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Masks
The following are descriptions that people on the Scorpion Clan Mailing list, and elsewhere, have given of their masks. If you play a Scorpion and you would like your mask described here then please send it along.
Bayushi Chochei
My mask is made from gold wire, twisted into coiling designs that cover the left hemisphere of my head. The mask doesn't not completely hide my features, but it does obscure them. It's similar to looking through a golden thorn bush. My head is shaved. The right side of my head has the word loyalty tatooed upon it. The mask hides another tatoo... A tatoo of the phrase "Know thyself"...
Daikage has 2 masks, on for pre-ronin and one for after regaining his place in the clan. The pre-ronin mask was a black silk hood covering his entire head, with a hole cut in the back to allow his hair to be pulled through. But, after he went ronin he had his hair cut short, and has kept it short since then. So, his new mask is more of a black domino mask with a red scorpion over the left eye.
Bayushi Kabe's mask covers the lower half of his face, and it of black laquered porcilain. Close inspection will show a well disguised panel of silk tht allows him to speak and breathe. During his Ronin days, he wore a faded grey silk scarf around his face in a similer fashion to his mask.
By day, my mask is just like Jomyako's, except it is always in colors which match my clothing. It covers my special tatoo, you know the ones that only the Soshi give. By night, it looks like an inverse of Deadpool's old mask (ie Black ninja mask with red circles around the eyes).
Kayakino's masks always cover the left half of his face. When he is in a dark mood, he wears either white or light colours. When he is in a good mood, he wears black or dark colours. There is, however, always a splash of red around the eyehole, making it look as if it is bleeding.
Bayushi Kidoma wears a long, scarf-like deal that he wraps around his neck and lower half of his face. The ends trail down his back and chest, and the Scorpion mon decorates both ends. While traveling or fighting, he knots it to keep it in place, but in court or some other social occasion, he leaves it loose.
Bayushi Kojin wears no mask at all, save for the tattoo of a dragon twisting up over one eye and under the other.
Murai's mask, as some have seen at conventions, is a black "comet" sunburst that fades to blood red at the tips, which covers the top half of his face. He frequently wears a black cloth kerchief that bears the Scorpion mon in red underneath the mask to hide his mouth, which was a gift from the famed Yogo Onokae as a memento of the Burning Sands World Tour.
I wear a dark red mempo in the shape of a leering Oni. The eye holes are large e nough to allow a field of vision as wide as possible, and the oversized mouth sh ows just enough of my lips so I can be expressive when I need to be. The mask is kept on my head by criss-crossing silk straps dyed in black.
Riwatan wears a mask made of copper, with small airholes to allow comfortable breathing. The mask is shaped like a blazing bonfire, and starts at a point on his chin. It widens out to cover the lower half of his face before narrowing and coming to another point at the top of his nose. It is painted to resemble an actual fire; in a mix of red and yellow. Black leather straps running behind his neck bind it to his face. The mask is lightweight, but sturday, and once saved his tongue from a flying arrow. (Riwatan turned his head at the last minute, and the arrow, now at an angle, skipped off the side.)
Tajiri's Mask... ...is not actually a mask in the normal sense. It is a tattoo that covers nearly three quarters of his face. The inks used are of the Blood of Hitomi, thus making him connected to the ise zumi.
The colors are black and red, with black used as the primary outline and base color. Bright red is used to accent with highlights included throughout the body of the tattoo/mask, as well as providing two small dots inset as "eyes".
The pattern: The thorax near the base of the tail starts at the point just slightly above and between Tajiri's eyes. It proceeds down the bridge of the nose, widening as it continues till it termintates with the "head" of the scorpion on the upper lip, where the two red dots for the eyes are set. The two forelegs ending in the pincers start at the base of the cheek on either side and curve slightly around the mouth till the claws end with the points facing each other under the bottom lip on the chin. the three sets of other legs extend across the cheeks on both sides arcing slightly up towards the bottoms of the eyes, then angling down to end along the jawline between the ears and chin. the tail proceeds from it's starting point just above the nose/brow and curves up along the forehead and to Tajiri's left across the hairline only to curve down along the temple with the effect being that the tail circles Tajiri's left eye, with the stinger pointing to the bottom inside corner of the eye. In direct light, or when viewed dead-on, the tattoo/mask appears to be still. But when seen in mixed lighting such as from a fireplace or torch, or even moonlight, or when viewed at an angle out of the corner of one's eye, the tattoo/mask seems to writh and crawl upon Tajiri's face, it's tail twitching.
As another compliment to the motiff of "The Painted Scorpion", Tajiri has painted the nails upon each of his fingers with a black base, and each of the five sacred symbols of the elements adorns them in red paint, one each for each finger.
Bayushi Tashiro's mask is a simple red cloth covering the lower half of the face, when he is in social gatherings or in city. When he is wearing his armour, he wears a mask, again which covers the lower half of his face, of an oni's mouth, open, teeth bared.
My mask is a dark hood covering my whole head with a space for my eyes, followed by a dull war weary mempo over the top.
My mask is that I paint my face white and my lips red - fitting for a Onnagata (male that plays female roles in Kabuki theater). There are plenty of pic of me at my website: http://www.homestead.com/mashita/welcome.html
I wear two masks: the first is simple red cloth pulled over the bottom of my face (like the one Aramoro wears in his original art), and the upper part is just like a plain white version of the one hanging from the tree on page 104 of WotS and is only worn for special occasions. Look for me at big events!
Soshi Asano wears a wide-eyed, fanged mempo of black iron over red silk wrappings that cover everything but his eyes. A golden lightning bolt starts in the mask's upper left corner and continues to the lower right. The lightning bolt is a common Rokugani symbol for justice (see Way of the Dragon) and it symbolizes both the enlightenment and the terrifying retribution that the law brings with it. The fact that the lightning appears to come from the unlucky "northwestern" part of the mask signals bad fortune for the guilty. The look is completed with a wide, bell-shaped straw hat (see the masked man on Bribery).(Mitch Berthelson)
My mask is the form of a stylized bird, with its head on my forehead, it's spread wings covering my eyes and its tail over my nose.
The wings are perfectly flat and have , of course, two holes for looking through. The whole mask is perfectly reflective, so when anybody tries to look me in the eyes, they usually end up looking in their own eyes
Soshi Kaiyu has an elaborate affair consisting of an opaque veil for the lower half of his face that hangs to his chest and a bandanna-type thing that funnels his hair backwards into a severe pony tail.
Yogo Gusari wears a mask of Yu Ying jade, the most rare and difficult to find jade of all (it's sort of a tan-beige color, with little veins of brilliant red going through it). It's a featureless eggshell, save for the two eyeholes, both highly stylized with red and black. It goes well with the rest of his attire which is designed to conceal his form entirely.
My mask consists of red porcelain semi-circular frame with a black cloth stretched over it that covers the top half of my head. The porcelain is specially crafted to fit my exact features, extending slightly down to a small point at the bridge of my nose. The eyelets, rather than being open, have a sheer white silk covering them so my eyes cannot betray myself or the clan. On each side of the cloth is a scarlet red scorpion's claw, and attached to the back of the mask is a metal scorpion's tail that extends up and curls over my head, ending in a special hollow stinger that curves away from my face and can be filled with special "herbal remedies" for close encounters with individuals who need special "treatment".
Sothotho's mask is his large, straw hat that hangs low over most of his face. The hat is tiered, not unlike stairs. A slot is cut out of the tier that covers his eyes so he can see.
Magus's Mask is made of cloth, wrapped tightly over the lower half of his pale face (think Tadaka), obscuring his features, save his violet eyes, and wraps down around his neck, into his kimono, his long raven hair covering whatever happens to it in the back. The color is black and purple, swirled with a mist-like quality, almost seeming to shift as you look at it, but not quite.
I wear the only mask left to me, the shadows I live in. Not the living Shadow but the harmless dark spots caused by insufficient light. These I wear for their potability and the air of mystery they come along with, none have seen the face which I bare, nor the worry written upon it, for within my very soul I have heard of news that cannot be repeated lest it change the course of events, the eternal curse of the prophet. I lurk in the places between light in order to keep my brands from being discovered, yet in the shadows there are others creature more fearsome than the faceless ones. They are the past, they are the future, they are the truths which we must discover before it is too late.
