godsoffortune: (anonymous jackass)
The Far Shore Mods ([personal profile] godsoffortune) wrote in [community profile] thenearshore2019-01-16 09:40 pm

January Training

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...)


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...)


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~
mithrarin: (whoa hold on)

ii

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-18 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[That voice sounds a little familiar...]

Mirei?!

[People leave all the time. Dust's learned to cope with that, no matter how much he dislikes that truth. But returning? He sure as heck hadn't expected that. To the point that it leaves him visibly agape and questioning if he's truly seeing what he's seeing.]
disciprined: (Paprika Private Academy Rule #341)

[personal profile] disciprined 2019-01-18 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Dust!

[She turns. She breaks out into the first genuine smile she's mustered all afternoon.

[Oh, it's good to see him. It's good to know that he's still here. All the memories of this place, of the people she'd met, the things they'd experienced together... it had been good to have them back, but, with that, had come regret, and a touch of guilt. People vanished from the Heavens all the time, and how long had she been gone? No way to tell. What if they had all--

[She needn't have worried. Not so keenly.]


You're still here! I thought you might have gone home. And... I'm sorry, it's selfish of me, but I'm glad I got to see you again. How have you been?
mithrarin: (smile)

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-18 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[Wow. It really is her. Dust cracks his own smile, which manages to be completely genuine right up till her question.]

I've been all right. [He feels a little guilt about telling such a straight-up, bald-faced lie to Mirei, but now is not the time for his problems. Not will it ever be, honestly.] No fears of me going home, I don't think, I'm definitely dead there.
disciprined: (Paprika Private Academy Rule #586)

[personal profile] disciprined 2019-01-18 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh - I'm sorry. It slipped my mind.

[Oh, dear. Put it down to being glad to see him. Clearly, she still has a lot to learn about - and from - Dust...

[Yes, she's very glad to see him okay. Maybe she's not a hugger, but Mirei is. She makes a note that she owes him one.]


How long have I been gone? Things seem to have changed quite a lot. I'm sure I must be unforgivably behind.

mithrarin: (look away)

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-18 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
A few months, I think. Last I saw you was... back when we were cleaning up that hot spring place? [Before Christmas, what seems like ages ago, when she'd been in the kitchen.] You've missed a lot, yeah. Volcano eruptions, for example. I'm not sure you really wanted to be here for them, honestly.
disciprined: (Paprika Private Academy Rule #244)

[personal profile] disciprined 2019-01-19 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
There was a volcano?

[Perhaps 'unforgivably behind' was giving herself too much credit.]

No wonder things have changed. Though I can't say that explains the chilly reception. I suppose they believe that the newcomers will know no better, but I've never seen them greet incomers like this before. They don't even appear to be trying to make us feel welcome.
mithrarin: (outstretched hand)

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-19 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
There's... a group of people, moving against the Far Shore. Some gods, I think. I don't know the details, I'm not involved...

[Not involved with much of anything, honestly. All this time and he's accomplished nothing...]

But things aren't good.
disciprined: (Paprika Private Academy Rule #480)

[personal profile] disciprined 2019-01-19 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
No... no, they really don't look it. They're certainly acting like they're expecting an army to pitch up at any moment.

[And they seem to have handed rallying the troops over to Joe McCarthpri.]

Does this have anything to do with that incident in the woods?
mithrarin: (look away)

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-19 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, same group I think. They caused the volcano, too. Pretty sure there's a couple of gods they blame, and...

[Dust shrugs. What does he know about politics?]

Sorry you came back to that...
disciprined: (Paprika Private Academy Rule #16)

[personal profile] disciprined 2019-01-19 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
Well, it's not as if I was uninvolved before. The day we returned from the forest was the day I first spoke to you.

[She smiles. Some good came out of that whole mess, after all.]

They wouldn't be referring to new Gods, would they? I didn't think that any of us had access to that kind of power. Even our new Gods of Fortune seem far more limited than that.
mithrarin: (hold onto your hat)

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-19 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Who knows, at this point? [Argh, he's being so useless.] But I don't think so. I guess the big question is where everyone's loyalty lies.
disciprined: (Paprika Private Academy Rule #488)

[personal profile] disciprined 2019-01-20 10:23 am (UTC)(link)
Is that what they fear? This is the exact kind of behaviour that breeds more disloyalty, not less. The punishment must follow the crime. Treating people who have done nothing like criminals only makes them feel that they have nothing to lose by actual disobedience, and it tells those who have something to conceal to hide it better.

[Ask Me About Effectively Hiding And Deodorizing Your PriTickets. Never Busted.]
mithrarin: (look away)

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-21 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
You know their attitude. The Far Shore is always right and just.

[This figures. First time he's seen a friend in forever, and they immediately go into complaining about the Far Shore. Well, Mirei is a sensible girl who likes to think things through; he shouldn't be surprised.]

But honestly, people will do whatever they want to do, I think.
disciprined: (Paprika Private Academy Rule #445)

[personal profile] disciprined 2019-01-22 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
Exactly. This is counterproductive to say the least. All it'll be good for is intimidating the newcomers - or completely putting them off.

It seems to me like all believing all your actions are just is good for nothing but stopping you from thinking about them at all. A wise teacher knows better than to believe that. Do they want us to take Gods for fools?
mithrarin: (look away)

[personal profile] mithrarin 2019-01-22 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
From their perspective, that's impossible. Anything they do is automatically just and right -- so if we disagree with it, we're the ones who are wrong.

[Dust's figured out how heaven works.]