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The Deathmask of Akule the Unspeakable. It looks a little different then his portrait depicts- perhaps the reality of its creation was a bit different then as you are told.
Even seeing this mask in person raises your hackles. Something about it... no Supreme Ruler believes in ghosts, spirits, or magic powers- such thoughts are beneath you. But you get an almost feeling of power and presence from this thing. It was locked away, perfectly hermetically sealed for thousands of years now- so close to the Unspeakable you almost feel like it would still have its warmth from the last time he ever wore it. It has a dark air to it- even though you know this is merely a psychological effect.
All Jaxtians have a shared trauma. Blonde and Mainlander alike. The last time it was worn, the most powerful and cruel tyrant ruled with it, and it was ingrained in every single Jaxtian since. It does have a sort of power, and <span class="mu-i">only</span> you can unleash it.
The full consequences of Cijan's choice are only now appearing. Cijan wanted to <span class="mu-i">end the coup</span>- but ending the coup is just fixing the symptom of a larger problem. Too much free thought- too much disobedience- too many differing opinions. The entire point of the Hegemony is that one man, and one man only, rules- and all others follow. The body and the mind cannot have different ideas of what must be done. The tree of the obedience must be watered with the blood of the loyal and dissident alike. Perhaps Cijan was too weak, too “modern” in thought, to have been able to make this decision. You don't make it lightly either.
You know that if you put on this mask, you will gain the <span class="mu-i">power to fix the Hegemony</span>. To break it down into pieces and begin the collective trauma of your race- and deep clean it from the inside out. There will be no more dissidents, no more wavering political opinions, no more mercantiles or supremacists. Even the Supremacists, who seem the most in love with the idea of the Supreme Ruler, are still too obsessed with their racial and puritanical dogma. They are in love with the Jaxtian culture- even Cijan fell victim to it himself. He killed the leaders of the political parties with a knife- instead of just shooting them in the back of the head with a gun. That is the true way to deal with dissidents.
But there is always a price to pay. If you put on the mask, you will be swept away in currents of power and symbolism even you don't fully understand. You may not even have full control of what happens. All you know is when its over, it will be <span class="mu-i">over</span>.
>Put on the Mask
>Reject the Mask
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