INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

[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.

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!

Comments

[blessings]

[ Startling upwards, Eirlys barely catches the sight of someone above her before he falls right on top of her, forcing her backwards onto her back. Her head hits the floor the same time momentum forces her book-holding hand against his back, resounding in a loud smack and, unknowingly, a small healing spell.

Once the shock fades, she's quick to tilt her head upwards to try and get a better look at him. Her head hurts a bit with how quickly she went down, but Eirlys' more concerned for the person whose head is carefully nestled on her chest. Book placed aside, her hands quickly but firmly reach for his neck (she breathes in relief at the pulse) and his head (she presses her palm against his forehead; he's warm). ]

Can you hear me? Can you speak?

[quaria]

[ The initial impact of the book behind Setsuna's head causes his dizziness to get worse. But that's only for the first few seconds; after the healing spell is activated and heals the affected area, he realizes that it's fading away.

It's not immediate however, and it shows with the way his eyes look so dull. He lifts his head slightly, enough for the girl to see the features of his youthful appearance and long eyelashes. He's on the paler side right now, which isn't natural... He remains where he is for now, trying to adjust his vision.

That means he's still against... her chest... Until he realizes the situation. ]

... Sorry. I—

[ One eye is nearly closed, while the other is trying to open further. He's really disoriented. He wanted to tell her that he'll get off as soon as he regains himself. ]

[blessings]

[ That's not important!! In fact, she doesn't seem to care, eyes focused on his face. She recognises the signs of illness, the way he doesn't seem conscious of his surroundings until moments later. ]

It'll be alright, it'll be alright!

[ She speaks reassuringly, and a hand goes to rub his back, hoping to soothe him. At the same time, she murmurs a prayer. To Odin, to the gods of this world who had summoned them, all the while gathering mana inside her palm to cast a basic healing spell.

Is it enough? It's a lot harder to access magic here... Opening her eyes to study him again, she wonders if she can cast another. ]

[quaria]

Ah...

[ This motherly warmth is... making him feel sleepy. The most stubborn part of him refuses to however, wanting to keep himself guarded. But it's difficult. It's soothing, it feels good. His senses may have been dulled, but he didn't need them to tell that she's a kind person. She reminds him... of a certain princess from home.

Eventually, he gives in and closes his eyes temporarily. The mana circulation between them can only add to the pleasant sensation, feeling his strength slowly return as she continues to pamper and heal him. ]

Thank... you.