Ward masks are a type of magical defense traditionally used by those living in Laurentia and Razgovir. In their simplest forms they are protective runes that are painted on the body, typically on the face, designed to trigger when their bearer is targeted by some ill effect. Ward masks often get quite complicated, however, and the most refined include multiple layers of defenses - these can get visually very complex as their magical patterns overlap and play off each other. They are primarily drawn on faces, but some may choose to have ward-masks applied to their arms, legs, or other areas of exposed skin. The intricate body paint for which Laurentian warriors are well known is the result of ward masking, or else is an attempt to project an image of invulnerability with mundane paints.
Though ward masks were used for thousands of years in Laurentia and Razgovir, they have declined greatly in use in the latter after the Viridian invasion and subsequent rise of Koritan. Some isolated groups in the Izgreve interior continue to make use of this method of magical defenses, but by and large in the modern day they are primarily associated with the nomadic tribes of Laurentia.