March Training / Fourth Wall Event

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Information and Training and... Fourth Wall Event Kickoff!
When: April 22nd 2017 (Kickoff) but Fourth Wall lasts through April 26th
Where: The Far Shore (to start); All Locations here and Map here
Summary: Unexpected visitors arrive in The Far Shore for a little while.





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 midafternoon, once they've had the chance to return to their homes, meet their new partners, and have their questions answered.

Gods and Shinki: The Real McCoys

New gods and shinki - the real ones, the ones that were expected - 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 Heavens are going about their usual business preparing for the new gods and shinki that they were actually expecting, when unexpected visitors appear out of thin air, as if having teleported in on their own power. They are scooped up along with the new gods and shinki and, initially, treated no differently. "Gods" are new arrivals who have strong memories of who they are, while "shinki" are experiencing various states of memory loss.

4th Wall Gods: A House is not a Home

New gods are normally shown their new temples in the morning and introduced to their new partners. The characters who arrived for the event and experienced no memory loss seem like they should be "Gods" and so white-robed escorts with chrsyanthemum logos on their backs take them to where they think their temples should be - in the Western District, where the other "New and Obscure Gods' Temples" always are. Despite many cleanup attempts, the Western District is still scarred from the aftereffects of a volcanic eruption and earthquake only 3 months ago, with fissures in some of the roads and burn scars in the wild landscape. Along the way, the escort can answer questions as provided on the God 101 page.

When they arrive, the escort is surprised to discover a set of ruins instead. This happens, they explain, but usually when a god leaves The Far Shore, not when they arrive. While the escort starts to rifle through some paperwork to figure out what's going on, the "God" is welcome to explore the ruins and - to the shock of both - the ruins transform.

How it transforms is up to the 4th wall player! It should not be very large, no bigger than a one-room building or, if more natural, a small garden or lake complex. Alternately, the ruins can not transform at all, or simply get cleared away into something more clean-slate like a rock garden plot. Get creative!

Afterwards, the "Gods" are encouraged to show up at the afternoon Training session to better understand their circumstances. Before the escort leaves, the "God" will be provided a phone with which they can access the Heavens' BBS system; their display name will be a warped version of their real name, such as "Bob Smith" appearing as "bOBsMITH" or something else that looks like a glitch.

4th Wall Shinki: And you may ask yourself

New "shinki" will wake by the Meeting Hall in a set of white robes from laying down on a tatami mat with a small box wrapped up and set at their feet. (The box can contain a few belongings of the character's from their canon, provided it can fit. Due to the memory loss, it can include things the character wouldn't recognize.) From the way that the bustling people around the area are talking, this is not a common occurrence.

At some point, a person in white robes with a big chrsyanthemum logo on the back will come to interview the person. "We are working on assigning you to a god and temple, but some things have come up," they try to explain, and will then be able to answer other questions as outlined on the Shinki 101. The "shinki" are encouraged to get dressed and explore the Far Shore if they would like, because eventually they will be assigned to one of the temples out there anyway. At this point, the shinki are also handed a phone in order to connect with the Heavens' BBS system; their display name will be a warped version of their real name, such as "Bob Smith" appearing as "bOBsMITH" or something else that looks like a glitch.

God Training: New and 4th Wall Both

Newly arrived gods are escorted into a small meeting room, with tatami floors and a stage at the front of the room where the speaker stands. A minor deity is giving the speech, and none of the white-robed shinki enter. Paper and pens are provided to all the attendees as an unsubtle suggestion to take notes on the information they're given. Newly arrived gods are encouraged to discuss the information with each other and ask questions of more experienced gods, as well as instructed to guide their new shinki appropriately. They are allowed to remain in the room as long as they wish, should they want to discuss questions with each other or with more experienced gods who are here to help out. The speaker delivers her welcome speech in the monotone of someone who's practiced it far too often. Hopefully no one's feeling sleepy!

It's around this time that the 4th Wall "Gods" might realize that, for as weird as everything's been, their experiences with their temples this morning are not the same as most new Gods. Additionally, they do not possess the power to teleport to and from the Near Shore; they might need a buddy to help them with that part! The 4th Wall Gods can't hear any prayers whispered on the winds either. They can't name shinki, whether those shinki were in the Far Shore before today, or only arrived through the 4th Wall situation. (There is one other kind of shinki that might still respond to their commands though...)

Shinki Training: New and 4th Wall Both

A well-appointed dojo has been prepared for newcomers to practice the 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.

What are borderlines? The 4th Wall shinki can't do them, no matter how hard they try. If they had previous magical powers, those still work though! Existing gods can name these "shinki" but 4th walled gods can't. The 4th Wall shinki have no death memories to convey to the god and no shinki vessel power, but they can still be used to Rend an ayakashi.

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. There are stacks of informational pamphlets sitting out on tables around the dojo.

Physical Training

The dojo is stocked with a wide variety of practice weapons, traditional and modern, to offer some practice opportunity to gods who, for example, find themselves with a sword shinki but are at risk of cutting off their own toes. It's also useful for veteran new gods wishing to train with their current partner shinki.

Several magically animated straw-stuffed training dummies, many of which have been carefully mended and patched with neat black stitching, are set up on the lawn with a white-robed shinki hovering nearby to watch over them. They make good training partners, although anyone who comes too close risks being targeted for a sparring match whether they wanted one or not. The supervising white-robed shinki has a nametag which reads HELLO, MY NAME IS SABIMEI. (To interact with Sabimei, please comment on the "NPC REQUEST" thread below! If you prefer, you may also handwave his assistance or advice with your character learning spells.)

Rest and Refreshments

There are casks of fresh, cold water near the dojo to make sure no one gets dehydrated, but for those who've finished working, hot tea and enough seasonal treats are available to make it look as though the Heavens bought out an entire sweet shop. They're being distributed by a few shinki in indigo-blue and plain brown robes with the sleeves tied back, who aren't above teasing the newcomers a bit.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Mingle with the 4th Wall "Gods" and "Shinki"
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Get in some training
• Have fun~
• OOC Event Information Post - ask us questions if you need to!

Comments

ota

[shogis]

god training
[ here is yet another face that you may not recognize. it's one of a young woman who seems to hold herself with poise; whereas some gods may seem to be far off in thought, she's listening very intently during the meeting and can be seen taking notes throughout. however, it's painfully obvious that she doesn't necessarily seem happy to be here. she seems worried. it seems like this one needs some time to digest the information being thrown at her.

after the information is given, hifumi togo can be found off to the side, looking through her notes. she doesn't approach anyone for some time and seems to prefer keeping to herself. perhaps a certain someone (you!) may feel like checking on her...

or maybe she's the one to approach first. after some time passes, hifumi will reach out to anyone who seems available to talk. ]

...Excuse me? [ her voice is quiet. ] I'm sorry to bother you--I just had a few questions...

the dojo (closed to lance)
[ at a later point during the day, hifumi can be found inside of the dojo. but while other people seem to be hard at work, hifumi seems...hesitant to get her toes wet. but it seems like there's something more important on her mind.

she's hoping to find her shinki, and she's asked a few people if they happened to be him...but to no avail. the only thing that's come out of her conquest is embarrassment, unfortunately.

but. she decides to try her luck one more time. she sees a boy around her age--maybe a little older? and he's very tall, too. if this doesn't work out, she'll call it a day and head to the refreshments. maybe he'll just find his way to her temple, sooner or later.

she taps on the stranger's shoulder. ]

Um...hello. I'm sorry to bother you... [ she's quiet...! ] Would you happen to be...Lance-san, by chance?

r&r
[ the tea here smells delicious and refreshing, especially after a hard day of work. hifumi will need some time to become adjusted to being a literal god, but right now? tea.

she pours a cup for herself, but sees that someone else is waiting in line behind her. she puts the pot down and turns to the person behind her and holds out the cup towards them. ]

Here. If you're waiting in line for the tea.

wildcard
[ ota! pm me or pp amplitude if there's anything you want to do specifically! ]

rnr

[phantomtrick]

...Thanks.

[ Ren drinks it all down in one gulp. His throat feels like it's burning. ]

Can I have another glass? I think I'm gonna choke.

[ Don't puke on Hifumi. ]

[shogis]

[ this is....

hifumi's eyes widen when she sees her friend. ren amamiya. how could she forget? she almost wants to say something, but she knows she can't. that's what's getting to her the most.

instead, she just sighs. ]

Yes, but...I think you should drink it a little more slowly.

[phantomtrick]

You're right.

[ Ren smiles and nods, Hifumi seems nice. ]

Hold on, are you dead too? I don't remember seeing you around before.

[shogis]

No... I'm a god. And I'm new here.

[ stop hurting her ren ]

... I'm known as Minerva, but...my real name is Hifumi Togo.

r&r

[priforprince]

My custom blend has already been provided.

[ "But for right now, tea" may as well be Shikyoin Hibiki's life motto (or it could be, if it weren't insufficiently narcissistic). She lifts her fancy cup to illustrate that, yes, she is well-off when it comes to her steeped-leaf supply. ]

Keeping that serving for yourself is best.

[ .....and apparently she's in charge of?? The Far Shore's tea supply, too???? she just decided right now....

A small purple stuffed goat toy, standing up on a wheeled platform with a silver platter suspended above itself, rolls up with a saucer on its platter. Here! You maa-y need somewhere to put your tea down later, so it shall provide. ]

[shogis]

[ (i can't believe i have two characters who are equally as confused by hibiki but are too polite to say anything) ]

Oh--Forgive me, I shouldn't have assumed. [ she frowns a little, but decides to just...keep the cup for herself, then. she steps back, but then suddenly, goat.

hifumi tilts her head. she can guess what it's here for, but... ]

Is this yours?

just another welcome service provided by the ULTIMATE PARTY HOST

[priforprince]

Indeed. All is arranged to my satisfaction.

[ At all times. FOREVER.

She sips her cup, which indeed is emitting a unique (but pleasant) aroma. The special Hibiki-blend tea, left for her by a departed fr..ffhdsd....acquaintance....

She's been savoring it, but a day in which the entire summoning system has broken down merits such indulgence. ] If you wish, refreshments and such may be retrieved, as well.

THANKS, HIBIKI!!!

[shogis]

[ dear lord. her tea smells very good, not gonna lie, and hifumi will try it once she's done with this cup of green tea. but.

she looks at the goat, and awkwardly sets her cup of tea down on the tray. ]

Um...thank you. I appreciate it.

[ she does!! honestly. ] My name is Hifumi Togo, by the way. You're very kind for offering these services.

god training

[defensivematrix]

[ Satya finds herself near the hall where new gods were given information. She hangs nearby because she is waiting for someone- or maybe because she is interested in what they might be talking about. The reality is of the latter, but she will pretend it to be the former, for shinki are not really invited here.

So after the speech is over, and those leading the lectures leave, the door remains open. Which can make for quite a compromised position (not stealthy enough) but she does definitely look like someone not busy and free to ask. ]

You are not a bother. [ Satya states firmly. ] Ask away, if my knowledge can be of use, I will share it.

[ It will be a second-hand information since she's not a god. But that hasn't come up in the conversation yet. ]

i love symmetra so much

[shogis]

[ hifumi nods and smiles in appreciation. it's small, but it's there. ]

I appreciate it.

[ so...where do we begin? how to be a good god? how to start going on missions? admittedly, she isn't quite sure if this woman is a god or a shinki, so maybe something a little more general would be better to ask first.

she settles on this: ]

Um...actually, I wanted to know how I should go about finding my shinki. ... His name is Lance.

I'll do my best to deliver

[defensivematrix]

[ That's actually a pretty tough question to answer. ]

Heavens have been experimenting with the process. I see they are still far from perfecting it. [ Satya's obviously not very happy about it. For how many months the new gods have been appearing a good administrative structure should have figured out a way to adapt already ]

Last time I heard shinki had been directed to the temples of gods they were assigned to. You might find him waiting when you return, but given the time of the day- [ ... ] Please follow me, it is possible that he is still attending shinki training. I can show you the way.

you're doing great :3c

[shogis]

[ ah- that would be very helpful. she feels a little guilty for the inconvenience, though. ]

If it's not too much trouble, I would appreciate it.

[ she does think that they do need a little more structure for this, though. she'd certainly like to meet her shinki asap and not have to wait until they all return to their temples. ]

Admittedly, I'm a little surprised that the process is this difficult...

God Training

[yoshinocherry]

[Yuna likes coming to training for a variety of reasons, one of them definitely being helping out the newcomers who seem a little lost or confused. It can be an overwhelming process! The people who are more familiar with the way things run should definitely help out if they can, in her opinion.

So, when she sees someone so diligently poring over notes, she can hazard a guess that she's spotted someone who could possibly use a little extra help, or at least a check-in to see how she's coping.]

Hello there! [Hopefully she's not interrupting...!] You look like you have quite a lot of reading on your hands.

[shogis]

[ ah...! it's not an interruption at all, but hifumi flushes just a little. she must look so studious right now... maybe it's a little embarrassing, but eh, she's always been kind of used to sticking out on her own.

she looks up from her notes at the newcomer. ]

O-Oh, these are just notes that I've taken from the meeting... [ a pause. ] Did you need something?

[yoshinocherry]

[Ahh, she thought so. It's encouraging to see newcomers taking their roles to heart, it makes her want to do her best to help them out in return...!]

I just wanted to check and see, since you've got quite a bit written down, if there might be anything you'd like extra clarification on.

[How about it...?]

[god training]

[dessanddesstruction]

[The individual Hifumi approaches is a teenaged girl, wearing an outfit that looks almost like armor. It's green in color, and the helmet resembles a witch hat. She's carrying a scythe as a weapon, which she's been employing in training. With how adept she is, Hifumi wouldn't be blamed for thinking she was used to being here.]

Ehhh? Questions? ... I'm not sure I can help, I just got here, dess.

[shogis]

[ it's very intimidating...but in a way, it's also very, very cool. the other girl looks like a powerful warrior, one who is unafraid to tackle any obstacle that may come her way--it's unlike anything hifumi's ever seen before. (she's also just a relatively ordinary teenager, so.) ]

Oh- I'm sorry. .. You might be just as confused about this as I am, then?

[dessanddesstruction]

[Kirika laughs nervously, rubbing the back of her head. Your illusion of her might just be shattered, Hifumi.]

I-I suppose I am. I'm trying to be useful, though! And I paid attention during the big lecture! ... Or I tried to...

[thegoofball]

[Lance has been...well. He's been getting the lay of the land, scoping out what's here. So far, it's been a lot of nothing.

(Well, not exactly nothing, but nothing that seemed interesting to him.)

So he's grateful for the distraction provided by him, but he's- well.]

Uh...Yeah, yeah. That'd be me!

[He puffs up, preening after a moment.]

How can I help you?

[shogis]

[ that's definitely him. she remembers the explosion clearly. it was such a horrible way to die...but lance seemed like he was ready to accept it. he was doing something heroic. and even if he doesn't remember it, hifumi has a lot of respect for him.

even if seeing his death was...a little traumatizing. but she'll deal with it.

she smiles at him. it's small but genuine. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Lance-san. [ a small bow. ] My name is Hifumi Togo, though you may know me as your god, Minerva.

[thegoofball]

[It's fine. It's not like it's gonna bother Lance, any, so it's fine.]

Hifumi, huh? Nice to meet you. [Calling her Minerva seems...too formal, somehow.] Guess this means we're partners, huh?

[Aren't you lucky?]

r&r

[galrarm]

[ Tea indeed. Shiro's certainly waiting in line, but he doesn't expect her to turn and offer a cup. ]

Are you sure? You were here first.

[shogis]

[ hifumi gives him a small smile. he's so tall...! she has to look up quite a bit to reach his eyes. ]

I'm sure. Please, help yourself.

[ she insists! ]

[galrarm]

[ So polite... Shiro smiles and accepts the tea. ]

Thank you. I appreciate it. [ He takes a sip, and it's delicious. Very refreshing. ] Are you new?