[OPEN] Solvunn Meet & Greet

[aquaveiled]

WHO: Anyone in Solvunn!
WHAT: Mingle Meet & Greet for new and old Solvunn Summoned!
WHEN: Early through Mid-August
WHERE: Primary Settlement: The Drunken Lamb and Gardsbruk Farm

[ ooc; This is an open log so feel free to jump in and make your own top-levels! You do not need to have CR with Himeka, Wanda, Nero, or Thor to stop by the farm, but you are free handwave a word of mouth to get your character there or to the tavern if needed. ]

i. The Drunken Lamb




If walls could talk, these certainly would. The Drunken Lamb, an old staple in the Primary Settlement is where many go to relax and chat after a long day's work. A cup of locally brewed ale and good conversation are a great way to pass the evening and some nights get livelier with heated arguments over local produce and game, and friendly contests over mead and cards. A few nights a week there may also be a musical performance by a bad or just an impromptu sing-along when someone gets the urge. Luckily if you're drunk enough knowing the words may not be necessary.

Don't forget to say hello to the there is an old ewe who hangs out by the front door, either outside or inside depending on the weather. Her name is Myrtle and if she spits on you it's considered good luck.

Though it is usually filled with locals, this evening has been set aside as a special gathering spot for the Summoned, old and new. A few locals will still be in attendance either out of habit or a curiosity about the commune's newest additions, but most of the patrons will be your fellow Summoned. As you enter the Tavern, you will be greeted by Wanda who hands you your very own "welcome goodie bag". (That is until the evening drags on. Later guests will find a table of bags with a sign that says "take one" because she can only handle so much.) In it you will find nice soaps from Wanda, a handwritten note that states, "Call upon Thor, the God of Thunder, and Nero, a slightly less mighty but still capable man, to move your heaviest objects about. Redeemable Once", a couple custom tea bags from Himeka, and an expertly drawn brochure explaining all you need to know about Solvunn in minimal detail, by the local acclaimed artist Nero. There is also one small slip of paper with a number on it. Be sure to keep it handy. Now you have been officially welcomed.

The atmosphere inside the tavern is warm, stone walls lit by torches and candles. Everyone is welcomed by the local tavern owner standing behind the counter. You're free to grab a drink or order dinner right away should you like. The tavern boasts some of the best mead and meat pies in the Primary Settlement. It's a great time to chat and get to know your new neighbors, but your hosts for the evening also have a few things planned.

If you want to try your hand at the tavern's beloved mead drinking contest, you are highly encouraged. Himeka has been the reigning champion for several months now, but Thor is a terrifying competitor in this own right. They will be facing off one another as well as taking on other Summoned who are also capable of making poor decisions. But worry not! If alcohol isn't your thing (or even if it is), there are a few card and dice games available for any patrons to take up and play with one another. There is also a knife throwing board on the far wall. Because you know knives and mead work well together. For the musically inclined, Wanda has created some simple instruments for anyone to give us an impromptu performance, or an instrument of choice upon request. Sing us a song, piano-man!

Towards the end of the evening, you'll find out that the number you received is actually a raffle ticket! You have a chance to win one of the following prizes...

• A gigantic wheel of cheese from the Gardsbruk farm.
  
• A bottle of ten year-aged ale, donated by the bartender.
  
• A "date" with Thor.
  
• A high-quality shawl by Wanda.
  
• A knife with a leather sheath, made from the local blacksmith

If you want to put your character in for the raffle, please reply to this comment and we will roll for winners!

ii. Gardsbruk Farm




On the roads between the Primary and Secondary Settlements sits Gardsbruk Farm. A once thriving homestead servicing the community and housing several generations of the Gardsbruk family had fallen into disarray. Left to the care of Maeve and Declan Gardsbruk, the twins had initially hesitantly allowed the help of local summoned in their efforts to restore the farm, but now they are active and grateful supporters of the Summoned in the community. In recent months the farm has been seeing a burst of activity and vitality in the surrounding farmland, finally looking more and more like it once had in generations past.

Green pastures in the height of summer are sprinkled with some brown grass during droughts, but these rarely last more than a day or two. A few crops may be planted for family use, but the main stock of this farm is sheep.

And there are sheep! You may be greeted by up to two dozen sheep when you enter the grounds, though not all of the livestock may welcome your presence. There are a few rowdy goats that are wandering about too, and a large brown goat named Eli seems to be particularly discerning of residents. Be careful you don't upset him.

But why head out to this farm at all? Well, the Gardsbruk Farm has put on something of a Farmer's Market! Though such things happen frequently in town as is the nature of the community, this one in particular shows off not just the Gardsbruk's specific wares, but that of the Summoned that have been helping them out as well. Sheep are their main livestock so there are huge piles of wool available for purchase or trade. Getting your garments ready for the coming winter is a must! And if you'd like you can learn how to shear a sheep or you can even learn to spin your own woolen thread. A few shawls, hats, and tunics are on display as well--local artisans who made garments from the Gardsbruk wool, just to show how pleasant and durable it is.

If you're looking for snacks and you're not lactose intolerant (or feeling adventurous), then you needn't look further than the array of cheeses made from the farm's sheep, goats, and single bovine resident named Agatha. If you ask Nero nicely he may introduce you to his favorite roommate. If you want something to snack on right now, there are a number of rustic hand and whole-pies available for purchase, made by Himeka. They come in savory meat, cheese, and root vegetable varieties as well as more sweet honey and seasonal fruit pies. She may throw in something extra if you praise her cooking but she wants your honest opinion.

Of course with all the goats roaming about, this wouldn't be complete without goat yoga! Yes, goat yoga. Wanda will be leading those who are interested in a series of different stretches that she saw once on YouTube that will inevitably be interrupted by baby goats who would rather sit on you. Some sheep may get in on the action as well.

For those who are less inclined to finding peace of mind and want to hit something, a sparring ring has been marked off closer to the fields. Thor will be watching (and judging) participants as they face off one another in friendly bouts of hand to hand wrestling or with wooden swords and sticks. No magical powers allowed here! Though Eli may look like he wants in on the action. Be careful.

As the day turns into evening, the market itself will close down as a large bonfire is lit. Everyone still on the farm will be welcome to gather around, share hot ciders and ale, as well as roast some tasty treats on sticks. Food is always better on a stick. A time to wind down, share stories, and thank everyone for joining and being a part of what Solvunn has to offer.

You know. Other than all the weird gods and cult stuff.

Comments

[familysucks]

[There is much Michael has to work through, the well and its dampening effect being only the latest of it. It's an outrage to be toyed with in this manner, made small and all but human in the name of serving gods Michael has never even heard of before. Still—better this than oblivion, surely?

He thinks of the charm he'd been gifted upon his arrival, still tucked away on his person. He'd made a few guesses about their hosts based on it. They were nothing more than that, at the time.]

Pagans. [There's distaste in his tone. The word encompasses many unpleasant traits to him, and Wanda has confirmed at least some of them.] Animal or human sacrifice?

[It's hard not to wonder if the natives of Solvunn see them as akin to the sheep she's been looking after. Another herd to be tended and cared for, until they need the meat.]

Not much more than that. That their world is facing disaster, that some among them would be happy to see it happen. Is war unexpected?

[He tilts his head, a touch of almost avian curiosity in the movement. Michael hasn't spent any effort worrying about possible conflicts. Humans always seem to be at each others' throats over ideological differences. He's sat through millennia of human violence, watched them war with one another from afar, and they always seemed to pull through.]

[carmesi]

Both.

[she pauses a moment— she had joked recently about not scaring off the newly summoned about the arm that they had accidentally sacrificed into a shrine. wanda continues to resist the temptation.]

—though I would say there is a preference for the human type. [and, more or less catching on to what he's thinking of, given his previous questions, she clarifies.] They've not put a finger on any of us. I think they realize some of us are far more powerful than those in their ranks. Either that, or they genuinely venerate us.

[wanda watches him curiously for a moment. there is something quite detached about him.]

I suppose not. [about the war situation. that being said—] Everyone summoned is special in their own way, be it from what they can do or their life experience. I'm a witch, [she offers, first] so what is it about you that ticked the boxes?

[familysucks]

[Michael isn't one to scare easily. He would doubt she'd have much to worry about even with the other recent summons, either. After all, where is there for them to run to? Back into the water?]

Worshipers with a penchant for human sacrifice. Charming. [His voice is flat. That part wasn't in the brochure.] No wonder they haven't been forthcoming about their religious practices.

Given their reach, some of our hosts are more powerful than they let on. Or, they have access to an inordinately powerful magical object.

[Though incomplete, that's the only explanation he can fathom for how they'd pulled him back from non-existence. Resurrecting an archangel is no easy task. Even for his Father, it might have proven a challenge.

Wanda, too, is stronger than her attitude suggests. If she's truly a witch, she's a natural and then some. She could very well be something else entirely and he wouldn't yet know it. There is a pause as Michael considers her. He's not in the habit of trusting those he's just met, but neither has he ever cared to pretend to be anything less than what he is. He supposes he might be able to pass for human, if one lacking basic social etiquette.

Then again, she is a telepath.]

I couldn't tell you without knowing what it is they seek. [Which is the best kind of true: technically. But he sees what she's really asking.] I'm an archangel.

[carmesi]

An archangel.

[it takes her a moment, to dig into the recesses of her mind, for she herself is not religious—but she remembers enough of her childhood filled with judaic teachings. michael. that's what he had said his name was. she thinks for a moment how curious it is that this isn't the first being of scripture she has run paths with.

first lucifer, now michael.

she tries not to let amusement show on her face. it's easy, anyway, to trust what michael says; she notes no deception in his words, nor in his emotions. it is a lot simpler to just go along with whatever others tell her, in any case. her experience in solvunn has proven that—really—anyone and anything can show up here.]

I suppose that fits the bill. It's hard to tell what they want from us specifically. From what I've seen, those more studious and magically inclined are summoned to Thorne, while those who are more scientific and warriors land themselves in Cadens. Out here... [she squints and looks past him, at the group of people walking about the farm; new and old, native and summoned.] It's hard to tell what category we fall under.

[she looks back at him, raising an eyebrow.]

Under "weird", maybe.

[familysucks]

[She'd be forgiven for some amusement, though he'd misunderstand the source. Michael finds it odd to have picked him, of all creatures, to serve a pagan commune—to be honoured with rituals he finds distasteful and worship gods he'd likely be happy to smite. Whatever means they use to select the summoned is either blind or dumb.

He follows Wanda's gaze towards the people moving about in the distance, recognizing very few of them. Not all of the summoned are gifted with magic or grace, both as she's said and as he's seen thus far, but he's come around to the notion that individual humans can have their own unique value. One of them, at least.

'Weird'. Michael is wearing a small frown by the time she's looking back in his direction. It's not directed at her, but the notion that he's been selected because he's peculiar does not sit well with him.]

Palatable future sacrifices, perhaps?

[There is the barest hint of humor in the suggestion, though it might explain the disparate natures of those pulled here. Taste has little to do with skill.

His frown dissipates into his signature neutral expression.]

I'll grant that angels outside of Heaven are an anomaly, but I'd call myself a warrior regardless. How do you know of those in other nations?

[He has seen a lot of fields, and a lot of farms, and not a whole many means of modern communication thus far.]

[carmesi]

[now, her amusement does show when he offers another descriptor for the whole lot of them. she gets it, how he means it to be in jest, and it lands well enough for her.

huffing in amusement, she looks down at her hands, to assume a more neutral expression, but he starts talking again, and wanda's done trying to fight said amusement in her face.

in time— her expression adjusts.]

Many of my friends from my world are in Cadens, just east from here. [she points vaguely towards the east.] But... [and a tilt of her head follows] I suppose no one's told you about the Horizon yet, have they?

[familysucks]

[There's yet another series of thoughts Michael has yet to land on: whether or not anyone else from his home reality is here. He hasn't run into anyone he recognizes and he has little reason to believe there is much of anything left of his world, but the pool did pull him back from death. It is not impossible.

If the gods of Solvunn are kind, he will never see Sam and Dean Winchester's faces again.

His empty look should be answer enough that the Horizon means nothing to him, but Michael doesn't leave room for doubt.]

No. Most of those I've met are as new here as I am. The Horizon?

[More than the line separating the sky and the treeline, from the capital letter he can very well hear. There's a few other question buzzing around in his thoughts, like why she's still here if her friends are elsewhere, but he allows her time to elaborate first.]

[carmesi]

[it is answer enough. it's been a while since any of them here had to be in charge of helping others out with the horizon—wanda actually thinks she's never had to do so herself.]

The Horizon— is another plane of existence that we Summoned have access to. It's as if our minds are connected, all of ours. It's usually empty except that we can create something that befits us best; it could be a house, a library, or just a hill with a tree.

Since all of us can access it, it is easy to meet those in Thorne and Cadens through it.

[she pauses for a moment, crossing her arms loosely around her middle.]

I could show you how to get there, but the first time you go in you'll forget everything about yourself. You'll be fine after you exit it and go back in again. It's what happened to everyone.

[familysucks]

[Michael appears pensive. Alternate planes of existence are a fact of life, though he's surprised to hear the humans here have free access to them.]

That sounds like a shared lucid dream.

[It sounds a lot like home, too. Back when there'd been more than a handful of angels to speak of, the Host had been in constant communication. Shaping Heaven to suit them had been more the territory of human souls, though. At any rate, the description inspires thoughts of the familiar and nostalgic.

Her last words give him reason to stop and think. He's lost enough of himself already that the thought of giving up any more is unpleasant. Or would the absence of the last few millennia of memories be more of a relief than a loss? Michael's not typically one to try and set aside his burdens, even temporarily.

Still. He is, despite his nature, curious.]

In a few days' time. If your first week was anything like mine...

[He'd like to see how far those reassurances that he'll have his powers back in a few days go before he explores any further.]

[carmesi]

[a shared lucid dream is not an entirely off-the-mark assumption of what the horizon is. by the sound of his words, he seems to have some particular experience with something similar—time will tell, really, if it resembles anything he's done before. after all, wanda knows so little about the lives of angels, never really had to think about it before.

if she were someone else and had less experience of her own in the occult, perhaps this would be a little more disparaging for her than what it is.]

You know where to find me.

[with a light shrug and a nod, she understands exactly what he means. wanda squints at him for a moment, trying to discern something— but otherwise, decides to let it go.]

At the farm here, in case that's not clear. [hm] Your powers will return, though they may not be as strong as you remember them being. —and if you need anything else, anyone here at the farm is more than happy to help however they can.

[familysucks]

[Michael inclines his head in acknowledgement. It's not quite a thanks, but it's as close as he gets to gratitude under everyday circumstances, so it'll have to do.]

The farm with the surly goat. I'll remember.

[In the short amount of time he's been here it's become obvious that there are a great many farms in Solvunn—and little else—but this is the first one where he's been assaulted by the livestock. He peers over his shoulder. Eli is nowhere in sight. Off to harass a new victim, he suspects.

He looks back to Wanda.]

I'll permit myself a moment of optimism and hope that won't be necessary, but I'll remember that, too.

[It means a bit more to be offered favours from someone who doesn't appear to place any importance on his status.]