August Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: January 6th, 2017
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore / the Ryukyu Islands
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 her welcome speech in the monotone of someone who's practiced it far too often. Hopefully no one's feeling sleepy! She adds that gods should be cautious of anyone on the Near Shore who might ask to use their shrines to visit the Heavens, and should instruct their shinki to be cautious as well. There is an unrecognized god who the Heavens believe to be attacking them. 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. Each of the shinki is wearing a brightly-colored sticky name tag reading HELLO, MY NAME IS ________, and all of their names appear to end with the syllable "mei."

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. The white-robed shinki appears to be a particular expert in magic, and will occasionally offer to help out anyone who's practicing a spell more challenging than the Borderline, especially if they look quite lost. His nametag reads HELLO, MY NAME IS SABIMEI. (To interact with Sabimei, please comment on the "NPC REQUEST" thread below! If you prefer, you may also handwave his assistance or advice with your character learning spells.)

Physical Training

Two of the white-robed shinki, whose nametags mark them as Toumei and Kimei, are standing off to one side of the training area near a pair of large, curtained tents. They each have an enormous wicker basket full of clean, folded beach towels, and a rack of what appear to be wetsuits and swimsuits in a variety of styles and sizes. Once suited and toweled, new and veteran residents of the Heavens alike will be handed a pretty white-and-gold cockade that can be pinned to their suit or tied around their wrist by its ribbons, and either Toumei or Kimei will escort them to a beautiful, but rocky, Near Shore beach. Tropical plants, palm trees and high grasses surround the area, and although the sounds of cars are audible from a road not too far away, the only sign of human presence on this beach is an ancient, rotting fishing boat pulled up well past the high tide mark.

It's quite chilly, with a brisk sea breeze, but there's room to run up and down the beach, a net set up for beach volleyball, younger shinki building sand castles, and showers for the brave souls who venture into the water. The surf is impressive today, so swimmers will get the chance for some serious exercise. There's also the chance to climb through the wreck of the old fishing boat; inside, piles of old seaweed and drifting sand host curious crabs, and a curious explorer could even find treasure... although nothing more valuable than large seashells, old one-yen or five-yen coins, and bits of weathered sea glass.

Rest and Refreshments

When sunset comes -- early, at this time of year -- the shinki bring giant picnic-sized bento boxes with five or seven layers of carefully packed foods, and pile wood for bonfires that leap with flames edged blue-green from the salt. The bento boxes contain a wide variety of traditional foods, many in the style of traditional New Year's dishes: sweet potato and chestnut, slivered carrot and burdock, whole fish, toasted mochi, sliced lotus root and more. A fireworks display starts over the ocean once full night falls, fountains and bursts in every color imaginable, some so ornate that it's hard to believe they're not helped along by a touch of magic. The display lasts half an hour.

After the last fireworks, the shinki will guide everyone back to the Meeting Hall to return to their homes. The wind is getting chillier, and gods or shinki who stay too much past the firework display will notice the tiny, creeping forms of glowing ayakashi no larger than a fist, looking like little jellyfish on land. They don't seem hostile; instead, they're fixated on the boat, and will climb on it and settle onto the rigging and wood of the boat, chirping quietly to themselves and snuggling in so that the whole boat seems to glow with an unearthly blue-white light. They can be fought and defeated, but if attacked, will fight back: and be careful! Those jellyfish tentacles spread blight instead of stinging, and they're longer than they look.

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 at a beach (isn't it winter?!)
• Relax and watch the fireworks
• Have fun~

Comments

[declamando]

[Oh dear. Thankfully this isn't the first time Maria's had that response today, so she's not too surprised, but she does frown a bit at that specific reaction.]

Do I seem like the kind of person who would make a joke like that? As far as I remember, I only came here today, though you're not the first who's recognised me.

[alchemists]

[ Only got here today? That doesn't make sense, unless the heavens decided to do something to Maria. ]

So you aren't able to recall anything past today?

[declamando]

No, just arriving here today. The pamphlet said that was normal for shinki.

[Maria is definitely frowning more confusedly by this point, in part because she doesn't want to think too hard about what being recognised might mean. It feels like a subject to be avoided.]

[alchemists]

Sorry for all this questioning, I should introduce myself properly at least.

[ Elfnein's trying to smile even though she feels very conflicted on how to act around Maria right now. ]

I'm Elfnein and I'm a goddess here.

[declamando]

Which goddess? [It seems like a natural question to Maria to follow on from that introduction.] In any case, I'm Maria Cadenzavna Eve. It's nice to meet you.

[She hasn't really met anyone unfriendly yet, honestly, and it's somewhat reassuring.]

[alchemists]

Gegute, and if you see a boy around my age named Romeo he is my shinki.

[ It's still a bit odd to reintroduce herself, but being friendly is the least Elfnein can do. ]

It's nice to meet you as well.

[declamando]

I'll keep an eye out for him. [Maria definitely doesn't recall having seen anyone like that yet, but it might be useful if she runs into him.

Gegute doesn't seem to ping any recognition out of her general knowledge, though, so she finds herself a bit more curious about that.] Sorry for all the questions, but what's Gegute's domain as a god? There seems to be a wide variety of them here.

[alchemists]

It's ok, I had a lot of questions when I arrived as well so I understand. Gegute is a goddess of knowledge and time, though I don't have a large following I'm trying my best to give people a way to learn and do well.

[declamando]

Really? I would have thought a god of something like that would be quite popular. [Just on the basis of domain alone, though a moment later, Maria shakes her head somewhat apologetically.] Of course, I don't know what dictates that kind of thing here either.

[alchemists]

There are other gods that overlap in the area, but I've been trying to build up my following in ways that only I can.

[declamando]

What kinds of things have you been doing? [Maria doesn't know if Ayumu does outreach in the same way, but surely it can't be a bad idea to learn the kinds of things people do.]

[alchemists]

Well I've been doing some prayers that would relate more to what my skill set is.

[declamando]

Do people normally ask gods to answer prayers that are outside their skillset...? [Well, the ones who are desperate enough might, but it does seem to Maria like there'd be plenty enough gods for people to find a more appropriate one to pray to.]

[alchemists]

I think it depends? A lot of the prayers tend to be really general or at least from what I've managed to research and do on my own.

[declamando]

Hmm, I suppose that makes a bit of sense. I was thinking of people asking gods for things that fell much more under another god's skillset. Which I would think still happens, but maybe a little less often.

[If people are already praying to a certain god, they might continue doing so for prayers out of their domain, she thinks.]

[alchemists]

The more popular gods might have that? It's something I've been trying to research for awhile but gathering information from all of the gods here is a bit challenging.

[declamando]

I can imagine. There'd be a lot of them, wouldn't there? And some would be more suspicious about sharing information than others. [There's always people who think giving up any kind of information means it'll be used against them.]

[alchemists]

That's correct, there are a lot of gods and a good chunk of them don't really want to release information to me. It's why this project has been a bit challenging but I don't want to give up on it.

[declamando]

I suppose I can understand why some of them are against it, but it does mean it's going to be hard to actually succeed at a project like that even if you don't want to give up on it.

[She gives a somewhat sympathetic smile - by no means does she want to imply giving up is the better option, but it's going to take a considerable workaround to make it succeed.]

[alchemists]

A lot of people have told me the same thing, and while giving up would be the easy way I should try and see it from their point of view and figure out a way to phrase my questions better.

[declamando]

Do you think just phrasing the questions better will get past people who are suspicious of handing out information at all...? [It's an optimistic thought that would be nice if it were true, but Maria has her doubts.]

[alchemists]

I think there is a chance more people that are suspicious might give it another look, but there is always a margin of error and uncertainty with any experiment and data collecting.

[ Elfnein knows that the numbers might not change, but being a scientist just means trying again and again till you gather enough information. ]

[declamando]

I suppose...it would depend a lot on exactly how many people are that cagey about their information, then.

[Maria smiles slightly at that - she wants to hope that it's not the majority of people here who'd be so unprepared to trust the people around them, but she feels she can't exactly say that with total confidence.]