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BOARDMASTER ([personal profile] boardmaster) wrote in [community profile] pawnstorm2016-05-08 12:00 pm

intro ♚ may

WELCOME TO Caissa



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.

WARNING: Contains death and related graphic descriptions.

ONE P.S. I Love You
It's a perfectly ordinary morning in Caissa. Enprise’s two suns peer over the horizon and smack into your face through the large bay window. At half past six in the morning, the floor nanny’s built-in alarm goes off and plays Prime Minister Teddy’s hit song Love Me Like Your Doughnuts. Once everyone in their rooms is up and awake, this mechanical pigeon announces that letters and small packages have been delivered to every Hero’s personal box in the mailroom. Yes, even you, Naked Newcomer! These letters are from the Heroes’ many fans all over Blanc. No matter who you are, there are small tokens of appreciation attached to the letters: these may include candies shaped like stars, chocolates with a surprise gooey center, or even a can of rainbow beans for those not fond of sweets.

Letters for veteran Heroes are full of praise and gratitude for the success of the naval battle at Graupera. New Heroes receive mail that express support towards their future endeavors as the Blanc military’s most formidable task force. That’s not all the letters contain, however; the citizens also plead for our Heroes’ help with new problems that have arisen in the fields surrounding Caissa. However, the details the letters provide are scant and vague. The fans seem more concerned with recent damage caused by some unknown entity. There is a 15-page narrative of how a man built this beautiful house for his lovely, sweet wife who did nothing wrong, but nothing about why the house is in shambles now. A market on the outskirts of Caissa lost 30,000 colle’s worth of food, but the writer neglects to explain what happened to the food. All you know is that this person stayed up all week taking inventory and now it has gone to waste.

Sharing letters with each other might give you a clue on where to start your investigations and figure out which areas were hit the hardest. Or you can talk about how cute your adoring fans are. One way or another, you’ll have to get tongues wagging to make any progress. Unfortunately, Blanc isn’t going to save itself and from the sound of it, this problem is bigger than expected...

TWO Distant Howling
After pooling information, the new objective is clear: to investigate the damages. The vast, vibrant fields around Caissa seem a good place to start. They are mostly empty, but here or there you will see some people from nearby smaller villages and farms. The villagers will admit to having seen threatening shadows move over the fields and having heard harsh, high-pitched howling. They are willing to point Heroes toward possible shadow sightings, but are otherwise reluctant to act as guides. They are simple townsfolk who wish to return to their quiet lifestyle.

You may come up with small settlements (e.g. villages, farms, inns, taverns, etc.) as they are considered minor locations.

Heroes will soon discover that some of the smaller villages have been burned down entirely. The smell of ash and charred wood is thick in the air, though some buildings are also smashed as as though by something large and heavy. Nearby trees which haven’t been uprooted or knocked over are scorched and their blackened branches crackle ominously in the breeze. There are large marks dug deep into the ground and—is that a cow? Heroes will find tagged fruit cows scattered everywhere, scared, confused and mooing sadly next to their dead fruit cow friends. Fruit cows are usually found in Gresser, how strange...

A couple of days’ worth of exploration may help you realize that whatever is terrorizing Blanc doesn’t only devour hapless animals. While trying to navigate the numerous backcountry roads and farmlands, Heroes may stumble upon some gruesome clues: a charred limb—or what’s left of it; teeth, half-eaten ribcages, melted jewelry, and other smaller bits; the less fortunate may actually trip over a corpse staring unseeingly into the sky. It has been gutted, half-roasted, and seems to have lain in the sun for some time; and if someone is brave enough to roll the body onto its stomach, they may discover claw marks on its back. The victim must have tried to flee from something.

The amount of damage grows the more our Heroes travel south. What could be awaiting them?

THREE Breath of Fire
Let’s put the clues together. Fire? Check. Claw marks? Check. Large shadows seemingly from something flying overhead? Check and check. Congratulations, Blanc, you are suffering from a dragon plague.

It will take several days for the Heroes to locate the source of the rumors. The dragons seem to have taken up residence in the hilly area near Caissa, where the slopes grow steeper and then drop suddenly off into cliffs. The beasts are quite willing to greet guests warmly: there’s nothing like a burst of dragonfire and a deafening screech to brighten your day.

The only warning you’ll get before they launch themselves into the air and at Heroes is the sound of trees bursting beneath their claws. Beware: a single swipe can cause some serious damage and their fire breath, fast, frequent and garnished with the occasional, boiling hot drop of saliva, is nothing you want to stick around for. The dragons cannot be reasoned with, nor can they be tamed. A queen’s Charm magic WILL NOT work. Should someone try and reach out with their senses to see if the dragons are somehow hurting, they will only feel something alien and terrible.

Heroes aren't the only ones suffering under the dragons’ claws, unfortunately. Scattered around the area are a few small and isolated farms, and the animals and the farmers are easy prey and unlikely to flee in time. Heroes will want to intervene before the dragons can devour and destroy. If they are too late, they will need to provide support. Put out fires, heal the injured, catch panicked cows before they become pot roast! The dragons might be coming around for another attack, so it would be a good time to test barriers and other damage control skills.

To make matters worse, Blanc’s weather has decided that now is the perfect time for a hailstorm. It’s barely anything at first, beginning with small kernels the size of corn here and there to wet the grass and ruin your footing. Then it becomes much larger and greater in number. Dragons are not exempt from this hailhole: large enough pieces may rip holes in their wings! Heroes may want to use this to their advantage; additionally, casting ice and wind spells will suddenly become a lot easier, and the dragons will struggle to navigate in the stormy weather, forcing them to land more often. Better get up on that dragon’s back!

In the end, survivors of the dragon horde let out one last, collective shriek before they turn southward. The battle has been won, but the war is just beginning: the dragons have only been chased away. Their nest seems to be elsewhere and that is a worrying prospect. Dragons aren’t native to Blanc, which can only mean one thing…

Meanwhile, a new job opening has appeared at Gresser. At least you finally know what to do with all those fruit cows.

INFO Welcome!
Welcome to Crosscheck's May intro log! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!

Also by request, here are some Player Endorsements that may be of interest!

Heaven's Feel: Looking for something else to do? In the mood for more light-hearted mingling? Check out Heaven’s Feel, Caissa’s first heroic matchmaking service! Opening week is going on now.

Training Notice: This training notice is located on the bulletin board. You might want to take a look.
path_to_the_world: (pic#9859393)

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-13 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
I thought you have a legitimate suggestion.

[He sighed deeply and took the crown, because what else was he going to do? He wasn't going to wear it though!]
convictionary: (I can't hold back)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-13 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
I actually do if you're interested.

[That's okay, he can make a second one out of something more meaningful later.]
path_to_the_world: (What...? - Kuranosuke PB)

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-13 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
If it's a real suggestion I could really use it.

[Sometimes he really wondered about the people around him.]
convictionary: (I can't hold back)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-14 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Seriously, if you're worried about being attacked - don't. If they were that good at fighting they wouldn't need us heroic types to pick up the slack for 'em. If you're wondering why they're throwing themselves at your feet like you're some kind of fancy waist dandy with more money than sense, you should ask them why they're doing it.
path_to_the_world: (pic#9859394)

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-14 08:31 am (UTC)(link)
It's easier to run away....

[Another reason to just never leave the house.]

Maybe it's just better to avoid everyone.
convictionary: (Oh...)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-15 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
You think the bosses would let you pull that, Specs? [He's a cynic but he's also amused because ultimately it's not his problem if Specs here gets hauled out from under his bed in his undies, but he cares enough that they're having this conversation in the first place.]
path_to_the_world: (What...? - Kuranosuke PB)

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-15 08:31 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I would still do what I have to do, but otherwise just avoid people...? That's more or less what I did before here anyway.
convictionary: (I can't hold back)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-16 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, and what'll you do if what you have to do is giving a speech or inspiring the...people, or getting up there and leading an army and all? Or walking off of a ship into a crowd of people - you remember that, right - and you can't just pull a runner as they got you surrounded.
path_to_the_world: (pic#9823429)

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-16 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
...

I... I can't even do those things under normal circumstances!

[Last time he had been paraded into a crowed of people was when he had first arrived, and he had only made an embarrassment of himself since it made him sick...]
convictionary: (I wish I could)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-18 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
And you know-

[Here, he's going to fish for a...give him a second...toffee! There. It's being offered with a waggle of his outstretched hand.]

Here. Heh. And you know what the bosses'll say if they try trotting you in front of some royals they gotta impress and you tell 'em that you can't do it, sorry, you're not feeling it?
path_to_the_world: (pic#10193119)

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-18 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[He takes the toffee with both his hands cupped, though a slightly bewildered expression. As he listened to what was said his head slowly lowered and hung there. It's not like he didn't know that wasn't an option.]

I could probably go to a party... if I had to. For an evening....
convictionary: (No there ain't no rest for the wicked)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-21 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
Sure, you could, but-

Listen. This is how I'm seeing it, and I know it's none of my business and all...'cept it is now. You're not gonna get away from this for long. Sooner or later it's gonna come back to bite you in the arse like a horny wyvern.
path_to_the_world: (pic#9823429)

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-21 05:02 am (UTC)(link)
It's not like I know how to make it easier to do the things they want though.
convictionary: (I can't hold back)

We should probably date what comes next to after the dungeon, FYI.

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-21 05:13 am (UTC)(link)
...listen-

[ . . . ]

What's tomorrow looking like for you? Bosses got you running around solving problems and saving kittens from trees for the good people of Blanc?
path_to_the_world: (blank)

works for me!

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-21 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
Um... I was planning on just reading more about the magic here, so, not much. Unless something happens before then.
convictionary: (Until we close our eyes for good)

Or we could do it before but it's gonna be hideous and I should say it on plurk.

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-05-21 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
Call me when you're free, then, Specs. [And he is going to stand up and stretch.] But as for me I got a cupcake with my name on it.
path_to_the_world: (Looking up)

Skipping to after dungeon is good~

[personal profile] path_to_the_world 2016-05-21 05:33 am (UTC)(link)
Alright....

[Feeling a bit bewildered he waves a bit. Of course he didn't know there would be a dungeon soon, so it would at least be several days before he actually remembered about this, and also summoned the courage to actually contact someone specifically.]