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! If your character is interested, they can go help out in Nott instead/afterward!
WHEN: After the new people arrive
WHERE: A ballroom in Castle Thorne and at Nott (pre and post worse storms)

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 would have heard that recently the Summoned were invited to Ikorr, the land of the vampires, for their annual decadent party. While there, a heist went down involving a chef name Marcellus who stole an important Ikorr artifact. After catching the man, the Lunae showed up to demand the artifact so they could destroy it. The Summoned supported keeping it with the Ikorr and not destroying it, causing some trouble with the Luna.

Over the course of the night, a strange being was playing with the Summoned, and when they left, they had a vision of a god who said "You are Awaited." Shortly afterward, the Singularity started reacting to something unknown and caused lightning to appear in the sky and winds to pick up severely. There has been damage to all of Thorne but more specifically Nott. Please note at the bottom of this log that there are two prompts for Nott that you can take part in, one when it's just the winds and one when people have to flee the worse storms.



General.

Jill Warrick and Istredd are the hosts of this celebration. Jill will have sent a written invitation to all Thornean newcomers after 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 or Jill, 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.

Nott Pre-Storm

Newcomers may be made aware that there are particularly harsh winds happening at the moment and that Nott, a poor fisherman city, has been in particular damaged by this. Istredd will announce at the ballroom that anyone who wishes to pitch in to help Nott would be welcomed, and there is a portal going there. He says that there are ships who never made it back and most of the ones left are damaged and need patching up. They have been working on fixing up an old hospital that could use physical labor on it and people to move anyone injured by the storms into there for extra help. Newcomers do not need to volunteer for this and can enjoy the party without it, but this is an option!

Nott Post-Storm

Shortly after the ballroom and the request for assistance, the weather in Nott takes a turn for the worst. Lightning now strikes the ground, and heavy rains have led to flooding. Conditions have grown from troublesome to outright dangerous. While the Summoned can be there at the time when things turn, they will be forced to leave back through the portals, although they will be assured the guards can handle what's coming. They will not have a choice or be able to go back. You can use this for their reactions to the disaster and any feelings they may have!

(( 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.))

Comments

[thoughts]

[ sorry heather, river is a huge nerd and all of this stuff is fascinating to her. and even then, it took a long time for her to swallow it too. she looks sympathetic and her expression sobers a bit. ]

I don't really have one.

[ it's still hard for her to get to the horizon, after all. she's spent most of her time in istredd's library rather than trying to build anything for herself. ]

It's easier for some people. It took a long time for me to believe any of this is real - not a dream, or a simulation. The Horizon makes me question it again, a little bit.

[ of course, that's not why it's hard for her to reach it, but river just shrugs. ]

There is somewhere I like to watch the sky, though. I guess you could call that my domain.

[unresponsives]

I understand that.

( whilst she doesn't quite smile her expression is a little reassuring, understanding )

I'd thought I was wrapping my head around being here and then I went into the Horizon and... it definitely didn't feel real.

( she's never taken drugs but that had been her first assumption for it all. and she hadn't liked that )

Is there a specific part of the sky? A familiar constellation or is it just the sky?

[thoughts]

[ the horizon: a mass hallucination from a collective drug trip. she'd believe it. but heather's question gives river pause and she blinks curiously at her. ]

It's never "just" the sky. That's like saying the ocean is just water.

[ she seems earnest, almost incredulous in a way, as though the notion doesn't make any sense to her. they've been talking about magic this whole time but this is just simple science, and there is nothing river is more sure of than this. ]

The sky is infinite. An endless sea of stars, deeper than the human mind can comprehend. We travelled one hundred and twenty years to reach the White Sun from Earth-That-Was, and we still only saw a fraction of the known universe.

[ said as though the 'known' part itself is humorous. sorry if this is no less confusing than the info dump from before, heather, but river is bright and sincere when she smiles and looks to the ceiling as though envisioning the sky beyond. ]

Now we're in an alternate dimension where the multiverse coexists in a world made of magic. Whether it's here or in the Horizon - can you imagine what else might be out there?

[unresponsives]

( whilst she might have set river off into her tl;dr again this part heather enjoys more, she can follow it better and it leaves her with a little smile. river, she'll let you tl;dr about the stars any day you need it.

I've never thought about what else is, but you clearly have.

( in a tone that's a little curious, one that's absolutely going to invite her to tell her more if heather's question doesn't do that )

When you say you travelled from the White Sun to Earth-That-Was-- you've travelled in space? Across the stars?

( you personally )

[thoughts]

[ it's all she thinks about some days, what else might be out past the atmosphere of abraxas. she imagines simon is there somewhere. it gives her hope that maybe she'll see him again one day. ]

We live in a spaceship. Her name is Serenity.

[ a similar note of pride there too, same as she had talking about istredd. she loves that ship. ]

The last person that stepped foot on Earth-That-Was died three hundred years before I was born. I've only ever seen her in pictures and holograms. But the stars are our distant neighbors as we travel the 'verse.

[unresponsives]

( there are a couple of assumptions that heather has from this.
[1] that river was born on serenity
[2] that there's potentially a chance that she's not human but she's not 100% on that one
[3] it had to be a very interesting life )

How many different planets have you seen? I assume you have, that you haven't just travelled the stars and not stopped anywhere.

( they'd at least need food and fuel, right? )

[thoughts]

[ one out of three isn't bad for a first impression! river smiles and tilts her head as she thinks about this, clearly more comfortable talking about space than magic. ]

Seen is harder to answer. Serenity has a few windows and you can see lots of stuff in passing. The 'verse is big and not all of it is habitable.

[ not for a lack of trying. river looks down and kicks her feet a little as she keeps talking. ]

Visited is a little hard to answer too, because she's not always allowed to leave the ship when we stop somewhere. In total, I think it's... six planets and four moons. Approximately.

[unresponsives]

( she gives her a slightly sympathetic look )

You're young, you have a whole life to visit more planets.

( because that's clearly the reason why she might not always be allowed to leave the ship, especially if she was born there -- gotta keep the kids safe )

Though even six planets and four moons is five planets and four moons more than many people. ( she smiles ) Is there one that's most memorable? Positively memorable.

( she wants to hear the good stuff, not anything that would be memorable for weird and uncomfortable reasons even if it was the most memorable )

[thoughts]

[ river stares at her feet in silence for moment; she's not sure if she'll have her whole life to do anything, because it stopped being hers and the liánméng will stop at nothing to get her back. that's the main reason she hasn't been allowed to leave the ship. ]

Positively memorable.

[ she really has to think about that. it takes a long moment of staring blankly, sorting through her sordid memories, before river speaks again in a soft tone. ]

Londinium. We went for a field trip in elementary school, visited a few of the museums.

[ for this, she finally lifts her head to smile at heather. ]

Got to see an interactive 3-D projection of Earth-That-Was. She was beautiful. The best of any planet or moon out there. Those that have seen it are lucky.

[ in her extremely biased opinion. ]

[unresponsives]

( the shared memory makes her smile widen, happy to hear something so wonderful, something that had clearly brightened her )

One day, if I can, I'll show you Earth as I know it... how the planet looks but maybe something on the planet.

( that's what the horizon could do, right? it might not be real but the memory would be real to heather, be something that she knows )

Something I know of it, anyway.

[thoughts]

[ she perks up considerably at the offer, her eyes brightening with the promise of new fascinating information she wouldn't be able to get back home. ]

I would like that very much. We know what she looked like but some of the details got fuzzy over the years. What you know of it is ancient history - very valuable lost knowledge.

[ as grim as it is to tell people the world as they knew it is gone, getting to talk to people from earth-that-was is one of the most special parts about being in abraxas for river. ]

[unresponsives]

Then I will tell you what I know, even not in Horizon, and if it's night there you can tell me about the stars.

( heather didn't know much about the stars, she'd never been one to sit and look at them, but this kind of sharing information sounded nice. and the girl had brightened so much more compared to other topics, she wanted to encourage that )

And what I know will be different to others, if we're from different places on Earth.

okay to wind down from here? c:

[thoughts]

That's the best part. It's all good data.

[ said very sincerely with an earnest smile. it's like she said. they're in an alternate dimension where the multiverse coexists in a world made of magic. everything here is fascinating, even down to the mundane things. river could listen to someone talk about their world or the things they've experienced for hours with rapt attention.

attention that turns to heather more completely as river tucks her feet onto the couch cushion and twists to face her. ]

Can we start now? What's the first interesting thing you'd want someone that's never seen an Earth to know?

wrap 💕

[unresponsives]

The first thing?

( she pauses to think for a moment, shifting a little herself to get more comfortable, to better face river in return )

That there is always more to see, even if you are well-travelled. ( heather is not especially well-travelled, usually going somewhere for a client or family than to explore the world. but that's never been her inclination ) People can be incredible and each city, each country, each culture has something special to it. Something you should always try to find.