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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!
armorial: (pic#10133771)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-04-12 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ Vietnam, you kind soul. Let her gaze soften now because she's making herself obvious even though she meant to be subtle. This explains why she noticed a lot of people staring at her when she passes by. She keeps note to keep a tighter hold of herself in the future. ]

I would like to. [ No, water is a cold battlefield. ] But I, unfortunately... Do not know how to swim.
hoasen: (hmm?)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-04-12 05:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's true. It happened because you can feel her intensity from afar! But that's okay, because Saber is honest!]

Oh! I see. You wish to learn how to swim? I know how to swim, so I can teach you.

[Thank god for having a pretty important shoreline and so many rivers.]
armorial: (pic#10133791)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-04-13 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's some silence as she considers the offer. She can tell that this one is also a fellow Hero and Heroes have other tasks waiting for them (like lounging), so it takes her a while to think about this. ]

I would like that, but I don't want to take up your time.
hoasen: (A BARGAIN WHERE?)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-04-15 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[Lounging is definitely an important Hero task, but Vietnam is nice enough to push it back another time! Especially when a future comrade here needs some help.]

It is fine, I am free now. So we can start whenever you are ready.
armorial: (pic#10133861)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-04-16 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
If you say so. [ She has her doubts, but arguing more would be rude. Speaking of rude, she'll introduce herself first as well. ]

My name is Saber. [ There's a small bow of her head. ] It's a pleasure to meet you. I will do my best to learn quickly.
hoasen: (waves)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-04-16 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[Don't worry, Saber, Vietnam didn't really introduce herself either. So she will do so now, and think of Saber as very polite. Which she is! Vietnam's certainly met worse if Saber thinks herself as rude.]

It is nice to meet you too, Saber. [She bows her head herself.] My name is Vietnam. I will do my best to teach you everything. [Of course, Saber won't be able to be in an episode of Free! but she's still going to be a pretty decent survival swimmer after this.]
armorial: (pic#10134246)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-04-16 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Vietnam. That's... Well. There are Vietnamese people named Viet? So... She... OKAY. She'll nod, eyes full of hope and anticipation. ]

Where do we start? [ Does she do stretching exercises first? Do they have to buy gear?! This is almost a whole new world to her. ]
hoasen: (did I leave the cat in the oven...)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-04-17 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[Exactly, totally don't question it. IT'S NOTHING BIZARRE AT ALL. But oh, look how happy Saber is!!

As for all of Saber's assumptions? They're all correct.]


Let's see...do you have a swimsuit ready?
armorial: (pic#10133887)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-04-21 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I did not bring one with me, no. However, I believe that there's one in my lodgings. If you please excuse me, I'll return shortly. [ There's is a bow before she toddles off and it only takes her maybe 10-15 minutes to come back in a white one suit.

IT IS TOO MUCH SKIN and she doesn't seem comfortable in it, holding a towel to guard herself.
]

This is the swimsuit, correct? [ NOT THAT VIETNAM CAN SEE WITH HER HOLDING THE TOWEL THIS WAY, but she is expecting an answer anyway. ]
hoasen: (URM)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-04-24 05:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Alright, I will wait. [AND SO SHE WAITS, there's probably elevator music happening somewhere. Vietnam is pretty good at waiting.

She would also completely understand when something has too much skin: she feels the same way. Even though she's gotten more accustomed to swimsuits since there's only so much you can do when you actually want to swim.

But yes, she can't actually...see anything with the towel in the way.]


I...am assuming so. [She changed. It probably is. Right?] If it is, we can go to the shallow end of the pool.
armorial: (pic#10134255)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-04-27 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yes, it is the beginning of the journey! Saber places the towel nearby so they can begin. While she does feel vulnerable, she has to show confidence that this swimwear is necessary. It will also making swimming easier due its sleek material. There's a nod as she looks over to the pool, eyeing the shallow end closest to the stairs down the waters of hell.

... She's just staring, but then turns back to Vietnam.

Please guide her.
]
hoasen: (contemplation)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-04-29 04:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[Don't worry, Saber! At least she's actually going to help her here, not like half the other people in this place who would probably mess this up.

Granted, they could still mess this up.

Well, at least Saber is looking at the stairs though. Vietnam watches her as she does nothing more, and well, it's time for her to take her outer clothes off. As a vacation cruise, it is essential that you have your swimwear on you at all times. All times. If you are wearing the right clothes to cover it up. Once she's in her two piece ensemble, she moves over to Saber so that she can help direct her down the stairs.]


I will go down first! [And she walks down the stairs, into the DEPTHS OF HELL which really only reaches just above her chest. Since they're similar heights, Saber should be safe!]

You can come down now! [If need be, she'll hold her hand out too for Saber to take for support.]
armorial: (pic#10134246)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-04-29 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ yo... don't talk shit about yata he tries? Saber is wide-eyed when Vietnam starts stripping, but impressed that the woman came so prepared. She will learn from this, swimsuit under her own clothes from now on.

Anyway, she'll take note that Vietnam, being similar in height, is able to stand in the water. It puts her at ease, so she walks into the pool with without any qualms. Once she's in, she feels so light? Yet slow... It's a strange feeling and it causes her to wobble, so she takes Vietnam's hand. It's a gentle hold.
]

This is not as I expected. [ It is okay. She is okay. ]
hoasen: (hmm?)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-05-01 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[He tried but did it work!! THEY NEED RESULTS! And yes, learn this. Although Saber doesn't need to do this all the time too.

She keeps a gentle hold on Saber's hand as she makes her way into the water, helping her move slowly. If it's a new experience, she might as well take it all in at her own pace.]


Really? How does it feel? [She's not panicking, so this is a good sign!]
armorial: (pic#10133768)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-05-03 06:49 am (UTC)(link)
It's... [ She looks down at the water for a while, looking for the right words to describe this feeling. There's a little wave of her arms back and forth as if it'll help. ]

Not disgusting. [ Attention back to Vietnam. Is that a satisfactory answer?! ]
hoasen: (waves)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-05-03 09:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Vietnam nods, a little tilting her head side to side and going yes, that answer is acceptable.]

That is a start. Hopefully you will grow to enjoy it in time, if not, that is fine. Not everyone likes to swim, even if they know how.

[She gestures towards the wall.] I can teaching you how to kick first, if you like!
armorial: (pic#10133801)

[personal profile] armorial 2016-05-05 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
It would be a great skill to have, especially if battles above the water will be a norm in this world. [ She has no plan on enjoying swimming!! But maybe that will change in the future.

For now she nods, but...
]

Actually, my buoyancy is lacking. [ She can't float for shit, so she's not sure if starting with kicks would be helpful. ]