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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Natasha's expression has lit up, however, at his use of a very familiar name.

"You know Wanda." There's a warm fondness in her voice as she leans forward, curious now. "Maybe that shouldn't surprise me, considering your interest in magic. We come from the same world." A pause, something flickering in her gaze as she leans back and hides a hint of grief behind a casual sip of wine.

"Although she's grown much stronger than when I knew her there. Her skill has always been a more instinctive thing, I thought, than what is taught here. What I'm a little confused on... does everyone have access to magic here, or is it just a rare few and somehow the Summoned? Because back home I could have read every tome in this castle and I would have gotten no closer to casting a spell than I could to leaping into the sky and beginning to fly."

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?”

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."

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?"

Istredd can tell that her sincere feelings about Wanda are very real, and it would make sense that it would be difficult for even her loved ones to know what to do with power like hers. Or how to help, if help was possible. There are a lot of downfalls for the way they handle magic users in his world, the fact they're given no choice and some are turned into eels and used to power other mages. But they have each other to check power with, and teachers who have good incentive to want to control powerful students. He knows Wanda didn't have that option.

"I would be surprised if there was another like her in your world or in most worlds." Istredd finds her a very singular creature, as a magic user and as a person. "The difficult thing about being so powerful with no training is when you need to control it, you don't have the tools to do so. Which can lead to hurting others, and that can make a mage internally fearful and full of doubt about their own abilities. And then it spirals from there."

Istredd experienced that for himself during the heralds when he tried to help Wanda get out of her own mind. Her chaos magic was out of control and feeding off her own fear and pain. He managed to stay a port in the storm, calm and centered, and helped her escape it, at least for a time. But he only could do that because of his long training and experience, it doesn't come naturally.

"It is a good sign when your instinct is to fear for others when too powerful, however. She is a lovely person and a good friend. I am happy to be there for her." Istredd knows many magic users who would enjoy being overly powerful and not care at all about the people around them. That would be his mentor in particular, actually, he would be terrifying with that much power in his hands, due to his sociopathic disinterest in the welfare of others. In her hands, Istredd has faith she will find that control and balance.

He and Wanda are kin spirits in a lot of different ways, the only big difference being her level of loss. Istredd has only loved one person his entire life. He hasn't allowed himself enough connections to feel loss like that. And he isn't so certain it is a good idea to start.

"Yes, I am doing beginners for now. I am still proving myself to Thorne, although I have made many wards and protections around the castle." And good work, he is fairly proud of them. "My suggestion for your first spell would be on page two. Illuminate."

The spells are all seen in their native language despite it probably being written in Abraxan language. One of those strange things. "It is a spell for light, very helpful when wanting a reading light or when walking in the dark. And no risk of burning anything."

What he describes sounds very familiar - and not just about Wanda. Her lips quirk faintly as she glances down at the book he'd handed, her fingers tracing over the cover in thought. "The dangers of having that sort of power isn't just limited to it being magic, I'm afraid."

But she listens to his description of his work here and flits to the page he'd indicated. Reading over the words, it sounds straightforward enough as she commits the process to memory. "Certainly among the more useful beginner spells, I imagine." Her lips quirk, however, as she turns to cast him a crooked grin.

"And you're sure this isn't likely to set my bedroom on fire?"

"Yes, I suppose you would be right." Power is power, although he doesn't really know what would have that type of power that isn't magic related. Istredd is still adapting to other spheres being real and complicated on their own. He's certainly curious, she seems to be thinking about something in particular, but they only just met.

He finds that her grin is rather charming, it sort of begs the other person to loosen up and smile back, and he's not immune to it. He does end up smiling hesitantly. "I assure you, it's only light. The fire spells are in there though, and I highly recommend trying those in a training setting."

Istredd looks at the book from his current position. "On page five there are beginner healing spells. That is a good idea to have, just in an emergency situation."

"Yeah, I've gotten to see apprentices practicing something like that in the training room before. It looked... lively." Her smile lingers, not missing that he's returned it, seeming to relax a little in light of it. Realizing it's put him somewhat at ease, she easily settles into maintaining that.

Natasha might have had someone in mind, but she doesn't volunteer that information at the moment, distracted by the book she's glancing through. She flips through a few more pages, spotting one of the fire spells, one for summoning water. She pauses at the healing spells, taking them in and trying to gauge how difficult they would be to learn.

"Is the amount of magic you can cast here restricted to your knowledge, or are there... I don't know, magical reserves and limits to the potential each person has individually?" Does she have to work to level up an MP gauge here or what?

"It's both, depending on the magic. Academic magic requires learning spells, but it is your energy that causes them to happen correctly. When you start, it will be tiring doing too many all at once. Like training with a sword, only it is with your mind and spirit."

Istredd had no fighting skills before coming here and he is still an amateur at best, but he has been learning some combat to balance out his ability to stay alive here. And it has been an aching process, with his muscles learning to do more than go to the library and stay there. He can see the appeal, it is very active, and he would say it is similar to learning magic in the start.

"When you say the light spell, it won't just happen. You need to focus. Being in a calm state is helpful the first time, in terms of balance. Imagine that you are willing light to appear from your hand. Picture it and tell it to happen when you speak the words."

"A new muscle to get in shape then. At least that I have way too much familiarity with."

But she nods and focuses on the instruction he gives her, holding out her hand and taking a deep breath. Being able to calm her mind is something she learned to do from a young age, so it's simple to slip into that state now as pictures what she wants to happen, just as he said.

The words are murmured under her breath, almost to herself, and for a moment nothing happens. But she's never been one to be easily discouraged, so she tries again. This time, she's rewarded by a flicker of light flashing in her palm before it forms itself into a softly glowing sphere.

Natasha can only blink at it for a moment, as if scarcely believing that had really happened. And also worried that taking her eyes off it might have the spell flickering out once again. "Holy shit."

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."

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."

"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.

"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.

"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."

Being cautious of such powerful abilities is a wise course of action, in her opinion - power should always be handled with caution, no matter its form. But fear rarely led to good places, no matter the cause of it.

But she grins at the face he makes, understanding that his words are still probably an understatement of the reality he'd come from. She doesn't push farther than that, though, not wanting to bring up a more unpleasant topic. "Well, you're succeeding so far. At least where I'm standing. I'm grateful for your assistance and your explanations. And I'd be very interested in attending some of these sessions of yours. I'll be sure to keep those mornings clear."

She pushes to her feet, still clutching the book he'd offered her. "Again, thank you for this, Istredd. It really does mean a lot."

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OPEN MINGLE: Welcome to Thorne

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

that works for me!