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

[hiryugaeshi]

Really? Well, if you're looking to die, I can't stop you. I'll have to fight the dragon alone, but I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow.

[ Peacock isn't the only stubborn one here. Kojirou's completely unyielding in his own way, as he marches forward right at the nasty dragon jaws and claws right behind the scrambling girl. With the hailstorm raging, his flag provided just enough defence in the form of a field of icy energy to keep his feet from burning up, and the worst of the hail from unceremoniously beaning him in the head. ]

I think there's another breath coming, girl.

[ He's trying to be helpful here. Really, he is. The dragon doesn't seem to be in a mood to try flying again, not with all the ice flying everywhere, but the way it's rearing its head back and puffing up is a rather telltale sign of incoming fiery destruction.

At least it seems to mostly be aiming for Kojirou instead, the dragon having decided that the Knight was a bigger threat. ]

[eyegotcha]

[ This wasn't the best of her brightest ideas. Even if her metal limbs shielded her from any actual burning from the fire, things were heating up both literally and figuratively far faster than Peacock preferred. But she had committed, and when she makes a decision, ain't nothing going to stop her! Except a cocky person urging her otherwise, apparently.

Instead, she makes a show of it to get through the scorched area faster, cartwheeling and flipping heavily towards her Painsaw with surprising acrobatics for a girl with such clunky limbs. When she reaches the weapon, she kicks it up to herself, holding it overhead triumphantly. Only then does she finally pay any attention to Kojirou's warning, honing her senses on the dragon and grinning widely at her findings. ]

Why ya warnin' me? That ovahgrown lizard looks like he fancies you instead!

[ Of course, she does continue moving a bit to the side, both to get out of the fiery grass and away from the dragon's full range. Lifting up her weapon for effect, the cyborg boasts antagonistically. ] 'Sides, I already got what I needed! Guess you can say yer on yer own, pa-aaaaaaahhhl! [ Just lifting the weapon seemed to have been enough, her hand catching the handle and pulling just enough for the weapon to roar to sudden, unexpected life, the blades of the chainsaw growing red hot with the dragon's remaining embers.]

Ha! Whad'dya know! Looks like you might be in luck! Maybe I'll help ya out aftah all. For now!

[hiryugaeshi]

[ Kojirou shrugs. Apparently she actually had some athleticism, but that wasn't nearly enough to be considered reassuring. ]

Fire has a tendency to spread. What's aimed at me could very well end up burning you too.

[ As for him, he's going to stare said overgrown lizard in the eye, waiting for the exact moment when fireball shot out of its mouth before dodging barely to the side, catching the flames with the edge of his sword even as the sheer heat ate at the hems of his uniform.

His flag was a godsend here, converting the power of the elements, in this case the hailstorm into a field of cold defending both his blade and his body from the worst of the heat as his sword carved into the mana of the dragon breath. It was a bit of a risky move, but a Holy Knight had such an ability, and his wooden sword by itself wasn't going to pierce a dragon's hide, so he had to take the chance. ]

If you want to run, I won't blame you. You barely seem to know how to use your weapon.

[ But if she wants to help, well then, she can take his needling as motivation. ]

[eyegotcha]

[ Expression quickly dropping to a frown, Patricia scrunched up her nose as she held her chainsaw lower, pointed towards the distracted beast menacingly. At this point, she had to shout to make up the distance, loud winds, roaring engine of her weapon, and blazing fiery breath of their new friend here, but it was all worth getting her own jabs in edgewise. ]

Quit yappin, ya clown! Patty ain't afraid a' some flyin' pest, n' she sure ain't gonna run away 'cause some glory hog wants it all to himself, ya hear!?

[ Unlike the patient defensiveness of her colleague, Peacock showed little concern for being pelted with hail, most of it bouncing off of her prosthetics with a cacophony of clanks and dings. Of course, more than enough dropped onto her head or into her face, but she seemed pretty resolved at her spot.

With a grin towards the dragon, the teenager wasted no time at all charging forward with a loud war cry. Again, maybe she should have taken a more patient approach, but she was too eager to rip and tear, taking full advantage of that wonderful danger prioritizing of her lowly pawn status to charge those dangerous claws headlong, hopefully before the monster took notice.]

Watch n' learn, rookie! This is how you fight!

[hiryugaeshi]

Rookie? How rude.

[ Luckily for Peacock, the dragon's attention is focused on Kojirou for now, the samurai moving towards the dragon at a steady pace, in no hurry to get himself close. Not when he had someone already busy attacking the dragon.

Not luckily for Peacock, that only lasts until her chainsaw bites into the giant clawed foot of the dragon, the revving teeth met with an earth-shaking roar of its own, the monster suddenly aware of a small creature attacking it. That most certainly would not do, it apparently decided, its uninjured, other front foot swinging over to swat the offender away. ]

Besides, I'm not sure I want to copy your fighting style. It seems most uncouth.

[ Screaming and swinging a power tool around? Definitely not Kojirou's thing. ]

[eyegotcha]

Good! Then how 'bout you just sit back there n' think about it? I'll take care a' the--

[ How rude! The dragon didn't even let her finish! Just as she was getting to enjoy the smell of seared, damaged flesh from her dangerous weapon, Peacock was knocked into next week with a swift swipe. The way she tumbled away, chainsaw still in hand, simply screamed of dismemberment and terrible accidents, but somehow, the pesky cyborg found a way to stop rolling around, sticking her landing to boot.

Honestly, that ordeal should have knocked an inexperienced pawn out of commission, but Peacock had managed to take her weight of the blow on her heavy prosthetic, which now belched out steam from knocked open pipes and jerked erratically as she straightened herself out. ]

Is that all ya got, ya ugly brute!? [ She definitely shouldn't have been taunting like she was; even if she caught herself, a hit from a dragon wasn't something to just laugh off. Pain tore through her ribs from where her arm was knocked into her, and she had a few spots on her shoulders and stomach where her uniform seared from far-too-close calls with her fiery chainsaw.

She'd definitely feel that in the morning. For now, though? Despite all her obnoxiousness, at least she was proving somewhat hardy enough to back it up. And like a broken record, she repeated the dangerous strategy. Only this time, the cyborg had to attack near the hind legs, thanks to just how far she had been swatted aside. ]

Bettah start fightin' or yer gonna miss all the fun! Ya don't wanna get upstaged by a lil' gal, do ya!? [It was becoming harder and harder to carry her voice over the distance, but she was pretty darn devoted to challenging her colleague all the while.]

[hiryugaeshi]

I'm not sure we have the same idea of fun. [ Kojirou mused as he finally closed the gap between himself and the dragon. Certainly, he loved a good fight. More than was healthy, perhaps. But what he's seeking was an avenue to test his skills, to win and to win cleanly.

Getting smashed by a huge dragon's claw was not part of it at all. That just sounded like pain. ]

But I'd strongly recommend against attacking it from behind! A dragon's tail is as dangerous as its teeth!

[ There's a lot of noise and distance to be shouting across, but it's a warning Kojirou felt like he had to give the girl anyway. Don't say he didn't warn her. As for him, it's time for him to get fighting.

Luckily, as a Knight the dragon turned it attention right at him, ignoring Peacock when she got blown away and assessed as no longer a threat. It swung its huge, uninjured foot right at the samurai, who swung his sword right at those claws in response.

A human matching strength with a dragon was an insane idea. It had to be. Even Kojirou knew that. But he also knew that he wasn't just matching his own strength. He could cheat, just a bit.

The dragon's flames that he cut through earlier, the mana that he absorbed with his powers as a Holy Knight, was released all at once in an eruption of fire, shaped into a sword of fire that turned his spindly wooden sword into something out of mythology. A blazing greatsword that cut through its foes not with a fine steel edge, but with intense heat.

And that? That was just about enough to have the dragon roar with pain and recoil instead of squishing the guy. ]

[eyegotcha]

What're ya s'pose t' be, my motha? [ One thing was for sure, the more Kojirou advised her, the more tempting flinging herself at the winged beast became. Someday, Peacock's overconfidence would come back to bite her, but it wouldn't be today.

The dragon's pained recoil nearly sent that hind leg crashing on top of her, and for once, her mana signals came to her on their own, the panicked senses rushing to her in this life-or-death situation. So, she expertly rolled alongside the crashing foot, swinging out her Painsaw with her free hand, the other one holding her up like some playful handstand. When the momentum of the swing pulled her to one side, she followed along, cartwheeling back to her feet. Not only had she dodged, but she sliced clean into the other leg to boot; this dragon wouldn't be going anywhere.

Yet that didn't mean it didn't have any fight left in it. Quite the contrary, actually. Just like her companion warned, that tail came swooping out in immediate reaction. The monster didn't even need to break its focus from Kojirou to attempt to dispatch the pesky redheaded menace at its back.

And once again, that playful athleticism came in handy. Cartwheels, rolls, somersaults, and all manner of jumpy acrobatics spring into play, each carried out with deadly intent as she flailed her weapon with each, meeting the hard scales of the thrashing tail and not doing any remarkable damage. But, the important part was that she was quite skillfully keeping herself self and out of the way.

Peacock finally flipped herself out of the tail's reach to catch her breath, adjusting her weapon in her hands as she flicked her attention to the other warrior. ]

Still alive? Ya bettah be keepin' up ovah there!

[hiryugaeshi]

I suspect most mothers wouldn't approve of dragon hunting at all. [ Kojirou chuckled to himself, amused by the very idea of his being a parent. He was trying to give some friendly advice to a junior hero, but honestly by now he's just finding how she reacts to it funny enough to continue.

Peacock's dodging is rather impressive, honestly. Completely wasteful in its excessive moments, and more suited to a circus than a battlefield perhaps, but still quite a display of athleticism. Kojirou himself has little inclination towards such dancing about, but people should fight in the way most natural to them, efficiency be damned. A master of an imperfect craft would beat someone struggling with a greater art every time.

Besides, when it comes to dragon slaying, even this Assassin here might have to indulge in some acrobatics of his own.

He holds his left hand out, ducking under a claw as he concentrates on his mana. The chain wrapped around his forearm and wrist unravels, and launches forward. It extends far further than it should, mana transforming the shape of the weapon in an impossible way. It loops around one of the dragon's horns, latching itself on tightly with a great hook. And just as quickly, the chain retracts, the great length disappearing into itself with the noise of metal grinding against metal, and the lighter of the two, the human samurai, is pulled straight upwards to compensate.

A flying samurai is something that's not often seen, but there is one right now, launching up, straight past the dragon's eyes, and landing on top of its head on three limbs. ]

I think I'll do a little more than keep up. I am the Knight, after all. [ He fully intends to be the one to actually take down the dragon here, wooden sword gently tracing a line along the dragon's crown. He's not really doing any damage, not yet anyway. A mere sword, wood or steel, wouldn't pierce a dragon's scales without some serious help. ]

[eyegotcha]

You take everything so literally!? Ya must be a real blast at parties. [ Peacock tries to make her remark sound as dismissive of an aside as possible, all while still shouting above the hailstorm. ] But lemme just show ya that there ain't nothin' in a name, Lancelot!

[ With this last taunt, the redhead charges ahead once again, leaping herself over the dragon's swiping tail with an aerial split and trying to send her chainsaw downward. Even with the searing hot blades' violent motions, the best the girl does is send vibrations in her arm like some cartoonish jackhammer stunt, bouncing along dizzily with it before falling and rolling off to the other side of the tail.

Scrambling back up to her feet, Peacock notes her comrade climbing atop the dragon with a frown. She can't just let him outdo her like this! But attacking this beastie seems to be doing her no good... How could she remedy this and save face!? Part of her considers wrassling onto the tail and joining him, but then she quickly shoots down that idea. He already did it first, and she is far more concerned with looking cool and original rather than making a meaningful mark in the fight.

As she tries to think over this, rolling closer to the dragon to avoid its tail, inspiration strikes.]

Ain't armored everywhere, now are ya, scumbag!? [ Taunting a dragon. Obviously the best way to announce her next move, right? With a meaningless pull on her chainsaw cord, Peacock roars up the device boisterously and for nothing more than effect, then raises the weapon above her head as she cuts cleanly into the dragon's exposed underside. It might not be as lethal as the head, but the semi-cauterized and gaping cut is the most significant blow she got to pull.

Obviously, she doesn't stick around underneath the thing, fearing that massive creature doubling down right on top of her, so she leaps away, leaving another cut on its already injured hind leg for good measure. ]

[hiryugaeshi]

My name doesn't really matter, but Lancelot belongs to someone else. [ He sorta knows the Knight of the Round Table personally. Sorta, because Lancelot is a Berserker and doesn't really have the capacity to hold a proper conversation or even have a friendly spar. They did fight off Lancelot back in Orleans though.

But really, it doesn't matter. What does matter is when Peacock attacks the dragon's belly, the giant creature's reaction is entirely as expected: A great rearing of its limbs, bucking and crashing in search of its assailant, perfectly ready to flatten whatever managed to hurt it so. It is at this moment that Kojirou feels immensely lucky his chain is still attached to the lizard's horn, because he definitely has to hang on for dear life.

He doesn't want to be thrown to the ground, not like this, anyway. ]

How very reckless. [ Excuse him as he keeps holding on for a while. He doesn't need a clean stance to strike with, but he would at least prefer something a little less volatile. ]

[eyegotcha]

Gah! Just quit talkin' already! [ Under the noises of battle, Peacock's next statement is all but muted by the wind. ] Wastin' my breath thinkin' a good comebacks fer ya...

[ Her underhanded complaining is quickly interrupted by a dragon's claw narrowly missing tearing her outstretched arm clean off. The powerful burst of wind from the swipe is enough to bring the cyborg back into the action, weapon lifting as she tries to plan out her next move. But... well, that flailing and crashing dragon is complicating the approach itself.

As Peacock plans out her next move, the tail swoops in behind her and knocks her face-first into the ground, landing on top of her chainsaw, which, thankfully had jammed and shut off from the last cut. So, now there's three problems!

First: That tail needs to go. Peacock is assured that she needs to just cut that chunk of swinging danger off and save herself more trouble. Secondly, the blades might be off for now, but she still burned herself on the magically heated weapon, enough to enrage her further. Thirdly, she needs to start her weapon back up.

So, that leaves Peacock out of it for now as she sidesteps more swipes and pulls impatiently at her chainsaw, trying to roar the thing back to life with angry, impatient tugs at the string. ]

[hiryugaeshi]

[ Hey, the dragon's calmed down a bit! A bit. It's still trying to shake its unwelcome rider off, but it's no longer screeching and has relaxed a little in its attempts to stomp the girl at its feet.

Not quite a smooth ride, but he can work with this. ]

Well then. Let's try something else.

[ He releases his Brace's hold on the dragon, and summons both the mana he absorbed from the dragon with his Holy Knight powers, and the mana he absorbed from the weather with his Stormy Knight flag. The fire he sends to his chain, turning the metal red hot. The ice, he sends to his sword, forming an edge of impossibly sharp ice.

The next step was an absolute flurry of action. The chain is shot forward again, before the dragon can use the opportunity to send him flying, a burning dart burrowing itself into the dragon's flesh. The dragon's reaction is completely as expected, and Kojirou is sent flying with a great heave of the beast's body.

A fall from that height onto hard ground would be painful even for a hero. But he has no intention of falling onto the ground. The chain's still attached to the dragon after all, and he reels himself right back in from way too high in the air, a sword that resembles an icicle edge leading the way.

If swinging with his full strength isn't enough to pierce the dragon's flesh, how about while at terminal velocity? That should leave a mark. ]

[eyegotcha]

[ The sheer effort Peacock puts into gleefully ignoring the wondrous displays of magic and violence going on in front of her is tremendous. She would never admit that Kojirou has any sort of power over her, or even any significant hand in this fight.

No, instead, she puts all her focus back into her weapon as it cranks back to life with a resounding cacophony, to which Peacock adds her own gleeful laugh at its activation. ]

Now yer speakin' my language!

[ Praising her weapon, the redhead takes advantage of the relative calm and, without admitting it, Kojirou's own threatening distraction, to charge right up to the hind end of this behemoth, stabbing her chainsaw into the underside of its tail's base.

The weapon protests and catches at every thick obstacle of flesh, but that doesn't deter the cyborg from her dedicated task, digging the weapon in until she could no farther, and with a violent tear, ripping it downward to expand the deep gash.

If it weren't for the more concerning attack on the head, the beast likely could have just dissuaded her with more thrashes and pounds of its limbs, but the two-pronged attack leaves her plenty of opportunity. She carries on with little interruption, aside from the copious amounts of blood pouring down on her from above.

Her laughter resounds from below the dragon as she jerks her chainsaw back to herself, stumbling away as the creature finally begins to flail in all directions from the attacks. The cyborg narrowly avoids a few kicks, not having to worry about much else since the poor thing's tail looks in no shape to begin smashing as it did earlier.

She looks more than proud of her butchering, finally turning her blood-coated face over to the swordsman, screaming above the multitude of roaring sounds. ]

Whad'dya think!? I betcha we got a prime cut down here!