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

II-B

[querella]

[ As this was One's third time returning to this area, she did not expect to be paired with another for the evening. Although still ranked Pawn, One had been in this world for a considerable amount of time, and had proven able to handle quite a bit on her own. But... yes, she had been given a partner. It was to make this all go by faster, correct? To rebuild this fort as soon as possible even while working on a far more important job. In any case, the Intoner would have to... deal with what she'd been given.

The golden haired accursed being glanced over her companion, sizing up the new recruit. Beside her, her noisy carrier, a three foot tall white dragon, swayed from side to side. He was ever careful of the sizable of her chakram. ]

Let us hope that we can finish this quickly. [ One turned her attention back to her carrier. ] And you, dragon, try not to get in our way.

[ The dragon lifted it's heavy, horned head, jaw dropping open in reply. Well, as much of a reply as it could give. ]

[armorial]

Yes, of course. [ One gives off an air of reliability and experience. Saber is actually glad to be paired up with someone that appears dependable. The faster they finish this, the faster they can renew the fort. Ah...

The dragon carrier. Saber doesn't flinch or back away from the sight of a mythical creature, but simply looks over to the stubby dragon. It reminds her of the past a bit, but this isn't the time to reminisce. It also reminds her of her new friend as well, a the white lion cub that is merely hiding behind her legs. ]

Unfortunately, I won't be able to slay the vermin, but I can cast my barrier for when you need me. [ Though she says that, she takes the lead down into the underground stairs, expecting One to follow after her. ]

[querella]

You may be the first I've met whose weapon was meant for defense. [ It was a curious thing. So far as she had seen the others had strictly offensive weapons, and focused on just as much. Her own weapon, for instance, was also strictly offensive. But One was considerably agile and used that to to cover her weakness. She had retained a fraction of her inhuman strength, agility, and senses. But it would not always prove to be effective. So someone whose default weapon could be used to defend in the manner this woman's would was surely an invaluable member of this military. ] We should be most grateful for that.

[ The Intoner paused only a moment, a little caught off guard that Saber had taken to the position of lead, before shaking her head. It wasn't anything worth commenting on. She could easily chalk it up to the other being prepared to go on the defensive should these vermin rise to attack the moment they breach their territory. And she can appreciate that. Appreciate the idea of someone who appears to plan ahead.

Or she could be entirely wrong about what she perceives. To be fair, she doesn't know anything about the other. ]

Do you have much combat experience?

[armorial]

If what you say is true, then I'm glad to be of use to the military. [ To say that Saber was proud when she first picked up her weapon is an overstatement. If anything, she finds her weapon still a joke to her past, so she finds One's words encouraging. Maybe she can look to see a different light to this chalice. ]

Yes. I have led my own army. [ To many victories, at that. However, she's modest and does not disclose any more detail than that. However, what she says should be enough to prompt that she isn't one familiar with being completely defensive. Still, she has experience. Saber, being intuitive amidst the combat, throws the barrier up by water in the air from her chalice once they reach the bottom of the stairs. She senses danger.

It only takes a second after where a mob of oversized rats start tackling the barrier, trying to chip at it even though it's already deteriorating. Her barrier is small... So she's right next to One, witnessing the rats up close. ]

These look like no ordinary rodents. [ The barrier is slowly dissipating. ] Quickly.

[querella]

[ She had planned to further the conversation, to inquire just what sort of army the other might have led, but the rats quickly became her new focus. They were over-sized and maddened, that much she could tell right off the bat. And judging by the mana currents flowing through the area? If she were correct, they must be feeding off of it somehow. However, she didn't expect them to start taking down Saber's barrier so fast. ]

They must have mutated due to the mana exposure here. [ And who knows what else. But One adjusted her body, drawing her chakram up on her right. If she kept Saber on her left, she wouldn't have to worry about harming the other. Since her weapon was meant for distance, she could use it to start forcing the vile vermin back. ] I will limit my range to avoid harming you, but we may end up too close for comfort.

[ That was a real understatement. But they couldn't avoid it for right now.

The chain connecting her weapon to the shackle on her wrist began to glow red, a deep, beautiful carmine red. The links began to separate, allowing the mana flowing in to the weapon to fill in the gap. The additional length could possibly give her some advantage. She just had to direct it. With gritted teeth, she threw the weapon forward. Slender fingers caught on to the chain, wrist turning with the circular weapon. It bore in to one of the rat's hide, tearing through flesh and bone. She jerked the weapon back, tearing it out of the beast's side and into another. If she could keep this up, she could create enough of a gap to give Saber room to escape into the rest of the area. She would follow after. ]

[armorial]

Do not worry. I will position myself accordingly. [ Saber is a well-seasoned soldier in a sense. She has seen many battles and fought with different kinds of allies. It also helps that her instincts is that similar of a sixth sense... But... not an actual ability. Guts? Maybe.

After seeing how One's weapons works, Saber notes it would be best for Saber to stay in the back. Taking a step back, she starts surveying the corridor to the best of her ability. It's... Dark, but she, too, noticed the mana current. It's as One says. This causes some worry in Saber. If this is the aftermath of mana, what else might they have to face? ]

They're still moving. [ As if not expected, the rats that were cut down, come back at them. Saber quickly channels a small amount of mana into her chalice and throws water above them. It forms a quick barrier in mere milliseconds. This time, she's behind One, but still close... She's hoping in the future the radius will be larger, but she makes due. The rats hit the barrier and bounce back due to the force of their lunge, suffering from the recoil. This barrier falls instantly. ]

[querella]

[ Regeneration? No, the areas her chakram had torn through were not regenerating. The wounds hadn't closed and what limbs had been torn through remained tattered. It must be the mana currants keeping the heart and mind going in these disgusting creatures. Like something Three might have created and forgotten about.

One would have to do more then simply cut away at the flesh. Dismemberment might slow them down, but perhaps an attack directed at the head or heart would do the trick. And although One could surely deal the damage, the smell of these beast was beginning to get to her, piling on to the exhaustion that might take hold if she used her weapon's mana draining ability for too long.

Given more time and practice, she was sure the effect of the chakram's ability would lessen. Or, at least, she would be able to overcome it.

As soon as the barrier fall, so too does the carmine glow begin to dissipate and the weapon's chain returns to its normal length. The Intoner swallowed hard, eyes watering a little. It was in her best interest not to show any weaknesses this early into the fight. Besides, if she could somehow figure out how to pull in the mana currents and use them to buff herself and Saber up, this battle would be a lot easier. But for now she has to focus all her might on hacking through their enemy. ]

Do not use up all your mana. [ The command comes out with a little more bite than One meant for it to have. But she is certain the other won't make a big deal out of it. ] I can hold these beasts off without use of the barrier for now. If you need to replenish your mana, grab my free hand. Physical contact is... one of the easiest ways to replenish it.

[ As... silly as it sounds, it is the only offer she can make for now. It was a slow process and they both could use it if worse came to worse. ]

[armorial]

Yes. [ While she isn't used to orders all too often ever since she became king, she's obedient. She holds off on using her mana--actually, she has a decent amount left. Possibly not enough if she were to cast a long-lasting barrier right now, but it enough for short bursts.

Since she can see that One is exerting herself a good amount, she'll hold onto her hand with a firm, but gentle grasp. It only lasts for a couple of seconds before she backs away to give her ally room to use her weapon and destroy their enemies. Instead of using her mana, she's just throwing water at them now. Maybe one or two rats drank a mouthful, eyes glowing red before they fall onto the floor unconscious.

It's a temporary effect, but useful in some ways. Still, One is doing most of the work. Luckily, with each dismembered rat paw that comes, little reinforcements arrive. It doesn't take long for them to only have a static number of immobilized rats that are trying their hardest to make these Heroes fall back. ]

... I sense something. [ It's just her gut speaking, but she thinks she saw the gleam of some larger beady eyes down the corridor. ]