He paused, a bit taken aback. Wessex had supposedly helped Neron construct the path between the portal and the Citadel, and Jigano hadn't realized that she hadn't been introduced to the Hailstorm's cabinet as the foreign Queen. "Her name is Wessex," he began, starting with the simplest question first. "An Ascended of particular power and favor with the Voice, even above the others. When the portal in the Spire was freed from the debris that had blocked it, four of us went to investigate. Before the debris had fallen I had found an ancient beast guarding the portal... a great serpent, intelligent and able to communicate with Attuned." He grew silent a moment, bowing his head in respect for the creature's memory. "It would allow all but Ascended to pass through the portal, but it had been badly hurt by the same debris that had closed the portal off for several seasons. When we found it again it was... confused. Muddled. I tried to Heal it so that we could speak to it but Wessex had no patience for diplomacy. She attacked it, and when I protested she attacked me." Blue eyes glinted coldly as he met Morgan's gaze frankly. "She used stolen magic to summon a frost giant to kill the guardian beast. I lashed out in anger at how I had been used, but the Voice intervened at that point, trapping me and empowering her." Not all the story, but enough to begin and move forward if the Captain had any other questions to ask of him.
As it turned out, she did, though on a different note, and the bard sighed a little as he swirled his cider. "I chose the word poorly. All were given the option to attend the meeting where Wessex held a vote. She had nearly put us - all Grounders - at war with the Fae of the Greatwood due to her actions and the actions of some others among the Ascended. For that reason and, I suspect, to give herself greater freedom of movement to pursue the Voice's goals elsewhere, she offered to step down as Queen if the majority chose not to follow her. The vote was... uncomfortably close." He grimaced faintly then sipped the cider to wash the bad taste from his mouth. "I think there were more Ascended than any other single race at that meeting. There was no opportunity given to really present alternatives, either. We were given ballots, told to vote 'yes' or 'no' to keep Wessex as Queen, and if 'no' then to write the name of another. Rexanna's name appeared the most, whether by Ascended design or not, I don't know. But it is also true that more non-Ascended could have attended the meeting, and chose not to." Including Rory, though how his mate would have voted was something Jigano tried not to think about.
"As for personalities... I am... not sure." Jigano gave a small shrug. "I've been on Caido for two years. In that time the Ascended I've known have grown... more devoted to the Voice. Unnervingly so, in some cases, but given that they can hardly live without her I suppose that's to be expected. The oldest Ascended I met, though, was very emotionless. Even their name was only '108' - the year they were created. I suppose it's possible that they all become that way over time, given decades and centuries of life beneath the Voice's thumb. But if so it takes far longer than my experience with my friends among them." Sam, for instance, was the polar opposite of 108 in almost every way - barring his devotion to their goddess.
As it turned out, she did, though on a different note, and the bard sighed a little as he swirled his cider. "I chose the word poorly. All were given the option to attend the meeting where Wessex held a vote. She had nearly put us - all Grounders - at war with the Fae of the Greatwood due to her actions and the actions of some others among the Ascended. For that reason and, I suspect, to give herself greater freedom of movement to pursue the Voice's goals elsewhere, she offered to step down as Queen if the majority chose not to follow her. The vote was... uncomfortably close." He grimaced faintly then sipped the cider to wash the bad taste from his mouth. "I think there were more Ascended than any other single race at that meeting. There was no opportunity given to really present alternatives, either. We were given ballots, told to vote 'yes' or 'no' to keep Wessex as Queen, and if 'no' then to write the name of another. Rexanna's name appeared the most, whether by Ascended design or not, I don't know. But it is also true that more non-Ascended could have attended the meeting, and chose not to." Including Rory, though how his mate would have voted was something Jigano tried not to think about.
"As for personalities... I am... not sure." Jigano gave a small shrug. "I've been on Caido for two years. In that time the Ascended I've known have grown... more devoted to the Voice. Unnervingly so, in some cases, but given that they can hardly live without her I suppose that's to be expected. The oldest Ascended I met, though, was very emotionless. Even their name was only '108' - the year they were created. I suppose it's possible that they all become that way over time, given decades and centuries of life beneath the Voice's thumb. But if so it takes far longer than my experience with my friends among them." Sam, for instance, was the polar opposite of 108 in almost every way - barring his devotion to their goddess.
