pawnstorm | 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

[ Since most of her interactions with wild animals have either been from the perspective of a hungry hunter or someone being chased as though trapped in a bloody nightmare, it’s no surprise that instinct screams for her bow. She’s actually halfway to nocking an arrow when Kaede’s voice clears the fog of adrenaline.

Uh oh. Must be someone’s pet.

Better hide the weapon. ]

Hey, girl… [ As the griffon nears, Katniss does her best to relax, actually opening her arms a little the way she’s seen her sister do with their goat. Owning pets is only a slightly less ridiculous concept in her world than the idea of befriending your dinner, but it doesn’t take long to see the appeal. ]

You know, whoever you belong to, they definitely have unique taste in friends. I bet you'd make a great hunting partner, huh?

[The griffon doesn't seem to be any the wiser for its near-arrow experience; Kaede really needed to train it to be wary of sharp objects. It even interpreted Katniss' open body language as an invitation to play, bouncing to a stop just in front of her and antsily hopping from taloned front foot to front foot, as if waiting for her to throw something. More like a dog than a horse-sized eagle-lion creature big enough to saddle up and ride, though said saddle is empty right now.

Its rider is currently stalking irritably after the griffon, looking as perpetually displeased as always. Her expression stays mostly the same when she notices another person; she'd gotten better about automatically frowning at people! Sometimes!]

Did you catch her?

I think "catch" gives me a little more credit than I deserve. [ She's so wrapped up in following the griffon's movements, more bewildered by its playful nature than by the fact that it exists at all, that when she glances at Kaede she has to do a double take.

Yup. Pink hair. ] But I'm guessing this... [ ???? uselessly gesturing because ???? what is it? ] ...is a friend of yours?

[And horns, too! ...though that was perhaps a generous word for those bone-white stubby things sticking out of her hair.

Kaede takes the opportunity to grab the reins the griffon tugged out of her hands; the creature stops its dance and butts its head against her chest, warbling gleefully. The diclonius sighs, like a long-suffering parent, and scratches the griffon's feathery ears without a second thought.]

Sachiko's mine, yes. I pulled her out of a burnt nest months ago.

[The apparent model for the griffon's doglike behavior trots up to Kaede's side—an actual dog, though no taller than the admittedly short girl's knee. He had floppy ears and a rather ambitiously large stick in his mouth, and wagged his curled tail excitedly when he saw a new person. Hello New Person!]

[ Something about their interaction tugs at her, bringing to the surface a longing she's tried very hard recently to ignore. For the first time, Katniss feels grateful to be here - away from the Arena and her former life, where she can't bring danger to anyone's doorstep.

Well, except Blanc's. ] Sachiko's an interesting name. [ She drops to her knees almost automatically to pet the new arrival, murmuring nonsensical words of praise into his floppy ears. ] I guess a few months would be more than enough time to amass a following like this. Aren't you a Hero as well? [ She nearly cringes using the word. ] About how long have you lived here?

[Despite her mutterings, Kaede seemed fairly content to be a mobile ear-scratches dispenser. She stared suspiciously when the stranger knelt near her Carrier—she was just petting him. That was fine. Kaede relaxed marginally again as her dog started wiggling excitedly at the attention. He seemed torn between dropping the stick so he could bark and, well, stick.]

I've been here since March.

[The horned girl jabbed a thumb towards the pointed crown badge beneath her collar; even now she felt a prickle of irony at what she was assigned.]

They're fond of their chess names.

[ Katniss stops. Until now, she's been calmed by shock. That's the only way to explain her sitting here petting this doglike creature as though everything's normal. But the word 'March' triggers her dormant survival instinct, reminds her that the reason she's here isn't so very different from home after all.

She stands, taking a step back. ]

So, what, once we're culled and given rankings we just... [ gesturing to their plush surroundings ] Sit in luxury until this mysterious leader calls us to the battlefield to die for their cause? [ She can't keep the rising horror out of her voice, which seems to rouse her own Carrier, who's been slumbering in the breast pocket of her uniform. ] And - you're okay with that?

Culled?

[Kaede blinked—and then frowned, as she was wont to do. Her eyes flicked to the little gossamer bird peeking out of the other girl's pocket, but she didn't move a step away from her place. The term on its face wasn't unfamiliar to her. But to Kaede it...didn't really apply. Did it?

Or was her power snapping back on her merely a predictable side effect of the twisted species she was—that she duplicated?]

I was dead before I came here. Died again while I was here.

[She spread her unoccupied arm, as if to demonstrate how free of holes or miserable entropic death her body was.]

They gave me my dog back. They gave me another chance at having a life worth living. [Even if...the people she cared for most were no longer here.]

intro ♚ september

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