abraxas inbox

[magicalarchaeologist]

Comments

pre-feb. event

[glaciare]

Istredd,

Clive and I have decided to marry while here, even if only symbolic. And I would be honored if you would stand with me when we do so.

( congrats on being jill's first choice for a maid of honor, istredd! )

[magicalarchaeologist]

I'm the one who is honored, I would be happy to. Congratulations!

[ordinar]

Istredd?

Do you know any spells that could help you find something that's missing?

[magicalarchaeologist]

Yes, if you know what it is. Why?

[earthborn]

[Time-of-day is unreliable in the Horizon, to say the least. Day in one environment can last for months, or minutes, or fluctuate according to the whims of the summoned, depending. Shepard is no machine, and she's got plenty of whims, but the same iron-clad discipline that kept her from regularly reducing the good and dutiful officers of the Free Cities military to strawberry jam.

Being a grunt had been hard enough even when she really had been green. These days, Shepard has more sympathy for Williams than she'd like to admit.

In any case, it's night, or something approximating it, when Shepard pushes through the weather and the difficulties inherent in the Horizon these days, to darken Istredd's door— or brighten his library, such as it is.]

Hey, Istredd, you around? Brought y— [Something clunks and whirs at the door, but it obediently backs off at her hand-signal.]

...Got a surprise for you.

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd has been more frequently out of the Horizon than in so she picked a good time. He has been exhausting himself with Nott and using magic, but he feels too wired to collapse in bed afterward, and ends up in here. Not to mention that his domain got absolutely filled with sand. Most of it has now been transferred out, although there is a segment of the library that is still sandy, and that's because of the anaconda slithering its way through happily. Lucifer took down his domain so their snake had to take refuge at the library. Dersti is harmless and curls up contently in her own corner.

The ravens are unsettled by the sound so they are grouped together all in one line a few floors up. The leosylphs though are completely disinterested in anything happening and thought the sand was fun. Classic feline mentality. He is making notes on one of his many chalkboards about the new concerns regarding the weather when he hears Shepard's voice.

The door opens up on its own, showing it decently lit up inside although it's always more like candlelight than anything electricity. Bright enough to make reading easy, not so bright that it seems unnatural. ]

Hello Shepard, come on in. Please don't mind the snake, she's harmless. [ But people get anxious seeing a giant snake. ]

[karsiteweave]

Istredd;

I would not presume to ask if you are well. We both know it is more than just time that has been lost, and a lifetime's work will take a lifetime more to rebuild. Fate may be determined to make fools of us, but my hands are ready and willing to be put to task again should rebuilding be indeed what you choose to do.

I must admit, however, to some selfishness. I should have come to you earlier, but I am in many ways a coward. If you will permit me an audience, however, there is something I need a second opinion on and I confess I have limited people I trust to give me that opinion.

Let me know your thoughts.

- Gale

[magicalarchaeologist]

If there is anything I would like to take from our experience, it's the friendships made along the way. You don't need to ask an audience of a friend, I'd be happy to talk.

a couple of weeks after the god au event

[judgmentbolts]

Istredd,

I've not seen you around the Free Cities, so I can only guess that you're in another of the territories. You seemed a good soul when we "met". I thought to reach out and see how you might be fairing.

I won't assume that our friendship carries through as it was, but even so — I hope you and yours are well.

I would be glad to speak again when you've the time for it.

~ Cid

[magicalarchaeologist]

Hello Cid,

I'm in Thorne. As far as I'm concerned, I'll take friends where I can get them.

Things are tense here. They always are. How is it in Cadens?

immediately following the attack.

[vixening]

What just happened?
What was that?
Istredd- I'm seconds away from coming back to the castle, what is going on?

[magicalarchaeologist]

Don't come back to the castle.
There was an attack. I don't think any of us were involved.

[HE DOESN'T ACTUALLY KNOW YET AS HE'S IN THE DUNGEON. Time to scrape and get info from Lucifer.]

sometime during first two weeks of PRISON

[techmaturgy]

Istredd,

I trust Kyle isn't lying about the conditions of the dungeon, but out of an abundance of caution, I'd like a second opinion.

How are they treating you? When do you expect to be released?

[magicalarchaeologist]

They are as polite as the situation can be, considering they're keeping us captive.

We have food and access to personal items and books, not an unpleasant dungeon all around.

I truly don't know. I can't tell if they are waiting between questioning due to being busy or making us sweat. I don't think we're in danger, per se.

— somewhere between the end of the august event and the start of september

[diametrically]

[ In true Cassian fashion there's no preamble and very little explanation to his message. Driven by a need to recover from his sleep deprivation while also knowing that what he and River have planned could happen at any point in the coming weeks, he wants to make sure that none of the Summoned they have close ties with is caught off guard. ]

are you around?
i have something to talk with you about

[magicalarchaeologist]

I'm in the library but I can meet you wherever. If you want privacy we can use my room, it's warded.

forward-dated to early october;

[iustise]

[John and Istredd have spoken a number of times before, but John still doesn't know that he's gotten a good read on the man. Quiet, studious, seems to enjoy the company of books over most other people. John can't really argue with him on that front, all things considered. From what he understands, he's quite the powerful, knowledgeable mage, and being that John still struggles with adjusting to the supernatural, they have little in common on that area. But they seem to share mutual acquaintances and when Geralt has directed him to Istredd for aide, John trusts him on his word for it.]

𝓘𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓭.

𝓐𝓷 𝓾𝓻𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓻𝓮𝓰𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝔂 𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓰𝓾𝓪𝓻𝓭.

[John does not know how much he should say over the network like this, but he does elaborate:]

𝓖𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓽 𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓫𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝓮.

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd and Geralt spoke of this recently and it seems the time has come faster than either of them expected. That is not a bad thing. He swore to help John in whatever way he could. For Geralt, yes, but he would for any Summoned in Thorne. He's made it a commitment to take care of them, as he could not for his own people. ]

Come to my room. There are privacy wards in it.

[ Lucifer and Istredd's room might be one of the most secure. Kylo Ren had created a place for the Summoned to meet in private, but Istredd's put so many locks on this room it may as well be a tomb. He had hidden the pouch of money Geralt gave him inside of his bag so he is in here now sorting through it to fish the money out. That is only the first step. He assumes Geralt has already reached out to Yennefer for the next piece.

When John arrives at the room the door will be open for him to come inside. There is only one bed inside as they turned it into a larger space by sharing one. That way they have a desk and study and sitting area. The one big detail is that it is warm in there. Hot, even. The temperature is vastly different from the outside. Lucifer is always cold. Hopefully John won't mind sweating a little to get to the next bit.]

a few days after the move

[thoughts]

Bá. Can you hear me?

[ she's spoken telepathically with yennefer and wanda from a distance, but they're both much more powerful than river, so she's not sure how well she can make the connection herself.

( pay no mind to the casual way she calls him 'dad' again; things are tense and she already misses him fiercely. ) ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd's connection with her is also strong and telepathy is his specialty, so he hears her easily, and immediately sweeps closer to her mind, warm and relieved to hear from her. It has been hard to worry about her from afar, but he knows she is with Yennefer and Cassian. She has no better protection than that.

He doesn't question her use of father. If anything, it just makes him fiercely proud of being that for her. ]

Luned. [ The elder tongue word for daughter ]. How are you?

early october, a few days after john.

[vixening]

[ it's the middle of the night when the messages comes through, with no rhyme or reason or any idea if istredd will be awake to read it. but yennefer has a lot on her mind, and when she's reached the point that all of the boys and river are passed out, curled up in bed, and yennefer... can't.

her mind has been spinning of late, about finding the mage for john. about knowing that it is only a matter of time before river and cassian, too, make their escape. about thancred, and stephen, who have settled into this small, rickety, bad excuse of a shack let alone a home, and yennefer, who-

yennefer, who has slipped out of the house with her cloak tucked tight around her. she goes for a walk hoping that it will clear something, but it only sets her mind off on other paths. down other ways. yennefer has turned back to start home when she finally gives in, sends the message. ]

Istredd.

River and Cassian are well enough- though I assume she's let you know.
Her lessons have come a long way- suppose a lot of that is what she accomplished with you, while still in the castle.

I do need to ask-
What's come of Oli and Willan? After the coup.
Who's taken over alchemy?

- Yennefer

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ Istredd is usually up at odd hours but he is slightly surprised to see the message from Yennefer. He wonders what's keeping her up; perhaps getting settled into Nott isn't as easy as they all hoped. He sets aside his book and focuses on her instead. ]

She has checked in, yes.

Oli and Willan are fine, they were tense for awhile considering everything, but they don't waste good mages here. Not unless they have to.

Alchemy is now taken over by Barnat.

[ She'd know the mage to be skilled but not to her level. A safe bet. ]

I would have told you if something went wrong with them, Yenna, I kept an eye on them.

mid-afternoon

[magike]

( after the conversation with dean, and then talking to him in his horizon, rowena certainly had a lot to think of and investigate. a magical library is certainly in her interests, particularly if there's information about the magic in this place (both the singularity and strengthening her own) so eventually she reaches out to him.

and it's a simple message written in a very neat, flowing script, a little testing of the waters before she states her real wishes )

My name is Rowena. A friend told me that you've been researching the Singularity that is here.

[magicalarchaeologist]

Hello Rowena. Yes, I have been for over two years now. I wish I could say I was an expert but there is a great deal we still don't know about it. What I can answer I'm happy to.

[ushiri]

Do you have time this week to place an enchantment on an item?
I can pay for any other components.

[ He just doesn't know how to do much besides curse bones with his own blood - and he can't give MORE blood as a gift... ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

Absolutely. What is it for?

Horizon

[obscuris]

[ You just follow the lighthouse.

The concept of the Horizon and how such a phenomena fits with the rest of the mystery is not completely clear to him, but reaching it is simple enough. He opens his eyes to the now familiar juxtaposition of desolate land and fantastical structures, sheer nothingness broken by a jagged skyline. In the distance the lighthouse beckons, and rather than make the journey by foot, Barnabas tears a hole in space and steps out right at the foot of a tall staircase. Another step and he has crested the top of it, has made his way through the doors and into the library proper.

Far from the few books he was expecting, Barnabas runs an eye over the stacks and stacks of shelves overflowing with books, a veritable forest of knowledge. A smile flickers briefly across his lips. Barnabas picks a direction at random and starts walking. ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

[ The library exists on its own as a public space and many other Summoned have their own rooms in it. Some have found refuge among the many books filled in by others or in quiet nooks, and he's kept the ones that were made by people now lost to him. But it is still Istredd's Horizon and part of why it intuitively moves for people and fills in details has to do with his psionic gift. He feels every time someone comes in. If it's someone he recognizes the energy of, he leaves them be unless they call out for him, since they know he'll show up.

In this case it's someone new and he stops writing on one of his many blackboards in the information gathering room. This is technically hidden but there are several blackboards in the front hall for anyone to read if they want about the History of the Summoned and general useful information. Everything else he works on here. Darganfod the robot dog beeps at him when he's distracted, and he smiles down at it. ]

Yes, let's check it out.

[ Istredd appears in front of Barnabas at a respectful distance so he's walking right toward him without realizing it. Tall at 6'3, he doesn't have the sort of presence that takes from height, he's more scholarly and bookish, subdued in his energy if not his build. The robot may be very alien to someone from a world like his though, and it beeps at Barnabas. ]

Hello, I'm Istredd. Can I help you with anything?

after they leave the nether

[ushiri]

The portal dumped me in the Free Cities.

[ so that happened too ]

[magicalarchaeologist]

And I'm in Solvunn.

Good timing for you at least.

crossroads.

[wiedzminka]

[ After this. ]

Still alive out there?

[magicalarchaeologist]

Yes. We ended up almost drowning into the ocean but found a raft. How are you? Have you seen Yenna? She's not here.