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

i

[burnmydread]

[ Naturally, any place associated with food is where Minato would eventually wander to. Granted, the ship itself has plenty to become immersed in, edible or otherwise, but going a couple hours without eating something just feels like a waste. Besides, he has some colle leftover from the last excursion this ship brought them on, and what better way to spend it?

That, and his carrier is fond of food too. (His carrier is fond of everything. She takes after him pretty well.)

Minato slides up beside her easily, leaving plenty of space between them, of course. She just happens to be standing in front of a flavor he hasn't tried yet. ]

I've had five.

[ In total or so far that day? Hard to tell. ]

[armorial]

[ When she feels a presence of someone behind her, she steps to the side to give him a better view of the dairy. She's only entertaining the thought, really... The possibility is that she won't pick one out, but taking this all in.

He speaks and she's wondering if he's talking to her. If he is, it would be rude not to respond. ]

Usually five would make someone well seasoned, but with these numbers I'm not sure. [ Would five be considered anything at all?! ] What kind did you choose?

[ Curious!! For future purposes. ]

[burnmydread]

[ Minato hums quietly in response. She does have a point. He hasn't even been able to count the full number of options available to them, but if he can, he'd like to make sure he tries at least one of each. It's a big undertaking, of course, but someone has to do it. ]

Rambutan, jabuticaba, prawn, langsat, and...melon.

[ It's a miracle he remembered all of them. He shifts his gaze to her. ]

Some were better than others.

[armorial]

... Prawn? [ That's the first one that hits her hardest (also because she recognizes it faster). She looks... Concerned. It doesn't exactly sound appetizing to her. While seafood is delicious, she can't imagine drinking it. She looks up to him as if she notices the shift in attention. ]

I am guessing that it's not one of the better drinks. [ IT SOUNDS GHASTLY. ] Melon sounds nice.

[burnmydread]

[ Hey, sometimes you've got to be adventurous. Then your Courage might increase. And honestly, shellfish flavored milk isn't the strangest thing he's eaten or his biggest food-related regret. Have you ever opened up a random chest in hell hour and taken a bite of what you found in there? 0/10, would not recommend. Odd Morsel. Ugh.

But her choice is a good one. He straightens slightly at it and nods. ]

Melon was really good.

[ With that, he reaches out and plucks one from the display, holding it out to her. ]

On me.

[ ...Buying someone else food? Clearly he must be up to something. ]

[armorial]

[ There's some surprise when Minato pulls out the bottle and offers her a drink. Looking up at him, then looking at the bottle in his hand, she's still not used to any kind of attention aside from some talk. After staring at the bottle a little longer, she looks back down to her chalice. ]

I appreciate your kindness, but you should spend your money for yourself. [ She'll kindly reject his offer, though it's tempting. ]

[burnmydread]

[ He tilts his head slightly at that. Maybe because he pretty much accepts anything that's handed to him, especially when it's food. Minato isn't the type to be pushy, though, so he accepts her decline with a simple nod...

...before grabbing a few more drinks. As she said, he should spend his money for himself. And food is where most of it goes, anyway. ]

They're good to have on Mondays, at least.

[armorial]

[ While she doesn't find it peculiar for him to pick out so many bottles, what he says catches her interest. Is there a reason for it to be so specific?! Is there a hidden benefit for drinking milk on Monday?

She waits until he's done choosing out his dairy. Both hands clutched onto her grail, she asks the question of a lifetime.,/small> ]

... Why on Mondays and not other days?

[burnmydread]

[ Oh...oh. He will learn her a thing. He will learn her many things. At that question, his expression grows very sombre, as if he's about to talk about a great battle where many died for the cause.

It might as well be the same thing, to be honest. ]

The chefs go rogue back in the Hall.

[ He sighs. ]

It's dangerous toe at there on Mondays.

[armorial]

[ She's quiet, eyebrows knit as she takes in the information. At first, she's looking down at the floor to process it, but looks back up to him. ]

I don't quite follow. [ It is lost to her... She is new and her roommates cook food. ] Do you mean that they start a quarrel...?

[ Why? ]

[burnmydread]

[ He shakes his head solemnly. ]

It's worse than that.

[ This really must be something big, right? A tragedy, a cycle of terror and intrigue that repeats itself every Monday. He can only mean something so sinister, so unholy-- ]

The food is awful.

[armorial]

[ She's quiet like before, processing this all in. This is rather quicker than her last silence however. ]

That truly is worrying. [ There's is perfect understanding of this tragedy. She knows well that she wouldn't be able to hand this Food on Monday, but she's wondering if it's at least edible.

Some must make compromises to overcome. ] Thank you for the warning. I am not sure if I could return to eating without concerns after being pampered with well constructed meals.

[burnmydread]

[ That's Minato, here for the Good of the People. No one should go hungry because someone got a little too excited and experimental in the kitchen. The food itself may technically be edible in the sense that it won't kill you, but it's enough to make you sad. Isn't that what matters?

He nods, knowing the warning has been passed. But knowledge can be a heavy burden. ]

The food here is better. Usually it's okay most of the time. [ He will admit to that. ] I don't know what changes on Mondays.

[armorial]

[ She totally agrees, especially now. If she were to look back on her life, she would be disappointed in how she could have settled for anything less--just kidding, she knows she has to adapt with what resources she has.

... But the thought of settling for inadequacy is unsettling. ]

Someone must have investigated this case. [ This is important!! Please tell he someone has! She looks at him intently because this is how you serve justice. ]

[burnmydread]

...

[ He'd light to say something meaningful, something to give her hope. Some reason to believe that such an atrocity couldn't be practiced against people who were whisked across space and time to fight a war that wasn't even theirs...!

But...no. ]

...I actually haven't asked.

[ He's missed a big glaring hole in his whole sob story. Like the actual reasoning behind it.

That's...probably a good idea, though. ]

[armorial]

I do not blame you. Something like this would appear trivial for most people, but it's still worth understanding.

[ Only because Saber is poor, so she can't go buy better food all the time. She looks off to the side, looking over the milk shelf as if in contemplation. ]

Of course, do not burden yourself. [ SHE WILL ASK INSTEAD. As a knight and also the one curious, it is her responsibility.. ]

[burnmydread]

[ Ah, yes. It's good to have someone that understands. Granted, he could probably afford to buy his own food, but why should he have to when there's already a free and plentiful source available? Mostly he's just a mooch. At least he's usually honest about it. ]

Are you going to ask...?

[ That's what it seems like, given the more stern expression on her face. ]

I kind of want to know, now.

[armorial]

[ Saber isn't much of a mooch, but she can't afford not to accept their offerings of free meals... Resources should always be cared for and checked--including chefs that ruin Mondays. ]

Yes, I am going to ask. [ There's an affirmative nod. ] I will tell you of my findings after thorough investigation.

[ But of course, she would need to know his name. ] You may call me Saber. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier.

[burnmydread]

[ Taking advantage of resources would be a much nicer way to put it. Maybe he'll start using that from now on.

He nods in response. That sounds good to him. Why do the footwork if someone else is already going to? He's logical, not lazy. (More lazy.) ]

Saber? [ That's an interesting name. ] Minato. Nice to meet you, Saber-san.