Cultivation
From Mizahar Lore
Cultivation is the name of Bala's Gnosis gift. It allows those who have been marked to make something ripen, though how much and how fast depends on the number of Gnosis marks they have. One touch can cause an underripe fruit to ripen to perfection... making this an amazing ability for those who cultivate vegetation for food or decoration. For example, an underripe orange can be cultivated to sweet, juicy perfection, just right for eating.
Negative Gnosis marks are exceedingly rare, if ever granted.
Mechanics
Bala is the patron goddess of farmers and those who depend on crops for their livelihood. Mizahar can be harsh, and it can be hard to eke out a living in inhospitable land... like the deserts of Eyktol. Her Gnosis marks are quite popular for their usefulness. What they grant may not be as flashy as that of some other gods, but when it comes to practicality and usefulness, she delivers. The power manifests by touching the plants and bringing Bala's touch to bear on them. But they can only do so much each day. One use, or touch, is powerful enough to take a green, hard, and largely inedible banana and ripen it to yellow perfection. Another example would be to take a rosebud and encourage it to its full beauty. A seed can be come a sprout with a touch, and the sprout could slowly be encouraged to grow to a full-sized plant by further using the Gnosis mark.
Introduce the Gnosis, talk about how the god/dess relates to the person, and how the power manifests.
Mark Progression
Marked [Cursed] - 1 Gnosis Mark | |
This level grants the use of 10 touches each day. At this level, full contact needs to be made with the item. That is, you need to be able to touch the item and maintain a steady contact. | |
Favored [Despised] - 2 Gnosis Marks | |
This level grants the use of 50 touches each day. At this level, full contact needs to be made with the item. You must be able to touch the item and maintain a steady contact. | |
Priest/Priestess [Adversary] - 3 Gnosis Marks | |
This level grants the use of 100 touches each day. At this level, brushing contact is all that is necessary. That is, the user can simply brush past, leaving a lingering touch. Steady contact does not need to be maintained. At this level, the user can repair an entire crop that was ruined by natural causes or disaster - such as drought, fire, vermin. | |
Champion [Nemesis] - 4 Gnosis Marks | |
This level grants the use of 200 touches each day. At this level, eye contact is all that is necessary. A Champion of Bala can adjust the crop itself to grow on any sort of soil, or combination thereof, necessary. This is an operation that can take a very long time depending on the number of plants that must be adjusted, and is very exacting, very tiring work. |