April Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: November 6th
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 rear of 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 a much nicer room than the warehouse where the last set of new gods got their informational speech. It's a smaller meeting room, with tatami floors and a small dais at the front of the room where the speaker stands. 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.

Butterfly spirits are swarming the flower garden to one side of the dojo, fluttering across bright pink late-blooming cosmos. Shinki who want to practice more precise borderline aim can try using them to gently herd the butterflies one way or another, or, if their borderlines aren't quite that good yet, they can try to catch one with a net. Just be careful! It would be a shame to hurt them.

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.

The animated training dummies are missing this week, although the mundane ones are still intact on their stakes; the white-robed shinki who has previously been seen looking after them is wandering among the mundane training dummies, muttering, making notes to himself and swearing under his breath. Anyone who stares at him for too long, god or shinki, newcomer or established, is going to find him marching over and assigning them a task. Measure the air temperature in each square foot of the dojo, determine the exact height of each dummy and the location where it's most likely to be hit by opponents of different heights, hook an accelerometer to someone's sleeve while they smack a dummy around -- there seem to be hundreds of little, fiddly measurements he needs, and he's not taking no for an answer.

Rest and Refreshments

There are casks of fresh, cold water near the dojo to make sure no one gets dehydrated, and a fresh autumn-themed lunch will be served a little after noon. Rice with mushrooms, salt-grilled fish, roasted sweet potatoes and fresh fruit are on the menu; the shinki will try to accommodate any special dietary requests, and both the new arrivals and more experienced volunteers are welcome to partake.

One of the white-robed shinki has a whole pack of half-grown puppies that she seems to be trying to train. A few have mastered sitting, a few have figured out how to fetch, and all of them are young and excited enough that they're dashing off in all directions at the least provocation. Watch out! Dog incoming! Maybe she needs some help with that?

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
• Play with the dogs
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[chibisu]

I would, too. There are a lot of things about his new generation of gods and shinki that are really interesting, especially compared to gods established like I am.

It's just a little hard to figure out where to start...

[letteropener]

I assure you, we feel the same way. [Celestia permits herself an amused smile, glancing back up and around at the crowd.] I have a great number of questions myself.

[chibisu]

I can try to answer some of them, although I don't know everything.

[That's right, introductions-]

I'm Ebisu, the God of Fortune for fishing and commerce.

[letteropener]

It's very nice to meet you, Ebisu. I am Princess Celestia, and I am also Inti here, goddess of the sun from Egypt. [She bows her head quite courteously, having ranked their overall positions as about equal.]

[chibisu]

Oh, you were a princess in your other life.

[That makes perfect sense! Leaders of particular note and virtue have been deified before.]

What was your kingdom like?

[letteropener]

I remain a Princess here. It is not something that can be taken away from me. [Her correction is gentle and without rancor, but important nonetheless.] And the country I ruled is called Equestria. It is a nation primarily of ponies. I'd never even seen a human before I came here.

[chibisu]

I've never met a mortal who still ruled while being a god.... I think.

[Perhaps a past reincarnation would have. He can't really say.]

I've seen a pony before, in a way. One of my shinki can turn into one.

[letteropener]

Well, I do not expect to be here forever. I think someday I will return to my ruling duties. But more than that, being a Princess is in my very nature. I am an alicorn, you see, which goes hoof-in-hoof with that -- the two are essentially interchangeable.

[chibisu]

I've never heard of a god going back to rule as they did when they were mortal! [How interesting!] But if you describe it that way.... It reminds me a little bit of a creature I've heard about, called a Qilin. They're associated with rulers as well.

[letteropener]

I think you can agree that the present circumstances of we new gods here is quite remarkable itself, so past situations may not be the best predictor.

[chibisu]

That's true.... but that's what I find so interesting! It could mean all sorts of things for the state of the Far Shore. Change like this should be rare, not happening to so many different gods at once!

Although I think it would make your followers upset if you were to disappear like that...

[letteropener]

Well, it has no doubt made my subjects quite upset for me to have disappeared from my home as I have. And if you'll forgive my saying so, ponies need their Princess of the Day more than those of the Near Shore need a god.

[chibisu]

Why?

[Ah, the eternal question of a child...]

[letteropener]

Starting at its very basics, the Far Shore has any number of sun gods, none of which actually do anything with the sun. Certainly I haven't in all my time here. But back in Equestria, without me around, most likely my sister is raising the sun for me as well as the moon at night.

[chibisu]

That sounds very difficult! Do you take the sun and moon all across the sky?

[letteropener]

Ordinarily, we share the duties; I am of the Day, and Luna is of the night. And we each keep our respective celestia body moving during our time, all the way from horizon to horizon.

It is not as difficult as it seems, though. We are alicorns, so our magic is different. It used to take six unicorns to raise the sun each day, and it drained them immensely, but when we do it, we find ourselves renewed.

[chibisu]

I see.... So it sounds a little bit like how gods work normally.

[letteropener]

I have often been told that what I do in Equestria sounds more like what people expect of a god than what the new gods here are doing. And I must admit that being Inti involved very little direct manipulation of the sun. [She isn't judging, smiling amusedly as she says all this.]

[chibisu]

Mm, well, a lot of it depends on their shinki, too... It may be because you're still all new gods, so to speak. You haven't risen in notable power like others.

[letteropener]

That may perhaps be true. But even if I had such power, would I not be competing with several other sun gods for dominion? And that sets aside the fact that the Sun appears to obey quite reasonable physics here.

[chibisu]

Ah.... You would have to ask for the specifics on that sort of question to someone who can remember much farther back. I'm sorry...

[But he is tiny and recently reincarnated.]

[letteropener]

Oh, I am sorry. I didn't mean to pester you for answers, only to voice the questions that I have. [Celestia bows her head in apology.]

[chibisu]

It's alright. I want to help! The more we understand things, the more we can figure out more about the unique and interesting circumstances that have brought you here.

[letteropener]

Then let us say that we are looking for the answers to those questions together, then.

[Celestia makes a mental note to do more study of how the gods reincarnate, or whatever it is precisely that they do. Perhaps she will find some answers there, or at least some venues of pursuit.]

[chibisu]

[A bright smile stretches across his face again.]

Yes! I look forward to working with you. You should come visit my temple sometime, although we'd have to make arrangements for a proper visit.