The portals are a thorny matter, Jigano agreed with a sigh. If they weren't tools of the Voice I'd gladly admit that there is potential for much good in them... but given who made them, there is also potential for much harm, even danger. I suspect they're how she moved troops around in the previous war, though I have no proof of it. Wait for reports that a region the old gods controlled was weak, or trick them into moving their own fighters to a different place and then use the portals to swiftly move her own pawns into the area to claim it? Entirely possible - even probable, if she was a halfway decent general. The Ascended were few in number now, yes, but they were growing every season.
Fiat Lux was a gentler topic, though the illiteracy in the Hollowed Grounds was one that often seemed strange to Outlanders - himself included, when he had first arrived. Not all, he said with a mental shrug. It seems to be more common in those who live in town, but less so out among the farms. Maea Valair, who was once a Loreseeker, was illiterate when she first came to us, and there have been others. His own mate, Rory, struggled still to read anything on the Notice Board, often asking the bard to read it for him for ease of time. He suspected Granger couldn't read, either, and Adam was receiving secret lessons as well, though as an Outlander perhaps he didn't count. First, or at least among the first, he agreed. The Loreseekers have provided one-on-one lessons almost since our inception, but a codified way of teaching would be useful, too.
Candy would probably go over better than calligraphy in a place as down-to-earth as the barrierlands anyways. Jigano managed to look downright smug as the dragon sauntered through a thinner section of snow with Loren's agreement, head coming up against the wind. Thank you, he said graciously, pleased that he had Loren's assistance with something that would hopefully be fun and give the mage a chance to relax.
Especially in light of his words that followed, painting a picture of a bleak history leavened only slightly by his talent for juggling. It counts, the dragon rumbled assurance. Though I hope you have a chance to find more now. He left out that Loren no longer needed to worry about his family; both of them were wise enough to always worry about Zariah. Me? Too many to pursue even if I had all the time in the world, he admitted with a chuckle. I was a bard before I came to Caido. The flute, the lap harp, the finger drums... song and tale, all part of the performances I used to give to earn my room and board at the inns I traveled between. There, it was my livelihood. Here, it has become more hobby than job. In the early days it was how he had established himself, working for Vervain in the Rathskeller. That seemed ages ago though, rather than mere seasons. I also dabble a bit in smithcraft; my father's legacy, and... Caiside's. His dead friend's name fell with a sigh from his thoughts, the grief softening with the passage of time but not forgotten. And there is my mother's paper-folding craft she taught me as part of my meditations. It seems uncommon here, he added musingly.
Fiat Lux was a gentler topic, though the illiteracy in the Hollowed Grounds was one that often seemed strange to Outlanders - himself included, when he had first arrived. Not all, he said with a mental shrug. It seems to be more common in those who live in town, but less so out among the farms. Maea Valair, who was once a Loreseeker, was illiterate when she first came to us, and there have been others. His own mate, Rory, struggled still to read anything on the Notice Board, often asking the bard to read it for him for ease of time. He suspected Granger couldn't read, either, and Adam was receiving secret lessons as well, though as an Outlander perhaps he didn't count. First, or at least among the first, he agreed. The Loreseekers have provided one-on-one lessons almost since our inception, but a codified way of teaching would be useful, too.
Candy would probably go over better than calligraphy in a place as down-to-earth as the barrierlands anyways. Jigano managed to look downright smug as the dragon sauntered through a thinner section of snow with Loren's agreement, head coming up against the wind. Thank you, he said graciously, pleased that he had Loren's assistance with something that would hopefully be fun and give the mage a chance to relax.
Especially in light of his words that followed, painting a picture of a bleak history leavened only slightly by his talent for juggling. It counts, the dragon rumbled assurance. Though I hope you have a chance to find more now. He left out that Loren no longer needed to worry about his family; both of them were wise enough to always worry about Zariah. Me? Too many to pursue even if I had all the time in the world, he admitted with a chuckle. I was a bard before I came to Caido. The flute, the lap harp, the finger drums... song and tale, all part of the performances I used to give to earn my room and board at the inns I traveled between. There, it was my livelihood. Here, it has become more hobby than job. In the early days it was how he had established himself, working for Vervain in the Rathskeller. That seemed ages ago though, rather than mere seasons. I also dabble a bit in smithcraft; my father's legacy, and... Caiside's. His dead friend's name fell with a sigh from his thoughts, the grief softening with the passage of time but not forgotten. And there is my mother's paper-folding craft she taught me as part of my meditations. It seems uncommon here, he added musingly.
