November Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: February 21st, 2017
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods and shinki



Gods and shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are brought into small one-on-one meeting rooms as they appear, with a white-robed shinki offering them an explanation of their current role, the name of the god they will represent or the god they will serve, and directions to the temple that will be their new home.

They are cordially invited to a training session beginning in early afternoon, after they've had the chance to return to their homes, meet their new partners, and have their questions answered.



Morning/On the Road

New gods and shinki are being packed off to their new temples for the morning to settle in and meet their partners -- this is also a good time to visit with new neighbors or explore the area! What does your new temple look like? Are you headed straight there, or taking the scenic route to get a better sense of your new surroundings? The Western District is still scarred from the aftereffects of a recent volcanic eruption and earthquake, with fissures in some of the roads and burn scars in the wild landscape. The volcanic ash, though, seems to be serving as fertilizer for vast swaths of unfamiliar and colorful wildflowers that line the roads despite the fact that the weather is late-February chilly.

Shinki Training

A well-appointed dojo has been prepared for newcomers to practice their physical or magical arts. Outside, there are two impromptu target practice areas: one is for long-range weapons, with targets set up against hay bales at the other side of a wide, grassy area and a line drawn for the weapons' wielders to stand behind. The other is for borderlines, and a number of young children wearing short coats marked with Amaterasu's golden chrysanthemum on white are dashing around practicing their own borderlines against scary paper masks tied onto bushes or other haybales. The game seems to require a cutting borderline that will cut the mask without damaging the gardeners' hard work on the bushes.

Inside the dojo, there's room for several pairs to spar, and weapons are set up all along one wall, everything from polearms to rifles, chakrams to broadswords. They're all meant for practice, with edges dulled or padded to avoid any accidental deaths, but sparring partners will still have to be careful to avoid injury. Although there are many fewer white-robed shinki here than usual, except for the children, there is one adult shinki keeping an eye on things inside the dojo and one keeping an eye on things in the yard. They are willing to answer questions, help with borderlines or teach shinki new spells on request. Comment to the NPC REQUEST form to request a thread with one of them or if you have questions about handwaving an interaction.

Physical Training

The last vestiges of winter have melted away from most of the Heavens, but one section of the Meeting Hall grounds appears not to have gotten the message. Snow is piled waist or even shoulder high, the trees and bushes show no sign of fresh leaves, and an ornamental pool is frozen as hard as a rock, with the drifting shadows of koi barely visible under the thick ice. It's the perfect opportunity to play in the snow, and many of the shinki children are already taking advantage of it, sliding on the ice or throwing snowballs.

For those who brave the heavy snow, they may discover an an old woman in the center of the frozen area. She's wearing heavy white makeup and a straw coat, and humming cheerfully as she pounds rice into mochi. Anyone who finds her will be offered freshly made mochi and a cup of warm sake to fortify them for the snowball fights!

Rest and Refreshments

Gods and shinki who are finished with their training can step into a large room in the Meeting Hall that has been set up with comfortable cushions and low tables. Tea, liquor and a wide variety of savory dishes are available, with the drinks already set out on the tables and the savory dishes set up in chafing dishes on a buffet table along one wall. Guests can help themselves, settle in, chat, and make new friends. There's even a dessert table, well-stocked with plenty of chocolate, most of which seems to be mysteriously heart-shaped.

After eating, there are a variety of board and card games available for guests to play. From classic games like shogi, go and mahjong to more modern ones like Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary -- or Cards Against Humanity -- there's something for everyone.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Practice sparring or shinki magic
• Enjoy a buffet dinner and party games
• Have fun~

Comments

Giant's Grave

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker made it to the temple some time before, though he's still on the main floor. As the door opens, he turns to face Irisviel. A man as silent and unwelcoming as the grounds outside. It shows an incredible amount of restraint in the fact he didn't immediately summon Gae Bolg into his hand at the intrusion. ]

Why are you here?

[ He asks as though he doesn't already know. ]

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel pauses in the doorway as she's addressed, the hand on the door stopping to rest against her chest. The shinki told her who she was serving and where to go, but a description was left out. She blinks at him, then smiles, cautious but friendly.]

I was told to come here in search of my god, Balor. Are you him?

[She can only presume as he's in the temple and addressing her, but the possibility there are other shinki is also under consideration. There were so many of the white robed ones after all.]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ There's a moment of pause before Berserker's posture relaxes. It's a very slight motion, but the tension in the air dissipates. He nods in response. The words of the emissary come back to him as he looks Irisviel over. ]

I am. You must be my shinki. [ One of them. ] You may call me Berserker.

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel steps into the temple, the door closing behind her.]

Berserker.

[She repeats the name with light wonder, smile softening to something kinder. Any familiarity with the name as a class is completely gone. It's a strange name, one that hints of the nature of the man who wears it, but she doesn't question it.]

My name is Irisviel von Einzbern. [She punctuates her introduction with a curtsy.] I look forward to serving as your shinki.

[curruid_coinchenn]

I will ensure you're taken care of, Irisviel.

[ After all, what good is a tool that is rusty and neglected?

Berserker turns and continues down the long hallway, heading for the wooden staircase. This business of being a god and needing to take care of things is certainly strange. Why someone like himself was tasked with this makes him question the judgement of the divine. ]

There are rooms upstairs. You can take whichever you like...You have free reign of the temple, of course. Nothing is off limits.

[ Not that he really knows what else is on the grounds or in the temple itself. But that's not his concern -- restricting his tools would build resentment, so allowing unrestricted access is best. ]

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel follows after him, hands lacing behind her back as she takes in the new surroundings. She wouldn't call the interior cheerful, but it isn't gloomy either. There's an age permeating everything, an untold history and weight. Her giggles break the stillness of everything as she pauses to study a wall sconce, tapping the dim bulb before catching up with him.

Shinki have no sense of nostalgia, no sense memories that ping them toward anything about their life. By all accounts, Irisviel's clothes are prim, stylish, a person of a modern world by all accounts, but as she walks through the space, her impression is one of comfort, not at all bothered by the dated fixtures. When they reach the first bedroom, Irisviel peeks inside, a gasp escaping.

There's a dark wood four poster bed against the wall, elegant and in the gothic style, a wood chest at the foot. Under the window is a small writing desk and against the wall is a wood wardrobe. Old, but beautiful, serviceable. Irisviel walks into the room, humming as she turns around.]

Are all the rooms like this?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Like everything, he takes her enthusiasm in stride. It's difficult to break through his apathy to get anything resembling an emotion out of him. Berserker's eyebrows raises slightly at her reaction to the room, though. To him, it's simply a functional thing, a place to sleep and nothing more. ]

Yes. Different furnishings, but they're similar enough. [ A beat. ] You seem pleased. Is it that nice?

[holygrailed]

Yes, it is.

[Irisviel pauses and walks over to the bed, thoughtfully running her hand over the carved post.]

Someone took the time to make this bed. The design, the choices, they're beautiful. All the other furniture too. It's all wonderful work.

[With no memories, her feelings can only come from a place of honesty, thoughts and feelings a surprise even to her. She laughs softly and looks back at him, hands clasping together again.]

May I see your room?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He can't understand her reasoning. It's alien to him -- these things are merely here to be used, functional objects and nothing more. ]

If you say so.

[ Berserker considers her request. There's no harm in allowing her to see it, of course. ]

You may. [ He says as he turns towards the door. ] If that's what you wish.

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel follows after him, noting all the other rooms on the floor.]

Will there be others living here as well?

[curruid_coinchenn]

I was told of one other shinki, I have yet to meet them.

[ He goes into the room adjacent to Irisviel's and...it is quite barren. There's just the bed and no other furniture aside from a small table with a lamp on it. It's dim, cold, and unwelcoming. No signs of warmth or even really that someone would be living here. ]

If visitors wish to stay, I'll allow it. [ There is space for them, after all. ] Something tells me that won't happen often.

[ Was that...a hint of a joke? As close to a joke you'll get from Berserker, anyway. ]

[holygrailed]

[A temple of three, it sounds wonderful. She hopes to meet the other shinki soon, at least by the end of the day if they're all living together.

His room is barren and she hums, but makes no further comment. His room is his choice.]

You never know. People here are friendly.

[Irisviel backs into the hall and nods at the closest bedroom.]

Yes, I'll take that one. That way I'm close by if you need me. Oh! Aren't you supposed to give me a name?

[curruid_coinchenn]

Then it's yours.

[ He says as he follows her back out. It would be good for her to be near, certainly. Ah, naming...There was something mentioned about it. ]

Hm, I will name you.

[ A familiar memory, a memory that is not his, but it is now. Strange. A spell he shouldn't know, but he does. Berserker speaks, looking at Irisviel. ]

My name is Balor. Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Miru. The vessel, Kan. Come, Miruki!

[ The first time his voice raises, the first time there is any sort of force behind it. ]

[holygrailed]

[Miru. There isn't any time to consider the name as the name glows in front of her and she feels a tug as she turns to light.]

[Irisviel's life flashes forward in Berserker's mind. A homunculus made by the Einzbern family, a living vessel for the Holy Grail, created to do nothing to serve, but raised by Kiritsugu Emiya to become self-realized. A mother, a wife, eight years of happiness and learning about the world behind the security of the walls of Einzbern castle.

A world of peace, free of war and suffering, Kiritsugu's dream for the Grail. Her cause, even if not fully realized, her devotion and love guiding her sacrifice.

The Fourth Holy Grail war, Saber's fake Master but still venturing out with her. One by one, servants dying, her body deteriorating with every death to herald the coming of the Grail.

Her final moments laying a magic circle, Kotomine watching outside. He asks if Irisviel is unhappy he’ll be the winner of the Holy Grail War. Irisviel replies she would only entrust the grail to Kiritsugu and tells Kotomine he will never understand who Kiritsugu, that the two men are nothing alike. Angered by her response, he chokes her before releasing her, asking her what Kiritsugu’s wish for the Holy Grail is. She answers it’s a wish for a world of peace, without war and suffering and bloodshed, a world of true peace, a wish Kotomine will never be able to understand. Kotomine strangles her again, neck breaking under his grip.]

[Irisviel sees at him, sees around him, and feels him all at once as she exists as her vessel and the shinki floating in space. White fabric, soft and silky, covers him as a garment replaces Berserker's attire, a short dress with long flowing sleeves, the chest and stomach exposed. Red and gold ribbons and chains trim the outfit and move from the slightest movement.]

Oh! This is what the vessel form is like, I see!

[The exclamation echoes in his mind. She giggles and looks at him without moving, her emotions a warm glow of happiness on their shared link. He's warm where skin touches fabric and she giggles again, a briefly lewd feeling flickering through her joy.]

You look very nice.

[The statement is utterly sincere.]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ What a tragic life. If it were anyone but Berserker, it would have moved them, surely. He, however, is just as indifferent as ever. It does, however, tell him why she's the way she is, why such small things are appreciated. Her memories are now his and he will guard them closely. They are now his secret, something he will take to his inevitable grave.

What does get a reaction from him is her vessel form. It's ... breezy. Slightly less coverage than his normal outfit. He looks down at himself in utter confusion, brow furrowed.

Berserker feels that joy and that brief lewdness, his confusion growing. Well, at least she's happy... ]

...It suits you, at least.

[holygrailed]

Does it?

[Irisviel hums and looks around, getting used to the sensation of an omnipresent sense of awareness. She'll have to ask other shinki about their vessel forms and anything else she should be aware of. The onboarding was sparse, to say the least.]

Can you move around in the outfit? It wouldn't do if you're unsteady.

[curruid_coinchenn]

You have an air of elegance, so does this.

[ Even if it looked less than elegant on his large frame.

Berserker is hesitant to move, if only because everything is so ... brief. But he does walk down the hall, the only thing causing hindrance slightly are the sleeves. It's nothing he can't work with, though. ]

I'm fine. I can manage any inconvenience.

[holygrailed]

[The heels are far lower than what she's already seen him in so she's not worried, but the connected sleeves could be a problem when fighting ayakashi.]

Perhaps if you slide the sleeves off one arm? You could wear it as a drape around your waist too.

[Her tone is a little more teasing at the second suggestion.]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He does slip his arm through one sleeve and makes a sweeping motion. Much freer, much less restrained. Still not at all what he was expecting, to say the least. ]

This works...Unusual, but I will make it work.

[ A strong confidence in his own abilities along with creativity in his violence. Though he has to wonder what form his other shinki will take... ]

[holygrailed]

[Who can tell what a vessel form brings? The choice is set once the god gives a name with nothing that can change it. All can serve in their own way, all can rend, but it is up to the god and shinki to figure out how.

Irisviel finds it intriguing as Berserker moves one arm out of the sleeve, able to feel the change as she hangs and floats through the swing. Every inch of her consciousness is infused into the nature of the fabric, but her body feels no less physical in the invisible space occupied by shinki too.]

I trust you will. And if you find my vessel form does not work for you, I will find other ways to serve you as your shinki.

[There's a quiet confidence in her words, implicit trust and acceptance of the state of things. She is her tool. That is fine.]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ That trust...Berserker almost feels as if it's misplaced, but that's not his place to say. She is now a valuable tool, something to protect. There's a deeper bond between them than he is comfortable with -- it's not unlike a Master and Servant except now that bond is reversed. Instead of blindly accepting commands from his Master, he must be the one to act as he sees fit and to make sure his tool is taken care of.

Despite how twisted everything else is about him, there is still a part of him that values loyalty. There is a loyalty within him, as well, but it's buried deep beneath everything else.

None of these feelings are spoken outwardly, however. ]

You will serve me well, regardless. I will put my trust in your to serve me to the best of your ability.

[holygrailed]

Thank you, Berserker.

[There's a hint of surprise in her voice, but the softness of affection too. A shinki should work with their god to help accomplish their goals and to guide them. Irisviel is confident they, and the third member of their temple, will find a balance. It's still nice to have his trust and confidence as well.]

Will you show me around the rest of the temple? I do not mind staying like this, but if you wish to call me out of my vessel form, that is fine too.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ A simple request, one that can easily be done. ]

I will do that for you, Irisviel.

[ His choice is made clear by using her common name. Her vessel form will take some getting used to and the nature of their bond will also take some getting used to. It's strange, but not unwelcome. The way his existence is so twisted makes it almost impossible for him to form a normal bond with anyone, let alone a close one. Having the empathic bond is strange, as well -- Berserker entirely lacks the capacity to feel any sort of warmth or joy, so experiencing those emotions again is so alien. Those sorts of things are a sign of weakness to him, and yet, there is something comforting about them.

Things he will consider later...Or more likely, he'll push them aside to be forgotten. ]

Seeing the armory first will be easiest.

[holygrailed]

[Names carry power. For a Servant, a True Name reveals all their strengths and weaknesses from their legend. For a shinki, a vessel name is used for shinki spells and how a god summons their shinki to their side. It's also a sign of closeness, a connection, and Irisviel is happy to hear her name again from him in a way she can't explain.

She is a loving soul, kind, gentle, easy to please. There is an easy baseline of happiness in her mood. Ironic someone so loving is serving someone so cold, but perhaps it is a way of history repeating itself too.]

Lead the way.

[Not like there's any other choice as he continues to wear her.]

Will you tell me about yourself too?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He owes it to his shinki to be open. His past is not something he resents or regrets, it simply is what it is. Making his way back to the staircase, he descends the stairs down into the basement. ]

I was born from a corrupt woman's wish on the Holy Grail. My True Name is Cú Chulainn, but I shouldn't exist. My Spirit Origin is altered...A possibility that can and can't exist. Useless emotion were given up to strengthen myself. I'm nothing but a machine, killing because it's what I have to do.

[ There's no strong emotions associated with anything he's saying. It's just factual to him, things to just accept and move on with.

The armory is expansive, weapons of all types mounted on the walls, on racks, and in the hands of partial armor suits. Nothing looks disused or rusted, either. It's strangely new. But it's also strangely uncomfortable in here, like someone is watching from the shadows. Even Berserker doesn't wish to linger in the room for long, making a round of it before heading back towards the stairs. ]

Is there anything else you want to know?