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

[pure_radiantics]

Maria! Hey, looking good!

[ Kairi comes up near her friend without realizing anything's different. ]

Mind if I take this punching bag if you're ready to rest a bit?

[declamando]

[Maria frowns a little at the greeting, but she does gesture politely to the bag to allow Kairi to take it.]

That's fine. But I think you'll have to introduce yourself again, because I don't recognise you at all.

[It's said in a somewhat apologetic manner, but there's really not much Maria can do about the fact when she only remembers back to this morning.]

[pure_radiantics]

Again? But...

[ Oh, don't recognize her... well, that's a frustrating trend to the day, isn't it? ]

You're... a shinki, aren't you? I mean, I guess you must be. That's okay though, I'm a shinki too! So I understand...

[ Even if she's a little sad about it anyway. ]

... My name's Kairi.

[declamando]

I am, yes. [The name, at least, is familiar, and Maria taps at her pocket, where the folded-up shinki pamphlet is tucked away.]

The one who wrote the pamphlet? I'll have to thank you, then, it was quite a helpful outline of things.

[She'd been confused on some things still after reading it, admittedly, but without it she imagines she would have been completely lost.]

[pure_radiantics]

Ah, you read it? Yes, that was me. Not everyone does... I'm glad it was helpful.

[ It's definitely a lot, but she couldn't put everything in there either. Her smile is sheepish but she's happy to focus on that rather than her sadness that another friend doesn't remember her. ]

If you, erhm, wanted to go over anything about it, I have some time today. That is... I make time for new shinki on days like this.

[declamando]

I've gone through a little of it with my god...there is one thing I was looking at earlier, though. [She takes out the pamphlet and unfolds it again, scanning for the specific wording.]

Right, this point about shinki being able to cast spells. [She taps the bit of the pamphlet it's written on with a thoughtful frown.] I haven't tested out borderlines just yet either, so it might be a bit early to ask, but what kind of spells do you mean? It doesn't seem to say anything specific about them.

[pure_radiantics]

[ Kairi does laugh a little bit. ]

Well you're right about one thing, that is a little early to be asking. I've never seen a shinki succeed at casting spells before mastering borderlines first, although I suppose... [ She wants to say 'if anyone could', but she drifts off enough to follow it up with a shrug. ] There's always a first time.

[ Still, she holds her hands in front of herself afterwards. ]

There's a few different kinds of spells I know. Some are one-word spells that are just commands, and you can only use them on other shinki. One kind of spell is very specific to an emergency situation to help a shinki in trouble, called Ablution. Another type can actually just be used out in the open and effect the world around us, but they're also the most complicated by far, because you have to sing the words to the spell.

[declamando]

[Maria raises her hands slightly, as if to indicate an innocent curiosity.] Well, I suppose I'll know about them for whenever I'm ready, then. I don't think it's ever too early to get information.

[And it would give her some idea of what she's aiming for, which she feels would help. It's hard to be sure she'd be interested in spells or whether they'd be useful without knowing what they entail.

It seems like Kairi knows a fair amount, though, and Maria considers the answer seriously.] So it sounds like the most complicated ones are the most useful...that doesn't surprise me. Though I don't think it would hurt to learn the other ones, either. That "Ablution" one, though...what kind of emergency situation do you mean?