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

[ushiri]

A quiet time.

[ He counters lightly with a shrug. Whether that's good or not - none of them can really say what's going on behind closed doors. Ultimately, he doesn't know if the factions in their current form can ever find true compromise. Their goals are too opposed, at least with Thorne and the Free Cities. Meanwhile Solvunn is... unpredictable. Likely more dangerous than the other two, even while playing the part of neutral party at times.

Kahlil glances over to catch those jaw muscles tightening with his words. ]

No. [ There's no reason to be anything but honest about this. His expression doesn't harden the way Alyx's does, instead there's a sadness there. ] My world was a much harsher place than this one, in many ways. I don't want to see the same suffering here.

[diametrically]

[ Quiet. The definition of the word had changed for Cassian, particularly in the last several months of his life. Ferrix had been quiet, sleepy, trudging onwards and hoping that they would remain unnoticed and undisturbed by the Empire. Even his sunless days in Narkina 5 have been quiet when they were given permission to rest save for the occasional sounds of sleep or distress. Quiet didn't mean peace to him anymore. It set him on edge. Gave him reason to be more alert. 

Explaining that feels like oversharing however, turning instead to what Kyle shares about his own world. The tightness in Cassian's jaw loosens, noting the heavier air that settles on the man. It says a lot about his character, he thinks. It's admirable. Kyle's sentiment is the same reason he had decided to join Luthen's fight, but this place isn't here. That line is the distinction causing his walls to be up, to steel his heart from caring too much about the others around him despite the sense of comradery between the other Summoned that he had witnessed thus far. ]

Are there similarities then? Between your world and here? 

[ushiri]

[ To that question he gives another shrug, taking a drink of water before answering. ]

In some ways. There are 'factions', mostly nobility. The technology is slightly more advanced, maybe closer to the Free Cities. And there are some with abilities like magic but it's nothing like the way Thorne has made it part of daily life.

[ He sets his gaze on Alyx again. ]

And yours?

[ Alyx has said very little of himself so far. It's not so strange for a new Summoned to mostly ask questions. It's not even too strange for them to be cagey with their own answers. But it's something he'll take note of, either way. ]

[diametrically]

[ Saying less about himself has always been a defence mechanism. It had been drilled into him from the moment Maarva and Clem had brought him back to Ferrix and had been as much of a way to keep him safe as it was about keeping their own illegal salvaging activities from those that might otherwise use it against them.

There had been plenty of habits Cassian may have grown out of as the years had gone by. But being selective about who he told information about himself to hadn't been one of them. Well. For the most part.

Still, he knows there's nothing inherently wrong with telling Kyle about his world. It isn't as if it was likely to give anything away about him. Absently he turns the cup in his hands. ]

Our technology is far more advanced, probably more than the Free Cities from what I've heard from Summoned I've met from there. Magic is debatable. And depending on who you ask there are either no factions or just one major one.

[ushiri]

[ At the very least, Kahlil's curiosity is genuine. He watches Alyx's hands for a moment, canting his head to one side with a slight frown. ]

Do you happen to be from Earth?

[ A version of it. Many who come from more technologically advanced worlds do, although he supposes 'no factions or just one major one' doesn't exactly fit with what he understands of Nayeshi's complicated hierarchies. If not Earth, he's equally interested in hearing of a place more advanced. ]

[diametrically]

[ The name doesn't ring a bell to Cassian but then again, the galaxy is vast enough that it could easily be a place he's just never heard of or been to. And there were plenty of planets that fit that description. He shakes his head and gives an apologetic shrug of his shoulders. ] 

I'm from a planet named Fest. There's not much there except snow and mountains. 
[ And despite allegedly having grown up in a cold environment, Kyle may not that Cassian still seems to be donning several layers of robes even though the temperature inside is pleasant. ]

Is that where you're from? 

[ushiri]

[ 'Fest' is not one he's heard of before. And to the question returned, he shakes his head. ]

No. But there's many who are. [ Or it's just his confirmation bias. He gives a shrug. ]

I grew up on a mountainside. [ He grimaces slightly. ] I don't miss the winters.

[ Although he does, sometimes. It's strange what you find yourself missing. In the corner of his eye he catches someone struggling to open the doors again and he sets his glass on the table again, tipping his head in that direction as he walks backwards. ]

I think that's my cue. [ To get back to helping, or at least propping the doors open. ]

🎀!

[diametrically]

[ The knowledge that others are from the same universe, the same planet or at least some version of it, makes his chest pang in a way that he can't quite explain. For what isn't the first time he's been here he wonders if that would be the better outcome. If someone being here would make this easier somehow.

Thankfully Kyle's comment about being from the mountains and the unique chill that came with the biting cold stops him from teetering over an edge he's walked close to. It makes his lips quirk slightly in commiseration.

His gaze follows Kyle's towards the doors and he drains his cup in one go. ]

I'll help. I have to pull my weight around here somehow.