Secret Societies - The Maskers

[Frost]

Little is said of the Maskers.

Perhaps it's magic. Perhaps it's high-tech. Perhaps it's a combo of both, or maybe it's just extremely good disguise work. But the Maskers can be ANYONE.

When the group first started, it was based from a single dimension, had limited resources, and like the Freemasons of our world, was generally thought to be an organisation devoted to the greater good. As time went by, the group grew, became more diverse, and considerably more powerful. Who could stop a political assassination perpetrated by the Maskers, who could be the Emperor's aide one minute, and then a well-known member of the aristocracy the next? Who could prevent any move they saught to make?

This wasn't an issue until the time of the schism.

Some two hundred years ago, a breakaway group, also calling themselves the Maskers, went rogue. These were the ones more inclined to the political assassination... or any other mercenary work they saw fit to. Within decades, the group largely went from undercover keepers of peace and prosperity, to thugs, brutes, and villains. Unfortunately, they shared the invisibility the original group enjoyed.

How do you stop someone who can look like ANYONE?

There was no apparent limit to the changes that they can make to themselves, given enough time. Male, female, of any race or creed or species. Masters of both disguise and impersonation, they were brutal and vicious, taking several worlds by force. Yet whenever one was killed, they reverted back to their natural form, whatever it was.. and they always had the tattoo of a laughing Harlequin mask emblazoned on their upper arm when they died.

Rumour tells of a meeting hall, greatest of them all, known as 'The Hall of Perilous Masks and Mirrors'. Escaped prisoners tell of a mirror before which all is as it truly is... and of mirrors that show horrible reflections of the gazer. Perhaps the mumblings of the mad... or perhaps something more.

So where do they fit into a world? There are several types of characters who can be Maskers. It could be a protagonist, a member of the original group, or at least the original doctrine, who seek to further the organizations original goals. Though no one outside of either group truly understands the technique the Maskers use, they can perform it upon anyone.. although to perform it upon one who is not a member takes a matter of hours. The change is very real though.. which simply adds to the mystery of it all.

Perhaps there is a cabal of Dark Maskers (the semi-official term for the breakaway group), seeking to take over a local government. Their reasons are their own, but greed, and lust for power can sway the hearts of many...

Or perhaps they do not appear at all, but are rather the secret mysterious masterminds behind the dark things that befall the protagonists. The Dark Maskers aren't especially fond of others who can move between dimensions, especially those who have any sort of organization at all. Truly, such an organization would be wise to find some way to verify their members...


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To be continued upon request.

[Arkain]

The fact that they're known means an immediate sense of paranoia should probably pervade the setting.
Afterall, if a Masker could be anyone, who can you trust? The days of Joe McCarthy would look downright tame by comparison. Even the Human-Cylons of the new Battlestar Galactica (Hesitate though I do to sully this thread with the name) would be laughable.

A good question: How long does a Masker's changing another last? If permanent (Or even not, depending) it could even be a form of punishment...shaping someone and sending them out and laughing as they are swallowed by an uncaring world (if permanent) or torn apart as a hated foe...the former fate reminds me of a brief idea I had, of a king getting replaced and turned into a young boy (or girl) and dumped in amongst his own kitchens.

[Mistress Guendolen]

You'll also need to consider just how well known these Maskers are known. You said little is said about them- does it just mean they're mysterious, that people fear them, or that they're partially (or mostly) hidden from the world? I mean, if they can look like anyone, then they might blend into society so well that most people don't even know they'er out there. That might lead to some interesting narration. Especially as I'm assuming the narrative would reveal their presence, leading to all different numbers of reactions and the aforementioned paranoia.

[SweetSophia]

Interesting concept overall, but it leaves me with lots of questions. Who named them the Maskers? If the Maskers are the breakaway rouge group, what were the originals called to begin with? And what's with the mirror place? You mentioned it, but went back to talking about the maskers. Does it reveal a maskers true form? Is it the only thing that can identify them or something?

[Frost]

D'Oh.. Sorry. Literary prose (AKA, Purple Prose) got in the way of me being clear. I thought I'd covered most of these questions, but.. regardless.

Arkain - Okay, so I DIDN'T cover this. A Masker can adopt a form safely fairly indefinitely, or at least there is no limit widely known outside the group. When performing a change upon others, it is fairly permanent, as the regular non-initiate has no way of controlling their own shape. The process is fairly lengthy and painful, so for such a situation as you describe to occur, no one would have to notice the absence of the king for the duration of the change.. assuming he's not replaced meanwhilst.

The 'who do you trust' thing is big. Fortunately, the more mercantile maskers have serious security flaws, so most people get at least a little forewarning. Maskers can identify one another on sight, so that's another plus. Finally, while they may be experts on impersonation, bad information about habits and traits can lead to suspicion: so maybe the king DOESN'T have that ridiculous German Accent when he's in private.

Guendolen: 'Little is said' is once again me being overly dramatic. 'Little is known' is more accurate, but misleading. Like the Freemasons and, if you want to get all 'conspiracy theory' the Illuminati, this is a SEMI-secret society. Depending on how much you get out, how many people you talk to, and how many out-of-dimension travellers you hang out with, someone may have heard anything from a little to a lot... but some of that may be incorrect.

On a practical level, people KNOW that the maskers do exist. See the 'Freemason' level of security on this. This is how the splinter group gets mercantile and such... by being employed to do things. In contrast, their mode of operations, base of operations, and other internal workings, not to mention their little shape-shifting trick.

On a plus side, due to an unparalleled knowledge of anatomy, Masker surgeons and other doctors are among the best in the practice.

SweetSophia: Okay, to clarify... The original group WAS called the Maskers. They adopted this name themselves, in reference to their abilities at disguise. They first formed in a magic/tech rich world and universe, so the true secret to their techniques hasn't come to light. The breakaway group ALSO called themselves 'The Maskers' because they viewed themselves as the 'real' group. They felt that their views on the abiities they had were correct, and that they were merely the next evolution of the group. The term 'Dark Maskers' is a name that has been attached to them by others.

The 'Mirror Place' is the original Masker HQ, taken over by the Dark Maskers. Location unknown, dimension unknown, it's a huge facility riddled with secret passageways, booby traps, and other fun and nifty tricks. Come to it, not even any of the most experienced Maskers of either allegiance know every trick. It is, of course, where prisoners are taken, in the event that they feel the need to take any. The mirror I referred to DOES show the true form of Maskers and all other shapeshifters, including dopplegangers (of which some may be within the ranks of the Maskers.. why not? They bring their own ability..), and transformed individuals. Other mirrors show.. other things. Someone planning an assault on the place would have to have rocks in their head though...

Further exposition upon request.

[Arkain]

Sounds like the mirror place would be something even the Maskers don't understand fully, either from lost knowledge of its creation or their being secondary (or even later) tenants...

And yeah, I'd hope someone trying to replace a King or other important Head of State would plan it more adequetely. If he has a habit of going into private retreat or if you don't mind the suddenly missing king, with subsequent investigation and succession, then you don't even need to replace him.

Ah, the Freemasons. Conspiracy theorists are so irritating I've taken the stance that if I ever have the urge to write about them, I'm gonna make them and the Illuminati the GOOD guys. ;D
At least the Freemasons have a history of being supportive, aside from a small, abusive group in the States one time that was quite corrupt. They even made great strides in Civil Rights, a Freemason society devoted to blacks was founded and played a role in that, and to this day support charities and such.
If I ever get over my annoyance with rituals, who knows, might even consider joining them.