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

[magicalarchaeologist]

"Academic Magic does seem to come naturally to mages from other spheres. It requires memorization of a variety of spells they've tested and perfected and the knowledge of how to cast." So knowing already how to use a spell, easy. Having experience using willpower to push magic, easy. He has no doubt Gale will find the adjusting period simple if he's as interested in magic as he seems.

"High Magic is used in Solvunn, it requires the blessing of their gods, so we don't use it here. New Magic is utilized in the Free Cities, it's a blend of Academic Magic and technology." Istredd doesn't understand technology since he's from a sphere where the most they've learned is how to make cannons and some better warfare. He finds it fascinating but it is very difficult coming from a mind without context.

"Wild Magic exists everywhere, it is based on emotions, and many use it without thinking. I would say it may be the most persisting, but it's not widely acknowledged." Istredd is fairly simple that almost every Summoned uses Wild Magic until they understand how to formally do any of the other spells. It comes from instinct, not learning.

[karsiteweave]

Wild magic. Gale scrunches up his face, thoughtful. All the schools are familiar in their own way, but Wild magic he dislikes the most.

"I'm familiar with Wild Magic, or at least what we call Wild Magic. Raw, uncontrolled stuff. Volatile. Powerful, no doubt, but liable to backfire on even the most experienced caster without warning."

Not to his taste, particularly. Interesting, no doubt, and as a scholar of magic Gale is of course educated in it -- but he'd rather stick to more reliable schools and styles.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I think it is instinctively the first type of magic newcomers experience. The sense I get is that many grow out of it in this world when they're still children and learn the more controlled types. But since many Summoned come here new to it, they are going through that now."

Istredd knows a few of his students are doing it. Mat and Wilhelm have been using it from the beginning, and they're both excelling now that they've had practice and knowledge, but they did do damage on the road first. He walks into beginner's training assuming much of it will be Wild Magic first and then it can just be honed into Academic. So far it's worked out.

"It is dangerous for certain and I try to instill Academic as soon as possible. It requires memorization and for me, that's a good sign, because it makes people think before they act." Then they are certain what they are trying to do and aren't just being reactive.

[karsiteweave]

Gale hums, something wryly amused pulling at his features.

"Thinking before acting is certainly a lesson many learn the hard way, speaking from experience. I was quite the terror in my youth, ready to try many a thing just for the thrill of it."

His unending quest to strive for more, to prove himself, to feed his own curiosity had Gale make many a reckless decision as he grew -- and his years learning at Blackstaff Academy were no exception to that. He hasn't wholly grown out of that behaviour, but it has been... tempered, somewhat, but life experience. Gale has burned himself several times now, metaphorically speaking, enough that although he may still engage in reckless behaviour he will at least think first often enough.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"The school I was trained in was very controlling, but it's because just using magic was dangerous. It could easily kill the mage. Even the most controlled of us could be consumed." Istredd is fairly certain that is how his mentor eventually died, overusing magic in a last stand fight at Thanedd. Young mages had it happen, some possibly died before they were even found to be brought to the school. It is one of those things he got used to. Moderation in all ways.

It makes him a meticulous magic user, never extending past his strengths. "I will say that while I naturally use my own, it is nice to have a second option for magic that threatens less burnout." Istredd uses Academic Magic exclusively for fire, for example, and for a few elemental spells. That's always been a dangerous spot for his mages, as controlling the elements requires stepping close to the edge.

He doesn't often get to speak so easily with someone else about magic, it's a very nice difference. Usually he's teaching but he and Yennefer were trained in the same place, and Stephen's only been a mage for a few years. "If you get comfortable with the magic, you'll probably find yourself like me, mixing the two together for fluid strength."

[karsiteweave]

Gale chuckles, turning all that information over.

"Magic came unfortunately easy to me when I was very young," he says, gesturing to indicate 'small child' height. "And believe you me, danger was not something I fully understood when I was nearly fireballing myself and the front garden. Sometimes, I think, being burnt a little does wonders for teaching a lesson. Still, I am ready and willing to learn all types of magic. The best way to understand something, I find, is to try it at least once."

For educational purposes! Even if some magic may be inadvisable, you cannot fully understand how to handle it until you have used it. At least, in Gale's opinion.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I was a child too, my first attempts at magic were never as strong as a fireball though." Istredd's first use of magic, as far as he knows, was in his psionic strength which was why his mentor marked him from the start. He doesn't have many memories of the time before he was taken to the Brotherhood though. It took mages far longer to be able to use fire at all, so he's impressed by Gale's apparent natural skills.

"I agree entirely." Istredd steps over to the desk he has in this area, where books are stacked that he's taken out of the library. They are willingly offered for the purpose he has it for. He offers one of them to Gale. "This is a beginner's level selection of spells. I think you'll take to it very quickly, most native mages do." Istredd was using Academic Magic since the first day he was here, it didn't take much effort, but he's a curious one.

"They honestly cover so many types of magic, I don't think there is a missing subject. It's taken them centuries to master all of it for training." It required specific spellwork and testing over and over again, but it was probably thousands of years ago, given how comfortable everyone is now. "The only thing I know nothing about is New Magic, it's technology based and used in the Free Cities."

[karsiteweave]

He takes the book eagerly, already flipping it open and beginning to skim through the introduction. At the mention of New Magic, his eyes flit up again.

"Technology based?" he prompts, eyes dropping down again. "I couldn't say it's quite my strength either, although I've seen some interesting Constructs in my time, but any knowledge gap is worth filling. Perhaps this means I can return your favour by researching it!"

Perhaps he can bring back Istredd some books on New Magic! He shuts the one he's been offered, offers Istredd a warm smile.

"This should be enough to get me started, however! I best leave you to your other prospective students. Do let me know if there is anything I can do to assist! I am only a word away."

Fellow magic students need to stick together, after all!