Show and Tell?

Rahsaan let out a sigh as he held up his right hand above the spring water- its healing properties having no effect on its monstrous appearance. By now the young man had given up expecting to awake from any dream- the king’s rescue, the destruction of the traitorous vampire, the real Voriel’s appearance; he knew was awake. So his literally inflamed right hand was not just the latest attempt to scare him.

He frowned before hoisting himself from the warm healing waters, heading over to his belongings. He found the mirror in his pack and held it up to peer at his reflection. The corrupted hand now trembled swollen with cadmium red scales, his nails pointed black claws. It extended a good half-foot longer than his left, no doubt contributing further to his already gangly appearance. The disfiguration reached past his shoulder up to his collarbone, enlarged blue veins reaching across his skin as if grasping for his neck. He prodded at the discoloration, but felt no pain or irritation. Like this mutation was always a part of him.

He dressed himself in what remained of his outfit, “modified” from Voriel’s intervention. His pants ended in tatters at the knee, his shoes and shirt nowhere to be found. He pulled on his now buttonless vest as he looked to Gohzrik, who apart from his feathered beard looked just as home here than any of the other dwarves.

He did not try and hide his curse. Rahsaan thought, Until we arrived here in Villaki. . .
He then remembered what the fighter had said on the iced mountain, about killing those who appeared monstrous in the past . . .  
He strode over to the now mostly- dwarf and said,

“You know how you tried to hide your affliction when we were on the way to the town? Because it would attract undue attention?” He held up his malformed hand, “ How much do you think this is going to be a problem?”

As the monk posed his question Gohzrik nodded.

“That is a choice I made. It seemed to work out fine for me, though if just being a dwarf can get you executed in Valakki it’s possible I’ll fare worse this time.”

He laughed, but stopped soon after he started when he realized Rahsaan did not join in his laughter. He ran his hands through his hair and frowned before speaking again.

“I know I was drunk at the time, but I still remember what Iseck, your brother, did. You see a dwarf’s mind is like a mountain filled with goodies, or in this metaphor memories. As long as we know what we are looking for and keep mining we will find it. It’s why I was initially unsettled by the Goblins but fight after fight realized that I had fought and killed many of these before. I remember the face of every creature I’ve killed and even right now they are watching me ever gleeful waiting for the moment Strahd strikes me down so they can laugh at me...”

As he trails off his eyes shift down to the water where he sees the reflection of a very confused monk. He coughs and clears his throat.

“That’s neither here nor there.”

Gohzrik stands up naked and marches out of the sauna showing off what the Goddess gave him before grabbing a towel, drying off, and changing.

“You’re gonna need a different top to wear. Before Iseck used his arm against the Lawgiver he had it bound and wrapped to his side. He looked as if he only had one arm. That would be the safest option, because even being captain of the guard his men seemed wary of that arm and didn’t want to get near it once he was using it freely.”

As Gohzrik exited the bath, Rahsaan looked at his deformed hand, “I did not understand why he kept it bound. He had lived there for years so I thought everyone knew he had it.”

With a slight laugh he added, “I can see why the other guards wanted to give him space seeing how well done that Knight was. As far as I can tell mine does not do anything.”

After a few practice thrusts with his right hand produced no results, with a quick flick of his left unmarred hand a sphere of blue flame shot out of fizzled into the water.

“At least it is not hindering my other powers.”

He glanced down at what he was wearing as Gohzrik dressed and said, “If there is a downside to Voriel’s help, it would be the inability to make an outfit last for more than a few days. I could use the same shirt for weeks back in Nova Vaasa. “

He then seemed to get an idea, along with a look of realization on his face, “Though maybe I could use this as a way to connect with Izek. When I spoke with him before, it was not stated I could hear a tinge of resentment that I was born normal. Maybe then he will see that the Baron’s rules make Kantora seem reasonable by comparison.”

He looked back at Gohzrik, “Though this is with the assumption that we will be harassed, arrested, or otherwise anyway just by the presence of your marvelous dwarven physique.”