October Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: February 6th, 2017
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore (and optionally, the 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 are five or six white-robed shinki present, who 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. Both Sabimei and his animated straw training dummies are absent from this training session, but standard, inanimate straw targets have been lined up outside, and a few rings are laid out on the frozen ground for friendly sparring matches. (Shinki characters who are interested in learning more about the borderlines or want to learn new shinki spells or songs may approach any of the training shinki for advice or instruction. Please remember to comment on the Shinki Spells page when your character begins to learn a new spell, excluding the borderline.)

Physical Training

There is still clean-up left to work on from the volcano's eruption. Two tengu (one of whom characters might recognize as the hot springs' proprietor) have volunteered to help transport any gods or shinki who are willing to help clear trees, dig or wash away ash on roads and roofs, and repair damage to occupied temples. The abandoned temples that were damaged by the earthquake and volcano are being left to decay, although anyone who's curious about them could take the offer of a free ride to explore some of those abandoned and damaged buildings as well. Some might contain old books or mementos of the long-vanished owners; others have nothing left inside but dust, mold, and curious spirits.

Back at the training ground, characters who aren't helping clean up the Western district have the option of playing sparring games to test their reflexes. The white-robed shinki are organizing them into pairs in the marked circles and explaining the rules: each participant is given 10 seconds on offense to score a hit with any weapon of their choice, from bare hands to sparring weaponry to shinki magic, while their partner is only allowed to dodge or defend. After five rounds, the person with more points gets to declare a penalty for their partner: drawing on their face with a marker, ordering them to do something silly or embarrassing, making them fetch tea... it's up to the winner!

Rest and Refreshments

After the gods' training lecture is finished, a few of the white-robed shinki bustle back in to set up craft tables and a buffet area. This time, the theme seems to be a sweet English tea: little cakes, scones, jams, cookies, tiny finger sandwiches and a vast array of chocolates are available, as well as many different teapots, with hot water dispensers and loose tea available to let everyone brew to their own tastes as they venture in to rest or talk to their new partners.

Over on the craft tables, there's all kinds of art and craft supplies available, from construction paper to calligraphy brushes, glitter to gouache. Signs on the tables encourage gods and shinki to show their appreciation for each other with a valentine letter or card. It's a bonding exercise! There is a lot of glitter. And glue. Hopefully, no one's wearing their nice clothes.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Explore damaged temples or practice sparring
• Enjoy a tea and make some valentines
• Have fun~

Comments

[cloakedinruins]

[ He barely raised an eyebrow at that. Shen Wei really did not think he looked that competent at any athletic game; his clothing all screaming geek with glasses that usually were seen as a liability than useful in a fight. But the teen must have seen something in him to want the defensive position. ]

Very well.

[ Shen Wei was a mild mannered professor of biology. Yet, he slid his hand down the polearm - a simple gun staff that was about chin height on Shen Wei - and spun it up to an at rest position against his arm and chest. ]

Are you ready then?

[repinned]

[You don't spend more than a month with a "mild mannered headmaster" in your head and not recognize a possible mild mannered badass when you see one.

Oscar nods, hesitating just a moment before remembering how to get into the defensive position Ozpin had taught him, cane ready.]

Yes.

[cloakedinruins]

[ How lucky for him that he recognizes it before he gets hurt. Shen Wei gave a short nod, shifted his grip a little higher and then spun into attack. He could tell that he wasn't sure about his hold, so he went for the cane, first strike to test his grip and second to move it down and away. ]

[repinned]

[One thing Oscar is very sure about is that cane and his grip is very tight. When Shen Wei goes for it, he ducks and tries to push the polearm away with the cane.

(And silently thanks his aunt for ignoring his complaints about heavy lifting on the farm because he's pretty sure he would not be able to even attempt to push away if it wasn't for all the farmwork.)]</small.

[cloakedinruins]

Good.

[ And he bends with the push, spinning on his heel with stomp of his lead foot, his gun held in a shortened grip to jab towards Oscar's side. ]

[repinned]

[Oscar tries to bring his cane down to block, but he's not quite good enough for that and Shen Wei gets a hit on him.]

Ow...

[cloakedinruins]

[ He stopped at once, pulling back to rest his staff against his side, eyebrows furrowed. ]

Are you alright?

[repinned]

[There's a green glow around Oscar for a moment.]

Yeah, I'm fine. Just forgot to use my Aura...again.

[cloakedinruins]

Is that your... god power?

[ They were suppose to be trading off right about now, but he was willing to give it a few moments in order to make sure that the young man was doing okay. He had tried to pull back the blow, but he knew that even then he was far stronger than most people. ]

Are one from before this?

[repinned]

Huh?

[Oh right. This world doesn't play by Remnant's rules.]

From before. Everyone back home has an Aura, even if they don't know how to use it.

[cloakedinruins]

So everyone has one, or is it only a select few?

[ Because where he comes from, Haixing do not get powers unless they were married to a member of the Yashou Tribes or a hidden Dixing person.

One of the white-clad shinki was leaning into the circle and saying something about that it was Zuanwu's turn to defend, but he dismissed them with a flick of his hand. This was far more interesting than smacking things around. ]

[repinned]

Everyone has it, it's just not everyone knows how to use it.

[Oscar glances at the shinki but if Shen Wei's not interested in fighting Oscar's not going to insist they get back to it.]

It's...like dancing, sort of? Everyone has legs and feet, but not everyone knows how to dance.

[cloakedinruins]

Or they are born with terrible coordination so dancing isn't something they can do with any confidence.

[ So it was more like Dixing than it was like Haixing. While powers were more prominent in Dixing, the people there didn't always have a good idea how to grasp what they could do, or even had access to their abilities. Some abilities just did not want to appear either, at least not until someone was able to push the powers out. ]

It sounds a little like home, your world.

[repinned]

...I guess?

[The comparison made more sense before that was added on but whatever.]

It does?

[cloakedinruins]

Mm, though it's only isolated to a certain geological area and the people who are born there. It's fascinating but... I suppose we should continue before those workers do something we'll regret.

[ He spun his weapon around easily before holding it across his chest, his hands resting on the top and bottom. ]

Your turn to attack, I believe.

[repinned]

[Oh. Right. Oscar nods and steps back and shifts his grip on the cane to be more like a baseball bat. He knows he only got a few hits on Lionheart because he was surprised and this guy is very much expecting this so...

Oscar leaps at Shen Wei, swinging.]

[cloakedinruins]

[ The balance was important, giving him enough room to maneuver his weapon to block from a number of angles without leaving himself too open. Shen Wei's hands shifted their grip as he brought the staff up to block, exhaling at the force as he let the blow push him back. ]

Have you trained much? [ He was barely winded. ]

[repinned]

Not really. A few months?

[But he's doing...alright for a kid who's hardly had any training. It's a bit more like he's had a year or so of training, even if he's struggling to get a hit on Shen Wei. When his attack his blocked, Oscar tries to kick out at him.]

[cloakedinruins]

Not bad, for someone just starting to learn.

[ Shen Wei's shifted, bringing his staff down to block the blow. In a normal battle, he would have twisted the staff to tangle and trip, but since this was only sparring and he was only suppose to block and dodge, he didn't do so. ]

[repinned]

Thanks.

[Even if it's only partly his own skill and he knows it.

Oscar only has time for one more blow, so he pushes Shen Wei's staff as he's blocked to try and get a blow that way.]