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

[myblueskies]

"I don't think that's how it works!" Romeo shook his head. "People should help each other! Not be jealous of your strength!"

At least it shouldn't be how it worked!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Of course they're jealous. People stronger than you can do whatever they want to you. If someone stronger than you or Elfnein was picking on you guys, wouldn't you want to be stronger than them to stop it?"

[myblueskies]

"I'd want to stop them yes! But I wouldn't be mean to them back because that... that would just make it all get worse! It's better to try and make friends."

Even when the other person was mean. Especially when the other person was mean, everyone had good in them somewhere!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"And what happens when someone else sees you're getting stronger and they think you need to be put in your place, huh?"

Zetta, as a demon Overlord, OBVIOUSLY had no good in him, right?

[myblueskies]

"Then I will prove that they can't beat me. Or I might try and ask why they want to be mean like that. Because we might just be able to be friends instead."

Even bad books had good in them somewhere. Romeo lets his borderline drop, half because this is as long as he can keep one up but mostly because this book, even though he says strange things and has odd ideas is not as scary as he first seemed!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"But he's stronger than you. So you have to get stronger too, right?" Zetta was just going to ignore the 'be friends instead' part.

[myblueskies]

"Yes," He nodded. "But I'd also try and find out why they are so mad and how we can not be mad together. Being friends is always better and we might be able to make a pact and not fight anymore."

If everyone just kept fighting and trying to be better than each other they would all just be angry and violent and that wouldn't be very good at all!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"But what they're mad about is that you're stronger and could be a threat. So as long as you get stronger, that will worry or anger people, and they'll try to put you down." Duh.

[myblueskies]

Romeo frowned. "Well I would make sure they knew I wasn't a threat." He nodded, "If I use my strength to help people and help make them stronger too then they won't be scared of it!"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Except how can you trust someone strong? They could turn on you at any moment. The only way you can be safe is to be stronger than them." Zetta had surprising patience for this discussion, as it turned out -- since it struck to the very nature of demonkind.

[myblueskies]

"I don't think you've met very nice people. Really strong people don't hurt others, they help others. Really strong people are those who can be kind to everyone."

Always trying to be better than others and hurting people, that wasn't nice. It wasn't what truly strong people, heroes and leaders would do!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Uh, that's not true. I'm the most badass freaking Overlord in all the cosmos, and I'm not kind to anyone. That's why I know what I'm talking about."

Strength only came in one flavor, after all! Right?

[myblueskies]

"You should be kind to people! Otherwise you're not strong at all. You're just a bully who wants to hurt people!"

Bullies weren't strong, they were mean and could be defeated easily by good people working together!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Uh.No. I'm objectively the strongest Overlord in the cosmos. Highest level, strongest mana power. That's -- that's just fact."

See what happens when you live in a world with status screens? This sort of thing.

[myblueskies]

"None of that means anything if you are awful to people!" Also it meant nothing, because Romeo had no idea how someone can be a level or what mana power was. But that was an aside to the fact that he had grasped onto his idea of strength being determined by kindness and was running with it.

"You're not strong at all, you're just a mean bad book!"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hey! I'm incredibly strong, AND a mean bad book! Don't mix lies and insults with compliments, that's not cool!"

As an Overlord, Zetta of course had to take pride in being mean and bad.

[myblueskies]

"None of it is a compliment! Being mean isn't a good thing."

Romeo pulled a face again, he didn't like this bad book very much and wished he could find a way to persuade him to be nice.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"It's absolutely a compliment! As an Overlord, I'm required to be an exemplar of evil in all forms. Other demons look up to me, after all!" The book preened, immensely proud of his own status and position as always.

[myblueskies]

"If they look up to you then you should teach them better." He could teach all the demons to be nice, then there would be no more bad demons!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"I AM teaching them well! We're demons! We're supposed to be evil!" Why was this so hard to comprehend? "Like how angels are all supposed to be good!"

[myblueskies]

Romeo frowned again, this was all a lot of really difficult things to think about. No one should be bad. Not even demons! "But doesn't being bad make you really sad?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"W-why would it?!" Being evil was the best thing in the world!

[myblueskies]

"Because bad people don't got friends because they are mean and then you will be really lonely." Romeo couldn't imagine not having friends. It would be really sad and boring if he had no one to talk to or play with or learn things with.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Weak or strong, demons don't do things like friendship." It's like this kid had no idea about demons, period the end. "That would be a betrayal of the evil we stand for, and an unforgivable and easily exploited weakness."

[myblueskies]

Romeo just blinked at him, looking sad. Feeling sad all of a sudden as what the book was telling him sunk in. "You don't have any friends? At all?"