September Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: January 22nd, 2017
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore / slopes of a recently erupting volcano
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 at least one unrecognized god who the Heavens believe to be attacking them, and another recent incursion by an unrecognized god ended in his defeat and the extinguishing of the volcano he had caused to erupt. 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

There are stacks of informational pamphlets sitting out on tables around the dojo. There aren't very many of the white-robed shinki around, but the few who are present will willingly answer any questions or instruct newcomers in the use of the borderline. They accompany their answers, or their 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 who appears upset and visibly distracted is keeping an eye on the training dummies, and will intervene if anyone tries to destroy one. He is wearing a slightly battered nametag that reads HELLO, MY NAME IS SABIMEI. (Sabimei is an expert in shinki magic and will assist characters who need help with spells or who want to learn a new spell. If you want a thread with him or have any questions about handwaving something, please comment on the NPC REQUEST thread below. Characters who want to begin learning a new spell from him do not have to thread it out, but should comment on the Shinki Spells and Songs page to begin learning the spell.)

Physical Training

There are no special obstacle courses or training areas set up for the newcomers at this welcome session. Instead, the white-robed shinki will invite any gods or shinki who are willing to help with cleanup in the Western District of the Far Shore. A recent volcanic eruption has left heavy ash fall on temple roofs and fallen trees or mud clogging roads. Some of them are singing in chorus to summon small rainstorms or winds to clear away the obstacles; others are just using brooms and ropes to sweep away ash or drag away trees, and help of the magical or physical variety will be appreciated.

Rest and Refreshments

Once it begins to grow dark, everyone helping to clean up the Western District will be brought back to the dojo to rejoin those who chose to remain there. Traditional public baths are available for everyone to wash off the mud, ash and sweat of their hard work and soak comfortably in a warm communal pool afterwards, and a generous banquet has been laid for everyone. The tables are full of beer and sake (or tea and soda for the non-drinkers), plates of sushi and sashimi, deep-fried vegetables and shrimp, and warm soups to counteract the chill of the January weather.

After dinner, a middle-aged woman sets up an open mic. She starts out the evening by turning on her karaoke machine and performing a few jazzy older songs, and turns the mic over from there to a man with very old-fashioned manners who recites a few poems. Anyone who wants to take time at the microphone is welcome, whether they're performing, doing karaoke, telling jokes, or delivering speeches or information.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Help clean up ash and clear roads
• Enjoy a welcome banquet
• Have fun~

Comments

[declamando]

[Maria lets out a sigh, trailing a few fingers through her hair as if she needs something to do with them.] She seems nice enough, so I'll hope for now that things work out between us. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt if I can.

[Mirei seems young and somewhat...perhaps not ambitious, but preferring a position of leadership. As long as she's responsible about what she does with it, Maria thinks they have a good chance of getting along.]

It's sometimes hard to believe all it takes is asking for a name removed, with the importance placed on the bond.

[unlucky7]

[Ginia's arms cross over her chest, thumb running absently over her right shoulder. It's very easy. Release, a shinki's name, and the intent is all it takes. No ceremony, no say from the shinki, a quick, severing. It's probably for the best it's quick and easy, but having been a recent recipient when it truly wasn't what she wanted, it aches a lot.

She types, arms still crossed.]

I hope it works out. And it is surprising, but it also makes sense. A shinki can hurt their god through the bond, or a shinki could be unhappy with a god. A quick release is easier for everyone involved, if that's what's wanted or needed.

[declamando]

I suppose...though then you have the ones who won't even do that much. [There's something slightly hard in Maria's tone at that - she dislikes the idea that rogue and uncaring gods are common enough that there's a section in the brochure specifically for listing people who can deal with gods who refuse to release a name.]

But I guess it's best not to think about that sort of thing too much until it actually becomes a problem, right?

[unlucky7]

I haven't heard of anyone doing that recently, but it seems like it was a problem right before I arrived. A god was forcing shinki to nora to him.

[Even if there are more words in the process, it's just as easy to name a shinki as it is to release one. She knows that all too well, though she didn't mind who had named her.

Maybe there's a lot she doesn't mind. Maybe she should mind more.]

There are people ready to take action. Hopefully that's enough of a deterrent. I think most people here are decent. I like the place. But as everything shows, doesn't take much for things to go wrong.

[declamando]

What happened to him? [Maria has to at least ask, really, because she doesn't get the impression someone like that would be left to their own devices for long. At the same time, she's not the type of person who cares for extreme measures unless completely necessary.]

I suppose that's right. I've heard some bad things so far, but it doesn't seem all that bad to me. Not what I would have expected from an afterlife, but still with good people and things.

[unlucky7]

Killed, presumably for his actions, never came back. He was the god Loki.

[Who he actually was, Ginia's never found out. It seemed to be the sort of thing best left in the past. If he did return and was in a position to cause trouble, someone would likely raise a warning. On the other hand, if he returned as a shinki, no point bringing it up.]

I don't know what I expected from an afterlife, but I don't think it was this. And while I like it here, I get why others don't. The system definitely favors gods over shinki, though even gods don't get a say about being here.

[declamando]

I see...and nobody else has come into that role since he was killed? [Maria doesn't sound pleased about the fact, but it's already happened. It's a little late for disapproval to do much.

She does give a slight nod to Ginia's words though.] And clearly gods have very little control over their situation in the end either, if positions can change so easily. I haven't been told there was a reason for my change in role.

[unlucky7]

[Ginia pulls up the contact list and scrolls to the Ls, turning her phone around to show a short, Loki-less list. Will there be another god representing Loki someday? Who knows.]

I doubt it was anything you did personally.

[A god becoming a shinki is no more a punishment than a shinki becoming a god is a reward. At least it's how Ginia tries to see it.]

People disappearing suddenly, roles changing, people dying and not coming back, shinki regaining memories, all of us new folks seem to be major disruptions to the system.

[declamando]

[Well, that's a straightforward enough answer. Maria can't imagine it would be pleasant coming into that position after someone had already tainted it like that, honestly.

Ginia's response about the positions doesn't seem to surprise Maria, and her lips purse slightly as she nods.]

I've heard that from other people as well. And the fact that everyone who's been here for a while thinks the Heavens don't really have anything under control at all only makes it more worrying.

[unlucky7]

If the Heavens really don't have things under control, it raises questions about who does.

[Who is the authority above gods? Who is really running things if so much could change without any clue? But Ginia's no expect on theology or even philosophy so all she can offer is a shrug and frustrated huff.]

I hate not knowing, but with everything that happens here, I admittedly focus less on that than other more pressing things.

[declamando]

It does. And about why we're even here in the first place if it's not intentional on their part.

[If it's intentional on someone else's part, then that's not something she really wants to let lie, but at the same time, if there were any leads she assumes others would have raised them by now.]

I've heard it's been relatively quiet recently...? [She's curious about what Ginia's opinion on the happenings here is.]

[unlucky7]

[With the knowledge there's a cult out there trying to disrupt the order by raising new gods to usurp the old, it's not hard to imagine perhaps they, the new generation, were brought in for a similar reason.]

Barring the volcano, there was some trouble at the start of the year, actually. Has anyone filled you in on the cult running around?

[declamando]

[Maria definitely looks a little concerned at that mention.] If they have, I don't remember it. What was it that happened?

[If they're still running around after something that happened at the start of the year, it seems like something to be prepared for.]

[unlucky7]

[Oh boy where to even begin? Ginia taps the corner of her phone against her chin as she figures out how to summarize things because there's sure a lot to cover.]

They were placing cursed charms in shrines and causing problems. Things falling and breaking, people getting riled up, minor inconveniences that add up fast.

It's all part of a greater bid to try to remove everyone in the Heavens to instate their own gods. It's not the first time they've directly attacked us either.

[declamando]

[Alright, yes, that definitely sounds like something that everyone here should be concerned about, and Maria herself definitely looks a bit taken aback by it.]

Is their reputation that bad in this world? Or is it just someone trying to seek out power and doing whatever it takes to get it?

[Uprising is somewhat different to just all-out attack, even if they're both undesirable.]

[unlucky7]

More the latter. I spoke to a cultist who seemed disenfranchised by the world. Thought he wasn't getting his due. He believed bringing in new gods who would listen would fix things, but to bring in the new, you need to get rid of the old.

[She's sympathetic to the feeling the gods are ignoring people, that there shouldn't be strife or suffering. But it's not the role of gods to manage everything; humans have free will and the right to make choices, for better or worse.]

And when they say new, they don't mean our generation versus the old gods. They mean wiping everyone here out and putting in entirely new gods under their control.

[declamando]

[Something about that makes Maria frown rather coldly. That kind of attitude...she's not sure why, but it doesn't sit right with her on some deep-seated level.]

So they're aiming to selfishly take what they believe they're owed, when everyone else has to work for what they have just the same as them. And they're making it even harder for others by trying to topple a system for their own gain.

[There's a disgust that can't be ignored in Maria's voice.] I can't stand that kind of thoughtless behaviour.

[unlucky7]

[That's the long and short of it. Ginia wouldn't be surprised if whoever was in charge - Sensei? Someone above him? - had entirely different plans in mind. No one tries to take down the entirety of the Heavens without a serious agenda or specific grudge.]

They need to be stopped. There's a bunch of us scrubbing through surveillance footage to try to identify who we think is their leader or other members. I'm happy to pass things along if you have the time and patience to help.

[declamando]

[Maria lets out a sharp breath as she thinks about that - she's not sure how useful she'll be right now, unfortunately, as much as she'd like to help.]

I don't know that I'll be able to while I'm still settling in again, but if you come across something that you need help with or need to try and gather information about, feel free to ask me for help.

[While identifying someone should be a strong step forward, she assumes there will still be work that needs doing.]