January Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: March 24th, 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 (God or Shinki), the name of the god they will represent (Gods) or the god they will serve (Shinki), and directions to the temple that will be their new home, regardless of role. During these initial meetings for Gods, paper and pens are provided as an unsubtle suggestion to take notes on the information they're given. For Shinki, there are stacks of informational pamphlets sitting out on a table inside the room, and which new shinki are offered as they are leaving the Meeting Hall.

Gods and Shinki alike are cordially invited to a training session beginning in early afternoon - several hours later - after they've had the chance to return to their homes, meet their new partners, and have their questions answered.

This time, it is implied that the Training Session will have a different purpose, so it is highly encouraged for ALL new gods and shinki to attend, no matter how long they have been in the Far Shore.



Divine Service

New gods are assigned a time to meet with an attendant in white robes with a chrysanthemum on their robes bearing a notepad. Gods can request a changed time slot, but they are not given an option to avoid the appointment entirely. Unless they are bullied into allowing multiple gods in one interview session, they insist on one god per time slot. All meetings take place in private rooms similar to those for New God and New Shinki meetings.

The interview consists of questioning the God's commitment to serving the needs of their followers, the Far Shore, and in turn Amaterasu herself. There is the matter of "A God's Actions Are Always Just" and The Gods' Greatest Secret as well, to see if the God believes these are true and important. Do they espouse these opinions to other Gods? Will they respond to a summons by Amaterasu to defend The Far Shore? (If prodded, the attendant will admit that they are in fact an Old God, despite wearing clothing similar to Amaterasu's shinki. They will claim it an honor to do a favor for Amaterasu during her preparations.)

The second round of questions are about their shinki. What vessel forms do they take, in order starting with Exemplar? How do you use them in combat? What sort of opponents have you faced with your shinki in vessel form - human, ayakashi, or other? Do you have any plans to personally train your shinki for battle ahead? For wielders of multiple shinki, when was the last time you used all of them working together?

They insist that all questions are answered. Afterwards, the God is dismissed.

(An OOC breakdown for you characters IC answers to the God Interview...)
On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being low and 10 being high, what is your commitment to serving the needs of...<blockquote><b>1. Your followers?</b> ## <b>2. The Far Shore?</b> ## <b>3. Amaterasu herself?</b> ##</blockquote><b>4. Do you believe that A God's Actions Are Always Just?</b> ... <b>5. Do you protect The Gods' Greatest Secret?</b> ... <b>6. Do other Gods know your opinions on the above matters?</b> ... <b>7. Will you respond to a summons by Amaterasu to defend The Far Shore?</b> ... <b>8. What vessel forms do your shinki take, in order starting with Exemplar?</b> ... <b>9. How do you use them in combat?</b> ... <b>10. What sort of opponents have you faced <i>with your shinki in vessel form</i> - human, ayakashi, or other?</b> ... <b>11. Do you have any plans to personally train your shinki for battle ahead?</b> ... <b>12. For wielders of multiple shinki, when was the last time you used all of them working together?</b> ...

Tempering the Vessel

Shinki are assigned time slots to meet with the white-robed shinki as well. While their sessions are shorter, the conversations are similar, and likewise held in private meeting rooms.

What is your vessel form? How many battles have you been in while in vessel form and what were your opponents? Do you have any opponents you would resist fighting alongside your God and fellow temple shinki? What have you done to increase your resilience while in vessel form? If you have other shinki at your temple, how often have you fought alongside them in vessel form? What spells do you know? Do you have any plans to further that training?

The shinki are then dismissed after all questions are answered.

(An OOC breakdown for you characters IC answers to the Shinki Interview...)
<b>1. What is your vessel form?</b> ... <b>2. How many battles have you been in <i>while in vessel form</i> and what were your opponents?</b> ... <b>3. Do you have any opponents you would resist fighting alongside your God and fellow temple shinki?</b> ... <b>4. What have you done to increase your resilience while in vessel form?</b> ... <b>5. If you have other shinki at your temple, how often have you fought alongside them in vessel form?</b> ... <b>6. What spells do you know?</b> ... <b>7. Do you have any plans to further that training?</b> ...

Shinki Training

A well-appointed dojo has been prepared for newcomers to practice their physical or magical arts. 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.

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. (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

While each month the Far Shore attendants try to adapt the physical training to the Near Shore's weather and holidays, the weather is fair and any festive impulses have been subdued. This time, Physical Training encourages pitting a God with one or all of their Shinki against another God with one or all of their Shinki. This is touted as a benefit to the Shinki, so the white-robed shinki make clear that certain Shinki need this training more than others. For example, the ones who answered their Interview questions saying they hadn't spent much time in their vessel form, or fought in many battles, or hadn't fought with their fellow Shinki much - if at all.

There are Old Gods (NPCs - not run by a mod) who can be targeted as opponents, allowing the temple residents to gel as one fighting unit. (OOC: So that your multi-person thread can be limited to as few players as possible, if you choose.)

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. Moreso than other Training Sessions, there is a wide array of international alcoholic options this time. If you've heard of it and you can get drunk by imbibing it, it's probably here in a bottle or glass. Guests can help themselves, settle in, chat, and make new friends.

The Old Gods in particular will begin to regale the crowd at the end of the afternoon with War Stories from the ages past, speaking of their great deeds they performed as prayers for their followers, miracles to convert the unbelieving, powerful ayakashi they fought, and other amazing feats, especially if they involved a shinki at their side - who it was and the form they took. After many Old Gods have spoken, they turn to the New Gods as if in challenge to tell better stories, mocking words exchanged that imply the New Gods could not possibly have done anything so impressive in their short time in the Far Shore.

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
• Answer Interview Questions
• Tell the truth - if you dare - or lie through your teeth... if you dare
• Tell War Stories
• Have fun~

Comments

OTA

[medicinemaster]

A. Divine Service

[It is all very confusing and deeply upsetting to Yaone. One moment she had been on the road with Dokugakuji and three members of the Sanzo party as they searched for the lost members of their group and the next, she was simply somewhere else that she did not recognize, alone. Her mind had been weighed down heavily with troubles concerning her lord and whether or not she and Dokugakuji would be able to return him to himself.

Under normal circumstances, Yaone might have able to muster up more of a calm, agreeable facade to fool a stranger into thinking she wasn't upset or disturbed by what was happening but instead she'd sat silently through the white-robed shinki's lecture about gods, shinki, and her new role here as He Xiangu, unable to feign even the slightest bit of caring in what they were telling her to do. The pencil and paper was an unsubtle message and Yaone's response was equally unsubtle - she didn't touch them even once.

At that point, the white-robed lecturer, perhaps frustrated by Yaone's continued disinterest in anything he had to say, excused himself with a promise to come back for an interview before stepping out of the small room. To her credit, Yaone waited for a little while before bolting from the room out into the hallway beyond. In her haste to leave, she wasn't really watching where she was going and collides head on with another of Amaterasu's people.

Anyone rounding the corner just then might stumble across a rather ominous scene - a white-robed shinki seemingly reaching for the wrist of a strangely dressed but beautiful young woman with pointed ears and long black hair pulled back into a split ponytail. To most residents of the Far Shore, she's a new arrival but to a handful from her own world, she's a very familiar face. And right now, that face is clearly distraught as she attempts to get away.]

Please let me go. I cannot help you. There is someone I must find.

[If she's here, surely that means those she'd been travelling with must be here as well. Or at the very least, Dokugakuji. He would not leave her behind, not unless their lord needed him more. Of that much, Yaone is certain.]

B. Physical Training

[This might be Yaone's first day in the Heavens but she's already suspicious of them. That they would apply such pressure to a newcomer and immediately make inquiries into her allegiances doesn't sit well with her. She's done enough information gathering for her lord to have developed some reconnaissance instincts of her own, even if it's not exactly her specialization. Between that interview and this exercise, it almost seems as if they're scouting or recruiting for an armed conflict.

Without a shinki, Yaone can't participate so instead she observes from the sidelines, her expression darkened and thoughtful. After a while, she heads over to inspect the polearms section of the weapon racks, looking through them rather intently as she searches for something specific. Apparently not finding what she's looking for, Yaone calls out softly to a passerby.]

Um. Please excuse me but would you happen to know where the short spears are kept?

C. Rest and Refreshment

[It is imperative that Yaone understand more about about the factions and apparent confict she has found herself dropped into the middle of. The presence of so many alcoholic beverages being served does not go unnoticed nor does the implication of why that might be go unnoticed. After all that Yaone has seen and experienced on her first day, she's come to the conclusion that this reported training session is not what it seems and the primary goal of all of this is to scout for information on those in attendance.

Is this Amaterasu figure spying on an opposing faction? Is there a hidden faction spying on her and her people? Her lack of knowledge and experience with this place are unsettling, enough that Yaone immediately goes about doing a little information gathering of her own.

Yaone sits on a cushion at one of the tables, listening rather curiously to one of the old gods ramble on about what she assumes is his glory days. From afar, Yaone seems relatively at ease but if one pays close enough attention, they might notice that she isn't eating or drinking anything that's put down in front of her.

That doesn't appear to be dissuade her present company, however, who keeps trying to nudge a cup of sake toward her. After a couple of attempts of this, Yaone finally makes a move to leave the table.]

I apologize but I must leave now. Please enjoy the rest of your day and I shall speak with you again once I am settled.

[Yaone bows deeply to the old gods, continuing to retreat as she does so. When she stops and straightens up, it's directly in someone else's path.]

D. Wildcard

A

[rockthemonkey]

[ Goku still isn't eager to leave Hakkai's side. Who knows what might happen while he sleeps? But Chikusa is watching him now and Goku trusts him. One of them should be at the Meeting Hall, with everything that's going on these days.

Besides, if people are going to turn up anywhere, it's here. And Goku's list of missing persons keeps growing the longer he's in this world. He needs to be here. Still, it's not the familiar face that catches his attention in the hall- it's the distraught person being dragged off by one of the white-robed shinki. ]

Hey- hey, let her go! [ With everything that's happened lately, Goku is absolutely ready to throw down with one of these guys if they're hassling some poor lady. He quickly pushes himself between her and the shinki. ] What're you-

[Wait. Goku pauses, blinks, and then looks back over his shoulder.] ... Yaone?

[medicinemaster]

[Now that is a face that Yaone hadn't expected to see, especially considering he'd been missing just as her lord had been. Her surprise and puzzlement are clear as day but that doesn't stop her from stepping further away from the shinki and consequently further behind Goku. On another day, under different circumstances, she'd have an excellent vantage point for sticking a knife in his back but right now, she's more concerned about the enemy she doesn't know and can't predict.]

Mister Goku. It is good to see that you are well.

[There's genuine relief in her voice as she regards the white-robed shinki warily.]

Um. Do you happen to know what is going on?

[rockthemonkey]

[ Goku should probably be better about turning his back on people who are at least technically his enemy. Unlike some people, he doesn't have a friend watching over him with a shotgun to defend him. But either Yaone is classier than Dokugakuji or she's just off her game, because Goku continues to go unstabbed. Today. ]

Uh, good to see ya too. When'd you get here?

[The shinki clears his throat awkwardly and Goku turns back to frown at him. "Huit... zilopochi-sama, I'm afraid I still need to ask He Xiangu-sama some questions-"]

You don't gotta call us that, both our real names are way easier. Hey, lemme talk to her first, okay? You guys suck at explaining anyway.

[Classic Sanzo Party diplomacy.]

C

[wildguardian]

Whoa there, careful, miss--

[He's just been almost backed into by a woman bowing to -- well, okay, Zhao Yunlan doesn't know whoever that windbag is who she's escaping from, but the escape plan part is clear enough. He flashes her a swift wink as the dude with the antique mustache starts trying to tell her it's too early to leave the party, and steps between them, turning to put his back to Mustache.]

-- what a coincidence! I was just looking for the door, I swear every time I visit this place I get turned around. If you're heading out, mind if I tag along?

[medicinemaster]

[Quick on the uptake and grateful for the help, Yaone smiles.]

No, I do not mind at all. Please come with me and we can find it together.

[She stresses the last word ever so slightly with a meaningful glance toward Mustache, a silent warning to the old god that Yaone will not be alone should he decide to further insist on her company. Whether or not she and her rescuer part ways after this moment, it's important that Mustache not understand just how vulnerable she is in this place.]

I believe that I came in this way....

[Yaone points vaguely toward the Meeting Hall's main entrance and sets out in that direction. Once they've walked away enough to be out of Mustache's earshot, she softly murmurs:]

Thank you, mister.

[wildguardian]

Zhao Yunlan, and it's my pleasure.

[He's sticking by her side, a half-step behind as he searches his pockets for lollipops and comes up with two. One lemon, one watermelon; he offers her the latter.

(It's not his favorite flavor.)

The other, he unwraps and lodges in his cheek, talking easily around it.]

So, what did that jackass back there want, anyway?

C

[inthemoonlightsshadow]

[Dark Precure has spent most of this little party standing around, sticking out like a sore thumb. And... her patience has more or less reached an end, so she's decided to leave. Which... causes her and Yaone to basically collide with one another as the other goddess straightens up to leave. Bumping into Dark Precure would feel like doing so against someone larger and more heavily built, despite her relatively light frame.

The young woman stares at Yaone for a moment, before closing her eyes and remarking:]

Watch where you are going.

[medicinemaster]

[At first, Yaone thinks she's collided with a man, perhaps an old god on his way to the table she'd been departing from. However, that's not the sight that greets her when she turns around to apologize. Instead, she sees what appears to be a young woman. For a moment, Yaone looks stunned before dropping into an apologetic bow.]

I am sorry for bumping into you, miss. I shall be more careful from now on. Would you let me get you a refreshment as an apology?

[The only refreshments around are the same ones that Yaone herself has been avoiding all day but it's a friendly reflex of hers when she's made some sort of misstep.]

[inthemoonlightsshadow]

[Dark Precure regards her coldly, crossing her arms as she bows.]

I require no refreshment. The only variety available here is the sort that dull your senses. As an instrument of a god's will, I must remain sharp at all times.

...

Something cool may be appreciated, however.

B

[reloves]

[ Honestly, Yaone is pretty lucky that Minako is even hanging out around this area at all. She usually would have focused much more on the fun rest and refreshments part of this day, but the questions she was asked by that white-robed shinki left her with way too much anxious energy to not hang around near the training area. And yet the nervous flitters are too strong to actually get some training in, go figure.

It's probably why Minako looks like she's snapped out of a daydream when the other calls out to her - her head snaps in Yaone's direction, eyes wide in surprise before the question fully gets through to her brain. ]

Oh! Um.. Have you tried looking near the shorter weapons..?

[medicinemaster]

No, I have not yet. Thank you for the tip.

[Yaone hadn't missed how preoccupied and dazed the girl had seemed before answering her question. She offers the girl a polite smile as she starts browsing the shorter weapons as had been suggested. Yaone still isn't seeing any spears, though. It's mostly knives and short swords - a little too personal for her tastes. The only weapons here seem to be ones for training, too, and Yaone's not confident enough in her combat skill to make blows from those count in a real fight.

No, she'll need to escape from the Meeting Hall and go about about crafting her own weapons from what natural resources she can find in the area.

In the meantime, she turns back to the girl, calling out to her quietly.]

Miss? Um. Is everything all right?

[reloves]

[ If there's any evidence about how quiet and truly in a daze Minako seems, it's the fact that she just leaves Yaone at it after giving her answer to the question. Usually Minako would have been all over this sort of thing - not resting until she would've found a short spear for the other, even if it meant dragging Yaone all over the place despite her being a stranger.

But right now she just seems to sink right back into her thoughts, to the point that she looks a little surprised when the other speaks up to her again. ]

Hm? [ She rapidly blinks, like she's trying to get her mind back together and register the question. ]

Ah.. Yeah.. [ Not too convincing of an answer. Minako probably realises as much, since she quickly tries to smile a bit. ] I was just thinking about some stuff, sorry, sorry! I must've seemed a little weird, right?

[ She giggles, even though it's still a little on the weak side. ]

Did you need more help?

C

[ittenbari]

Whoops!

[Sakon sidesteps her easily, then suddenly he's the one bowing apologetically.]

Totally sorry! I wasn't really paying a whole lotta attention.

[He's been kind of preoccupied all day. He's been reassigned (again) to a god he hasn't met yet and that coupled with all the weird questions he had to answer this morning is making him pretty uneasy.]

[medicinemaster]

Please do not worry. It is I that did not pay attention.

[And now Yaone is bowing again, too, this to the young man she'd almost run into into. She had been informed by the white-robed ones that she'd been assigned a shinki to work with but with all her worries about her lord and uncertain circumstances she'd been dropped in, that fact had completely slipped her mind. It comes back to her now, however, as she straightens again, her gaze settling on this new fellow.

There's something about him, an odd tug of sorts on her heart that compels her to take a step closer to him. Yaone watches him a moment, head tilting and brow furrowing quizzically when a vision suddenly fills her mind.

A night sky, two men, one repeatedly slashing at the other who merely stands there at takes it. In her mind's eye, she sees him fall, hears his words about winning, at last - then the vision fades. It's such a new and vivid experience that it takes Yaone completely offguard, causing her to slump and pitch forward toward him a little. She lifts one clawed hand to press against her forehead.

She doesn't feel feverish as murmurs.]

I am sorry. I saw something and it startled me. Are you...

[She trails off mid-sentence, sounding a bit bewildered. What had been that name again...? It's not like her to forget names but it's been a day.]

Are you my shinki?

B

[swordofzero]

Yes they are over this way. [For the most part the weapons are organised, even if on training days they are messier with people taking things out to practice with and not quite putting them back correctly. But it can be confusing at first, with the shear amount of them.

So he gestures towards where they are kept with a small smile.]

[medicinemaster]

[Yaone smiles back.]

Thank you, mister.

[Now that Yaone's been directed to the proper place, she begins inspectng the spears carefully, trying to find one of a similar length to the one she uses back home. It's dulled like all the others but she might able to take a human down with it if necessary, given how fragile their bodies can be. Or Yaone could actually use it for its intended purpose of practice instead of fretting over defending herself during a war that may not come.

Maybe she should do that. It might help her work off some nervous energy to get some exercise.

Yaone moves a short distance away with her new weapon, careful to give herself adequate room in order to practice in. She's gotten much better with repeated skirmishes and frequent practice but she still has to train incredibly hard.]

Are you a fighter?

[She tosses the question in the young man's direction more to strike up friendly conversation than anything.]

B

[heptagram]

[Patchouli doesn't keep a whole lot of track of that kind of thing. She's not much of a fighter. Not with weapons, anyway. But she'll try to help.]

Hm. I'd think they're with all the other...

[...she turns around to look. Nope, not there.

Oh.]

Huh. Why aren't they there? Guess we should check everywhere.

[medicinemaster]

I thought they would be with the other polearms but that seems to be wrong.

[Yaone speaks with the same sort of mild confusion one might expect from a customer at a grocery store that rearranged everything in between her visits. A spear is a spear, isn't it? It would make sense for it to be located with the other spears, wouldn't it? Most of the ones Yaone's finding are either too long or too short. They all appear to be dulled training weapons, too, not quite what she's hoping for to defend herself with if armed conflict should break out.

She's more of a doctor than a fighter herself but she'd not be caught helpless in the crossfire of whatever is going on if she can help it.]

Maybe I overlooked them? I will check this section again.

Rest and Refreshments

[letteropener]

Whoop!

[Celestia rears up slightly, trotting backwards on her rear hooves for two steps before she drops back down.] Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! Are you all right?

[She's pretty sure she didn't graze the poor girl with a hoof, but sometimes her shoes make it difficult to tell.]

[medicinemaster]

[Talking flying unicorns aren't really common in Yaone's world but given some of he strange things that are commonplace in Shangri-la, it doesn't faze her too much. She smiles pleasantly, just as she'd do at anyone humanoid.]

I am fine. Thank you for asking. I am sorry. I was not watching where I was going.

physical training

[smilingbullet]

[ D2 was just on his way to switch out the firearms he has been disassembling and reassembling for the past half hour or so for some other firearms. He's calmer than he was before.

He doesn't mind being stopped on his way as much as he would have before. He's not forcing a smile and ignorance any more, it's much more natural now than when he first left the interview. ]

Ah, yes ma'am, I do, would you like me to show you where they are?

[medicinemaster]

[The sight of a smiling face is very welcome, helping put Yaone a little more at ease with all the tension in the air. She nods to the man.]

Yes, please. If it would not be too much trouble. It would seem that I am not familiar with this style of organization.

[Which is a very polite way of saying that the way the weapons are arranged after folks taking and returning things out of place is a mess.]</small.

Wildcard: Surprised Pikachu Face (but around the Physical Training time)

[royaltyloyalty]

[ He can scarcely believe she's real. Never mind that she was the one who contacted him first as he was just starting to consider going to the training session this time. Yet as he makes his way around, the unmistakable youkai energy starts to draw him towards her. He's sensed it barely a handful of times in his whole tenure with the Far Shore, half of them from the Sanzo Ikkou's gang and half from random Demons, some gods and some shinki. She shines like a beacon, though; hers is a familiar draw even after all this time. He rarely feels nostalgia for his past, it's usually too tainted by plenty of other feelings to actually reach that emotional value, so this is arguably one of the strongest times he's ever felt it.

Finally, Dokugakuji approaches Yaone as she's training. ]

... Yaone.

[ He calls to her at conversation level, but there's still that awestruck nature to his voice. ]

You're alone. Aren't you?

pfffft XD

[medicinemaster]

[After firing off a quick reply to Dokugakuji's text, someone in white robes comes out to usher Yaone back indoors. She doesn't protest too much. Yaone hasn't strayed too far and he knows she's at the Meeting Hall now; he should be able to find her easily enough. When she hears his voice, she turns toward it, just staring at him a long moment before just launching herself him, flinging her arms around Dokugakuji's waist.

She'll answer soon enough. Yaone just needs a moment to anchor herself first.]

Yes. Lord Kougaiji and Lady Lirin are not here.

[The words come out in a quiet murmur.]