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

[houndumb]

[Because you look short, and an easy target, and also kind of aloof, which always pings his this guy probably thinks he's better than other people or is the really annoying quiet kind that you have to watch out for type radar. Actually, those aren't even legitimate types of people, but Nora's life has never been full of very legit people in the first place.

So at the end of the day: he doesn't like your face, Setsuna, and that's why you're getting the beady eye. And also you happen to be standing within several dozen meters of the plank, which Nora has now apparently claimed as his territory...

And if you maintain eye contact long enough, he's going to stomp over:]

What, you wanted to go first or something? You gonna keep us waiting all day, or am I gonna have to help you along? Huh??

[Hopefully you aren't standing too close to the edge of the ship, either, because Nora is apparently trying to crowd you right off the side at this point.]

[quaria]

[ NORA...

Setsuna was actually about to look away, but it's too late. A dog has decided to target him. Since the hound Hero is (hopefully) wearing the Hero uniform, he doesn't react negatively to the intimidation. Despite the dog's attempts to make him step away from his location, he's not moving at all. He remains on his exact spot, especially after he realizes what's going on here.

He's not here for the swimming lessons, but he's mistaken for a pupil. What should he do to clear this up? Unfortunately, Setsuna being Setsuna, has always been bad with social conversations. In his logic, the best way to handle this is to walk away. If he moves out of the way, then the lessons can continue without his disturbing presence.

So, he's just going to walk away. ]

[houndumb]

[BZZT. WRONG ANSWER.

That is to say, the minute Setsuna turns tail and looks like he's going to run (walk) away, Nora reaches out like lightning to snag him by the back of his fancy-ass uniform collar -- and shocker, Nora is also wearing his uniform, and it's even not too rumpled; who knew being literally raised by relatively well-dressed punks the army had side benefits like these...?

Fashion comparisons aside, the absolute positive best way to get Nora's goat is to ignore him, or pretend to ignore him, or think about ignoring him. Thusly.]

HEY. I was talking to you! Are you deaf or just an asshole or what?? [Pot, kettle, steaming ocean charcoal... If Setsuna doesn't stop him he's probably being shaken like an unruly kitten, too.] Hey, I don't have to use the plank for this one, do I?

[That was to the Captain, so things are escalating a little. Just a bit.]

[quaria]

[ Maybe Setsuna isn't stopping the dog Hero at all. Maybe he's letting him shake him, all without his expression ever changing. He keeps his head forward, intent on continuing on whenever the dog would release his grip. If ever, anyway. He's hoping he would pick up on the idea that he really doesn't need the swimming lessons.

Unfortunately for Setsuna, the Captain's too drunk to care. She just looks amused as the Heroes bond. She raises a bottle of fancy alcohol, seemingly content with letting them decide by themselves. She knows that Setsuna can swim, but this is too entertaining for her to point that out. But the fact that she's not doing anything to stop this almost makes him want to sigh.

Guess he'll talk. ]

I do not need it, I am fine.

[houndumb]

[You'd think someone as volatile as Nora would get distracted and let go eventually? But no. Nope. You are either going to go along with his ridiculous whims or you are going to be standing here on the ship for the next 10 years with your collar stuck in a ridiculous iron grip.

But hey, it talks. Honestly, he was starting to wonder whether the guy was mute, or if he picked up a really well-crafted, really annoying illusion. The jury may still be out on that one.]

Hmph. So you do have a working mouth. [Ah, but what's this. Now, on top of being shaken around you're being shoved pretty roughly closer to the side of the ship. Just blame the Captain.] But too bad for you, looks like nobody's convinced. How about you prove it?

[quaria]

[ "A working mouth." Wow, please. After the rough shove has been done, that's the time Setsuna's reflexes act. He has no interest of dealing with extra hassle when he has already proven himself to the relevant authorities. This is no different from playing around. Besides, he can't afford to miss the one class that he's even here for. After getting shoved, he immediately finds his footing and regains balance to prevent his fall. It's a good thing that he has a bit of time to pass while waiting for said class to begin. But he'd rather not do anything at the expense of a wet uniform.

Anyway, who is this Hero? Setsuna has never seen him before. The dog is most likely a new leaf, yet he already has the guts to strut himself so shamelessly. Setsuna doesn't actually care what the others do in their time, but they are here for specific reasons today. It isn't just swimming or ship steering. Actual battle training is involved too; the senior Heroes were given recommendations to help their juniors. So as a response to the dog's actions, the young Meister decides to turn this into a more productive waiting time.

Setsuna follows up his rebounding with a counter push, returning a shove to the big dog to move their positions away from the edge. Although he's not saying anything again, his eyes seem to be speaking in place. Rather than play around, he would prefer to spar and scope this dog's capability in battle. COME AT HIM. ]

[houndumb]

[This is what happens when you don't use your words, Setsuna. Certain wild animals misunderstand your intentions and promptly latch on to your ankles, and once they've had a taste of blood (or something) they're not going to let go. Besides, it's debatable whether the class will even start on time at this rate: the Captain sure seems to be settling in with the (probably warm) stash of alcohol she pulled out of her... assets... and doesn't seem interested in continuing her actual current lesson anytime soon.

One way or the other, it looks like they've become the lesson. Or the entertainment for the evening (we don't actually know what time it is right now, but hopefully they're not making Heroes swim in the rain at night; no promises, though).

Nora's not paying attention to any of that, though -- as soon as Setsuna retaliated, his focus snapped in and he grinned, baring all his teeth and demonic canines. The push doesn't actually move him very far -- he's way too good at planting his feet, honestly.]

So you are useful for something. I was starting to think I picked the dead fish of the lot. [Assuming he actually made any kind of informed choice in the first place. He settles into some kind of stance, though (it's probably messy, he's a brawler, not an artist); at the same time, something unsettled somewhere in him falls back into place. Despite all his yowling about swimming, this is his element.] You better not try an' run away again!

[He did let go at last?! Setsuna's eyespeak doesn't go very far, since Nora's way too busy just charging at him with a punch. Full frontal assault, sure, why not.]