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

[letteropener]

I've phrased it poorly, I think. For humans, the title is most commonly gained by inheritance, correct? Or for other powerful leaders, by vote? [Among other ways, but these seem to be the ones most common among humans.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku nodded, that sounded right. By inheritance or vote depending.]

[letteropener]

In Equestria, the title is earned.

[Celestia flicks her wings out slightly, semiconsciously prompted by her own words.]

[swordofzero]

Equestria? [It's almost embarassing how little he knows. Maybe he should learn. He has a phone, access to information. He can read about things, learn about the world.]

How is it earned, princess?

[letteropener]

In my student's case, for example... Twilight Sparkle gained the greatest understand of the magic of friendship ever before seen, and in doing so accomplished many tasks, both great and small, that proved her worthy and deserving of her wings.

[swordofzero]

The magic of friendship? [So a great achievement was required before taking the role of a noble. He nodded his understanding] If the title is earned then it is even more important that it is respected.

[letteropener]

But centuries of bowing and formality are a little old. Especially here in the Far Shore, which is much more like a vacation than anything! [Or so she has chosen to look at it.]

[swordofzero]

A vacation? [He blinked at her. This was a vacation? He guessed... he had been told that the new gods were brought here to be gods. So perhaps she wished to return to her old life. He guessed that might be the case, she remembered her home and would miss it.]

[letteropener]

[Celestia has observed that some gods and shinki vanish, and furthermore presumes that a way back could eventually be found. So she has never even considered the idea of remaining her permanently.] Very much so. There's far less to do as a god than as a ruler.

[swordofzero]

I don't know anything about being a god or a ruler. [Being neither himself, but he guesses that though perhaps similar the work load would be different.] What do you represent as a god?

[letteropener]

Inti is the goddess of the sun. Or a goddess of the sun -- there are several here, none of which actually seem to do anything related to the sun.

[swordofzero]

Oh [He is a little confused] What do you do instead if not anything to do with the sun? [What would a goddness of the sun even do?]

[letteropener]

Answer prayers, attend gatherings when obligated, battle ayakashi -- the same as every god here, it seems. [She punctuates her diplomatic distaste with a slight shrug.]

[swordofzero]

What kind of prayers do you answer as a sun goddess? [What kind of followers did she have? It's all still very new to him but he's learning. Mostly by asking questions of anyone who will answer them.]

[letteropener]

The same ones as everypony does here. There's very little distinction, I've found... When people voice a prayer to the heavens, their concern is more for the results, and less for the god.

[swordofzero]

So people don't follow and believe in just one specific name but instead look to the heavens in general for help?

[Which made sense he guessed, maybe. He's not sure and sometimes when he's speaking about things or learning things he realises the knowledge is there in his head, but not this time. Apart from the little bit he's absorbed from listening to Lady Grell he really has no idea about gods or the people who worship them]

[letteropener]

That does seem to be how it works. We even all had a day where we traded prayers around, looking for ones we could answer better. [That had been a fun and productive day!]

[swordofzero]

That sounds like an efficient way to do things

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That sounds like an efficient way to do things <small.[Trading he means, if it doesn't matter which god answers which prayer then it is best they are done by the god with the best skills for the particular task]</small>

[letteropener]

Oh yes, I quite enjoyed it! To be honest, I enjoy answering prayers in general.

[swordofzero]

That's good, it's nice that you enjoy what you do even if coming here was probably a surprise to you. [He knew that the new gods had no choice in the matter]

[letteropener]

It very much was! That's putting it very mildly. [What with the discovery of humans and all. That alone is QUITE the surprise.]

[swordofzero]

[He nodded. He imagined it was probably even more of a shock for gods than shinki, shinki had nothing to compare it with]

[letteropener]

But it really had been wonderful. New experiences, new things to learn, new friends.

[swordofzero]

I'm glad. [He smiles again] There is a lot to learn here.

[letteropener]

Exactly. I consider this a wonderful opportunity, and I'm very glad to have it.