The Erithian Masque
Occasionally dubbed "The
Sabrinthe Masque" by some Erithians of the Eloth Dai, the Erithian
Masque--or, Shi'hadara--is a popular form of theatre among some
circles. This ever-changing document attempts to provide rough
information about the Masque.
Shi'hadara: The
Erithian Masque
The Erithian Art of High Mummery, known as Shi'hadara in their native
tongue, is an integral part of many Erithians' cultural
lifestyles. The Shi'hadara predates recorded Erithian history, but it
is frequently referred to as a gift of the Arkati Jastev, whose mastery
of fate and the providence of chance is invoked at the beginning of
each performance. No one performance of Shi'hadara is quite like any
other, as variations in character and theme lend themselves to nearly
endless permutations on even the simplest issue. This shiftlessness
lies in direct contrast to the traditional laws that bind High Mummers.
Their public performances follow a strict set of rules that, if broken,
are seen as a faux pas of nearly criminal proportions. The foundation
of Shi'hadara lies in its varied cast of characters.
In the Shi'hadara, there are a set number of characters that increase
in number only occasionally. Most frequently, characters are
interpreted by actors and over time become so different from their
original forms that they are reestablished under a new name. All
characters are represented by distinctive masks, upon which only
limited variations are permitted. Distinguished and wealthy performance
companies utilize rare metals and precious gems in the construction of
their masks, while the poor commonly make use of wood, cheaper metals,
and colored glass. Almost all of the Shi'hadara masks are vividly
colored.
Color and beauty are a major component of Erithian High Mummery. All
characters are separated into floral Orders based on their classical
characteristics and stations. The lower Orders are as follows:
Blaeston, which contains servants and those most closely bound to the
land; Hyacinth, whose members are generally merchants and soldiers of a
lower class; Cothinar, reserved for priests, heroes, royalty, and their
ilk. The higher Orders belong to creatures of a nature elevated to a
status beyond worldly power, such as demons, spirits, and powerful
magicians. They are: Lotus, for lesser demons and spirits who
frequently interact with the world; Orchid, under which are classified
many minor local gods and powerful demons; Hawthorn, frequented by holy
avatars of the Arkati and other forces beyond mortal ken.
The actors and their characters, mystical and mundane, build the scenes
of the Shi'hadara, but they must have a framework upon which they might
limn their expressive arts. In houses of Erithian theatre, large
six-spoked wheels are used to determine the unique composition of an
evening's scene. The wheel is spun once to dictate the number of
characters in a scene, which cannot exceed six. Once this is
accomplished, the wheel is spun once for each character to determine
the Order of the character. The actors select which characters are
approrpiate for the scene, which is determined solely by the audience.
Once characters are chosen, they are introduced to the audience. This
aids to help the uninformed, but also allows troupes to compose new
characters without confusing theatre enthusiasts.
Characters are also organized into elemental Classes for ease of
reference. The elemental Classes are not quite so restrictive in nature
as the Orders. No set number of characters must be organized under any
single Class. Fire suggests that a character's influence is
destructive; Air hints at flightiness and swiftness of action; Water
lends itself to tranquil characters and bringers of unavoidable, slow
change; Earth is emblematic of the implacable and unshifting; Anima
represents a powerful tie to mortal emotion and spirit. The Order of
Elements is a recent convention, but it has already become a practice
for wealthy enthusiasts to purchase etched metallic plates bearing the
unique emblems along with the elemental and floral alignments of a
particular character. These plates, known as qakoni, are traded and
sold at large theatre events.
While the masks of the Shi'hadara clearly define the artform, it is the
requisite participation of the audience that truly distinguishes the
Erithian Masque from similar schools of theatre. Erithian theatre-goers
are expected to mentally compose a situation or set of situations in
which the characters must act. New and clever concepts are expected, as
most artists take offense at simplistic or overly common ideas. The key
behind successful audience's participation in the Erithian Masque is
that the actors must feel challenged by their work, but not to the
point where the artistry itself is compromised. Thus, the Shi'hadara is
a study in symbiosis: theatergoers provide an audience and an idea,
while the actors provide entertainment and the fruition of fantastical
concepts that previously lurked only within their viewers' minds.
The Masks
What follows is a limited accounting of masks--and thus, of
characters--most frequently represented on the Shi'hadara stage. Each
of the characters involved in Shi'hadara is listed by floral Order.
Subsequently described are the elemental Class of the mask, a
distinctive sigil used on the character's qakoni, and details on the mask's
appearance as well as some prominent information about the character.
Blaeston, Order of Servants
Chunig - Earth. A
pickaxe lying on its side. The impoverished servant Chunig is lazy. His
prime motivation is garnering food, but he is too enervated by his
self-imposed inactivity to find simple cures for his problems. He
composes elaborate plans and fantasies constructed about his continued
laziness. These plans usually fail. His mask is ruddy brown with a
pronounced brow, but its prime characteristic is its comically gaping
maw.
Lankura - Water. A
plump brown hare. Lankura is always pregnant at some point in a play,
often to comical effect. She is an uneducated servant who tries to win
food and supplies for her growing brood. Over the years, Lankura has
grown to become a sort of comic hero. Despite her shortcomings, she
usually wins out against the odds. Lankura's mask is fat and brown,
with a sheen of jeweled sweat striking across her brow and jowls. She
has flushed cheeks.
Muranti - Air. A dark
shape concealed by a flowing black. To escape her low status, Muranti
disguises herself as wealthier members of society. Despite obvious
transparency, only rarely are these guises discovered. Her mask is the
customary brown of the peasantry, but it is choked with bright
splotches of paint, metal fragments, and gemstones.
Zoloce - Air. A grimy
palm clutching golden coins. Zoloce is a shiftless thief willing to
betray anyone and anything for the warmth of gold. He is as charming as
he is untrustworthy, and many times has been the downfall of trusting
souls. His mask is dark brown, nearly black, with aquiline features.
The cheeks are dusted white, and its nose is gilded.
Setosh - Fire. A lock
of raven hair twined about a rusted chain. Setosh's legendary mishaps
are a product of his physical perfection. He lives to entrance women of
higher rank, striking at their hearts while reaching for their
coinpurses. When Setosh's dangerous liaisons backfire, he is punished
severely by these women's powerful relations. Golden brows arc over his
golden-brown mask, which is trimmed in white jewels.
Hyacinth, Order of the Common Man
Senisha - Air. A pair
of emerald green slippers. Senisha is the daughter of a successful
merchant who fancies herself an artist of various and sundry skills,
often in the field of dance. She is incurably clumsy and untalented.
Her mask is of a vivid emerald hue with a tiara of gold and silver
crowning its brow. The mask is fashioned to resemble a bovine visage.
Danisos - Fire. A
black fist clutching a single lock of pale hair. Loud and boisterous,
the young priest Danisos is a disgusting lecher despite preaching about
the lofty morals and standards he claims to embody. His black mask is
twisted by a coarse smile and closely resembles a hunting cat. A
semicircle of round what gems winks along its brow.
Obela - Earth. A
slightly-bent silver sword clutched by a rusted glove. Long-winded
about her accomplishments and prowess, Obela is secretly very
self-conscious about her lacking knack for warfare. It is customary for
her to engage in duels and win through a combination of accident and
good fortune, which only serves to deepen her self-loathing. Her mask
is steely and studded with gold, its lips a startling red.
Grijino - Earth. A
bouquet of drooping poppies coiled by a whip. This character is a
master of slaves, brutal and cruel. His saving grace is that he suffers
from a sleeping sickness makes him an easy target for pranks and
mockery. His face is broad with a cleft lip and a broad, flat nose,
with an orcish semblance. Brutishly thick eyebrows further this image.
He is easily distinguished by an oversized bronze nose ring, much like
a bull's.
Bikuru - Wind. A
purple orchid caught in the beak of a red tanager. The honored
concubine Bikuru is a servant to kings, queens, and handsome young
nobles. According to the dying old traditions, she chooses her custom.
Bikuru is regal and wise, unafraid of taking the highborn down notches
when the need arises. Her mask is lily white with red cheeks and an
amethyst-set silver tikka dangling at her brow.
Cothinar, Order of the Highborn
Raephe - Water. A
broken golden crown horizontally encircling a white tree. The character
of Raephe is a bastard. His high birth has not shielded him from
poverty. Raephe is a bringer of changes, though his catalysis is not
always welcome. He is usually the hero of pieces in which he is
involved. Raephe's mask is pale, with raised scars across his nose and
along his jaw. The scars are lined with jewels and glisten wetly. He
also bears a sapphire earring.
Inagri - Water. A
silver orb crowned by a green eye. The seer Inagri is gifted with true
foresight. She sees all that will or might be. She is emblematic of
Jastev, or in some rare cases, the Silent Goddess Gosaena. Her mask is
unusually ornate given her lack of extravagance: an owl's visage
patterned with jeweled feathers about its brow. The feathers are
usually a striking conglomeration of hues: gold, cream, violet, and
sapphire.
Ninkure - Air. A triad
of teardrops falling toward a dark bronze ring. Depressed over all of
her losses, Ninkure perennially weeps for her lost loves. She is
wealthy and middle aged in most incarnations. Ninkure pushes herself
upon unsuspecting males and preys on their sympathies while lavishing
them with expensive gifts. Her rodent-like mask features a spray of
crystalline tears down its right cheek.
Simblin - Water. A
crooked wooden staff capped by a rough amethyst. A sage who has lost
his powers to a mind addled by age, Simbling experiences rare moments
when his wit is as sharp as a rapier's tip. He mostly contents himself
with telling antiquated tales. His mask is greyish and wrinkled, with a
bright beard of jeweled shards. Its features are unnaturally elongated,
as if wrought of molten wax.
Draeg - Fire. A
burning black censer puffing virulent green smoke. Draeg is an addict
of the worst sort, consuming his princely wealth on every manner of
base wants. He often delays his unquenchable longings with burning
herbs. Because of Draeg's desperation, he is an easy target for
ruffians, thieves, and others skilled in the arts of duplicity. His
mask is sickly pale with blued lips and crystalline kohl about its
eyes. A single ruby burn-mark adorns its left upper lip.
Lotus, Order of the Immortals
Gilandiri - Anima. A
crimson-eyed black fox pawing a broken sapphire. The influence of
Gilandiri is often prophetic, appearing in characters' nightmares. She
is the diametric opposite of Morvin, always spreading fear and terror.
It has been rationally suggested that Gilandiri is an avatar of Sheru,
but her thirst for dominance suggests Eorginite ties. She wears a
vulpine mask in varying shades of red. Her ears are prominent and
pointed.
Morvin - Anima. A
blue-eyed wolf gnawing on a shattered ruby. As a giver of dreams,
Morvin is a servant of the night who strives to aid those lost in the
darkness. It is rare for Morvin to act as a main character. He more
frequently acts as a symbolic being whose reality is questionable. His
mask is blue and scaled, with silvery veins.
Qualys - Water. A
silver bow nocked with a sprig of white-berried holly. Qualys acts as a
patron of the lost, especially those who are trapped in the woods. She
has a grudging appreciation for the mischief of other woodland spirits.
Her nature resembles that of the common sylvan . Her mask is radiant
gold with emerald creepers at the temples and a heliotrope set into its
brow.
Khagayena - Fire. A
crimson-eyed white hart with a black crown. Khagayena's powers are
nearly as lacking as her sense of self-importance is overgrown. She is
known for her distinctive cackle and unimpressive threats of death and
destruction, which are liberally doled out upon any who cross her. When
confronted, she slinks away to fume. Her mask is predominantly iron
grey, with a trio of red gems at her brow and lower lip set in patches
of lightless black.
Raonju - Anima. An
open black gate set with a golden key. As a disembodied spirit, Raonju
is a voice and manifestation from beyond the grave who cannot
physically affect any mortal characters. He interacts freely with
avatars. His mask is pale and featureless save for unusually large eyes
highlit by mother-of-pearl lining.
Shaiha - Fire. A
blooded silver sword caught by a black fist. The murderous spirit
Shaiha is culled from a relatively recent elven tale. She appears to
those who have been wronged or who are zealous believers in their own
causes and fills them with bloody urges. She is considered righteous by
many, although misguided. Her mask is black and set with dark amethyst;
its lips are silver.
Orchid, Order of Daemons
Taro - Earth. A sprig
of thornwood bearing a solitary golden fruit. This trickster daemon has
his roots in the forest, but is not bound to the woodland realms. He
resembles a gremlin in action and visage, causing trouble without
malice or cruelty. Taro's mask is vivid royal blue outlined in hunter
green, with bright carmine lips and big white teeth.
Jumara - Air. A hand
mirror with a pane dark but for a silver moon. The beautiful nymph
Jumara is a target for masculine affections, but the truth is that she
has only two lovers: the water and her own face. Jumara has been known
to use her powers against mortal men who struggle too hard to impress
her. She is represented by a silver mask with a dark green mane. Pale
crystal scaling further lends to her exotic beauty.
Vyrail - Fire. A
triplet-bloom black rose with blooded thorns. Brutal and terrible
despite a lovely exterior, the daemon Vyrail is sexless. He seduces the
unsuspecting, male and female, and makes use of his influence to drain
them of their will. He inflicts all manner of grave ills upon his
willing victims and their families. His mask is opalescent pink with
blushing cheeks and carmine lips. A spiral of silvery tattoos climbs up
the left side of the mask.
Chessekaro - Anima. A
quartet of black spiders sharing a single ruddy body. Chessekaro is one
of four heavenly beasts who feature prominently into the Sabrinthe
Masque. He is a spirit of treachery, well-known as a twisting influence
in mortals. Chessekaro's mask is brown with four grey spider's heads
protruding from its sides. Its length is studded with ruddy stones.
Leyura - Water. A
many-limbed blue kraken. Leyura is the second of the four heavenly
beasts of the Masque. She is the crushing fury of the ocean whipped to
storm, and raises madness and mindless fury in her targets. Leyura's
mask is draconian, with an elongated snout. Royal blue stones scale
across its pallid surface, which is set in a constant snarl.
Defegros - Fire. A
golden leopard wrapped in bat-like coppery wings. Defegros is the third
of the Sabrinthe Masque's heavenly beasts. His power lies in the
crushing might of self-doubt, turning others' best qualities into
weaknesses with the clever manipulations of a devil tongue. Defegros's
mask is bright golden, with ebon dags across its surface. It is wrought
with an odd conglomeration of bat-like and feline features.
Tuv - Earth. An
immense white-bodied worm. This last of the heavenly beasts is slow and
plodding, representative of the slow march of pestilence spreading
through a plagued society. He brings diseases that end only with his
defeat. Tuv's mask is usually brown with blunt, worm-like features. It
is set with streamers of milky stone that froth about its lips.
Hawthorn, Order of the Unseen
Quithe - Anima.
An hourglass filled with grey sand strung from a golden chain. Quithe
watches time and, to an extent, controls it. He is the giver of second
chances. As a neutral daemon, he offers no more than what is asked,
which occasionally induces chaos. His mask is grey with violet markings
and sweeps of gilt highlighting his cheeks.
Thanus - Fire. Twined
tentacles surrounding a golden eye. Representative of Marlu and
Fash'lo'nae, Thanus is summoned to reveal hidden knowledge or make
unholy bargains. Nearly without exception, these agreements end poorly
for their makers. Thanus's mask is black and glossy, with a mane of
coiled tentacles. Its eyes are rimmed in gold.
Tichondryon - Earth. A
circle of flames around a stone heart. The character of Tichondryon is
a high daemon. His powers over chaos and destruction are unrivaled. He
is often summoned in plays by those foolish enough to believe they can
control his power. Summoners of Tichondryon perish. His mask is black
and molten, a sanguine crown upon its brow.
Eyufa - Air. A white
tiara set with topazes. The radiant avatar of light and air is a sage
teacher and, occasionally, a terrible warrior against the darkest of
daemons. Her mask is purest white, bearing an elegant circlet of silver
set with small golden stones.
Ravilis - Water. A
blue trident twined in a length of rope. This River Lord is a master of
the waters, a placid spirit called upon to bless the fields and mortals
with fertility and good health. Ravilis only does violence when his
realms are threatened. His mask is pale periwinikle, fringed in royal
blue, and possessed of branching antlers.
This way returns to the World Lore Archive.