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BOARDMASTER ([personal profile] boardmaster) wrote in [community profile] pawnstorm2016-04-09 04:30 am

intro ♚ april

WELCOME TO GRAUPERA



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 CAPABLANCA & AIRY
As much as Blanc’s capital welcomes its Heroes, new arrivals such as yourself won’t have much time to settle. Get dressed and pick up your weapon and Carrier, because sometime in the afternoon, all floor nannies and Carriers will broadcast an announcement by Commander Lisbrand. She delivers a brief greeting to their new members, but gets straight to the point: they will be headed for Capablanca and the open sea beyond, in order to restore the fortress of Graupera for battle with Noir looming on the horizon. All new Heroes are expected to report to the Airy at the Caissa aeroport on the 8th along with their seniors.

On the morning of the 11th, Airy alights on Graupera, an island about two hours away from Capablanca by ferry. From here, you can either help the navy with Graupera repairs or assist in Verdoni’s investigations and head for Capablanca proper. Heroes will be staying in the (in)famous Hotel Caruana: they say you can check in anytime you like, but you can never truly leave. Nobody will quite meet your eyes or tell you what it means.

Wherever you are, the Airy will remain parked at Graupera.

TWO GRAUPERA, CAPABLANCA SEA FORT
What was once a heavily fortified island rests a ways off the coast of Capablanca; it looks a little too much like one of the thunderclouds slowly swarming on the horizon. Graupera has seen many battles and withstood the ebb and flow of wars. Formerly the city’s first line of defense until it was abandoned after the Reclamation, its dilapidated condition is the current bane of the Blanc navy. Blanc needs to bring it back to its former glory before it can face a single warship, much less Noir’s fleet of magical cannons. Blanc’s government has no doubt Heroes will do a fine job at returning the fortress to its former glory!

A ♙ The great stone and iron wall facing the wide open ocean has seen better days and is full of holes overgrown with stubborn clinging vines; cannonballs used a lifetime ago litter the grounds. The vines are extremely thick and may tangle the careless beyond hope of escape, not to mention filled with a pungent sap that will seep into your clothes and hair for days. It makes a great adhesive, though? Conveniently, parts of the wall are strewn across the floor, so at least some of the cannon holes can be repaired with enough improvisation, desperation and a bit of spit. The rest need new material provided by our helpful Heroes in Option C. Furthermore, the lingering damage from a previous attack and old age have turned the floorboards weak and unstable. The wood creaks ominously beneath the mass of even a single average-sized person, so watch your step.

B ♟ You might want to get your weapon before you descend into the dank depths beneath the castle. Once you make it down the steep, slippery stairs, you’ll be meeting the gigantic, hostile rats that infest the castle cellar from top to bottom. It looks like magical residue from long-ago battles has seeped into both the foundation and its inhabitants. The cellars have become a huge warren filled with strange mana currents, and sometimes flooded with water. If you're going to start an extermination campaign, you may want to recall the magical residue: chopping off a rat’s head and limbs will barely slow it down. It will keep going for hours unless you either lop off all its limbs or pierce its heart.

If you manage to make it all the way up into the castle’s two intact towers (the other two are half-collapsed), the uppermost levels are utterly covered in bird crap. You’ll be encountering the kings of this castle: the unusually large, grey-feathered sea birds that have taken up residence here. Albatrosses, gulls, pelicans, even sand pipers: they all share nesting and pooping space here. The feathers of each bird seem to have taken on stone-like properties not unlike the castle’s walls. They’re extremely ferocious and protective of their nests, which are filled with all kinds of things: twigs, shiny things, coin money, Option C’s supplies, feathers of all kinds, and some completely ordinary tools that seem too small for human hands, and much older than anything else in the place save for the walls. If you look closely, you might be able to see a few baby rats scattered in amongst the eggs and the peeping chicks. They’re being fed, too.

You’re meant to be moving the birds out of the place, but you might have enough trouble just moving their offal.

C ♙ Don’t feel like dealing with pest control? No problem! Blanc will need materials for rebuilding and other supplies for the coming battle! Everyone knows how important it is for the fortress to remain standing, so Heroes will be provided with gadgets and weaponry that should make it difficult for enemies to penetrate the walls yet again. Word has spread that the Heroes are transporting valuable goods, though, so you might have to fend off the occasional hopeful man or annoying mouse (rat) who wishes to borrow much-needed material.

Of course, all this rebuilding will be for naught if you are not prepared to defend the stronghold! Ammunition such as cannonballs, bullets and arrows needs to be transported to Graupera en masse, pronto. Equally important essentials include first aid supplies and enough non-perishable food and water to last a small army (you) a month or two. You wouldn’t want to have to scavenge for rat meat.

No one knows just how long this battle is going to last.

THREE Training
It’s time for you landlubbers to learn how to swim! Commander Lisbrand won’t be tolerating any sinking stones on her task force. The upcoming battle will be fought on the sea so your instructor, one of Blanc’s many fine captains (when she isn’t intoxicated), will make every single individual who hesitates at the sight of the open ocean walk the plank. She’ll even give you a helpful kick if necessary! Once that’s over, she will show you how to steer a ship. However, wandering eyes that land anywhere on the inebriated captain’s assets will be swiftly and spectacularly dealt a large bottle of the harbor’s best swill right where it hurts.

Blanc has also provided training dummies dressed suspiciously like prominent figures of the Othellian underworld. Now might be a good time to branch out and learn about your affinities. Heroes who have recently been promoted in Rank might want to set some time aside for getting used to their new abilities, too. Power and responsibility come hand in hand, after all!

INFO Welcome!
Welcome to Crosscheck's April intro log! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!
sediments: (bolin and uhh you sure?)

[personal profile] sediments 2016-04-10 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ As much of a lazy sleeper as he Bolin enjoys being, he's not so much of a sloth that he can't adjust to schedule and routine. He maintains one for the most part to make breakfast on time, regardless of how unusual it can be, and after his two week nap, he wheedled Yun into making sure that he wakes up in the morning at a good hour. And she does, without fail, an angry BAAA resonating in the room before the sheep Carrier barrels into the side of his bed with an impressive headbutt.

Most of the Bolin startles away thinking there's an earthquake from the force of her hitting his bed.

But he sits up quickly enough, heart rate spiking at the shaking of his bed before he calms down again, surveying the room sleepily without really seeing. ]


Adra? [ Did he hear his roommate talking again? ] Are you asking about pie?
sakeplz: (Warming Up With Drinks)

3

[personal profile] sakeplz 2016-04-10 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
[It's no wonder he's not impressed. The sword is in the sheathe and Jiroutachi is holding the oodachi as he sips wine instead. He really should be practicing but apparently this is what he's doing instead. Looking over and down just slightly, he tilts his head to the side then gives a great big smile.

Really he should be bothered by someone being unimpressed by him. He should.

Instead, he offers a cup to him.]


Drink?

[Swordplay? How about some drinkplay?]
drawmecute: (Hashtag Blessed)

[personal profile] drawmecute 2016-04-10 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
Lola's been here for only a few days, and she'd had her touch up rather recently. There was still a little bit of root showing, her naturally dark hair visible if you looked for it. Plus her eyebrows didn't match the pink locks. She noticed she had someone's eye, she assumed it was for her figure. Boys stared, that was her life. She loved it.

But when she looked at him, she noticed his eyebrows matched the very unnatural blue of his hair. That had her attention. Sadly Lola's curiosity was a bit stronger than her sense of personal boundaries, so she just walked over and is just staring trying to figure out how his hair was dyed so well.
hymnals: eyes were closed (i was searching)

3b

[personal profile] hymnals 2016-04-10 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ It makes Adra's heart heavy to see fresh recruits walking around here. He approaches Caren with his eyebrows furrowed, carrying a golden rapier in one hand. The badge on his uniform marks his rank--King--suggesting he's probably been here a while. ]

Have you ever fought in a war?
twosidedsword: (Cute Blushy Face)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-04-10 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
Ah... She not only came closer but now she was really...inspecting him? Shin-Ah shifted his eyes away, not sure what was happening here anymore. For some reason she was staring at his hair which was a new thing for him. Most people were usually trying to look at his Dragon eyes so he really had noooo idea how to react to this particular situation other than to flush a little and maybe give a squirm.

Of course, she wasn't about to find any roots that were a different color on him. This was actually his natural hair color. Surprise.

Luckily his carrier knew how to handle this situation! So this blue ball of fur wiggled out of his coat and bounced over to the girl to purr and nuzzle against her cheek. "...Ao..."
showsnopiety: (I'm down on my knees)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
I see...

[She did and she didn't. With a small sigh, she tucked the cloth away, and held her palm up. And she tried.

Truly, she did. But she didn't feel anything happening.]
showsnopiety: (I wanna take you there)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
War?

[That's a startling question. Caren is taken aback for a few moments, before she thinks of the rosy thought of war, carnage, and suffering. Ahem. No, that wasn't the time for happy thoughts.]

That depends on what you're referring to. I have taken part in pitched battles, but it was nothing as large scale as a war.

I am also an assistant exorcist for the Holy Church, and overseer of a local Holy Grail War.

[You know. No big deal or anything. Also, she's not going to call you king unless it's mock you to your face.]
hymnals: where we look for the future (this is the time this is the place)

[personal profile] hymnals 2016-04-10 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ Adrasteius despises the title, regardless--so it works out for him. He taps his thumb against the hilt of his sword, watching her carefully. Holy, holy. Hmm, where he has heard mention of a holy grail before ...? Is there a connection?

But he wasn't here for that. ]


Pitched battles. And how did you fight in these battles? What kind of weapon?
showsnopiety: (In the midnight hour)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
With a shroud. A holy cloth, which I directed with my arm motions.

[Just to be specific. But he seemed to be thinking of something. Had he expected her to be completely raw? Maybe there had been enough people that it was so. And in a way, she was. The Sinner's Shawl was not the Shroud of Magdalene. Similar, but not enough to completely render an easy transition.]
drawmecute: (Worried About)

[personal profile] drawmecute 2016-04-10 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
Huh... no roots. Like, no roots. None of the damage either. It was as if his hair was naturally blue. Or... well, they did say magic was a thing here. If she could keep her hair color without the damage that'd be great! No she hasn't noticed that she's made him uncomfortable. And then she's got a blue dustbunny demanding her attention.

"Oh hello there," Naturally the fuzzything brought Lola's pink furred kangaroo rat out to play too. Squeaking from it's little hidey hole in her clutch. Lola's eyes moved from the fluffball, her rat, and the boy she had just been inspecting like he was a new summer fashion. "How do you get your hair that color without damaging it?"

Because, you know, it couldn't really be natural. And if it was the world is blatantly unfair.
hymnals: that whole defense (done pleading ignorance)

[personal profile] hymnals 2016-04-10 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well--that's--unusual, but interesting, he supposes. ]

You might look into holy magic, then. Seems to be a repeating theme.
showsnopiety: (I think I'm falling)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
It might be. I am a nun, and I was raised by the Church.

[Her mouth quirks for a moment. Really, she thought she'd be better at darkness magic, if it existed.]

I assume that holy magic purifies?
twosidedsword: (Head Tilt)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-04-10 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
Well those two carriers were obviously going to be friends now. There was no avoiding it. Shin-Ah gave up on trying to get Ao back to him because he was being asked about his hair. Honestly he wasn't sure why she'd ask that and it showed all over his face as he blinked down at her.

"...I was...born like this."

Damaging your hair? Did turning it other colors damage it? Was that a thing?
hymnals: and it's more than i can handle (the world's on fire)

[personal profile] hymnals 2016-04-10 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
I'm a priest, myself, but ...

[ She's a human, ostensibly, and she didn't try to attack him, so he presumes she isn't from Azeroth. ]

... I doubt our churches are the same.

It can purify. It can sear, too.
fadetoweiss: (❋ thorn-apple)

[personal profile] fadetoweiss 2016-04-10 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Be bumbling, be helpful. That was the 'Alba' persona, now collapsed into 'Weissmann'. ]

Well, I can't leave you like this! That would be rather terrible of me. [ He kneels, carefully feeling around so he can get a secure spot on the floorboards - it wouldn't do if both of them were to fall through, after all - and carefully extracts Caren's foot from the hole it's found itself in.

He could have done it with his staff, too, but that's unnecessary expenditure of mana.
] Nothing sprained, I hope?

[ All smiles, this guy. He seems to radiate a hopeful cheer. ]
scythersergeant: (senpai notices you)

[personal profile] scythersergeant 2016-04-10 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
[It's finally starting to make sense.] Ooh. So.... they turn you into a human and then give you another sword to fight with?? [It's arguably a legitimate way to extend manpower, but couldn't they turn rocks into people or something to save on swords?

Anyway.]


Pigeon! [She snaps her fingers in a business like manner to their room nanny, who ruffles its wings with a whrrrr and flies with an intent to land on Jirou's shoulder.

"About time. Welcome, new Hero, allow me to give you a tour of the Hall you'll be staying at during your time here....."]

Gil-chan, do you know if they serve alcohol at the dining hall? That'll save us the trouble of going out to find a bar.
fadetoweiss: (❋ mullein)

III

[personal profile] fadetoweiss 2016-04-10 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ He'd had no interest in swimming - Alba had taken several impromptu 'baths' in his lifetime, and he could swim well enough at need, but he doesn't have a huge affinity for water.

(And as Weissmann? Well. The Third Anguis doesn't swim.)

But when he notices the young woman staring determinedly into the pool, he feels he ought to say something.
]

Thinking about going for a dip? I can't say the weather's not right for it. [ Then he glances at her, apparently to take in her soaked state. ] But I suppose you already have...

What's troubling you?
showsnopiety: (it's like a little prayer)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
So it is like fire but...not, exactly.

[She considered him. No priest that she had met or heard of, at least by appearances. He could be a Servant, but she couldn't be certain. She knew too little about him and the uniform gave nothing away.

Though thinking about his priest comment made her smile a little.]


But I agree. The church from my world has a low to zero tolerance policy towards magic. It infringes too much on miracles as well as the public good.
showsnopiety: (I close my eyes)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[He was way too squishy and nice. It was enough to grate on her, and while he had helped...even as she had hissed in pain from her foot coming out of the hole she had fallen into...she couldn't bring herself to throw herself at him.

Not that she would anyway. Too cheerful. It made her want to tear him down.]


It would have been understandable if you did; you took a daring risk there.

[She hissed as she carefully moved her ankle. She didn't think so but...just to see what he'd do, she offered him an uncertain look.]

I-I don't know. It hurts but...I'm used to pain.
fadetoweiss: you piece of shit (don't fucking jump at me)

2B

[personal profile] fadetoweiss 2016-04-10 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ The sounds of cawing and shrieking are quick to reach his ears. He ascends the tower carefully; though he's covered in dirt and grime, he can dismiss it easily. He's had much worse.

(Though he feels some disdain at the fact that they weren't even given proper clothing for cleaning. It seems a bit sloppy.)

He surveys the scene before him and sighs inwardly. Well, so much for the element of surprise. This girl seems to have gotten in over her head.

He unsheathes his staff, and begins to point it at targets. Birds diving at Yukari find themselves alarmingly off course, suddenly being diverted into walls, open air and basically every direction except her.

(He makes sure to keep an expression of distinctly puzzled surprise on his face, though, and his staff's movements look, to the average person, erratic. Any targeting seems to be by chance. He doesn't want to show his true level of competency just yet - better to make others think he's just lucky rather than competent.)
]
fadetoweiss: (❋ elderflower)

[personal profile] fadetoweiss 2016-04-10 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
What's a little risk, really! I've had worse experiences. [ And he really has...archaeology in Zemuria sure is something. ]

Oh my. [ He looks concerned. ] Well, perhaps it would be best if we returned downstairs.

[ He stands, offering a hand to her. While it would be too risky to carry her at this venture, he can at least assist! ]
hymnals: i got mine (you'll get what's yours)

[personal profile] hymnals 2016-04-10 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
Not quite.

[ He notices her noticing him, so it's a notice-off. An interesting, secretive smile she has. Hmm.

At her remark, he just grins. ]


Sounds horrifically backwards!
showsnopiety: (I'll take you there)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, it's not Blanc exactly. It's more...

[She shrugs, still smiling.]

Humans are funny when it comes to control, don't you think? And power.
drawmecute: (Sad Panda)

[personal profile] drawmecute 2016-04-10 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
Lola tilted her head at that answer. Born with hair like that. There was a lot to this world she had to know about, sadly this bit of information won't help her keep her own look alive. And she'd hate to have to coordinate clothes with her real hair color. Shudder. "That's... really unfair."

Julio the rat makings it way over to Ao, because clearly the little ball of fluff was far more important than either of their masters right now.

"Oh, right! I'm Lola." Manners, she'd forgotten them in all the being easily distracted.
showsnopiety: (I have no choice)

[personal profile] showsnopiety 2016-04-10 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
Truly? You'll have to tell me about it sometime.

[She hadn't been lying. She might like to hear it to savor the terrible parts and...well, she is known to be plagued with all sorts of things. She might have a few bruises forming up right now, not just on her ankle.

With a stifled sigh, she gingerly got to her feet, suppressing a wince-barely. Clearly she's in pain, but she's not going to let that drag him down. Or her. She'll start hobbling as much as possible towards the door, trying to keep her weight off of her foot. She's trying not to lean against him either.]