The Masquerade is my next chapter of the story of Luci, continuing right where The Monument Game left off. Art, community-building, and modern exegesis come together to elevate the choices, connections, and true nature revealed through others' collision with my work and world. Players from The Monument Game who pledge to the Masquerade will be able to enter as they are, but as this is a party, each will be able to invite a guest to join for a price.

When you enter the Masquerade, I want you all the way in. A sacrifice and commitment to the code of the party.

• Masks: Participants may transfer Masks to other NGS account holders until February 21 at 12 PM ET, before gameplay begins. Withdrawals will be paused until Masquerade winners are officially announced on March 13, 2025.
• Players: Both transfers and withdrawals will be paused until Masquerade winners are officially announced on March 13, 2025.

Yes, secondary trading will be temporarily paused as follows:

• Masks: Trading will be paused until the Masquerade finalists are announced.
• Players: Trading will be paused until the Masquerade winners are officially announced.

The Masquerade unfolds in Phases:

• Create a written Observation atop the Artwork (February 21-24)
• Destroy as you collide with others through Discussion (February 25-27)
• Balance by returning to Revise from the collision (February 28- March 3)

Every single one of the hundreds of written contributions will be taken in and deliberated on. Deliberations come in two forms: alone between me and you, and together with The Council.

Alone, I will go through every bit of Observation, Discussion, and Revision, and sort the space myself. Masks will be chosen or crafted in real-time based on what I feel is best suited to its wearer. A direct link between myself, the collection, and those who participate in the Masquerade.

The Council’s task meanwhile will be to whittle down from many to few to find who put on the best show, who gave themselves to the Masquerade, voting to select one Observation, one Discussion, and one Revision, to respectively award the Masks of Creation, Destruction, and Balance.

More details on how to participate can be found by clicking on the ‘Instructions’ tab in the navigation bar.

For each Mask of Luci you own, you can leave 1 Observation on X. Masquerade from February 21, 6PM ET to February 24, 6PM ET. Your Observation can be up to 512 characters.

Observing is that first vulnerable act of speaking our mind. Guests of the Masquerade begin by writing words atop the Artwork. A preserved record of human thought. A digital communal varnish preserved within a digital artwork.

There is no rubric. Write what you see, feel, how you want to be seen.

Line breaks are supported, however, HTML formatting and embedded content are not supported.

For each Mask of Luci you own, you can leave up to 3 replies on 3 different Guests' Observations from February 25, 6PM ET to February 27, 6PM ET. You cannot reply to your own observation. Each reply can be up to 256 characters.

Discourse is the active catalyst of growth, the tiniest opening or explosive unraveling.

For each Mask of Luci you own, you can make 1 Revision to your original Observation from February 28, 6PM ET to March 3, 6PM ET. Your revision can be up to 128 characters.

In the revision we have a chance to take our collision with others, and return to where we started.

A chance to add, expand, respond, reject, defend, and or just to see yourself through fresh eyes and close a loop.

Deliberations based on your discourse determines your role and the winners of the Masquerade.

(3) Finalists are chosen by each Council Member

(3) Winners of the Masquerade will each be awarded the Masks of Creation, Destruction, and Balance.

The Council of Luci follows a structured, two-round deliberation process:

Round 1: Each Council Member selects 3 finalists—one each in the categories of Creation, Destruction, and Balance.

Round 2: Council Members conduct a second round of voting to determine the final winners.

How each Council member deliberates is as much an indication of their nature as how you contribute is yours. What they resonate with can be as complicated as a carefully calculated matrix of a personal rubric or as simple as a vibe. They will deliberate individually and in secret.

Should a Mask change hands before the winners are announced, the discourse from the original contributor is what is evaluated.

Masks will be revealed on March 13. The Mask that’s been made for you is a link between us. That what you gave to the Masquerade was taken in, read over and over, and what you received is what I felt from you. Though you are being sorted, each Mask was made and inspired by my love of people and all the funny forms we take.

Some will be obvious: a Luminate mask for someone who led the way for many others. Fungal Network mask for those who connected and stitched people together. Others are more subtle. But even within the largest category like Foundation, there are common stones, rare earth metals, and bedrock that will stand the test of time.

The color, texture, flow, protrusions, form, each Masks inspiration from its corresponding component of the jungle and how matters of Man, Nature, and Spirit rhyme across each function of a living ecosystem. There are Masks for mothers, guides, seers, trolls, mimics, reply guys, thought leaders, jesters and code-crackers. There are hierarchies across the Masks and hierarchies within each, there are packs and groups, links across the jungle, some live inside the work “X. Masquerade”, some are inspired by principles that govern our world, others by the most specific quirk of an individual person. There is a Mask for every type. Thank you for giving yourself to the network. All we have to offer is ourselves.

The Council of Luci is a name given to holders of Sam Spratt’s Skulls of Luci series of 1/1/50 who consist of some of digital art’s best and brightest minds.