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

[diametrically]

[ Cassian had been here for all of less than a week and he was starting to get that distinct impression. Most wouldn't think of luxury as suffocating but all of this - the finery and quality of the clothes they had been given, the access to whatever food and drink they wanted, the heralding of the Summoned being "special" in some way - it presses around him on all sides. He's only ever been a nobody that passed wordlessly through the shadows. To have this thrust upon them is overwhelming to say the least.

But at least here, talking with this man about something that he knew and had nothing to do with Thorne feels like something grounding in a way that he can't explain. Did he already miss home that much? ]

Spaceships only. Not physically.

[ As if he needed to clarify that. It's his attempt at humour though. ]

It's a useful skill to have where I'm from. Unless you want to stay grounded on a planet or rely on others for transport. I'm no captain though.

[parce]

I think this might be the longest I've been in one place in years. I don't really know how I feel about it.

( no, he knows. he hates it. he hates the feeling of being caged even if there's nocwich and other excursions to other places. he doesn't much like not being able to go to the other regions.

and he hates being without his ship. )

I don't really know how I feel about castle life. It's a bit...empty sometimes. So big with so few people in it. If that makes sense.

[diametrically]

[ The man's sentiment resonates with him more than he might realize. To feel grounded, to feel trapped whether that be mentally or physically, had never sat well with Cassian. And when he did, the urge to leave, to defy the forces keeping him at bay never failed to rear their heads. Even if he was "safe" the desire to keep on the move never let him rest. It had been the downfall of his relationship with Bix: he always left. But here? There was nowhere to go. ]

I've never been in a castle before this. 

[ It would allude more to his background without him needing to explain more than he had to. ]

It's unsettling. I'll walk down a hallway with no one else there but still feel like I'm being watched. 

[parce]

( whereas nikolai has definitely been in a castle before but even the castle in ravka felt more welcoming than this. he's not sure if it's because he's familiar with that castle or if there's something about thorne...

that's what he's defaulted to, lately. there's something about thorne. )

I don't think that's at all far off from what's happening. I have no way to prove it but I'm fairly certain we are being watched wherever we are.

[diametrically]

If that makes two of us then it must be true.

[ Not that he wants this to be true. Or any of this really.

Did he mean to admit that he's as paranoid as he is? Not intentionally, but the blonde might gather as much from him in the way he holds himself like he's always ready to spring into action whether that's fight or flight. It's come after years of feeling like there were always eyes on him wherever he went.

There's a moment of realization that breaks through his brooding and he extends a hand. ]

Alyx, by the way.

[parce]

Nikolai.

( he reaches out and takes the extended hand, giving it a shake and nodding. )

Pleasure to meet you.

( even if it was after they'd both bee kidnapped (or summoned) to this stuffy, stuffy castle. )

You've just arrived, I'm guessing?

[diametrically]

[ There's another wry lift of his lips. ] 

Did all the questions and the skepticism give it away? 

[ He withdraws his hand noting the way the handshake is firm. Confident. It's the grip of someone who would call themselves a captain, if Cassian's experience is anything to go off of. ] 

Or is there another mark of a newly arrived Summoned that I don't know about? 

[ It had been several weeks since his escape from Narkina 5. Despite the sore muscles and weariness in his bones that never seemed to be far away these days, the prison had ensured that they kept their workers in good shape so there aren't any visible signs of mistreatment on the parts of him that are visible. Sure they were replaceable, but that was a chore to do. Better to keep them lean and mostly fed than dead. ] 

[parce]

I think it's because I don't remember seeing your face around the castle.

( and while the castle was large, he's been here long enough to know faces even if he doesn't know the person very well. he thinks he would remember a face like alyx's though.

and his memory bank is providing him nothing )

I'd remember you.

( he says it confidently, smiling crookedly before he cuts a glance back to the magic display. )

You're not the only skeptical one here. Just so you don't think you're alone in that.

shall we wrap soon? 💕

[diametrically]

[ Nikolai's confidence and crooked smile is enough to make him laugh. It comes easier than he anticipates catching him off guard too. Something like that might have been might with more paranoia and suspicion at home. Cassian had been through too much and all at once for his body not to tense at that. 

But all of this is just so absurd, so bizarre, that the surprise creeps up on him unexpectedly. Before the surprise can make it to the surface however he folds it back underneath his clear amusement. ]

I'll take that as a compliment. I don't try to make it a habit to have a memorable face. 

[ His gaze lingers briefly on Nikolai's profile a moment before returning back to the magic display. ] 

That's reassuring. I mean that. [ A beat later he tilts head towards the buffet table. ] Drink? 

i'm good with that!

[parce]

Drink.

( absolutely drinks. that's something he does well and it's going to keep his mind off the magic and the myriad of questions he has. )

Come on, let's drink.