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

[weavered]

"I see." Channeling. It sounds similar to how the Knight used Soul. "I appreciate you trying. I assume it is not an easy thing to explain at times."

He wasn't a scholar, but that was all right. She can't expect everyone to have the knowledge she seeks. Though it was mildly frustrating to her. She needed information, something she can use! She takes a deep breath, sighing, trying to steady herself. She is not frustrated at this human just at her lack of understanding.

"Taverns?" Places where people gather are usually a wealth of information! "I would like to hear about those." She nods, turning her attention fully to him.

[a_better_man]

"Yeah, the taverns and public houses and all that. Where folks can drink and eat and enjoy entertainment - I'm the entertainment! I practice magic because I have the ability, but I play music because that's what I like to do."

Mat draws a distinction. Yes, yes, he's good at magic and apparently quite powerful when he can get his head straight about it. And he can be proud of that, now, but it's still music and his potential as a performer that was the first thing anyone believed in. At any point in his life. No adult had looked at him as anyone worthwhile until Thom.

And now two talented and experienced gleeman have taken an interest in his potential.

"There's loads of taverns in town. From cheap ones to nice ones."

[weavered]

"You are a musician?" She tilts her head, curious. She hadn't met many in her lifetime, and the one she knew of had perished during the infection. "What is that like?"

She did not have an opportunity to learn any of the arts, focusing her time and energy on combat. What more could she do? There was no one to teach her these things once the infection took over. Perhaps now she could hone her skills in other areas - not just combat.

Hornet can learn more about the taverns, and what places would be best to speak to the working class or the other Summoned.

[a_better_man]

"That I am. We call them bards or gleemen. I sing, I play a very very long lute with a funny name I can never remember, I juggle, tell stories...it's fun."

At least Mat thinks it is.

"I sang and juggled before I came here, but I have a bardic tutor who's training me to play instruments." And sing better. And write his own music. He's slowly grasping that last one. Still. He's good. He's a natural talent.

"You ought to come see me perform some evening."

[weavered]

A bard? It's such a simple word but it conveys so much doesn't it? She listens to him talk about how he's learning to play instruments and it fascinates her. Maybe it is something she could learn as well -- something outside of combat and survival. She hadn't thought that was something she could do before but if this human was learning... maybe...

Hornet nods. "I would like to see you perform." She's holding back some of her excitement, but it's clear in her voice that she's genuinely interested. "Do you perform at one particular tavern or all over?"

Maybe he could teach her a thing or two about music.

[a_better_man]

"Yeah, I've got something of a standing spot at a place in town, The Lucky Sheep. My village is mostly shepherds, so I took it as a sign." As usual, Mat simply implies that he himself was a shepherd. It's not entirely a lie. His family hadn't had sheep, but he'd sat with Rand and his flock plenty of times.

"I put out a hat, it pays decently well." And where he hardly spends any money, it's all gain. Of course he'd used a chunk of savings to purchase his own theorbo, which hadn't been cheap, but he still has more money than he'd ever had before. And he drinks and eats for free at the tavern when he performs.

"I sing a lot of songs from home, so folks here haven't ever heard them until I played them. But I've been playing them so long in town, some other musicians have started picking them up! Luckily my teacher has taught me some others."

[weavered]

"I only knew of one singer in all of Hallownest." She says with a hint of sadness. "She was very popular, though I had never heard her sing."

Marissa had passed when the infection invaded the city. At that time Hornet was busy with other things, and she did not have time to enjoy simple pleasures like singing or dancing. What was the use when she needed to keep the Dreamers safe and those who wished to pillage the dying land of its relics?

"It seems you are popular then, to have your music played by locals." She tilts her head. "Does it bother you at all, or does it bring you joy that they have learned your songs?"

She's not so sure what she would feel.

[a_better_man]

Mat laughs.

"I think it's the songs that are popular. They're new, so that makes'em more in demand is all. And it isn't as if I wrote any of'em, hundreds of folk back home play them. And even if I had written them, songs don't belong to anyone."

Not where he comes from, anyhow. The only way they spread was lots of people playing them all over the kingdom. It seems to be the same here, and Jaskier has the same view so he assumes it's just how it is everywhere.

"What's music like where you come from?"

[weavered]

What was music like where she is from?

"I don't know." She admits. "By the time my mother had given me life, there were many factors in play where I was unable to... take part in pleasures like music."

She wish she had a better answer for him. She knew of one musician but never heard her work - which was a pity as far as she is aware. Hornet sighs. It was a pity that she didn't know life before the infection, before her mother laid to rest to keep the seal in place.

[a_better_man]

"Ah."

Well, that's a bit awkward. And the more they talk, the more Mat thinks if he keeps asking questions, he's going to get depressing answers.

Something he's well familiar with.

But he is quite skilled in simply rolling right over the awkward bits and steering the conversation back to something more casual and pleasant.

"Well, gives you a chance to enjoy music here without having anything to measure it against, then. You'll have to come down to the Sheep with me some night."

[weavered]

He's not wrong thinking of that. She knows her world is in a depressing state, so perhaps a conversation for another time.

She nods, grateful for his ability to steer the subject back to something more casual.

"I would like that." She would like to hear music. "To go with you to the Sheep. It has been an age since I've enjoyed anything."

In her long life, she can't recall a time when she enjoyed herself. Perhaps this was a sign to do something more than merely protect and fight.

"My name is Hornet." She realizes she never introduced herself, and he was kind enough to sit with her, he deserved her name at least.