Thrice-Blessed Shield

Colonies

Type	Shield
Discovered By	Grob
Discovery Date	2018-09-25
Discovery Location	Naru Desert, Colonies
Abilities	Prestige +3
Current Owner	Grob

The winds whistled across the sand dunes as Grob tracked his quarry. Night was coming soon, and it wouldn't do to be out here after dark. Ahead, he knew lay a dry, small canyon, and his intuition told him that that was where his target lay. He crawled carefully across the rocky ground to the lip of the gully and carefully peered around a stone. Directly below him were the undead horde and the creature that was their apparent leader. It's aura of power and command was palpable, even at this distance. To the east was the head of the canyon, where a waterfall may have been, if it ever rained here in the Naru Desert. It was higher than a strong man could jump, and slick stone, overhanging the canyon floor and hard or impossible to climb. To the west was the mouth of the canyon, littered with boulders and dry brush, and beyond, the dry, rocky plains. There was a gap between stones that was about the width of two men standing with outstretched arms. That was the place to make his attack, then, pinning them up inside the walls of the canyon with no escape, with the setting sun at his back, and the narrow opening funneling them to him. If he waited, he would lose them in the darkness, so it was now or never. He backed away from the rim and made his way stealthily to the opening.

One of the abominations was apparently standing sentry near one of the boulders at that opening. Grob carefully crept to the boulder, screening his movements as best he could from the others. He always hated this part. Once the action started, he could give himself over to it and let it flow like water. The moments before, though, were like a dam, straining against the flow of a river, with tension ready to burst at any second. There was nothing to it but to do it, though. He drew a deep breath, tensed his body like a coiled spring, and lunged with the pointed end of his staff out like a spear. It took the sentry through the temple, dropping him with an audible thud. Several of the other creatures turned at the sound, and began shuffling toward him. Others past them saw the motion, and turned to follow. Eventually, the entire horde was cascading toward him, with the leader in the rear. The dam had burst, and now it was only the flow. And he flowed. His staff whirled and thrust, and he followed it, giving himself to the fight. Finally, only the leader remained, stronger and more aware than the others. On it's arm it carried a shield, strange runes engraved on the boss and the rim. Many thrusts and blows the creature deflected with the shield, and many blows it struck at Grob that he had to dodge or parry with his staff, but finally it overreached, and Grob found his opening. The thrust took the thing through the chin and out the back of it's head with a sickening sound and a spurt of gore, and Grob pivoted, braced the staff against his shoulder, and pulled. The force of the pull flung the head through through the air, trailing ichor, and left the body to drop in the sand.

Later, at a small temple, one of the priests, more scholarly than the rest, translated the runes for him. "This is named the Thrice-Blessed Shield. A religion once flourished here in a realm long dead, a religion of three gods as dead as that realm. The gods gave this shield to one of the heroes of that realm, after each gave it a blessing of their own powers. The bearer of this shield will carry with him great prestige into battle."

Dwilight

Type	Shield
Discovered By	Morganna
Discovery Date	2019-03-28
Discovery Location	Tower Fatmilak, Dwilight
Abilities	Prestige +3
Current Owner	Morganna