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

[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.]

[seaandsun]

Anyone would have difficulties adjusting to suddenly being pulled into a world not their own.

[ Galadriel does make some effort at commiseration, or at least offering reassurance — her gaze briefly sweeps out around them, taking in their surroundings once more, never letting herself become so distracted by the conversation at hand that she allows her awareness to be divided.

She hardly suspects danger at this point, but Thorne is home to a political situation the likes of which she is still trying to navigate, much less understand. ]

You have made allies here? [ In Galadriel speak, that means "friends," for the record. ]

[ordinar]

[His eyebrows quirk at her phrasing, but he's spent enough time among the collection of weirdos Ambrose has summoned to parse her meaning. He also gathers that, after being ripped away from everything she knows, she might be seeking connections. Seeking to make familiar faces out of strangers. Nodding, Wilhelm throws a look around the room.]

Yeah, like... [He gestures toward the first person his eyes land on.] Knowing Rhy, I'm guessing you've probably already met him. He's responsible for putting this thing together. Really cool guy.

[Then he gestures toward another figure in the small crowd.]

Oh, there's my roommate, Elrond. He probably spends more time with books than people, but he's chill.

[seaandsun]

We have met, yes. I gathered that resources are somewhat more limited than they have been in occasions past.

[ Whether that is due to recent political tensions or some other embargo that has been placed, she currently does not know — but like she does with many other things, Galadriel is attempting to learn and pay attention to all that is before her, in an effort to have a fuller understanding of the situation that exists around them.

What may prove more telling from her, though, is how her gaze follows that gesture through the milling figures, and the manner in which her expression brightens at the sight of someone she knows quite well, in fact. ]

You have made the acquaintance of Elrond? [ She turns back to Wilhelm with a more encouraging look. ] I see his appetite for learning has hardly been extinguished, then. But he is a good friend, and one of the best elves I have ever been in a position to know.

[ordinar]

[Though he knows there's a whole collection of people here who, against astronomical odds, have been reunited with friends from home, he still manages to be surprised when it happens. At this point, he doesn't know how he'd react if a familiar face from home turned up. It's been so long, most of them feel more like strangers now. Or maybe he's the stranger.]

Yeah, same.

[His grin indicates that this is something of a joke — Elrond is the only elf he knows. But he wonders if this woman is an elf too. She's got that same sense of otherworldliness about her.]