pawnstorm | INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

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.

ONE ♟ Settling In

Welcome to Blanc! You wake up on one of the beds inside the Hall of Glory. You might still be feeling a little light-headed, but sudden dimensional travel will do that to a body. You could have sworn visions of a fantastic world flashed before your eyes not long ago: monsters, magic, and a mission to save the world. You can't quite recall much beyond the basics, but could this be it?

Save your questions for later! The room nannies are quick to urge Heroes into their uniforms (with their beaks if necessary) and to point them to the pick-up locations for their Blanc-issued Weapons and Carriers. Hopefully, nobody but the pigeon’s watching you change. On the other hand, maybe you're the type to turn every roommate into a new friend before you even step foot outside the room.

As you make your way down the halls, you might notice strangely familiar faces around you. But don’t linger too long to chat—the people in charge of the armory and the menagerie have gone through many Heroes before you, and still have many more to go after you. NPCs need meal breaks, too! If you don’t make a decision in time, the random Weapons and/or Carriers they pick for you can be just a little odd.

And if you’re hungry? No matter how rich you were in your homeworld, you’re penniless now until you earn some colle. Thankfully, the Hall of Glory provides free meals to Heroes and those associated with them! Sunday’s breakfast and lunch are bananalicious and seafood pasta. A friendly visiting scholar may have a word of advice for you: “Beware the dining hall on Mondays.”

But you’ll barely have time for lunch before guards come and round you up. “For the parade,” is the only reason they’ll give you.

TWO ♟ Welcome Celebrations

Trumpets sound, cymbals clang and the crowd roars as the parade gets underway! What’s all the fuss about? Well, you Heroes were sent by the gods to save Blanc, right? Of course they’d celebrate! Smiling and waving at the citizens of Caissa from your uniquely crafted float might be a chore, but hey, they love you. Are you really going to let them down, or lose the spotlight to the fellow Heroes sharing your float?

The reception after the Prime Minister’s speech is like some kind of idol session, with Caissa citizens coming up to shake hands and welcome the Heroes warmly. Some are even asking for autographs!

There’s a lot of things to do in festive and lively Caissa, even late into the night under a light fall of snow. Sparrow Town is all lit up, ready for another festival next week.

While some shops are closed for the holiday, others have buffet tables or are giving out free samples to the Heroes. The food stalls here are way better than the bizarre cafeteria menu at the Hall of Glory! Why waste the opportunity to finally gorge on real food? The shop owners have done their best to impress, showing off their local cuisines proudly along the city streets: from the local hamburger joint to the exotic L'adderan curries, you'll find a little of everything to whet your palate. Your growling stomach will likely thank you for the food. … Oh, wait. That wasn’t you? You think the fish sandwich on your plate just sang? Nonsense. That just means you had a marvelous piece of fish bread. Please remember to visit them again sometime when you have the colle, okay?

Various stalls with games and activities have also been set up. Maybe you can impress the crowd by nailing an apple with an arrow or by sacrificing your friend(s) at the water tanks! An unusual Go-style stall offers something like fish scooping, but be careful: touching the fish with your bare hands will leave you feeling funny… Wow, you’ve never seen that color before! But whatever it takes to impress the children, right?

Said children might try and get you to dance in the falling snow. Better not mess up, though, because everyone in Caissa seems to be watching.

THREE ♟ The Day After

Hopefully, you didn’t sleep too late after yesterday’s celebrations! Or maybe you slept badly, since it felt like something was watching you…

The free breakfast that awaits you at the dining hall is… something special. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content! Remember: no food fights, and leave no leftovers! Nothing will save you from the chef’s disapproving mustache swirl if you do!

If you want to make money (to get away from Monday’s Horrors), there are now jobs up for taking at the Hall of Glory and the Poisoned Pawn! If there’s nothing to your taste, check back again every so often. Something new might pop up!

Heroes not in the mood to be errand-runners (it’s understandable, you’re Heroes after all!) can hang out in the parlor, read in the library, or express yourself in one of the Hall’s many studios or other rooms.

If lying back and taking it slow isn’t your thing, you could train or spar! Being summoned to a new world takes a toll on the body, and some Heroes have lost abilities familiar to them. Besides, it’ll take a while to get used to your weapons. Some of them might even be disobedient, backfiring at worst and unresponsive at best. Try not to hit your fellow Heroes (including yourself), or you’ll either have to find enough Heroes to cast weak healing spells or carry the wounded to the infirmary. While the snow has been cleared overnight, it’s still very cold!

INFO ♟ Welcome!

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've never heard of the Sea of Clouds. I was in Minrathous. Where our elves don't have your-

[Dorian looks Estinien up and down with only enough flirtiness to hide his fear.]

-stature.

[He holds his hand beside his cheekbone to demonstrate the height of the elves he was used to.]

[ Comments about his height are... uncommon. The Elezen aren't the tallest race in Eorzea—the Roegadyn are much biger, and even male Au'Ra, though not from Eorzea originally, can be taller.

Also, Coerthas is nearly populated by Elezen. It's normal to him, but it's not what he finds the most confusing out of that statement. ]

What are elves?

[ Did this guy call him an elf?? A tall one?? Is he thinking of a Miqo'te instead... though the differences between a Hyur and Miqo'te and an Elezen are... massive. ]

[Dorian raises his eyebrows and looks at Estinien's ears.]

Ah. Look like humans except for the pointy ears. And they're a touch on the reedy side. Which I suppose rules you out.

[But there were the ears. And possibly he wasn't thinking as clearly as he might be due to circumstances.]

Your people are unfamiliar to me.

[ If he ever sees Alphinaud here, he'll have to ask Dorian if these 'elves' look at all like the young Elezen. That should actually be funny. ]

Elezen. My size is fairly average for my kind. [ A pause, then he's giving him a smile. Whether it's a happy smile or a bitter one is... unclear. ] My adoptive father is a Hyur like you. I outgrew him quickly.

We refer to ourselves as humans.

[Dorian wasn't going to ask if Estinien meant he got taller than his father or something more metaphorical.]

I, specifically, am Dorian of House Pavus of the Tevinter Imperium.

[ In Estinien's opinion it's both... though Alberic is probably more mature than him, still.

"Humans" is new, but if Elezen don't live where this Dorian is from, then it's not entirely shocking.

He gives Dorian a firm nod; a greeting. ]

Estinien Wyrmblood, the Azure Dragoon of the Ishgardian Temple Knights.

[ ...he has no idea where Tevinter is, and he suddenly doesn't expect him to know where Ishgard is, either. ]

Well, if we're using titles, mine is Magister. Maker help me.

[Dorian snorted.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Messere Wyrmblood. I wish it were under better circumstances.

Estinien is just fine. My order is not so formal to demand honourifics if you know nothing of our deeds.

[ Messere is new. So is Maker. Magister at least sounds familiar. There are probably a few in the Holy See by that title. ]

...though these circumstances still elude me. If this is a kidnapping, it's an odd one.

I've been trying to call on my magic since I woke up, Estinien. Nothing.

[As if the fact that he can't hear demons when he tries isn't a clue too.]

Since I have a bad feeling about that, I'm clearly not Tranquil. I don't know of anything else that could cut me off from the Fade.

[ Estinien watches Dorian speak for a moment, thoughtful. He even rubs a hand against the side of his head.

The pressure from Nidhogg's Eye has been missing since he woke up. He hasn't been this free since he became the Azure Dragoon, but... it might be similar. He used the power of the dragons in combat, and he can no longer feel it now. He can't even tell if there's aether around. ]

I'm no mage but I believe.... [ He makes a fist in his lap, frowning. ] Pray forgive me if I do not understand your terms exactly, but I feel something missing as well.

My magic is tied to emotions. It should not be possible for me to have one without the other. Do you have something that is part of you?

I don't know if you are familiar with Templars or Reavers but there are warriors in my world who... alter themselves. Is that what you mean?

[Dorian's tone is largely curious, trying to learn as much as he can as fast as he can.]

No. [ Well... it's more complicated than that, but it's not really a transformation like the heretics would do. Which is another matter completely, and one he's not done figuring out yet. ] Dragoons use the power of dragons instead of magic, but it's nothing permanent. My own being is another matter.

[ Idly, he holds an empty hand out before him, as if to cup something that isn't there. ] As the Azure Dragoon, I was chosen by an eye plucked from an... [ He almost says evil. ] ...a great wyrm. The pressure of it was immense and at all times, Nidhogg was attempting to consume me. [ He clenches his fist, scowling down at his hand. ] That pressure has been relieved, but I do not know at what cost.

[Dragons and the power derived from them were topics Dorian was familiar with.]

So you're also alone in your head for the first time in a while. I wonder how they managed it. Please don't be offended if I take some comfort in the idea that isn't just me.

[ Estinien shrugs. Knowing it wasn't just him that was targeted is... well, he's honestly not sure if that's a good thing or not. Who has power on such a scale, as to render several people without their own abilities?

...who else could even take on Nidhogg? That's what worries him. ]

I've no answer for that. The study of magic is not one I focused on, and to my knowledge there was no way of removing Nidhogg's presence from me. If there's an answer, it's not one I'll be coming up with alone.

[ But then, he smiles. It's not a friendly one. ]

But I will be searching out an answer soon enough.

If you'd let me know what you find, I'd appreciate it.

[Dorian begins dressing himself. What Estinien described sounded a great deal like being a reaver to him.]

INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

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