boardmaster: (Default)
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!
troyhard: (012)

two

[personal profile] troyhard 2016-04-15 12:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's just Slaine's luck to come walking in at the wrong time. The gun shots and the helpless yelp immediately alerted him. He gets in a stance, gathering mana to cast a spell at whatever may be coming his way. The last thing he and his own carrier expected was to someone getting chased down by a horde of big rats. ]

W-wha--?! [ Whoops! The moment to be cool was gone. Obeying Noir's warning call, Slaine immediately turns on his heel and makes a break for it, too. Fat Bat, who had been roosting on his shoulder, decided that taking off into the air was far safer than riding on Slaine's shoulder. (The rats can't get it from up there!!)

They can't run forever though, that's for sure. He slows down in his steps in order to chant a small wind spell. Then he fires it at the rats, knocking back several of them. That's only enough to delay them for a little while, but hopefully it'll give ample time for both boys and carriers to make it to safety. ]


Quick, before they have time to recover, this way!

[ Hopefully once they turn the corner, there will be a room for them to hide in. ]
memoryslain: (people talking without speaking)

[personal profile] memoryslain 2016-04-19 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ The white dog under his arm seems to think it's a fun game when they run into another person down in these dank hallways, tail wagging and beating her owner's back with vigor. Noir turns to swing his bat at some of the lead rats, knocking them clear to the ceiling with the momentum and keeping a good buffer between the rats and whoever he may have gotten caught up in his mistake. It's the least he could do! ]

I'm sorry! Very, truly— ah—!

[ WHY IS HE SLOWING DOWN.... Noir stops on a heel and leaps back in front of him, giving him time to cast the spell and batting away any rats getting too close to the boy.

The spell shoots past him and knocks the entire front line of rats back, causing chaos among the ranks. That... That actually worked really well!! He's shocked for a split second until the other's voice draws him back and he moves to run once more. ]


Of- of course!

[ He'll still keep an eye on their rear in case the rats organize enough to keep following them, rounding the corner with ease and a hand between the boy's shoulderblades to ensure he stays a step ahead of Noir. The least he can do is protect this child he's caught up in his mess. ]

There! [ A room! Hopefully a clear room. Unlike the room that had sparked the rat's nest he'd stumbled right into. ]
Edited (I know how 2 code honest) 2016-04-21 21:16 (UTC)
troyhard: (009)

[personal profile] troyhard 2016-04-22 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It almost seemed like there was some kind of light shining from the room; a indication that almost said, "Yes Heroes! Come into this sanctuary!" Slaine didn't need to be told twice. He also appreciated Noir's gesture. Knowing that the other Hero is close behind allows him to focus on running without needing to check up on each other.

The moment both boys and their carriers manage to slip into the empty room, Slaine immediately moves to close the heavy wooden doors. He had just barely made it before the hoard came scrambling. One of them managed to poke their head through the crack of the door before Slaine slams it shut. There's a sickening cracking sound when its head gets caught in the door. It sends a shiver down his spine, but that's not even the worse experience.

You'd expect the rat to be dead from a broken neck, yet somehow its body still seems to be moving. Its futile, but it appears to desperate pull its head out. The disturbing sight causes Slaine to quickly back away from the door, putting as much distance as possible. There's loud scratching on the other side... ]


They might try to gnaw their way through the door if we don't a way to combat them... They're very hardy creatures. Is that bat the weapon they gave you?
memoryslain: (I've come to talk to you again)

[personal profile] memoryslain 2016-04-27 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ Noir throws his weight against the door when Slaine backs off from it, boot coming down on the rat's head and forcing it to the crack at the bottom of the door where it quickly disappears, half-smashed. Yeah, that wasn't traumatizing at all. For now, at least, this will do. His bat nearly covers the width of the door so he drops it and lets his heels trap it right up against the door, all but a few inches near the hinge side blocked. ]

Are you familiar with the creatures in this country? I only just arrived and saw the group of people around the job postings, so I joined in as well. I'm afraid my weapon is a gun with very few bullets; this is just a piece of wood I found inside this place. It's been doing its job. That was very impressive how you summoned wind in this place; how did you learn such a thing?

[ He's very new ok... give him a break. ]
troyhard: (It’s all gibberish)

[personal profile] troyhard 2016-05-01 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ More shivering.... Slaine has been through worse things, but this experience isn't any less terrible. He tries hard not to look at the smashed rat. ]

This is actually my first time encountering these kinds of rodents, but there are a lot of strange creatures here. The rats are probably the least dangerous I've seen. [ And that's probably saying a lot. ] As for the wind... [ O-oh... does this mean Slaine gets to be a senpai? probably not H-how exciting... ] It's from channeling mana. This is something I normally can't do back in my world, but upon arriving here, I was able to use magic. I can only use very basic spells at my rank, but it was something I had to learn since the weapon I was given is used to help support others.

You're a Hero now, you'll be able to do it, too.