Peek: The Shield's Vanguard

Unsil smiles as people shuffle out of the day's sermon, most returning to their homes or going to their jobs in Silvervein. Him standing guard at the entrance is more for tradition than any need for protection, but it gives him time to think while he listens. This whole chapter of his life has been a strange one. He chuckles and shakes his head as he looks down the tunnel, seeing the adherents of Thedeim meandering into their own modest temple. Very little around Thedeim is normal. It's probably why he has a growing following among the pale elves and dwarves

The two churches are both seeing their ranks swell by the day, thanks to their efforts in freeing the people from the Maw. Ordinarily, there would be friction and competition as two deities rush to fill the gap left by the destruction of the Maw and its clergy, but neither group feels the need. The Shield prefers to let the actions of Its followers speak, and after their efforts in keeping the fighting in the town itself to a minimum, a lot of the citizenry showed interest in at least hearing what the Shield teaches. Its message of protection and community have certainly resonated with the populace.

Thedeim's own message of friendship and self-improvement has also found fertile ground, and with such a compatible philosophy, it's no wonder the two churches get along so well. They even try to schedule their sermons at different times so people can attend both, if they so desire. As far as Unsil is aware, not many take advantage of the opportunity, but the gesture is still appreciated by all.

That kind of mutual accommodation makes his mind wander back to the taking of Silvervein, and all that happened. If he had any reason to doubt Thedeim's divinity, that Murphy's Law miracle was more than enough to satisfy it. Sure, he technically only achieved apotheosis after everything was done, but for everyone who saw the ritual casting, it was a mere formality.

The amount of coincidences and happenstance he saw in the battle was a marvel to behold. It's easy to fall into the trap of having done everything yourself, with only a little help, but a seasoned frontline protector recognizes the importance of opportune help. A foe loses their footing, or an ally manages to keep theirs, a scout looks the wrong way, an ally finally has a technique click, countless little things added up to make the battle as smooth as it could be.

And that's not to mention the unique experience of fighting alongside Thedeim's denizens and working with his scions. Leo and Honey were especially astute commanders, able to identify potential problems, and humble enough to bow to Unsil's advice on how to counter them. The overall plan was far over Unsil's head, but he specifically trained for combat in and around civilians. It was originally intended for defending a town that would be attacked by any number of things, but there was still a lot he was able to impart to the scions.

In the end, they mostly left the urban fighting to him and the Shield's followers, trusting in their experience and training, and giving them whatever denizen support they might need. While it was an interesting experience to fight alongside most of the denizens, only a few really stick in his mind. A widow or tundra wolf might seem unique at first, but aside from body shape, there's not a lot of difference from a poisoning rogue or an ice caster.

The real game changers were the rockslides, bats, and other messenger/intelligence denizens. The phrase "knowledge is power" only started going around after the fight, and it's one of Thedeim's bits of wisdom that Unsil understands first hand. Timely information kept him from getting ambushed, and more than once let him turn it back around on his foes in that battle. Knowledge affinity is usually relegated to scribes and similar scholarly classes, but he expects there's going to be a big demand for more adventurous people with the affinity.

In fact, Thedeim's church is helping a lot of people to experiment with things they never tried before. Little Vanta is still too fresh for regular delving, but thanks to Teemo's shortcuts, it's not too long of a journey to go to the Southwood to delve. The old toybox dungeon is learning to give battle encounters just as a lot of new delvers are learning to fight. So far, it seems to be working out well for both sides, and he's been hearing rumors that the forest is planning to adjust a section of itself specifically for combat. While he doubts it'll be anything too strenuous, it should still be a good stepping stone until Vanta figures out what it's doing.

In fact, he should go check in with Tarl and see how that's progressing. The general mood of the populace is that things are going well, but it couldn't hurt to go see for himself. Maybe he'll even get to help with an inspection or a more ordinary delve. Vanta is supposed to be a swarm dungeon, so even if it's friendly, more shields will never be a bad thing to have along.

He separates from the wall he was leaning on and starts walking, nodding to the guard at the temple to Thedeim, and getting a nod in return as he passes. It'll be good to do a bit of light delving. He enjoyed the training he could do against Thedeim's undead, and he wouldn't want those skills to rust too badly. After he talks with Tarl, he might even talk with the Head Priest of the Shield here to get some time to head back to Fourdock for a week or so.

While he's happy to have his home here in Silvervein now, he also wouldn't mind visiting Fourdock every so often. He has friends there still, and the delving is top notch. Even better, there could be some new delving to be had. He's heard of a new expansion for the odd dungeon. He'll need to ask Tarl about that, too. If it's anything like the lava labyrinth, it'll definitely be worth the travel time to see it.

He hums a happy hymn as he walks, looking forward to the future, and appreciating how the present has improved over the past. He'll ever be devoted to the Shield, but Thedeim's followers are right about one thing: there's no stopping change. All you can do it try to make it as positive as you can.

______________

Inspired by Durphymcbob, who wanted to know how the Shield followers felt about fighting alongside Thedeim's denizens.

Khenal