pawnstorm | intro ♚ september

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intro ♚ september

WELCOME TO Grantebrycge

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 ♟ Video Killed The Radio Star

Rise and shine, Heroes. It seems that today is filled with good fortune as the morning is very uneventful, aside from the monthly arrival of new comrades. This is the perfect time to grab your weapon, Carrier and uniform and use your time to look around Caissa. While exploring or catching up on the latest gossip, you might blow past the delivery carriages outside of the Hall of Glory, but you certainly won’t be missing the steampunk televisions and vending machines which will be set up around noon time by your lovely maids and butlers! The TVs are placed in every single bedroom as well as leisure rooms so you can enjoy your daily fix of popular cooking show Inferno Kitchen, primetime Cheoksan drama Summer Cantata or the Gammonian hit series Sport of Crowns! The vending machines can be found in the hallways and contain snacks and drinks such as canned mackin’ cheese (or as Noirs like to call it, Lovekraft Supper), Pooky, Cpt. Pepperoni, Mountin' Do, or Eight Up. You are free to come up with your own TV show or vending machine food items.

Thierry Toussaint
My dearest Heroes! I hope today finds you well, and for once I bring good news! [ he laughs a little sheepishly. he’s dressed less formally than in previous somber declarations and his hair looks windblown, like he ran here ] As you well know, our recent victories and mostly importantly, a successful alliance with Gammon has brought no small amount of blessings: we have more resources, better manpower, and the invaluable help of our Gammonian colleagues not just in war, but also in advancing our civilization!

And so it is my pleasure to unveil our new and improved broadcast technology— [ a pause, where he winks ] —do I look clearer to you? It’s a little harder to tell from this end, I’m afraid. You’ll be able to receive better, brighter and more varied content from our country’s talented producers. Oh…

[ another, longer pause. teddy looks offscreen and then laughs ]

I’m not getting paid for this, I promise. I don’t need any other motivation to be excited for my country, do I? In addition to the television programs, we will be helping with the release of newly developed vending machine technology that brings fresh and healthy snacks to the streets of our capital, and hopefully, beyond. It would be nice to have one for my office.

I’ve mentioned our Gammonian friends, haven’t I? And I’ve saved the best for last: as a token of the friendship between our countries and all that we can do for each other, Gammon has assisted us in completing Platform 40— … 42 and 5/8ths, an instantaneous portal between our very own Caissa and Cochrane. I look forward to even more cultural and commercial exchange from all the way across the Rokirovka Ocean!

And ah, speaking of exchange—the Platform has been completed just in time for you, dear Heroes. Gammon has actually extended another invitation to you: as national and international icons and users of magic, they would like you to visit their school of magecraft, Pigeonsblood, in Grant— Grant… [ … ] You will be able to reach the school easily through the Platform!

Pigeonsblood’s Headmaster has assured me that you would be a great inspiration to their incoming class of aspiring mages; I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. Gammon’s knowledge and mastery of magic, as you may have seen during your previous visits, is nothing to take lightly! And if you like what you see, I’m told Gammon would be happy to sponsor classes for Heroes at the school. I’m sure they want to keep the inspiration flowing, hm?

Thank you once again, all of you, for making such wonderful things possible. I’m sure your achievements will continue to open doors, both metaphorically and literally, for Blanc and for yourselves.

Meet up with your chums, old and new, and head over to Caissa’s train station. Once there, locating the Platform 42 and 5/8ths is an easy feat. There are two guards standing watch and they will stop curious civilians from sneaking past them. They will only let Heroes use the Platform and as such require proof of identification. A Hero’s uniform, rank badge or a passport identifying yourself as such should do the trick. As the platform functions as one of Gammon’s checkpoints, you will need to pay a small fee of 200 colle to pass. Should you be a new arrival, the Prime Minister will suddenly show up and pay the fee.

Where’s the portal, you might ask? Take a deep breath, walk through the wall between the guards and you’ll find yourself in Cochrane! Heroes might experience some sudden vertigo or a near insatiable hunger for pork. Very minor side effects vary from person to person.

In order to reach Grantebrycge, Heroes must travel from Cochrane to Friedgood and then a little ways further. They are free to make this journey by foot, mount or train. Directions to Grantebrycge are vague but you can’t miss the landmark of the Great Face Cliff, a monument depicting the faces of the towns’s founding members. Poobin and Cemron seem especially stern as they glare down at anyone who dares to visit.

TWO ♟ Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

Upon entering Grantebrycge, Heroes will be immediately be ambushed by swarms of eager students from Pigeonsblood’s welcoming committee. This committee consists of upperclassmen from each of the Four Branches - Achroite, Prehnite, Bixbite, and Citrine, and they are dressed in uniforms in their Branch color (pictured here in the Bixbite red). Officially, they’re here to help you learn more about Pigeonsblood, give you a tour of the campus, and show you what each Branch can offer you so that you can make an educated decision about which to enroll in. Unofficially, they’re there to try to talk you into enrolling into their particular Branch and some will ramble on about how their Branch is the best while others fight amongst each other to try to get your attention.

Once the tour is finished, the committee will lead Heroes to the administration building. There, they’ll part with you to attend to other duties, leaving you with a reminder to head to the center plaza in an hour for the freshman orientation party. Heroes can enroll in classes if they so choose and have made a decision as to which Branch is the best for them. It’s recommended as it’s free, courtesy of Gammon. If they enroll in classes, they will receive their class schedule, a permit for a uniform, and a key to their dorm room. Head to the university shops later to have them take your measurements!

NOTE: The rooming and class schedule are up to player discretion. If there is an official mission the professors will allow an absence - Heroes can’t save the world if they’re worrying about their GPA, after all!

For those who choose to not enroll in Pigeonsblood, they can explore the campus some more, but either way make sure to head down to the central plaza before the party!

THREE ♟ The Part Where They Rope You in with Free Food

Stepping into the center plaza puts you in the middle of excited back-to-school buzz. Several event booths line the plaza, all eager to get your attention. Some will try to recruit you to their school club. Others are simply there to provide information, such as maps of the school and information about the Four Branches. Still others get even more specific, headed by banners marked “THE TOTAL IDIOT'S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL ACADEMY LIFE” and “GUIDE TO HAPPINESS: HOW TO NOT DIE DURING EXAMS”. A few generous booths will provide you with free food like “Splotted Richard” or “Bangers and Mash” to fill your tummy, as well as school merchandise, such as Branch-specific pens, face paint, flyswatters, and other bits of merchandise.

If those don't get your attention, the freshmen running your way definitely will. They're beyond excited to see a Hero among their ranks, and approach you eagerly, yelling things such as, “Did you enroll? Let's do our best together!”, “You're my inspiration! I hope we're classmates!” and “Please let me know if you need a tutor! I wouldn't mind…” Thankfully, their enthusiasm is brought to a stop by the welcoming committee, who make their way to the center plaza and hush the excited freshmen. After a heartwarming speech about youth and school spirit, the committee flashes their new classmates a bright smile and finishes with: “And now, it's time for some fun!”

What do they mean by fun? The freshmen are more than eager to demonstrate! Aside from the fun offered at the various booths, there are many magic games to partake in. There's “Splash Tag,” where players must use water magic in lieu of touch to play tag, “Air Races,” in which racers use psionic, gravity, or wind magic to boost their movement, “Hot Potato,” in which the temperature of the potato is increased with each pass until it explodes on the loser, and Illusion-based Pictionary.

A few steps away from the commotion, near where the welcoming committee made their speech, is a tall bulletin board. Various flyers are posted here-- club announcements, dating ads, tutoring offers, and of course, Pigeonsblood help wanted ads.

INFO ♟ Welcome!

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

Remember to check out the uniform contest for ranked Heroes!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Toplevels for individual room interaction or mingling at Weapon and Carrier collections at the Hall of Glory may go here.]

"What?" Willa was getting tired of the attendant, historian, loser with a tweed coat watching her as she tried to find her weapon in the armory. She'd just picked up the thing cause she wanted to know how a scarf was a weapon. That's all.

The bespectacled man just, was staring, "That seems to be yours, but... that's Giuditta's Veil. And you're so young..."

Willa was really getting annoyed with this place. Being lead around by birdbrained robots that couldn't answer questions, weird TV messages from some guy who clearly was being bought by anyone with nice toys, and now this. She just crossed her arms and glared until the nerd told her what he meant.

"S-she was a warrior, but her biggest weakness was... courtesans. She had that veil made to allow her, well..."

"It's a magic whatever that let her sneak around." Willa was pretty quickly catching up to what this was. The weird twisted logic of a place, and how it seemed to work. This was like that Harry Potter thing, wands choose the wizard. Or in this case tacky scarves choose the gypsy, "So she could bang whoever the hell she wanted without being followed."

"Y-yes. I wouldn't have phrased it that way, but yes. She was an impressive figure of histo-"

"Yeah, whatever, there's no price? I was told to come here and get one of these stupid old relics." Not that Willa waited for an answer, she just slung the scarf over her shoulder and wandered toward the door. Poor nerdy historian would just have to deal. Anyone to overhear can come tell her she should be nice, or something.

[ When Diana had heard that there was a weapon waiting for her in the armory, she couldn't help but be a little nervous; after all, she had never wielded anything even remotely close to that, unless you count maybe a scalpel, on a rare occasion where someone needed urgent care? So no matter what someone gave her, it probably wasn't going to end well--

Oh. Honestly, she...probably should have known. The smith pulls out the black revolver, and, of course, it's a beautiful weapon, made with lots of care and stunning craftsmanship, but poor Diana... ]

U-um, isn't there...anything else I can get? A sword or a staff, or anything?

[ It only gets worse when she hears the effect. Someone must be playing some kind of cruel joke on her, really...but no matter how hard she tries to negotiate, at the end of the day, she ends up walking out with the weapon, much to her chagrin.

Life was simply unfair sometimes, she supposed. ]

[ he's just fetched his own weapon himself, his brand new "magical" rapier (which he doesn't quite believe is really magical just yet) slung at his belt, and serpico sighs he makes to exit the armory. and while he's certainly distracted and more than a little worried about a lot of things, that's no excuse to forget his manners -- he politely holds the door open so the person behind him can also exit.

except he can't help noticing how distraught she looks.

he's not one to interfere with other people's matters much, but ignoring a woman who seems so troubled doesn't feel right, either. ]

Are you alright, miss?

Of all the things to deal with upon waking, it would be unexplained nudity and bizarre birds... Of course it would be. Keigo wanted to roll his eyes right out of his head after getting his bearings; this had to be one of the strangest dreams he'd had to date. After all the earthquakes back home, he wondered if maybe he was knocked off his feet and banged his head on something... It wouldn't have shocked him.

After getting dressed, he shuffled along to this grand hall, marveling at the architecture and the various denizens that were vying to guide him in the proper direction for, what else?, picking up a weapon... A weapon. They must not have gotten the memo from his subconscious; Keigo didn't do violence. Well, that wasn't an entirely accurate statement, but he certainly held no training with any form of weaponry...

As he finally reached what was apparently bound to him, he felt his throat tighten up. Suddenly, a strange sense of nostalgia hit him. No, that wasn't quite right... deja vu was more appropriate. Like the dagger that was presented to him was far more familiar than it had any right being. Keigo hesitated before picking it up; it was about then that he started to realize that this dream was far more... detailed than it had any right to be. Not only that, but he couldn't shake that strange feeling of having done this before... The dagger came with its own sheathe and such, thankfully, so Keigo nervously hitched it to his waist, looking at the gemstone embedded in the pommel. Definitely... familiar.

Glancing around, he tried to seek out someone--anyone--who might have been... in the same situation he was. Certainly he wasn't alone here, right? Well, no, there were other... "Heroes" in the hall with him... but were any of them experiencing such strong deja vu? Or an unsettling sensation? Or... perhaps the urge to panic?

[ ooc: if you prefer action tags, go right ahead! i'll match format! ]

...What the hell is this?

[Ichigo isn't happy. Not in the slightest. When someone had told him to come this way to receive his weapon, he was relieved at first. He'd thought they were going to return Zangetsu to him, and maybe then his powers would come back. It's bad enough he has to deal with this crap at all, being stripped of his abilities and put into a hard situation is bringing back some bad, bad memories, and he's more than ready to return things to the status quo. With Zangetsu in his hands, he knows he can do anything.

What they give him... isn't Zangetsu. It's not even a real weapon, it's a sword hilt. It's a good-looking hilt, obviously well-crafted and made out of a golden metal, loving embossed with intricate patterns across the pommel and crossguard, but there's something missing there. Notably, a blade. It's big enough to serve as the hilt of a greatsword, and it probably would be as impressive as the old man rattling on facts about it paints it to be if it wasn't completely useless. Soulblazer, he calls it, the legendary weapon of some knight a long time ago with some name that saved someone or someplace, whatever.

He spends some time shouting and arguing that he wants his sword, not some crappy hilt, or at least one of the many other weapons around that actually functions as a weapon, but of course, nothing doing. In the end, he walks away from the table looking downright pissed off and with his dumb sword hilt stuck in a belt loop. He can't even sheathe the damn thing, seriously, what's the point?

Exasperated, he eventually comes to a stop, places a hand to his face, and decides to vent some grump.]

Is there anything about this place that makes sense, come on! All this crap's a waste of time I don't have!

No point in arguing with them. They're not gonna change their minds about what they're gonna give you.

[ Said as Hak's passing through weapon collection. Granted, he got his a while ago and now has a non-magic spear in his hand, but he might as well let this guy know not to waste his time.

His carrier, a baby tiger, scuttles up to the other man's feet, wide eyes peering up at him curiously before he starts to nibble at his pants. Sorry about him, bro. ]

It's not just that, this whole thing is a bunch of crap! Who's going to get down here and actually explain something?

[Granted, Ichigo may be in a better mood if his weapon actually... did something, but it would still be a foul one. He's not joking when he thinks he has much better things to be doing right now, things like, say, preventing a mad king from turning all of reality into some nightmarish hellscape.

...Wait, is that a tiny tiger chewing on his pants? Cue the staring downward, and it's pretty much a tie between Ichigo being a good enough guy not to want to hit animals (real, unstuffed ones, anyway) and his human instincts of thinking that's a freaking tiger, man, don't piss it off that he doesn't wind up punting it across the room.]

What the hell is this?

HALL OF GLORY

WEAPON COLLECTION

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CARRIER COLLECTION

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K106

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K204

K110; aka Pearl tries to rewrite this perfect tag that was too good for this world ;;

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