intro ♚ december

[boardmaster]

WELCOME TO POLGAR

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 ♟ My Anaconda Don’t

Brace yourselves, Heroes, for Prime Minister Teddy has a special announcement for you today. It’ll be delivered either via carrier or mechanical pigeon.

	Woman? Hello, Heroes! Hmm? Who am I? If I don’t tell you who you are, you’re calling the police? Ahaha, no need to be so hasty!
	Thierry Toussaint It’s me, Teddy! The prime minister. This might be overwhelming for the new arrivals, but we need everyone’s help for this mission. Have you heard of the Alfersa? They’re a proud warrior race that live in Polgar. They’re said to be blessed by the goddess Gladia since they’re naturally strong, sensitive to mana, and skilled in combat. I guess they’re pretty much like our Knights? Without the magical talent, of course. We’re hoping they’ll lend us a hand in protecting Blanc. The Alfersa are distrustful of men, so negotiations have been difficult… Now that the Gladia Games are underway, I’m hoping to meet some beautiful women—I mean, recruits! It’s a recruitment drive, after all! Right, Alex?
	Alexandre Verdoni Prime Minister, I don’t know what possessed you to think your ridiculous ideas will actually work, but please refrain from making a scene at the Games.
	Thierry Toussaint Ah, ah. [ waves a finger at ] It’s not Prime Minister. It’s Zeed Stun, an enigmatic beauty from the East! Alex, come with us!
	Alexandre Verdoni No. Please refrain from making transparent aliases undercover. Heroes, the Alfersans have an extremely matriarchal society. The Prime Minister recommends that you follow his example to fall in their leader’s good graces, but I personally find it unnecessary. Stand tall, be proud, and may Gladia bless you on your journey. Oh, and… dress light. Get some sunscreen.

You’ll be given time to prepare before heading out. This is when you decide if you’ll follow after PM Teddy’s example or not. He has provided a generous number of colorful dresses to choose from. Unsure of how to pull off a good look? Ask your fellow Heroes or the maids and butlers of Hall of Glory for assistance.

Once you’ve made it safely to Polgar, you’ll be greeted with a feast for the eyes. A procession appears to be underway with several nubile women dancing to the beat of drums. For every pause in the drumming, anklets fill the air with a sweet, chiming sound. Leading the parade are scantily-clad shrine maidens. Should you happen to stumble too close, you will be greeted with an icy stare. Waiting at the end of the road is the matriarch of the Alfersans…

	Thierry Toussaint O Gracious One, I am Zeed Stun. Today, I am here to show you the dance of my people—
	??? You have a snake.
	Thierry Toussaint I’m sorry?
	??? You have [ grabs between his legs ] a snake.
	Thierry Toussaint Guh!
	??? [ in one fluid motion, the woman smears Teddy’s makeup off and makes him her personal footrest. for the first time since the Heroes’ arrival, she smiles. ] … Oh, praise Gladia. So these are the Heroes She said I would meet. I am Diana Serpente, Queen of the Alfersa, Lady of the Serpents, and head priestess of Gladia’s temple. Gladia has been telling me all about you. Ever since you put the soul of my ancestor to rest, I’ve been thinking of a way to repay you. After receiving this [ digs her heels into Teddy’s back ] pitiful man’s request, I should have known it all along… Lending you our strength was the answer.
	Thierry Toussaint Thank y—ugh!!
	Diana Serpente [ steps off Teddy… ] However, we don’t help just anyone. What’s friendship… [ lifts the chin of the nearest female Hero ] without a little intimacy? The Gladia Games are underway. I invite you all to join us in the festivities! Before we fight, let us make merry in the name of Gladia!

As you walk around Polgar, you’ll lay eyes on the various shops, with those specialized in weapons and armor the most renowned and high quality of them all. Female Heroes are in luck as they will receive discounts. Male Heroes will have to pay the regular price regardless of what they look like. However, those who didn’t decide to look pretty for the occasion will find a much increased price tag. If you’re in desperate need of colle, these shops will let you polish and arrange their merchandise for a decent wage.

TWO ♟ It’s a Jungle Out There

As per tradition, everyone participating in the Gladia Games must hunt down the monsters near the city. It is believed that Gladia herself sends them a different beast each year. This year, giant spiders crawl dangerously close to Polgar’s outskirts. Bring parts of the spider back to the city as proof of your skill and valor. Those who kill fifteen or more spiders win ONE of these fabulous prizes: one high quality weapon or armor, their very own pet anaconda or a night with Teddy!

In the Polgarian jungles, the humid air is thick with blood. Ferns and heavy branches covered in thick moss make the area difficult to navigate. Reedy sunlight filters in through the trees. You have a feeling that you are being watched… In fact, venomous snakes might jump out of the underbrush! Should you get bitten, have another Hero heal or help you suck out the venom. But don’t get distracted; danger looms from above as well. Like in the forests between Caissa and Petrosian, leafy vines are prone to descending and embracing Heroes rather intimately.

Heroes who have paid a visit to Salamanca Temple back in the day might recognize the spider nests once they’ve found them. These arachnids the size of a car will leap very high into the air and scuttle between branches to camouflage themselves during the battle. Some might even spin a cocoon for you until they come back to snack on you later. Avoid getting bitten—their venom can render you numb and unintelligible.

Kill the spiders and take down the nests, but remember: no one wants a forest fire. Safety first!

THREE ♟ Light and Sweet, Hot and Heavy

The Alfersans will welcome you back once you return to Polgar and are happy to take the spider parts off your hands. You didn’t forget to bring them with you, did you?

The festivities are now in full swing! Heroes, hit the streets for the citywide party! Large trays with food are being passed around as Alfersans view the close sharing of food as an act of camaraderie. It is customary for men to feed the women by hand. Yes, with their fingers. Alfersans will also encourage Heroes to join their dances, and some will keep dancing in front of you until you agree. As it turns out, dancing together actually only means holding hands and taking a jovial stroll around the shrines. You should be light on your feet and stay in rhythm, but the ritual isn’t too difficult.

Dancing may be good for the soul but your feet can only carry you so long until you are tired. Why not check into one of the many resorts? Or check out the far more numerous high-class brothels? Or perhaps you’d rather spend a relaxing day at the hot springs, spas or restaurants? The hot springs in particular are quite special here, as they are heated by the kiss of molten hot magma, blessed by Gladia herself. They possess healing properties, yes, but more curiously, if you happen to soak in the warmth for too long, you may start to feel a bit… virile.

INFO ♟ Welcome!

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

Comments

[aurea]

[Celts, Celts... who could she possibly be referring to th... oh.

Really, there's no reason to get upset about something that happened so long ago. Another, lesser Emperor would immediately fly into a rage at the very mention of such a heated enemy, but it barely even fazes Nero. She just registers it like anything else, like the taste of food in her mouth or the sight of the woman's pretty pale skin, and then files it away.

And then moves on from it, as if she'd never even thought about it at all.]

Admittedly, it has been some time for me.

[It's her way of saying don't worry about it.]

Although a woman of your beauty surpasses even our current company, alliances be damned. One look is enough to fascinate.

[gwenhwyfar]

[ And it has been some time, period. Still, she recalls all of those awful stories Myrddin told her as a child about Alesia, Inis Mona, and of her ancestor, Caradog. She imagines he wouldn't respond well in this situation as she sits there taking a sip of wine. He likely would have left his seat, but even someone as young as she is that would be in poor taste, no matter how much she wants to follow in Myrddin's path. ]

Well.

[ Compliments are always fine and good, they have the potential of going to her head real quick. Regina runs her hand through her white hair before tossing it over her shoulder. ]

I'm very sorry that they're not meeting your expectations.

[ Or something. It may, admittedly, take some time to ease in the fact she's talking to a Roman. ]

How long has it been for you?

[ What the hell, she's curious. She wonders what the reaction would be to admit that she practices the Druid faith. ]

[aurea]

Oh, I'd venture... several thousand years, give or take.

[Not that Nero had the best memory in the world. Regardless, it's obvious from both her words and her body language that she does not view Regina as any sort of threat or even in any particularly distasteful light. There was a time and place for punishing one's enemies and Nero current finds herself in neither.

As for meeting expectations, she just laughs, boyishly.]

I expect you to simply act with beauty and with grace. As long as both are so, then you will surely please me.

[gwenhwyfar]

[ At this point, between fae and other people who have said they are well over the age of humans, this doesn't come as a surprise. Apparently, Myrddin is the only exception to century old grudges, she thinks. She looks back at Nero once again, offering a faint raise of her eyebrow. ]

Truth be told, I would have expected a different reaction. Even if it has been centuries since my ancestor led a resistance against you Romans, those wounds are still fresh.

[ Then if it won't be anything beyond a casual conversation then there's no need to dispel anger. Rather, pride. Pride that had been drilled in her since her youth. Someone must carry out Caradog ap Bran's legacy and it may as well be her. ]

I can act with beauty and grace. [ She looks elsewhere, with a wine glass to her lips. If one to squint hard enough, it could be construed as flirting. ] But I need a reason to do so.

[aurea]

I am an artist before I am an Emperor.

[And there is nothing beautiful about war, death, and killing even if it is at times necessary.

Nero doesn't need to squint to realize she's dealing with a proud individual. She just laughs and takes it in stride as she does most anything else; certainly, she won't tolerate insolence, but to truly rouse her anger it would require much more than dragging up history that has long since passed. At least for her.

Admittedly, it also helps Christianity has not been brought into the conversation.]

Do you not wish to show all gathered what for? To have their eyes upon you, gleaming with envy, at how lovely you are, both at rest and in motion?

[gwenhwyfar]

An artist before an Emperor. [ She muses. ] In what way?

[ She's also not sure whether or not to scoff or run with that sort statement. It's not exactly graceful or nobel to be arrogant. What she doesn't say that she doesn't want to deal with the unwanted attention much like- ]

Maybe. Perhaps. One day.

[ Melwas. ]

As sorely tempting as that is, I'm very happy with a good dinner and company.

[ There is that. ]

[aurea]

[Nero just smiles mysteriously in response to her question, then laughs low:]

Oh? Then, I am good company...?

[Careful, Regina. Give Nero an inch and she'll take a mile.]

[gwenhwyfar]

Better than what I've met so far.

[ Then she'll give half an inch. Because she'll never make anything easy when it comes to her. ]

For a Roman.

[aurea]

[Somehow, that for a Roman bit makes her smile all the broader.]

Mine are a good people. I should hope to prove it to you soon enough.

[gwenhwyfar]

[ With that statement, she's both playing and, well, serious. She won't go into how she raised to think contrary. Although... ]

I would hope the same. Not someone who proudly calls themselves a Celt in the Roman Empire, but a druid as well. But I will not look down on you -- that wouldn't be very graceful. I need someone to sit with. Though, I would hope to call you something other than "Emperor".

[aurea]

[Nero offers her hand, again. But this time there's no expectations attached to it, just a friendly greeting.]

Call me Nero.

[...and actually, having barely made an effort at all, Regina has made the most impact upon Nero and thus earned her true name.]

[gwenhwyfar]

[ That name vaguely sounds familiar, she just can't pinpoint where. And even if she professes herself a Celt, she gives a Latin name. ]

Fair enough. I'm Regina.

[aurea]

Truly, from birth, you were destined to be a queen.

[Two mortal enemies, or at least as dictated by history, sitting peacefully across from each other. Nero cannot help but appreciate the irony of the moment.]

[gwenhwyfar]

Of course I was.

[ Not that anyone is going to know the reality of that. Still, all women have the capability of being a queen in some fashion. And she doesn't feel the least bit of guilt or shame in professing it. ]

But it's just a name, it doesn't have meaning, especially in a place like this.

[aurea]

Names are given meaning by the people that bear them.

[So Nero announces, from pride and from experience.]

I look forward to seeing what you can do! May we both live well and prosper in this mysterious new realm.

[gwenhwyfar]

Even if the name is fake?

[ Obviously she's not fond of Latin. ]

I suppose I can toast to that -- or whatever you call it. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see someone like you grow here. Here, we're all equal. What will you do now that you're not an Emperor?

[aurea]

That depends; would you consider yourself a forgery as well?

[It's not asked to insult, but rather with honest curiosity. She thinks on that last bit, humming aloud.]

Well, regardless of whether or not I wear a crown, I must uphold myself appropriately. At least it leaves me freedom to pursue my career in the arts.

[gwenhwyfar]

I wouldn't confirm or deny that.

[ That is... something that Regina won't delve into with anyone. Not even those close to her. Being half-blooded, her feelings on being fake and not entirely whole are strong. The ever present feeling of emptiness is already too much to bear. But a career in the arts-

Well, that's. That's a first. It earns a bit of a stare before Regina goes back to her food and wine. Ah, well. ]

I suppose you could, yes. You'll have plenty of free time.

[ Translation: you do you. ]

[aurea]

Don't worry over it too much.

[Nero catches that all too quick cover-up and smiles to herself, claiming a flagon of wine for herself and drinking... and drinking... and drinking, far too much. Or maybe not enough, in the case of her bottomless appetite. She's smiling once she's done, laying a hand upon Regina's.]

There is beauty in all things, things that are as genuine as we make them.

[Daringly, she lifts that hand and lays a kiss upon the woman's knuckles, easy as could be.]

[gwenhwyfar]

[ She says not to worry too much.

She refrains from rolling her eye. It's a shame it's not enough to make her even remotely tipsy, as fun as that would be. About the only thing she can do is let out a disappointed sigh and bask in an all too familiar feeling.

Loneliness.

That's why she's more tolerant than her teacher will ever be. Company is nice, company at least distracts her from it. She melts into an easy smile in return. ]

Maybe. If you can persuade me just a little more.

[aurea]

My methods of persuasion are not for the faint of heart.

[Uttered like a challenge, of course. Because no less can be expected from an emperor.]

[gwenhwyfar]

Who said I was faint of heart?

[ But challenges are fun, even if she has no idea what she's getting into. ]

[aurea]

Well, first, close your...

[...uh...]

...eye. Hm. That sounds considerably less romantic in singular phrasing.

[gwenhwyfar]

[ Even if she's still upset about losing that eye and the large scar that accompanies it, she almost laughs. And closes her eye. Instantly, she starts to brush her hair over the scar.

The faintest sign of insecurity. ]

I would say not to think about it, but that's a little hard, even for me.

[aurea]

[Nero reaches forward to curl that same pretty wave of hair around the woman's ear instead. She smiles.]

What is there to think about? I did not misspeak, I never misspeak; it makes you no less a maiden lovely and fair.