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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.

[personal profile] corpsedoctor 2016-05-13 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Mythical... perhaps, you simply had not --

[ Ah!!

He is going to throw himself on the ground as a rush of fire bursts overhead. Lifting his head up, he sees the line of flames just to the side of them. Thunderland believes they should be happy that they are simply being violent rather than attempting to eat them. ]


I doubt they see that they started anything. I can't believe that they've just decided to go mad... [ Uh. ] Suggestions?!
herplaceinthesun: (profile)

[personal profile] herplaceinthesun 2016-05-14 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe!

[Aisha dives with him, hitting the ground hard. Better than being brunt alive, though if they don't figure something out they're doomed anyway. Dying is dying, no matter how you slice it, and Aisha didn't plan on doing it today.]

Good point. And let's see, I can't hit anything down here but I can try to distract it. Watch my back, okay?

[Grabbing a bunch of rocks in her hand, she sets off, throwing them at the dragon. It's foolhardy, but with the bracelets making her strongest it's at least not hopeless.]

[personal profile] corpsedoctor 2016-05-15 04:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Watch your --

[ Thunderland is repeating the phrase, carefully, before he watches her stand to start throwing rocks at the dragons. His hands immediately go into his hair, slapping either side of his face, as he isn't quite sure he's seeing what he's seeing. ]

That isn't going to do anything! [ Best choice would be to escape, right? But he wants to dissect these creatures! What a dilemma! But the dilemma is set in that he would rather someone not die for him to get his specimen. So he stands with her to look through the telescope once more. Finding the one that is being pelted with the most rocks, he fires another shot at the creature. It whiffs but catches the back of it. (Thank goodness the target is a big one.) ]

Right... let's... [ Thunderland is taking her hand so that he could start running back to where safety would be. But he feels his legs start to feel weak under him. Even with the rush of fear of what could happen to the young miss, he feels tired. Attacks take heart. Mana. Of course, it would mean that I'd-- He's able to take a few steps before lurching forward to outright fall. ] ... you have to get there...

[ He points, through the haze, toward where he can assume that is outside what the dragons deem worthy their attention. ]
herplaceinthesun: (#grownup problems)

[personal profile] herplaceinthesun 2016-05-20 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
[Believe it, Doctor. Aisha, being a powerful enough person back home for little things like worrying about her health now to be an issue, has not yet come to the conclusion that things like this are an objectively terrible idea. If only the rocks were augmented with something, it might make a difference. As it is, she can't do any real damage, so it's a relief when it hits. Playing the distraction is good enough for her, it's fine.]

Am I not supposed to try?

[A real question, answered when he takes her hand to run. Which is fine too, until he gets tired. The reality of mana being something that's necessary isn't something that hits her until he practically crumbles.

Yikes.

With her bracelets still activated, it isn't hard to pick her companion up and carry him, bridal-style. It's awkward, running isn't quite possible, but Aisha goes as fast as her legs can carry her to the space he's pointing out. She's starting to feel the drain too, but if she can just suck it up...]


Nuh-uh, Aisha's not leaving you here.

[personal profile] corpsedoctor 2016-05-20 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ One can feel how the anger radiates off of him, even in his exhausted state. ]

Aisha is going to get an ear-full when we are free. Did I say that yet to you? [ Lifting up a tired fist, he lightly shakes it in her general face direction. This is before he falls back to rest against her shoulder. The over-use of mana is really no joke. He breathes out yet another tired, weak sigh. ]

I'm saying that to you now. When we're safe, you will hear something-- [ A wince. ] Aisha should not sacrifice her precious life for anything unless it is worth the sacrifice. [ The two are strangers and that is why he brings it up to her. They are to fight with one another, and they are to be in war, but she should not throw her life away simply because they are on the same side. That is something he would not like to see of any of the Heroes. ]
herplaceinthesun: (moe girl)

[personal profile] herplaceinthesun 2016-05-22 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
[If she isn't expecting him to be upset, the fact that it's essentially on her behalf floors her.]

Okay. You can fuss at me all you want once we get where we're going, it isn't far.

[There's a perfectly logical explanation for her behavior. Being virtually if not actually immortal led to recklessness being fine, and no one ever told her differently. Her life wasn't something she worried about, and what's more, she considered the possibility of dying on the battlefield an honor. It's not a problem!

But he calls her life precious, and even an all-powerful Ctarl-Ctarl girl can't help but be touched by that.

Once she gets to their destination, she flops down, him still essentially being in her lap. He still needs the contact, right? This mana thing is new to her.]


Here we go, fuss away.

[Her expression looks as if she's fine with it.]

[personal profile] corpsedoctor 2016-05-22 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He sits down on the ground. Letting out a soft huff, he really has to learn how to control his mana better than this. Lifting his head up, he realizes that she's sharing her mana with him and pulls his arm away. ]

Listen! That was my mistake. I used something that I shouldn't have used as a hope that it would drive the dragons to flight... scare them a little, perhaps? [ He adjusts his eyepatch. ] To do so with novice understanding of how mana works when fired, that is my error. And as a senior member of this battle, you should work to protect your precious life first so that you can protect others! [ Thunderland feels like he's sounding confusing, but he may be running on fumes and fear that his own interest in dissecting those creatures backfired. ]

I made a joke just now. Not to you, myself. The idea that this backfired. [ He laughs shortly. ] But ... your life is one that should not be tossed aside for fools, but should be given to those you wish for it to. It worked out now, but don't be this reckless again. [ Don't be like him, is what he's saying. He's not a good role model. And reaches out to turn his hand and lightly karate-chops her on the head. ]