Gardinal was sitting on an old crate, staring at the shield, when a member of the Council of the Pantheon arrived. Sir Derenath the Redeemer, worshipper of Loose, was the representative the council had sent. The man stood an imposing figure, staring down at the corpse now at his feet. He held a large water skin in one hand, and with a face like stone he shook his head.

“You bloody fool.” Derenath said with a slight slur to his tongue. The famous worshipper of the drunken god had evidently partaken in sacrament tonight. “Somehow I always knew this is how you'd end up. Just not so soon.” He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. “Damned crazy zealot.” Derenath scratched at his thick black beard, then lifted his large water skin and poured what looked like wine onto the cobblestone. Then the man took a swig of the stuff for himself.

Gardinal shifted his eyes from the now-motionless legend, mourned as he was by his friend, to the priests and priestesses of the Golden Hammers about. They had arrived shortly after Derenath and had taken to corralling the small crowd of citizens that had formed around him. He was thankful for their comforting presence as much as he was for their work. Everything had suddenly gotten so much more complicated and his family in faith proved a small but noticeable comfort.

Resting his head in his hands, Gardinal tried to make sense of what had just happened. One of the most powerful wielders of the Pantheon's light had come for him? The man had been gone for nearly a decade, and then just reappeared to die in his arms? The arms of some nobody priest? None of this made any sense. Not to mention that shield.

Gardinal looked over at it. The massive shield still lay where Jösef Silverarm had dropped it some ten paces away. Or summoned it? What had that even been? Gardinal had never seen anything like it before, and he had seen his fair share of miracles in service of the Prophetess.

That shield was different somehow. Even now, even from here, Gardinal could feel the pulsating energies of Ethinia radiating out of it. That alone made no sense. Jösef Silverarm was a dedicated of Feren, not Ethinia. Yet in his final moments he had channelled the First Mother's light, Gardinal would never mistake that. It was the man's dying words that clung to his mind though.

“Remember the Crusade.” Gardinal whispered under his breath. What was that supposed to mean? What crusade? Why would Silverarm say that to him? Gardinal wracked his brain over it, but couldn't arrive at a conclusion. He would need to chew on this. “It make's no sense.” He thought aloud.

“You're telling me.” Derenath said, his deep voice carrying well across their distance. The man stood by that shield now, towering over it. He was likely one of the largest Fereni Gardinal had ever encountered, as wide as a Khazimi and almost as tall as a Sherya. Were all members of the council statues carved from stone like Derenath and Jösef? Gardinal stopped himself from looking to the dead man once more. “You must be Brother Gardinal? Ethinian sworn correct?”

“Yes my lord.” Gardinal responded, rising to his feet. He was in the presence of one of the most important people of his order, he would not insult the man with a lax bearing. Derenath eyed Gardinal, a weariness to the man's eyes.

“At ease Brother Gardinal. I just have a few questions about tonight.” Derenath proceeded to ask him about what happened, and Gardinal responded with as thorough a response as he could. The only part he had left out was why he had been coming through the area in the first place. As they finished, Derenath scratched at his beard again.

“Why would he come to you?” He asked. “Did you know him?”

“No my lord. I only met him once, during the war.”

Derenath studied him, measuring Gardinal up in that moment. Eventually he just shook his head. “It makes no sense.” The man muttered, then turned away from Gardinal. Leaning down, Derenath reached for the shield. “Thank you for your time, Brother Gardinal. I am sure Brother Jösef now rests well in the Pantheon's...” With a burst of light Derenath was hurled away from the shield the moment he touched it. Gardinal felt the energy as it burst, felt it from within himself somehow. The huge man was tossed away like a rag doll by a careless child. The crowd of commonfolk screamed and Gardinal dashed to the overturned man's side. The massive man had been thrown at least ten paces from where he had just been.

“Are you alright my lord?” Gardinal reached the Council member, kneeling to help him up. Derenath sat up on his elbows before taking Gardinal's hand, blinking in shock still.

“Y... Yes. I'm fine.” Derenath stroked his beard as he rose to his feet. “You... you said Jösef formed that thing from light?” He asked incredulously.

“Yes, my lord. From Ethinian light.” Gardinal clarified. Derenath slowly nodded.

“Ethinian light... but that makes no sense. Are you sure that...”

“I've served the First Mother my whole life, my lord. I mean no disrespect, but I would recognize Her gifts.”

They stared at one another for a long moment before Derenath strode past Gardinal once more, a curious expression on his chiselled face.

“Come now, you give it a try then.” Derenath commanded. Gardinal blinked at him. Give what a... The man wanted him to try touching the blasted shield?! Gardinal shook his head. He didn't mind getting hurt to protect people, but he wasn't about to do it for this man's bloody enjoyment!

“My lord, I do not...”

“Call me Derenath, or Brother Derenath if the former is too difficult for you. Now touch that shield, that's an order.” Derenath stood by the shield and shot Gardinal a mischievous grin. This man was not the stoic hero Gardinal would have thought from the tales.

With palpable reluctance, Gardinal approached the shield. He could feel it, in his mind and in his soul. Somehow the gentle pulsing of the shield seemed to resonate with him.

“Can you feel that?” Gardinal asked. “That rhythm it exudes?”

Without a response, Gardinal looked to Derenath. The man shook his head. “I thought I was the one that hit their head.”

Gardinal gave the man a deadpan look, then returned his gaze to the shield. It was a beautiful thing; he hadn't had a chance to truly admire it before. A white metallic relief of a tree decorated the wooden base, though Gardinal couldn't recognize what metal and wood they were. Hanging off the tree were stylized vines with a myriad of leaves and flowers coming off it, some that he recognized, yet much of the flora was alien to him. Such strange patterns it formed. Around the border of the shield was a metal edging made of the same white-silver metal as the tree. Almost as tall and just as wide as Gardinal, the shield was a massive thing. He couldn't imagine it being any use in combat. It would be far too heavy.

“Are you going to pick it up or appraise it for auction?” Derenath asked, placing a hand on Gardinal's shoulder. Gardinal sighed, then prepared himself to be tossed back.

Reaching down, Gardinal grabbed the shield. In a split moment he felt a pulse of energy. It felt like the bliss the Prophetess gave him, like waves of life crashing across his own soul. Whatever this shield was, he could feel it now like an extension of himself. It was like another arm, tied to his very soul.

“What in the...” Gardinal began but couldn't bring himself to finish the curse. With ease he flipped the shield over and grabbed it by the straps. The shield was far lighter than he would have thought. He had borne tiny bucklers heavier than this.

Behind him Derenath whistled. “It looks good on you.”

Gardinal turned to him. “Ah. My lord, I apologize. Here.” Gardinal held out the shield to him, but the man stepped back and raised his hands.

“No thank you Brother Gardinal. Being embarrassed like that once a night is more than enough for my ego.”

Gardinal let the shield fall back at his side, looking to his superior for some sort of guidance. “What am I supposed to do with it now then?” He asked.

The blasted priest just shrugged. “Hold on to it? Be honoured, not many get hold of a divine relic that refuses to let anyone else touch it.” He laughed a deep belly laugh. “Keep it close Brother Gardinal. These are odd times. I believe that The Golden Hammer will wish to speak with you. You will be summoned soon.”

Gardinal stared at the man as he began to walk away, calling out orders for priests to come take the corpse away.

“Wait!” Gardinal called after the man. “I'm supposed to just go home with this thing?” Gardinal gave the shield a shake to show how ridiculous the notion was.

“Yes. Get some rest and try your best not to destroy it. Something about it seems important. I'd hate for one of my brothers or sisters on the council to come after you for its destruction.” He chuckled and turned away from Gardinal once more.

Gardinal sighed. These Fereni man were going to make him lose his sanity one day. Looking down at the shield once more, he felt it pulsing gently in his hand. The shield felt right in that moment. He would keep it safe. He knew he would.