intro ♚ june

[boardmaster]

WELCOME TO Lasker

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 ♟ Caissa: Cut to the Chase

Rise and shine, Heroes! Some of you are naked, some of you have no idea where you are, but all of you should be listening to the new announcement from the Prime Minister that your trusty household pigeon is blasting right across the room.

Thierry Toussaint Good morning, my dear Heroes. I hope you are all well rested. I must ask for another favor: a very important guest from Gammon will be visiting us, and he will pass through Lasker in two weeks. His name is Ryder; quite a charming man, I’m sure you’ll enjoy his company. I will be staying here to prepare for his arrival, so I would like a few of you to escort him to Caissa. You will be rewarded handsomely. Oh, and if you get to Lasker early, could you please get me a few Double Duo booster packs? It’s a very popular card game. One day, if Secretary Verdoni spares some time in my schedule, I would love to play it with you!

You will also spot a new note on the Hall of Glory bulletin board, signed with an emblem veteran Heroes will recognize as a Noir lightning ward. Newcomers may have to ask around, or give in to their curiosity whenever their peers or seniors in the Heroic business run off to investigate! This will likely be a team effort. Meanwhile, it looks like Black Lightning picked up the Gresserian fondness for riddles: her first clue reads:

Jenny and Walt like their bratwurst, but Katyusha will be having them for breakfast. Buy some from the market for her, will you?
All those very specific names are probably important, but how? Why is Katyusha so attached to bratwurst? Just how many markets will you have to go through for this hypothetical pork meal? Find out on the next episode of Lasker & Order! Should you work this one out, you will find the second clue pinned under a string of pork bratwurst with a knife of Noir craftsmanship, on the wooden door of a certain butcher shop:

History repeats itself. Get a refresher downtown.
There is a certain wall in a murky alleyway downtown plastered full of old posters, dirty and worn; these date from when our Heroes failed to protect Palamède, the site of Noir’s first act of war against Blanc. Heroes were quite unpopular at the time! A single unmarred poster hangs near the end of the alleyway, preserved in a new frame. How unusual! Behind the frame lies the third clue:

Some say I’m faster than a speeding train. Are you?
To the train station! Stuck on a sign is a newspaper clipping in Chernovian.

Escaped convicts executed
By IVANA MANTOLOV     VALLARIA XTH 2016

Eight escaped convicts were executed on the spot as they attempted to cross the Empire’s borders into Gris yesterday. They were later confirmed to be members of the group of twenty-nine convicts who went missing after the riot at the Chernov Penitentiary Ward two days prior. Authorities are still looking for the remaining twenty-one.

Found on the back of this clipping is Black Lightning’s last message scrawled in black ink: See you there. But where? Just lift your eyes:

TO LASKER
➵
Once you return to your quarters at the Hall of Glory in the evening, the Prime Minister will have another announcement.

Thierry Toussaint I have concerning news. Ryder is in danger, and I need you to go to Lasker to do a preemptive investigation before his arrival. Our… contact requests your presence. As they say in Noir, you do not find her. She finds you. Be careful. There are many uncertainties in this mission, and I would like to send you with more backup, but she said to bring only yourselves. Be as discreet as possible; we do not want to cause an incident.

What do those clues even mean? Maybe you can help.

TWO ♟ Lasker

Black Lightning Miss me? … Ah, you brought new face. Cute. [ chuckle ] Blanc never runs out of blessing, huh? You know Double Duo? [ she reaches into her cleavage for a card with a matagot on it ] Game with monster cards. [ and behind the monster card, she reveals another. wait, is that your face? ] Now, Hero cards. New shipments are coming in. Watch the arena.

Before you can ask, Black Lightning disappears in a flash, dropping both the matagot and Hero cards as a parting gift. For some of you, the mention of shipments sends shivers down your spine. Heroes who’ve been around longer will remember the involvement of Noir shipments in the attack on Palamède. Needless to say, hurrying to the Double Duo arena is the best course of action for now.

Lasker is often dubbed the Double Duo capital of the world, and you’ll find no better evidence of that grand claim than its jam-packed arena. Excited chatter fills the air as throngs of Double Duo enthusiasts fill the seats, making no attempt to keep their voices down. You can hear them talk about how they’re looking forward to the new Hero cards’ release.

All questions concerning Hero cards, shipments, or even Black Lightning will unhelpfully point you towards Heroes the Gathering, a popular hobby shop. There isn’t any other shop quite like it: with its vast collection of Hero-related goods on display, from holographic sticker sets to limited edition figurines of your favorite Queen, it could almost rival some of Caissa’s latest shopping haunts for the completeness of its selection. Look at your literal mugshot on a cutely-shaped mug! See one of your latest party members inexplicably wearing a maid costume on that fan! Just don’t let your crush catch you buying their body pillow. From what the staff and regular customers will tell you, it looks like Hero cards will be super rare—with the price range to match.

There are posters plastered all over the walls, revealing the release date of those new Hero cards: COMING SOON... 20TH ROSA. The striking contrast of its black, white, and red scheme make it pop against the busy, vivid colors of the shop. Most notable is the blood red moon behind the text, looming in the distance. Those shivers are back, aren’t they? Maybe the staff does know something.

“I hear D’Amore’s shipping them,” a young shop worker sporting twintails and a poorly made Hero uniform cosplay informs you.

“Don’t you mean Rambaldi?”

“The dead can’t do business, honey.”

“No, they’re already selling them in Sokrovich!” an avid collector chimes in.

“Shipments? Aren’t they coming in by caravan?”

Answers continue to vary as you ask in and around the shop. You might have to scour every inch of Lasker and its surrounding fields at this rate. Or buy merchandise. What else is there to do?

THREE ♟ Card Shark

You’ve already combed through all the areas by teatime. No matter what information you’ve managed to scrounge, you can’t shake the feeling that you’re being led on a wild goose chase. However, your luck will change if you manage to stumble upon the carriages holding the shipments of Hero cards. Be prepared to face some resistance.

As it turns out, there are assassins lying in wait to ambush Heroes along the back roads. Noir is here! Any feeling of dread you had? Completely justified. Well-hidden mages launch spells from a distance and soldiers armed to the teeth await around every corner. Remain vigilant: Noir forces have set up booby traps that range from simple spikes that prick your feet to complex contraptions that can kill entire mobs. Most peculiar is their method of attack: with their enchanted cards, they hypnotise your allies AND imbue them with sundry card effects*, forcing you to fight each other. The hypnotized party will be completely under their spell, so find a way to knock some sense back into them. Otherwise, you may have to take more drastic measures. Et tu, Brute?

*Card effects may include bonuses to weapons (such as elemental attacks) or magical spells (such as status effects). You may even find yourself with mild body horror or other disastrous effects. This includes dramatic, optional changes in outfit or hairstyle or other aspects of appearance, etc. All effects are TEMPORARY and will vanish within an hour after hypnosis is removed, or if the affected party is killed in action.

After weathering ambushes from Noir, Heroes will discover a source of the shipments. You may come up with your own minor location: be it an obscure warehouse, an abandoned mansion at the city outskirts, a crypt in a local cemetery, a cellar beneath an ice cream shop, a trapdoor beneath a rich widow’s bed, and more! Noir security on the shipments is bristling and they are not happy to see you. They will aggressively resist arrest, so bring them back dead or alive! Captured Noir forces will disappear thanks to a special enchanted card before interrogation can begin, but they leave behind what searching the bodies of those slain will also yield: the card, which bears the symbol of a black rose and has lost its enchanted properties, and written information on the back of said card about other shipments scattered throughout Lasker. It doesn’t specify any locations, though. An amateur detective’s work is never done!

As for the shipment you secured, you better take care of those cards before they come back to bite you later! Sending parts of the shipment back to Caissa may prove worthwhile, but making a bonfire out of the entire thing might just be the brighter idea. You decide.

INFO ♟ Welcome!

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

Comments

[sediments]

[ His shoulders relax out of their defensive hunch when he hears that, feeling as though he's genuinely escaped judgment.

So he explains himself. ]

Yeah, you know these are really popular so I got curious about what all the hype is. [ Then, he shrugs. ] It's not that good.

[locktouches]

[It was clearly too early for you to relax, Bolin.

Niles takes a step backwards, fake!gasping with enough emotion to make an actor grind their teeth in annoyance.]

It's not that good? You've read enough of them to have an honest and informed opinion?

[He tuts.]

You really can't judge a book by it's inappropriate cover.

[sediments]

[ If Niles was expecting a flustered reaction, he's not going to get one. While Bolin isn't keen on coming across as a pervert, he's not shy about sex or his sexual history. Sure, he's read dirty magazines. It's a pretty normal thing.

Crossing his arms, he frowns. ]

Well, I haven't read comics like this, but I know what I find sexy! [ Always friendly, he hands the comic over to Niles. ] You can have a read.

[locktouches]

[Niles casts a critical eye over the book, and then one at Bolin.]

I really have no idea where that's been.

[sediments]

[ Bolin's expression is still fairly earnest, not yet wandering into the territory of agitated by Niles' bullying. ]

I just bought it. I don't have cooties!

[locktouches]

[He's a trooper.]

And I'm not about to leaf through the pages to see if any of them stick together. Why don't you present a few examples of this fine literature to the class instead?

[sediments]

[ That gets him to make a face, because gross. ]

I'm not going to flash pages at you when there are kids around!

[ Granted, the cover is fairly racy, but it's not explicit. Nothing worse than a fictional harlequin novel at least. Everyone's clothed, which is not something he can say about the contents. ]

[locktouches]

[Well what else do young men carrying around pornography do in their spare time?]

I can look over your shoulder if you're really concerned about an audience.

[sediments]

[ That is going to make them look so suspicious. But Bolin's a Hero, and he's got the Queen's Charm on his side so he's not too worried about how he ends up looking.

Okay. He nods toward a quieter spot on the street so they're not at least standing in the middle of a sidewalk. ]

All right, let's just get out of the way.

[ So that he doesn't have to worry about being jostled as he opens up the comic for Niles to see. ]

[locktouches]

[Oh wow he's actually doing it. How about that.

With a shrug of his shoulder, Niles moves over to the corner that Bolin had indicated, leaning back against the wall of the building there.

Come on then, Bolin. Let's get this art critiquing show on the road.]

[sediments]

[ Bolin's got his shoulders squared and brows furrowed, powered by determination and the idea that he's right. He's holding the comic out, reading to start the discussion when it hits him.

And suddenly he's shifting to the side, giving the other man a dubious look. ]

Uh. Wait, this is kind of weird, isn't it?

[locktouches]

[That just earns him a raised eyebrow.]

Only if you make it weird.

[Like you're doing right now, Bolin. Not that he's actually finding this weird, but the point has been made.]

[sediments]

[ The thing is that Bolin really hadn't thought it was that weird, that he was just proving a point. But now that they're both huddled in a quieter corner, with him showing off the comic like they're little boy giggling over inappropriate pictures of women.

Now he's starting to understand why this isn't a normal thing to do in public. ]

No, no. It's definitely weird on its own.

[ Rolling the comic up and tucking it under his arm, he shakes his head. ]

Let's just forget about it.

[locktouches]

[Who's giggling? But hey, Bolin's learned something today. Walking around with pornography in one hard can come across as rather weird.]

If you were going to go all shy and embarrassed about it, why go outside with pornography under one arm anyway?

[Seems counterproductive.]

[sediments]

I don't know! [ Bolin sounds exasperated, like it's now solely his own actions that led him to this situation in the first place. ] I didn't think about it.

[ He sighs. ]

Sometimes I don't really think about this.

[ Also sorry for dragging you into this adventure. ]

[locktouches]

I'm getting the impression thinking isn't a beloved past time of yours.

[Y'know, just a small impression. Based off circumstantial evidence.]

[sediments]

[ Giving Niles a tired look, Bolin doesn't look exactly hurt by the comment. ]

You think?

[ Looking down at the rolled up comic one more time, he just shrugs, resolving to put it behind them both and move on.

So, he directs a more sunny smile at the other man. ]

Anyway, weirdness aside, I'm Bolin. Did you get dragged here recently?

[locktouches]

[Oh yeah. Not a deep thinker, this one.]

Niles. And that's a polite way of putting it. "Non-violent" kidnapping could also be used to describe it.

[sediments]

Yeah, it pretty much sucks. Are you here alone?

[ Bolin's pretty sympathetic toward the other man. He doesn't know what he can say to offer any reassurance however, because there's no telling when they'll get sent back home, and while he could say "it's not that bad", it wouldn't be true.

Because it really sucks. ]

[locktouches]

As far as I'm aware, yes.

[He's not, actually, but he doesn't know that yet. And if we're going to split hairs, he's still alone because neither Leo or Odin are around so he's minus the people he'd usually be working with.]

If we were supposed to bring a travel buddy then I must've lost mine en route.

[sediments]

Don't worry, I showed up alone too. [ He gives the man a sympathetic look, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder because, surprise, Bolin is an incredibly tactile person. ] But then one of my friends showed up later, so there's hope I guess.

[ Err ]

I mean, if you'd want someone you know to be here.

[ There are people that would spare their loved ones the ordeal. ]

[locktouches]

Probably not. They have enough to be doing back home.

[Less... spare the people he respects, more... we really can't afford to have half of the war effort vanishing into the clutches of another war effort.]