TEST DRIVE MEME #8

[abraxasmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the eighth test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the three different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own under the Questions header below. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.

Our Setting pages are full of information on the world of Abraxas, and an overview of the story so far can be found on our Game History page! Anything on that page - including information about the Horizon and the Singularity - can be assumed to be told to newcomers after they arrive, no matter which faction they are received in. For more information on Ambrose and the apprentice mages, Marlo, and Rowan, please see our NPCs page.

You can also find answers to questions asked on previous TDMs in their respective questions threads.

NOTED CURRENT EVENTS
◎ Rumor has it that two emissaries - a werewolf and a vampire - visited from Nocwich in early July. With them came some wares distributed to shops throughout each faction. A few sparse items may remain for purchase, such as glowing flowers or fine ales, but much of it has now been sold.

◎ New arrivals in THE FREE CITIES may hear a bit of chatter around Cadens about art, politics, and recent performances involving its sister city, Libertas. It's all standard fare - the kind of topics spoken about over a beer or in line at the market - but there's a small stir in the air.

◎ Lately, locals in SOLVUNN have begun to approach the Summoned with a sort of awe and respect. New arrivals will find themselves treated much the same way and may be asked for advice or given gifts that seem like offerings such as wine, harvest bounties, or some delicious goat cheese. Your character is free to turn these down and should they turn down enough people, they will not be bothered further as no one wishes to offend them.

Arrival

You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.

You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.

There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.

Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne

A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.

If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.

Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card bearing the image of one of the arcana.

An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.

"One moment," he says, not bothering to look up from the tome. He looks tired. "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. We’ll explain everything in a moment, but for now, please calm down. You’re completely fine."

Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the pages, until he stops on one specific passage, stares at it for a moment, and then sighs with relief:

"Finally!"

Ambrose's expression brightens, relief visible across his features. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.

"Oh, thank heavens," he says, closing the book and approaching you with a sort of worn-out relief. “I was beginning to believe we’d never get it exactly right.”

Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem to visibly relax, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.

"Please, come with me," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle. "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."

One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.

Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (those who were previously brought in may have a great deal of information to tell you), or you can wander around and meet the others.

There's also a dining hall stocked with a rotating 24/7 buffet in celebration of the new honored guests. Somehow, your very favorite food is part of the rotation (or at least an attempted recreation of it given the limited technology available to the Thorneans). The town surrounding the castle is all abuzz as well, with most shops and services willing to give free samples of their wares to the new arrivals.

You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).

Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and most of the cells stand empty.

Scenario Two: Welcome to the Free Cities

You find yourself pulled from the water by a pair of strong hands. Dry warmth hits you at once as you're set on a warm hard floor. As your senses return you realize you're on dull ruddy stone and surrounded by strangers. Men and women in unfamiliar uniforms of brown and red leather stand in a semi-circle around a small pool of water. The very pool you were just pulled from. The water is still now, rimmed in pale gold tiles with odd symbols etched into them. Across it on the far side is a raised pedestal with a card propped on it. The card bears an arcana symbol.

You feel weak. Drained. Any abilities or magical powers you have seem far away and impossible to access. You're in what looks like a cave lit by dozens and dozens of torches set into the wall. There's no furniture or decoration to be seen besides the pool. It's almost uncomfortably warm and there's the sound of rushing wind somewhere in the distance. Flickering shadows obscure the faces of the guards. A robed woman stands off to the side, looking at you anxiously and then to the authoritative woman standing before you. She's grinning, dressed in a fancier uniform than the others. There's a sword at her hip. A guard covers you with a blanket and returns to their place in the semi-circle.

The woman with the sword gives a nod of approval and smiles warmly.

"Sorry about the circumstances."

She gives you a good hard look before standing again.

"Take a minute, catch your breath, you've had quite a shock. Take it nice and easy. I'm Prime Minister Marlo Reiner and you're in The Free Cities. That nice lady over there will explain everything to you and get you settled." A nod to the robed woman off to the side.

Marlo Reiner steps back and the robed mage approaches to help you up.

"Come with me, please." She brings you out of the cave through a corridor that angles upwards until you emerge in what looks like some kind of storage facility. Shelves of wooden boxes and cloth bags line them, unidentifiable parts of what might be machines are tucked into corners and propped against shelving units. "This is one of the Free Cities' outposts," the mage explains as she leads you. "We're honored to have you with us, I'm sure you have many questions but please save them. You need to recover!"

You'll learn you're in the Cadens Desert Outpost 003, a military outpost on the outskirts of Cadens city. You're brought to a room in the barracks that's been prepared. Each barracks room is rather sparse and utilitarian. Six simple beds set against the wall, three on each side of the room, each with a trunk at the foot of it. You're told the world is in a delicate and dangerous times and you're needed to help. You're important, you're told, and they're very grateful you're here.

You're asked to stay close for the time being, but to make yourself at home. The outpost is more a proper military base than the name implies, with full facilities. The barracks have a communal bathing room at the end of the hall, with curtains that can be pulled around the individual raised round tubs for privacy. There's a mess hall that has food available from sun up till a few hours after sundown. You're even encouraged to make use of the training grounds, if you'd like, with non-lethal training weapons available for use and obstacle courses set up. And the city of Cadens is only a couple of hours away by wagon - though you're asked initially to please be back at the outpost within a few hours of the sun going down.

For your own safety.

Scenario Three: Welcome to Solvunn

The feeling of floating is the first sense that comes to you as the edges of unconsciousness start to ebb. Sunlight filters through the rippling water as you open your eyes, making you squint. Before you have the chance to panic and inhale, firm hands grasp your arms and pull you to the surface of the water. Moments later, soft warmth is wrapped around your shoulders as you're guided on unsteady legs out of a pool of water. You're lowered to the soft grass. Men and women in simple garments with lavish embroidery stand by, waiting with bated breath, glancing seriously at an old man in an ornate robe. He holds an old leather-bound book in one hand and in the other is a card bearing an arcana symbol. His eyes move quickly over the page, and he mumbles idly to himself.

Any strength you may have possessed feels as though it has slipped through your fingers. Any abilities or magical powers you have don't come to the surface no matter how hard you try. You're in a grassy clearing in the midst of a circle of large stone slabs stacked to look like doorways. In the middle is the same glimmering pool you were just pulled from. A gentle breeze blows through, carrying the scent of flowers and herbs from an ornately decorated altar set off in front of one of the stone doorways. The mage closes his book and steps out of the water, addressing a matronly old woman. Behind her are two younger people, a rough-looking man, and a meek young girl, both of whom are also watching the mage.

“I detect no ill will from the gods, it seems we've been blessed with success.” Those that had gathered all breathe a sigh of relief and now seem pleased.

The old woman smiles and steps forward, offering to take your hands and help you stand. “Any gift the gods give us is one we will happily take. I'm certain you have many questions, and they will all be answered in time. For now, rest and know you will be taken care of.”

She pats the top of your hand and steps away with a serene smile, letting one of the others come forward with some clothes that seem to fit you perfectly. Once you're dressed, someone approaches to drape a delicate-looking charm depicting a long-horned creature with large wings on a thin chain over your neck. Ask around later, and you may find that it is a symbol of Vielehauffe, the God of the Herd.

The rough-looking man from before steps forward once you're decent and motions with his head outside of the stone circle. His speech is informal, his consonants harsh.

“Hold your horses, I can see all those questions coming about! Rowan March, at your service. I'm one of the council members of Solvunn. There's a lot to discuss, but it's best talked about over a hot meal.” He leads you to a horse-drawn carriage and helps you up into the back. He talks the entire ride to the settlement.

You find out you are in the Primary Settlement, the first of three that make up Solvunn's great territory. The settlement is situated between two lakes and is humming with life. You're brought to the center of town and escorted to an apartment above one of the establishments in town. Rowan explains that the living conditions are temporary if you'd like them to be, that local families would also be happy to host you in their home. That there are others like you who have also taken up residence within the three settlements. You're told that the world hangs upon the brink of disaster and that there are those in this world that are happy to see it fall to ruin with their meddling.

You're important. The gods have graced them with your presence. They're delighted you're here. Welcome to Solvunn.

Everything you need has been provided in this humble apartment, and if it hasn't, there are shops that line the streets and a marketplace in the center of town. Owners of some establishments or stalls are more than happy to give out samples or barter with your time for their goods. Babysitting can be a very lucrative business. You're told of the other settlements, that they'd like you to stay here for now, but if you can find a family to host you, the secondary and tertiary settlements are best to get to with an escort.

There are tales of travelers visiting the secondary settlement without invitation disappearing without a trace. The gods are as hungry as they are protective, young traveler.

You’ll find that there are more than enough activities to throw yourself into to better settle into your new life in Solvunn. Work is done in the first part of the day so that families can spend the rest of it together in leisure and work on their crafts - whatever those may be. For those children who are not of school age, they need nannies or storytellers, and there’s always a gaggle of them running about unsupervised. Families with livestock can always take a spare hand, especially since farms are so spread out, they have a tendency to wander. Whatever skills you may possess can always be of use to the community or to honor the gods.

If any of these options are no good for your lifestyle, the main roads between settlements can always use a bit of monster clean-up… just make sure you don’t go alone.

---

Questions

How many slots are open?
Please check the Taken page for how many player, franchise, and canon slots are available. Activity check will be processed before applications open, so the count may change between now and then. Existing players can apply for a second character without restriction.

How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Which faction your character is drawn into has nothing to do with their personal morality, beliefs, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into any one of the situations.

Can I try out more than one scenario?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.

What happens if my character refuses to comply with the NPCs?
They will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and the faction leaders will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, they will be warned once that everyone is willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight they will make good on that promise.

My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the cities, murdering the NPCs, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other NPCs would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude and intervention from various NPC guards, and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Abraxans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.

I want to wildcard a prompt or use one of the prompts from an earlier TDM that isn't on this one (eg. the library), can I do that?
Yes, in terms of the settings. As Thorne is no longer imprisoning any newcomers, that option is no longer applicable.

Is the power loss for characters permanent?
No, but it does take a week or so for their powers to be back in full, and certain powers (determined on a case-by-case basis) may require nerfs. If your character has world-breaking powers, please discuss with the mods what modifications may be necessary.

Can my character leave the bounds of the faction?
In Thorne, characters can leave the castle but not the city. In Cadens, they can take a trip from the outpost to the city. In Solvunn, they can explore the entirety of the Primary Settlement.

Can my character eventually change factions?
Yes. While the faction borders are currently closed, there will opportunities in the future for characters to relocate. For the time being, they are stuck where they are.

How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will determine where your character initially lives as well as the bias of the information they receive from NPCs (although other PCs can and most likely will give it to them a bit more straight). This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.

Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in every scenario can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.

Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the three scenarios on your application.

What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).

Can my character go to the Horizon?
First time visitors to the Horizon must be taken there by other characters, through either shared meditation or a physical journey to the Singularity, and all first-timers experience memory loss. For the purposes of the TDM, we suggest against using the Horizon.

What about making use of the network?
Much like Horizon they would need to be introduced to it by another PC, as no NPCs would be aware of the network or be able to access it. Because of this we would advise against using this mechanic for TDM top-levels.

---

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Comments

Cal Kestis | Jedi fallen order | Thorne, Strength

[tombsurfing]

North Wing; Rooms

[ Cal kept his attention divided between this little orientation and his surroundings, mostly watching other people in the hopes of seeing a familiar face or two. As the minutes went by, it began to look as if Cal alone was thrust into this strange place and his friends were still back on the Mantis. He wondered how long before they noticed he wasn't there. Likely a while. Cere insisted he rest in the back, that he needed to take advantage of the reprieve they were finally granted after what felt like decades of racing around the galaxy desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the Empire. BD-1 will probably notice he's gone first, and with any luck he'll tell the others.

But would that actually help? It's not as if he fell into a cave and got stuck, or got lost in a seemingly endless tomb. He woke up in a fountain stripped of all his belongings...his lightsaber. Something tells him he won't be so easily found.

First thing's first, he scopes out where he's meant to stay. He's desperately manifesting the belief that he won't be here long enough to need it, but he should check it out regardless.

The thought of sharing a room was new and, probably silly in light of everything he's been through, a bit nerve wracking. He's stopped in front of the door, contemplating if he should...just go in, or announce his presence and then go in, or announce his presence and wait, or—

—maybe someone should tell him to stop blocking the doorway. ]

Dungeon

[ There's no way Cal can ignore the stone steps descending deeper into the castle. He's not sure if he's allowed, but that hasn't stopped him in the past, so why start worrying about such things now?

Doesn't seem like much going on here, but you'll catch Cal walking through the dungeon and looking into the empty cells with curiosity, sometimes reaching out to touch the bars expectantly, as if waiting for something to happen. ]

...Nothing.

Library

[ What better way to find out more about a place than scouring its library? Aside from listening to force echoes, of course. But his connection with the Force feels weak right now, and apparently it's only temporary, however that's supposed to work. Until then, though, he can be found wandering about the grand library, opening books to read a little before he closes it and puts it back, repeating the process.

He sighs after a while as he sets a book back in place. ]

Don't even know where I should start.

[ Boy does he miss BD-1. He would have found so many useful things by now. ]

Wildcard

[ Feel free to make up anything, I'm super open and love unexpected wildcard things 👀 Also, as a note, I defaulted to brackets, but I am absolutely fine with prose. Just hit me with whatever you find most comfortable! ]

And they were *roommates*

[tawltales]

Before Cal can make up his mind, the door opens anyway. Ben has decided it'll do for now, and he should start trying to figure out this castle.

Ben does a small start at seeing the young man...right there when he opens the door. "Oh. Hello." He offers, before standing back. "Are you looking for a bunk to claim? There seem to be plenty here."

He may as well stick around a little longer and make sure the young man's all right. It was a harrowing experience being pulled out of the water.

[Has to be non-canon if you're apping, but the prompt was too tempting, haha.]

[tombsurfing]

Cal also starts when the door is suddenly opened, eyes momentarily widening like a cornered bogling.

"Whoa — uh, hi," he offers weakly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, yeah...I wasn't sure which rooms were free."

He's relieved that the first room he tried seems to have spare space, though. He did not relish in the idea of doing this several more times. It wouldn't have felt any less awkward after the first.

[ No problem! I am so glad my prompts have tempted 👀 ]

[tawltales]

"Well, I've already taken one bed." Ben motions to one of the beds, the divider sheets pulled back just enough so the book he took from the library is visible, so that people know. "But I believe the others are still available." That probably won't last for very long, though.

Ben doesn't need the Force to see the young man is worried and anxious. Given how they were brought here, it's not really a surprise. Ben sympathizes and he gives the man a smile. "I'm Ben. Come in, get yourself settled."

[tombsurfing]

Cal was making an effort not to stand out too much in his nervousness, but was never good at pretending. Hiding, maybe, but pretending? Nope.

"Thank you," he offers a grateful nod of his head before he steps into the room, still with a bit of caution but also curiosity. He speaks as he spots a bed that looks like it may not be taken. "Oh — I'm Cal Kestis. I, uh...literally just got here."

In case that wasn't dreadfully obvious already.

[tawltales]

"Ben Kenobi. And so did I." They must have just missed each other at the summoning. "It was rather disorienting, wasn't it?" He sees Cal eyeing another bed. "Yes, I believe that one is free. Go ahead." He offers.

[tombsurfing]

"Yeah, right?" he pipes up, apparently happy to commiserate with how insane this whole fountain thing is. He doesn't really have anything to leave on the bed to claim it, so he pulls back on the sheets a little to make it look slept in.

Reaction incredibly delayed, Cal's head snaps in Ben's direction, mouth hanging open a bit. "Wait — Kenobi?"

He knew there was something vaguely familiar about his voice. But he only ever heard him on that one holocron Cere showed him — which he only watched a brief snipped of. Could it be...? Surely not. But what if?? He's far too out of the loop to be sure.

"Is that...ummm...a coincidence?" His voice is low, out of habit from hiding, not talking about Jedi or the Force where others might be listening. He doesn't know exactly where he is now, either.

Dungeon!

[philancer]

Isn't that better than finding something down here?

[ The voice comes from the bottom of the stairs where Sylvain stands, glancing around him with an expression of distaste. Yeah, this is about what he'd expected to find down a set of stairs that looked like that. Especially since he's pretty sure neither one of them are supposed to be down here. That's never really stopped him from poking his nose in places like this, however. ]

...Yeah, the fact that they've got somewhere like this underneath the castle is really reassuring me a whole lot about their motives in all this. What about you?

((I'm not even supposed to be over here either but I couldn't resist pouncing on Cal he's my favorite!))

[tombsurfing]

[ Cal startles, head snapping in the direction of the stairs, momentarily frozen until he realizes he's not being addressed by some sort of...guard, or something. His shoulders relax in silent relief. ]

You know, [ He glances around all the cells, stepping away from the one he had been touching. ] You're probably right.

[ Hands on his hips, he sighs. ]

I don't know what to think yet. Except...all of this is kinda crazy. Uh, not to understate it or anything.



(Oh my god but that makes me so happy)

[philancer]

[ If Sylvain had managed to come through that pool with anything other than his skin, he'd no doubt look more the part of a guard right now. He's already sorely missing his armor. And his lance. ]

Nah, 'crazy' about sums it up. Blunt and straight to the point, at least. I like it.

[ Sylvain steps away from the stairs and starts down the corridors, glancing in each of the cells he passes in his approach. Each one he passes has his frown deepening a little further. ]

Hate to make this observation but this place is way too clean for it to have been empty for long.

[ This trip downstairs is getting less and less reassuring the longer he's down here. But, reaching the other person down here with him, he pauses a few steps away and offers the stranger a rueful look. ]

On second thought, maybe I shoulda stuck with understating it, too. Sorry.

[tombsurfing]

[ Yes, that is quite the troubling observation. One that has Cal sideways glancing at the cells as if to double-check. He laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his head. ]

No, uh. It's...good to be aware of these things. Even if they're really, really, unsettling. As much as I'd like to be hopeful, a dungeon below a castle is probably not a good sign?

[ Maybe he'll come back down here when his connection to the Force strengthens again. That is, if what they saw about his abilities returning is to be believed. He's trying not to think too much about that, though. ]

Worth keeping an eye on, at least. Uh, from far away.

[ He says, contemplating coming back here. ]

[philancer]

[ Sylvain just gives a dry chuckle. ] Well. To be fair, a lot of castles tend to come with dungeons. It's sort of part and parcel with the building as a whole, from what I've seen. But this one's clearly not just here for decoration.

[ It's probably a bad thing that he'd know what to look for, in that case, that would make him observe such a difference. ]

But distance wouldn't be a bad idea. [ He gives an exaggerated shudder. ] This place gives me the creeps. Ready to get out of here? Or were you looking for something in particular?

[tombsurfing]

I...haven't seen many castles, to be honest.

[ Cal has lived under a rock for the past five years and only recently emerged, so he's not sure if he should be concerned or not at the other's clearly experienced observations. He'll just take his word for it.

But, yeah. Maybe he wants out for now. ]

I was just checking it out. Looks like there's nothing to check out, though, so...yeah...definitely ready to leave.

Library

[chosenfordarkness]

[ Anakin finds himself in the library a lot more frequently as of late, looking for books on arcane magic that he can abscond to Kylo's study with. It's overwhelming at first. The tomes that seem to go on and on are nothing like the Jedi Archives where it was as simple as looking up what you needed. This? It's a game of cat and mouse to find what you need at times.

Perhaps it's impatience.

He huffs a laugh and glances over to Cal. Yeah, it's definitely impatience. ]

I guess that depends on what you want to know.

[tombsurfing]

[ He can't help but wonder how anyone finds anything here. He'd like to meet the people who come in and know exactly where to get the literature they're looking for.

Or maybe he wouldn't.

Cal glances over at Anakin, though his gaze keeps moving to all the books and shelves surrounding them. ]

Uh...no idea. [ Maybe coming here with only a vague idea of what you want to find isn't the most efficient way to actually find anything. ] I guess I just wanted to know more about this place. I've just been winging it, pretty much.

[ That usually helps. Sometimes. Kind of. Definitely not at the moment. ]

[chosenfordarkness]

[ Nerds, Cal. Or the mages on hand, they're pretty knowledgeable. He shakes his head, though it's out of exasperation. He might have done the same thing when he'd gotten to Thorne. Wanting to know everything without having a clue where to even begin. Although... ]

If you really want to know what Thorne is like, my suggestion is to stop looking inside a book. You're only going to find an abridged and embellished answer. If all you're looking for is history, sure, this is fine.

[tombsurfing]

A bit of both, I think.

[ He considers the other's words, though, and the thought of trying to retain all of this information without something handy like BD-1's interface to keep track of his finds is making him feel dizzy.

He chuckles lightly. ]

But...let's not discount learning through experience, right?

[chosenfordarkness]

Both are always good. I find talking to people who don't live in the castle sheds better light on our hosts.

[ The hosts who are supplying them with shelter, food, and access to pretty much limitless knowledge if they're willing to put in the work. Royalty very seldom considers what the lesser citizens live like, but for the most part, people he's talked to were generally favorable toward their rulers. Still, they're given these opportunities in order to help Thorne, and their presence is wanted.

Putting his own book back where he found it, Anakin extends a hand toward the newbie. ]

Hey, welcome to Thorne. I'm Anakin.

Library

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd is an academic first and foremost so while he has learned the castle's layout well, he still usually ends up in the library, pouring through the books that they allow to newcomers. He has even ended up sleeping in there one night, just like old times, but he is someone who has read the texts in their castle multiple times. This will be no exception, and it is brand new.

He has found a pleasant reading nook, it took a little moving around to find one that suited him, but he is currently returning a few he went through. They all appear to be on history, for now. That is the best way for a historian to get used to a new world. Istredd glances over when he hears that sigh, having observed the man doing the same gesture a few times. ]

I wish I had advice, but I too feel like I am throwing a very wide net.

[tombsurfing]

[ As Cal pushes the book back into place, he glances over at the other, feeling a little better that he's apparently not alone in this struggle. ]

A bit overwhelming. I spent the first twenty minutes looking for a console to browse through.

[ Then he realized he was shit out of luck and here he is. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ His eyebrows furrow, setting the books down to the side. ]

A console?

[ The word is unfamiliar to him. Istredd comes from a time even less modern than this one, the technology here is more impressive than the continent he hails from. ]

[tombsurfing]

Yeah, you know, like—

[ Oh.

Cal rubs the back of his head, gaze wandering as if he'll find the way to explain it along the shelves. ]

...It's something you can use to find things. Like...an archive.

[ Not exactly the definition of a console, but it's easier to explain what exactly he meant than to get into that. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

I see. I don't think they have anything like that here, no.

[ Istredd still finds it doesn't quite click with him, but that is fine. He cannot understand everything there is, although he wishes he could daily. He's been told there are multiple worlds being represented here, from all kinds of backgrounds. Whatever 'console' this man is used to, it must be interesting. ]

They say there is a bookshop in the town. It's called the Dragon's Keep. It may have books that aren't as ... precisely chosen as these are.

[ Istredd has a sneaking suspicion that Thorne would not have any book in this library that would not paint them in the most glowing of lights. Perhaps they do the same to the bookshop, but he doesn't know yet. ]

Library

[blackeyedprince]

[Library is the most reliable place to search if someone was looking for Kell. He also recognizes the slightly dazed look of a person that first ventured in this building. The filing system for the tomes is special to say the least.]

History or Magic? Or are you simply looking for an answer to that all burning question of what the hell is this place?

[The gleaming red hair paired with an unusually foreign looking cloak clearly marks Kell as one of the Summoned if nothing else did.]

[tombsurfing]

[ Cal is left without a clue as to who he can and can't trust in this new world, but he can safely say he feels more comfortable talking to other summoned as opposed to the locals, at least. ]

A little bit of everything, but to be honest...I'm more interested in the last thing.