Beasts with masks

By The Laughing God, in Dark Heresy Gamemasters

Tattered Fates minor spoiler!

--

--

--

So these Beast House slavers walk around in Tattered Fates wearing animal masks: a swine, dogs, a bear, a serpent, and ofcourse Jackal Mask. Why is this? Is it because of the Festival of Tattered Fate, which has most people on Quaddis wearing masks and conveniently helps many people who wish so to hide their identities?

Or is it because the Beast House operatives always wear masks? Like some kind of cult or dark brotherhood thing, maybe a symbolical representation of the beasts and monsters they work with, which has become tradition?

I love masks- but I wouldn't want to abuse them.

Even tough I like the idea of the beast house leaders and higher-ups wearing them, I could picture it a bit differently.

From the movie "The Immortals", the Minotaur- [Who wears a helmet with horns made out of barbed wire]. I figure the beast house leaders and higher-ups would wear helmets or armor that fits thematically with whatever beasts they are slaving. Even headgear or armor made out of the flesh, scales or skin of the Xenos or beasts would be suitable.

That would save up the motif, without abusing the ideas of everyone and their grandfathers wearing masks. Then again, I am only saying this because the Masks are already being used on Malfi in my game- Every noble wears a mask out in public, wherein the masked [as a cult] wear the exact same one to further hide their identities.

I think it is related to the carnival taking place. I could see it as a sign to those who know the Beast House is in operation that these guys, with masks, can point you in the right direction for some arena action.

I couldn't find any reference to Beast House members wearing masks as a matter of course, so I'm pretty sure it is just an affectation for Quaddis.

MORE SPOILER

I don't know about the Beast House but I am using the Heron Mask as a specific thing for The Beloved. I have had the players run into him before Quaddis and the only time he lifted his mask was when he cast daemonic visage so they have never seen his face. I think it would be a fairly common thing for cults to do, just think of the advantages. Scary to keep the weak minded in line, no one can identify the actual members etc. I'd have thought that some of the Beast House members might be relatively wealthy merchants who can operate normally and also turn up to deliver beasts with their mask on.

My players will catch a quick glimpse of the Beloved before being captured and on Quaddis they will be guessing if this Heron Mask is him and whether he is an ally or adversary. After all, Heron Mask gets them out of the Red Cages and into the Carnival in this quite unclear and ramshackle plot to 'draw out the Widower' and see if the Haarlock blood can control it (never mind that this possibility is never addressed in detail in the adventure).