WELCOME TO NOTT!

[abraxasmods]

WELCOME TO NOTT!

Welcome to Nott! A blend of old world Thorne and new world industrialism, densely packed wooden buildings surround a section of ancient stone architecture at the lake’s edge. The city rises up against the horizon and is easily seen from a distance, lacking any farmland or outposts around it to distract the eye.

The city gates are wide open. Whatever may be happening back at the Thornean capitol, there’s no obvious hint of it here. Busy citizens are going about their day, guards in local uniform patrol the streets with little urgency, and no alarm bells or horns are sounding. It appears,at least on the surface, as though no one is concerned about escaped prisoners here.

But it certainly is a bustling place! Sounds and smells assault the senses right from the gate. The streets are filled with vendors and panhandlers and criers shouting out deals and directions and soliciting money, hawking food and services and shops. There seems to be a tavern or a public house on almost every corner. A cool wind comes off the lake and the scent of the fish market carries through the city. People are everywhere and no one seems to notice or care that much about strangers - aside from wanting their coin.

It’s the perfect place to hide out from Thorne while staying within Thorne’s borders.

Within a few hours of arrival a city guard will approach each escapee from Thorne - regardless of what their standing was back at the castle - to politely inform them that Lord of Representatives Lyle Vela would be happy to receive them at the House of the Lords at any time today. Each character will be given a handwritten invitation marked with an official seal that gives directions to the House of the Lords, a sprawling Old Nott building on the lake that overlooks the city. The invitation is of course optional and there are no repercussions for declining.

Comments

[souille]

Abigail jolts a little, suddenly very self-conscious, not liking anyone to see her when she's let her guard down like this. She wipes her eyes on the back of her hand, attempting a reassuring smile that probably doesn't look convincing at all.

"Sorry, I-- I didn't mean to disturb you."

[nadine_he_loves]

"You didn't. It's okay. I'm not trying to intrude I just...in case you needed some kind of help or something. I wanted to ask."

Nadine offers a slightly awkward smile of her own, not coming any closer. She doesn't want to freak the girl out or make anything worse. She just can't ignore a distressed young person, and in this city...well, she can imagine plenty of people need help on the regular. She hasn't missed the number of homeless people on the streets.

[souille]

She moves her hair out of her face, her pasty complexion contrasting sharply with how red and raw her eyes have become from crying. It's not really in her nature to divulge her problems - she'd spent so long keeping silent out of fear, both of what might happen to her and what she might learn about herself - but there's so much about this place and everything that's happened to her here that it might actually help her to get some of it out, bounce it off another person.

"Not help, exactly. I don't know. I'm still not convinced this isn't all some bizarre ren faire nightmare."

[nadine_he_loves]

Nadine's smile solidifies at that.

"I know exactly what you mean. I came here from the castle, too. And from New Hampshire before that." The use of the term 'ren faire' implies to Nadine that the young woman likely knows what the United States are.

"It's all pretty crazy. I don't blame you at all for being overwhelmed."

[souille]

At the mention of a place familiar to her but not of this world, Abigail really looks at Nadine for the first time, relief evident in her expression now along with her worry and exhaustion.

"I'm from Minnesota." Originally, at least. She'd been plucked from a secure facility near Baltimore, though she was trying to avoid divulging that. "I ran from the castle prison when everything froze. Part of me actually wishes I hadn't now, at least they fed me there."

[nadine_he_loves]

"I ran, too. It's been a big adjustment, but...I think we're safer here."

Nadine holds out her bag of salted crabs, offering one to the young woman. She can easily share some of her street food with someone who needs it.

"At least nobody here's trying to use us or throwing people in dungeons. Are you here on your own?"

[souille]

Abigail hesitates, looking between Nadine and the bag of crabs for a moment before her stomach rumbles loudly and makes her decision for her. She at least waits until she's finished eating to answer the question.

"Yeah. I'm just kind of taking it day by day, you know?"

[nadine_he_loves]

"Yeah...me and my people are staying at a cheap little inn in the bad part of town, but if you ever need anything... It's tough being on your own in a strange place. And this place is really strange."

Even for Nadine, who has known magic and greater forces and other worlds are real since she was a young girl. It was one thing for it to exist in the world she knew and grew up in, another entirely to be transported to a place so foreign and unfamiliar.

"Do you have people you can talk to and meet with through the Singularity?"

[souille]

Even with such a kind offer, Abigail still feels an unwanted stab of jealousy at the idea that she has people. Still, she's grateful, and quite relieved to know that there's somewhere she can turn in a city she doesn't really feel safe in yet.

"Thanks. I'll probably take you up on that, honestly. It's just added to how surreal this whole place is, trying to figure it out on my own."

She shakes her head at the question, frowning a little.

"Is the Singularity how they brought us here?" Her first image is being able to look through the portal to her own world and talk to people there.

[nadine_he_loves]

"I can't imagine how tough that has to be." This world is so far removed from Earth. They've been kept sheltered and shielded from any real knowledge of the world outside and now they're thrust out into it with no warning.

"And yeah, as far as I can tell. The Singularity is how everybody does any magic, it's apparently the source of magic? Or something like that. They brought the first of us out to it, we...bonded with it, or something." It all sounds like a lot of madness, and Nadine knows it.

But what's a little more madness at this point?

[souille]

It does sound like madness, but Abigail's already learning that she needs to disregard the way in which she thinks the universe works, that in this place anything is potentially possible.

"The source of magic... What exactly did they get you to do?"

[nadine_he_loves]

"Touch it. That's when it connected us with the Horizon. But you don't need to touch the Singularity for that, it's something that can be passed on. If you need the connection..."

Nadine's been there, she can do it. And it sounds as if Abigail doesn't have any way to reach out to anyone.

[souille]

There's a moment's pause while she tries to get her head around this.

"You can take us somewhere else? Somewhere that's not here?"

She doesn't want to hope too much, but her excitement is evident in her tone.

[nadine_he_loves]

"Sort of. It's more like...astral projection? But it feels real...like virtual reality, I guess."

Nadine thinks that's probably a comparison Abigail will understand. She sets her bag aside and settles herself more comfortably.

"Here, I can show you."

She holds her hands out to the younger woman.

[souille]

Abigail hesitates for a second, wondering what exactly she's signing up for. The closest she can imagine is the time Hannibal fed her magic mushrooms, and she's not sure how she feels about that in hindsight. Still, she'll take anything at this point to make her time here more bearable, to go to any place other than here. She reaches out and takes Nadine's offered hand.

"Do I have to click my heels or something?"