Pleasing Gods

The gathered survivors of Strahd’s scourge on Villaki made camp to take a much needed restful night of sleep. The Aasimar monk looked after his brother still suffering from some form of shock. Some of the group made efforts to attempt to learn more of the Cleric of Ezra that had recently aided the tired adventurers.

The cursed dwarven fighter however had settled into a cozy spot near the campfire and was in the process of wiping away vestiges of battle from his shield with an old rag.

As he leaned in to make another cleansing pass to remove the marks of fighting a voice echoed forth from his shield loudly and clearly heard by all of the gathered group. “WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”

Gohzrik grinned as the shield spoke. He grabbed the rag right in his hand and removed it from the shield.

“Ask me all you like. I am Gohzrik Ironblood of Clan Battlehammer. Nothing and no one can take that away from me. I am no longer running or looking back. I Gohzrik Ironblood of Clan Battlehammer will press ever onward!”

There is no pause or delay, as if the shield expected nothing less.
“WHO AM I?”

As the question was posed clouds began to roll in unnaturally quickly and moved against the wind. Clearly some other force was at work.
The campfire died down as the wind began to rush in forcing the flames away from the shield itself as it began to rise into the air.

Gohzrik stood up letting the wind beat against him but standing strong. His black hair blew in the unnatural storm as he yelled.

“You are God of Lightning, Wanderers, and expatriates! MUAMMAN DUATHAL!”

Amid all the sudden noise Eylylyn Let out a yelp of surprise that suddenly faded into the distance far above the camp. Those quick to look could make out the tiny Gnome as she plumetted down from hundreds of feet up. Thankfully she had her oaken staff, and with a quick wave and incantation she settled down to the ground next to the fire, hair ruffled and robes a mess, but not otherwise worse for the wear. She took a moment to straighten herself out, then turned a glare on the levitating shield and accursed Dwarf.

"Look, I don't know why you've suddenly decided to be talkative, but you've been around long enough to know that shouting and causing a ruckus while a wizard practices her new spells is generally frowned upon! Now simmer down and let me take a look before I decide to start practicing something more cathartic on the two of you!"

She holds her empty left hand and her wizards staff before her and closes her eyes for several minutes, reading the flow of magical energy around the boisterous armor. After a long study she opens her eyes and turns to Gohzrik, looking more bemused than anything.

"That shield is housing a sentient manifestation of primal forces, and it has a distinctly earthy feel to it. I'm sure it's Dwarven. Your shield is holding a Dwarven God. Or godlike being. As you seem to have known. Either way, I'm a little hurt that you never told me you were sitting in such a fascinating specimen."

The wind stilled though the campfire still struggled to remain lit. “THE ONE KNOWN AS IRONBLOOD SPEAKS TRUE. I KNOW NOT OF YOU GNOME OTHER THAN YOU AIDED IRONBLOOD ON HIS QUEST. IT WAS BY MY COMMAND THAT HE REMAIN SILENT. HIS ACTIONS WERE NEEDED TO PROVE HIS WORTHINESS OF MY FAVOR AND HIS SILENCE WAS NEEDED TO AID IN HIM REMEMBERING WHO HE IS. ”

There’s a sharp crack of lightning across the sky.

“YOUR JOURNEY TO REFORGE THE BROKENCHAIN BROTHERS WAS NO EASY TASK. BUT YOU HAVE PLEASED ME BY DENYING THE CORRUPTOR HIS DESIRE AND BY UPHOLDING THE OATH OF CLAN FOEHAMMER. I MAKE NO FURTHER QUEST FOR YOU BUT NOW BESTOW UPON YOU MY FAVOR AS REWARD FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND WOULD IMPART UPON YOU THE KNOWLEDGE THAT MORADIN HIMSELF NOW WATCHES YOUR STEPS.”

The clouds above begin to swirl as dozens of lightning flashes accentuate the words, and at the mention of the Dwarven alfather the campfire burns brightly and heat emanates from the flames.

Gohzrik was entirely enraptured by phenomenon occurring that he didn’t hear the wizard’s words. Once Muamman Duathal finished speaking Gohzrik held his arms out wide.

“Thank you for providing me an opportunity to not only find myself, but prove my worth. Know that whatever reward is bestowed it will be used to bring about the destruction of Strahd!”

The wizard threw up her hands in exasperation and rolled her eyes.

"Azilan't teeth, have it your way! At this rate I'll probably discover my own tiny god in my morning porridge to un-curse anyways!"

She turns to go back to her sleeping bag, then seems to reconsider. She turns back and sends up a spray of fireworks and with a flick of magic slaps Gohzrik lightly across the face to get his attention.

"I will give you one bit of advice, if you're going to be taking up with an apparent god. Don't be so free in giving your name to it. I assume that's its price for gaining its protection, hence why you shout your name every time you use that shield? Well be careful about that. Names are powerful magic and shouldn't be tossed around carelessly with beings of that metaphysical mass in the equation. It may seem harmless, but entities like that are strange and unknowable at the best of times, and giving it your name is the same as giving it a tiny piece of yourself even if your Callingname is nothing like your Truename."

Gohzrik shook his head defiantly..

“The price for protection was doing all in my power to reunite the Brokenchains. There is no reason for me to doubt Muamman Duathal. Nor would I expect Zahrys or Mercurion to doubt Ezra.

He cast a sideways glance at the wizard.

“Besides. If the price of power to defeat Strahd is just my name... I will gladly give that part of me and then some.”

The spinning clouds above part as a blinding blue-white bolt of lightning shoots from the heavens, and finding its mark where the cursed dwarf stood, grounding itself in the soil beneath his feet.

Hundreds of lightning sparks arced and raced across the feather bearded man’s chest and limbs. He however remained completely unscathed.
The lightning arcs never ceased, as they seemed to form an almost second layer of skin.

The gathered groups hair all stood on end, much to the annoyance of the Tabaxi in particular.

The swirling clouds then dispersed as rapidly as they had appeared. “YOU HAVE MY BLESSING GOHZRIK IRONBLOOD. NONE CAN DENY IT. BE BOLD. BE WISE. BE CUNNING. BE TRUE.”

As the words fell away, the shield floated gently back to the ground before coming to a rest against the dwarven fighters’ leg.

As the clouds dispersed Gohzrik stared in awe at the lightning encircling him, protecting him, arcing off him. He grinned as he reached down and picked up his left shield in his left hand and grabbed his war club in his right. He yelled as he raised his arms above his head and beat his shield like a drum. No sooner than he did that the lightning dissipated, waiting to be called upon again when necessary.