abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] an informal event.

[ OPEN ] an informal event.

Who: the summoned of cadens
When: beginning of february
Where: the sarstina inn and tavern
What: sam is hitting two birds with one stone - his February (or whatever February means in abraxas time) family dinner AND a kind of new-summoned-social event. he even had hilda help spread the word!
Warnings: will update if needed!

THE DINNER

As per Hilda's invitation, if any of the Summoned come by Sarstina's that evening, they will find it set up a little differently than it's normal tavern sprawl. There is a large long table set up near the bar that has plenty of food spread out across it - which appears to look very southern-inspired in its intention, limited only by the kinds of ingredients a certain Sam Wilson can get his hands on. Behind the bar is Mag, who will serve whoever it is that comes up to ask for a drink - it appears someone is covering the tab tonight.

There are various tables and chairs set up around the place, as well as a stage on the corner for some live music from one of their very own later in the evening. The vibes is definitely low-key and casual - come get an ale, come eat some food, and if you're a new face there is a very good chance you'll end up (gently and in the most friendly way) cornered by either Sam, Hilda, or one of the other Summoned here to help answer questions and give a bit more background on what the hell is going on and also let you know about Mag's whole deal. Aka, if you're looking for a room until you're a little more on your feet, you are welcome here. Room and board in exchange for work. Not a big gig, right?

And if being social isn't your vibe, Sam's kind of betting on the fact there aren't many here who would turn down free food and drinks. And believe him - the food is pretty damn good.

OOC INFO

- this is a totally open post! I've got a TL below for various scenarios you can find Sam, but otherwise have fun, meet some people, put up a TL of your own! there are various places to run into people in the tavern, and if you find someone who is willing to help you into the Horizon, Sam's been letting people know they can use his room upstairs.

- Sam's only Rule is there will be no fighting. You want to duke it out? Take it somewhere else. There will not be warnings or second chances. Don't be an ass. He has lived in this Inn since he first got here and considers this his home, and if ANYONE is seen giving Mag a hard time, he will not hesitate. He's not afraid of squaring up, but you will not be invited back if you cause too many issues. :)

- this is open to any and all Summoned in Cadens, no matter loyalties or factions. Sam is going to be going overboard to be welcoming, especially to new faces. Even if your character didn't see the big invitation, feel free to have them invited by word of mouth.

- Mag is an NPC who you can read a little more about in the NPC section of the Cadens setting page. Feel free to have her come in and out of your tags as needed!

- any questions? message me at disarmingly

THE INN

Magmara (or Mag) has run the inn for years and has been a familiar face in that neighborhood as a woman who always made ends meet, almost in spite of the way she took care of her friends and neighbors above all else. Most weren't always sure how she managed to run the place on her own, but she made due, though she always seemed a bit overwhelmed and exhausted. When the Summoned arrived in the Cadens through that first portal, Sam managed to stumble in and make quick friends with Mag. In exchange for manual labor, fixing up and cleaning up the inn, as well as whatever other various tasks Mag needed to be done around, Sam would be given free room and board (a deal she now offers to any Summoned that arrives in the city for as long as they need it).

The inn itself is 4 floors tall, with the top three floors making up the 15 or so rooms (around five rooms per floor), and the entire bottom floor reserved for the restaurant area. The tavern makes up the entire first floor and is a large open floorplan, with a small stage in the corner, a walled-off area for the decently sized kitchen, and a large wooden bar where Mag does all her business for both the inn and tavern (where can almost always be found standing behind). It serves drinks of some variety (though not nearly as large a selection as some of the more well-known taverns) and some food (usually a single, large meal that will be served to the tenants and whoever comes in throughout the night for a moderate price). It can be busy some evenings, but in general tends to keep a more 'dive-bar' kind of feel, filled with more locals and regulars than a casual dinner-going crowd.

The rooms themselves vary from fairly simple, single-bed inn-style rooms with a small bathroom and little else, up to a two 'bedroom' suite style with small kitchenettes and spaces for sitting rooms. Each bedroom has its own small bathroom for the tenants, with cleaning, washing, and chores left to those who live there. What used to be more of a working inn now serves as a kind of boarding house for newly arrived Summoned (or simply those who won't leave), and Mag has found herself quite okay with that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It is, isn't it.

[ Partially as an answer, mostly as a mumble to himself. There's still a few months left before it's a year proper, and yet he'd thought the same thing about others who told him they'd been here for a year or longer when he'd arrived. Time is a strange thing which only becomes stranger, really.

And speaking of just getting here - Claude tosses his collected glass into the bin before flashing a smile in the other man's direction. ]

It is, yeah. For what it's worth I also thought it was too good to be true by the time I stumbled into Cadens after making my escape from the outpost, but there's no strings attached. Well, besides the one of where you don't get to stay here if you don't help, but that hardly counts.

[ Standing up after brushing his hands off on his trousers, Claude nods in a gesture meant to encompass their surroundings since curiosity on his end also wins out. ]

Wherever you're from, do you have anything like all of this?

[Jayden finishes his own glass collection at the same time, setting the bin upright and the broom aside, leaning the latter carefully against the wall. It immediately starts to fall to the side, but he catches it and steadies it more successfully this time.

Nailed it.]

By 'like this', d'you mean a tavern? If so, yeah. If you mean everything else, not exactly.

[Aside from the very basics, anyway.]

Technology's all different, and the magic stuff is definitely new, so it's kind of a culture shock.

[Putting it mildly.]

What about yourself?

[ There's a bit of a sympathetic smile from Claude, if only because it sounds like Jayden might have any number of new things to get used to. And fortunately: ]

Ah, if it helps any? You're not alone in feeling out of sorts and there's quite a few people who are in the same situation, what with adjusting to everything about this place. Magic's not unfamiliar to me as it's used quite a bit where I'm from, but the technology here is nothing like what we have as it's far ahead.

[ To say the least; he is curious about what all's new for the other man, but first he glances around to find a pitcher that looks to contain the same as what he's drinking and some clean glasses waiting for people to imbibe on a nearby table. With a nod towards that table as an invitation to sit, he'll head over to take a seat if Jayden does as well. ]

For whatever you might be used to there's likely someone here who'll know what you're talking about, if all the different worlds I've learned about from them are any indication of that. The other benefit of staying here at the inn, if no one's mentioned it yet, is information.

[He offers a faint smile of his own at the first comments, appreciating the attempt at reassurance even if he's not entirely sure if it's working or not. The sentiment is worth enough on its own.

He does take the invitation, following Claude to the table and taking a seat, though he doesn't pour another drink just yet and instead keeps his hands under the table.]

No one's said it outright, but I've been getting that impression.

[About the information. The Summoned he'd spoken to so far had been very helpful and informative, which Jayden appreciates.]

And on that subject, is there anything specific you think a new arrival should know? Especially somethin' that might be hard to find out on their own?

[ He'd figured as much, given his own memories of how eager others had been to share the state of things with him after his arrival and that it'd been the same when first one set of those he knew from home arrived and then another. But - it's still a good thing to hear Jayden confirm this given there's even more for the other man to learn, it seems.

Claude had been idly tapping a finger against his glass while thinking, but at that question he pauses. Ah. ]

There's a couple things actually, and I want to preface this by saying I know how it all sounds the first time you hear it. And that while everything else is strange I can appreciate this is on yet another level of it, but also that I'm absolutely not teasing you with what I'm about to say.

[ Totally reassuring! But he's been through this a couple times before, so he sits back in his seat to get comfortable. ]

There's something here called the Singularity and it's more or less a giant magic rock. We can get into that part in a second, but the important part is that it's likely responsible for helping bring us here and we have ties to it that the locals somehow don't. That includes being able to send messages with your mind to other Summoned, and also a... different plane we can all visit after someone else brings you there for the first time.

[ A beat or two to let that sink in, then - ] I can prove both of those, but the writing one's a bit easier than the other if you'd prefer that one first.

[Definitely always a reassuring way to preface a conversation. But Jayden's doing his best to take things in stride at the moment, because if he doesn't then he has to really think about all of this and what it might mean, which is a slightly horrifying prospect.

So he just nods a little, to show he understands, and listens as Claude explains. He's not totally sure if's good or not that much of this is familiar, having heard some pieces of this from the others, but at least it's consistent. Corroboration that apparently this is how this place works, that these are just facts of being here.

And despite having heard a little bit of this, and resolving not to think too hard about it, he does still need those beats to let it sink in before he can respond.]

Is that how the invitation for this get-together was sent? Because I wasn't totally sure if I was seein' things or not.

[ He'll give Jayden as long as is needed to absorb that since it's not the simplest thing to explain or to figure out. Hence the offer to show the other man, and while he waits to see if that'll be accepted he watches a card game going on at a nearby table while taking a sip of his drink. When the invitation is pointed out, Claude merely blinks for a second over the rim of the glass while considering that before setting it down with a grin. ]

Well, now that you mention it - yes. [ There's a sheepish laugh from him here for overlooking the obvious. ] I'd forgotten about that invitation since you get used to the writing being in your face a lot faster than seems possible when you're first here. It's a very useful way to communicate given there seems to be no limitations on it, and you can reach out to everyone like Sam and Hilda did or to just one person. Like this.

[ Sometimes a live demonstration solves the problems of having to explain, so here comes another one on top of what was sent out earlier. A second later, neat script will appear in Jayden's line of sight: ]

The obvious benefit of this is sharing things quickly and without the risk of being overheard. The Horizon's also helpful for that, if you'd rather put a face and a voice to the words.

[Jayden grins just a little himself at the sheepishness, but is absolutely not judging; it makes perfect sense to have just gotten used to it, as that sort of thing happens all the time even with things that seem like they should never feel mundane. He's more than a little guilty of having done that before himself.

The words appear on the corner of the table and okay, now that he both knows what it is and is seeing it with that knowledge this time, it's... Actually really cool, and he brightens a little with some newfound enthusiasm.]

That's awesome. How d'you do it? Is it tough to learn?

[He'll come back to the Horizon thing in a bit, but he's heard more about that--and it's slightly intimidating--and so he's happy to focus on the writing for now.]

[ That brightening of the other man's expression gets a smile from him, mostly because Claude has a feeling it resembles what everyone looks like when they get here and discover something. And - fortunately - this particular something is a tool that's infinitely useful. ]

When I arrived someone explained it to me as a connection we all have thanks to the Singularity bringing us here, and that certainly seems true. The Abraxan natives don't have access to it as far as I know, and given that there's a limit to how often we can see others from Thorne and Solvunn in person this is one way to get around that.

[ None of that addresses the part of doing, however, so Claude considers that for another few seconds. ]

I found it easiest to send a message to just one person at first. It's still my preference, mostly, but mostly it's as simple as if you just think of who you want to send it to and what you want to say in it. It should send from there and doesn't seem particularly limited in what you can send. You can try it out on me, if you'd like.

[Jayden listens carefully, sitting up a little straighter as he's now focused more on this than nerves or awkwardness. The comment about this being communication that only Summoned have is good to know and goes with what he'd learned about the Horizon, and although he'd had no reason to--and hadn't--distrust what he'd been told about it, further confirmation that matches up is always reassuring.

As far as using the network goes, it sounds simple; almost too simple, if there weren't something about that which feels familiar. It's not quite a parallel, but he wonders for just a moment if it might still carry over.]

Okay. Lemme give it a shot.

[He concentrates, tapping into the part of him that could so easily integrate with virtual reality environments he used at home, and hopes the same sense of mental connection and command carries over.]

Testing. Do you read? Literally, in this case.

[A masterfully worded message, clearly, but it does at least show up.]

[ Claude leans back in his seat while he waits, absently turning his glass in place with a couple fingertips as he watches that table from nearby again. Better than staring at someone attempting to do something for the first time since he's never found that helpful when he's been on the other end of it, and it's while the card game comes to what's apparently an exciting finish new writing comes to curve along the back of one of the chairs. ]

Well, would you look at that. Probably not literally for you when it comes to looking at it since I think I'm the only one who can see it, but more importantly I do, in fact, read.

[ While speaking, Claude looks back with yet another easy grin at his own poor joke since, well. Gotta find humor wherever you can sometimes, honestly. ]

Now all you need is a little practice with it and you'll be all set in no time. Oh, and I should probably warn you that sometimes there are... all kinds of discussion that are sent to everyone. You might end up with an eyeful of whatever's going on, and that I do mean a little more literally.

[Jayden does appreciate not being stared at; he's quite content with not being perceived in general while working on something, and especially so when learning something new.

But he grins a little as well at confirmation that it was a success, a little surprised at how easy it was, but at least it's a good surprise. He almost remarks on it, but then he hears that last part, and okay he has to address that first.]

What d'you mean by "all kinds" of discussion?

[Receiving general messages--like the invitation to this meeting--is no problem, but with the way Claude put it Jayden is now wondering if this network is used for scandalous gossip. If that is the case, he's not sure if that would be annoying or entertaining.]

Ah, most of it's useful. Things like tonight's invitation, for example, or talks about what's going on in Solvunn or Thorne where we don't have access. A lot of information sharing and comparing goes on there. And then sometimes more... stressful topics.

[ A pause for him to take a sip of his drink even if that's not the best place to leave someone in suspense, but he needs a minute before jumping into a less fun topic. One worth knowing about, though, given that it set so many things in motion since. ]

For something a little more serious: a few months back we were able to go to Nocwich for the first time, if you've heard of it. Apparently it'd never been opened before so this initial visit was understandably a big deal. At the end of the visiting time, there were some attacks. On Summoned who had been chosen as delegates - they're all fine, for the record - but someone important to Thorne's queen died, and she decided to attack Libertas in retaliation. Things went downhill from there. But there were some good discussions, important ones, that happened in the early hours after the attacks.

[ A beat. ]

And on a far lighter note, there's one guy in Thorne who sent us the longest thing I've ever read in my life recently. I'm still not sure what exactly it was about, but it was definitely interesting.

[While Claude pauses, Jayden takes the moment to finally decide to pour himself another drink. His hands are steadier now, and so he manages without too much risk of a second broken glass.

He's heard a little about the attack on Libertas, but this is definitely the most complete information and gives Jayden at least a little context for what happened. There's still a lot he's going to have to learn, even about the basics--he had no idea that Thorne had a queen, which is probably good to be aware of--but that's not a bad thing; it'll give him something to do.

He takes a sip of his drink, and raises his eyebrows at the last comment.]

If you send somethin' super long, does it show up in parts, or would it just totally cover the wall or something?

[Because now he's imagining the entire wall or floor just covered in text and trying to read it before it disappears.]

[ That is an interesting question and Claude tilts his head slightly to one side while considering it. Has he thought about this before or was it just one of the many things he'd accepted as normal since arriving when there'd been so much to absorb? Those other discussions he'd mentioned had filled up his vision enough, but even some of that was easy to ignore. ]

Huh. For me it showed up in parts as just a long scrawl over everything wherever I've looked, but now you've made me wonder if it was like that for everyone since I've never thought about it before. Imagine if you were just trying to read a book and suddenly everything you saw was just - [ with a wave of his hand over his eyes - ] words.

[ Something worth asking others at some point, or maybe Jayden himself if they're blessed with another long bit of writing from someone intent on sharing their thoughts. ]

We probably won't have long to wait to compare experiences with that, truthfully. I take it you don't have anything like the mind writing back at your home then either? That was certainly new for me as well, but much of what's here in Cadens is. I've learned Fodlan - where I'm from - seems to be behind what others are used to having around.

I'd say I'd keep an eye out, but it sounds like I won't have to.

[A terribly dorky joke? Of course. But he's fine with not having a for certain answer on this, as he'll surely get to experience it himself at some point, and it sounds kind of annoying anyway.

He shakes his head at the question about there being anything like the network at home; the virtual reality system he uses has some similarities, but is still nowhere near the same. But the last part of what Claude says is particularly interesting, and he remembers Claude making brief mention of something similar a little earlier on, but Jayden had been distracted from asking about it at the time.]

You mean that, magic aside, this sorta' technology's more advanced than what you have where you're from?

[ Claude's in the middle of lifting his glass to take a drink, but Jayden's joke will get a wide grin from him before he completes that action. He's no stranger to jokes others might deem less successful - especially after working with a knight whose specialty was truly awful jokes by any rating scale, but. He still has a genuine appreciation for them all the same, especially so since this one ties in nicely to the topic. ]

Lots more advanced. There's several things Cadens has that I'd never seen until I came here, and a handful of others, like printing presses, which were deliberately suppressed. Not that many knew that was the case as evidence of that was also kept hidden, but it was possible to find through other means. Magic replaces a lot of what the Free Cities uses in their mechanics but even then, there's no denying Fodlan is behind.

[ With a shrug of one shoulder since there's the simplest way to explain it without going too far into more of it that doesn't exactly make for the lightest gathering-in-the-tavern conversation - even if he'd already been the one to broach as much by bringing up the state of impending war. That feels different enough to Claude, though. ]

That was also the case regardless since several nations had more at their disposal than Fodlan did. What's your world like?

[Considering that he normally just gets blank stares at these sorts of remarks, any positive response is appreciated, but it's also encouragement which might be dangerous.

But not right now, at least, as he listens to Claude's answer and tries to get an idea of his world from it. Purposeful suppression of inventions--particularly an invention meant to make information widely available--is both concerning and fascinating, and although it's also the case in his world that some nations and countries are more advanced than others, it seems like it might've been a striking difference in Claude's world. If the situation were different he might pry a little, curious about the details, but bouncing the question back toward Jayden indicates that might not be a welcome topic, at least for the moment.

So he considers how to answer the question for a moment, sipping at his drink again, trying to figure out an explanation that's both concise and accurate.]

Aside from the whole 'no magic' thing, technology varies a lot from country to country in my world too. Some places are kinda' like this, but a lot have more advancements; the country I'm from has some of the newest tech available.

[Though explaining that might be a little tricky. The network, however, gives a helpful analog for part of it.]

So somethin' like the network exists, but it's not done with your mind, but somethin' called a computer, which I already miss.

[It's a light remark, but he's also serious. Although he's not the type of person who spends all day at a computer, he does prefer to use technology--including experimental technology--whenever it's useful to a task, which is much of the time.]

There's a lot of things here I'm gonna have to get used to doing the old-fashioned way.

[A pause.]

And maybe I should learn to ride a horse.

[ It helps to be having this conversation now, Claude thinks, after having had a chance to talk to so many others about the technologies available where they're from and how those compare to Cadens. Or even Thorne and Solvunn, though the latter doesn't seem to have much of any from what he's heard. Then there's Viktor and Jayce's workshop and their inventions and how those opened even different doors to other knowledge. Regardless, all of it together gives more context to what he hears and especially so with Julie's very kind elaborations of her world versus here.

That talk in particular comes to mind since while computers are past his understanding, the mention of a network and what he fills in the blanks as being a way of connecting has his expression brightening in recognition. Hopefully. ]

Oh, are you talking about the internet? We most definitely didn't have that as you might've guessed, but I've heard of it. It sounds incredibly useful, what with the connecting of people very far away. Much more convenient than sending letters by couriers or with a merchant traveling from one city to the next. I suppose I should tell you that's more or less how the mail works here too except with the bonus of whatever you're sending being searched on the way out from one country and on the way in to another.

[ As for that last part, though - that he can offer some advice for. ]

When it comes to the horse thing though, I think you'll find you're covered with how many of us are used to them. I can help teach you if you'd like since I grew up with both that and flying wyverns though wyverns are, ah, admittedly a bit different. Or you could also ask Sylvain - [ with a point towards a tall man with red hair serving as a beacon where he's near the bar - ] sometime. He's one of my friends, and he works at one of the stables here that gives discounts to Summoned which makes renting a horse a little easier all around. Both of us live here, so we're easy to find if you end up staying here too.

[He is absolutely not expecting Claude to know what the internet is, considering the conversation so far, but it's a good surprise and he brightens a bit more.]

Yeah, exactly. And that... Actually sounds about the same with the mail too, at least for anythin' that has to be sent physically.

[Which is a little funny to think about, that it basically hasn't changed in all this time aside from being a little more streamlined.

The comment about learning to ride a horse hadn't been a joke, but it had also been kind of a throwaway comment, something he hadn't put much of any thought into other than acknowledging the idea. It had also been a slightly absurd idea, because he's pretty sure he would be absolutely terrible at riding a horse, so the offer of help and where to start is even more helpful than it might otherwise have been; he wouldn't have known the first thing about where to go or who to turn to if he needed it otherwise.]

I might take you up on that. I'm definitely plannin' on staying here instead of the barracks.

[So yeah, he'll probably see them both around, unless he ends up hiding in his room and not speaking to people much outside of helping out around the place. Which is certainly not a thing he'll end up doing. Not at all.

But speaking of not talking to people, he realizes he's kind of been taking up Claude's time, and so--]

Thanks for fillin' me in on all of this, by the way. But I don't want to keep you from the rest of the...

[Whatever this is. Is it a party? A dinner? Whatever it is.]

[ At the mention of staying here at the inn rather than out at the barracks, Jayden gets a very genuine smile from Claude. All the better in his mind to leave the Free Cities' none-too-subtle 'requests' to join the military behind as soon as possible - and that was before tensions became even higher than they were upon his arrival to the point of outright erupting. As much as it'd be convenient to have someone on the inside, sort of, to know what's going on there: he's not willing to suggest it to anyone. ]

Good, there's plenty of space. Even people who've moved out tend to come back here to hang out in the tavern, so it's a convenient way to meet those who weren't able to make it to Sam and Hilda's party tonight. Most everyone I've met will be happy to show you around, help you find a job if you need something besides helping out Mag, or whatever else.

[ As for the thanks, he merely shrugs a shoulder genially. To Claude this is merely another part of something else coming full circle, even as it continues to loop with new faces showing up now and again. ]

Of course. People did that for me when I'd just arrived and kept doing it in the months after, and I'd rather share than not. We're all in this together after all, as it likely goes without saying. [ With a bit of a wry smile, since while it's true that doesn't undo the regrettable circumstances of being dragged here unwillingly. Still, he'll also slide out of his chair with a nod as he picks up his glass. ] You ever have any more questions, I'll be around for you to ask any time. See you around, alright?

[ One last smile, and then Hilda herself appears in impeccable timing to pull him away to talk to someone else. ]

[More helpful offers, and Jayden mentally files them away; although he prefers not to ask much of others unless he has to, it's still good to know he has options, especially when it seems that the willingness to help is genuine rather than out of a sense of obligation.

He smiles as well, dipping his head slightly in both acknowledgement and farewell.]

Yeah. See you around.

[Hopefully in whatever normal daily life here is like, and not soon to be in some sort of cultist death pit. After all, what are the odds that would happen?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ OPEN ] an informal event.

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we can wrap here if that works!

sounds good! c: