And as the goddess wept, she gathered her tears that they might bring no further suffering to her children. But in her grief one was left behind.— The Tears of the Moon
The Tear of Izada is a legendary artifact that appears in a number of local myths and legends all across western Zinruna, particularly among the various
Atashyi communities. According to these legends, it is the crystallized tear from the eyes of the goddess Izada, whom many modern theologians believe to be a localized aspect of the
Ziela goddess
Izda. If these legends are true, the tear would be one of the few, if not only physical object of direct divine origin, making it the desire of mages, priests, and thieves the world over.
Powers and Abilities
The mythical nature of the tear makes any truly accurate assessment of its powers, if it even truly possesses any. One can, however, look at the ways that the tear has behaved across the various myths and legends in which it is mentioned for a general idea of any powers it supposedly has.
Immortality
Most myths that mention the tear also mention it's handler,
Felthschild, even myths which are said to take place centuries apart. These myths seem to indicate that Felthschild was an otherwise normal
human, who could not have lived so long by natural means. While many skeptics attribute this to either Felthschild himself being an amalgamation of historical characters or the simple tendency of myths to exaggerate, immortality has nevertheless remained the boon most associated with the tear.
Energy Manipulation
Some myths show the tear's handlers utilizing the tear's power to manipulate energy around them, with examples ranging from causing objects to combust, redirect lightning strikes, to evaporating water instantaneously.
Divine Understanding
Though mentioned only rarely in myths, the tear is thought to grant its holder the same understanding of the goddess Izada, allowing one to understand anything said to them in any language. Some even believe that the tear grants the holder to hear the prayers of mortals to the gods or to directly read the thoughts of others.
Significance
The tear's mythological nature leads many to dismiss it as either entirely fictionalized, exaggerated, or, at the very least, no longer relevant as its location is unknown. Nevertheless, the tear continues to fascinate sorcerers, theologians, and other scholars, who tirelessly pursue hints of the artifact. Several organizations within western Zinruna are also known to incorporate representations of the tear into their coats of arms.
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