OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne

[londonbound]

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! ))

Comments

[ia]

Sophia listens intently, her expression not conveying her surprise initially. There's quite a bit to digest here, even if Istredd doesn't go into much detail. Just enough to make her consider the situation more seriously.

"When you say no memories, how much do you mean? Sounds to me I should probably enter alongside someone else, just for safety in general. Will I know who I am the first time around?"

It doesn't scare her per se, but it raises the question of what the initial contact is like. There's also the fact that The Horizon is a psychic plane, meaning one's mind would be at least partially divided from its body. To someone of Sophia's nature it could be a bit dangerous.

Still, she's nothing but extremely curious, specially when he adds the whole creating things aspect. Isn't that specifically very familiar to her?

"Hmmm...Is there any time limit for it to count as one visiting? A limit to make it count after a first time, I mean."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"You will not know yourself or your own past, although you'll remember vague details about your world and your personality remains the same. I, for example, am a scholar back home. My reaction the first time was to immediately start taking notes on everything I was observing, despite not remembering that I am one."

It was fairly fitting and if she does ever visit his domain, she will find an entire tower of just books and reading nooks so it really does suit him and his interests. Just as whatever she creates will probably suit her. Istredd went into the Horizon the first time right here in this room, when he first arrived and someone else was hosting the event. It was only right to pay it forward.

"It is advised to go in with someone else and it only requires meditation. After the first time, it will be easy and you can stay there for days if you'd like, although I highly recommend against it. For one, it's not ultimately good for your connection to the real world, and for two, Thorne frowns deeply upon it. They do watch us very closely."

Istredd is careful to say that in a way that cannot necessarily be seen as judgmental but also honest. It is a low key warning. Thorne is watching them. It notices when people stay too long in the Horizon or run off to the Horizon during certain times. Thorne's attention on the Summoned is known at this point and she's probably felt eyes on her since coming, in one way or another.

"The first time can only be a few minutes and you can be brought back out and helped back in shortly after. When you go back, you will remember your first time, so you'll know what the experience was like afterward."

And usually it is very basic as a wondering young mind observes a strange realm for the first time. As far as Istredd knows, nothing bad has ever come from an intentional guide through it.

"You will feel the compulsion to create when you're in there, it really comes naturally. Like the space wants you to fill it, it wants to be made."

[ia]

Sophia nods a few times, eagerly committing everything to memory. It's...a bit worrying, but at least she's getting the details she wanted. It's a lot, but she can handle it. Or at least she feels like she will be able to handle it, eventually. Still, there remains certain doubts within her, because she's not precisely normal, not even by this world's standards.

"I see, this is most helpful. Still...it worries me a bit, since I find myself in a particular case. The division between my mind and my physical body is...a bit more tenuous than your average being. When one goes, the other tends to follow."

It's the simplest way to explain that she sometimes is not material, at all. Many things could happen at the moment of traveling to Horizon. It's not something she could just risk, not right now at least.

"It's... a little scary."

[magicalarchaeologist]

Istredd's head tilts curiously to the side, unsurprisingly the scholar part of him immediately flagging that as interesting.

"I don't think I understand what you mean." It seems better to start there than to make any assumptions, especially if her concerns are well-founded and this could put her at risk.

"You should not feel required to go there, it is only something we can naturally do as Summoned, although it is the easiest way to connect with the Summoned that exist in other locations. We're spread out throughout the continent."

[ia]

"I was...made. Not born." A hand moves up to her chest. "Half of me is composed of abstract concepts, given a human shape through some particularly advanced magic. You could say I have a foot on the material realm, and one in the abstract. So my mind, my feelings, my very essence, they're all tied to my physical body."

She understands that there is no obligation to go to Horizon, but she would be missing out. A lot. That also goes against her own wishes to learn and grow.

"It's not that I know this could hurt me, it's that I don't. But I guess I won't know until I try."

[magicalarchaeologist]

"I can see how that would be concerning."

That is a lot of information to intake and it doesn't entirely make sense to him, but Istredd is willing to accept it all and try to react to it on that basis. He tries to consider whether he's heard of anyone else in a similar situation so there could be something to draw on for comfort.

"I can't know for sure, but I think the Singularity may protect you. It has an innate magical connection to all of the Summoned, and the Horizon is its land. None of us entirely know how any of this works, only that it does."

So going into the Horizon technically is always a risk, for any of them. Any of their minds could be too weak or damaged, they are different species and creatures from different realms. And yet it all works the same, in the end. Istredd may know a lot, but he cannot explain anything really about how the Singularity. He is hoping to have those answers.

"I'm a telepath, it may be that I can give you a better chance of coming back to your body safely. I do not use those gifts without permission, but it could help."

[ia]

I know it probably doesn't make that much sense. I could explain further, but I think there's a good chance it would just confuse you further.

[ Bless his heart, she doesn't want to give him a headache.

His words are somewhat reassuring, but they also bring forth new questions. ]

Almost sounds like it has a will of its own. Or like it was created with an intent. Very curious.

[ As for her offer, she considers it for a bit. ]

While I appreciate your concern...I don't think I'm mentally prepared for it just now. I need...a bit of time to mull it over. If there's anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to ask. I have my own skills that might come in handy.

Sorry work was a nightmare this week

[magicalarchaeologist]

"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?"