Jigano empathized with the man across from him, nodding - not quite agreement, but more acknowledgment. He had never known safety in his animal form. If anything, his white coat would have made him more valuable to hunters, so he had been careful to avoid being seen by people whenever possible when transformed. With more Attuned on Caido he had actually become a little less wary, but unless Caiside's form was as striking as his own, a large stag would be tempting to far too many people.
Caiside's question sounded rhetorical, so Jigano just sipped his tea and shrugged, knowing he would have felt similarly if he hadn't seen Caido as a second chance. "I have no reason to think you're wrong, but it's possible," he cautioned gently, "that they need a number of different people and different talents for what they have in mind, and that they haven't finished gathering them yet. I do not know if the gods on your world were more forthcoming about such things, but on mine they had to be more... circumspect in their dealings with mortals. There was a balance of power in the heavens and a limit as to how directly they could interfere with mortals, or what they could reveal without endangering their pacts and their own celestial games. It may be there is something similar here, and that is why we have so few answers." He shrugged again, smile wry.
The question wasn't unexpected, and the bard nodded thoughtfully. "There are shrines here, where you can pray. There is one in the Glade, in the Spire's shadow, ringed by white stones that glow at night. There is another in the Temple here, towards the back, past the Infirmary. I can show you were it is after this, if you'd like," he offered, though a bit hesitantly. "The Voice has also appeared at a special shrine in the Underground that was hidden away until recently." He nibbled his lip as he thought about the last question, and then gave another shrug, smile rueful. "In truth, I don't know how to make them more or less likely to answer. I have prayed with offerings and received only the barest acknowledgment, and no manifestation. I offered a song with no expectation at another time, and received..." he paused, expression tightening a little at the memory. "... Not, perhaps, the manifestation I would have chosen. Ludo, who plays games and makes trades of the intangible. Though I don't know that the others are much better, since I haven't spoken with them." He gave a little shake of his head, then looked at Caiside with searching blue eyes. "Does that help at all?"
Caiside's question sounded rhetorical, so Jigano just sipped his tea and shrugged, knowing he would have felt similarly if he hadn't seen Caido as a second chance. "I have no reason to think you're wrong, but it's possible," he cautioned gently, "that they need a number of different people and different talents for what they have in mind, and that they haven't finished gathering them yet. I do not know if the gods on your world were more forthcoming about such things, but on mine they had to be more... circumspect in their dealings with mortals. There was a balance of power in the heavens and a limit as to how directly they could interfere with mortals, or what they could reveal without endangering their pacts and their own celestial games. It may be there is something similar here, and that is why we have so few answers." He shrugged again, smile wry.
The question wasn't unexpected, and the bard nodded thoughtfully. "There are shrines here, where you can pray. There is one in the Glade, in the Spire's shadow, ringed by white stones that glow at night. There is another in the Temple here, towards the back, past the Infirmary. I can show you were it is after this, if you'd like," he offered, though a bit hesitantly. "The Voice has also appeared at a special shrine in the Underground that was hidden away until recently." He nibbled his lip as he thought about the last question, and then gave another shrug, smile rueful. "In truth, I don't know how to make them more or less likely to answer. I have prayed with offerings and received only the barest acknowledgment, and no manifestation. I offered a song with no expectation at another time, and received..." he paused, expression tightening a little at the memory. "... Not, perhaps, the manifestation I would have chosen. Ludo, who plays games and makes trades of the intangible. Though I don't know that the others are much better, since I haven't spoken with them." He gave a little shake of his head, then looked at Caiside with searching blue eyes. "Does that help at all?"
