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!

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You--

[It takes her a moment to actually recognise the sarcasm - everybody's quite candid where she comes from - but rather than continue to press the man, Vivienne regards her new clothing, as well as the letter the bird seems to be carrying over to her, probably because she's been a little slow on the uptake.

When she finishes skimming it, she puts it down beside her.]

...I see. Then before I impose anything else upon you, I have a simple request.

[Ah, they may have been a bit much for someone who just regained consciousness in an unfamiliar setting, but he doesn't feel all that bad.... He gets blames for enough stuff! And this is something he isn't even remotely responsible for!]

Yes? What is it?

[His tone is less scornful though, for what it's worth. He's made an effort.]

I need to dress. If you would turn around...

[Her words trail off there. Ideally, she'd rather be completely alone in the room, but she'd rather not chance the possibility of him simply walking off and leaving her, well, actually alone.]

Ah. Yes, but of course.

[It was probably a good course of action. He would have left. But as it is now, he simply faces the wall, coat in hand, and puprpsefully ignoring the mechanical bird that has now made its goal getting him to put it on.]

[After a moment, she pulls the sheets aside and stands, reaching for her new clothing. It's easy enough to get on, if not a little tedious, but she'll have to see someone about replacing this tiny... dress(?) with a pair of trousers. Even with the pants underneath, she doesn't quite fancy showing that much skin...]

I'm finished, thank you.

[And should he turn again, she'll be dressed, albeit still doing up the buttons on her coat.]

My name is Vivienne. And I apologise for my unwarranted outburst earlier.

[By the time she's finished, Loghain has reluctantly put on his coat, the bird deciding it a good idea to peck him until he did. It's not buttoned, but it's on. Let him live, bird.

At least he doesn't stare or gawk at the showiness. He's seen worse costumes. Probably. Female Dalish armor used to be a rough time.]

Loghain Mac Tir. [Although he doesn't say much on the apology, he takes a step forward and offers his hand.]

[There's a very brief moment during which she regards that open hand, internally battling her Yharnam instincts to belittle outsiders. Here, they're both just that. SO grasping his hands firmly, she shakes it.]

A... a pleasure, Loghain. [Half turning her head, she then regards the rest of the room.] Though it seems they were to be expecting others.

[And many more, if the chatter in the distance was any indication.]

Likewise. [The discomfort, the hesitation, is noted but not entirely unfamiliar. He's gotten used to it over the years, to say the least. And he certainly doesn't blame her, given their current predicament. Still, his handshake is firm, strong... confident event. If he were at a job interview, it would impress his potential employer.]

There may be others soon enough, I suppose. [ He glances around. There were signs of at least one other person sharing the room with them, at least rate.] If not in here, there certainly must be others in rooms just like this by the sounds of it.

[Needless to say, that small gesture goes a long way. It doesn't entirely soothe her - it will be a time until she readily accepts strangers - but it does help her impression of Loghain.]

I take they are like us, then - brought here without any prior warning. Do you have any recollection of being physically brought here?

[Well, he's not entirely convinced this isn't a weird fade dream, or some sort of cruel joke, but if it's not and they are to share a room together, it's best to be at least civil. He places his hands by his side.]

That seems like a safest assumption, certainly. [He furrows his brows, thinking on it a moment, and then sighs.] No, I'm afraid not. I suppose the answer is the same for you?

Yes, not a thing.

[Which worries her less than it should - but if the experience is shared, it's likely normal. But here now, she sniffs at the air, finally realising it smells... empty. She doesn't quite know how else to describe it. Shaking her head, she dismisses the thought.]

The letter made mention of an armory, and a... Carrier. [Whatever that means.] Are we being drafted for war?

Of course not.

I presume so. [He sighs. It's hardly the first time he's been dragged into some sort of war he has no interest in.... or been conscripted, for that matter.] I can hardly imagine the effort being taken to bring us wherever here is for anything less. It is one way to add numbers to your rank, certainly.

[Here, she actually can't help but scoff.]

They must be desperate to rely on strangers, on outsiders, for help.

[She's expecting dire times outside.]

Precisely. [A frown.] It doesn't bode well, to say the least.

INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject