Mask 021: Petals
I have been tagged into the Great Mask Relay by Grendel's Stepdad themselves, which is cool as hell and also a little scary. Here's my entry!
The Mask of Petals
A delicate wood-carved mask, so thin that it feels as if it could be peeled apart with your hands. The pursed lips and closed eyelids are carved with exquisite detail, while the rest is crude. A small seed is connected to the mask behind the lips.
In order to wear the mask properly, one must place the seed in their mouth and bite it free, swallowing it involuntarily. The mask will then tighten onto their face, fitting snug.
Attacks against the wearer have their damage reduced drastically; for every 6 damage dealt, only 1 point is actually received. If a body part would be removed, wiry roots and vines stitch them back together as soon as possible. When the wearer next sleeps, they will dream of a great tree in the heart of the world gouging itself, taking these wounds sympathetically. They will begin to feel the wounds themselves if they dwell on this.
The mask will slowly begin to recoup the losses of its donor plant. Each month, the wearer must Save or have the seed within them begin to grow roots within them. On the first failure, they will feel a terrivle gut pain, and their Max HP is reduced by 1d6. The second failure will bring random bouts of painfully vomiting blossoms, especially in the spring. A third failure will not manifest until the wearer's stomach bursts, and a sapling is growing from their viscera.
The only way to avoid these saves is to eat the fruit of the great tree from which the mask was fashioned. This will stave off the issue for another month.
That took longer than I had hoped, but I think it's a fun, if a bit creepy item. Next in the Mask Relay, I want to nominate the straight shooter Jay_Zer0! Would love to see what he comes up with.