You’d be searching through one of the various filing cabinets in a dark and dusty storage room, after hours of looking you finally found a folder that stuck out from the rest, it was the only one with a family crest on it. As your curiosity got the best of you, you’d open the folder that looked older than your grandfather, inside would be a lengthy document protected by a plastic sleeve.. It was clear you weren’t the first to find it.
Taking it out of the sleeve, the first thing you’d notice is the large Meyer family crest on the front, accompanied by a stamp reading CLASSIFIED and the title of the document at the very top, the paper seemed in pretty good condition for its presumed age and the ink didn’t seem faded at all.
Relics of the lineage (Part Two)
‘To change is to abandon lineage’
Over the centuries since the beginning of the bloodline there have been many objects forged, found, and lost as each family head leads the Meyer family into greatness. Out of all the objects created and used for the benefit of the family, very few have been recovered as many are lost to time or were destroyed during the ████████ of ████. This document will be used as a reference and updated as needed, when a relic is recovered you are to contact the current family head for instructions and research will be done into its past.
Mask of Insolence | “Galea insolentis et liberi”
History
The mask of Insolence is a more recently made relic, originating from Fritz Althaus-Meyer in 1921 when he was the head of the family. The mask’s historical influence is high despite its more youthful nature in comparison to other relics to be disclosed, it was named the Mask of Insolence as it was an item to be feared during that period of the Meyer lineage. During this time, the mask would be used by Fritz during the ██████████ of disobedient family members who openly chose not to follow the corrupt requirements of the head.
Recently this mask has been rejuvenated and restored to a usable state, this was then placed into the possession of the late Kassandra Meyer who was given the title of ‘The Insolent one’ during her time infiltrating the ranks of the █████ ██ ███ ██████ ████. She would later go missing and be found by Shark Meyer deceased as she was discovered ███████████ for being a ‘rat’.
Attributes
The mask itself was forged from three layers of hardened titanium sheets, roughly 3mm thick at its densest point along the brow, then it has been hand-hammered and shaped to contour before being finished in a blackened patina that has never fully faded. The titanium was reportedly chosen for its high strength-to-weight ratio, durable enough to withstand a direct strike without deforming, yet light enough for extended use without straining the neck. Unlike other relics, the Mask of Insolence bears no gemstone inlay or ornamentation, Fritz reportedly had favoured function and fear over spectacle, the mask’s design reflects this severity.
The interior of the mask is lined with aged leather, fitted with a set of brass clasps that had been added sometime during its first restoration in 1974, replacing the old iron fittings which were corroded beyond repair. Two narrow slits in the front of the mask serve as eyeholes, angled downward, giving the mask a permanent expression of scorn no matter the wearer’s actual demeanor, a detail believed to be intentional as a means to unsettle whoever stood opposite it.
Where the spear carries a rune of unknown origin, the Mask of Insolence instead bears a series of shallow engravings along its lower jaw, small enough to be mistaken for age-related cracking unless examined closely. The top of the mask also bears a carving similar to the one on the spear though unlike the jaw markings, this one’s origin is known as the mark of Fritz which was used to show which objects were ‘claimed’ by him. The markings on the jaw have not been matched to any known Meyer cipher, though some family members speculate that they may correspond to a tally, one etched line for each ██████████ carried out beneath the mask.
Notes
- Following the death of Kassandra Meyer, the mask was recovered in poor condition and is currently undergoing its second restoration, its location during this process is restricted to those directly involved in the restoration process, including the head of the lineage and all bloodline heads.
- Given the mask’s association with both Fritz Althaus-Meyer and Kassandra Meyer, current family leadership has expressed extreme reluctance to reintroduce it into active use, citing its reputation as “A relic that remembers who had worn it last.”
