The tavern was the same as any other night; even from the outside, the noisy racket and clatter of the patrons could be heard. The bard gave a light hiccup as she drained the last few drops of ale from her glass, sliding it across the table to join its rapidly growing congregation of brethren. "Alright, alright, one more," she said with feigned reluctance. Despite her obvious intoxication, her voice was surprisingly clear. There was a roar from the boisterous crowd as she hoisted her thin frame up on the table; the barkeep's smile lessened a little as she set her muddy, travel-worn boots upon a chair. Paying him no mind, she unslung her instrument from her shoulder. After a few sour and dissonant chords, her slightly fogged mind remembered how to play the unusual contraption, and slowly, a flowing, lilting melody filled the room, piercing the murky din like a fresh breeze. The atmosphere settled into one of quiet, almost reverent, anticipation. She added several extra bars to the tune as she mentally stumbled about her drunken mind, finding all of the shards of the tale and quickly knitting them together as best she could. By now, there were few that hadn't heard this particular yarn, but it had quickly become a favorite - possibly because there were still those trying to pick out the truths from the typical bardic embellishments. The bard allowed herself a grin; she was one of the few people who knew for a fact that the whole thing was true. The last few notes of her prelude still hanging in the air in silent resonation, she began her tale.
[Backstory describing history of Creators, Church, magic, etc. goes here; haven't gotten around to typing it up yet since I wanted to get started on the main story.]
Lighting his prayer candles, Father Theris knelt and began his morning invocation. Almost as soon as his knees touched the cold, tiled floor of the chapel, however, he heard a youthful voice pipe up behind him. "Um... pardon me, Father. I hope I'm not interrupting... " The elderly priest sighed. It was William.
"You've misplaced your prayer book again, haven't you?" he said, rising to his feet with a patient smile. William said nothing, but the expression on his face was affirmation enough. "You really ought to be more careful with such things, my son. The sacred texts are not to be taken lightly."
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry, Father; I tend to be a little absent-minded about such things. I will accept any punishment you see fit to give me," William repied, though he inwardly cringed at the thought of being on dishes duty again.
"Of all of the doctrines given to us by the Holy Overgod," Father Theris said, approaching the young priest, "one of my favorites is that of forgiveness. Visit Brother Josef in the library - he will provide you with another copy until you've located your own."
"Thank you, Father!" said William with a sigh of relief. He turned to leave, but then, remembering, turned back to his elder and bowed. "May the Overgod watch over you."
"And you as well, my son." Watching the young man leave the chapel, the old man chuckled lightly. William certainly hadn't changed much since he had been brought to the chapel seventeen years ago. It was hard to believe that he would be taking his vows in just a few months, becoming a full-fledged member of the clergy. They truly did grow up quickly. A smile still on his face, the priest turned back to the alter to finish his prayers.
His newly borrowed prayer book in hand, the young cleric began to make his way from the library back to the main living quarters. It was late, after all, and he was looking forward to a good night's sleep. He stopped, however, when he heard a rustling from the other side of the wall surrounding the temple grounds. Strange.... The temple was in an isolated location several miles away from the main city. Travelers around here were rare, and having them this far off the main path was even more unusual. Coupled with the fact that it was the middle of the night.... Perhaps it was... a thief? Starting to feel panic welling up inside him, William took a deep breath. He glanced around; no one else was here. Evening prayers had concluded a few hours ago - the other priests were all asleep. It was up to him to investigate. Finding a foothold on the wall, he boosted himself up and looked over the top of it. The foliage in the grove of trees surrounding the temple grounds was shaking, despite the lack of wind. Someone had just entered the grove... meaning that there was definitely someone out there. William gulped. It was up to him to go confront whoever was out there. Maybe they were just a lost traveler or something... he hoped. Saying a quick prayer to the Overgod for safety, he boosted himself the rest of the way over the wall, and headed into the dark woods.
Wading through the tangle of trees and bushes, William caught sight of the tail of a dark cloak whipping out of sight. He almost called after whoever it was, but caught himself. If it was indeed a thief or a burglar, they might not think twice about hurting him. It would be best to remain hidden and catch them by surprise. Trying his best to be as silent as possible, he followed the stranger, just seeing a fleeting glimpse of him from time to time. After a minute or two, he heard voices from nearby. There must be others here as well. Straining his ears, he tried to make out what they were saying. It sounded almost familiar.... With a strange jolt, he realized why - they were speaking in the same ancient language used in various prayers. Curious.... Though he wasn't fluent in the language - even many of the high ranking priests only knew the prayers by route memorization - he was almost able to make out their conversation. He took a step closer, trying to hear... a branch snapped loudly as he placed his foot upon it. The conversation stopped. William winced; they must have heard him. After a moment of tense silence, he took a step backwards... and bumped right into a cloaked figured. Before he could even gasp, the figure placed his hand over William's mouth, and dragged him into a nearby clearing, where several other similarly dressed figures were sitting. Talking very quickly, they conversed in their strange language. One of them approached, looking him over. The figure said something to the man holding him. William felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and blacked out.