Post by Thrym on Apr 17, 2013 11:02:52 GMT -5
At the usual time of the tenday, the gong of the Temple of the Defenders echoes over the city core of Suzail. As the first faithful make their way towards the temple to attend the mass, an angelic voice begins to rise from inside the sacred halls. It carries far, maybe further than unenchanted sound should, and the magically educated might sense bardic magic at work, filling the air with a majestic tune, sung in a wholesome, almost otherworldly tongue. The words seem to have a magic of their own, filling good folk listening to the song with vigor as they go about their daily work, and those well versed in such matter might identify them as celestial, the tongue of the heavens.
Those who make their way to the temple, whether to attend the usual mass or investigate the source of the music would find the bard-priestess standing in front of the altar, eyes closed and arms spread wide as the frail figure’s song is carried out of the temple across the area, travelling many hundred feet without diminishing before finally dying down as more normal sound would. As she finishes, her eyes flutter open and she regards whoever is gathered inside the temple with a radiant smile before stepping back behind the altar, leaving Holy Justice Bers to perform the usual rites. Whenever the mass calls for a hymn to be sung in honour of the gods, the white-robed figure raises its voice once more, singing along with the gathered faithful, seemingly imbueing even the most untalented among them with a certain degree of musical skill.
After the usual proceedings are completed, the Unproven steps in front of the altar once more and speaks. Her voice is clear and powerful, though unlike the song, her words do not reverberate across the City Core, only being heard by those in the physical vicinity of the Temple. The bard-priests speech is filled with passion, well-timed movements of her hands and arms underlining her every point.
“Faithful! Friends! Visitors!
I thank you for having come to the Temple of the Defenders to join us in mass tonight. I am Unproven Tasha of the Church of Torm. Maybe you have heard of me and my petition to outlaw the Willing Whip as we have outlawed their masters. Maybe you question why a mere acolyte would speek to you? Who is this woman to dare raise her voice?
I say it matters not who I am, though I have nothing to hide and my past is open for anyone to inquire about. My rank matters not. Not even my name matters.
What matters is that I do not bow my head to evil. What matters is that I raise my voice when one must be raised!
Dark times have broken over Cormyr once more. All of you have likely heard of the threats spoken in Arabel. The Black Hand has grown bold, openly challenging, why, even attempting to blackmail the noble crown of Cormyr lest its people should suffer their wrath!
But of course, the Forest Kingdom stands firm in the face of such outrageous demands!
Of course, its people are not the type to give in to fear.
Then how could it come so far?
How comes the servants of the dark gods believe they can get away with such blatant, heinous threats?
It is because we have already been blackmailed! It is because fear has already found hold in the hearts of so many! Already we allow evil in our midst, and why?
People who oppose my petition give me the reason why. It is always the same reason. They wrap it into nice little packages, seek to conceal the truth, try to not say it outright, they hide what they feel – but they do not hide it from me, not from you, not from the gods, no – they only hide it from themselves. Fear has already compromised them.
They ask “What if we anger them?”
What if we anger them? Is this the proud forest kingdom? Do we bow our head to the servants of evil out of FEAR? Do we allow them to walk freely on our streets, brandishing the symbols of their dark lords, hiding behind loopholes in our laws because we are SCARED?”
Her passionate gaze wanders across the audience as she makes a brief pause.
“I will say it. I will say what many will not like to hear! We have allowed fear to compromise our beliefs! We have bowed our heads to dark ones. We have allowed them to do as they please too long! And they have sensed our fear and risen to challenge us!
Is this who we want to be? Do we want fear of the servants of evil to compromise WHO. WE. ARE?”
The bottom of her staff slams against the floor thrice to accompany the last words.
“I say no!
We will not be slaves to fear!
We will not crawl in the shadows, begging the dark ones to spare us!
It is time we take a stand. It is time to draw the line. It is time we raise our voice as one and say ‘This far, and no further!’
If there are loopholes in our laws that allow these people to walk freely, they MUST be closed! If our law is not enforced as it should be to such a degree that people will openly argue it powerless, then it is time for the state to act even more so, with a firm yet caring hand, guided by the principles of Justice taught to us by the Evenhanded!
My petition is small, and will close but one of many loopholes the servants of evil use to spread their wicked influence under the cover of legality, it’s true. It won’t miraculously stop evil, it’s true. And yes – it will anger those who serve the Willing Whip herself, and it will anger those who fear they might be next.
But we must make a stand, no, more – we must take steps forward, and we must walk before we can run. Let us show the crown we want the laws to be the instrument of our will. Let us show the crown that Cormyr does not bow its head to threats of violence. Let us show the crown, the world, the gods, and most of all the wicked servants of evil that brave Cormytes do NOT let fear compromise who they are!”
Her staff rises into the air as her voice picks up for one last call.
“ARE YOU WITH ME? THEN ADD YOUR VOICE TO MINE! LET IT ECHO THROUGH ALL OF CORMYR AND BEYOND!
LET US DRIVE THE SERVANTS OF EVIL FROM OUR HOMES, STARTING WITH THE VILE TORTURERS WHO GRASP FOR POWER WHILE THEIR MASTERS DARE THREATEN CORMYR’S TOWNS!
LET US SHOW THEM FEAR DOES NOT COMPROMISE! WHO! WE! ARE! ”
After the cheering or the booing dies down, or maybe after the awkward silence vanishes, no matter the general mood of her audience, the Unproven makes her way through the crowd to an easily accessible spot to collect more signatures for her petition to outlaw the worship of Loviatar.
Those who make their way to the temple, whether to attend the usual mass or investigate the source of the music would find the bard-priestess standing in front of the altar, eyes closed and arms spread wide as the frail figure’s song is carried out of the temple across the area, travelling many hundred feet without diminishing before finally dying down as more normal sound would. As she finishes, her eyes flutter open and she regards whoever is gathered inside the temple with a radiant smile before stepping back behind the altar, leaving Holy Justice Bers to perform the usual rites. Whenever the mass calls for a hymn to be sung in honour of the gods, the white-robed figure raises its voice once more, singing along with the gathered faithful, seemingly imbueing even the most untalented among them with a certain degree of musical skill.
After the usual proceedings are completed, the Unproven steps in front of the altar once more and speaks. Her voice is clear and powerful, though unlike the song, her words do not reverberate across the City Core, only being heard by those in the physical vicinity of the Temple. The bard-priests speech is filled with passion, well-timed movements of her hands and arms underlining her every point.
“Faithful! Friends! Visitors!
I thank you for having come to the Temple of the Defenders to join us in mass tonight. I am Unproven Tasha of the Church of Torm. Maybe you have heard of me and my petition to outlaw the Willing Whip as we have outlawed their masters. Maybe you question why a mere acolyte would speek to you? Who is this woman to dare raise her voice?
I say it matters not who I am, though I have nothing to hide and my past is open for anyone to inquire about. My rank matters not. Not even my name matters.
What matters is that I do not bow my head to evil. What matters is that I raise my voice when one must be raised!
Dark times have broken over Cormyr once more. All of you have likely heard of the threats spoken in Arabel. The Black Hand has grown bold, openly challenging, why, even attempting to blackmail the noble crown of Cormyr lest its people should suffer their wrath!
But of course, the Forest Kingdom stands firm in the face of such outrageous demands!
Of course, its people are not the type to give in to fear.
Then how could it come so far?
How comes the servants of the dark gods believe they can get away with such blatant, heinous threats?
It is because we have already been blackmailed! It is because fear has already found hold in the hearts of so many! Already we allow evil in our midst, and why?
People who oppose my petition give me the reason why. It is always the same reason. They wrap it into nice little packages, seek to conceal the truth, try to not say it outright, they hide what they feel – but they do not hide it from me, not from you, not from the gods, no – they only hide it from themselves. Fear has already compromised them.
They ask “What if we anger them?”
What if we anger them? Is this the proud forest kingdom? Do we bow our head to the servants of evil out of FEAR? Do we allow them to walk freely on our streets, brandishing the symbols of their dark lords, hiding behind loopholes in our laws because we are SCARED?”
Her passionate gaze wanders across the audience as she makes a brief pause.
“I will say it. I will say what many will not like to hear! We have allowed fear to compromise our beliefs! We have bowed our heads to dark ones. We have allowed them to do as they please too long! And they have sensed our fear and risen to challenge us!
Is this who we want to be? Do we want fear of the servants of evil to compromise WHO. WE. ARE?”
The bottom of her staff slams against the floor thrice to accompany the last words.
“I say no!
We will not be slaves to fear!
We will not crawl in the shadows, begging the dark ones to spare us!
It is time we take a stand. It is time to draw the line. It is time we raise our voice as one and say ‘This far, and no further!’
If there are loopholes in our laws that allow these people to walk freely, they MUST be closed! If our law is not enforced as it should be to such a degree that people will openly argue it powerless, then it is time for the state to act even more so, with a firm yet caring hand, guided by the principles of Justice taught to us by the Evenhanded!
My petition is small, and will close but one of many loopholes the servants of evil use to spread their wicked influence under the cover of legality, it’s true. It won’t miraculously stop evil, it’s true. And yes – it will anger those who serve the Willing Whip herself, and it will anger those who fear they might be next.
But we must make a stand, no, more – we must take steps forward, and we must walk before we can run. Let us show the crown we want the laws to be the instrument of our will. Let us show the crown that Cormyr does not bow its head to threats of violence. Let us show the crown, the world, the gods, and most of all the wicked servants of evil that brave Cormytes do NOT let fear compromise who they are!”
Her staff rises into the air as her voice picks up for one last call.
“ARE YOU WITH ME? THEN ADD YOUR VOICE TO MINE! LET IT ECHO THROUGH ALL OF CORMYR AND BEYOND!
LET US DRIVE THE SERVANTS OF EVIL FROM OUR HOMES, STARTING WITH THE VILE TORTURERS WHO GRASP FOR POWER WHILE THEIR MASTERS DARE THREATEN CORMYR’S TOWNS!
LET US SHOW THEM FEAR DOES NOT COMPROMISE! WHO! WE! ARE! ”
After the cheering or the booing dies down, or maybe after the awkward silence vanishes, no matter the general mood of her audience, the Unproven makes her way through the crowd to an easily accessible spot to collect more signatures for her petition to outlaw the worship of Loviatar.