Death Transfigured

February 4, 2018February 9, 2018 ~ Piece, of the Sky

Pythagoras

The small clay die rolled in the dust. Three of them. One of them almost lost in the long, decaying grass. Simon watched the die intently; he would resell this fraying cloak for a few more denarii than the stingy pickings he could pull from old, crooked Zachariah.

One clay cube landed on seven, the other on three, the last on two. “Twelve,” Zachariah said, with a laugh, “You only get five pence, instead of seven.”

“You cheapskate!” Elias burst out, “How can you live with yourself!”

Unfazed, Zachariah gazed steadily at him, “No one will cry any tears for a drunken thief.”

“Why, you!” Elias rose up, as if to grab the dull dagger always hidden in the inside of his right boot (he was left handed), but Timothy restrained him, grabbing his shoulder, “Cut the drama, Elias. This is business, not theater.”

No one got up. Zachariah stared defiantly around the circle, at the edge of a morphing, undulating crowd, ever-moving, ever-changing, people picking their way up the mountain, through the shrubbery, the sleeping rocks, the sharp blades of prickly desert plants, the loud calls, the gasps of onlookers, the jeers of uniformed guards, their silver helmets flashing in the afternoon sun – that was quickly being arrested by an oncoming gloom, black clouds of the incoming rain, the still air, the dry day. A few last rays. A sudden wind blows from the east to the west. Simon sighed, “I’m never going to get my money.” Two robbers and a charismatic preacher hung on the three crosses.

end of an age

See also: “The Robe,” a 1953 film.

Related: A Falsifiable Life

Masks

January 11, 2018January 26, 2018 ~ Piece, of the Sky

haunter lol

The parable of “Majora’s Mask” explores the real-world concept of masks. Boss Remains are masks and the masks you wear in the game are all of the legendary dead. Masks are artifacts that seal the spirit of the entity, sealing also his, her or its power.

Wearing an entity’s mask gives you said being’s “other memory” (Dune), and mindstream. The spirit sealed in a mask can be good or evil. Sealing in general, much less sealing an entity to distinct physical form, takes a great deal of magic / chi (qi) / virtual energy. Seals can be place on pieces of paper, cards and amulets, as protection or to lock away evil spirits.

Masks are also sculpted to look like gods, and embody gods – who are really just immortal spirits – and dead heroes. In Jim Carrey’s ‘90s movie “The Mask,” the supernatural mask is of the Norse trickster god Loki. The film was based off a book series published by Dark Horse Comics (“Hellboy”). The soul of The Mask, like most masks, reacts to the soul and the state of the heart of whoever wears it, turning some into monsters and others into champions.

parable