Her question was an excellent one for a newcomer, but her rambling thoughts after had Jigano blinking in bemusement as they walked along and he tried to follow her skipping train of consciousness. He just let her run until she wound down, considering the response Safrin would have if he brought her a puppy by way of reconciliation.
Considering she'd taken Remi for Ronin's defiance, she was just as apt to smite the poor dog as she was to smite him, he decided with a faint grimace. And no pup deserved that, no matter how many messes it made on the rug.
Back to her first question, then. "There are eight gods of Caido," he began slowly, ordering his thoughts as Isuma abandoned him to perch on Libbs's shoulder and rub against her cheek in silent demand for more scritches. "At least, that I know of. We don't know much about the oldest god, Caido itself, who also gives the world its name. They've been... absent for quite some time. But there are three Old Gods who remain: Vi, god of life and sparker of souls; Rae, god of nature and catalyst of change; and Mort, god of death and gatherer of souls that have finished their time upon the world." He paused to give Libbs a crooked smile. "Don't let the job title fool you. Mort is said to be the kindest and most loving of the gods, while Vi is depicted as being rather stern and somewhat aloof."
That was four down, and four to go. More or less. The day was hot, but the temperature in the Glade was comfortable in the shade as they walked beneath green boughs. "Each of the Old Gods is served by a younger god. Vi's herald is Safrin, a beautiful and capricious goddess associated with stars as much as life. Rae's herald is Frey, a being that encourages the pursuit of pleasure and, ah, fertility. And Mort's herald is Ludo, a masked god who can be both playful and dangerous, and who guides the souls of the deceased to Mort's gentle realm. Ludo prefers cats to dogs, I think," he added as an afterthought, considering how delighted the ragged herald had been with Isuma.
Which just left... "The youngest of the gods, though, is the Voice. She was mortal, once, but found a way to use a combination of magic and technology to Ascend herself to godhood over three hundred years ago. She warred with the Old Gods and rather than kill her they choose to contain her for the past three centuries - there," he paused pointing to the Spire that rose far above the tops of the trees in the distance. "Suffice to say she resisted and created something that makes portals, bringing in people from distant worlds and times, even across universes, in the hopes that they might free her.
A year ago, they succeeded." He looked over to Libbs to see how she was taking this tale as they made their way down a well-worn path through the trees that would lead them closer to, and eventually past, the Spire.
Considering she'd taken Remi for Ronin's defiance, she was just as apt to smite the poor dog as she was to smite him, he decided with a faint grimace. And no pup deserved that, no matter how many messes it made on the rug.
Back to her first question, then. "There are eight gods of Caido," he began slowly, ordering his thoughts as Isuma abandoned him to perch on Libbs's shoulder and rub against her cheek in silent demand for more scritches. "At least, that I know of. We don't know much about the oldest god, Caido itself, who also gives the world its name. They've been... absent for quite some time. But there are three Old Gods who remain: Vi, god of life and sparker of souls; Rae, god of nature and catalyst of change; and Mort, god of death and gatherer of souls that have finished their time upon the world." He paused to give Libbs a crooked smile. "Don't let the job title fool you. Mort is said to be the kindest and most loving of the gods, while Vi is depicted as being rather stern and somewhat aloof."
That was four down, and four to go. More or less. The day was hot, but the temperature in the Glade was comfortable in the shade as they walked beneath green boughs. "Each of the Old Gods is served by a younger god. Vi's herald is Safrin, a beautiful and capricious goddess associated with stars as much as life. Rae's herald is Frey, a being that encourages the pursuit of pleasure and, ah, fertility. And Mort's herald is Ludo, a masked god who can be both playful and dangerous, and who guides the souls of the deceased to Mort's gentle realm. Ludo prefers cats to dogs, I think," he added as an afterthought, considering how delighted the ragged herald had been with Isuma.
Which just left... "The youngest of the gods, though, is the Voice. She was mortal, once, but found a way to use a combination of magic and technology to Ascend herself to godhood over three hundred years ago. She warred with the Old Gods and rather than kill her they choose to contain her for the past three centuries - there," he paused pointing to the Spire that rose far above the tops of the trees in the distance. "Suffice to say she resisted and created something that makes portals, bringing in people from distant worlds and times, even across universes, in the hopes that they might free her.
A year ago, they succeeded." He looked over to Libbs to see how she was taking this tale as they made their way down a well-worn path through the trees that would lead them closer to, and eventually past, the Spire.
