( open ) an informal family dinner

[theidlemaiden]

Who: the summoned of cadens
When: beginning of august
Where: the sarstina inn and tavern
What: the welcome committee (sam wilson, hilda, jesper) has come back together again for another cadens welcome event! everyone might remember the last event and this one will be much of the same. Including, but not limited to, another invite by hilda! | sam art credit!
Warnings: will update as needed!

THE DINNER

Just as before, this is kicked off with Hilda's invitation, and if any of the Summoned come by Sarstina's that evening, they will find it set up a little differently than usual, but very similar to last time.

There is a long table set up near the bar that has a whole party-spread, a ye-old-southern-party kind of set-up, if you will. There are dips, charcuterie plates, sandwiches, drinks, a pastry/dessert bar and almost anything else that Sam could get his hands on. It is all, of course, limited by what’s available in Cadens, but thankfully he’s been here long enough to figure his way around the food options. Behind the bar is Mag (because no one else is getting their hands on the alcohol stash, thank you very much) and she will serve whoever it is that comes up to ask for a drink and will refuse any sort of payment - it appears someone is covering the tab tonight.

The rest of the tavern is set up for a party, with tables and chairs scattered around, a stage set up in the corner, and a decently sized space in front of the stage for dancing if the night gets to that point. There may or may not be some live music later in the evening, no promises have been made, but if anyone else wants to get up on the stage they are more than welcome.

Nadine has been kind enough to provide little apothecary bags filled with a mild sleeping tonic and things to help settle the nerves that new (and old) Summoned can take with them. There’s a table near the door and by the bar that have these bags in wicker baskets with a small sign that reads: Visit Salves and Stitches for all your medical needs!

The vibes are definitely low-key and casual – come get an ale, come eat some food, and if you're new there is a very good chance you'll end up (gently and in the most friendly way) cornered by either Sam, Hilda, Jesper, or any of the other Summoned. They are here to help answer questions and give a bit more background on what the hell is going on. And also let you know about the deal that has been going with Mag and the Inn for almost two years now. Aka, if you're looking for a room, there is one here for you in exchange for work. You can leave whenever you have a job, or you can stay as long as you like. It’s all about helping Summoned get more settled, and as long as you’re good at taking instruction and picking up after yourself, Mag hasn’t had any issues. Not a bad gig, right?

And if being social isn't your thing, or you’re just not the party kind of person, the Welcome Committee understands. But also, really, who is going to turn down free drinks and free food? The Cities work on coin and commerce, so turning down a free meal isn’t really the smartest thing. Plus - there’s alcohol. And the food is pretty damn good.

OOC INFO

- this is a totally open post! There will be some TL’s below from the Committee Members, but otherwise, have fun, meet some people, and put up a TL of your own! there are various places to run into people around the tavern, and if you find someone who is willing to help you into the Horizon (Sam is happy to help, but he’s helping Host), Sam's been letting people know they can use his room upstairs.

- the 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, so don't be an ass. Summoned have lived in this Inn since they were all portaled here ages go, this is their home. and if ANYONE is seen giving Mag a hard time, there are a few people here who will not hesitate and who are not afraid of squaring up. Also, you cause problems, and you will not be invited back :)

- The whole purpose of the Welcome Committee 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, or chased down by any of the members. Some Summoned may have also checked the barracks for any new Summoned to bring them into town.

- 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!

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.

Comments

[itookashot]

[ Jesper's notes are thirsty but there is value to what he lists too. Names, locations, even a few details about his observations of them. It might involve attractiveness, but he has a sharp eye for people and he's almost always right about them. His collection also has everyone who has disappeared, or at least it did, it was up to Viktor whether to get rid of those or not. So it has records.

He knows Viktor's been having a shitty time so he's not worried about ungenerous behavior. Kaz is ungenerous all the time and he doesn't even have a good reason like the inventor. It's good he's there though, Jesper thinks. Good that he's not holed up ignoring everyone. If work is a distraction, good. ]

He's a genius, self-taught in many ways, kind of like you, yeah?

[ Viktor's got that energy. The first time they met he was doing some casual engineering and he seemed like a natural. Wylan's soft but he has a spine of steel underneath, when he tries to show it off. He worries a great deal for his ex but he doesn't want to hover either. ]

Hey, do you know if there are any city maps in those fancy universities of yours?

[techmaturgy]

In some ways, yes.

[Viktor is thinking of other, unspoken reasons, like Wylan's disability and how he was treated because of it. How they've developed a system in the workshop, where Wylan can build and innovate alongside Viktor without having to read anything at all--where it's all charts and symbols and things he can understand.

He doesn't feel the need to address it, and luckily Jesper asks another question that allows him to pivot.]

Probably, but I study at the Academy of General Science, not cartography. One of the libraries might have what you're looking for. Why?

[itookashot]

[ Wylan's disability is something that he is sensitive about, for good reason considering his upbringing, so Jesper really doesn't talk about it unless Wylan himself brings it up. It's the same with his addiction. Viktor obviously knows and they've found a system where it doesn't matter. Jesper used to read everything to Wylan, and he still does for the network here, but Wylan's's found his own way otherwise.

He shrugs, comfortably sprawled out in his chair for now, making a few calculations in his head before telling the truth. There may be people he wouldn't, but Viktor's trustworthy. ]

I've been memorizing the cities on foot, but maps are helpful for other people. We're making notes for the exits, in case of escape routes.

[ The Summoned already had to flee Thorne and they came here, but that doesn't mean the Free Cities will forever be a safe place to live. There may come a time when they decide to move on somewhere else, or they get in trouble within the Free Cities, in which case escape is necessary. Jesper does know it like the back of his hand, he would already lead people out, but he's not the only one who might end up running. ]

And I'm hoping to see if they have maps of Thorne and Solvunn, for the same reasons.

[ Thorne in particular. It is not a secret that Jesper had a meltdown in Nocwich demanding they let Mat leave Thorne. That didn't work out but he hasn't given up. ]

[techmaturgy]

Right. Escape routes.

[A luxury! Viktor knows that there's some whispering among the Summoned about a contingency, in the event that they have to flee, or public opinion otherwise turns against them. He isn't sure where they will go, not with the wilderness surrounding them on all sides. That fact means he likely will not be able to join them.

Still, it's not a bad idea, and thankfully maps aren't the kind of thing the Free Cities wants to hide.]

I'm sure I can ask for them. I can't imagine the maps of Solvunn or Thorne would be as detailed as you like, but it would suit your purpose.

[itookashot]

I'll take whatever I can get. I've been able to map most of the main city parts, but obviously the land is much more vast than that. When Ciri, Claude, Gideon and I went on a supply run to Solvunn I mapped the route that got us across there, in case we'd ever need that again.

[ Jesper is always thinking that way. Escape routes, but also how to get around places easier and faster. Since they don't know the terrain well on foot they have to guess by maps. He decided to do that one the hard way, and he made a bridge for them, which could make a difference the next time they go. Contingency plans are important. ]

They may have public maps but if there's a possibility you could get better maps, I'd appreciate it.

[ Viktor being Important and all. Jesper is somewhere between an annoying nuisance to the city and a charming nuisance. If he went asking for things like this, it might get some attention, but if Viktor the brilliant inventor person did, who knows. He's never above using connections where he can. And no one else seems that into the university side of things. ]

What're you working on these days?

[techmaturgy]

Archival maps as well. Old passageways and routes that may have been built over years ago. If you compare and contrast the historical with the modern, you would likely find what you're looking for.

[But Viktor already knows that if push comes to shove and they need to make an escape from the Free Cities, he'd only slow them down, and at worst would be a hinderance, out in the wilderness. His contingency plans are elsewhere.

He could talk about that, he supposes, given that Jesper is asking what he's working on. How his own plan involves escape of another kind. Viktor pauses for a moment, considering, and then settles on something else. Not a lie--but not the full extent of his current project.]

Back to the mines, I think. I have some unfinished designs for safety measures. Upgrades to current systems, that sort of thing.

[itookashot]

Kaz and I've been sussing out routes, it'd be good to know where to look. Not everyone will be able to go the same way so we need various options. Can you ride a horse? I have a few paths I'm looking at that could fit one.

[ AKA Jesper has no intention of leaving Viktor behind. They may not be close but they've always gotten along and he thinks he's weird but funny. And smart as all hell, probably the smartest person he's ever met. Jesper doesn't leave people behind, that's not his way. He would carry Viktor himself if he had to, not that he thinks the man would in any way appreciate it. But a horse? That'd be easy.

Jesper is hoping to get more for Thorne and Solvunn, the latter seems more permissive but who knows if that's true. Thorne will be the hardest, considering the castle. But he's determined. He studies Viktor pensively as the inventor decides what to respond with, meaning that he probably has a secret mission of some kind, but that's fine. Jesper's no stranger to secret missions. ]

Well let me know if my abilities could come in handy. I mined crystals by myself that one time, it wasn't too hard.

[techmaturgy]

It’s not the horse-riding I’m worried about.

[It’s the surviving in the hostile wilderness, part. Even with a crew of summoned to protect him, Viktor imagines he’d be a liability sooner rather than later. He wouldn’t want to jeopardize anyone else’s chances.

But this is all theoretical, anyway. It’s good to be prepared, he supposes, but until this hypothetical danger becomes a reality, Viktor will leave it to Jesper to worry about. He has his own concerns, as they’re talking about now.]

Tell me. Do you have automatons, where you’re from? Or perhaps something similar by another term.

[itookashot]

I'm not leaving anyone behind if I can help it. We'll figure it out when we have to figure it out.

[ It is his thing to be concerned about for now. They'll get the general maps but he is hoping to get people who can do it by foot. Very few official maps have all the side roads, and they aren't updated every year so they'll miss when patches have changed. Especially with all the constant drama going on here. Libertas was brand new in a lot of ways, which is why he did that right away. ]

Not exactly, but it sounds familiar. Maybe one of the modern people have mentioned it before. Automatic machines? They do things humans do?

[ The technology in his world is pretty similar to what's here. The most tech he's ever seen personally would be a tank, and the airships that Nikolai made. But he's gotten very invested in modern tech information from the others, watching movies and playing video games. ]

[techmaturgy]

I'm not concerned.

[Not until public opinion really starts to turn against them. He supposes that they're lucky most of the Summoned are altruistic, and in the case of Libertas, integral to the rebuilding. They've fostered a lot of goodwill, and it's going to take more than a few instances of unexplained phenomena to sour their general public opinion.

Viktor, too, hadn't known much of automatons before arriving here. He supposes that's one good thing about this place, it's allowed him to witness technology he'd otherwise never be able to imagine.]

I want them to work in the mines. Perform dangerous tasks that otherwise injure or kill people, handle toxic materials, protect the workers. The human cost of the industry would plummet.

sorry got off the wagon with vacation, if we can wrap on this, maybe get some cool things later!

[itookashot]

[ Jesper thinks they all should be concerned but that's fine, he'll be concerned for the whole lot. And slowly going gray at nineteen. Joking, he never has many worries, or at least he lets them fall off his shoulders like it's nothing. He doesn't know when things will change but they've only been around for two years. He's thinking more like ten. ]

Sounds good to me. If you need any help let me know. I'm not tech-savvy like you, but I can alter matter and meld metals with my hands. It's a skill that people find useful.

[ He does it every day around this inn, fixing things for Mags or helping upgrade things, being useful. As casual as Jesper's being at the moment, it's not actually an offer he would make everyone. But Viktor's a good bloke and if he wants to save lives, Jesper will help him. ]

I gotta refill the drinks. Reach out if you have an idea, yeah?

👍

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor has had to reconfigure quite a bit in the smithing department recently, so Jesper's offer is tempting. If he's considering it, however, he doesn't let it show on his face. Jesper looks like he's heading out anyway, so he's content to leave it here for now.]

I'll let you know.

[This is all very preliminary, of course, but everything is hypothetical until it isn't. Viktor expects progress soon.]