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

[repinned]

[Oscar just stares at Joss for a moment before groaning.]

Seriously?

[dredefulchilde]

[He grins wider. Why Joscelin, what pointy canines you you have.]

Part of your job as a god is to name a shinki and use them to fight and kill the ayakashi. They cause humans unhappiness and misfortune and all that.

[repinned]

[Oscar is probably the last person to care about vampires or whatever Joss is. He's the next incarnation of an immortal wizard, he literally cannot judge.

Still a bit unsettling at first, though.]

They mentioned that in the lecture but they didn't go into what ayakashi were.

[dredefulchilde]

What goes on in the god lecture, anyway? When I got here it was all about making certain we wouldn’t be a burden on our gods. But I’m a shinki and a weapon; I’m of much more use to Heaven as a sword than a person.

[Especially after what happened a couple weeks ago. There’s a reason Joss had been hiding well away from the others, and it isn’t just glitter.]

Have you got a shinki yet?

[repinned]

Honestly I...kind of checked out after about an hour and a half. She was droning and it was putting me to sleep. It was mostly about what we are and what we're here to do, though.

[Seriously, there were people dozing.]

And, uh, I don't think so. If they assigned me one I don't know where they are.

[dredefulchilde]

[If this were a few weeks ago, Joss might have hounded Oscar about naming him, but he’s more subdued now. He just shrugs.]

Nari seemed to know who I was when we met. Perhaps you will just click with someone. There are plenty of shinki around who need a god.

[repinned]

Do the shinki know who their god is supposed to be or...?

[dredefulchilde]

I didn’t. My god seemed to, though. Maybe you ought to speak with another god; shinki aren’t exactly imbued with whatever divine nonsense that the gods get so the mechanics of all this are rather less apparent.

[He gives the other boy a sly grin.]

Good luck with that, O Godly One. By the way, has anyone explained the bathroom situation to you yet? It’s quite unique.

[repinned]

[...Oscar knows he's walking into it but he kind of has to ask what Joss means just because he wants to hear this bullshit.]

Huh? Uh. No?

[dredefulchilde]

You, ah, won’t find many toilets here in Heaven. Apparently we don’t need them anymore.

I haven’t got a heartbeat, either, but I still bleed. Being dead is quite a revelation. I think you’re a bit different, being part of the pantheon and all. The toilet thing is still true, though.