Izentor
From Mizahar Lore
Izentor is what those of the Izurdin faith call the god's gift of creation. Izurdin, God of Strength, Patience and Industry, is said to be to the one who gifted the mortal realm with the ability to create things through the use of tools. Forging weapons, armor and other implements as well as making clothing, building structures and engaging in industrial pursuits are all examples of the lesser form of Izentor that people of all races possess at some level. Sometimes, those of surpassing skill and ability are gifted with a greater understanding of Izurdin's Gift and are marked by the God with talents that go far beyond that of mundane constructs. These individuals find that the products of their work are stronger and hardier than their mundane counterparts. Some items may even possess strange, sometimes supernatural qualities.
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Izurdin's Gift
While the Isur are intimately familiar with Izentor, it is a bit more uncommon outside of their mountain kingdom. When Izurdin becomes interested in the constructive skill of an individual, he has been known to nurture and build upon the person's natural talent by marking them as practitioners of Izentor. Carpenters and masons find their structures able to withstand the most brutal storms, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Weapons, armor and implements forged by smiths become more durable and the work of tailors and seamstresses never experience wear and tear the same way again. By taking Izurdin's Gift further and acquiring more gnosis marks, the crafter will find that they are able to impart a bit of themselves into their creations. If a crafter is attractive, they may impart this upon their work thus enhancing the object's appearance beyond what it normally may be. If the crafter is especially skilled in the arts of combat, their creation may gain the ability to withstand devastating blows or cause excessive wounding. As one becomes ever more disciplined and skilled with Izurdin's Gift, they may even be able to impart greater abilities such as Healing if they also possess such Gnosis or even djed related abilities. Those with the greatest number of marks and most skill with Izurdin's Gift can attain the ultimate form of creation by imparting an object with sentience. Such a task is reserved for only the most favored of those marked by Izurdin yet those who do attain it are said to have gained immortality through their works since they literally live on through their creations.
The Craft and Imparting
Those possessing Izurdin's marks and practicing Izentor continue to exercise their craft like any other crafter. The tools of each trade remain the same as does the process of creation. It is through the crafting process that the majority of Izurdin's Gift is invoked. The skill, passion and drive that goes into the object's creation is what gives an object the potential for the imparting of greater things. When the craft, whatever it may be, is otherwise complete, the crafter then calls upon the blessing of Izurdin through their mark while making contact with their work. Single marks allow the crafter to impart the foundation of their gift in the form of enhanced physical properties. Those with two marks from Izurdin however may impart those properties as well as gift their creation with a single mundane aspect of their own being. Three marks grant the grafter the ability to impart a single ability upon the creation that transcends the mundane. This may be a single gnosis, magic or other supernatural affect. Four marks allow the crafter to split a piece of their soul and impart it upon the creation thus granting it sentience.
Imparting, even when calling upon but a single gnosis mark, is an exhausting experience as it tests, stretches and tears away at a person's strength and patience. The imparting process has been described as being similar to not sleeping for days before running a 20 mile marathon while being surrounded by hundreds of screaming children but having to focus on a single thing without succumbing to distraction. Imparting requires great focus, patience and strength as even the most simple items being imparted require hours of uninterrupted concentration, unbroken physical contact and unwavering focus upon what qualities are being imparted.
When finished, the strain of the process comes crashing down upon the crafter; leaving all but the most hardy individuals unable to move for at least a few hours as every fiber of their body feels as though it were split apart and hastily put back together again. The final product however is what makes it all worth it. Objects imparted with Izentor, in addition to their imparted qualities, acquire an aura identifying them as carrying a divine touch as well as one identifying the object as being a part of them. Imparted objects can be immediately recognized by their creator. The creator can also sense the object from a distance away depending on how many marks they possess.
The Isur and Izentor
The Isur are unique in that they are all born with the first mark of Izurdin in the form of their metallic arms. For them, this only adds fuel to their claims that the Isur are the mortal descendants of Izurdin and thus worthy of respect and honor due to beings of such stature. While the Isur may be born with a gnosis mark from Izurdin, any race with the skill, strength and patience to build and create may gain Izurdin's favor and become marked.
The Mark
When Izurdin marks those he favors, he does so in a way that does not negatively affect their physical appearance. If anything, Izurdin's marks add to one's natural beauty and sometimes even enhances it. Thus his marks appear upon the body as elaborate tattoos almost always found on the primary arm of the receiver. To Izurdin, the arm is a tool which one uses to create, build and empower. By marking the arms of his favored, Izurdin is blessing the tools used to craft wonders of the world. When invoking the gnosis of Izurdin, the marks on the arm of the favored ignite and a powerful glow of chromatic energy engulfs the entire arm; bathing the immediate area with swirling red, green and blue light. As more marks are granted, the tattoos grow and expand until eventually they spread the length of the arm from the shoulder down to the fingers.
Mark Progression
| Marked [Cursed] - 1 Gnosis Mark | |
| Favored [Despised] - 2 Gnosis Marks | |
| Priest/Priestess [Adversary] - 3 Gnosis Marks | |
| Champion [Nemesis] - 4 Gnosis Marks | |