July Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: December 22nd
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 more experienced god and shinki volunteers.




Meeting Hall

God Training

Newly arrived gods are escorted into a small meeting room, with tatami floors and a stage 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. Paper and pens are provided to all the attendees as an unsubtle suggestion to take notes on the information they're given.

The speaker delivers his welcome speech in a rather bored tone, occasionally stumbling and checking his own notecards. He particularly dwells, towards the end of the speech, on the fact that an unauthorized god has recently tried to access the Heavens, and any contact from other gods asking to access the Heavens through their temples should be immediately reported. 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.

A variety of weapons are available in the dojo for shinki and their gods to practice with, and a row of straw targets are set up along one wall. Outside, in an area carefully roped off with red ribbons, are six animated training dummies, also made of straw and dressed in plain cotton jackets and trousers. They will immediately engage anyone who enters the area marked with the ribbon, but will not pursue opponents outside it. A white-robed shinki nearby keeps a sharp eye on the animated dummies, and will intervene if anyone tries to destroy one.

Physical Training

A race track has been laid out, winding through the gardens to a towering pole, 9 meters in height, planted in the center of a pond with a cluster of pretty ribbons tied at the top. White-robed shinki are standing by with stopwatches: anyone who wants can race their friends along the path, with the first one to return to the starting point with a ribbon winning the challenge, or solitary racers can recruit a shinki to time them and try to beat their own speed. But be careful not to fall off the pole! The pond isn't dangerously deep, but the bottom is very muddy, and in late December, it's also very, very cold.

On the lawn near the dojo, a wide circle has been marked out in white paint, and big baskets set around the circle are filled with sachets full of chalk dust in a rainbow of colors. Pick your color, grab a handful of sachets, and join the fray! Anyone inside the circle is a fair target to have one of the sachets thrown at them, and on impact, they splash out enough brightly colored dust to mark the spot they strike. Head or torso hits are an automatic out, leg hits mean the target isn't allowed to move from their position, and arm hits mean they can't use that arm. Borderlines -- and any other magic -- are allowed, and the game can get intense.

Rest and Refreshments

The weather outside, although not freezing, is quite chilly, and in the middle of the afternoon, the shinki will invite everyone into a prepared banquet hall for food and to warm back up. Charcoal braziers set in the center of square tables radiate warmth, and are covered by grates; other shinki bring trays of fresh ingredients, both meat and vegetable, that can be grilled over the hot coals.

After the meal is finished, one of the white-robed shinki, a middle-aged woman with her hair cut in a fashionable modern bob, enters the room with an expression of great, if restrained, delight, pushing a cart with a portable karaoke machine and speaker on it. She sets up the karaoke machine at one end of the room, and begins encouraging others -- both her fellow shinki and the newcomer guests -- to join in with a song. Whenever there's a break, she puts in music selections of her own; she has a trained, jazzy voice and a great fondness for midcentury enka.

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, sing and barbecue
• Have fun~

Comments

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Sure!" the minion said brightly, squatting down to be more on Ebisu's level. "You're such a cutie! I'll see if the Overlord can kidnap you someday so I can put you in a cat-ear hoodie!"

Zetta let out a low, strangled sigh.

"I mentioned they were idiots, right?"

[chibisu]

OKAY, STRANGER DANGER IS ON HIGH ALERT. Not for Ebisu, of course, who just blinks up at the minion blankly, but rather for Takami, who immediately steps forward to press a hand onto Ebisu's shoulder. You know. Just in case he has to yank his god back for the worst case scenario. He tries to glare threateningly, but the effect is more akin to a small dog that's been harassed and has an anxiety disorder now.

"I suppose you did." Reaching over, he starts to poke and prod the minion, still curious. "You said that your mana needs to be bound to an object, right?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"For this purpose, yeah. It provides a core, basically, something I can fix the mana power on so I can shape it and give it a semi-independent life." Zetta knew a thing or two about his own abilities, despite being Zetta. "I'm surprised you don't know much mana power yourselves, being gods and all. Though I think you derive it in a different way than we demons do."

[chibisu]

"Does the difference of the core cause any notable difference within the minion?" Speaking of which, excuse him, Mr. Minon. Ebisu starts to circle around the curious creature, with Takami anxiously following close behind. You know. Just in case.

"For example, personality, or even only appearance..."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Stats," Zetta said, cheerfully assuming that this makes perfect sense. "Rocks are more defensive, flowers have better SP, weapons are stronger in attack power..."

[chibisu]

What do you mean, this makes perfect sense. At least, it seems to make perfect sense to Ebisu, who gives a simple nod to the explanation. Unmi is just slowly raising his eyebrows in the background for lowkey judgment, and Takami has the kind of confusion spread across his face that says he's quietly worried about the mental stability of the thing his god is talking to.

"So it decides what traits they have, which determines what role to put them in," Ebisu says. "Does this go to things like talents as well?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Oh, I can make any minion out of any item," Zetta said. "I could make a mage out of a rock. That's just bad optimization, though! There's no real point in it. But past that, the item I confine them in is really minor. Everything else is determined by their class, or species if they're non-demon."

[chibisu]

"You can turn items into things that aren't demons?" Fascinating. "Like what?" Maybe he should write this down... Oh, but he doesn't have anything on him besides his phone, which isn't the best for this kind of thing. That's fine, he guesses. He'll just write everything down when he gets back home.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hyaaaha ha ha ha ha! Behold! The most pathetic creature in the cosmos!"

With a thunderous crash, a strange creature descended from the heavens to land next to them -- a penguin, apparently stitched-together, with two peg-legs and a belt pouch.

It cheerfully lifted a flipper to wave to Ebisu and the others. "How's it going, dood? I'm here to serve as Exhibit B! It's everything I could have hoped for out of life."

[chibisu]

...Well. He did say 'most pathetic creature'.

While Takami and Unmi both twitch, ready for borderlines at the thunder crash, Ebisu waits for the light to clear and nods his head politely to the penguin. "You're doing a very good job," he says seriously, reaching over to pat him on the head.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Man, those two were jumpy. Didn't they realize that if Zetta were actually going to do something nefarious, he'd just do it? Sheesh!

Thanks very much, dood! Your thanks and the extra fish head this overtime job will earn me have made me the richest Prinny in the Far Shore."

[chibisu]

Listen, sometimes paranoia gets the best of any shinki, once the live long enough. At least Unmi calms down soon enough. Takami.... Well, he's not panicking outright. That's something. Ebisu just nods, pleased.

"That's very good! If you need advice on your wages, please let me know." He's a god of commerce. He never thought that would apply to penguins but, if anything that just makes him more interested in offering.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"I'll keep that under advisement, dood!"

Zetta made a mental note to beat the entrepreneurial fires out. Possibly literally.

"Anyway, you get the impression I assume."

[chibisu]

"Yes, quite." Looking away from the penguin, Ebisu nods.

"I'd be very interested in learning more about it. Have you ever considered writing a book about this sort of magic?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Oh ha ha," said the book with the scowl. "First of all, it's not magic. Mana power is something different. Think of it like prayers. The more worshippers you get, the more powerful you are as a god, right? Mana power's like that except it comes from within, for the most part."

[chibisu]

"Then I'd like to learn that," Ebisu says, undeterred. "Something different from what gods use... It sounds really interesting, after all!"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hmm."

Could he take this god on as a disciple and corrupt him into a servant of evil in the course of his duties?

Maybe!

"It's difficult to teach directly, but it can be developed through experience. Especially in battle. Defeating foes is an excellent way to gain mana power for someone just starting to understand it."

[chibisu]

"Oh, then I guess it's not for me."

Shot down immediately. Unmi coughs into his fist, which definitely isn't something to hide his smile. Ebisu continues on plainly enough.

"I'm not a god of combat, so I wouldn't do very well in that area."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"That's a ridiculous argument!" Zetta scoffed. "God of combat or not, you have to be able to protect what's important to you, and often strength and violence are the only ways. Unless you're saying you wouldn't fight to defend something important!"

[chibisu]

"I mean, I can't fight at all, so." You know. It'd be a problem. Certainly, it seems his past incarnation was able to do well enough down in the Underworld, but he's nowhere near that level yet. He'd like to learn how, but.... Asking about anything to do with his past incarnation seems like it would be a problem, if not drawing Heaven's attention even more.

"Besides, doesn't that seem like it's incredibly limiting to say that strength and violence are the only ways to protect something?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"You can learn. And you have shinki to help you, and allies, I assume." The way some people were around here, they'd drop everything to help a kid god, right? "There's no negotiating with ayakashi. Waiting to see if people showed up to negotiate the return of our kidnapped shinki would have gotten them all killed. Fighting's necessary sometimes."

[chibisu]

"That's why I didn't wait. I went to go look in as well." And then accidentally got lost himself, but, hey. That just happens with magic forests sometimes. "But I still wasn't able to fight very much." Quirking up one eyebrow, he tilts his head.

"Besides, if it's magic, then how does fighting help it exactly...?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hey, everyone starts at level 1. Even I did." Of course, he hadn't stayed there; he'd been level 500 by his 500th year. "And mana isn't magic. It's basically your ability to make reality bend to your whim."

[chibisu]

"And so... I get better at making reality bend to my whim... by punching things?"

Or slicing, or shooting, or whatever. He guesses the 'how' isn't really important in this kind of conversation. If he's listening to Zetta's logic correctly, they all lead to the same place anyway.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"By defeating foes, you assert your own supremacy," Zetta said, patiently trying to explain a very simple and straightforward game mechanic in ways that someone completely locked within the fourth wall would understand. "At first, the effect is small, but the more powerful foes you can defeat, the more firmly you solidify your own ability to change the world."