Oland hated this part of the monthly family ceremony when they went to speak to the ancestors, he fidgeted and tried to keep to the back but his mother spotted him and called him forward. He dragged his feet but one of the servants propelled him forward. He stood there, staring at his sandals.
“Tell your grandfather about your problems at school, Oland,” prompted his mother.
Oland stepped up to the row of death masks and whispered in the ear of the mask for his grandfather.
After a moment the mask began to move, a fine rain of dust shaken free. Its blank eyes opened, and it spoke in a dry voice, “Young Oland, you bear my name, you must stand up for it . . .”
Ancestral Death Mask
These masks are cast from pristine materials soon after death and sacred magics bind an echo of the person’s soul into the mask. The masks may look fragile but they are very resilient and difficult to destroy.