intro ♚ april

[boardmaster]

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!

Comments

Kojirou/Assassin | Fate/

[hiryugaeshi]

2b

[ Assassin steps over a pile of bird poop lightly. He doesn't have that many pairs of sandals to spare, he doesn't want to have to buy more if he can at all help it. ]

Somebody told me there were swift birds on top of these towers. I see why I'm needed.

[ He looks at the pair of swords hanging from his waist. An ordinary-sized longsword he took off the corpse of one of the lizardmen from the dungeon, and a longer wooden sword that's his magic weapon. In this case... ]

These are just uglier swallows. No, perhaps not even as dangerous. Shall we?

[ The steel sword is drawn from its sheath. The Laundry Pole is probably more useful here, but that's exactly why he's starting with the weaker weapon. He can't get too reliant on its magic powers. ]

3

[ Training. Kojirou always has time for training. The world here doesn't work like the one he's used to, and not being able to use the Tsubame Gaeshi bothers him more than he cares to admit. So given the opportunity to have a bunch of targets to whack at, he's going to take it.

But honestly... He has nothing against drills. He's very good at repetition. It's a good path to mastery. But it's very distracting when he's much better than almost everyone else here.

Right! Time to go annoy people. ]

Your swordplay...

[ He sneaks up to somebody practising, stroking his chin, clearly unimpressed. Almost exaggeratedly so. ]

3

[mithrarin]

What about it?

[Even Dust knows he's clunky, at the moment, because he's experimenting -- trying to test the limits of what he can do with his sword while it's actually effective, thanks to the power of his staff. Which means a lot of switching between the two, trying to figure out the length and scope of the effect, and not a lot of effective fighting at all.]

[hiryugaeshi]

It's not quite just flailing, but it could be much better.

[ Kojirou's harsh with his criticism, and why wouldn't he be? In terms of pure martial ability, he hasn't met anyone who's really a match for him. In fact, Dust might be the first person he'd call "not just flailing." He actually knows how to use a sword. ]

Using two long weapons at once seems unwise.

[mithrarin]

Then let me explain a little.

[Dust flips the sword into a reverse grip, then offers it up, so Kojirou can see its one glaring flaw: it has no edge at all. It couldn't cut butter. The crystal sword is overtly rounded.]

[hiryugaeshi]

I see.

[ But Kojirou draws his own magic weapon here. It's a wooden sword. It has a single edge, but it's still made of wood, and thus not particularly useful for cutting things. ]

A blunt weapon still has its use, especially if it's magic. So, what does yours do?

2b

[topkong]

Oh, did you exterminate pests at one point in your life?

[ Wukong is Not Amused, mostly because of all the poop and gross, heavy feathers strewn about. Still, it's better than escorting a supply wagon, and Wukong is pretty happy to just get out and go do something about the birds. Then again, he also expected NORMAL BIRDS but... his mistake, what is this place, seriously.

Unlike Kojirou, Wukong has his pole readied. His secondary weapon, which looks like a Banana, fastened and secure against his waist. ]

I mean, I guess. Be careful though... there's only two of us and a lot of them.

[ Then again, they're only birds. What's the worst that could happen? ]

[hiryugaeshi]

[ Why would you ever expect normal birds. Normal birds don't need heroes to show up and beat them up, don't be ridiculous Wukong. You should at least expect a raptor camp. Too bad they don't drop gold. ]

I wouldn't call them pests. They were most beautiful creatures, but they were quick, and sensitive to small changes in the air. It was impossible to strike them down, which is why I had to do it.

[ Swallows. He means swallows. But he also doesn't really mean swallows, because apparently they were tougher than dragons. Ancient birds were weird and probably magic. ]

So don't worry, it would be really unfortunate if you needed one hero for one bird, don't you think? We'll be more than enough to chase them off.

[ Actually, Kojirou will be more than enough to chase them off is what he means. He has no idea how good Wukong even is at fighting, and it doesn't really matter to the Assassin. ]

[topkong]

... wait, so because it was impossible to take them down, you had to do it? You have something against animals?

[ Wukong is going to have a Word with Kojirou after all of this, regardless of his status as a samurai and 'honorable' dude. He's already a little on edge with this guy's arrogance! That's Wukong's schtick, what the heck... ]

Trust me. I don't think there's been a job yet that didn't require more than one person taking on a challenge... for a reason, too.

[ Because the job has to be done right! With teamwork! As heroes! ]

Anyway. After you, hm?

[ Monkey see, monkey do. ]

[hiryugaeshi]

When an insurmountable wall stands in your way, isn't it tempting to give it a try anyway? Besides, I had nothing better to do.

[ People usually don't achieve the impossible just because they were bored, but let's just say the man who would eventually be called Sasaki Kojirou was far from ordinary. ]

Try to keep up, and don't step in anything.

[ Sure footing is important, and dodging bird poop will probably end up the hardest part of this mission. The giant birds themselves though? He steps forward with utmost confidence, and an angered gull swoops down at him in response to his continued intrusion into their territory.

So his blade flashes upwards, a single precise arc that crashes straight into the thinnest part of the gull's neck. If it were an ordinary bird, it would already have fallen to the ground in two pieces, but it seems he was not prepared for their hardened skins and only manages to knock it aside, still whole. ]

Hm. Armoured, then? I'll have to use a bit more force it seems.

[ He's just talking to himself there, don't mind him. ]

3

[sakeplz]

[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?]

[hiryugaeshi]

[ A moment of surprise. Why even show up to the training grounds if you're not going to train? Who even is this tall purple person, and why is there another purple sword person? ]

You should really be training.

[ Still, Kojirou ends up sitting down and taking the cup. ]

But I can fit a small drink into my schedule, I'm sure.

[sakeplz]

I'd rather be drinking!

[He chuckles then pours more for himself before sitting down too. After giving a toast, he has a nice drink of it before letting out a sigh.]

Ahhh! That's delicious! Now I just have to see if I can find sake somewhere and then I'll really be happy!

[hiryugaeshi]

[ Kojirou returns the toast, and nods. ]

There is a rather distinct lack of Japanese wines. Somebody should send rice to the local breweries and see if they can make it work.

[ Until then though, he'll make do with local wines. ]

3

[buildyourworld]

[ He's not listening to you. He's busy trying to figure out what ability his sword cane has, thus the random swinging at trying to activate something, anything.

Or nothing at all. He frowns, examining the gun-hilt handle for clue. ]

What ability are you suppose to have...? [ To be honest, he's only guessing it has something to do with the sword because casting spells with the cane has been easy. It supposedly works like a magic wand, with the mana crsytal channeling his mana for easier casting. But what he's interested in is figuring out is what kind of ability Forseti comes with... ]

[hiryugaeshi]

[ Kojirou frowns at Tieria's flailing. No, no, he's going about this all wrong!

His own sword flashes out, knocking Tieria's sword out of the way so he has a chance to talk. ]

Before you try to squeeze magic out of a weapon, first you have to be proficient with it.

[ Is that even true? He has no idea, but it was true where he came from, and it certainly fits his sense of aesthetics better. ]

If your sword isn't as an extension of the self, then it is a dead tool. It's not going to respond to you.

[buildyourworld]

[ He might looked like he doesn't know what he's doing but the moment Kojirou attacked him, Tieria parried it and swiftly swung his sword back to point it in Kojirou's face. His movements precise and sharp, and not by any means untrained. ]

Do you make a habit out of making unfounded assumption on strangers you know nothing about?

[ Drawing his sword back and sheathing it back into it's cane form, Tieria rolls his eyes and moves to walk away, having no patience to deal with Kojirou. His interruption has completely ruined his mood. ]

3

[kirkhammer]

[Today is the first time since the dungeon (and even then, it was only briefly) that Vivienne's held a sword in her hand. She'd used one back home of course; her weapon of choice was, oddly enough, a silver sword that slotted into the handle of a large hammer, but it was of relatively simple make. Easy to use. This one's a little heavier than what she's used to wielding with one hand.]

I wouldn't imagine it's up to par with that of a samurai.

[There's a rather defensive edge to her tone. She knows she likely isn't as skilled, but that doesn't stop her from being sore about it.]

[hiryugaeshi]

[ Skill at arms isn't everything, but don't tell Kojirou that. He sees Vivienne's defensiveness, and smiles. It's actually a good thing. It means she's not satisfied with mediocrity. ]

Not just any samurai, you'll find. [ Indeed, in his entire life, Kojirou hasn't met a single person more skilled than him. Even in his afterlives as a Servant, and now as a Hero, there have only been a handful of people that were his match in pure skill.

Now, people that could just smash him out of the way with superior strength and speed were a different matter altogether, but not everyone can have magic blood and magic swords. ]

But we all have to start somewhere. It took a lifetime of practice for me to get to where I stand now.

[kirkhammer]

Is that so?

[She's no stranger to scuffles with other people, whether it be sparring, or something less ah... friendly. But they were largely one-sided fights, to the point they could hardly be called such. Those who resisted the Church were met with swift force, and most were quick to submit, so she can't say she's ever seriously fought with another human being.

Everything else she slays is inhuman. Though some are difficult to take down alone, she imagines fighting a beast is a far cry from fighting a human with any real skill in their art - she doesn't really have any frame of reference.]

Despite what you say, you appear rather young.

3

[carptricks]

[the change in his badge (from Pawn to Bishop) had given Kaito a wider range of new abilities, most of which he had yet to truly explore thanks to how busy his investigations in Capablanca had kept him. but when he finally manages to hit a down period, he immediately hits the training grounds, intent on discovering the extent of what he could do. besides, target practice with his new firearm was a must, regardless of how confident he was in his gun wielding abilities already]

[he's in the middle of reloading his weapon with another round of bullets when Assassin's voice reaches his ears. it's familiar-- of course it's familiar, Kaito had an ear for voices-- and he glances up just in time to recognize the man who had helped him escape from those two thugs earlier on in the month. a man who was now judging people's abilities with a sword. yeah, that unimpressed tone in Assassin's words also didn't escape Kaito's notice]

[well, it was bound to have happened sooner or later. Kaito has no plans on revealing that he was the mysterious cloaked figure Assassin had ran into that day, but he sees no harm in approaching his fellow hero and starting up casual conversation. right?]

Y'know, if you keep judging people's abilities like that, you're gonna start giving people inferiority complexes.

[he teases, and the voice he speaks with is notably different than the one he used back in the alleyway. gotta preserve his anonymity, here]

[hiryugaeshi]

[ Has he met this guy before? Assassin's not sure. Familiar, but not nearly enough to place a name to that face. Oh well, names aren't important. ]

Perhaps they should train harder, then, so I can't judge them.

[ Ouch. Harsh. ]

The battlefield will be far less kind than me. Better bearing a complex than dead.

[ But perhaps he has a point? ]

[carptricks]

[harsh indeed. but the point is a good one, and Kaito lets out an amused snort]

S'pose there's no point in arguing against that.

[but even if he doesn't argue the point, he isn't going to pass up the chance to pick on his fellow hero. just a little bit]

Still, if someone tries to throw something at your head for being judgmental, I'm not gonna stop 'em.

2b ) I think we're roommates, friend!

[memoryslain]

[ It's difficult to say exactly how long they'd been traveling together in these halls; time flies by when you're constantly putting down oversized rodents and fighting your way up staircases. Noir appreciated the camaraderie towards the end of the expedition, bat in one hand and gun in the other, still unused to the new weapon and having to tote his carrier around in a swath of material tied across his back, since the fussy little thing wouldn't set a single paw in the caked feces that began to spatter the ground. The marauder doesn't pay nearly such attention to the uniform boots assigned to him; they were leather with good thick rubber soles, and they would clean up later.

If his were a regular gun, that'd be one thing against these stony-feathered foes. This one could fire without bullets— not that it usually worked. And he only had so many bullets. With the sound of feathers and their clear objective before them, however, he may be able to spare a few if he deemed it necessary. This other man, on the other hand... what use were swords against something that could fly out of range? Noir supposes he'll see soon enough. He's had faith in the stranger up to this point. ]

We shall.

[ Noir advances without another moment wasted, steps light and quiet as he stalks to the nearest nest with a promising-looking load. He hears the angry parent before it's anywhere near a dangerous proximity, swinging his bat up in a clean arc without turning his attention away from the tiny rats swarming the nest. The reek of rotting flesh mixed with leavings in such a damp and moldy place would be enough to make him gag if it weren't giving him weird little flashbacks. Long dark hallways, mutated remains of experiments left to rot. A hand reaching for his shuffling bare feet.

He's distracted. ]

We are! I just realise I never filled the Housing form, whoops

[hiryugaeshi]

Very good, but you're distracted. [ Kojirou observes as much, tapping Noir on his head with the pommel of his sword. The Servant isn't especially worried about the wild animals infesting the castle: They might be big and tough, but he's a man who possesses the martial skill to force reality to bend to his whim. He's a man who has slain dragons. How could he possibly lose to a bunch of birds?

No, his main concern is not getting covered in bird shit.

Striking them is simple, especially for birds as aggressive as the ones before him now. First, draw their attention, and as territorial as they are, the heroes' very presence is already causing quite a stir. Then when they swoop in the claw or peck at his face, that's when the sword comes down.

Unfortunately they're tough, with skins like stone. His first strike merely manages to knock a gull out of the sky, unable to instantly kill it despite the sharpness of his blade. But that's fine, he'll just have to try again. ]

IT'S OK I WAS JUST LIKE MAN I CAN'T BE THE ONLY APPER WITHOUT A ROOMIE and went searching...

[memoryslain]

[ The tap to his head and his temporary partner's words snap him out of it, if only in time for a previously-disabled bird to come hobbling over to him snapping its beak threateningly and puffing up to seem more dangerous. One wing was broken, likely either by his own bat or by sword.

Ah, perhaps he should've taken one of the swords littered around the halls on his way in. The secret may be stabbing beneath the feathers, a feat which his bat will never accomplish. Another swing of the bat downward catches it by the neck and he reaches into the nest for a dull little dagger, swinging it around to stab beneath the ruffled feathers by a wing.

...Did it do the trick?? It seems like it!! ]

Ah— thank you, Kojirou. Something about this place... [ OOPS THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING IN, batter's up! ] seems to be stirring up memories. I think.

[ It's hard to say when you don't have very many memories to stir. ]

I have a sack for materials, but how are we supposed to gather things without killing all of the birds? Surely that's not necessary.