June Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: December 7th
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.

Once they've had a chance to have things explained, they'll have the chance to relax and enjoy an afternoon party.




Meeting Hall

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.

The speaker delivers her welcome speech with the intonation of someone who's practiced it many times. Newly arrived gods 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. They are allowed to remain in the room as long as they wish, should they want to discuss questions with each other or with more experienced gods who are here to help out.

Shinki Training

Various shinki in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's hosuehold are stationed around the dojo, passing out informational pamphlets that have been freshly printed. They will be happy to answer any questions or instruct the newcomers in the use of the borderline. They also accompany their answers, or lessons, with 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.

The dojo is back to its old, fully functional self; a set of motionless straw targets line one wall, to be used by people practicing with any of the weapons spread out on tables or hanging in racks on the walls. Outside, six animated straw targets wait in an area marked off with red ribbons and warning signs. Anyone entering the marked area may find themselves in combat with one (or more) of the magical training dummies. Those who leave the marked area, though, won't be chased.

Physical Training

Beyond the dojo, a scavenger hunt has been set up throughout the grounds of the Meeting Hall. Brightly colored plastic balls are hidden in shrubbery, tucked into support beams, floating among reeds in the ponds, and lurking in even cleverer hiding places. When a god or shinki gets their hand on one of them, they will burst open to reveal a hidden prize, such as candy, small toys, or accessories. How many can you find?

As well as the scavenger hunt, the white-robed shinki are engaging in more serious physical training and will be happy to let new gods or shinki join them. Sparring matches with practice weapons from the dojo, jogging laps around the hall, sit-ups, push-ups... or, for the younger shinki, competing to see who's the fastest to climb a tree.

Rest and Refreshments

Midafternoon, once the last of the scavenger-hunt prizes have been found, the white-robed shinki will turn their hands to clearing away the training equipment and laying out a lovely buffet table. Bright lanterns are hung from the trees, and a few shinki even take up a station on one side of the training area and begin playing shamisen, koto, wooden flute and drum. Although their instruments are traditional, their music selection ranges from some very classic Japanese tunes to others that sound surprisingly modern. The koto player can really rock!

Old and new gods and shinki alike are welcome to circulate, socialize with their friends, partake of the buffet food and enjoy the music. There's even room for those who feel inspired to dance, and plenty of privacy offered by the extensive garden for those who would rather retreat with their new partners to have a serious conversation.

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
• Relax at a party
• Have fun~

Comments

[darkestbefore]

Slaying...? Oh. Goodness. [ Yona gives a wide-eyed blink at the slim girl in amazement before offering her a crooked smile. ] Perhaps someone thought you'd be an expert in the matter now. Surely you must need to know a great deal about a god to slay one. Right?

But don't feel too uneasy about it. Everyone who's arrived here to be a god has been more than a bit unnerved by the revelation. Becoming a god is usually not what most people aspire to, after all.

[spellswords]

Perhaps... [Her tone is a little stiff. She knows plenty about how dangerous they are and how they drain the land of life... how they have to be eliminated. Logically she knows this is a different world and so the same cannot be said for the situation here. Yet it is not so easy to simply shake off what you've known all your life.

She shakes her head.] Nevermind. They will be sorely disappointed if that was truly their reasoning. [But she has a feeling she'll never be told the reason why she specifically was chosen.]

No, it is not... and I cannot say I even believe what I've been told. Do you?

[darkestbefore]

I'm afraid we are all still guessing about their reasoning - whoever 'they' are. I'm not sure anyone has come up with a particularly satisfying answer just yet.

[ She offers Alisae an apologetic smile. ]

I'm afraid anything we've been told has only created more questions than offered any legitimate answers, but I don't think any of us were brought here in malice. I haven't gotten the sense of that, at least. And the positions we fill here, while perhaps dubious in nature, are still very necessary in this world. Taking a more active role to help the humans in need of aid is satisfying in its own way, and stopping the ayakashi that pray on them so frequently is a good cause. But there is always more going on than I think we are being told about, and you are not the first to be suspicious of it. There are many of us here who question the way of things.

[spellswords]

[She somehow isn't inclined to agree that a force that pulled them all here against their will isn't doing so out of malice but then Yona is right that the cause sounds just. In theory and for the good of this world but... what about the world they all come from? What about the causes that matter more to them?

She shakes her head slowly.] The road to all hells is paved with good intentions. [But... she couldn't walk away from people in need either. Not ever. Perhaps the force that dragged her here knew that.]

And I presume all those who question it cannot produce a single answer nor evidence. But if there are people in need I will do what I am asked until I can find a reason not to. Although it may have been easier if they had been clearer on what kind of god I am suppose to be. [She finally takes a sip of the water she had been holding.]

[darkestbefore]

I've been here for months now and I am still learning about the god I am here to be. [ Yona gives a deep sigh, followed by a rueful chuckle at that. She lifts a hand gesturing to their surroundings. ] When I arrived here, this world was completely strange and foreign to me. The countries, the gods, the technologies and inventions. Much of it is still very strange to me, and it certainly hasn't made adapting to everything less overwhelming.

However, I will give them this, many of your fellow gods are very helpful in helping you find information or teaching you what you need to know. Don't be afraid to ask for help - as difficult as that might be at times. Many of us have been in the same situation, after all.

[spellswords]

[She lowers the bottle now half empty and stares at it. Her expression is unreadable for a moment.] Right. We're all in this together or some such nonsense, yes?

[She says that a bit dismissively but when she lifts her gaze again there's a slight smile.] So long as you promise not to lecture me about friendship I will take all the help I can get. [If she pushes aside the implications--and she can even if only temporary--the situation feels more daunting than terrifying.

Perhaps in some ways she has become more akin to what Eorzea believed the Tweleve to be than a primal.]

As a god I am charged with... answering prayers? [She caught that part of it even if in the end she had only been half listening...]

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona gives a sheepish laugh at that. ] No lectures. Got it. I shall do my best.

And yes. All of us are. Often it has to do with those who pray to us for aid or advice, although sometimes the prayers that we receive have nothing to do with what we're the god of. Often the prayers seem simple enough, but I've found more often than not that the more persistent a theme often has ayakashi behind it - evil spirits that prey on the more negative emotions and dragging the humans deeper into them to feed. Many times, getting rid of the ayakashi is enough for the humans praying for aid to be able to right themselves and help themselves from there forward.