Wow, this is freaking awesome! I find it strange how you described it so much in the author's comments, but didn't really explain what it meant. I have learned to appreciate masks. This is because my mom paints and she worked on a mask for a really long time. I mean, actual masks in real life, not a painting. Painting on masks.
Speaking of which, we should make those here and submit them as art pieces. It seemed to me like you were thinking more about power than immortality. Of course, the two can go hand in hand. The use of colors is really good in this. Gold looks so well against black.