abraxaslogs | OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne

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OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne

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!

Rhy will have sent a written invitation to all Thornean newcomers within a couple 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 Rhy (or Kell), 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 he definitely 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.

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 with wine from large glass carafes. Hot tea is also available in a few flavors. (Though those who have been here a while may notice there are fewer carafes, and more expensive options for alcohol and refreshments are missing this time.) 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 -- nothing fancy, but perfectly serviceable, and arranged to look good even if the ingredients themselves aren't nearly as lavish as they have been in the past. Still, despite the impending war and tightened purse strings in the face of shortages, the kitchen has agreed to help welcome the newly Summoned as best as they can.

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. Bright summer flowers garnish every table, freshening up the space.

Of course, there's 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 patters, 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 insultation 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.

A mage named Istredd seems to be 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.

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!

If you have any questions, please PM this journal or catch me @ belleteyn on plurk! ))

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( Istredd looks up at the woman who addresses him and shakes his head. Blue eyes are fairly direct and he knows poise when he sees it. Having spent decades around many classes, he has a good sense of these things, but he was never very good in court for a reason. Still, he is trying. )

None of the Summoned have titles, my lady, and I am but a mage. Istredd is fine.

( Despite refusing a title himself, he naturally gives her one, since he can tell it would suit her. The mages do hold power within this castle, but the monarchs are in control. The Queen in particular. It reminds him a great deal of his own home and this is more authority than he has ever attempted. He nods his head respectfully to her after that. )

Yes, if you have any questions I am here to answer them. I am also available to teach people rudimentary academic magic if they are new to it. It requires discipline and focus, but it is well worth it around here.

A blatant change comes through him when Natasha says she's from the same world as Wanda. He's been polite, pleasant even, but now he really does smile, warm and genuine, and something relaxes in his posture. He is with a friend of one of his two friends, and that makes a difference.

"Wanda and I are both psionic mages, telepaths and telempaths. It's bonded us very closely since meeting."

Istredd has never had anyone in his life who he opened his mind and heart up to the same way. He's allowed her in, shared his knowledge and feelings, and that is very rare. He is usually contained and withdrawn, but with Wanda, it seemed so easy to share. Neither of them intended it, but now it's very real. He's never tried, but Istredd wonders if the power of their connection could go across the continent.

"I am hoping to help her make it less instinctive and more practiced. I've been using that magic for over sixty years, so I try to be a good resource for her, as she's been for me."

And yet he looks barely older than thirty years old, perhaps younger at times. Mages get to decide how they look, and while they can age over time, it is in very small measures. Istredd knows that Wanda struggles with feeling out of control or that her magic consumes her, and he wants to help her build that control and confidence. It may take some time, but their trust goes far.

"Everyone has access to magic here, you may see children run around doing spells at times too. The Singularity, the supposed source of magic, is very powerful and connected to everyone in this continent." Those born with it and those who have been taken away. "The moment they took you out of the water, you've been marked by the Singularity with its power."

His entire demeanor changes at the mention of Wanda and she can’t help but smile at that, warming up to this stranger even more. It seems as if Wanda has been gathering a family of her own in her time here and Natasha is glad for that. Her witch friend deserves that, at the very least.

“I’m sure she appreciates the knowledge you can share with her.” Wanda hadn’t exactly had a plethora of magic teachers to choose from, after all. At least, not as far as Natasha knows. Although she does mentally stumble a little over his wording there as she gives him an intent look, curious.

“…Sixty years? Well. In that case, you’re looking amazing for your age.” Is that a magic thing too, she wonders? She doubts he came about it the same way as Steve.

At least how he explains their connection to magic makes understanding it easier. That makes sense, it’s something she can visualize easily. “So it’s all connected to that. I’ve heard talk of it - it sounds impressive. Is the magic it connects us to universal enough that our knowledge could take it in any direction? Or is it different for different mages?”

Yes, they say some elves feel the same about it in my sphere.

[ Istredd has no idea if that is because they literally interact with magic differently, being from that world in the first place and therefore closer to it, or that everyone simply uses different words for the same feeling. He also feels like magic is a part of him, he was born with the ability, but it isn't like his blood or his beating heart. ]

For us, we have the ability to channel the forces of Chaos and Order, it is in our blood, but it is not something you know naturally. It takes many years of training and discipline to be able to safely use our magic.

[ that is an interesting way to phrase it. ]

Chaos and Order?

[ Rhy leans in a bit closer, lowering his voice. It's not a whisper, still conversational, but more private. ]

Since before I arrived. A year and a half, or so, as I understand it.

The mages here in Thorne were the first to successfully perform a Summoning. Though at the time, they imprisoned a good number of the Summoned, saying they were not intentionally brought here -- mistakes of some sort.

You'll hear it from those who have been here since then. A handful remain.

Thorne doesn't treat their Summoned that way anymore, and for that we are grateful.

[ The last bit is said at a less-quiet volume, though not at all loudly. His tone throughout is informative, friendly, without rancor. Relaying what has happened, nothing more. ]

[ When he leans in and lowers his voice, Natasha reacts in kind. Shifting to angle herself, she puts herself between him and the rest of the room, blocking the sight of him as best she can. Giving them a slight bit more privacy, at the least.

The information he gives her has her frowning, however, brow furrowed in concentration. This gives her quite a few missing puzzle pieces, actually. ]

So Thorne was the one who started this Summoning business in the first place? [ Interesting. And useful. ] Grateful indeed. That would certainly make for a far more unpleasant welcome.

[ Casually, she takes a sip from her wine and lets her eyes drift around the room briefly. ] You say there are a handful of the original Summoned still here. Did any of them remain in Thorne or did they all seek shelter elsewhere? Is there one I might speak to?

Mm. I see... Your people, then, and these dwarves -- you do not wish to tame nature, even if it is inhospitable to your needs?

[ He sounds genuinely curious, not judging either way. ]

Where I'm from, most people have a connection with magic, which usually allows them to use one of the four elements that make up the fabric of the world. We learn balance and respect for nature. At least -- in theory. All people are different, I suppose.

But that is to say, I think I understand what you mean.

[Kavinsky took the hint and started heading for one of the tables. This whole thing wasn't really his scene; it was way too fancy, to start with, but he could at least pretend he felt like he fit in.

He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying that predilection sounded like an SAT word. He could use fancy words with the best of them, after all.]

I guess it could be worse. We weren't just ditched on the streets. Running a country or whatever's probably super time consuming.

I appreciate it--your goal, I mean. I'm still wrapping my head around the different worlds thing but. We're in this together and there's safety in numbers, after all. Having people we can rely on when we need someone is important.

No, we work in tandem with nature. The dwarves sing to the rocks, harmonize with the stones. We tend to the trees, like any shepherd would.

[ at the mention of magic, elrond's brow furrows for a moment. magic is still a stumbling block for him. ]

You could say Elves have a . . . certain magic with nature, though it is not so well defined or elemental. We are magic.

You could say they're considered the mystical powers that create balance within our world. The living force of energy and power.

[ It's not a religion but more of a philosophy, or a spiritualism. A way of explaining how things exist, and the undeniable force that magic and life spring from separately than everything else. In truth he doesn't question it, it's as good an answer as anything. ]

Chaos traditionally is what we consider the source of magic.

Istredd has always had the capability of having connections to other people that way, and yet he's never done it. For a time he and Yennefer were linked, and it always meant a great deal to him. Technically that link has never broken, he touched on it again in Nocwich. But he simply hasn't found someone he wanted to open up that way with, until Wanda walked into his Horizon, powerful but untrained, all emotions and strength. And vulnerability. He's very fond of her.

"We have much we can teach each other, but she never had formal training, and I've had a great deal of it. It should be useful to someone."

Istredd is not the most powerful of the mages back home, that would be Yennefer, but he has always been in control and disciplined in a way that not everyone had. A good temperament for a teacher, he's found, although he didn't know that.

"We age slowly in my sphere, magic sustains our life force. I'm actually still considered young, being under a century."

Time does move differently to the long-lived too. Years and decades go by. It hasn't quite gone as fast as he knows it does for the older group, who have been at this for centuries, but he probably doesn't even remember how old he is exactly anymore. Or his birthdate, that is long lost at this point. Unimportant.

"They do have many books here of academic magic on any variety of topics you can learn spells for. Going off-book is very possible, and many of us do, but magic is dangerous. It's better for everyone new to it to learn how to cast before going in their own direction. I do think people sometimes lean one way or another when it comes to types. Some temperaments are stronger for an element or healing or illusions."

Him and Wanda's leaning toward mental magic, for example.

"I have right here a beginner's set of spells." Istredd brought them here for the express mindset of helping people start out slow. He reaches over to get the volume and offers it to her. "I also am available for teaching new magic users."

"It's possible. There are a lot of things about other spheres that don't always make sense to me."

He is not about to say that he understands everything in the universe or get offended when he doesn't. Istredd is an academic, he thrives on things he doesn't fully understand. It is interesting though, whatever she's referring to. Maybe in time it will start to make sense. He can only try to help to a point.

"All we have about the Singularity at this point is theory, but it does seem like it might have a will of its own, yes. Or it is not simply a big rock, as it would appear on the outside."

Istredd knows monoliths which are in fact giant rocks. They don't have magic within them, they are objects to be used in other ways. The Singularity is not that, he knows that much. It is a curiosity, not unlike how she is, only to a much higher degree since it touches everything in their existence currently.

"Of course, you should only go when you feel ready. I am here to answer questions about that and magic." His areas of expertise. "What skills were you thinking of?"

Isn't chaos a rather dangerous force to tap into?

[ chaos itself seems to hold negative implications. ]

How do you mean... you are magic?

[ Rhy tilts his head, looking a bit uncertain. ]

Natasha gives a soft, thoughtful hum as she stares into her wine for a moment, taking stock of his words. "When we first found Wanda, all of us thought she was the first - and only - of her kind. I still think, in some ways, that might be true - at least where we come from. Her differences have been a challenge for her and learning... has mostly been through trial and error, I'm afraid. We helped where we could, but there was only so much assistance we could offer when none of us could wield magic like she could. Or at all, in my case." Her lips quirk ruefully at that admission. "I'm grateful she's found a teacher here, so thank you."

She doubts her thanks means much, as they're very much strangers, but she wants to express it all the same. Wanda finding a kindred soul is... just about everything she'd hope for her, honestly.

She reaches out to take the book he offers her with interest, glancing through the first few pages and relieved that it does seem to be the introductory types of lessons she needs to start off on. Although her head comes up at his statement, one eyebrow arching upwards.

"You're taking on students?"

It would be, of course. It's a relief we're provided for.

[ It wasn't always the case. Kavinsky may learn this sooner rather than later, if he asks around.

The thanks seems genuine, and makes him smile. ]

I'm glad you feel that way. That was my thought, and that's why I wanted to give newly Summoned the opportunity to make connections. Friends, even. I remember how horribly alone I felt at first in this unfamiliar place. Anything that can help ease that pain for others seems... worthwhile to try.

But I didn't do it all on my own. The castle staff have been immensely kind and helpful. [ He means the kitchen staff, the servants and those volunteers to help demonstrate some Thornean magic -- not necessarily the higher ups, though he supposes they had signed off on it. ]

Istredd -- have you met him yet? -- has also been of great assistance. And my brother Kell, tall red-haired fellow. He's around here somewhere. Not much of a social butterfly. [ Rhy laughs, short but fond. ] But he doesn't really get a choice, as I made him help.

[ Rhy nods, taking another sip of his drink as well. ]

This was before my time, but my understanding is that... foreign actors of some sort, whose identities I'm not certain of, broke into the castle grounds and created portals to allow some of the Summoned leaving.

Most, I think, took the opportunity. Some fled to Solvunn, some to Cadens.

Of those who remained, I'm aware of one for certain: Yennefer, a mage and potion-maker. I believe she holds classes. I've heard she was here and chose to stay. But I won't speak much more on those things I'm not certain of. If you're very interested in what happened during that time, you may try to speak with her, but I know she's a very busy woman.

[ elrond hesitates once more, grasping for the words. ]

It is innate in us. We do not speak spells or learn potions. Our magic comes from our hands and our souls.

[Kell curses silently. He should really watch what he's saying. It's done now, so he might as well give some explanation.]

It wasn't a war. I mean, not an actual war with armies, and fleet, and all. But it was an invasion. We did repel it, but [How much of this mess he wants share? None, to be honest. ] it was hard. And costly.[His shoulders sink at the bare mention of the cost of his idiotic mistake.] I just hate watching similar thing happening here. Well, in Nott not here. Doesn't make it any better.

Don't read my mind, it's rude. Has no one ever told you that?

[Kell flashes quite the wicked grin at Lucifer. Here's someone who understands his anguish. Than his signature scowl is back again.]

No, we can't. He's one of a kind.

[He looks at the people talking, drinking and eating. None of the new ones can realize how limited the selection of food and refreshments his time around is. They seem to have good time... but then he's not the best judge of that. He's not Rhy.]

Any opinions on the new arrivals?

"I see. At least they let you do your thing."

Expecting a scholar to do a diplomat's role is plain stupid. Those people must not be very good at recognizing talent. Other than has magic, needs training. Which is ... on it's interesting.

"I'm surprised though they considered researching magic a failure."

He's assuming much, but Kell has spent time and resources to hunt down any scraps of knowledge on Antari and their - his - magic. He can't understand why any magical organization would prefer their mages to be good at the court dance and not actual expanding of knowledge of their field.

[ She takes note of the name, making a mental note to see if she can find the woman later. ]

I can't say I blame them. I'm not sure I'd want to stick around after that, either. [ She wonders why this Yennefer had?

But she takes another sip of wine before casting him a crooked smile. ] So drifting away from topics you aren't certain of, what is something you are? What would you say is necessary knowledge to possess in this place?

( ooc; also i know i defaulted to brackets, but i can switch to prose if preferred, sorry about that! happy to match whatever you like! )

I see — ( But a mage, he says, as though that's something entirely too simple.

She shakes her head, and there is a small smile offered. ) If there are no titles, then simply Rhaenyra would be preferable. ( It is still a novelty of such — to be only herself. No Princess or Queen, no Your Grace or any such responsibility assumed of such a station. It was — a complicated freedom, if only because it reminded her of her distance from where she thought she was needed most.

Still, the man before her poses the most immediate interest, carefully observed. At the mention of teaching, there's a spark of interest, though there's something sheepish in the tilt of her mouth. ) In truth, I believe I've too many questions to count. Magic is far less — obvious, in my realm. But, ( There's a wringing to her hands, a tell of nerves before she catches herself and stills. ) I would like to learn what I can.

How long have you been here?

Speaking of things better not said aloud here... [ Nott, especially any sympathies toward the lakeside city. His expression turns more somber, though, and after a moment he nods in agreement. He can tell Kell doesn't really want to speak of this, so he only adds: ]

My home was at not-quite-war for a long while, until it was. [ Even though he remembers some parts of that war in ways that make no sense. ] Watching from what feels like the sidelines is... difficult.

[ An understatement. ]

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Page 6 of 10

OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne

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Sorry work was a nightmare this week

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apologies on the delay!

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