkest pits of Hell. There, upon some unspeakable dark altar, he carved a mask from the demon's bones and bathed it in the demon's blood. With the darkest sorcery, he bound the demon's spirit to it and filled it with loathing and suffering. According to at least one version of the story, the Bone Mask turned upon its creator and devoured his soul.
No one knows if the legend is true. There is some evidence that such a mage did live in the Age of Sorrow. In any event, the Bone Mask has surfaced from time to time over the centuries in different parts of the world. There is a palpable aura of evil about the thing. And it is rumored that anyone who uses the Mask too much will come to a horrible end.
When worn, the mask will animate as if alive. The eyes will glow red and the jaw bone will open and close. While donned, the bone mask gives the user the following abilities/functions:
 | The user can see life energy through the eyes of the mask. I.e. the user can determine the relative strength and health of all creatures within sight. The user can also detect negative life sources (undead creatures), artificial life forces (golems and constructs), etc. |
| The user's voice is greatly magnified and deepened. It also carries with it a magical component. Any word spoken acts as a "command" spell. Anyone hearing the mask wearer's magnified voice must save or be compelled to obey his spoken commands. |
| The mask can bite causing horrible damage. Bite wounds cannot be healed by magic and will cause continuous damage for several seconds after the bite. |
| The mask can vomit forth a stream of acid that burns flesh, stone and metal. It can do this three times per day. |
| The mask can unleash an unearthly howl of demonic fury once per day. This howl will stun all who hear it within 50 feet (save vs. fortitude). |
| Special Use - Useable only once. If the mask is destroyed, it will summon the great demon Azul, remade whole again, who will serve whoever destroyed the mask for a single day. At the end of the day, the demon Azul must return to Hell with a living victim. If no victim is available, the one who destroyed the mask will be taken. |
Because this is an evil magic item that was forged in the pits of hell, it is usually only used by evil individuals. It can be used by someone who is not evil, but the mask will fight them for control of their soul and will attempt to convert them to evil. Each time the mask is donned, the user must save vs. will or become evil. The mask becomes stronger each time and there is a cumulative -1 penalty to the save each time the mask is put on. Eventually the mask WILL convert the user.
None.
This page last updated Wednesday, December 24, 2008. Copyright 1990-2009 David M. Roomes.