Soul Merger

Monsterpedia

Mask Demon

Monster Level - V

Soul Type - Composite

Intelligence - High Humanoid

Strength - Weak

Magic - Strong

Rarity - Very Rare

Mask demons are one of the rarer lesser demons, and it's a very good thing they are. They appear as normal humans, except their face has been replaced with a smiling mask. Most commonly it's the 'comedy' mask from pre fall eras, but other smiling faces have been used. It's a disturbing sight, and immediately gives the demon away. In addition the demon can't speak because of it's condition.

However Mask Demons are capable of creating very powerful illusions. Or more correctly, group hallucinations. Their power allows them to alter the appearance of local terrain, creatures, or even local conditions. Invisibility is a simple trick, but shifting the locations of traps, or swapping the appearance of an area's monsters are common tactics. Mask Demons use these abilities to lure their victims into deadly situations.

Mask Demons come from the smug joy in tricking and deceiving allies. It's the demon of con men and frauds, and it's fairly rare because the people who do that sort of nonsense usually aren't the types to wander around labyrinths. As another bonus, the mental illusion is easily broken if people know what the truth should be. Still it's best to confirm your kills, and be very cautious if one has been spotted in the area.

In addition to people with merge related mental defenses, those people who have complete merges have shown greater resistance to Mask Demon's tricks. Apparently the demon can only affect one of the two minds in the person's combined soul.

Merge

Benefits & Weaknesses : Perfect poker face, Easily overlooked.

This merge can be considered an amazing boon, or a terrible curse depending on what you want out of life. Unlike other merges it doesn't allow someone to alter their body towards what they consider 'perfect.' It instead tweaks someone towards what they perceive as 'normal.' Strong attributes are dulled, unique traits mellowed, and physical deformities muted. Their most notable trait becomes the lack of one. Indeed they show little to no expressions at all. Even their voice becomes average.

In a land where almost everyone has an obvious merge, you would expect this to cause the person to stand out. Instead people's minds just gloss over the person. They can easily slip into the background and even if they do draw attention to themselves it's impossible to read their mood.

The downside is it's impossible for them to stand out short of dramatic violence or other insane actions. They can't show emotions, can't shout, and generally don't draw massive attention. It's incredibly alienating for social people, and can become quite annoying even to those who don't frequently seek the limelight.

Sure you'll be an amazing thief and the best poker player in the city. But the only people who will notice your incredible wealth are the people who spent a lot of time to track you down. Probably because they're very angry about their losses.