Should Dynaheir wear a mask?

Pecca

I have a question to anyone who knows something about Rashemen lore. As I played MoTB some time ago, I remember that every witch there had a mask, which had some cultural significance. So, should Dynaheir, being a witch of Rashemen, wear one? Or does she only have to deserve it somehow?

I was thinking of creating it, using the circlet animation (not exactly a mask, but the closest thing to it from all available options), but I want to know first if she should wear it at all...

revaar

She probably would, but I'd guess she lost it when she was captured by the Gnolls.

KidCarnival

I have no idea if she should, lore-wise, but I absolutely think that all mages should because I don't like the empty helm slot.

Mordeus

Here's some passages from Spellbound, the 2ed supplement that details the Witches of Rashemen (Wychlaran). Both about the use of masks and some examples of mask items.

"All witches must wear masks when traveling in Rashemen. They need not wear masks in private... They travel incognito, often concealing their identities from all but their closest companions." p92

"Enchanted Masks:
The Witches of Rashemen wear masks to conceal their features. Some of these masks are enchanted and a few are powerful unique items....

Mask of Disguise: This item enables the wearer to change his or her face to resemble another humanoid individual.

Mask of Immunity: This rare mask conveys complete immunity to the following spells: charm person, confusion, fear, hold person, ray of enfeeblement, sleep and slow.

Mask of Language: This mask's wearer gains complete fluency and comprehension of 1d6 randomly determined languages.

Mask of Nightseeing: This mask confers infravision ability.

Mask of Protection: This item functions in a manner similar to a ring or cloak of protection with bonuses of 1-5 to Armor Class.

Mask of True Seeing: Individuals wearing this mask have the ability of true seeing as the 6th level wizard spell.

Mask of Water-Breathing: This mask allows its wearer to breathe normally while submerged in oxygen-bearing liquids." p104

"Shaporyl's Mask: This mask has the following powers: Charm person and scintillate 3 times a day, confusion once a day and dominate once a week" p105

---

So she wouldn't need to wear a mask around Minsc or in private but traveling through the Sword Coast would require her to wear one.

JuliusBorisov

Indeed, there's a book - The Masked Witches - by Richard Lee Byers.

Witches cloaked in masks and bones
With a pride of wild griffons for the taking…at a steep price.
A gathering of foes to fight a growing evil…
And decide the fate of this spiritual land.

But according to the Forgotten Realms Wiki Wychlaran - the Witches of Rashemen - means wise old women.

I consider Dynaheir is rather young (at least, she's not old) so she shouldn't wear a mask.

Also, the description made by Wizards of the Coast doesn't include any masks (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070918). Moreover, the witch on the picture they give doesn't have a mask.

So, Dynaheir is not restricted to have a mask but the mask for her isn't obligatory.

Pecca

Hmm, well I'm gonna go with @Mordeus. Mask of Protection sounds good. However it's true, that those gnolls would probably take it away from her. So maybe I will give it to that gnoll chieftain.

KidCarnival

I wouldn't mind a variety of masks/circlets in a store (maybe Ulgoth or the travelling merchant) - some that are more or less just for show and hence cheap (Infravision is basically worthless, but the helm looks fancy) and some high priced masks/circlets with better effects.

Maelora69

By the lore, she should have a mask. But then Edwin should be bald, also.

I'd like more 'mage helms', agreed. I recall some good head slot items in IWD.

SCARY_WIZARD

/dreamy sigh I miss those.

Maelora69

Oh, there's _so much_ they could do... ioun stones, circlets, masks, glasses... I really want a witch hunter hat for my Inquisitor too.

Lemernis

If she were to get a mask, I think it would be the most fun if it had an enchantment of some sort, and I guess its magic could be enspelled to be usable (equip-able) only by her.

Wanderon

And with a mask she could go to Mardi Gras and score beads!

Schneidend

No way, Dynaheir's a fox. She shouldn't cover up all that gorgeous.

smeagolheart

Minsc's appearance is pretty non-lore IIRC as well

secretmantra

I would actually love some cool-looking masks, circlets, etc. for non-helmet-wearing chars.

KidCarnival

Maybe make a mask for Minsc too, just in case.

Eudaemonium

KidCarnival said:

Maybe make a mask for Minsc too, just in case.

It would scare Boo. Boo loves Minsc's face, after all.

KidCarnival

Then Boo shall get a mask too! (And Xzar's skull friend.)

revaar

Now Minsc is in charge! Masks for Everyone!

OneAngryMushroom

@Mordeus

How do we know she's not wearing the Mask of Disguise and is wearing someone else's face. What other secrets could she be hiding? Perhaps it's all just an act and Minsc is actually a sane and stable person.

Pecca

smeagolheart said:

Minsc's appearance is pretty non-lore IIRC as well

@smeagolheart: And how should he look lore-wise?

revaar

@Pecca, lore wise, male from rasheman typically are very hairy, with big bushy beards, and would never be bald. Thayan wizards on the other hand, are typically bald and clean shaven. Maybe Minsc is Thayan and Edwin is from Rasheman! Everything we know is a lie!

smeagolheart

revaar said:

@Pecca, lore wise, male from rasheman typically are very hairy, with big bushy beards, and would never be bald. Thayan wizards on the other hand, are typically bald and clean shaven. Maybe Minsc is Thayan and Edwin is from Rasheman! Everything we know is a lie!

More than you could ever possibly want to know about the people of rasheman link

Pecca

This conspiracy is getting interesting.

Schneidend

@smeagolheart @revaar
Fyodor from the Starlight & Shadows books is Rashemi, and he doesn't have a huge beard. Not sure how to reconcile Minsc's shaved head, though. The Frost Dragon lodgers may have shaved Minsc's head after a particularly disastrous rage. It's also possible that Minsc as a character was rolled up before that tidbit of hair length status had been established in the lore.

secretmantra

Well, Minsc does refer to a "head wound" when you first meet him. Perhaps the shaved head first relates to that event (and he then decided he preferred the natural air-conditioning)?

Eudaemonium

It is pretty clear that Minsc isn't Rashemi at all. He was a Thayan agent sent after Dynaheir. She gave him irreparable brain damage, causing him to lose all knowledge of his former arcane powers, and was then brainwashed into believing he was a Rashemi Ranger and her guardian.

That Dynaheir is cunning.

DreadKhan

Rashemen is more or less a complete port of the Rus, from our world. One of the many reasons I despise the Tuigan books, they totally nerfed the mongols. Thay imo is a mix of turkic and original, despite the mulhorand connection to egypt.

But i kinda digress... anyone can shave any part, and while on djema, and while out of jhuilid anyways, i could see a berserk shaving, but his tatoo is BLATANTLY ignoring imo the cultural divide between thay and rashemen... Red Wizards have tatoos. Like crazy. Different based on gender, but im not looking it up right now. Edwin should have had tats.

Dynaheir DEFINATELY should wear a mask, it is required by her culture. Technically, even an archmage like Irenicus should have to think carefully about murdering a witch via premeditation. All of rashemen supports its witches, and an experienced spellcaster would probably not risk their ire this way. They tossed back more than many Thayan assaults, and thay is the land of offensive spellcasters.

DreadKhan

Eudaemonium said:

It is pretty clear that Minsc isn't Rashemi at all. He was a Thayan agent sent after Dynaheir. She gave him irreparable brain damage, causing him to lose all knowledge of his former arcane powers, and was then brainwashed into believing he was a Rashemi Ranger and her guardian.

That Dynaheir is cunning.

Hence her high wisdom? Heh, pretty reasonable, minsc almost could pass for a Thayan Knight with that tatoo, and it is well within the Wychlarns ability to reprogram a minor enemy that has potential, and they are generally neutral iirc.

Maybe she didnt do it, but yeah, could have been done.

Schneidend

DreadKhan said:

Rashemen is more or less a complete port of the Rus, from our world. One of the many reasons I despise the Tuigan books, they totally nerfed the mongols. Thay imo is a mix of turkic and original, despite the mulhorand connection to egypt.

But i kinda digress... anyone can shave any part, and while on djema, and while out of jhuilid anyways, i could see a berserk shaving, but his tatoo is BLATANTLY ignoring imo the cultural divide between thay and rashemen... Red Wizards have tatoos. Like crazy. Different based on gender, but im not looking it up right now. Edwin should have had tats.

Dynaheir DEFINATELY should wear a mask, it is required by her culture. Technically, even an archmage like Irenicus should have to think carefully about murdering a witch via premeditation. All of rashemen supports its witches, and an experienced spellcaster would probably not risk their ire this way. They tossed back more than many Thayan assaults, and thay is the land of offensive spellcasters.

She only has to wear a mask in Rashemen. It would no doubt draw undue attention if she wore it on Minsc's dajemma.

I don't think Irenicus has much to worry about. The Witches aren't going to launch a full scale assault on Athkatla to find one man. It's also unlikely they would even know for certain that she died or who had killed her. Furthermore, a big part of Irenicus' character is that he just does not care about anything but his ambitions, and with his goal so close at hand, experimenting on another powerful spellcaster is too beneficial for the risks to even matter.

Besides, Minsc and Edwin were both likely rolled as PnP characters by members of the dev teams long before these details being nitpicked even existed.

DreadKhan

Actually, shes zupposed to wear a mask PERIOD while traveling, because witches want the world to recognize that no witct, unless she is a Durthan. Heck, even Durthan that reject the wychlarns wear masks, if is so thoroughly ingrIned. So yeah, Dynaheir should wear a mask. I see no core material that says they should onlynwear masks in rashemen, but feel free to offer.