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

[junkyarddog]

"They didn't like it, byon. But I wouldn't say anything else, so eventually they just let me go." Ken sounds a touch proud of himself. He'd enjoyed aggravating the interviewer, and he hasn't forgotten the irritated resignation on their part when they finally said he was free to leave. "They were stubborn, but I was stubborn...er." Is that a word? Ken decides it's a word now.

[kokuyoyo]

Chikusa could make a correction to Ken's mangling of the Japanese language, but you know what? Fuck it. He doesn't want to bother doing that kind of petty thing right now, and Japanese isn't even their first language anyway. They'll mangle it all they want. Chikusa still isn't entirely sure where Ken even picked up the 'byon' thing.

Instead, there's the faint sound that's probably Chikusa slumping onto the floor. "So it can be that easy... Well, they probably found you useless on an information front anyway if you were so dumb." Does he mean 'acted so dumb'? No. "I would have raised hell if they were determined to keep you..."

Murder. He means murder.

[junkyarddog]

Let's be real, Ken probably heard some cute girls doing something similar and started doing it himself because that's how he thought you were supposed to talk, and then he just never stopped even when it became obvious other people don't.

"Like you could've raised more hell than I could've." Ken sounds self-satisfied in this. He's quite secure in his belief that very few people can create more of a disturbance than he can.

[kokuyoyo]

Ken, he really does hate you sometimes, almost as much as he loves you.

"I could have raised hell if I wanted..." Does he sound very distantly sulky? It's hard to tell, considering the finely tuned precision in which Chikusa modulates his voice so that it often sounds barely different than his usual apathetic tone... but, even if he can't see him, Ken can likely pick up on it. Knowing one another since childhood does have its perks. "But I don't need to, so it's a moot point.... I wonder if they have a list of people who came in and who didn't?"

[junkyarddog]

"Yeah, but you wouldn't've wanted to if it took effort, byon!" Ken says this in the triumphant voice of someone who knows they've dealt the masterstroke. Then, curiously: "You think they're gonna try and track down the people who didn't come today? Ask them questions, too?"

[kokuyoyo]

There's no retort to that, but there is a kind of sound that might be in the vague proximity of a groan. No, he wouldn't. And he hates that Ken has him pegged on this. Well, whatever.

"They might. It's not as if the temples are hard to find... Especially Hakkai-sama's, or anyone else in the Central District." Such people are new gods intruding upon the domain of the old, after all. They must stick out like a sore thumb. "I'd like to see them try..."

He'll be the worst lowkey pain in the ass ever, all for minimum effort. He's already making plans for it.

[junkyarddog]

Implying you're not the worst lowkey pain in the ass already, Chikusa? Why do you think Ken has you pegged so neatly?

"Well, I did tell them to go talk to Hakkai-sama...'cause I figured he wouldn't tell 'em anything, and he'd smile at him that way he does." Chikusa knows the way Ken means. The Stepford smile with razor blades underneath. "But maybe they'll actually do it..." He sounds a touch anxious. "Is Hakkai-sama gonna be mad at me?"

[kokuyoyo]

Listen, he feels he can be worse.

Right now, however, he pauses and tries to dig up some of his best. Occasionally it occurs to him how much harder he tries- or at least it feels like he's trying- to pay attention to Ken's moods like this. It's definitely a new experience, no matter how long they've been dead, and he still doesn't feel like he knows what he's doing... But he tries anyway.

"No... You did right, Ken. Hakkai-sama can say things better than either of us anyway..." That is to say, he knows the proper way to be passive aggressive instead of their default, which is just aggressive. "If they do come find us... We'll deal with it."

[junkyarddog]

"Okay." Ken lets out a heavy breath of relief. "I was worried he'd get mad 'cause they'd come to the temple and it'd be my fault..."

[kokuyoyo]

"Hakkai-sama is stupid and a weirdo sometimes..." Which explains why they get along so well, honestly. "But he wouldn't blame you for something like that, Ken. He knows what you're like... and what Heaven is like."

A yawn rustles over the phone.

"Besides, they'd probably come over because I'm refusing to go over there right now anyway, which is even worse than just not saying anything... So it would be on both of us."

[junkyarddog]

Ken's snort is audible over the line. "You'd probably just fall asleep while they were askin' you questions, lazy kappa."

[kokuyoyo]

"I would not."

There's a long pause, followed by the sound of a body hitting a mattress.

"Wouldn't trust them not to be weird while I was sleeping..." He's sensible enough there, at least. He'll sleep in all sorts of weird places, in a variety of weird positions, but he won't sleep in front of an enemy. Not if he has a say in it. "I'd close the door in their faces... and then go to sleep..."