intro ♚ may

[boardmaster]

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.

Comments

sakura ♟ fire emblem: fates

[passtave]

one. anyway, here's wonderwall

a. [ Dutifully following the instructions left for her, Sakura wanders down the hallway in search of the mailroom, anxiously tugging at her new uniform. It's not a style she's used to wearing, which is just making her feel more on edge about this whole business...

Ah! The mailroom. As soon as it's in sight, her hedgehog carrier suddenly kamikazes off of her and zips down the hallway as fast as his little hedgehog legs can take him, which is... surprisingly fast. He weaves in and out of any Hero feet that might happen to be in the way. ]

W-Wait! B-Brother Hedgehog! [ Is that really his name? In any case, Sakura rushes after her carrier, so intent that she collides bodily into... you. ] A-Ah! I'm sorry!

b. [ After reading through all of the letters in her mailbox, Sakura doesn't know... what to do. She's too shy to approach anyone else about what they've received, and right now she doesn't know if she could muster up the courage to do it anyway. This is just... too much... these people here obviously need help, which is why they've called so many Heroes like her in the first place. She's not much of a Hero, though... someone like one of her brothers or sisters would be better suited for this. Why did they pick her...?

Thinking about her siblings makes her teary-eyed, and not for the first time since she woke up. She's been trying to be brave and hold back her tears, which was easier in all of the bustle and confusion of finding herself in a new world. But it hits her hard now that she's suddenly very alone... she's never been separated from her family like this... her retainers... everything she's ever known...

She hustles out of the mailroom, sniffling softly and clutching her gifts to her chest. Blindly, she looks for a quiet spot before her emotions overtake her in front of so many people—and tucks herself away in an empty stretch of hallway, pulling her knees up to her chest as she starts to cry in earnest.

Do you know what to do with a small crying girl? Or maybe you didn't ask for this and just tripped over her instead. ]

two. sad mooing

[ As a healer in the war against Nohr, Sakura has seen her fair share of death and destruction—everything she's found on this investigation, horrifying at it is, is something she's used to. Still, just because this isn't new to her doesn't mean she isn't affected—deeply. Even though she pushes on, seeing all of these broken homes and lifeless bodies is breaking her compassionate heart. How horrible... these people didn't deserve this... to lose their lives and livelihoods... their families...

Finally, she comes across a lone fruit cow making distressed noises over the charred body of another fruit cow, and that's when it gets to be too much. This poor animal... she reaches out and strokes the poor cow's face with a trembling hand. ]

I'm s-sorry, Miss Cow... your friend, and all of these people... [ What kind of weirdo comforts a cow? This weirdo right here. ]

three. [wilhelm scream]

[ There really isn't much for her to do except stay behind and help the villagers. She can't heal anymore, and they gave her a weapon that she's never used before in her life... it's making her feel more useless than ever, but at least getting everyone to safety is something.

She's ushering a family out of their home when a giant dragon suddenly lands a stone's throw away, shaking the ground under her feet. No! The dragon is too close... and the family is moving too slowly, burdened by their belongings and frightened livestock. She has to do something! ]

Please, keep running!

[ She stops and turns towards the dragon, squaring her shoulders. If she could distract it long enough for the family to escape... suddenly, the dragon breathes out a huge plume of fire, and she scurries out of the way with a yelp. Straightening, she takes her chakrams in hand and throws one at the dragon, the toss a little awkward and... too short. The chakram hits the ground in front of the dragon and stays there, and Sakura cries out in distress.

Someone please help her... ]

1 B

[drawmecute]

*So some small ball of emotions and great hair just nearly ran Lola over on her way out the mail room. But... she didn't look rude, or sick... and she didn't need to fix her hair. Clearly. So it had Lola's interest. Hope you don't mind being followed.*

...You okay?

*Lola should leave well enough alone, but she needed friends. Friends with great hair. And this girl needed help, and Lola could at least try to help, right?*

[passtave]

[ Sakura was so absorbed in trying to make herself scarce that she didn't even notice she was being followed. In fact, she doesn't even notice there's someone else right in front of her until the other girl speaks, and Sakura jumps a little in surprise. Ah... h-how long has she been there? ]

U-Um... I-I'm sorry, was I being l-loud?

[ Her voice shakes something fierce, but she does her best to wipe the tears from her face. This is so embarrassing! Caught crying like a child... ]

two

[topkong]

[ She may be a weirdo, but at least she's compassionate? A compassionate weirdo. That's better than just being the second half of the First Impression. Regardless, Wukong can appreciate it with a smirk as he approaches the heartfelt(?) scene. ]

You... uh... okay, there?

What's he supposed to do? Console the cow AND the girl? What is this... ]

[passtave]

[ She's so caught up with this poor fruit cow that she's startled by the man... monkey-man... suddenly approaching her, and she jumps a little in surprise, flushing with embarrassment at being caught talking to a cow... how childish of her...! Did he hear the whole thing...? ]

I-I'm sorry... I-I wasn't bothering you, w-was I?

[ She's not used to being approached by complete strangers, and so her voice shakes with nervousness. ]

1A

[catfishtail]

[Just before Sakura bumps into him, the hedgehog happens to scurry across Namazuo's feet. He lets out a startled noise after she collides with him, but at least he doesn't seem too annoyed.]

Huh? Is the hedgehog your brother? [Because clearly that's the best question to ask.]

[passtave]

[ Of all the reactions she might've expected... she's a little thrown off guard by the question in lieu of... anything else, her eyes widening in surprise for a second before she flushes with embarrassment. Of course it would sound like a silly name! It's just... ]

N-No. [ She looks away, anxiously knotting her hands in front of her. ] H-He just reminds me of my big brother Ryoma.

[ Don't ask her why... ]

three ...

[yaoihand]

[ The dragon turns its attention to Sakura, warming up the fire in its belly for another blast. This time, it doesn't intend to miss. With one big puff, it blows out its flame, covering the field before her and scorching the grass to a black and dry crisp. Before the fire can reach Sakura, however, she'll feel a force tugging her toward a certain direction. It starts off as a light, unsteady tingle, almost feeling, inexperienced, and then come in one powerful wave, carrying her off her feet and right toward the source of the magic.

At first, it might feel like she's going to collide into something, with how rough and unsteady the magic felt, but no collision happens. Instead, she'll fly right into the chest of a young man, who catches her and holds her in his arms. His right hand is a familiar sight - it's dragon-like in nature, not unlike the claws of the dragon before her - and he shields her within its protection.

Kija hasn't had much time to practice his new Rook abilities. That might explain how lacking his control was. What he had in eagerness and strength, he lacked in precision. Along with Sakura he's managed to pull in several other ... random objects such as some sticks and rocks, and ... a cow that just happened to be in the area (said cow is now standing at his side, glued there ....). It's actually a waste of his mana, and he can feel that fatigue creeping in on him again.

Anyway ....

ignoring the cow. ]

This is not how a dragon should act! Why are you attacking the innocent? [ The dragon turns its attention to them now, snarling menacingly. ] We may not come from the same world, but we are kin -- Please listen to me!

[passtave]

[ Oh no! As the dragon gears up to breathe fire at her again, Sakura realizes that she probably won't have enough time to get away—

But suddenly, she's dragged away by... something—she can't explain it, but it feels like some kind of invisible force. Not a very steady one, but she only has time to feel confused before she finds herself someone's arms, pressed against his chest. She looks up, her eyes wide, at the young man's face... then down at his large dragon-like hand... wow... he must be part-dragon like Corrin!

More importantly, he saved her! ]

Th-Thank you!

[ She clutches her remaining chakram a little tighter, but is a little too stunned to actually try leaving his grip yet.

Nearby, the cow moos in consternation. ]

three

[ateaist]

[Ah, that was--

Actually, for some reason Nobunaga feels as if she's met this woman before, yet oddly the memory is distant and hazy. There's hardly time to think about it though, because she's facing down a dragon by herself and, while the bravery is something she can appreciate, it's incredibly reckless. There'll be time for working out identity issues later.

For now she remains at the distance she's at and primes her weapon, funneling mana into the barrel; her aim seems fine and she's holding it steady, but this weapon had been strangely difficult to control despite that. Another issue to work out later. For now she pulls the trigger and fires off a shot, the blade channeling its provided mana into a projectile that misses where she was aiming, but still manages to catch the great beast in the side of the face, dangerously close to the eye.]

Hah! Face me or you'll lose that eye with my next shot, you overgrown gecko!

[Her voice certainly carries itself well even with all the noise the dragon is making, at least. But that's not what ends up taking its attention, only the fact it almost got shot in the eye by something else.

So the Dragon turns its attention away from Sakura to Nobunaga, but...is this really any better?]

[passtave]

[ Sakura's attention is drawn away by the shot just like the dragon's—probably with a little more confusion, as she's never seen a gun before in her life. But whatever that woman did... no... lord... Sakura is sure the woman's name is Lord Nobunaga.

She would think about it more—and probably laugh at overgrown gecko too—if she weren't so focused on getting that family to safety while not becoming dead. Which... she probably would be if Nobunaga hadn't intervened.

Thank you, she thinks to herself. Even though this situation... really isn't better. What can the two of them do against a dragon?

Hefting her remaining chakram, Sakura darts a little closer to the dragon (oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh) and throws her weapon again—this time, the shorter distance allows her to hit the dragon's leg, activating its ability. Both chakrams hum to life and start drifting back towards her, while the dragon hisses and tries turning its head back towards her with some apparent struggle. ]

I-I can repel it! [ A little... ] W-We just need to distract it!

[ This is such a terrible idea... ]

1a

[convictionary]

Gods, the pie!

[Because guess who was carrying a pie that he had, ah, liberated from the small tokens of appreciation (freshly baked) and was in the process of leaving with said pie. Guess who had raised his arms in a desperate attempt to keep the pie (chocolate cream, baked and delivered that day) from being smashed into the girl's face. Guess what just went into orbit. Guess where it's landing.

This is despair.]

[passtave]

[ On both of them? Because that's what I'm going with... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

A big chunk of pie lands right on the crown of her head, chocolate cream dribbling slowly down her face and onto her uniform... oh goodness, this is a mess! It's all over him too... this is all her fault! She should've been looking where she was going! ]

I-I'm so s-sorry! I-I didn't m-mean to... [ She's stumbling over her words worse than ever, and honestly, she looks on the verge of tears... please don't yell at her. ]

one b

[mitotic]

[ She's no stranger to crying girls, that's for sure. Sarada wasn't the most fretful child, but even she had her moments, and Sakura knows the sound of someone trying to hide away with their tears. Walking back from the mail room, letters in hand, Sakura hears it, and motherly instinct won't allow her to ignore it.

It's not hard to find the girl, turning the next corner to find her curled up against the wall. She's not hurt or something, is she? ]

Hey, are you alright?

[passtave]

[ Sakura jumps a little, the question taking her by surprise—how long has Miss Sakura been standing there? Wait... how is she so sure this woman's name is Sakura too? No... she remembers meeting her... Miss Sakura was very nice to her... Sakura knows that much, but the details are a little fuzzy no matter how hard she tries to remember.

Finally, she realizes that her silence is growing protracted, and flushes a little with embarrassment. She probably looks like such a little girl, crying about being alone... ]

U-Um, I'm all right... S-Sorry if I was being loud...

two

[medicament]

[Here comes another weirdo.

Luna might not have been going around comforting lone cows, focusing on gathering the clues instead. Whenever she saw someone who needed a hand, she would stop by and offer her help. It's no different when she spots Sakura standing next to a fruit cow, so she approaches her with a worried expression on her face.]

Are you alright? Or maybe you're lost...?

[Should she ask about the cow, too?]

[passtave]

[ She's so absorbed in petting her poor fruit cow that she doesn't notice the other woman approach until she speaks. Sakura startles a little, turning red with embarrassment at being caught... getting upset over a cow... ]

U-Um, yes, I-I'm all right...

[ Now that she looks... the other woman looks very familiar. Sakura is certain they've met before, but isn't exactly sure how... is she going crazy? In any case, she should probably explain herself. ]

I don't know what I can do to h-help her...

[ If there's anything she can do right now, when they don't even know what caused all this. Logically, she shouldn't be wasting her time with this when she needs to help gather clues, but... following all of this death and destruction is exhausting. She feels so useless... whatever did this, it's too late for her to do anything to stop it, and now she can't even heal anyone left behind. She can't even help a single cow... ]

one b.

[sediments]

[ This fan business is getting out of control. It makes Bolin sigh a little. He is someone that's enjoyed positive attention in the past, but very soon after Varrick's mover, the attention had gotten old and stifling. Though at least he should be grateful that he's not being sexually harassed like some of the others, and that he's spared that awkwardness. Most of his letters are harmless, which he's glad about.

It's while mulling over the contents of the now infamous bulletin board that he hears the muffled sniffling. Ducking around the corner that Sakura has hidden herself behind, a concerned question is right on Bolin's lips at the sight of the young girl, except—

Except that his Carrier is with him, and Yun is roused by the presence of another person, letting out an excited BAA and rocketing forward past Bolin to tackle Sakura's legs. ]

Yun! [ It's futile, but Bolin tries to run forward and stop her anyway. ] No! Stop!

[passtave]

[ She's startled by the sudden commotion, but before she even has time to react, she's tackled by a... sheep? A very small sheep, admittedly, but it lets out a loud BAA that's unmistakable.

Sakura just sort of... stares at it for a moment, her mouth open, tears still wet on her face. Then she looks up at the young man right on the sheep's heels (hooves?) and... wait, doesn't she know him? He looks so familiar... and she has the very distinct impression that he's someone kind. Bolin! That's his name...

Oh no! She's staring! Flushing with embarrassment, she quickly lowers her head and wipes the tears from her face, hampered a little by the tiny sheep suddenly all up in her business. ]

I-I'm sorry... w-was I in the way?

three what a cutie pie

[accordance]

[ There is absolutely no sane reason why a small girl should be left alone fighting a dragon. ]

Stay back!

[ The voice that sounds behind Sakura is deep and sonorous - while he never emotes more than a very slight intensity, there's a keen edge to it that shows all within earshot that he's very serious.

And then the source of it reveals as Lord Light flies to Sakura's side and lands in front of her - running wouldn't have brought him over in time - in one smooth motion he vanishes his wings and sends a bolt of lightning directly at the dragon's eye.

Maybe it found its mark, maybe it didn't. The only way he would have done guaranteed damage would be to turn his baton into a laser beam, and he does not have enough time to charge that right now. What's more important is that it hit the dragon somewhere - it's stunned, if only for a moment. ]

Guard the civilians. They are more important.

[passtave]

[ This is bad.... this is very bad... if she doesn't hit the dragon with her remaining chakram...

Just as she's gearing up to make the throw, someone suddenly calls out, and she freezes instinctively, still clutching her weapon. Before she has any time to react, a man suddenly lands in front of her, her eyes immediately drawn to his wings—he looks... like an angel...

He does something that shoots a bolt of lightning at the dragon, and it doesn't move after that. H-He... he's so strong! She's so in awe that she ends up staring at him for a few moments, her mouth open, before she realizes the silence has grown... protracted... and visibly snaps back to the present. ]

I-I can help! [ She blurts it out, then immediately flushes with embarrassment. Whoever he is, he's probably strong enough that if she stays behind, she'll just get in the way... she doesn't want to be totally useless, though! ] I-I can repel it...

1b

[umberly]

[ It's the sound of muffled, heartbreaking sobs which makes Kavi look up from where he's been studying one of the letters addressed at him. His brows crease and he stands still to determine where the noise is coming from and once he does, he quietly pads into the hallway and-

Oh.

His gaze softens when his eyes land on the curled up form of a slip of a girl. She seems too young for this. Too young to be joining any wars.

Too young to be away from her family.

His feet carry him closer to Sakura and he crouches down in front of her, hoping he won't startle her into shying away. ]

Hey, kid. You're new, yeah?

1b

[quaria]

[ The girl isn't actually alone in this hallway. Setsuna's here too, sitting by himself as he stares out the view of the courtyard in silence. It seems he wasn't noticed, and that's fine with him. Understandably as well; he's seated where no one will easily see him. Sometimes, he values his time in distance... So he remains minding his own business. However, that will soon change, especially after she started unexpectedly crying.

Having been here for a while, as well as being too familiar with war, the sight and sound of a young girl's cries is no longer new to Setsuna. Although pained with the scene, he remains with a faraway expression. Though, that doesn't mean that he is no longer sympathetic... No, it is because he's overly so that he chooses to keep it all away. His eyelids faintly lower, not saying anything or confirming his presence yet as he listens to her voice. He allows her to let it out for a while longer, remaining leaned at the wall close to her.

Eventually, he finally shifts and reveals his position. Right next to her, at that corner, he peers with an expressionless face. But in place, he's holding something out to the girl. Looking at it closely, it's actually an incredibly pretty flower... It glows as if a small sun within his hand. And that very light is offered to her direction, as the continued silence fills the scene. ]

3....

[penitents]

[ It's entirely possible her throw was short because, like Sasuke, she isn't accustomed to this world's effects on her body. When he'd been younger, Sasuke would have been quick to scoff at her lack of skill and the plaintive cry that follows. Now, Sasuke takes the opening the feeble attempt at an attack gives him.

The chakram distracts the dragon enough to turn it's head and look at the disc, and Sasuke runs at it from it's temporary blind spot. He jumps just as it starts swinging it's head back around toward her and drives his knife into the beast's closest eye. It screams, rearing it's head back and letting loose a burst of flame that narrowly misses the building the girl had been evacuating seconds before.

Sasuke abandons his knife to the dragon's eye, landing lightly and leaping back out of it's immediately slashing range, putting himself between the overgrown lizard and the girl with the chakram. ]

3

[encountered]

[ The scream sounds vaguely familiar to Laslow, having been sure that he heard this at least once before within a skirmish. Either ways, without even thinking twice on who he's saving, Laslow's going to jump right between the dragon and Sakura. ]

Milady, please, retreat while you can!