OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne

[magicalarchaeologist]

WHO: OPEN to all Summoned in Thorne
WHAT: A party, info dump, and magic study session all rolled into one! Eat, drink, mingle -- make some friends!
WHEN: a couple days after the newest Summoned start appearing
WHERE: a ballroom in Castle Thorne

NOTES: This is an open mingle log where everyone can tag one another!

Rhy Maresh will have sent a written invitation to all Thornean newcomers within a couple of days of their arrival, inviting them to meet their fellow Summoned. Otherwise, there will be fliers posted in the dining area that anyone can see. If your character has CR with Rhy or Istredd (or Kell), you can assume they were told and got an in-person invite -- and you can even assume your character helped with setup if desired (decorations, helping set out food, etc.), since Rhy definitely needed the assistance. Up to you!

Istredd will also be hosting a group meditation to allow newcomers to access to the Horizon (and network). New Summoned who wish to learn how to step into the Horizon have an opportunity to have their connections to the Singularity activated. If preferred, they can also get one-on-one help from those who've been around for a bit. He will also discuss the magic in Abraxas and point them in the direction of teachers of magic, combat, or other things they may be interested in.


Banquet.

The large ballroom is bathed in warm, golden light from dozens of chandeliers above, reflecting off the gleaming inlaid floors and brass light fixtures along the walls. It is at once neatly sectioned, yet naturally open, allowing the length of the room to flow from one potential activity to another with ease.

In the center, a circular area has been left clear, and every half hour or so during the first half of the evening, two native Thornean (apprentice) mages come up to offer magic demonstrations -- mostly flashy elemental magic, adding sparks and atmosphere. If any of the Summoned who've been around longer wish to show off as well, they are welcome to do so.

Along the walls stand narrow refreshment tables, where one can serve oneself wine from large glass carafes. Hot tea is also available in a few flavors. (Though those who have been here a while may notice there are fewer carafes, and more expensive options for alcohol and refreshments are missing this time.) For those looking to eat, a large dining table has been set out toward the center of the room, with plates and utensils and large platters of food in the center -- nothing fancy, but perfectly serviceable, and arranged to look good even if the ingredients themselves aren't nearly as lavish as they have been in the past. Still, despite the impending war and tightened purse strings in the face of shortages, the kitchen has agreed to help welcome the newly Summoned as best as they can.

Both the handful of large tables and the smattering of small, taller tables for standing at are in full view of the demonstrations so the show can be enjoyed with food and drink, whatever your desire. Bright summer flowers garnish every table, freshening up the space.

Of course, there's plenty of space to stand and mingle, walk around, and see what everyone else is up to. In the back of the room, the folding screens offer a quieter area, for more private conversation and meditation as desired.

Magic Studies.

Behind the folding screens made of tall, carved wood in intricate patterns, there are a handful of low sofas and chaise lounges around a fireplace at the far side of the hall. This sectioned-off area has been enchanted to provide some insulation from the sound of the banquet beyond, and once you step inside, the quiet is like a gentle blanket settling over everyone who chooses to spend some time here.

This is the best place to ask questions in some semblance of privacy, to learn about your new home, and to receive guidance on entering the Horizon and using the so-called network of telepathic notes only the Summoned can send one another.

A mage named Istredd seems to be the one 'in charge' of this particular endeavor, but others who have been in Abraxas a while are likely also about, lending their assistance to those who are newly arrived and sharing thoughts on their experiences so far.

Just be careful -- even if the insulating enchantment is sturdy, there are still Thornean natives around, refilling refreshments outside and demonstrating their magic. You may want to be careful how candidly you discuss any displeasure toward Thorne or its crown, considering the Queen's notoriously explosive temper, and the rumors of the dungeons deep beneath the castle. It's hardly a secret, at this point: a conflict has been sparked, and the mood around the castle is a tense one, even amidst a celebration such as this.

(( ooc: Feel free to make your own top levels and tag around! This is meant to be an open mingle, with the above as mostly setting and flavor, so don't feel limited if you want your character to do their own magic demonstrations, for example, or even if your thread ends up moving outside the ballroom. Have fun!

It should be noted that if you would like to handwave your character's first experience to the Horizon, you can do so. It's a blanket permission from me / Istredd that he took your character there, helped them leave, and showed them how to go back in with their memory now.

This was written by Lena aka Rhy player! Contact me @ waftingcurtains with any questions otherwise just roll with it, friends. ))

Comments

galadriel | the rings of power | the hierophant | ota

[seaandsun]

banquet

[ There is much here that instantly calls Galadriel to thoughts of Númenor — chief among it all the large, open space bathed in golden light. There might be as many curious eyes on her here in Thorne as there were before, but not merely because she is unlike those who may have been glimpsed before — in Númenor, the difference had lain in the fact that none had seen an elf in an age or two. Here, she is distinguished as being a newly Summoned, and therefore of interest because of it.

As the event begins, she is careful to linger at the perimeter of the room where she can achieve the best view of the proceedings, demonstrations of magic included — she takes a glass of wine, and perhaps even helps herself to a bite of food or two in spite of not being very hungry. She can subsist for much longer than even a human can without it, but the thought of standing out because she is not partaking only occurs to her later on, driving her to the closest table of refreshments in the hope of remaining less conspicuous.

Still, hovering nearer to the largest table means that Galadriel can pick up on the occasional trace of conversation — and if such a thing turns to more sensitive topics not meant for wider hearing, she will comply with being escorted behind one of the privacy screens in order to continue the discussion away from eavesdroppers. ] Do they always welcome the arrivals in this way? [ It seems best to broach the subject with the closest person to her, as well as ascertain whether this is habit or a less recognized occasion. ]

magic training

[ The quiet hum of the party fades away to a deadened hush as Galadriel eventually makes her way to a more secluded area, and the reason for it becomes increasingly clear the longer she lingers within. There is an enchantment here, powerful enough to possibly even make it impossible for those outside to listen in — even if Galadriel herself is not a skilled wielder, she can feel the energies at work.

There seems to be at least one individual leading certain meditation efforts, but Galadriel hovers closer to the rear of the circle without participating — she's looking for guidance without necessarily asking for it outright, or perhaps glancing around and seeing what clues she can glean from the others sitting close to her in terms of how to proceed. ] It all must be done in secret, then, like this? [ Eventually, she won't be capable of disguising her curiosity, not enough to venture an inquiry about the clandestine nature of things. ]

wildcard

[ if you want a more specific prompt or to run into galadriel elsewhere during the mingle, feel free to hmu with alternate plotting ideas! you can ping me on plurk, discord, or PM with any questions.]

Magic Training!

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Kell and Istredd make a good team on the magic side, neither of them particularly great with people but balancing out well. Istredd is coming back from a short breather, the amount of magic and focus that has to be used to keep this section going can be a lot. He is plain-clothed and quiet, more likely to be mistaken for a servant or a librarian (which he sometimes is) than anything else.

He hears her question as he comes back into the area, more comfortable here than he is in the banquet part, to be honest, even if it requires him to be more responsible. Istredd shakes his head, checking on the meditating people. All seems to be well. Going into the Horizon can be overwhelming. ]

No, it's not secret at all, magic is very common here. We separate it this way to give people a better ability to focus.

[ Istredd is currently the mind behind the magical side of this party, having taken over the duty from Kylo Ren months ago. It means in some ways the magical side is almost too defensively barriered, it's his instinct to protect, not that they really need it in here. But he can't actually control the sound in here for secrecy, it would be suspicious. ]

Going into the Horizon for the first time is complicated and also learning how to use our neural network isn't easy for everyone.

[ For some people, it apparently comes very naturally. He's just not one of those people. As a telepath, it probably should be easier, but it is not magic he has much control over. ]

Thorne knows what we're doing in here and everywhere. The Horizon is the only place they can't follow us.

[ Thus the possible basis of its appeal. ]

[seaandsun]

[ If Galadriel were the sort to be concerned with outward displays of wealth, she might have been inclined to dismiss the man who speaks to her out-of-hand — but this is someone who found herself traipsing around Númenor in little more than a shift for days at a time before she was given something more suitable to wear, so finery or a lack thereof has never influenced her desire to speak with someone if she has something of import to either learn or say. ]

Fewer distractions, then, have an impact on the power of the magic itself.

[ It makes sense to her once it's explained, but there is an intrigue surrounding the notion of learning power, especially one she has never had the opportunity to before. She does not hunger for it as others might, however — she has every suspicion that Celebrimbor would have asked her to bear one of the rings upon its crafting had she not been Summoned here first. ]

This is not the first time I have heard talk of this Horizon. Does one require magic to access it?

[magicalarchaeologist]

For people newer to it, absolutely. A master is able to do many things at once, but there are many who come here who have never experienced anything supernatural before.

[ Or hadn't really delved into their own abilities or what they knew. He had a few young students who were working hard to deal with their own fears and hangups over their magic. Istredd was put into a position younger than anyone here to learn how to use magic or die. There was no other route, so magic for him was a necessity. He is glad when people choose to use it though. Magic is beautiful. ]

Only Summoned can use it, so it doesn't matter if the natives here have magic, they cannot go there.

[ Istredd assumes it would be impossible if they could, it already exists in such a delicate balance between all of their minds. Sometimes it is very loud for him with so many people inside with their energy, and that is separated between seventy-some people. ]

The first time you go in, you lose your memories, you're a blank slate. I think it is the mind trying to cope with the psychic plane, it is completely new.

[ As a psionic mage he may be somewhere on the money in that assumption, but it is only a guess really. He thinks it makes sense. The Singularity doesn't know people the first time they go in. Maybe it is trying to suss out if they are good enough for it. ]

The second time you go in, you'll remember everything, and you'll be able to create anything you want, within reason. Probably not an entire castle of your own, but parts of one, yes. I made a tower of books, a library.

[ Istredd is very proud of his domain. ]

[seaandsun]

It does beg the question of who might have created it first, if it is only us and those like us who have the ability to go there.

[ She is also beginning to understand why there might be reluctance from the natives with regard to the Horizon — a place they are distinctly shut out from — or even suspicion. People tend to fear what they cannot fully understand or comprehend, and the Horizon likely falls within that.

Although the notion of not remembering the experience — for the first time, per his words — does not exactly sit well in her mind, Galadriel feels there is little excuse not to venture in. ]

Anything at all? [ That is a notion that had not occurred to her until now, but instantly, her thoughts go to her recollections of Valinor – of the wide, open grasses and the beautiful, bubbling streams. It is a place that she has only kept in her dreams, a place she had not retreated to in sometime — at least, until her confrontation with Halbrand had brought it to the surface and twisted it into something more painful to remember. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

It's a good question. [ And the sign of a sharp and questioning mind, his favorite kind.; ] The Singularity created the Horizon and allows us to use it, that's as far as we currently know. Whether it's been around since the beginning of this sphere is unknown, but likely.

[ It's not as if the Horizon simply was created because of them. The Singularity must have had a home of its own for a long time, until it decided to let them in. Or maybe not. Istredd has no idea. ]

It is possible that hundreds of years ago, perhaps thousands, more was known, but it was lost to time.

[ Istredd has a leaning toward that way. After all, thousands of years ago, there were other summonings just like theirs, but no details are known about what happened to those people. He suspects much of that history is either extremely private or flat out forgotten. As a historian, he's seen his fair share of that. And of people who simply try to guess at what happened without confirmation. That's what he had to do as a researcher. A lot of guess work.

No one likes the idea of losing their memory the first time, unfortunately it is necessary, and Istredd did his in the same room they are now. Afterward though, it was worth the discomfort. He can see that she may be envisioning what she could make now, as many of them do. The question is if she is thinking of creating what she already knows, or something new. ]

Yes. It's an interesting place, because you'll see a temple next to a little shack, or a gambling den next to a forest cabin.

[ It's all sprung from the minds of the people around them; from different spheres, from different backgrounds. Istredd does like to walk around and look at all of them, but only from the outside, out of respect. ]

It happens as quickly as you can imagine it to exist.

banquet

[ordinar]

[Wilhelm doesn't approach the evening with anywhere near the same level of strategy as Galadriel, but he does put some thought into it. For example, if he moves from table to table every once in a while, plucking a few snacks from each and offering a few quick comments to whomever has gathered there, he can create the illusion of being a social butterfly.

When the woman addresses him, he's mid-bite, trying some kind of hard cheese. Shielding his mouth with his hand, he finishes chewing before responding:]

Yeah, pretty much. At least, for as long as I've been here.

[Though the hosts have changed out since then. Summoned come and go, but the going is with much less fanfare.]

[seaandsun]

And how long is that?

[ Galadriel sees no reason not to inquire along those particular lines, since he has brought up the subject in the first place — but once she actually turns to get a better look at who she is speaking with, the truth of who he is becomes clear. Something in him calls Isildur to mind, Elendil's boy who had been in possession of the undiluted optimism that youth can bear.

At that realization, her features become less inquiring and somewhat calmer; there is no need to be so inquisitive, and sometimes even she must be reminded that answers can be achieved with a kinder approach. ]

How long have you been among them?

[ordinar]

[The interrogatory tone causes his eyebrows to pinch together, his head to pull back just a fraction. Like, can you fucking chill? Jesus. When she looks at him fully, Wilhelm recognizes her expression. It's a look he's often received as one of the youngest among the Summoned, the realization that, oh, it's just a kid.

Although his age is one of the things that makes him feel like he still doesn't really belong here, it grants some advantages. Like a certain royal guardsman taking pity on his stupid ass when he probably should have been tossed in the dungeon, or this woman softening a little. His countenance loosens in turn.]

It's been... [Give him a second to add up the months, eyes wandering upward.] About eight months now?

[Wilhelm himself sounds mildly surprised by the answer.]

[seaandsun]

[ Galadriel nods, primarily to acknowledge what he's told her — though by comparison, even that span is little more than an afterthought in the minds of most elves. It is all too easy for their kind to perceive the passage of time differently than most, to lose sight of the immediacy of things in pursuit of what has not yet come to pass.

Yet she has encountered several of the youngest humans that she has ever met in her thousands of years of existence only within the last few days — the young son of Elendil, as well as the boy from the Southlands who had been impressively astute for his age. It has left her dwelling on those interactions, and the wisdom that can be present even in young minds. It is also a reminder for her not to dismiss those perspectives so readily. ]

Has it been difficult? [ She grasps for an understanding of what it might feel like for him — to be parted from his own world for that long. ] Being away from your own world?

[ordinar]

[He'd once hypothesized to Elrond that he must be a fetus from an elf's perspective. Elrond had dismissed the notion, but Wilhelm's not so sure. He can't even wrap his brain around a thousand years. Not that he realizes that this woman is an elf too, with the telltale point of her ears hidden in her long hair. His shoulders set with a small sigh as he tucks a strand of hair behind his ear.]

It's...definitely a lot to get used to.

[He waffles, unwilling to admit — especially to someone he's just met — how much he has struggled.]

I mean, I miss it, but there are some things I don't.

[Please don't ask him to explain, he's just trying to be conversational.]

( banquet )

[politicians]

[ elrond finds himself slipping into elvish without realizing it, a lapse on his part but a welcome one as he was feeling oddly homesick, in a way even his horizon could not fully mute. ]

They did when I first arrived. It seems standard.

[seaandsun]

[ It is only an afterthought for her to respond to him in the same way — she spares the briefest of glances in his direction as he comes to stand beside her, a place that feels at once right for him to be. He does not need her to express the necessary platitudes about how reassured she is by his presence; the slight smile she affords him should be all the proof he requires. ]

Is it the castle's doing, or those within it? [ In other words: how much involvement do the natives here have with seeing to their needs, or is this an initiative that has been adopted by their fellow Summoned? ]

[politicians]

[ he hums, soft as snowflakes. ]

I would account such things to the Summoned. Not that the Castle does not do so, but they seem to be occupied of late with their own internal workings.

[seaandsun]

[ It begs another question: who was the first to be Summoned here, and are they still present? Such a tradition as this has to have been established for some time in order to have precedent — or been passed down, she thinks, from the ones who first started it to the ones who are here now.

Instead, she focuses on another part of what he's just conveyed. ] What have you learned thus far about the state of things here? Is there anyone I should be mindful of?

[politicians]

[ ah. to his credit, he keeps his gaze on her and doesn't slide away to the rest of the party. ]

I am not sure yet. Some have counselled not to make waves.

Magic Training

[widows_kiss]

[ Natasha isn't here for training personally at the moment - although she's quick to reassure anyone that Istredd is a talented teacher, should she need to. But there's still a lot to be learned in observing, magic or otherwise. She's nursing a glass of wine and perched on the arm of a nearby armchair and she glances up with a faint smile when she overhears the question from an unfamiliar woman nearby. ]

It's not exactly a secret. I think they do it more for the discretion of the student than any real need to hide anything. Easier to focus, without so many eyes on you. Especially if you're fumbling to figure it out for the first time. [ It had been her, not too long ago.

Although she's pretty sure there's some magic lessons they'd best keep secret, just to keep those running this place from getting more suspicious or paranoid. That seemed pretty rampant in the castle already. ]

[seaandsun]

[ Galadriel has her deeper suspicions about what this established training area is actually masking – something that might be more discouraged were the greater authorities in Thorne made aware of it — but she has no motivation to disclose such things, especially when any one of these people could become a potential ally. That has not stopped her from inadvertently establishing a wedge between herself and others solely by the nature of how she approaches things. Her more pragmatic and direct approach, occasionally paired with the flare of unstifled emotion, can make her a stronger presence to face at times. ]

Discretion does seem to be the way of things in this place.

[ It is as far as she intends to indicate that she understands the importance of doing so — that some information is best left removed from the knowledge of those who do rule here. ]

How long have you been here? In the castle?

[widows_kiss]

[ The question has her glancing over again with a slight tip of her head to acknowledge the first observation before answering. ]

About two months now, give or take a few days. Still considered technically 'new' myself since I was summoned in with the last batch of arrivals. But long enough that everything is becoming a little less overwhelming. [ A pause before she chuckles and gives a shrug. ] Okay, very little. There's a lot to take in.

[seaandsun]

So those of us who are considered arrivals, they are brought in — summoned — with a certain amount of regularity?

[ She has acquired some sense of what the situation in Thorne has been like through her conversations with Elrond, but there are other aspects Galadriel finds herself curious about, including the particulars of how the Summoned even come to be in this realm in the first place.

There is much to take in, as the woman she is conversing with points out — but Galadriel has also come from scouring a much more familiar world for centuries on end, and it has been some time since she has encountered anything that could be described as overwhelming or new to consider, until now. ]

[widows_kiss]

[ All of Sam's notes and what she's learned from others has come in very handy, especially since she's only had a few weeks to try and catch up on several years' worth of happenings.

She nods in answer, however, glancing over to meet the woman's gaze. ] Approximately every sixty days or so, give or take. There's been a couple anomalies, apparently, but the summonings do seem to happen regularly - and across all three factions. Although I haven't heard of anyone discovering a reason for why it happens when it does or at that frequency. Those doing the summonings have kept their secrets very close.

banquet.

[londonbound]

[ She may have heard his name by now (would have at least received his written invitation), but it's not unusual that it takes a while for a face to be tied to it. Rhy's been running around preparing for this night since the new round of Summonings began; they seem to have some pattern to them, likely based on how often the mages can perform the spell, but despite his asking, Rhy hasn't been able to get the ear of anyone actually close enough to the Summoning to warn him. So every time, the first one or two trickle in, and then Rhy begins asking the castle staff for their assistance, whatever food and wine can be spared, and the like. They're used to it by now. It helps he's accumulated some goodwill over the year or so he's been around.

Still, Galadriel's question ends up striking him as slightly amusing. He laughs -- a low, warm and pleasant sound -- and raises his glass of wine in greeting and acknowledgement. ]

It is a bit much, isn't it?

[ It's actually a much more modest offering this time around, with all the supply issues lately. He doesn't mention that, though. ]

This part is something I came up with. But there used to be something in a smaller room, mostly meant to help the newly Summoned learn about magic and access the Horizon.

[ He nods toward the screens set up for that purpose on the other side of the hall. ]

I thought to expand a bit, add some flair and fun. At least, I hope it's fun!

[seaandsun]

[ The name certainly tugs at her familiarity — Galadriel had glimpsed the names attached to the invitation sent her way, but without the context of a face to pair with it, it had not meant anything significant to her until now. Here, she finally has that knowledge, though she might have suspected as much based on what she's witnessed from him so far — he seems to be studying this room with the familiarity borne of having been the one to carry out the preparations for it, rather than glimpsing it for the first time as some of the others are.

She isn't expecting to elicit a laugh from him, judging by the brief quirk above her eyebrows, the slightest change in her expression, although she does nod in acknowledgment to the raise of his glass in her direction. ]

It is not nearly as lavish as it could be, but such a display would be wholly unnecessary. [ And she has never cared for ostentatious spreads or anything that overtly professes wealth and bounty when she has often seen those who go without either of those things and endure despite their lack. ]

I... am very much enjoying the flowers. [ She says it somewhat abruptly, but it doesn't make the sentiment less truthful — the vivid summer blossoms make her think instantly of the ones in Eregion, but they also provoke her to think of a very different conversation she'd had amidst flowers of a similar nature, and she pulls herself away from those memories with a brief start. ]

[londonbound]

[ Rhy nods, taking a sip from his glass after the small toast of greeting. ]

That's certainly true. Supplies are better used elsewhere. I try to ask only for what can be spared without straining the coffers, considering the shortages. [ It used to be a little more lavish, but he doesn't mention that. ] They let us organize this little get-together to make a good impression on behalf of the castle as well as the Summoned.

We are provided everything here in Castle Thorne.

[ He says this mildly, tone neutral. But the smile returns when he adds: ]

The flowers are lovely. There are actually a few gardens in the castle where you can enjoy them at any time of year, thanks to the mages who attend them. I'm sure they'd be happy you appreciate their work.

[seaandsun]

Then you are prudent as well as heedful.

[ From her, it sounds remarkably close to praise, but Galadriel also isn't one to overly linger on any form of real sentiment either. She feels similarly about the notion of only making use of what can be spared, without devolving into excess — the feasting that tends to go on in various celebrations where the Elven High King holds court has always been something she has held her tongue through, so as not to offend Gil-galad any more than she often does.

Yet it seems her sentiments are partially shared, at least in pertaining to those who have authority in this castle. ]

So the castle is largely dependent on the mages. [ If they are charged with ensuring the gardens' blooming continues even through the winter months, they must have more wide-ranging responsibilities. ] For more than simply tending flowers?