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!
houndumb: (052)

pffffff that's like all of my RP

[personal profile] houndumb 2016-04-17 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Leaping before he looks is one of Nora's primary traits -- it's just usually not so... literal. Well, at least he was actually swan-diving into water and not off a mountain cliff or into a black hole. He might hesitate a little more before those. Very maybe.

Recklessness is also another middle name (he has a lot of middle names that usually rhyme with -lessness), so this is not the last you're seeing of it, even without the Charm point. He did have Regrets once he was actually down in the water, because getting buffeted around in salt water (ick) and smacked against the ship's hull was a real thing, but swimming is a little particular to him. In terms of being a Metaphor, I guess, but also in terms of I can't lose to this ramped up to 11 with a side of fuck that damn Aqua Division General I'll show him.

Actually, considering the ears, it might be a little less of a Metaphor.

Here and now, he still hasn't picked himself up off the floor or looked up, but he does vaguely try to splash Tieria with the considerable puddle he's dragged up with him. It works about as well as you'd expect.]

You... underestimating me! I'm going to make you... regret this... I'm going to...

[Splash, splash, drip.]
buildyourworld: (proud)

well then, I'm clearly doing the right thing then!

[personal profile] buildyourworld 2016-04-18 03:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Nora splashing about, or trying to anyway, has Tieria chuckling in amusement. This guy is amusing and reminds him of Hallelujah and when he says this, he means it in the good way, not that Nora needs to know. Neither does Hallelujah because he's not sure how partner would like being compared to someone this reckless. Actually, it might actually be interesting to see their reaction... ]

You're so pathetic flailing about in your puddle. Here, dry yourself.

[ Flinging Nora's coat onto his head, Tieria remains seated on the barrel as Nora regrets his life decision to battle the sea earlier. If he was expecting a towel, Nora is going to be sorely disappointed. ]

I wasn't serious about the challenge but it's not like you waited for an explanation before you made the decision to jump into the sea.
Edited 2016-04-18 16:56 (UTC)
houndumb: (013)

you done good it's true 8)...

[personal profile] houndumb 2016-05-02 08:02 am (UTC)(link)
Try... saying that again!

[Well, he's recovering, because his snarling is louder and more coherent and also the splashes are increasing in intensity -- of course, then his jacket lands on his head so it's all for naught. Nora makes an indistinct angry noise, but he didn't really expect much more from the likes of Tieria anyway.

He does give himself a cursory wipedown with the jacket before just throwing it to the deck and sitting up grumpily. And then shaking himself much like a dog might; if you get splashed that's your own fault. Maybe not going to try getting to his feet just yet; that doesn't make the glare he finally levels at Tieria any less withering.]

Don't make challenges you're not serious about, damn four-eyes! Especially not ones with time limits-- you-- [wait a minute] Are you going back on your word?!
buildyourworld: (right... as if)

[personal profile] buildyourworld 2016-05-03 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ If his healing spell is any good, he would have healed Nora by now but alas, he's useless when it comes to healing anyone. So, instead, he's just going to sit here and watch Nora suffers the consequence of his own recklessness.

Nora's dirty water doesn't reach Tieria as he easily blows them away with a simple wind spell. Nora might even feels drier, if not colder but hey, it's not like it could be any worse than jumping into the rowdy sea, right? ]


Going back on what? [ snorts ] Even if I was serious, did you returned within 2 minutes? You were well over by a few times, I don't need to entertain your challenge at all.
houndumb: (039)

[personal profile] houndumb 2016-05-15 10:24 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, at least they have that in common...... possibly the only thing they have in common aside from unfortunate tempers, maybe. Anyway, somehow, the most Nora's returned with are bruises from banging into the ship and whatever is drifting around out there -- so he'll live. Not that you'd know it, listening to him.

He curls up a little against the breeze and glares at Tieria for that too, since he's been deemed the Source of All Misfortune for the moment.]

You just wait... one of these days I'm gonna make you regret challenging me! And then you'll be the one swimming with the fishes!!

[It's debatable whether he actually completely understands the meaning of the phrase... Oh well, it sounds cool, that's what's important.]