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

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. The most important one is that a few months ago, a coup happened in Castle Thorne that led to the former royal house being slaughtered. The new people in power are King Rudolph Sidwell, the former queen's uncle, his wife Queen Lia Sidwell, and High Mage Mace Hemmet. A war has broken out with the Free Cities and after a tussle in the Badlands to gain land, Thorne was forced back due to the combined forces of the Free Cities and apparently Solvunn's divine intervention.

Also, strange creepy dolls have been haunting the children and causing them to roam.



General.

While Istredd had former partners in this celebration, he is currently the only host, although he can only be found in one section of the room. The rest is working thanks to the kindness of staff who has been partnering with this a long time. He sent out a written invitation to all Thornean newcomers after their arrival, inviting them to meet their fellow Summoned. There will be fliers posted in the dining area that anyone can see. His invitation is much less elegant than Jill's used to be, but he tried to copy it to the best of his ability. You can assume your character was told and got in-person invites or heard about it. 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. It has been arranged for special refreshments to be offered in partnership with local businesses.

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 a 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 cautious how candidly you discuss any displeasure toward Thorne or its crown, considering the new royals may be more sensitive toward any perceived criticism of their actions and behavior. Especially with war now possibly being started with both major territories.

(( 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

[ushiri]

[ With a nod of thanks he sets the flower on the table for now, not having anywhere on his person to put it where it won't be crushed, then gives a light huff at the question. ]

Some, yes. Things I learned here. [ He holds out a closed fist, and when he opens his palm there is a single crystal berry balanced there. Kyle sets it on the table, balanced so that it doesn't roll off the edge. ]

Abilities I was... born with too. [ He stutters over the word born, almost saying blessed, his own people's way of describing the ushiri'im. Someone like Iris would not be received well in the Payshmura's era of controlling Basawar. It's good that things are different here.

A beat, and he looks over at a basic spellcraft tome on a nearby table. He makes a swift motion with his right hand - if Iris is sensitive to such things he might feel a strange shift in the air, the faintest smell of burning ozone as Kyle's hand seems to disappear into nothing - or, if he is very observant, a thin tear in space. When he pulls his hand back out, the tome is in it, which he sets down on the table. ]

[inventure]

[ iris is, in fact, not sensitive to that at all, but fortunately he has eyes. even more fortunately, he knows how to use them when it counts, that artists's eye for detail kicking into full gear when he realizes exactly where kyle had turned to look, thus catching just in time the moment that tome disappears and reappears in kyle's very own hand.

he expels a breath, suitably impressed.

(and, well? why wouldn't he be? he'd spent all his life surrounded by people teeming with the potential of their powers, actively smothering them by their own hands. for iris, who has only ever wanted to embrace his, getting the chance to witness others express themselves that way will always be a treat he'll never take for granted. big or small, grand or mundane — a person's ready use of their powers is, for iris, an unspoken reassurance for his own.) ]

Neat.

[ sadly, eloquence is not one of his strengths. ]

start to wrap?

[ushiri]

[ He laughs, warmed by the boy's (succinct) reaction. ]

Useful, too. [ He picks up the flower again, glancing around over at something - maybe someone - beyond the folding screens. He isn't one to usually linger long at these gatherings. ]

I'm Kyle, by the way. [ A slightly crooked smile, but still friendly. ] If you need help with anything, or have any more questions, I'm pretty easy to find.

[ He lives in the castle, like the majority of them. Come to think of it - the only ones who don't live in this wing anymore are in Nott, and they aren't exactly going to step foot within Castle Thorne without good reason these days. He chose a different path then the ones who left. ]

yes!

[inventure]

[ iris' expression shifts faintly at the sound of the man's name — still warm, still excitable, but now with a tinge of familiarity. ]

I think we have a mutual friend, Kyle.

[ he doesn't mention wilhelm, but kyle can probably put the pieces together. there aren't very many kids their age lingering about the castle, after all. it makes sense they'd gravitate together, even if they hadn't wound up roommates to begin with. ]

I'll definitely see you around. Thanks.