#both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

Something I find both fun and challenging when writing Elden Ring fanfiction is translating or adjusting certain in-game mechanics into something that makes sense storywise and doesn't break the narrative. For example, fast-travelling between sites of grace is something I'm mostly ignoring for now. I think Izar can use sites of grace as portals back into the Roundtable Hold (or access them from there), but I'm still struggling to come up with a concept that explains access to the Hold without grace because most Tarnished there no longer see it but apparently can still enter and leave at their pleasure. I've been thinking about establishing that those without grace need a grace mimic to do so and have just now looked up that crafting one does require a human bone shard... so maybe Ensha (for story-purposes) might have one permanent grace mimic worked right into his armor? Or he might still need to carry a normal one that's consumed upon use but in case of emergency can craft one by sacrificing a piece of bone from his armor? Even if it's permanent and built-in I think I'd want to come up with some limitations regarding its use, probably that it still requires something like a ritual to create a fake site of grace that then serves as a portal back to the Hold, and that in turn takes time or can only be done in certain spots?

#a passing flash of starlight | ooc #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore #(yes i'm procrastinating but i've been thinking about this a lot) #elden ring #ensha

[izar-tarazed]

Welcome!

What this is: This blog is mostly dedicated to my Elden Ring OC Izar (and well, her companion Ensha – more about them below). There might also be other content (other games, DnD 5e, writing) unless I’ll feel the need to create specific sideblogs for that (unlikely, I lack the energy).

What I do: I’ll mostly share screenshots, headcanons, storytelling, and writing snippets. (Here's my tag list!) While this is not a pure RP blog I very much enjoy RPing, so feel free to shoot me a prompt/starter whenever you like! (For more information regarding RP, flip through the Stargazer's Cookbook I've left over here!)

Who I am: You can call me Zari. I’m over 30, she/her. Not a native English speaker, so bear with me if I say strange things. Expect occasional ramblings about the glory of freelance life, and know that there is never enough coffee.

Izar Tarazed, Tarnished Astrologer

Izar barely remembers anything from the time before her awakening in the Lands Between – just her name and what she knew of the stars. However, the stars above the Lands Between are different, their lore mostly lost to her, so she gathers stories and bits of information wherever she can.

Her most treasured possessions are her telescope and her map-making tools.

Whenever she gets the chance, Izar will sit and work on her celestial maps, preferably beneath the golden light of grace, trying to figure out constellations and their possible meanings. Working on her maps also calms her down and helps her focus.

She’s often more driven by her astrological curiosity than by the ambition to become Elden Lord – she’ll confront Rennala mainly because she wants access to the library of Raya Lucaria, and Radahn because she wishes to set the stars back in motion.

Izar relies mostly on her sorceries – the Comet and Night Comet are her favorites – and only starts improving her skills with melee weapons and a shield when Ensha insists on teaching her.

Personality

Izar is a little geek when it comes to astrology and will talk about it with neverending enthusiasm. At a new place, its (potential) view of the night sky is usually the first thing she’ll check.

She values the friendships and alliances she makes, being protective of those she cares about; that might be both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness.

Upon meeting someone for the first time, she'll rather be calm and cautious, but much more confident, cheeky and bubbly once she feels comfortable.

The fact that she doesn’t remember who she was before bothers her more than she lets on.

When upset, she can be pretty defiant, sarcastic and snappy.

Sir, That’s My Emotional Support Skeleton

Izar spares Ensha’s life when he attacks her at the Roundtable Hold. This leads to them being sent out on a mission together to track down Latenna (which, of course, doesn’t go as planned). While they start out deeply suspicious of each other, teaming up only reluctantly, they eventually come to trust each other and become close friends.

(I’m not entirely sure what Ensha is, but I’m leaning way more into the headcanons of the somehow animated armor/actual skeleton with some kind of relation to the ancient king mentioned in the description of the Royal Remains set, rather than just being some guy with a skull mask.)

Ensha will often travel with Izar, having her back and finding picturesque dungeon walls to lean against and ponder how on earth this careless astrologer can still be alive. (He's exaggerating, of course. Izar can definitely handle herself ... most of the time.)

Since Ensha doesn’t speak, their communication process is a little rocky at first but improves once Izar gets better (and eventually good) at understanding his sign language. From that point, they'll often have some banter going on that usually remains at least partially unnoticed by their surroundings.

#elden ring #elden ring oc #tarnished #izar tarazed #elden ring astrologer #elden ring tarnished #ensha of the royal remains #a passing flash of starlight | ooc #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

Headcanon: Ensha doesn't eat regular food, just golden runes.

#work of a wandering artist | zari draws #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore #elden ring #ensha #ensha of the royal remains

[izar-tarazed]

me: okay brain, time to focus on serious real life stuff, did we pack everything for the book fair and did we- my brain: wow did you ever realize that Izar probably loved her astrologer robe because it has pockets me: what my brain: i mean, look at that robe, it's so comfy, it has to have pockets me: my brain: and then you gave her that stupid carian knight armor. it has no pockets. where is she supposed to keep anything

#elden ring #my tarnished #a passing flash of starlight | ooc #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

A headcanon I think I didn't elaborate on much until now: Izar can sense Ensha's emotions—at least within a limited range, and provided they’re intense enough. That means she’ll perceive sudden bursts of anger or fear, but at times also more persistent sentiments like concern or wariness.

She isn’t exactly sure why this is, but it seems to be connected to the grace in some way. Ensha can’t see it, but during their first mission together—stranded at the Academy of Raya Lucaria—, Izar wanted to test whether he might be able to feel it, so she pointed him to a site of grace, carefully directing his hand right to the golden light.

While it didn’t change anything for him (from his perspective, he was merely reaching out towards a random spot in a dimly lit chamber; the shadows there didn’t feel any different from those everywhere else), Izar found herself with that new ability that proved rather helpful when it came to gauging Ensha’s reactions to pretty much everything. (Intense skeletal stare? Well yes, but I can tell you’re actually pretty terrified of ...something?)

It’s useful, but still has its limits—she won’t know the reasoning behind any of the emotions, or what they’re directed at.

Also, Ensha wasn’t exactly pleased when she first told him about her new capability (yes, she could sense that anger), considering it overstepping and intrusive (not wrong), but he has since come to terms with it.

That's partially due to the fact that by now Izar knows him well enough to see his other tells, however subtle they may be.

He might be able to take a somewhat guarded stance and basically block her out (I'm not yet sure about that).

He also acknowledges that it can be a useful part of their communication process—if they meet someone he’s deeply suspicious of, Izar will know. (However, whether she’ll believe his wariness to be justified is another story.)

#elden ring #elden ring headcanons #izar headcanon #izar tarazed #ensha #ensha of the royal remains #elden ring oc #it's by no means a substitute for more elaborate communication #—ensha still conveys most information by way of his sign language— #but it does make up a little for him being a figure with zero variety in facial expressions #there's also still a lot that izar will know because of his posture and other body language #also! sometimes knowing that ensha is extremely annoyed but having no clue as to why is more confusing than helpful to her #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

"Now, go forth. Do what you believe is right."

It's minor but I realized how much I love that Enia eventually just tells us this (rather than "go forth, become Elden Lord" or "Let the words of the Fingers guide you"). It's simply "Do what you believe is right". Yes, the implication here is probably just that she can no longer offer any advice and even the Two Fingers are silent, so all that remains is our own judgment. But still, she says it in such a gentle and supportive way? As if she trusts as, and actually believes it's a good thing if we do what we believe is right. (... Yes, I keep coming back to the Roundtable Hold whenever I need to hear it.)

#elden ring #roundtable hold #finger reader enia #elden ring thoughts #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

[that moment of goodbye at the golden light barrier before the Elden Throne? it's truly haunting me.

I just realized that given this headcanon here, Ensha would back off as he watches Izar walk towards the barrier and deliberately try to tone down all of his emotions.

Because he doesn't want to be left behind; he is terrified of her not coming back, not necessarily in the sense that she might die, but that once she sits down on that throne, she will simply no longer be the friend he travelled with and protected with all he had.

He can't bear any of those thoughts.

And he knows she is able to sense all of his despair and sadness, and it's the last thing she needs to know in this moment, so...

when he watches her go, against every instinct, Ensha retreats away from the barrier, hoping that she won't notice how he feels, that she won't be held back and distracted.]

#the stars are never far from a sorcerer's side | storytelling #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore #elden ring #elden ring screenshot #izar tarazed #ensha #ensha of the royal remains #tarnished oc

[izar-tarazed]

𝟐-𝟓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘

COLORS

#1 … Blue, deep and rich—a variety of blues, really, that are Izar’s guiding colors. The blue of the night sky; the intense Carian blue; the darker one that she calls the Sellian blue, color of night sorceries. The blue of Liurnia, softened through the mist, but lit up by sunshine. The eternal gloam of Raya Lucaria’s great library.

#2 … Purple. The color of Izar’s eyes and the mark she bears on her brow. She doesn’t know how either of those came to be.

#3 … Brass, both polished and weathered. This is the color of treasure and precision, for most of her tools are made of this: the telescope she bought from Kalé before purchasing anything else, the small armillary sphere she retrieved from Raya Lucaria, the compass and the sextant. Her most prized possessions—apart from that small bottle of ink—because they are the tools of her profession: the keys to her identity.

SCENTS

#1 … The scent of old books: leather and yellowed paper.

#2 … The memory of wild grass and crisp mountain winds—the scent of a place fit for stargazing.

#3 … A hint of pepper and minty herba; not out of nowhere, but from the sweet spiced tea beloved among the nomadic merchants that Izar now loves as well.

FASHION

#1 … The Carian Knight Armor. Blue, silver and gold; fabric and metal. This is the armor she feels most comfortable in—as if belonging to it in a way she could never explain. She was reluctant to put it on when she first found it, but now donning it feels oddly like coming home.

#2 … The Astrologer’s Robe. Brown and creme-white; simple and durable fabrics, yet more comfortable than one would imagine. This is the garb she woke up in; the beginning of her journey. Lightweight, with pockets she quickly went filling with herbs and rainbow stones, feathers and crystal buds. Sometimes, at the Roundtable Hold, she’ll still put the robe on—to be comfortable and without worries, nothing but an astrologer, allowed to indulge in her curiosity.

#3 … The Blue Cloth Vest … Its color reminds her of Liurnia, and Izar likes it a lot. Its chestpiece of hardened leather offers better protection than her Astrologer’s Robe while still being lighter than her Carian Knight Armor. It’s another attire she feels extremely comfortable in.

#4 … The Navy Hood. She still carries it with her wherever she goes; she doesn’t even remember where she found it, but the blue, of course, called to her immediately. With the hood pulled up, she feels strangely protected. She’ll bring the cloak out on chill nights and snuggle up underneath when she rests.

OBJECTS

#1 … A bottle of ink, and a quill made of a stormhawk’s feather, but with a brass tip.

Technically two objects, yes, but they go together: ink and quill, essential to Izar’s map-making. She uses them for the most precise lines, for notes and calculations that mustn’t smudge like those made with charcoal possibly could.

She also draws her maps’ ornaments with them: small crests and compass dials, and tiny illustrations of what she concludes certain constellations might represent. A jewel-eyed dragon; a fox chasing its own tail; the hand holding a candle in its palm: with simple lines, she calls forth the forgotten stories.

#2 … The telescope. Always on her belt, to be grabbed with one swift motion—not that watching the night sky would require hurry. But Izar likes to keep it close.

#3 … The Carian Regal Scepter … Once again, silver and blue, the night sky and its stars. Izar’s favorite staff and her most frequent weapon of choice. A reminder of what she’s already accomplished, and a promise of what still may come.

BODY LANGUAGE

#1 … the occasional glance skywards—even in daylight—, fingers brushing her telescope

#2 … a series of springy steps when she’s both in good spirits and absent minded; almost as if dancing to a tune in her mind

#3 … slightly lifting her hand as if she’s about to reach out, or point at something (not necessarily something tangible, it can also be a thought, maybe… or a memory)

#4 ... straightening her shoulders, tightening her fingers around her staff–bracing herself for confrontation

AESTHETICS

#1 … the scholarly ones: hand-drawn maps, the inky lines still dark or already fading; dark wood and stacks of tomes, cartography tools; the twilight of a vast library, and its silence.

#2 … the astrologer’s ones: the infinity of the night sky, the certainty of one’s own smallness; shadows and a hint of golden light against the immensity of the darkest shades of blue and the silver of the stars; a landscape lost in darkness.

#3 … the stars in all their aspects—sketched, drawn, real; unmoving and far away; pure fury when wielded in combat—deadly comets, a meteor shower, a whirl of darkness and sparkling light.

SONGS

#1 … Láska neumiera (Jana Kirschner)

#2 Les choristes / Vois sur ton chemin (Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc/Bruno Coulais)

(une lumière dorée brille sans fin tout au bout du chemin |

a golden light forever shines at the end of the road )

#3 … Le vent nous portera (Scala & Kolacny Brothers)*

(je n’ai pas peur de la route … Tout disparaîtra, mais le vent nous portera |

I’m not afraid of the road ... Everything will disappear, but the wind will carry us)

#4 … Běžela jsem lesem (Vesna)

(bojím se lesem sama jít | mužeš mě prosím ochránit? |

I’m afraid to walk through the woods alone | can you please protect me?)

#5 ... Korzenie (Echo Rodu)

___

*A cover version, but more fitting for Izar than the original by Noir Désir.

Tagged by @hexenjagd–thank you so much, going through these has been a great exercise and so much fun.

Tagging ... well, if you've made your way all through this long post, you deserve a treat! consider yourself tagged if you'd like to!

#izar headcanon #izar tarazed #elden ring oc #prized by the crafty and fleet of foot | tags and dash games #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

What tarot card are you?

The Moon

(for Izar) You avoid corners and doorways - do you know why? Have you looked inwards recently? Do you understand what is happening there? Your mind is muddled and dusty, a mirror you haven’t been able to clean properly. Smudging the nervousness just leaves streaks on the glass, which makes your face harder to see, which makes you nervous. What are you nervous of, darling? What keeps you up at night? Why haven’t you confronted it? Do you know what it is? Can you answer my questions? Are they making you nervous? Am I frightening you?

The Hermit

(for Ensha)

It’s a skill, to look inside yourself, one you have mastered. The endless corridors and shifting thoughts are mapped to very carefully. This all takes time, of course. And those twisting hallways are so very difficult to map. It would be so easy to get lost. You know this space so well. Wouldn’t it be a lovely place to stay? So well-known and comforting. Why go back? How nice, how easy, to dissolve, to hide from the rest of the world and all the people in it. Why bother, when you are so good at looking inside yourself. Like enlightenment, the self. Retreating this far inwards is like retreating just as far out, into the vast ether. So comforting. The thing that was you looks at the thing that was the old woman. There is no you anymore. Goodbye.

Tagged by @rotten-pest (thank you!) Tagging whoever wants to do this!

#dash games #izar tarazed #ensha #hehe i like the results #both quite fitting #but that izar would get the moon is just beautiful #the text going “your mind is muddled and dusty” #yes! she has forgotten her past and she's terrified of losing more #i like the notion of avoiding corners and doorways #might toy with this for a little headcanon #considering how frequently she's pushing doors open and stepping through #prized by the crafty and fleet of foot | tags and dash games #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

Sometimes Izar won't summon Torrent, but instead sneaks onto one the huge carriages and quietly makes herself comfortable. A slower means of travel than her trusted steed, but perfect for observing her surroundings and the sky through the telescope or fill her journal with sketches. Sometimes she stays there for hours, enjoying both journey and mischief.

The Trolls never notice.

#the stars are never far from a sorcerer's side | storytelling #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore #elden ring #elden ring screenshot #elden ring oc

[izar-tarazed]

something I like about Izar’s and Ensha’s dynamics is that she’s without doubt better with people but Ensha is arguably better at reading them.

Izar has a tendency to be kind and forthcoming and trying to be helpful, and she’ll usually try to understand whoever she engages with, which can help immensely. Ensha has usually about zero interest in acting sociable, but he does pick up on a lot of subtleties and tells in someone’s behavior that might be lost on others, including Izar. He’s a guard, he spends (and has spent) a lot of time simply observing and gauging others. (Including people who rarely to never remove their masks and helmets so being able to read them without relying on their facial expressions is probably a necessity, and in turn those who show up with their faces exposed are just open books.)

Ensha will know much faster than Izar if someone is lying or hiding something... but acting on that is something else entirely. (It’s basically staring them down menacingly or attack.) Izar in turn is much better to react and deal with people if she realizes what she’s dealing with, but might completely miss even alarming signals.

Once they figure that out, this is exactly why they work well together as a team. (Together they make one socially competent person.)

#both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore #izar tarazed #ensha of the royal remains #elden ring oc #elden ring headcanons

[izar-tarazed]

In a fight my muse...

Bold the applicable, italicize if more situational or nuanced for what fits your muse tries in battle.

Izar

-closes distance / makes distance -uses overwhelming force / whittles down an opponent -can endure a long fight / cannot -is quick to start a fight / is rarely the instigator -tries to dodge / tries to block -uses psychological tactics / focuses on martial approach -is a graceless fighter / elegant fighter -values honor / uses dirty tactics -accepts defeat / begs for mercy / cuts and runs

Izar will usually rely on her sorceries and try to stay out of melee range whenever she can.

She has some powerful sorceries at her disposal (hence "overwhelming force" applies sometimes), but will only resort to them if she can afford the casting time (and otherwise rely on swifter sorceries such as her beloved comets).

If she is forced to engage in melee, she can handle herself for a while, but it’s still not her strong suit.

She has a shield. She always wields the shield. Every once in a while she will remember it's there.

She might accept defeat depending on the opponent, but will usually rather opt for a tactical retreat. This might include dying and waking up at the next site of grace (unpleasant and painful).

Ensha

-closes distance / makes distance -uses overwhelming force / whittles down an opponent -can endure a long fight / cannot -is quick to start a fight / is rarely the instigator -tries to dodge / tries to block -uses psychological tactics / focuses on martial approach -is a graceless fighter / elegant fighter -values honor / uses dirty tactics -accepts defeat / begs for mercy / cuts and runs

If fighting alongside Izar, Ensha will try to draw attention while in melee so Izar can cast her sorceries unbothered.

He’ll occasionally use his gravity sorceries. Collapsing Stars is frequently his solution to yank an enemy away from Izar.

He has absolutely no qualms to start a fight, especially if it grants him the element of surprise.

Fights are about survival, not honor.

Even with the focus on survival, Ensha is unlikely to retreat (and even less to accept defeat). He might run eventually, but first will usually opt for an even more reckless approach.

Tagged by @rotten-pest (thanks! This was fun!) Tagging: whoever wants to do this!

#prized by the crafty and fleet of foot | tags and dash games #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore #izar tarazed #ensha #looking at my answers it seems that izar has so much nuanced stuff going on #whereas ensha is mostly “this is how i do things. now die.”

[izar-tarazed]

When it comes to healing, Ensha doesn't carry a flask of his own; he relies entirely on his Clinging Bone's Lifesteal Fist. (And the regeneration granted by his armor, of course; but the Lifesteal Fist is far more vital.) It works out well, usually... as long as he's not too injured to move swiftly, and as long as the right kind of enemies is around. It's a risk, of course, always having to close in. Healing up in this way, for all of his skill, still remains somewhat of a gamble. Tempting fate, time and again. Ensha doesn't mind it. Everything comes at a price. Why should it be different with life, of all things?

#both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore #elden ring #ensha #ensha of the royal remains #my stats are far from ideal for the clinging bone but it's still fun to use #also i just love this so much in terms of flavor #(yep i've read about this being a nod to similar weapons/skills in earlier souls games) #(and ensha's whole design being somewhat reminiscent of the darkwraiths) #i just like this whole “clinging to life with everything that i have (and by everything i mean a handful of bones)” concept

[izar-tarazed]

Izar, has it occurred to you that you may not have been as good a person in your previous life? Does it frighten you? Ensha, why defend a man who'd leave you for dead? Gideon wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire. - rotten-pest

There is a pause, then a deep breath as Izar ponders the question. Her fingers curl around the hem of her cloak, twisting it absentmindedly.

‟… It is something I have considered, yes.”

She presses her lips together, pulling deep blue cloth tighter around her fingers.

‟Very often, actually. Whenever I try to remember… I get to that point eventually. That maybe it’s better not to know. Maybe it’s a blessing to have forgotten past failures.

I don’t know what I may have done back then. Maybe I was trying to be a good person, and simply not succeeded? Much in the same way I do now? Sometimes I think that might actually be the worst. Because that way, if I ever were to remember my past, I would have cared about the people I failed… or hurt in some other way. I’d imagine not being a good person comes with the benefit of not caring too much, so whatever memories I’d recover from that—they might be uncomfortable, but probably less painful. If back then I hurt people who didn’t matter to me, I wouldn’t be remembering too fondly, now would I?

But maybe it would still be horrible. Maybe who I am today couldn’t bear who I was before. And maybe cruelties I can’t even imagine would return to haunt me?

Whatever the case… it all comes down to one thing: I’m terrified of remembering. Yet I wish so much that I could.” ========

The question is, of course, met with silence. But being who he is, Ensha has all sorts of silence at his disposal, and this one is different.

He lowers his gaze, something he hardly ever does; he’ll normally stare down whoever dares to address him. The slightest twitching of his fingers, not yet ready to sign an answer. The rest of him has gone completely still. It isn’t shock, though. It’s not the reaction one has when confronted with an uncomfortable truth for the first time, but when encountering one all too well known.

This is the silence Ensha reserves for this very truth, the silence he keeps it wrapped up in: deep enough to hide it from his own thoughts. Mostly, that is.

He keeps his gaze on his fingers as he signs,

‟It’s not a secret that everyone is expendable to Sir Gideon. I’m perfectly aware that I am no exception. So if this was meant to shock me…”

He shrugs. Another pause before he looks up. The eye sockets of his skull are always dark, but maybe now even more so; no glint whatsoever in them.

‟This is about loyalty, and complicated. There are many ways to ensure loyalty, and even more reasons to uphold it. It is not always a gift freely offered. That is all I will say on this matter.”

Gauntleted fingers curl into a fist, if only briefly: maybe just to signal the end of his answer.

#a letter affixed to a graveyard crow's leg | asks #prized by the crafty and fleet of foot | tags and dash games #asks for izar #asks for ensha #thank you! those were so good #direct hits for both of them; right where it hurts #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

Does Izar have any notable interactions with other NPCs? If so, who and what?

Sorry it took so long to reply to this one!

I’m not completely sure what counts as ‟notable”, and in many cases my ideas are less about concrete interactions and more about the nature of the relationship. I’ll point out just a few of the more notable NPCs who are relevant to Izar's journey and story:

Izar is pretty fascinated by Ranni—there’s Ranni’s connection to the stars, obviously, but her way of very actively forging her own path and fate is inspiring to Izar. While they get along well and their journeys are clearly intertwined, their eventual alliance (Izar giving Ranni the Dark Moon Ring and going for the Age of Stars) is more about politics and strategy. I think Izar might have something of a temporary crush on the witch but it’s never more, and it also fades the closer she gets to know Ranni. What’s decisive for Izar is that Ranni—for better or for worse—is someone who leaves people behind, and Izar can’t imagine doing that. (I’ve yet to beat the game but my headcanon for the end is that Izar most likely will not embark on that journey with Ranni. She doesn’t want the throne, but she isn’t going to leave the Lands Between and the people she cares about.)

Izar’s relationship with Melina always remains a little reserved. Melina’s secrecy and the fact that she rarely shows herself make it hard for Izar to truly relate to her, even if she’s extremely grateful for Melina’s help and willing to trust her. But I’m not sure she’d consider her maiden a friend. (She still feels horribly guilty after the Forge of the Giants, adding to her conviction that she brings ill luck to those who matter to her.)

There’s always a certain tension between Izar and Gideon Ofnir. While they’re both fond of knowledge and research, their approaches differ: Izar doesn’t consider knowledge something to be hoarded for oneself, but something that should be shared and accessible to everyone. She also deeply dislikes Gideon’s readiness to discard even the most loyal to him (case in point: Nepheli). Furthermore, her friendship with Ensha does nothing to ease the tension—there’s a lot to unpack here, actually. Ensha might be travelling with Izar more often than not, but Gideon is still his master, demanding loyalty. (He also has his own reasons for allowing Ensha to accompany Izar). And while the All-Knowing isn’t exactly fond of a rival Tarnished befriending his servant, he’s also more than willing to use that as leverage should the necessity arise.

#a letter affixed to a graveyard crow's leg | asks #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore

[izar-tarazed]

Which character type are you? Tagged by @hexenjagd (thank you!)

📚 The Scholar 📚

Someone who'd give away most things, perhaps everything, for knowledge, for understanding, for meaning. A person living in the world like it's an experiment; a person oddly generous when others least expect it.

... of course Izar would be the scholar. I love that I got this result for her. (Not tagging anyone for now, feel free to take this little quiz and tag me if you like so I can see your result!)

#dash games #izar tarazed #she isn't all about knowledge #i think understanding and meaning are what she's actually after #and there are certainly things she would never trade #not even for the most exquisite knowledge #for her memories maybe? #prized by the crafty and fleet of foot | tags and dash games #both bewitched and fearful of the abyss | headcanons and lore