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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!
tsyoon: (dorkwithamask40)

[personal profile] tsyoon 2016-04-14 07:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Yoon definitely didn't ask for this.

He starts, turning to try and get a better look at the two small animals(?) but the angle is bad, and he's left awkwardly cocking his head, squinting at them. The way the furball is vibrating feels weird, and definitely like it's about to roll right off him. ]


Hey! Stop that, you're gonna fall!

[ With a little grunting noise, the frightened rat scurries back for Yoon's collar-- And apparently decides that's not safe enough because then it's scrambling up Yoon's neck and onto his head, and that tickles and kinda scratches. Yoon yelps, doing a little dance of discomfort and grabbing at the rat. ]
twosidedsword: (Wait...Ao...)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-04-14 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
[Shin-Ah rushes in quickly to gather the poor rat off Yoon. Putting it on his own head, he allows any scratches that happen then goes to gather Ao. By the time he's done he's there with a winged rat on his head and a purring ball of blue fur in his hands.

Yet despite this, he's looking over Yoon to make sure that he's okay.

Priority number one okay.]
tsyoon: (it's definitely not maybelline)

[personal profile] tsyoon 2016-04-14 08:21 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's startled and breathing a little hard, rubbing in annoyance at the scratches on his neck, but other than being flustered and embarrassed about it, Yoon is just fine. He huffs, straightening his jacket. ]

Bad Haneul! [ Pointing at the rat on Shin-Ah's head. ] Don't do that!

[ This is probably sending mixed signals, as the rat is still on someone's head... ]

I've been trying to train him. [ Yoon sighs, holding out a hand palm-up. ]

Haneul, come back.
twosidedsword: (You Want To Look?)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-04-14 11:02 am (UTC)(link)
[Haneul. So that's the rats name. Of course, Shin-Ah doesn't mind at all that the rat is on his head, he did sort of put him there after all.

So he just stands there, kind of marveling over someone training their carrier because the thought literally never occurred to him when it comes to Ao. Not that he'd know where to start or be very good at doing it but still.]
tsyoon: (meganbmoore5)

[personal profile] tsyoon 2016-04-14 11:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ The rat stays on Shin-Ah's head, nestling down into his hair. Little rat claws on his scalp are probably familiar enough when he lets Ao (Ao the Squirrel) scramble around on top of him all the time, though.

Yoon grumbles, tapping a foot impatiently. ]


Haneul. Come back.

[ Gesturing with his hand again, palm up, and the other one pointing at said palm. Haneul spreads his wings to stretch them, then settles back down to ignore Yoon. ]

...the training is still in progress.
twosidedsword: (Dot Dot Dot)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-04-14 11:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Huh. Is this supposed to happen? He stands there a moment or so while he ponders what is happening here before he realizes something.

This isn't supposed to happen.

He blinks a couple of times then looks down at Ao. Even without a face he feels like the Bimpuff is somehow exchanging a look with him. Neither of them are sure what is going on here but they can be sure it's definitely not what Yoon wants to happen.

...So...he'll stand here. Yeah. When in doubt, stand there silently. Never fails.]
tsyoon: (and then I slapped that bitch)

[personal profile] tsyoon 2016-04-14 11:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ It seems counter productive at this point to snatch his carrier off Shin-Ah's head or something. He wants it to come back on its own and to listen to him, and if it's going to be stubborn...

Dropping his arms to his sides, Yoon seems to give up-- then seems to get annoyed at the necessity of giving up and crosses his arms instead. ]


Fine. Stay there if you want.

[ At least Shin-Ah won't mind. ]
twosidedsword: (Head Tilt)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-04-14 11:32 am (UTC)(link)
...should I...?

[Get him down? He is pretty high up and Yoon is...short.

To say the least.]
tsyoon: (it's definitely not maybelline)

[personal profile] tsyoon 2016-04-14 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
No. [ Yoon sighs, defeated for now. ]

I don't want to scare him. And it's good that he likes you.

[ A pause. He squints up at Shin-Ah. ]

I'd ask how you trained Ao -- I mean squirrel-Ao -- but you didn't, did you?

[ She's just a genius of a squirrel all on her own........ ]
twosidedsword: (Derp Derp)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-04-16 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
[He shakes his head. Nope. He never trained Ao to do anything at all. She's just always known how to respond to him.

It's why she's been a good companion to him.

And why he misses her so much now.]