Early in the morning, on the 30th of Mun, the Fifth month of the 11483rd year, the priests and priestesses of the Temple of Syrinx awake. On the priestess in particular, Priestess Vipev of Syrinx daughter of High Priestess Zarozinia, is the focus of the story. On this day, Vipev has decided she has had enough. She didn't want to arouse suspicion, so she decided to continue with her daily routine until she got her chance to escape. She got out of bed and changed from her white cotton nightgown into her usual white silk dress and her dark green satin long vest. She took her shoulder length hair and twisted it up securing it with a pin and decorated it with gold and pearlhair clips. She slipped on her simple white sandals and quickly checked her reflection in a strangely shaped mirror supported by a golden wire backing decorated with pearls and semiprecious stones. She exited through a white coral door, and entered a private hallway. This hallway was a rare thing in the great triangular pyramid. Off of this hallway branched other little hallways which lead to other private rooms, such as High Priestess Zarozinia's bedroom. She hurried down the hall and into the large main foyer. Other priests and priestesses were streaming through the large ornate wooden doors at the far end of the room. She joined the group going through the doors. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and faced Seth, the representative of the Order of Rav Knights at the Temple. Seth was dressed in black and red robes with a sword strapped at his hip. Seth, himself, had dark hair and brown eyes. His hair hung slightly longer than his jaw. Vipev had few friends at the Temple, the majority of them not even being priests of Syrinx. There was Seth of the Order of Rav, Victoria of Quistis, Aeneas of Aigon, Izigkarb (silent "b") of Malaudia, and others. Victoria of Quistiswas a rich noble woman of a city called Quistis. Quistis was a city that was obssessed with cats. To them, cats signified good luck and fortune. Victoria was the daughter of the city's magistrate, Luke Borimir. Two years ago, Lord Borimir committed suicide after being accused of treason and embezzlment, to escape the consequences. At that time, fourteen year old Victoria, was sent to the Temple of Syrinx in order to study music. Aeneas of Aigon came from Aigon in Cyberia. Being the bastard son of King Izlude the 21st of Aigon, he was half shapeshifter and half water nymph. Izigkarb (silent "b") of Malaudia came from the city of Tarn in the Highlands of the Underworld. Tarn was yet another of the Underworld's cities populated by the worst kind of rabble. Izigkarb was a mercenary, but lives in the Temple pretending to be one of the Priests of Rav and that he has come from the same place as Seth.
Seth: "Hello Vipev."
Vipev: "Hey..."
Seth: "Do you know what this meeting is about this morning?"
Vipev: "Something about the importance of the bass and percussion in modern music. It should be rather boring."
Seth: "Didn't they do this last month?"
Vipev: "I don't know. I missed or slept through last month's assemblies. Sorry."
Seth: "Don't worry about it."
They walked into the assembly room. In the front of the room was a large marble alter, covered in a pale blue table cloth. Blown glass oil lamps were placed on either end of the alter. Above the alter were two statues of one-winged angels holding a harp and a lute. They were both suspended majickally by some unseen force. The angels symbolized the need of another person to succeed. In the Temple, one angel was usually male and the other female, or possessed qualities of one or the other. In the backround, calming music was playing, being played by the virtuosi of the Temple. There were three synths, one flute, a drummer, a bass guitar, a regular guitar, and a mezzo-soprano singer. All of them were dressed in "concert attire" (black and white). Vipev and Seth sat down on the white wooden pew, next to Victoria.
