Jigano nodded acknowledgment of the compliment, a smile on his lips to match the one Caiside wore. "My world was both brighter and more dangerous than this one... and there was no barrier. Those of us who come from other worlds, well, we're not so difficult to spot. For many of us it's something as simple as growing up free to chose where we want to go, if only we have the time and money to go there." He shrugged gracefully, smile turning crooked. "The 'what' is an excellent question. The 'who,' though... we have our own share of meddling gods, here. I've met one myself..." His expression darkened for a moment before he smoothed it away with a sip of tea. "And know of at least three others. And then there are the missing gods..." He raised his eyes to watch Caiside over the rim of his cup, enjoying the chance to tell the local tales anew.
At the explanation the bard blinked and then made a soft 'tch' sound, briefly annoyed at himself. "Of course, I had thought... well, never mind. That would be the barrier that keeps us all inside. A bubble of force that extends in a sphere from the black tower called The Spire. No one knows how it got there or why - though the gods were almost certainly involved. If you get too close it will make you sick. If you persist in your approach or stay too long in the tainted area... it will kill you." The bard shook his head, frowning. "It's been there for a couple hundred years, at least. Nothing gets in or out, that we've been able to determine... except the portals that drop Outlanders in, and those have all been one-way."
At the explanation the bard blinked and then made a soft 'tch' sound, briefly annoyed at himself. "Of course, I had thought... well, never mind. That would be the barrier that keeps us all inside. A bubble of force that extends in a sphere from the black tower called The Spire. No one knows how it got there or why - though the gods were almost certainly involved. If you get too close it will make you sick. If you persist in your approach or stay too long in the tainted area... it will kill you." The bard shook his head, frowning. "It's been there for a couple hundred years, at least. Nothing gets in or out, that we've been able to determine... except the portals that drop Outlanders in, and those have all been one-way."
