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

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku on the other hand has some level of natural grace. He might not remember hardly anything from his life before but some deep instinctive muscle memory meant that he could still fight. He was fast and fluid but he paused a few times, watching her, seeing her frown.

He's not sure why, it is clear she can fight. But he knows the drive to always want to improve.] Have... You are a god, right miss? Have you been learning the spear for long?

[medicinemaster]

Hmm? Yes, I am.

[As for how long she's been training with the spear, Yaone has to think about that. She'd had no combat training at all when she'd entered Lord Kougaiji's service three years ago. In the beginning, she'd merely been his personal apothecary, working entirely with medicines along with poisons and explosive powders as part of her occupation. It was not until some time later that she'd made the decision to take up a weapon with the intent of becoming more useful to her lord than she'd felt herself to be. The prince hadn't seemed entirely approving; in general, Lord Kougaiji appeared to dislike it when she put herself at risk. Yaone had always assumed it was simply because she had not yet reached his personal standard of competence yet which only made her that much more determined to improve in that area as well as medicine.

After a moment, she answers.]

I believe that I have been learning for a couple of years now. Why do you ask?

[swordofzero]

No real reason miss. [Curiosity mostly and an attempt at conversation, something he still sometimes found difficult.

Alright a lot of the time found difficult. He was just glad that Saber and Edge were so willing to talk, it made it easier to remain quiet in the background of their temple.] You are very skilled for someone who has only been learning for a couple of years.

[medicinemaster]

I am?

[Yaone's surprise is genuine. It isn't as if she spends a lot of time among fighters as one herself, at least, not enough to be able gain an accurate perspective on growth in this area. Dokugakuji is a skilled and talented swordsman and Lady Lirin and Lord Kougaiji are powerful fighters in their own right. She's able to hold her own well enough against Hakkai and the Sanzo Party during their duels but she hasn't had a lot of experience fighting or even sparring with many others.]

I have not taken part in very many battles and when I do, I utilize other methods, too, so I did not know.

[swordofzero]

You seem to understand much of the technique and your form is good. [He smiles encouragingly.] Of course it's the sort of thing that can only really be tested in battle but... You have a good base knowledge.

[As he says it he wonders if she will be insulted, that someone who could not say how or why he can fight as he does, could not give a number of years to how long he has known how nor has any remembrance of learning is praising her.

He looks down.] What other methods do you use, miss?

[medicinemaster]

[Far from feeling insulted, Yaone seems to blossom under the encouragement and praise. That a shinki doesn't know where their knowledge comes from matters little to her so long as their words and performance reflect it. This young man appears to know what he's talking about so Yaone's willing to take it at face value.]

Thank you very much, mister. That is good to know.

[She smiles sweetly at him, obviously very pleased by his input, before continuing on to answer his question.]

I am an apothecary. I implement medicines and explosives in combat.

[Spear fighting, medicine, and formulating and rigging bombs in combat is a rather unique combination of skills for a young woman who doesn't look a day older than twenty-five to have.]

[swordofzero]

[It's a unique combination in general, Suzaku looks impressed.] That sounds like very interesting work. [He's relieved she doesn't seem insulted. It is impressive though, spear fighting and explosives and medicine.]

Do you make the explosives? You're a scientist? [Apothecary sounds less modern than scientist and he's pretty sure it's mostly to do with medicine. But...]

sorry for the delays! I've been dealing with illness and catching up on everything

[medicinemaster]

I suppose I could be considered a chemist. I formulate medicines and gunpowder. I work primarily with powders but I experiment with other concoctions as well in my spare time.

[Invention is something of a hobby of hers. There's something relaxing about the methodology of mixing different substances to produce different effects.

And maybe, just maybe, small part of Yaone just thinks finding new, innovative ways to blow something up is really fun.]

it's okay!

[swordofzero]

[Medicines and gunpowder. That was an... interesting mix. Healing and also blowing things up. It wasn't something Suzaku expected to see together.] I see. [He nodded.] It sounds very interesting, I'm afraid I don't know much about medicine or explosives.

[medicinemaster]

It is a specialized trade. One of many. I would say that fighting in and of itself is also a specialized trade.

[It certainly goes against her upbringing and her parents' teachings. They had only taught her medicine and to some degree, a poisoner's art. They had instilled the understanding that many substances can be used to both heal and harm others, depending on how a doctor or pharmacist handled them. It was Yaone herself that had taught herself how to make gunpowder after researching 'fire medicine' during the course of her studies.]

In many ways, the art of combat has been far more difficult to master.

[swordofzero]

I imagine combat is difficult to master, it's something that takes constant training. [He has no idea how long it took him to be as skilled as he was, how much practice, how much experience. But he figures it must be a lot. Fighting is not something that people are good at without trying after all.]

[medicinemaster]

Yes. It can be difficult learning how to think and move appropriately in combat situations if a person is not accustomed to it. I spent very little time fighting at all before I began to train.

[She'd felt it best to learn how to fight, considering how helpless she'd been when the youkai traffickers had come for her. Her survival had depended on going along with their intentions and would have resulted in death anyway. Of course, learning how to fight has ensured that she if of greater use to Lord Kougaiji as well. It's been a worthy investment of time and effort.]

[swordofzero]

I would think so yes. [He nodded again.] Your training definitely paid off.

[It's a difficult thing. Suzaku doesn't believe people should have to fight but he is also aware that they do have to fight and so knowing how to fight and fight well is important.]

[medicinemaster]

Thank you. I wish to be useful.

[Even if the one Yaone dedicated herself to is not here, her best friend reportedly is. Dokugakuji will need her, too, if this situation erupts into conflict.]

I should let you get back to your own training.

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku understands that desire only too well. He nodded politely.] Thank you, it was nice to meet you miss Yaone and please let me know if you ever need a training partner.

[medicinemaster]

I shall do just that. Please take care of yourself, mister.

[Yaone smiles one last time and turns to leave.]

[swordofzero]

You too. [He leaves as well, off to do more training of his own.]