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

[myblueskies]

No because I'm going to be the one to beat you, miss! [He grins happily and picks up another tile, this one is mostly grass but it's pretty and it goes just outside his city.]

[priforprince]

Oho...

[ FIGHTIN' WORDS FROM THE SMOL. Let her opinion of you settle before you go changing it again! This seesawing is exhausting!

Hibiki draws her next tile. She scrutinizes it.

And smirks. ]

[myblueskies]

[Romeo is nothing if not exhausting. When Hibiki smirks he leans forward, excited to see what tile she has and where she's going to place it!]

[priforprince]

Let this blow steal away all your hope.

[ Hibiki puts down a village, completing her road - and claims the points.

Now, unless he manages to finish that city of his with the few tiles remaining to them, he cannot possibly best her! ]

[myblueskies]

It won't! [Nothing will ever steal his hope away!

His next tile is a city too but there are still lots of gaps in his walls, this is a problem!]

[priforprince]

Hm.

[ Persistent to the last.

Well, she can bide her time. Hibiki builds onto nothing in particular, hoping to set up a good spot for a monastery. She's been counting. There should be one left.

Which tile....which tile....? ]

[myblueskies]

[This tile is mostly just grass again but it looks like Hibiki has been making a whole group of grass tiles with one house in the middle. This one goes just nicely in the corner.

He's not sure houses in grass are important though, so he doesn't put down a person.]

[priforprince]

...Oh?

[ There are two tiles left that could complete this. If Hibiki claims it now, Romeo might catch on - and that doubles the chances of him drawing a necessary tile and placing it elsewhere to thwart her. But if she waits until only one piece remains, that risk still exists, and there's no saying he won't attempt a claim.....

She checks the piece she just drew. Unrelated. Fine. She puts it down somewhere else.

What will he draw....? ]

[myblueskies]

[Romeo grins at her, no idea of all the scheming running through her head. This game is fun and he picks up the tile, another bit of city! With a wall and there is just the perfect gap for it in his huge city picture. He puts it down with a big smile.]

[priforprince]

Kh....

[ did

did that finish the city ]

[myblueskies]

There's one piece left miss! It's yours! [Yes that did finish the city and the game is almost done, they have made such a nice picture so far and Romeo is quite happy with it!]

we can fade to black if they do go another round

[priforprince]

[[ because hibiki has this tendency to insist on continuing to play things

until she wins ]]

[ .....

It won't be enough. That indescribably enormous city...is worth too much....

Instead of putting the piece in, Hibiki slams a hand on the table. ]

AGAIN!

I will not be routed at the last juncture by a fluke!!

fade to black is good!

[myblueskies]

[Romeo jumps a little when her hand slams against the table. But this is Hibiki and she's his friend so he smiles a moment later.] You want to play again?

[Did this mean he had won? He still doesn't really how it all works but he is happy to play it again!]

o7 ty for the game (and the game rec, my family had a ton of fun)

[priforprince]

This bout was merely a practice round! NEXT!!

[ And thus did Romeo and his friend play as many games of Carcasonne as Romeo wants!

As long as Romeo keeps winning, that is.... ]