[ Prince ] Rhy Maresh (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
londonbound) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
abraxaslogs2022-11-27 01:09 pm
londonbound) wrote in abraxaslogs2022-11-27 01:09 pm
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.
Magic Studies.
(( 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! ))
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! ))
no subject
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.
no subject
And even now the love and passion for this burns in him. Istredd is proud of his work and his accomplishments, he spent decades pouring all of his energy and brain into learning what he could. But it should be obvious then why he was considered useless by the people who wanted information they could use right then and there. They wanted a mage with his mind who could put it toward a court, who could tell the stories they wanted to.
"Magic doesn't really need to be researched, we have been using it a very long time, those historical records are right there in the school. But things I did learn? That a thousand years before my time, the elves taught humans how to use magic, and humans slaughtered them and pretended we always had the power. And the descendants of those men were myself and all magic users of the current age, who always believed what they were told."
Unsurprisingly, Stregobor and the others in the Brotherhood really had no time or energy for his corrections. They didn't care if they were doomed to relive history because they didn't even know what it truly was.
no subject
Antari are the closest to another species that his home has, but they're still people. Humans. Kell still has trouble wrapping his head around the concept of other species. Even the vampires and werewolves are a lot to him. He can't help treating them in his mind as just people, but different.
"I envy you. While elemental magic is very common in my home. My magic? This is one almost forgotten. I had to search far and wide, hunting for obscure books, most of those being half-speculation anyway, to learn as much as I did. And I know there was a lot more to learn in the past. Now, even the language is mostly forgotten."
It's a sore point. When Kell says he's jealous, he's serious. Even here, away from his home, Kell feels the connection to his magic, and it's viscerally painful that he has so few words to express it. It used to be so much more.
no subject
"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?"
no subject
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."
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
Istredd pauses for a moment before continuing quickly. "Not that I'm encouraging you to try reckless things that you don't understand." Magic is consuming and difficult! Not something to be reckless with. But that isn't the point. "But perhaps it's worth seeing this as an opportunity rather than a set back. You might be able to blend the magics together too."
Abraxas magic and his own. Why not? Istredd has already been practicing for something similar, it flows in a different way. "There are some spells that are dangerous using Chaos, where my magic comes from, but are safe here." Fire is the major one. Fire is extremely dangerous and frowned upon to use. And he can snap his fingers easily to do it here.
"It feels different to me too, much easier. I barely feel the surge of power when I do their spells." And he isn't talking about the beginner's options. It is possible controlling Chaos is just more difficult than Abraxas. Which is rich in magic.
no subject
It's the preferred way. Preferred for the magic, not exactly for living beings. That's the way to get consumed.
"It's just a lot more dangerous that way."
The memory of Lila's face when she stared in horror at the black creeping up his arm flashes before Kell's eyes unwelcome. She told him to stop. He didn't want to. He did stop in the end, but he was so close to losing this battle. So close...
"I know. I did. It didn't end well."
There was one good thing that came out of it. One. It almost cost him his life. In a way, it kind of did. Kell shakes off the memories. Not helping. Maybe, Istredd is right. Maybe he's just too afraid to try.
"Then you are lucky. For me, it takes so much time here simply learning anything that's useful. Lot more than I'm used to. My own magic requires practice, what doesn't, but I never had to slog through it like I have to with Abraxan magic."
Could be that Academic magic is not best suited for him. Who would have thought.
no subject
Istredd is thinking about Wilhelm, and he knows that Kell also knows about Wilhelm. One of those strange telephone situations with Lucifer. He doesn't blame the boy for his mistakes, but it will be his fault if he doesn't get training.
"You know better, obviously. I just see the vast well of magical energy here a great opportunity to experience more." Kell knows his magic well enough to use it wisely, from what he can tell, so he is not putting him on the same level as them. Having some fear about what power can do is healthy. Sometimes using the magic here it is extraordinary to feel it so easy on his fingertips. With Chaos, risk always comes.
"I've always had a good mind for memorizing, and academic magic requires a whole lot of that. You should see my tower of books domain, those books are full of everything I've memorized." It's over the top, for certain, but it was the ideal option for him.
no subject
Kell's thoughts immediately go to two people in particular. Very different people, with very different reasons to hate or fear the magic they ended with.
"But how do you convince them they need to practice? Without breaking them."
Now he's thinking solely of Wilhelm. It remains a sore point in his memory that through his lack of attention, his inaction, he had inadvertently made the boy more scared of his magic. Even if the consequences were not his fault. Neither, they were Wilhelm's. It just happened to be a very bad coincidence. But it doesn't matter. The damage is done. It's beyond annoying that he still hasn't figured out how to fix it.
"That sounds appropriate for a scholar. I must visit your domain then."
Did he just invite himself in? Only if Istredd agrees. Kell has a very strong opinion on intruding on other people's spaces. A very negative one.
no subject
It doesn't mean it is a fix and suddenly someone is always a hundred percent perfect at everything. Reactions are still reactions. Istredd could still make a mistake using his magic. Wanda has worked hard at being very good with her abilities, but she couldn't help it when she was out of control during the Heralds. Nothing is perfect, but it does give people the tools to combat their flaws. At least that's the way he sees it. He was trained alongside many powerful youths, and outlived the ones that couldn't make it.
"People are broken by their fear, but learning is putting the power back into your hands. It's empowering. But it also is more difficult and requires work."
It may seem easier to pretend it doesn't exist, but that's not how magic works. If it was academic magic, where you can absolutely decide whether to use it or not, that's one thing. Native magic or something given by the Singularity, it exists whether you want it or not. He's very logical about this. If he ever figures out what his abilities are, he will train until it is second nature, no matter what it is.
"You are welcome to. I see it as a public library, honestly. Not everyone has visited yet, but if they do, they'll find it a good place to spend some time."
wrap here?
Because he's bad luck. Kell meant it as a joke at first, but even that misguided attempt at levity has shown some truth. There is a pattern he doesn't like. Might be entirely a coincidence. Might be that his raw power is destabilizing for a fledgling magician that's already afraid of his own magic.
Istredd has the kind of calm that Kell doubts he'll ever achieve. He's not good at calm himself. He can get balance, but it's a fragile one, like a gymnast balancing on a ball. There's always turmoil underneath. That alone can be pretty unsettling for someone sensitive to such things. Who can guarantee that it isn't exactly the case with Wilhelm? Not him.
Perfect!