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! New characters may hear some gossip and chatter about recent important events that happened in Abraxas. They may have heard that the Summoned were invited to the Nether in October to help save the ailing dragons from extinction. Kyle and Rhy Maresh represented the Thorne Summoned in a negotiation with the Nether officials to exchange supplies for assistance with their navy. The dragons are alive and well, and the Draconae are very grateful.

Due to an announcement in November, the Summoned are invited to visit Borrel after Nocwich (the first weekend of the month) for the Maritime Fair. It is a three-day festival with lodging provided for the Summoned and a small stipend.



General.

With Rhy Maresth's blessing, Jill Warrick will be taking over his hosting duties on the celebration side of the mingle. Jill 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 Istredd, Jill, or Rhy, 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 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 and liquor from large glass carafes. Hot tea and a variety of warm drinks are also available in a few flavors. 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. Jill arranged for special refreshments to be offered in partnership with local businesses. Dante has also offered pizza for those who want something less traditional.

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. Everything is decorated in Thorne's local winter flowers, filling the space with pleasant smells and pretty atmosphere. There is 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.

Istredd is 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. Istredd recommends people visit his Horizon because he has a history of the Summoned and general helpful details written in there for anyone to see.

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. Your character can also know anything from the entries I linked to above that are in his library if you'd like to jump-start them into having information, or they can know none of it.

Thanks to Lena for originally designing this mingle every month, and Ammay for joining in on the fun now!))

Comments

[parce]

( it's almost instant, how those shadows seem to remind him of his home, of the darkling and the nichevo'ya. he tells himself that it's wilhelm beneath those shadows and not total darkness but he can't stop the way his eyes widen for a moment.

he manages to temper his expression, hoping it wasn't seen before he exhales a laugh. )

Are they a shield?

[ordinar]

[With his focus occupied by the mass of darkness he's shaping, he misses the uncertainty that wobbles across Nikolai's expression. To answer his question, he stretches his hand out, swiping it through the blackness. It's only impenetrable to the eye.]

Not exactly... I guess I could use it to hide? But things — and people — can still move through it.

[He's still experimenting with this bit of magic.]

[parce]

It reminds me of someone from my home. He could use it for all manner of things.

( and he did not use it to help people. nikolai frowns for a moment before shaking his head, dismissing those dark thoughts. )

He could create creatures that came out of the shadows. I think I'm glad to see that you shadows don't do that. Yet.

[ordinar]

[Judging by Nikolai's tone and frown, Wilhelm can guess that the man he refers to probably isn't a friend. He remembers joking, with Mat in the gardens as he practiced his magic, that he felt like some kind of wicked villain wielding shadows. Chuckling awkwardly, he shakes his head.]

Nah, that's definitely above my level.

[Waving his hand, he quells the mass of shadow. Slowly it shrinks down to an inky shape hovering around his fingers, then a dark pinpoint, then nothing.]

[parce]

I trust you'll know what to do with the creatures if you do get to that level.

( he tells himself that not everyone is the darkling, not everyone is power mad and tunnel visioned like he is. )

I sometimes wonder what my first bit of magic will manifest as here. The Horizon is the closest I've gotten.

[ordinar]

[Well...he's just going to hope that his magic never takes on a life of its own. It was hard enough to get control of it as it is.]

You could start with academic magic. All you have to do is concentrate and say the spell right.

[parce]

Concentrate and say the spell right? Believe in myself, that kind of thing?

( he says it with some skepticism but that's only because he's never been able to do that before. )

Any spell?

[ordinar]

Yeah, pretty much.

[He shrugs. It sounds a little corny, but just go with it.]

Well, there are probably harder spells that take more practice. You have to work up to it, like anything else.

[parce]

It might be a good place to start.

( though he has to remind himself to read the specifics of the spells so he doesn't recite something that causes an explosion. )

See where my skill set lies at.