pawnstorm | intro ♚ april

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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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ At least Assassin isn't an Archer, you mean. ]

Are you worried, Saber? Don't be, between the King of Knights and myself, no number of rats can stop us. [ His wooden sword blocks one rat, then two, then a wild flurry of them all launched at his face, intent on nibbling his nose and/or hair off. His swordplay is impeccable, the wooden sword moving faster than it should have any right to, but the narrow hallway and Saber right next to him limits his range of motion and there are just so many rats. Just swinging his sword around won't do. ]

But for now, I suggest you get out of the way.

[ A burst of mana, and his sword changes. Many spikes grow out from the wooden sword like branches, some impaling the rats upon them, others merely transforming the thin pole into something of a fly-swatter, a web of wood smacking down at the flying rats.

Smack. ]

That hasn't killed them though, we should move quickly.

I am not worried. [ You know why? Because Assassin isn't an Archer!! She's doing as much as she can as well with a normal weapon, swatting the flying rodents out of the air and stepping back when told to, but when she sees his weapon and hears his words, she gives him a nod. She takes the lead once again, countering every rat that dares fly at them. Some of them have opted to running past her instead to see if they have a chance with the one in the back.

They don't. But Saber notices that these things aren't dying at all. There's a pause as she watches one that has a punctured wound through its head from Assassin's sword. It's still fighting on. ]

We need to be very meticulous when handling these rats. They do not go down with even a fatal head wound... [ Even though they're oversized, it's rather hard to target their hearts. Saber, for one, believes it's easier to obliterate the entire corridor. ]

Your holy sword would be useful right about now, don't you think? [ It's like he's read her mind about obliterating the entire corridor. He hasn't, of course, it's just easy to come to the same conclusion: If these things keep fighting even without a head, the best thing to do seems to be to completely destroy their bodies. ]

But since it's not, we should concentrate on damaging their bodies. Even if they can survive without a head, it's difficult to run about with a broken spine.

[ He's not quite right. They only die with a destroyed heart, but he has no way of knowing that, so the next best thing is to just render as much of their mass unusable as possible. It's crude and imprecise, altogether not what Assassin prefers, but if that's what it takes to win... ]

Yes, it would complete this task quickly. [ There's a small chuckle. It has only been a couple of days, but being without her blessed sword makes it seem like years already. Fortunately, Saber isn't against his methods since there's no other way to know right now without trying. She resorts to immobilizing the rats as suggested by her current ally. With a sword in her hand, even a normal one, she finds little use for her grail. ]

They are recovering. [ She feels there may be source somewhere. There's a strange magic about is what she has concluded... People die when they are killed, so should rats. She dashes further into the depths. ] Quickly.

[ Her holy spear would do the job too, but Rhongomyniad isn't here either.

Assassin has little trouble immobilising the rats with his wooden sword, a sharp blow to the base of their spines more than enough to take them out for the foreseeable future. He'll probably have to make another pass to figure out how to kill them for good, but they won't hinder his mission for now so it's fine. Besides... ]

You have my sword with an actual steel edge, so I'm counting on you to put them down permanently. This Laundry Pole is very good at breaking bones, but it's no razor's edge.

[ It's more useful than a steel sword most of the time, being indestructible and having a magical ability, but there are times when you just need to chop something in two. That's why he carries two swords. ]

Perhaps if I had the ability to deal three blows at once, I could. [ Maybe one day her spear will appear to her and she'll launch it with much grace. Saber has tried a couple of areas--though still had to land any actual mortal blows to these rats. They are rather agile for their stubby legs.

At this point, she's stabbing and slicing left and right as they pursue further in. However, one of the rats Saber pierces and leaves behind doesn't move any longer. Punctured directly through its chest cavity, its heart is left without a pulse as its still body. She doesn't notice because she's pushing ahead, however Mister Assassin can take notice.

Unfortunately, the discovery will not get its celebration. There's a large thud in the darkness of the corridor. It sounds a lot larger than the ones they've been knocking away. It definitely stops Saber in her tracks, now reaching for her chalice. ]

Unfortunately, that is beyond me now too. It seems this world is a little more stubborn than the one we're used to. [ Three strikes at the same time, the Tsubame Gaeshi, a demonic skill brought forth with human mastery. It was his ultimate skill, a Noble Phantasm that's not a Noble Phantasm. Not having it feels like he's fighting with only one arm.

But he still has most of his swordplay, the very human skills brought through talent and training. His eyes are keen, even in the relative darkness of the basement. He catches Saber's stabbing out of the corner of his eye as they approach the source of the large noise. ]

Sounds like we're reaching somebody else. Saber, aim for its heart. That can kill them permanently.

Good find, Assassin. [ Even in the darkness, she's like a beacon of positivism. Any suggestion or discovery is worth noting. She'll start ridding the last two rats that are stopping their march. With the new knowledge, it takes no time.

However, something comes in, almost towering over them with beady red eyes. Saber only takes one step back.

It is one giant rat incomparable to the ones they've fought so far. It merely wheezes as it towers above both of them as it's on its hind legs. Saber stays still as if thinking a sudden movement will set it off. The king of rats' size makes it hard to maneuver around. All they can do is either push it back or retreat slowly in their battle. There's quite a snarl before it launches its attack. Saber quickly, if not almost instinctively, casts a barrier for her assassin. The rat is strong enough to push the barrier and the two ex-servants back by a couple of feet. ]

It's strong. [ And it's quick. The rat is closing the gap within mere seconds. ]

[ It's definitely strong. Strong enough that Assassin doesn't want to face it head-on again, definitely not. He's thankful for the barrier here, the safety granted by Saber's magic weapon finally proving to be of some use after all. ]

It is, and a cornered rat with defend its home with great ferocity. But it is still a rat, surely we can take it down with our skills and wiles.

[ It would be a sad day when they can't outsmart a literal rat, no matter how big it is. Assassin parries a claw with his sword, keeping them safe for as long as possible, but he can't quite do any permanent damage despite his skills. The rat's hide is just too thick for that. ]

So, you are the king, and I am but a lowly swordsman. How should we get past this?

[ He has a few ideas, but he also wants to put Saber on the spot. Because it's fun. ]

I only need to get close to it to make a fatal blow. [ Despite circumstances and her lowered stats, Saber is still an admirable swordsman and a king as Assassin says. There's a tight grip on the sword lent to her, but she needs two hands if she were to pierce its hide. The rat, however, isn't giving them any time or space to come close to its chest. ]

... Perhaps I can use the other effect of my grail. [ She's not sure if it'll work?! But it's worth a shot. ] If we can get it to open its mouth, the water will do the rest.

[ She actually has not idea if this will work? She has never tried this before. There's a wide tail swipe on the ground and she jumps over it. They only need to wait for an opportunity. ]

Open its mouth you say? I can do you one better, Saber, so make sure you keep up.

[ It's time for Kojirou to go all in, consequences be damned. There aren't any enemies more dangerous than this big rat here, so once they take it out the two of them will be home free. Probably.

Wooden sword in hand, he pounces forward. The Rat King replies by lashing out with its claws, striking at Kojirou, but he dodges the worst of it, leaving a wide gash in his uniform and a few small lines of blood along his chest. Acceptable damage, and now he's close enough. ]

Laundry Pole!

[ So close to the rat, it's easy for Kojirou to swing his sword right at its face, right into its big stupid gnashing mouth. A big stupid gnashing mouth the clamps shut around the sword, stopping Assassin from hurting it.

Or so it thinks.

A bit of mana, and branches burst out of the Laundry Pole, the pole stuck between the giant rat's teeth turning into a an explosion of piercing stakes that tear through the soft insides of its mouth.

The rat might scream, if it still had most of its jaw intact instead of hanging loosely down its neck, torn apart by an eruption of wooden branches. ]

Go.

[ She's thinking to herself if Assassin can do that so easily, why can't he just take the blade back and aim for the heart? It's only a split thought, but she pours the water into the rat before it retreats into the corridor, viciously pulling her comrade in for a ride.

The water sets in and its eyes glow a bright red. It writhes even more, but its movements start to still. Its muscles have a harder time to contract and finally it plops down onto the floor. It isn't dead since they can see its chest rising up and down as the blood from his wounds seep into the ground and reaching to our Heroes' soles. ]

I wasn't sure if this would work. [ But we are here with a sleeping, giant, and bloody rat. ]

[ Assassin would answer that he has the precision to strike the rat wherever he wants, but he'd rather not try to test if he has the strength the break through its ribcage while fighting off its claws and teeth. He'd also answer that taking the sword away from Saber would be like stripping her naked before him. ]

It worked, but it's not dead. I'll give you the honour of finishing it off then, Saber.

[ What kind of Holy Grail kills whoever drinks from it? Who knows? It seems to be the only kind of Holy Grail there is, these days. The original would be most disappointed. ]

[ It's obvious Saber is still overestimating their strengths... Since they were grand heroes and stuff, but she's glad that the job is almost done? Maybe?

Getting closer to the sleeping beast, she looks over to Assassin with a curious look. ]

I believe you should do it. After all, if it weren't for you, we would still be fighting this beast. [ All she did was throw water in the air and stuff. Presenting the sword back to assassin, she waits for their victory to be solidify in one pierce. ]

If you insist, Saber, but you're underestimating your own contribution. You may not have returned to becoming a lion, but you weren't just a little bird either.

[ Assassin takes his sword back, sliding the point of the sword between the ribs of the giant rat until it struck the beating heart. He holds the sword in place until said heart stops beating, before pulling the sword out and wiping the sword clean on the fur of the giant rat. ]

Do you wish to take its head back as a prize?

[ She is okay with the compliments, but the slaying of the rat in Assassin's hands is more satisfying. This is the victory that he deserves, they deserve. Most importantly, their task seems to be done as there's no more rats coming down the corridor. The silence is almost unsettling. ]

... I will not need a prize. [ A rat's head, Assassin...? Of all things? She is also not one for showboating that comes with a prize. ] If you would like it, you may have it.

This place has a strange amount of mana. [ It's almost disturbing. ]

It's not a very elegant prize, but I suspect somebody will want to study it. If you'll excuse me...

[ Kojirou squats down and experimentally hefts the rat a few times before successfully getting half of it over his shoulder. He can just about drag the body around like this. He knows a scholar who would probably be very interested in what would cause a rat to grow bigger than a man, and also be practically immortal. ]

I'm not the most sensitive to such things, but it is very thick, isn't it? That might explain the rats.

Of course. [ She takes a step back to let Assassin work his magic on this poor giant rodent. It isn't uncommon for anyone to be interested in this kind of mutation, so she doesn't question it. There must be doctors or scientists from different worlds that would love to have a hack at it. Hand on her hip, she surveys the dark, damp corridor, still pondering.

There's a nod since that's what she's thinking as well. ]

Do you think there is a way to disperse it possibly?

I should hope so, I wouldn't feel safe sleeping on top of such a large mass of mana if it was completely uncontrolled, but you'll have to ask somebody who knows better.

[ Assassin's just a farmer-turned-wanderer-turned-samurai hero, Saber. He knows a surprising amount about a lot of things, but how to deal with huge stores of mana is definitely not in his wheelhouse. ]

I would never wish to see Caster again, but that vixen would know something about this. If nothing else, she would find an excuse to use up all the mana here for something or another.

[ Like making a million Saber figurines or something. ]

... I would rather not see Caster as well. I'll mention it to the commander. [ She shares the same feelings as Assassin on both points. It may have been a useless question after all, but it's still worth asking. The other man must be in this world far longer than she has.

Either way, she'll gesture them to return up the steps. ]

Do you need help moving the rat? [ Since... It's huge. ] Actually, it might not even fit through the door.

[ Uhm. ]

It seems a little rude to ask a king to help with menial labour.

[ So he won't, even if the rat is... a bit of an awkward fit. He'll squeeze it through somehow. ]

A king is there to help the people, Assassin. [ She is going to help him whether he likes it or not?! As usual, she won't be happy if he were to reject her help if she offered it.

It's too late, Assassin. She's back to examining the rat. ]

Let us carry it and we'll see from there.

I won't deny your aid, then. I'm not very suited to manual labour myself.

[ Or so he says, but really it's because he's too lazy to put real effort into anything that's not swords, figuring how who to hit with his sword, and the finer things in life.

Dragging corpses around? Please, help him. ]

[ Okay, they will drag this rat up the steps and-- ]

... It looks far too big for the door. [ But, y'know, Saber goes up anyway and here we are. Rat stuck in the only entrance and exit. She tries to pull it through and it budges slightly, but there's only so much she can do like this.

Rest in peace. ]

We can't leave it like this.

[ Sigh. What is this? Why must his life be so difficult? ]

Do you think it could fit if we turned it on its side? [ Probably not. ]

If not, I suppose we'll have to make do with just its head.

[ And they're back to just that now, huh? Unless he can convince the scholars amongst them to set up a lab downstairs, and that sounds like a lot of work. ]

intro ♚ april

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slightly gory i guess?

that is okay i enjoy blood

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