BoM/TWS Message Forum

> How long does it take to make a mind band? We know the mask takes around 20 hours of polishing/6-8 hours with a buffer, but how tiresome is etching a mind band?

Depending on how intense you work, by hand = 24-30 hours. With a buffer, 45 minutes.

> While mileage varies, how much do the supplies for a mask actually cost?

Per my most recent storyline (as rugal notes), I'd say $50 - $65 dollars for a enough material to make 6 - 7 masks. [Range varies depending upon where you find the supplies (price) and how much wastage in the process.]

> The sealant and ferrumen - instant drying, or do they remain sticky for a bit?

Pretty much instant. It might be slightly tacky to the touch for a minute or two.

> How much hair is required for a golem spell to work? Does it have to be fresh, and does it have to be from your head? (Could you use, say, an eyebrow or an armpit?). And no, I have no idea why this bothers me given the lack of bald characters, but I'm wondering if you could get hair from a hairbrush etc.

The spell only specifies "hair," and not how much. Hair from a brush would be sufficient. From the scalp, whatever you pinch between forefinger and thumb. It doesn't have to be too fresh, but in order to prevent awkward questions, I wouldn't use hair that is too old, either.

> What happens if you put a mask on a non-living person? (And What happens if you then wear it?)

Prussian55's answer is so perfect that I'll just quote it: "Nothing would happen if you put a mask on a non-living person, because the spells of Libra, masks included, search for Human essentia before they will work, and essentia departs the body when a person dies. But masks have been taken off a person who died while wearing them before."

> Other than the Stellae or very advanced knowledge of the sigils, is there any way to reverse a corpse-golem? Why is the corpse-golem near-instant while the golem proper takes ages?

Each spell in the book (or most of them, at any rate) can be reversed if the sigil is written in reverse. The book does not tell you this; only advanced knowledge of sigils and careful study of the Libra's sigils will reveal that fact.

The quick answer is that the corpse-golem spell is nearly instant because it uses a body in place of dirt. The technical answer is that the dirt in a regular golem has to be purified of decayed anima, and there's much more of it to be purified than if you are using a body in place of dirt.

> What's the deal with people unable to remember details from a band-mask, but instantly with just a band? Is there any rhyme or reason to how soon it takes people to adapt (eg magical sensitivity?)

Authorial conceit. If you want a techno-babble explanation, let's say that mind-bands are instantly recoverable as far as memories go for everyone, but the body-mind combination sets up interference patterns that most wearers have to work their way thru, either over a 12-hour period or after a few hours of sleep. Will is an exception because he is a Sulva.