March Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: October 25th
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods and shinki



Gods and shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are, should they allow it, guided to the Meeting Hall, where a traditionally styled dojo and training ground have been made available for the day. The gods and shinki are free to take their time during this day to learn about the details of their new life from Amaterasu's shinki or from the many veteran new god and shinki volunteers.




God Training

Newly arrived gods are escorted into what looks like an old, large warehouse behind the Meeting Hall for an informational meeting covering the basics of proper god behavior. Several chairs have been moved in, but they're squeezed together between packed shelves and boxes of old ritual clothing, scrolls and rusty or chipped household goods. A minor deity is giving the speech, and none of the white-robed shinki enter. They are encouraged to discuss the information with each other and ask questions of more experienced gods, as well as instructed to guide their new shinki appropriately.

Shinki Training

Various shinki in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's hosuehold are stationed around the dojo, passing out helpful informational pamphlets. They will be happy to instruct the newcomers in the use of the borderline as well as offering an explanation of what is expected of a shinki and the importance of teamwork with other shinki and with gods. Shinki are encouraged to work together to practice what they've learned and discuss their perspectives.

Back copies of the "From Ama" magazine, including puff pieces about new or rising gods or successful shinki, advice columns for resolving problems between gods and shinki, temple photographs and other articles of interest to gods and shinki, have been brought out in boxes and piled up next to a table holding a few remaining copies of the shinki questionnaire for any new shinki who want to keep one around until they can answer the included questions.


What is your name?

What is your god's name?

How do you see your duties as a shinki?

What is your favorite part of life with your god?

What is your least favorite part of life with your god?

What advice would you like to give your god?

Do you wish to be assigned to a different god? []Y []N

Physical Training

The dojo is stocked with a wide variety of practice weapons, traditional and modern, to offer some practice opportunity to gods who, for example, find themselves with a sword shinki but are at risk of cutting off their own toes. It's also useful for veteran new gods wishing to train with their current partner shinki. Several magically animated straw-stuffed training dummies, many of which have been carefully mended and patched with neat black stitching, are set up on the lawn with a white-robed shinki hovering nearby to watch over them. They make good training partners, although anyone who comes too close risks being targeted for a sparring match whether they wanted one or not.

The white-robed shinki are still busy cleaning and preparing the Meeting Hall for the big annual meeting of the gods. They'll recruit anyone who looks as though they're not too busy in order to help scrub floors, weed, sweep paths and walkways, and shoo away any unwelcome little spirits that are hiding away in dark corners of the hall. Heavy lifting is good exercise... right?

Rest and Refreshments

There are casks of fresh, cold water near the dojo to make sure no one gets dehydrated, but for those who've finished working, hot tea and enough seasonal treats are available to make it look as though the Heavens bought out an entire sweet shop. They're being distributed by a few shinki in indigo-blue and plain brown robes with the sleeves tied back, who aren't above teasing the newcomers a bit.

Young shinki are playing in the nicely manicured garden, trying to catch crayfish at the lake edge, dashing around playing tag and hide-and-seek. Just be careful you don't get caught in the middle of a game of "Kagome"! If you do, you'll really be stuck until you guess someone's name.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Get in some training
• Enjoy a traditional tea
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[revolutionfalcon]

Most of them do, that's why you don't see them getting released constantly. But I know a lot of people prefer to let them go once they get a different shinki.

[Not everyone, certainly, but enough people that it seems to be a bit of a pattern. It's more common than it used to be to run across somebody who has a soulless as part of their team of shinki, but still not that common.

However, he didn't miss that brief lapse from Ginia, and he raisess a brow slightly.] You look distracted.

[unlucky7]

It's nothing.

[Shun carries a degree of reliability, but even that doesn't mean Ginia will voice all her thoughts to him. Her self-deprecation is her own and what she is now is what she is. However, if shinki and gods can change roles at a whim...]

Can soulless shinki gain a soul? Alternately, can a shinki like me become soulless?

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun's eyes narrow slightly in a manner that says he definitely doesn't actually believe it's nothing, but he's not one to pursue this sort of thing too hard with people he doesn't know so well. That said, he leaves it be for the moment, and Ginia's next questions are odd enough that they have his brow furrowing before too long anyway.]

Nothing like that's ever happened before that I've heard. But if we knew more about how soulless shinki are made, we'd probably know more about that too.

[unlucky7]

[Another mystery of the world. A shout goes up from a nearby group of young shinki, their game briefly dissolving into a commotion. Ginia studies the group, frowning at their perceived age.]

What about the old god's shinki? I presume they have souls, but they seem more duty bound. Testy about mentioning nora around them too. Or anything about the past.

[She pauses, sighs, and lets another thought slip.]

There are a lot of young shinki among the old gods, aren't there.

[revolutionfalcon]

They're definitely different in some ways. Apparently even hearing about other shinki learning about their pasts is a danger to them, which is why the old gods are so testy about that part. The nora thing is just traditionalism, though, as far as I can tell.

[Shun doesn't necessarily advocate nora, but he doesn't have a problem with people doing it as long as it's thought out with some sense. The only times he really considers it particularly sketchy is in instances like a while ago when someone was essentially trying to rent themselves out to gods on the BBS.

At that last observation, Shun's jaw tightens a little, though his tone is controlled when he speaks.] Children die too. I'd guess even gods have the empathy to save the wandering spirit of a child.

[unlucky7]

If they didn't, I wouldn't trust them as a god.

[Of course children die; death spares no one. And with so many shinki, it's not like all of them need to fight, if at all. Most of them seem happy. But they're still children. Mostly, it's a sobering thing to consider.]

Are there any kids among the new gods or shinki? Everyone seems like a teen or up. [Ginia pauses, frowning.] A lot of teens, actually.

[revolutionfalcon]

Neither would I. [Shun's response is immediate and blunt. He's seen too many kids fall to war to be sympathetic to anyone who wouldn't care for a wandering child's spirit.

Shun glances over at Ginia's remark about the teens, shrugging a little.] As long as most of the teens are competent enough to hold their own, I don't see the problem. But for kids, there's Nanako, who's seven and a god. And a kid shinki named Goten or something who's been around for a while.