Role

Chapter 3

"Half-drowish citizen of Udgaard Zauttevre is found guilty in theft,
robbery and escape from the prisons and is convicted to ten years in
Udgaardian jails in a solitary confinement", said the judge and
lowered his mallet. Zauttevre, a 18 years old half-drow was taken by
the guards and lead away from the courthouse.

The band of free forest citizens as they called themself had been
caught on the last week except of Zauttevre. He wasn't caught only
because he was away gathering lumber for the fires. The band was
responsible for large scale raids to the town and farms around it.

Zauttevre was caught when he tried to get out of the jewelry with that
small emerald which he thought would let him leave the town and live
freely somewhere else and start a new life. Who would think all this
would turn so bad. But it was too late. Years of free life ended. The
prison cell was all stone and a tiny window with was not big enough
even to put his head through even if there weren't those metal bars
across it.

Life in a prison went slowly. Days after days, weeks and months
passed. There was nothing at all to do. First several years of
imprisonment were terrible, insanity and thoughts of suicide were
close. Just thinking that he spends his best years of youth in this
wet dark hole was unbearable.

On the fifth year of imprisonment he realized that he falling into
abyss of madness. And it would probably happen if only one idea
didn't come into his head.

He couldn't find his place in this world. His theft was clumsy and
robbery pathetic. What should he do in the life? Magic, he tried
it. There was a mage in the band who could make himself turn into a
bear. A terrible creature to scare travelers. He also knew some
spells. But Zauttevre couldn't cast any of them no matter how much he
tried.

How did all those people around him live? They used the system, its
protection to their benefit. Bankers and merchants became richer each
day, they were guarded by the laws and guards who enforced it. Why
couldn't he make a use of it as well?

Years of imprisonment passed. The seed of thoughts that were planted
gave a growth. He dreamed of making use of the society for his own
needs. But this was not enough. There was something more that could be
done. One of those nights on the straw mattress in his cell he
remembered the words of a prophet in a street, "Khasotholas, the God
of Order be his blessing on this town..." he forgot the rest of the
sentence.

What if he became a prophet, maybe even a priest of Order? He could
interpret the rules in his favor when it is needed and no one would
dare to object when a power of a God would stand behind him. This was
tempting, but how much of a priesthood did he know?

Three years were left to freedom yet. But he was lucky. For his good
behavior he was released sooner only spending eight years in the
cell. The judge decided that he has turned to the right path which in
fact was true. Right out of the prison door he went to the church of
Udgaard.

One year he spent as a servant to the priest in the church. He even
learned some simple prayers which could be used by anyone without a
divine blessing. He also learned that the God Khasotholas does indeed
exist and that his divine jurisdiction is Order indeed. A year after
leaving the prison he went on in a search for the God that he hoped
would grant him the blessing of Order.