abraxaslogs | OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne!

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! New characters may hear some gossip and chatter about a few recent important events that happened in Abraxas. Just in June, the Summoned were welcomed into the Feywilds where they met the Fey. The Fey have been separated from the rest of the continent a long time so it was a big deal. They may hear that months ago many Summoned were kidnapped by a cult and are still recovering. Lastly they would hear about strange rifts that started appearing with mostly harmless animals coming through. Some of those animals were familiar.

General.

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, Kell, or Istredd, 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 they 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.

Most of this was written by Lena aka Rhy player! Have fun! ))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Adora's quiet as she listens, almost unmoving as Jill explains. But then she blinks and tears a piece of bread before eating it, chewing thoughtfully. When she's ready, she looks up at the sky, still mesmerized by stars, even now. ]

Etheria was at war for a long time against someone named Horde Prime. He wanted to strip the planet of all its magic, take it all for himself. He already went around the galaxy destroying worlds, and if he'd been able to get to the heart of the magic in Etheria, everything would've just been gone.

[ She looks at Jill and the corner of her mouth ticks upward. ]

We won, of course.

( Jill can't help but give her an encouraging, relieved smile. It's nice that somewhere has won, has protected the thing they wished for -- a happy ending, when so many don't end that way. )

I'm glad to hear it, truly. ( She says, taking another drink of wine. ) We are... trying, in my world. Might have succeeded, but we'll only know for certain upon our return.

[ It was a close call. She had to die first. But winning is winning, and she's still here. ]

Are there a lot of people from home here with you? You said, 'we' so I thought maybe?

[ That'd be nice for her if so. Adora would really love it if Glimmer and Bow showed up, that would make everything perfect. ]

( She nods, confirming Adora's thoughts. Not being alone here, not being alone in Thorne has meant a lot to Jill. She's not certain how she'd be managing without them -- without Clive in particular. To be a world away while not knowing if they were alright...

It would be a hard burden to bear. )

A few, yes. Clive is here in Thorne, along with a woman named Benedikta -- though she and I are not what I would consider close. A friend of all three of us is in the Free Cities. It's... a surprising amount. What about yourself?

[ She isn't sure why, maybe because she's so new to having people, but she's glad Jill isn't alone, and that she has so many people with her. ]

My girlfriend is here, Catra. She's in Thorne too. But so far, she's the only one. That's okay, though, if anyone from home is gonna be here, I'm glad it's her. I don't know whether or not it's okay to hope our other friends show up. On the one hand, it probably isn't nice to want that. On the other, I miss them so much.

I'm happy to hear that. Having one's loved ones here eases the burden greatly. ( The word 'boyfriend' for Jill doesn't really feel right, but perhaps-- ) Clive, the man I mentioned, is my partner. And I agree, if anyone from home is here, I'm glad it's him.

( Considering what the alternative might be-- best not to think of that right now. Jill takes another drink of the wine before offering it to Adora, head thumping back against the wall with a soft sound. )

Everyone back home-- they should be safe, but I also think that seeing the way a world like this works would be novel enough for them to make it worth it.

I think Glimmer would really love the magic here, the Singularity could make her so much stronger.

[ Adora nibbles on an unfamiliar food that she decides is pretty good, humming. ]

How long have you and Clive been together? ...Is that an okay thing to ask? I'm sort of new at social situations.

You needn't worry, it's a standard question to ask. ( Jill says, encouragingly. ) Though the answer isn't so easy. We've only been together for a few months, but we've harbored feelings for each other for much longer.

( Jill had a crush on him when she was younger which hadn't abated in the slightest when they reunited. And then there was five years of never having enough time. But they have it now. And that will be enough. It has to be. )

And you? How long have you and Catra been together?

[ Glad she hasn't misstepped, she smiles brightly at Jill's answer, because it sounds so similar to her own answer. ]

I've known Catra almost all of my life, I found her in a box when she was just a kitten and from then we were inseparable. I think we did the same thing as you—we knew, but I don't think we could figure out how to say it, or even make it work. And then some not-great things happened that pushed us apart. [ Adora's smile falters a little, but it picks back up again easily. ] But we made it, and it's been a few weeks since she first said she loved me.

[ Adora's smile is lovesick, like a dope, but she definitely doesn't care. ]

Deep down I was so afraid to lose what we had that I think I decided never to say anything. Then that happened anyway and I could've lost her for good. That was enough. What about you, what finally pushed you two together?

( Jill's smile grows soft for the other woman -- it really is a miracle that they get there in the end. But they do, and it's worth it. It will always be worth it, even though the end -- in her case -- may not turn out the way they want. )

He was worried he might be the end of me. ( Or that he was forced to destroy everyone who harbored an eikon, that that was his nature. And Jill knows it isn't; but it is his nature to care more about others than himself. And rather than fret that he would take it and loathe himself over the possibility, she gave it to him -- without question, because he needed to protect himself. ) So I reminded him otherwise, and things... went from there. We have so little time, it seemed silly to go on acting like we weren't in love. Everyone could see it, so it wasn't a surprise to anyone else that we simply stopped pretending otherwise.

( She smiles, taking another sip of wine before passing it over. )

It sounds trite to say, but I know that he is as much a part of me as anything else in our world. In this world, too. I hope it's the same for you and her.

That sounds amazing to say.

[ Adora is smiling widely, happy that Jill's found so much happiness here. She wonders how common that is as she takes a nice long drink of wine. ]

It's how I feel about Catra, too. When I think about things in the future, I can't think of anything that doesn't include her. The fact that she showed up right after I did makes it feel like we're never supposed to be apart again. I dunno what I would do if I didn't have her anymore.

[ Spoiler alert: she'll find out soon when she wakes up alone soon, but for now, she knows Catra is mingling, and Adora's proud of her. ]

OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject