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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[ elves are no less private, but elrond is no mere elf and he sees no harm in reciprocal aid. he inclines his head politely at istredd. ]

I would not mind in the least. I hope to see you soon.

Istredd also doesn't know why people consider them unworthy! It makes sense in some cases, Stregobor didn't want people to know or get 'distracted' by history (aka truth) because all he cared about was maintaining power. The truth didn't help that. All the mages were assigned their own duties, but people had very little patience for his reports, which in his opinion, were far more important. Like the importance of the monoliths, and now Princess Cirilla, and what that means for their continent. He will never tell them about it, of course, even if it would prove him right.

"That would be extremely frustrating and upsetting. Getting answers is something I always strive for, but being unable to get those answers would be deeply annoying."

Istredd likes to follow trails. It's how he got to Cirilla. If something he believed was true turned out to be false, he would follow the crumbs to the truth. But hitting a brick wall would drive him insane. He may not be able to really understand Kell that way, having always understood his magic, but he can sympathize at least.

"Have you explored your abilities more here? Is there anything I can help with?"

[It has been an excellent outlet. The proposition does bring up a crooked smile to his face. Kell rarely gets a chance to vent his frustration... in a more aggressive manner. Maybe he should pick up sparring.]

I might take you on that offer some day.

[Kell lets out a sigh. How can he even start to explain it to someone who doesn't already know... What it means to be one. All the implications of it.]

A very rare type of magician. Most powerful that exists. The only type that is able to use blood magic or travel between worlds. Back home, I was the only one left.

"It was frustrating and upsetting. There was a reason all of this was forgotten, but it made my life a lot harder."

It's a dark stain on Arnesian history. The cruelty and cowardice of it, Kell will never forgive, even if he fully understands where it came from. And why. The scraps he was left with. The same scraps Holland used to mock him over. Telling him he's weak and scared. Eh... all of this is history now.

"I did. They seem to work worse here. Some of the things I was able to do back home turn to be impossible here. Other, are just weaker."

The offer does take him by surprise, though.

"I wish you could, but without language to express it, there's not much to do. I won't be able to find any of it here. It was already difficult back there. People didn't only forget. They actively eradicated all they could find. I've never found a single, complete text written in the language. What I got was only in phonetic representations, basically a list of spells, with explanations and pronunciation. But nothing you can reconstruct a language from."

Edited (and then i had to check the source... to find i managed to muck things up) 2022-12-20 17:47 (UTC)

Istredd has found that some people take to it much faster than others. It was true back home too, although for differing reasons. If someone already has a steady and calm mind and a will of steel, it takes very little. It says something about Natasha that she not only gets it eventually, but that she keeps trying, so he is not surprised at all when it works.

"You see? Everything you need to use magic is within you. It's all about focus and control. And, most importantly, the desire to make it real." It requires a great deal of that. Confidence and dedication help. The hardest thing about training some mages is how scared they are of their own power. It's why he is very careful about moderation.

"Just do me a favor and don't jump to the medium ones after a week." The very end of the book would be closer to mid-level. This is a beginner's book after all. The more advanced texts are a different matter. "The way things go wrong is going too fast."

[ For a moment Kahlil is smiling back at him, glad that the offer was well accepted.

And then he explains what an Antari is - ]

Oh.

[ His expression goes oddly blank, and he almost just laughs. He feels it building in his chest, a kind of involuntarily, mostly humorless reaction that he manages to stifle before it makes it to his features let alone out of his mouth. Instead he pulls in a breath, staring up at the ceiling. ]

... I take it you've found some parts of your magic frustratingly blocked here?

[ Specifically the part that helps him travel through worlds. Or maybe his abilities are like Kahlil's, and require a gate. ]

Mmmm. [It's an accurate observation. Lucifer can see it stretched out before him: the optimist who strives for the ideals, that doesn't see all the fanged shadows that many of the Summoned have already stumbled across one way or another.

Lucifer hopes if and when he finds out he doesn't take them all down with him. At least many of them had learned quickly enough, before things in their faction had gotten dire, to live in paranoia. They had to. It was the only way that they would survive.]

I think you may be right about that. [Because he should acknowledge it more than with just a hum.] And you? Find anyone interesting?

[Kavinsky was, unfortunately, well acquainted with feeling lonely. Feeling lonely, like a freak, had been the reason he'd done half the shit he had before ending up here. Gifting a car--as if that was going to change anyone's mind.]

Yeah, I agree. That was sort of- my closest friends back home- I wanted to lessen that pain of being alone for them.

[Which was probably ridiculously sappy, but he couldn't help it; sometimes, he was emotional.

Considering things for a moment, he shook his head.]

Pretty sure I haven't met either of them, yet. Haven't talked to a lot of people here, so far.

[But he was always looking to change that.]

Sometimes, the people who aren't social butterflies just need a little push. [He agreed, grinning.] Helping out and meeting people is good, though. You never know when you'll need to lean on someone else.

True. Better than some shit like 'that asshole who tried to kill his father'.

[He paused for a beat.]

Not true, by the way.

[Which was technically not a lie.]

But you know, people like to spread rumors and shit. Anything that puts other people down or causes drama.

[ Rhy nods, with a big, warm smile in return. ]

Exactly. You understand.

I'm glad you decided to come. It's nice to meet you.

Well, at the very least, she does have that working in her favor here. She'd honestly expected it to be more complicated than that, but she's relieved that these beginner spells, at least, seem fairly straightforward.

It has her casting a bright smile in his direction in gratitude. "I promise I'll pace myself." A pause, before her grin turns teasing. "I'll make sure to wait two weeks."

But Natasha knows the importance of having a good foundation to build the rest off of. She has no intention of taking this lightly, despite her teasing words.

"You make for a very good teacher, Istredd."

[Oh
It's a very telling oh. The question that follows drains all colour from Kell's face. As if he wasn't pale enough already. It steals breath from his lungs, leaving him staring speechless at Kyle. How in the bloody ... would he know...]

I did.

[It takes him a while to shake off the shock.]

Some blocked completely, some weakened to the point of barely useful. [He takes a deep breath before continuing. The reality is much weirder now that he's forced to think about it.] Only blood magic. My elemental magic seems unaffected, but it's the weaker one.

I hope I'm not. We need less trouble, not more. Especially now.

[Kell shrugs. He can hardly be called anywhere close to a good judge of character. A few years earlier, he might have spoken with more certainty, but then things happened that forced him to question how good is he in assessments. And to admit that the answer to that question way too often is not really.]

But I am not what you would call a people person. I don't find most people interesting.

[Irritating, yes. Interesting? Rarely. There are exceptions, of course. There were - and are even here - people that manage to pique his curiosity, either by the sheer force of personality or simply by being bloody unpredictable.]

"Is all your magic in words and memorized spells?"

It wouldn't be that unusual, it would be close to academic magic after all, only if the language was impossible to find more of. It would be like Thorne if they had no actual books on it, only guesses at the right things to say. There are those types of spells and magic in his sphere, but it is not really what connects the mages to their magic. They don't need to speak at all.

"What does it feel like when you use it? Does the power come only when the words are spoken, or do you feel it in you always?"

He is not asking this to imply that Kell being able to use words only is a bad thing, everyone's magic is displaying differently, but in pure academic terms Istredd is wondering if there is a work around. A way for Kell to tap into his abilities without needing to know a full dead language in order to do it.

"Two weeks would be impressive patience, and I hope that you do."

It isn't that he doubts her commitment or sanity to do that, but Istredd knows what magic feels like when it first starts to click. He can see it in her expression too, when she did it for the first time, how it felt to hold light in her hands. It can be an addictive sensation and the more she uses it and feels powerful, the more she will want to do more. He knows the type. Hopefully her good sense will be in there.

He hesitates at the compliment. It feels good, actually, something that surprises him. Not that it should, because he volunteered for all of this, but he thought it was out of necessity. And instead it feels right.

"I'm new at it, so I'm glad to hear that. I went through extensive training so I suppose I had good examples. In skill, not in personality." His mentor Stregobor is a piece of work in the worst possible sense. Although a very, very good mage, and a ruthless teacher.

[ Kahlil was able to create a cursed knife, so his own rituals involving blood still have some power.

He pulls in a deep breath, glancing around the room. More people are starting to file in. As much as he wants to start a metaphorical measuring contest, this is probably not the smartest place too do it. ]

I think we should compare some more notes later. Your domain, or mine?

[Kell please.

Most of them aren't people... people.

He rolls his eyes.] Interesting. Useful. Do you like the color of their eyes? You've had to have noticed something.

[Kell rolls his eyes in that particular way that all but screams If you insist. He hates banquets for a reason. Though truth be told, the ones Rhy organizes are a lot better. Especially here, when Kell does not have any official function. He's just here to make sure nobody causes them problems. Even that is a responsibility he chose for himself.]

Have it your way. The ladies. The redhead and the one with white hair.

[Does he have something against people with white hair? Yes. That's why he chose not to go and talk to the woman.]

The one with the white hair is royalty. I would expect all new Summoned to show at least a bit of confusion. This one? She moves like she owns the place already, though without the usual ease I would expect. [Just look at Rhy if you want to know how royal effortless ease looks like.] I guess her position back home is rather unsafe. Or she just has a very scheming family, or court, or both.

[It's not as cleat cut with the red-haired woman. He can't even tell why she stands out to him.]

The redhead. I just find her odd, I don't know why. Something about her is off.

[They need to talk. They can't do this now, nor here. That part is obvious. If it was only for him, he'd drop out of the stupid banquet this instant. But it's Rhy's banquet. That alone would make it important enough to make other things wait.]

Either, is fine.

[Kell looks around. Seeing nobody in their direct vicinity, he risks a crooked smile.]

It seems we have more in common than you'd expect for people from different places. I've never asked, how it's like? That place you come from?

[There has never been a reason to ask, but now Kell is itching to ask a lot more. Question that can't be asked here. A story about one's home seems harmless enough.]

"No, and in the past it never has been about the words. The words are just from the language that was spoken by people with the closest connection to magic. They practically lived and breathed it until ..."

Kell stops. How can he sum up the true wonder and horror of Black London when all he has is hundreds-years old hearsay. Hearsay filtered through accounts of people who were terrified of it. Terrified enough to cut all ties between their worlds in a desperate attempt to escape it. But the magic cannot be cut off completely. He's the best evidence to that.

"Until it devoured them, and threatened to devour all other worlds connected to theirs."

This time the pause is longer. Not because Kell doesn't know what to say, but because he is - maybe for the first time in his life - contemplating a way out for him.

"It feels like a river. It is always there. I can feel it flowing even right now. It's as much part of me as my own blood is. You could even say it's an essential part of life itself." Worlds wither when magic seeps from them. "There are two ways of accessing it. Either, you force it to comply. Or you ask. I prefer the latter." And he was told he's weak before that's his preferred way. "The spells are just the strongest ways of forcing your will over it." Still, when he's using his blood commands, it never feels like he's using force. So maybe it's not in the words.

Not that it matters all that much. It all could be - possibly is - completely different here. It's a small wonder that he still has access to his own magic.

"If it even works that way here, with Singularity and everything. I'm still not sure how magic does work here. It feels so different, almost alien to me."

That's why he chose alchemy as his first field of study. It's more predictable. Kell needs predictable when he feels so deaf trying to even touch Abraxan magic. It just doesn't speak to him in ways his own does. Like trying to communicate with a native in a foreign country, when you don't know their language.

Edited (no day without edits...) 2022-12-24 11:32 (UTC)

"If two weeks is impressive, I'm a little concerned about the willpower of our fellow Summoned." Her voice is wry as she takes a sip of her wine and closes the book, although she leaves it on her lap for the moment.

"Your teacher wasn't as friendly, I take it?" She could sympathize. Her own education, such as it was, hadn't exactly been anything remotely like an enjoyable experience. Certainly not something she would have wished on anyone else. "Then I really did luck out."

"It's alright that I borrow this?" she gestures at the book in her lap, wanting to make sure. She has no idea if this is something they've got multiple copies of, although she's assuming so.

[ He considers the question. Kahlil had spent his first month or so here implying to people that he'd been from Nayeshi. Earth. It isn't a lie, at least now he knows that - he had been in Nayeshi for many, many years.

But Kell means the place his powers come from. Basawar. ]

It's... been through upheaval for many years now. Magic isn't common there. Most of the teachings have been lost or destroyed. [ A pause. ] There's much, much less of everything there, compared to places like Abraxas.

[ He doesn't know how to describe it to someone else, a world where even the air feels thinner, where animals considered pets in other worlds are a main source of food because most larger farm animals are near extinct. ]

See? We can't all be your brother, but don't sell yourself short. [It is a genuine compliment, despite the large grin of delight on Lucifer's face.]

I have bad luck with white-haired individuals. [Two have tried to kill him (he's tried to kill both, first.)] ... Red-haired women are 50-50 now, but makes me hesitant to approach her. [He spreads his hands.] What can I say, it's all don't-judge-someone-by-their-appearance but I mean... if there's a trend...

Edited 2022-12-26 22:55 (UTC)

"People get excited. Some of them, at least. Others are afraid of it. Both are a concern since moderation really is key." He would say fear is generally a more dangerous possibility since people who refuse to learn will more than likely end up hurting themselves and others. There are a few youths here either denying their abilities or struggling to control them, and it will take some time to feel they're safe. Istredd has offered but it is a struggle.

He makes a face and shakes his head. "No, my teacher is a horrible person." He uses 'is' because Stregobor is still unfortunately very much alive back home, and also, frankly, in his mind weighing on him. "I am hoping to make it a more pleasant experience for others." In some ways they had similar teachers, only in some ways Stregobor did care for his charges, just never more than for himself and his goals.

"Yes, of course, I brought a few copies here for newcomers. I will have beginner sessions every other morning, you can come to the training rooms and we can go over the spells."

[Not the safest of topics, it appears, but there's no easy way to politely backtrack from it now.]

Must be difficult growing up with magic there. What happened?

[Kell can imagine. He knows a world mostly devoid of magic. World without colour. Like a pale dessicated leaf. A shade of what it once was. Its people, like ghosts with hollow eyes, willing to maim and kill for the smallest drop of magic. World that envied the vibrancy of his own, with cold and vicious hunger. A terrifying place.]

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Page 8 of 10

OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne

Sounds good

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kill bill sirens going off

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uh-oh...

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maybe can wrap on his one with yours and do something newer :D

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