So, seems like our group is getting the saturday roleplay back in action after a rather odd summer. As you might have read in The Tale of Five, Hate is running a new AD&D campaign set in his own world. Sadly I wasn't able to join the first sessions, but I was there the second session and made my character during a long time of trying to get any good idea!
And finally came... Vagrad.
Just barely more than a century ago, another Dwarf was born. This locally joyous occasion might seem unimportant to the great machinations of things, and fate has yet to sho whether that's true or not. Whichever the case, the newborn was named Vagrad.
Vagrad was born in the Thunderpeak Mountains by parents of the priesthood, and especially his father was a prominent member in the religious caste of the Thunderpeak Dwarves. As common practice by the Priests, he sought the blessing of the gods upon his child. He took his newborn up to the peak of the mountain and, after rigorous and long ceremonial preparations, called out:
"Oh, Spirit of the Mountain, Father of Dwarves and our Sacred Ancestor! I call upon you to bless this child! Give him the constitution of a--"
However, he was promptly interrupted by the thunder, seemingly striking from nowhere. He flinched a little, but kept his eyes closed as he used to during prayer.
"-- of a guardian, the wisdom of a sage and the strength--"
Another lightning struck.
"-- the strength OF A BRUTE!"
A third and final lightning bolt came down, much closer than the other ones. The priest and father opened his eyes only to discover that an immense lightning storm had gathered around the peak during his prayer. A nearby patch of snow, dangerously close to the ceremonial circle in which his son laid, had melted during the last lightning. He hesitated... this had not gone as planned. He did not want his son to recieve the blessing of The Thunder God. Hurriedly he grabbed his son and ventured back inside the mountain. Another lightning struck.
His father never spoke of that day, and Vagrad grew up as a slighty taller, well-built, hard-working and ,most importantly, short-tempered dwarf. In fact, his temper was so short that it came to no surprise to anyone when he chose, much to his parent's dismay, to join the Battle-Ragers. For a few decades he lived on the border of the Stronghold, recieving training as a Battle-Rager and protecting the Thunderpeak stronghold. He was taught the customary battle-songs and recieved the tattoos and piercings. The high-ranking members in charge of the defense of the stronghold used him and his brethren as a point-and-click way of destroying insurrections of goblinoids and such, though only when in dire need. For a short-tempered dwarven youth, this was almost a dream coming true. He did not contact his parents at all during this time. All he cared about was the ecstatic rage and killing. That was all he lived for.
But no mindset is eternal, not even for a stubborn dwarf. Eventually, his rebellious period came to pass. For a long time he felt hollow, and slaughtering didn't help filling that hole. If anything, it only made the hole deeper. Eventually he realized that he had to seek out the only ones he knew he could trust to help him: his parents.
So began his trek to back where he began, all the while his temper and rage gnawed at him, screaming at him to brandish his axe, even against his kinsmen. It felt like a herculean effort to suppress the urge, but he managed to do it. And finally, he reached his destination.
His parents were surprised to say the least, seeing their son now covered in blue tattoos, rings in his lips, ears and nose and having dyed his hair a dark shade of red, seeking reconciliation and wanting to ask them if there were more things in life than violence. Naturally, being priests, they gave him the religious answer... however, after much hesitation, his father decided to tell him more than that; he told him of the day he sought blessing for Vagrad and how the lightning answered. He was ashamed to accept that his son had been blessed by The Thunder God, but it was the truth and so should not be kept a secret.
Vagrad, being the short-tempered and hasty character he is, immediately decided to seek purpose in life from The Thunder God. He asked where the closest temple lies, and, after a short break home, continued his trek to the nearby mountain peak on which it was constructed.
He told them his story and his wish to become a full-fledged priest of The Thunder God. They reluctantly accepted him, but only at the request of Tular.
Tular saw potential in young Vagrad, and remembered what it was like living with the rage. Tular was a retired Vindicator.
During decades, the priesthood taugth Vagrad the theoretical and practical parts of their religion. The prayers, customs, blessing and virtues were slowly imprented into his mind, and he accepted it. They also taught him which gods to respect, which to despise, and which he should smite at sight. They told him a great deal about the evil God of Thunder, how to recognize his followers and customs and rituals of that religion, so that he might recognize it and eradicate it wherever he went. He dropped the piercings, and altered the tattoos in honour to his deity, but kept the dyed beard as a reminder. All the while Tular acted as his mentor, teaching him how to control the rage and focus it against evil and the enemies of The Thunder God. He taught him how to survive alone, how to tend to his wounds, and some human customs. In short, everything he had learned as a Vindicator he now told Vagrad.
Eventually, after all his training and preparations, he was ready to ascend into full priesthood. Upon his 100th birthday, he stood atop the highest part of the temple, bellowing out to the thunderstorm that raged on the very same day:
"OH, GOD OF THUNDER, SLAYER OF THE WICKED AND FORCE SUPREME! I CALL UPON THEE TODAY TO ACCEPT ME AS YOUR FOLLOWER! FOR A CENTURY I HAVE BEEN YOURS, ALBEIT ME UNKNOWING! BUT I CAN SEE IT NOW! I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY YOU! CHOSEN TO BE YOUR STORM WHERE YOUR LIGHTNING CAN'T REACH! CHOSEN TO BE YOUR AXE UPON THE EARTH, TO SMITE YOUR FOES AND ERADICATE EVIL! TO BRING DOWN ALL THAT IS WICKED AND UNWORTHY! FROM THIS DAY, AND EVERY DAY FORTH UNTIL THE END OF THE END HAS COME, I SHALL BE YOUR VESSEL OF DESTRUCTION!
FROM THIS DAY FORTH, I AM YOUR VESSEL OF DESTRUCTION!"
The storm answered with lightning crackling across the sky, thunder booming all around him. At his side stood Tular.
"You know what must be done, Vagrad. I am proud to have taught you the lessons I learned as a Vindicator. Now it's your turn. Go forth... Be his Vessel of Destruction, Son of Thunder."
All the preparations had already been made, equipment has been donned, axes hanging at his sides, the tools for survival in his backpack.
That day Vagrad left the Thunderpeak Mountains.
So, that's his little story. I hope it was inspiring to ya'll.
Look forward to hearing of his epic adventure... or his imminent demise.
