Zeroth Velkyrr The Hill Dwarf

The Chosen Champions

The next morning, Zeroth was rudely awoken by the sound of someone banging against the door to his room. As he sat up, images of the previous day kept flashing through his head, fueling nightmares and making sleep nearly impossible to obtain peacefully. Shaking his head to clear it, Zeroth yelled at whoever was slamming against his door, "I'm up, damn it! I'll be out in a moment." The knocking stopped as Zeroth spoke and afterward, he heard Ardric yelling through the door, "Get your shit together, brother! Thalamar has been working through the night and has found some information for us." After Zeroth wiped the sleep from his eyes and did very little to straighten his messy red beard, he began to reach for his battle axe but faltered, his hand inches away from the hilt. Before Zeroth could decide to grab his axe, the axe seemed to shift slightly, just enough to be in his hand. "What...?" Zeroth mumbled, worried that it was moving on its own. As he pulled the axe closer, Zeroth could hear, "Don't forget, boy. You can't escape me that easy." echoing in the recesses of his mind, the voice of Vulcanix all too familiar. "Yeah, yeah, I'm stuck with you. I'm working on that little issue." Zeroth said to himself, trying to convince himself in the process. Sighing deeply, Zeroth swung his axe onto his back, Zeroth feeling energized by the warmth seeping from the axe. "Good. Accept my power, allow it to fuel you." Vulcanix whispered in his mind, mocking Zeroth with his venom.
Ignoring Vulcanix's presence, Zeroth stepped out into the corridor, the weight of his axe a familiar comfort on his back despite the growing unease in his mind. Ardric was waiting, pacing the hall with an urgency that immediately set Zeroth on edge. "Finally," Ardric exhaled, his voice a blend of relief and frustration. "Thalamar has made some headway, and it's not looking great." Together, they made their way to Thalamar's office. The air was thick with anticipation and the faint scent of old parchment. Inside, Tingle was perched on the edge of a cluttered desk, while Varic stood by the window, his gaze distant. Thalamar was the picture of scholarly anxiety, surrounded by tomes that seemed as ancient as the secrets they contained.
Thalamar looked up as they entered, dark circles under his eyes betraying his night-long vigil. He motioned to Varic. "Begin, please," he said with an anxious tremor in his voice. Zeroth furrowed his brow at Thalamar's anxiety, "What's going on Varic? Did something happen?". Varic's usual sarcasm had given way to something deeper, a certain gravity that Zeroth had seldom seen in the warlock. "Eldrinacht, the Veiled Infinity," Varic pronounced, the name falling heavily in the room like a meteor. "That's the name my patron has revealed. And with it, a declaration that I'm to be its champion in something called The Godswar." Zeroth felt a surge of heat at his back, a silent snarl from Vulcanix resonating within him, a tangible sign of the god's disdain for Varic's counterpart. Shifting the axe on his back slightly, Zeroth heard Thalamar clear his throat, drawing their attention to the parchments strewn before him. "These ancient texts," he said, fingers trembling as he turned the pages, "speak of the last Godswar. Of champions like you, Zeroth and Varic, chosen by beings of immense power." He looked up, locking eyes with Zeroth. "Vulcanix, your patron, is described here as 'The Emberheart, the Forge Incarnate,' a force of creation and destruction. His ambition is to remold the world, to test and temper its people through fire and strife." Zeroth felt the weight of the title, a shiver passing through him despite the ever-present warmth from the axe. "There's a reason ancient powerful wizards sealed his essence in that battle axe." Thalamar resumed, "Vulcanix lost the last Godswar against an unknown leader who answered his call but the texts don't say what diety if one at all." "And Eldrinacht," Thalamar continued, shifting his gaze to Varic, "is 'The Architect of Fate,' a being that weaves the strands of destiny, always seeking to expand the horizons of reality, to push the boundaries of what is known."

Varic crossed his arms, his eyes now fixed on the archmage. "And The Great Old One warns of a convergence, an event that could shift the balance of power. It seems our fates are to clash, to vie for the favor of these... gods." Thalamar nodded, "It's usually a way for the more... supremely destructive deities to fight without destroying reality as we know it." "Wait," Zeroth interjected. "Vulcanix hasn't said anything about me becoming his champion, only his vessel." Thalamar held a knowing hand towards Zeroth and said, "He has to exist to declare another Godswar and if he's sealed in an axe, it doesn't count. Unfortunately, the more of his essence that extracts, the more he begins to officially exist in this realm." Zeroth rubbed his forehead, his head beginning to ache with the weight of the title his new "friend" had yet to officially inform him of.
As Zeroth mulled over everything in his mind, Tingle piped up, clearly jealous, "And what of Tingle and Ardric? Why hasn't Tingle gotten any prophetic dreams, huh?" "Tingle," Thalamar began, his voice tempered with kindness, "Ardric's path as a champion is clear due to his unwavering faith. Paladins like him have a bond with their deities that transcends the physical realm. We can travel to the temple of Luminara, where Ardric can seek her blessing and officially invoke her presence in the Godswar." Zeroth noticed Tingle shift from foot to foot, the gears in his inventive mind turning as he processed what he was hearing. "And Tingle? What about Tingle? Tingle might want to be a champion," he asserted with a mix of hope and a wisp of envy. "Ah, Tingle, your spirit is as bright as the explosives you so love to wield. The role of a champion is not one taken lightly, nor is it one given. It is earned, and it is fated." Thalamar paused, gathering his thoughts. "The ancient wizards that sealed away Vulcanix were participants in the Godswar, albeit in a different capacity. The texts don't tell us what they did to beat Vulcanix's champion at the time but maybe we can come up with a role for you to play in this and it may be that of champion after all." Tingle's eyes glimmered with renewed interest, a hint of understanding beginning to dawn. "I must delve deeper into the archives," Thalamar continued. "There is a possibility, Tingle, that you could stand in as a champion of the mortal realm, much like the wizards of ancient times. But it would require research, preparation, and perhaps a trial to determine if you are indeed meant to stand among the likes of Vulcanix and Eldrinacht's chosen." Thalamar pointed to Zeroth and Varic in turn as he said the names of the deities. Tingle nodded, the wheels in his head already turning with ideas and inventions that could tip the scales in the Godswar. "Tingle will help, Tingle will research too! If Tingle is to be a champion, Tingle will be ready!" Zeroth watched Ardric place a reassuring hand on Tingle's shoulder and say, "If there's a way for you to join us as champions, Tingle, we'll find it together."