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

[towards_okeanos]

[Thank his Exemplar for expensive taste in exquisite tea. Iskandar himself wouldn't be able to tell a difference.

The question though. Phew... that's as loaded as they come. At first he's not sure what she is talking about.
Then it dawns on him. There could only be one ziggurat in Babylon called the Great Ziggurat. The one he tried to rebuild and ultimately failed.]

Are you referring to Etemenanki? Temple to Marduk, said to be foundation of Heaven and Earth? If so then indeed I know a thing or two.

[Like for a example why it's hardly a trace of the building now...]

[trustheart]

[Chris nods somberly, starting into her teacup.] That's... one of the names my mentor used for it. Or rather, what she said certain groups of people called it.

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar nods. Certain people. The word Babel has familiar ring to it. Though it is difficult to pin point where exactly he heard it. Or from whom.]

All right then, so what would you like to know? Granted I will know the answer. It was pretty much in disrepair when I arrived at Babylon.

[trustheart]

I just want to know if you know what happened to it. And... [She looks up, trying to appear more resolute.] ... Have you ever heard of something called the "Curse of Balal"?

[towards_okeanos]

[There is no way around it now. He promised her answer. So there it goes.]

It was in truly in bad shape. It was a brick structure, huge, bigger than everything I've seen save only for temples and pyramids of Egypt. Still it was just bricks and they don't hold as well as stone. When I returned from India I ordered the site to be cleared so it can be properly rebuilt. Unfortunately, I was interrupted.

[Because he died... not even a full month after the work has begun. And his generals were more interested in squabbling over succession than finishing anything he left. Fools.
That's right. Two thousand years later, he's still angry. And a bit disappointed maybe.]

I'm afraid I haven't heard about the curse though. What did it do?

[trustheart]

... So people really did try to create it in other worlds. [Chris's hands clench into fists, and she looks down, trembling for a moment. Should she really open up to a stranger like this? He went to all the trouble of answering her, with no context provided... ... But if she kept it down, there was no way she'd be able to move on from it, would she?] ... There was a woman, in my world. She was a priestess that became known as Finé, and she tried to use that tower... that tower to connect with what she thought was God. She and all of humanity were punishjed, and the "Curse of Balal" made humanity lose their ability to speak a single language. She spent multiple lifetimes trying to undo it. Manipulating the world. Manipulating people, all because of her hubris. She... she... [Chris's words come out as a choking sort of sob.] she used me. If that tower was really the same one in your world as it was in mine, then I'm glad it was destroyed. I'm glad every symbol of that act is gone in as many worlds as possible...

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar just nods as Chris explains the history of the curse. Ah, yes, hubris. The downfall of men. No matter the place or era.

Yet the history strikes too many familiar chords for him to ignore. If Etemenanki truly was this tower she spoke of... Babel... He can't shake the feeling he heard this name somewhere. Though it might have sounded a little differently.

Wait.

A different city. Jerusalem not Babylon. There he spoke with the wise men of the city after they surrendered to him and his army. They told him a story about proud people, an arrogant tyrant, of building of great tower meant to reach Heaven itself, the curse and fall of the city. Though the name was not Babel it was...

Iskandar blinks in shock.

Balal ... meaning confusion in their language. He didn't recognize the word at first because he heard it in a different context before. Still it's exactly as Chris said. Yet even more elements fall into their places to his sheer horror.

There was once a great empire that prospered for many years, mighty and affluent, even when their main temple was in ruin. Darius and his father had all the reasons to keep Etemenanki in such a sad state. This was no simple neglect. This was intentional.
When Iskandar defeated Darius and his armies, entered Babylon and became it's rightful ruler, priests of Marduk told him that rebuilding ziggurat was his duty as king of Babylon. So he did. He treated his duties are king seriously.

Iskandar shakes his head. He believed them. He didn't connect those two stories. Yet now it is painfully obvious, isn't it? He died, his empire fell and his generals? His loyal Companions who were with him in every battle? They scattered squabbling like a pack of bickering, old hens. The curse had done it's work. The Persian priests enacted their revenge.]

You and me may have more in common that any of us suspected. For what you said made me realize that I had been used as well. And in a context dangerously similar to what you described.

[trustheart]

[Chris looks up sharply, quickly brushing away some tears with her arm, sniffling as she tries to process Iskandar's words.] We... we do? What? [He looks so strong, so powerful, it's as hard to imagine him ever being vulnerable as it is for her to imagine Genjuro that way...]

[towards_okeanos]

[One can only hope she doesn't mind a hug from guy she just met. But she's crying and he can't just sit there like he's not seeing her anguish. We've all been through hell, little one.
So she gets a hug and a gentle pat on the head. She can punch him later. She goddess of war, right? She has no reason to be afraid of anyone. To the contrary. All should tremble before her image.
Still if Iskandar will sense that she's anyway close to uncomfortable he will release her immediately. He tries to be supportive not creepy after all.]

I believe that curse you just told me about might have killed me. And ruined my country. This one or one very similar to it. Even the name sounds familiar.

[Iskandar chooses his words very carefully. Yet lady would surely appreciate more context... so more of it comes]

I don't know how much do you know about history of this realm. The reason I am at least somewhat connected to your gate in Babylon is that I was a mortal man once, a king and conqueror. Semi-divine, yes, but mortal. The one who defeated king of Persia. I took over his city and his empire.
My people were at war with Persia for very long time. My father fought Persians, so did my grandfather. So did I.

I was the one to finally win. When I arrived at Babylon it did surprise me it's most important temple, Etemenanki, was in ruin but thought none of it. Or rather I thought poorly of the country's previous ruler. Darius III. The one I have just defeated.
It was nothing but hubris on my part. For when the priests from Etemenanki approached me couple years later I heeded their suggestion that the tower must be rebuilt.

So the construction has started but it was never to finish. I died two months later and my loyal generals, my friends, started to argue. They ripped my empire apart with their quarells.
I believe the priests knew, as Darius knew. As long as they kept the tower in disrepair they country would prosper. They used this knowledge to take vengeance on me. They turned my wish to be good king of all my people against me.

[trustheart]

[To say Chris is surprised by the gesture is an understatement... and she's once again transported back to a particular moment and reminded of Genjurou. She's taken aback for a split second... but it's comforting and familiar, and she knows she can trust him. When he pulls away and explains... she listens quietly.] That... probably isn't the same thing as the curse of balal. The actual curse was controlled by the moon, not the temple itself. Humankind was punished because it made it in the first place. But. There are too many similarities for me not to be bothered by it. It's like... tragedies repeat across worlds. Not always the same, but similar. I know there was an Alexander the Great in my world too... I'm not really a big history girl so I don't know how he died, but... ... In the end, we're all victims of humans' inability to understand each other.

[towards_okeanos]

[Different times. Different realms. That there was a different version of him is ... unsettling but ultimately Iskandar is not surprised. This form he has now? It is different from the one he had in life. He is now as much a personification of his legend as he is himself. As much a shadow on the wall of the cave as the object casting said shadow. A fully divine being as opposed to that mortal man that died in Persia more than two thousand years ago.]

Then let's hope there will be no misunderstandings between us for I wish we can be allies. We're already neighbours so that's a start.

[trustheart]

[Chris nods, wiping some of the tears from her eyes.] If my friend Hibiki were here, she'd say we need to join hands and talk things out... we already talked things out, so are you good with the first part being metaphorical? [And there's a small smile to go along with her words this time.]

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar smiles back at her. That's the spirit.]

I'm absolutely fine with metaphorical. Let us keep it that way.

[Enough with this doom and gloom already.]

[trustheart]

[Chris nods, and lets out a short laugh.] Alright then! And uh... you can visit me at my temple anytime you feel like, alright?

[towards_okeanos]

Thank you. Consider yourself invited here anytime too.

[You hear that temple? Iskandar will not tolerate any trolling of this particular goddess. And it does not matter if he is present or not. No trolling allowed under any circumstances.]

[trustheart]

I'll take you up on that. I'd be happy to bum free food off you whenever. [She snickers, before looking over his shoulder.] ... Is that a video game console?

[towards_okeanos]

You're most welcome. But I think I need to introduce you to someone. There is this one guy here who really knows how to cook. And he's quite generous with his talent. If a bit snarky. I think you'd like him.

[Iskandar lights up on the mention of video game console.]

Indeed it is. I'm quite fond of several titles. Do you play video games?

[trustheart]

Huh. Well, I'm good enough of a cook to take care of myself, but I could stand to learn a thing or two... [Chris's grin turns absolutely wicked.] Damn right I do! I'm pretty good, especially at shooting games.

[towards_okeanos]

I wasn't suggesting your cooking skills are lacking anything. What I was merely proposing is for you to try this guy's food. Because he's a master.
And an expert marksman but I think that's unrelated.

[His collection consists mainly of various strategy games. And a single MMO. Sadly no shooting games.]

I'm afraid I don't have any of those. I would gladly try some if you can recommend me some titles.

[trustheart]

Eh? I didn't say you were. It's fine. Introduce me to the guy whenever you have a chance. [She frowned at the lack of shooting titles.] Well, you can't go wrong with anything with multiplayer. I'll see what's available in this place and get back to you.

[towards_okeanos]

I usually play military strategies, those are my favourites, but I was recently introduced to an MMO.

[One of his shrines in Tokyo is an actual gamers den. A long story but that's where his current MMO addiction came from. He even got a t-shirt from his guild. Small wonder it was even possible to order anything in his size. Must have been a custom order but he does have very dedicated followers.]

It has some strategic elements but at its core, it's just clean PVP. I wouldn't pick it myself but I came to like it. So I would happily try something totally different again.

[trustheart]

MMOs are fun, but I don't have a lot of time for them between school and work. Maybe I'll look into playing one here. [She smiles.] There's plenty of strategy in shooters, though. I'll show you! I think you'll really enjoy it.

[towards_okeanos]

Well, I would be happy to add you to my guild if you're interested.
It's a bit tricky to play in a team with mortals as they tend to forget we're there - which, of course, has its uses - but you can always tag along with just me and Satya. Or only Satya. She goes solo quite often.

[No, Iskandar, you're not possibly recruiting people to your MMO guild, are you? Because that kind of looks like you're trying to.]

Come to think of it, there is one champion you can play which has a riffle. I think they introduced her a month ago so I don't know how she fares. I didn't have much time to play since the volcano.

[trustheart]

I'll have to see after I check it out, see if I like it. No use making promises before it's all decided, right? ... but huh. A rifle, eh? That's worth considering.

[towards_okeanos]

No hurry. It's just an invitation. Though I did notice it's easier to start if you already have someone friendly to ask questions.

[All the petty wars over which champion is the ultimately best does not matter for someone completely new...and the official introductory materials are ... less than satisfactory. Iskandar had to assign people to the specific task of explaining the game to their new players.]

But enough about this. Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?