boardmaster: (Default)
BOARDMASTER ([personal profile] boardmaster) wrote in [community profile] pawnstorm2016-09-07 10:15 am

intro ♚ september

WELCOME TO Grantebrycge



We’ve all had those dreams: you wake up on a table, to blurry, ominous images and the certainty that you are absolutely buck-naked in a room full of strangers. This is not quite it.

Instead, you come awake to the sun on your face. The soft burble of water nearby. The hustle and bustle of a busy street and the faint, fortifying smell of bread. You open your eyes and there’s no one there at your bedside, but there is what appears to be the end of the world happening just beyond your window.

There’s a crack in the world across the sky, the “sun” is the totally unnatural light spilling from that crack straight into your eyes, and someone’s left a neatly pressed and folded uniform at the foot of the bed that isn’t yours. Somewhere in the room, there’s a strange clatter like beads, the click of claws on the floor.

Something’s in here with you.

Also, you are naked.

ONE Video Killed The Radio Star
Rise and shine, Heroes. It seems that today is filled with good fortune as the morning is very uneventful, aside from the monthly arrival of new comrades. This is the perfect time to grab your weapon, Carrier and uniform and use your time to look around Caissa. While exploring or catching up on the latest gossip, you might blow past the delivery carriages outside of the Hall of Glory, but you certainly won’t be missing the steampunk televisions and vending machines which will be set up around noon time by your lovely maids and butlers! The TVs are placed in every single bedroom as well as leisure rooms so you can enjoy your daily fix of popular cooking show Inferno Kitchen, primetime Cheoksan drama Summer Cantata or the Gammonian hit series Sport of Crowns! The vending machines can be found in the hallways and contain snacks and drinks such as canned mackin’ cheese (or as Noirs like to call it, Lovekraft Supper), Pooky, Cpt. Pepperoni, Mountin' Do, or Eight Up. You are free to come up with your own TV show or vending machine food items.

Thierry Toussaint
My dearest Heroes! I hope today finds you well, and for once I bring good news! [ he laughs a little sheepishly. he’s dressed less formally than in previous somber declarations and his hair looks windblown, like he ran here ] As you well know, our recent victories and mostly importantly, a successful alliance with Gammon has brought no small amount of blessings: we have more resources, better manpower, and the invaluable help of our Gammonian colleagues not just in war, but also in advancing our civilization!

And so it is my pleasure to unveil our new and improved broadcast technology[ a pause, where he winks ] —do I look clearer to you? It’s a little harder to tell from this end, I’m afraid. You’ll be able to receive better, brighter and more varied content from our country’s talented producers. Oh…

[ another, longer pause. teddy looks offscreen and then laughs ]

I’m not getting paid for this, I promise. I don’t need any other motivation to be excited for my country, do I? In addition to the television programs, we will be helping with the release of newly developed vending machine technology that brings fresh and healthy snacks to the streets of our capital, and hopefully, beyond. It would be nice to have one for my office.

I’ve mentioned our Gammonian friends, haven’t I? And I’ve saved the best for last: as a token of the friendship between our countries and all that we can do for each other, Gammon has assisted us in completing Platform 40— … 42 and 5/8ths, an instantaneous portal between our very own Caissa and Cochrane. I look forward to even more cultural and commercial exchange from all the way across the Rokirovka Ocean!

And ah, speaking of exchange—the Platform has been completed just in time for you, dear Heroes. Gammon has actually extended another invitation to you: as national and international icons and users of magic, they would like you to visit their school of magecraft, Pigeonsblood, in Grant— Grant… [ … ] You will be able to reach the school easily through the Platform!

Pigeonsblood’s Headmaster has assured me that you would be a great inspiration to their incoming class of aspiring mages; I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. Gammon’s knowledge and mastery of magic, as you may have seen during your previous visits, is nothing to take lightly! And if you like what you see, I’m told Gammon would be happy to sponsor classes for Heroes at the school. I’m sure they want to keep the inspiration flowing, hm?

Thank you once again, all of you, for making such wonderful things possible. I’m sure your achievements will continue to open doors, both metaphorically and literally, for Blanc and for yourselves.


Meet up with your chums, old and new, and head over to Caissa’s train station. Once there, locating the Platform 42 and 5/8ths is an easy feat. There are two guards standing watch and they will stop curious civilians from sneaking past them. They will only let Heroes use the Platform and as such require proof of identification. A Hero’s uniform, rank badge or a passport identifying yourself as such should do the trick. As the platform functions as one of Gammon’s checkpoints, you will need to pay a small fee of 200 colle to pass. Should you be a new arrival, the Prime Minister will suddenly show up and pay the fee.

Where’s the portal, you might ask? Take a deep breath, walk through the wall between the guards and you’ll find yourself in Cochrane! Heroes might experience some sudden vertigo or a near insatiable hunger for pork. Very minor side effects vary from person to person.

In order to reach Grantebrycge, Heroes must travel from Cochrane to Friedgood and then a little ways further. They are free to make this journey by foot, mount or train. Directions to Grantebrycge are vague but you can’t miss the landmark of the Great Face Cliff, a monument depicting the faces of the towns’s founding members. Poobin and Cemron seem especially stern as they glare down at anyone who dares to visit.

TWO Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
Upon entering Grantebrycge, Heroes will be immediately be ambushed by swarms of eager students from Pigeonsblood’s welcoming committee. This committee consists of upperclassmen from each of the Four Branches - Achroite, Prehnite, Bixbite, and Citrine, and they are dressed in uniforms in their Branch color (pictured here in the Bixbite red). Officially, they’re here to help you learn more about Pigeonsblood, give you a tour of the campus, and show you what each Branch can offer you so that you can make an educated decision about which to enroll in. Unofficially, they’re there to try to talk you into enrolling into their particular Branch and some will ramble on about how their Branch is the best while others fight amongst each other to try to get your attention.

Once the tour is finished, the committee will lead Heroes to the administration building. There, they’ll part with you to attend to other duties, leaving you with a reminder to head to the center plaza in an hour for the freshman orientation party. Heroes can enroll in classes if they so choose and have made a decision as to which Branch is the best for them. It’s recommended as it’s free, courtesy of Gammon. If they enroll in classes, they will receive their class schedule, a permit for a uniform, and a key to their dorm room. Head to the university shops later to have them take your measurements!

NOTE: The rooming and class schedule are up to player discretion. If there is an official mission the professors will allow an absence - Heroes can’t save the world if they’re worrying about their GPA, after all!

For those who choose to not enroll in Pigeonsblood, they can explore the campus some more, but either way make sure to head down to the central plaza before the party!

THREE The Part Where They Rope You in with Free Food
Stepping into the center plaza puts you in the middle of excited back-to-school buzz. Several event booths line the plaza, all eager to get your attention. Some will try to recruit you to their school club. Others are simply there to provide information, such as maps of the school and information about the Four Branches. Still others get even more specific, headed by banners marked “THE TOTAL IDIOT'S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL ACADEMY LIFE” and “GUIDE TO HAPPINESS: HOW TO NOT DIE DURING EXAMS”. A few generous booths will provide you with free food like “Splotted Richard” or “Bangers and Mash” to fill your tummy, as well as school merchandise, such as Branch-specific pens, face paint, flyswatters, and other bits of merchandise.

If those don't get your attention, the freshmen running your way definitely will. They're beyond excited to see a Hero among their ranks, and approach you eagerly, yelling things such as, “Did you enroll? Let's do our best together!”, “You're my inspiration! I hope we're classmates!” and “Please let me know if you need a tutor! I wouldn't mind…” Thankfully, their enthusiasm is brought to a stop by the welcoming committee, who make their way to the center plaza and hush the excited freshmen. After a heartwarming speech about youth and school spirit, the committee flashes their new classmates a bright smile and finishes with: “And now, it's time for some fun!”

What do they mean by fun? The freshmen are more than eager to demonstrate! Aside from the fun offered at the various booths, there are many magic games to partake in. There's “Splash Tag,” where players must use water magic in lieu of touch to play tag, “Air Races,” in which racers use psionic, gravity, or wind magic to boost their movement, “Hot Potato,” in which the temperature of the potato is increased with each pass until it explodes on the loser, and Illusion-based Pictionary.

A few steps away from the commotion, near where the welcoming committee made their speech, is a tall bulletin board. Various flyers are posted here-- club announcements, dating ads, tutoring offers, and of course, Pigeonsblood help wanted ads.

INFO Welcome!
Welcome to Crosscheck's Month intro log! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!

Remember to check out the uniform contest for ranked Heroes!
medicament: (Back to the sky on your own)

1A

[personal profile] medicament 2016-09-09 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[IT SO IS, maybe that's why Luna hurries to her side, visibly confused. It's just a vending machine, isn't it? It certainly looks like one, after all.]

E-Excuse me...is something the matter?

[Upon closer examination...yes, it's a pretty normal vending machine. Maybe the other girl just didn't get what she wanted out of it? Luna tries her best to come up with a logical explanation to why Katniss is aiming at it with her weapon, but nothing other than that one theory doesn't come to her mind.]
careosene: (every moment was a moment)

[personal profile] careosene 2016-09-10 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah.

[ It would be absurd to go into the whole story right now - how, never having seen or even conceived of a vending machine in all her life, Katniss tried to pry the thing open to no avail. How she then assumed it must be either a trap in the style of the Hunger Games or... a reward in the style of the Hunger Games, and thus required a more, uh, "direct" approach.

Either way, she hadn't expected anyone to come upon her like this.

But seriously, who would hold FOOD hostage like this!?!

Instead of attempting to explain herself (that would take too long), Katniss simply motions to the machine without letting her guard down. ]


You know what this thing is?
medicament: (You and I)

[personal profile] medicament 2016-09-11 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a vending machine...prime minister mentioned it during the morning broadcast.

[To think of it, she hasn't seen this girl around before, so maybe things were too hectic before to even pay attention to the speech which provided an explanation for the new acquisitions.]

Please, wait a second.

[Explaining how it works may be too complicated, especially when she can just insert some colle inside, which, in fact, she does.]

Now if you could tell me what would you like to eat or drink...
careosene: (anything you wanna hear)

[personal profile] careosene 2016-09-13 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ Morning broadcast. That must've been around the time she'd been accosting people with broken glass.

Katniss watches Diana's interaction with the machine closely before turning on what is, to her, an impressively wide selection. The packaging is unlike any she's seen, but crackers and cookies are easy enough to recognise so she gestures to the former with a tap on the glass. ]


These should be fine. There's - no catch? At all? Insert money and you're free to choose from whatever you like whenever you like?
medicament: (They can carry me)

[personal profile] medicament 2016-09-14 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[In a less than a minute later, the crackers are in her hands.]

Yes...no catch at all. If worst comes to worst, it may take your money and not dispense food, but that's all that might happen. But that's rather rare.

[Or it should be, at least.]

They're serving food at the cafeteria for free, though...so you don't have to worry about being hungry, even if you don't have money.
careosene: (competing for the attention)

1/2

[personal profile] careosene 2016-09-16 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, wouldn't want being poor to get in people's way. We'll probably be causalities of war but who cares as long as we're well-fed, right?
careosene: (hopes you won't)

[personal profile] careosene 2016-09-16 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ Almost right away Katniss regrets the harsh remark. It's a fair complaint, but she'd meant to express gratitude and this is no way to do it. ]

...Sorry. None of this is your fault. Thanks for helping me out, ...? [ If she has the girl's name she can at least pay her kindness back later. ]
medicament: (I wasn't ready)

[personal profile] medicament 2016-09-18 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
It's...

[Well, maybe it's not alright, but while Luna looks baffled at first, her expression shifts to a sheepish smile.]

It's a new situation for you, so it's understandable. Don't worry.

[Oh, that's right. She hasn't even introduced herself yet!]

Luna. It's nice to meet you, miss...?
careosene: (am i more than you bargained for yet?)

[personal profile] careosene 2016-09-20 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
Katniss. [ This with an attempt at looking somewhat sunny. ] Katniss Everdeen. Thanks for all your help, Luna.

[ She hesitates then, but reaching a decision, goes on to add: ]

Let me know if... if there's anything I can do in return, all right? From what I gather, we'll have a lot of time on our hands.
medicament: (But all honesty knows)

[personal profile] medicament 2016-09-22 01:09 pm (UTC)(link)
You're welcome! It wasn't that big of a deal to begin with, honestly speaking.

[She's certainly grateful for Katniss' offer, though.]

Just take it easy for now, it'll probably take a while to get used to living here...this world must be way different from yours, I suppose?
careosene: (is a desperate cry for war)

[personal profile] careosene 2016-09-26 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Mm. [ She takes a moment to eye the elegant lighting fixtures and to run her free hand along the wall. ] Material like this would cost a fortune back home. And you can forget about leaving food out for just anyone to take. We're lucky to get a can of corn syrup on special occasions.
medicament: (I wasn't ready)

[personal profile] medicament 2016-09-28 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
That's...I'm sorry to hear that. [Luna's eyes have been following the other girl's hand, but now she's watching her own feet.] I really am. It's probably not much of a consolation, I'm aware of that...

[Especially if she takes people Katniss left behind in her world into account.]

...but at least you won't have to worry about those things here.
careosene: (005 (you live like three houses away))

[personal profile] careosene 2016-09-28 08:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh– [ It takes a second for Katniss to realise how the story must've come across and she finds herself shaking her head. ] No, it's... it's all right. I don't want you to feel bad. [ Now is probably the best time to smile, right?

She also finds herself doing something a little out of the ordinary: telling the god's honest, heartfelt truth. ]


Being here is surreal. I don't know whether to be happy or sad when of course I know people who deserve this much more than I do. [ Yup time for that smile!!! ] How about you? How does this place compare to your home world?
medicament: (That I said I was fine)

[personal profile] medicament 2016-09-30 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I think I know how you feel...not entirely, of course, but I have an idea. It really is...surreal. Being called a hero and all that...

[To be fair, that's a really good word to describe anyone's arrival here. Everyday life is just as surreal, though. To Luna, at least.]

It's...not as welcoming as this place, that much is certain. I'm afraid I can't tell you much, though...it's not like I don't want to. It's just I was, um, rather sheltered. [Smiling apologetically, Luna adds shortly after:] But I suppose we'll be able to come back once the war is over.