NOTE: This roleplay is open to everyone! Even if you haven't played a Persona game, we will make sure to accompany and assist you with answers. Reference is located here.

As of 5/25/2010, IC is in session, and we will not be accepting new S.E.E.S. recruits. Your character may join S.E.E.S. at a later time, but cannot start as a member.

Index
1. Overview
2. Plot
3. Background Information
-Persona
-Evoker
-Arcana
-The Potential
-Apathy Syndrome
-Kirijo Group
4. Setting
5. Persona Abilities
6. List of Arcana
7. Character Skeleton

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1. Overview
In Memento Mori, players assume the role of students by day, Shadow hunters by night. Until that fated hour strikes, their lives are normal, even mundane for some; attending high school and learning the ways of responsibilities are given high priority, and things, for the most part, are rather unremarkable. And then midnight approaches…

“What if I told you that there are twenty-five hours in a day?”

Enter the Dark Hour, a period between twelve A.M. and one A.M. During the Dark Hour, the outside world is totally altered, mostly with respect to atmosphere and color. The buildings, the night sky, as well as the moon would assume a sickly green hue, while bodies of water turn crimson. Puddles akin to blood pools will form on random surfaces as well, and all electrical appliances will cease to function. Normal humans will transmogrify into coffins and become oblivious to what is happening. Shadows become active during the Dark Hour and will attempt to lure humans out of their coffins in order to feed on their psyches, turning them into one of the Lost. If an ordinary human survives the Dark Hour without being attacked by a shadow, their memories would be erased instead.

The hub of these malicious creatures has been dubbed Elysium (after the Elysium Fields, another mythological location akin to Tartarus). Elysium, like the Pantheon of gods, has been tainted and warped. Revealing itself when the world turns green, it appears in the center and perimeters of the island, a living, thriving specter. It is said to be the stairs of Olympus, a labyrinthine tower that shifts with each waking moment. As Persona users of S.E.E.S. (The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad), it is our duty to explore Elysium at whatever cost, to locate and destroy the God Shadows on the full moon, and to prevent the spread of chaos. In addition to this, a rival group has surfaced in the midst of this crisis—they are known as Strega, and their Personae are summoned artificially. The motives that drive their actions remain unclear.

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2. Plot
Coast Island is the sister isle of Port Island; though it may seem as if the islands are dissimilar to each other, they are connected in many ways and more ways than people know. The Kirijo Group had a back up island, saving and replicating the data and information that they found out about the Dark Hour, Shadows, and The Mother of Shadows here also. Yet more experimentation happened here—the manipulation of life, for instance. Horrible things are being constantly birthed in the Dark Hour, and the inference that the Dark Hour is the key to immortal life is more than plausible. Upon the interruption of the experiment at Port Island, and the separation of Death into thirteen different shadows that were present on Port Island, Coast Island was plagued problems as well. The Shadows there became stronger and found ways to spread through the island. Here, they awaited the Fall.

Though a Persona wielder who held the Wild Card defeated Nyx and saved the world, the Dark Hour still persisted. Business was not finished. Destroying Nyx did save the world, but it altered reality. For if the Dark Hour was never present, wouldn't The Fall take place? With no one to stop its course? Killing Nyx created an unbalance in time, bringing forth a new, corrupted threat: Zeus, the King of Gods, authority of life.

Just as death has its ups and its downs, the same applies to life. Breathing life into something is not easy, but awakening a god who isn't the most benevolent one is not simple to deal with. Zeus plans on finishing what should have been finished—The Fall. When you can give something life, you can take it away as well.

Zeus summoned others to aid him in the destruction of humanity. Apathy Syndrome has returned after everyone insisted it had been permanently cured. But as Zeus orders one of his comrades to Earth, Apathy Syndrome grows worse during the day. The only few who can stop history from repeating itself are the Persona users...A loyal visitor has come to aid them, Thanatos, the God of Death, who prevented the last devastating event. How do you kill a God? With the assistance of the God of Death...

Every full moon a new god is summoned to earth to wreak havoc during the Dark Hour...

Upon the defeat of every God draws the Persona users closer to the head man in charge...But it also brings them that much closer to the said day the The Fall is destined to happen.

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3. Background Information
What is a Persona?- A Persona (plural: Personae) is a manifestation of a person's personality, referred to as a "mask" for an individual to use to face hardship. A Persona is similar to a Shadow. Shadows are malevolent manifestations of one's inner thoughts, while a Persona is a manifestation of the same feelings but tamed and trained. If an individual takes up a resolution in his or her heart, the Persona will undergo a metamorphosis into a stronger form. In order to summon a Persona, one must use an Evoker, though there are some cases where an Evoker is not required for summoning. A Persona can actually be artificially created, but because the Persona does not come naturally to its artificial user, it becomes violent and difficult to control; if the Persona-user isn't strong enough to hold back the Persona, it may even wind up killing the host. Artificial Personae can be suppressed by certain drugs, aptly named Suppressants, but use of the drugs causes fatal side-effects. Take note that we will be using original Personae for this game.

Only those with the potential to invoke a Persona are able to stay fully active during the Dark Hour and resist Shadow attacks; even if they sleep, their bodies will not transform into coffins, and they will retain their memories. A known side effect of people able to experience the phenomena is a significant decrease in stamina; the longer they stay awake, the quicker they will become tired.

Those who have this power to invoke a Persona are the only ones who can destroy the Shadows. Their Persona is their alter ego or their inner self.

Evoker – The Evoker is an instrument utilized to summon a Persona. It is shaped similarly to a gun, and the user must shoot himself in the head for the creature to be withdrawn. Think of this as suicidal Pokemon.

Arcana – The Arcana are the various classes of Tarot cards that categorize Personae. Each Arcana has a set magical element, and from that element, the opposite element is the said weakness. Not only does this pertain to us as Persona wielders, but also to Shadows as well. A list of them is located below. When choosing Arcana, it is possible to base your character on the traits associated with that class, though it is not necessary. For Personae, however, the rule applies.

Shadows - They are born from humans and carry with them human emotions, which are mostly negative. Strong-willed Shadows attract lesser Shadows, which later create stronger Shadows. Occasionally, a human will not transmogrify into a coffin, and will quickly become prey of the Shadows, having their minds devoured and becoming vegetative. Only those with Persona, even if they can't be successfully summoned, are immune to this effect and function normally during the Dark Hour.

The Potential – The ability to call forth a Persona. Before it is revealed, it is typically dormant within a user for quite some time. Freshmen students in the roleplay who are newly enrolled in S.E.E.S. will quickly have the opportunity to unleash their Potential.

Apathy Syndrome - a mysterious condition that affects students and residents of Coast Island. Those suffering from the syndrome suffer from debilitating level of apathy. When it strikes the inflicted will collapse in a heap where ever they happen to be and become unable to move, feed, or care for themselves. The number of cases grow in correlation with the approach of the full moon, when a Shadow makes an appearance somewhere in the city. The cases quickly decrease each time a Shadow is defeated, only to slowly rise again as the next full moon approaches.

Kirijo Group - Before the occurrence of the Dark Hour ten years ago, the Kirijo Group discovered the existence of Shadows. Upon realizing that they had the property to manipulate time and space, the group decided to perform experiments on them to refine and acquire their powers. Their project was carried out in the man-made Port Island, where a laboratory was built for such a purpose. During the course of conducting the research, the Kirijo Group collected Shadows en masse and found out the prophecy of The Fall, or the end of the world. Accepting Death as deliverance and following the wishes of their employer, the senior scientists began rejuvenating Death, the appraiser of Nyx to descend on humanity to bring about the advent of The Fall.

During the final stages of Death's rejuvenation however, one senior researcher named Eiichiro Takeba opposed the efforts to initiate the The Fall, interrupting the experiment. As a result, Death was forcefully separated into thirteen distinct Shadows, each bearing their respective arcana, with the thirteenth shadow, Death in an incomplete state.

The fragmented Shadows went berserk, destroying the lab and everyone within it. This in turn, made a significant impact on the time continuum, creating the Dark Hour. A tower soon emerged from the ruins of the lab. This was Tartarus, considered as the lair of shadows.

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4. Setting
Near-future Coast Island, considering its size, is a fairly popular tourist resort, with a small, thriving economy and a prestigious educational system. Nakano High School is the focus for our heroes. Here, we will reside together in a spacious dormitory exclusively meant for S.E.E.S. members. The dormitory has four floors: The first is a lounge and social area; the second is where the boys stay; and the third is reserved for girls, while the fourth is where group meetings are held to discuss the status of Shadow progression. Elysium always appears nearby.

Nakano features a plethora of extracurricular clubs, including an art club, kendo club, swim team, track team, theatre troupe, and student council. School blocks are divided into morning classes, followed by a free lunch period, an afternoon schedule, and the after school period, which will be given more interest (similarly to the game). The most commonly trekked areas around the island are the local mall, the park, the shrine, the beach, and the subway station, which will be officially named...soon enough. They are free to visit before you return to the dorm; your curfew, of course, is midnight.

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5. Persona Abilities
Each Persona may be affiliated with two elements with one skill for each accordingly. To balance this out, the Persona also requires a weakness.

Cleave (Slash) – Inflicts a small amount of Slash damage to one enemy
Bash (Strike) – See Cleave. The same applies.
Double Fangs (Pierce) – Hits twice for a small amount of Pierce damage.
Agi (Fire) – See above.
Bufu (Ice) – See above.
Zio (Electricity) – See above.
Garu (Wind) – See above.
Hama (Light) - %25 chance of instantly killing an enemy
Mudo (Dark) – See Hama
Patra (Recovery) – Recovers one ally from Distress, Panic, and Fear
Tarunda (Enhance) – Lowers one foe’s attack power for a brief amount of time
There are hundreds of more powerful skills available, but they will be used as our characters grow stronger. A full list is located here.

6. List of Arcana

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0 - The Fool - Hiro Setsumi (akito)
The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. He represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world. Associated with Hermes.

I - The Magician
A figure with the face of the divine Apollo, the sun god, with a confident smile and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the lemniscates of infinity. Associated with Apollo.

II - The Priestess
The Priestess signifies knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know in order to make an important decision. Associated with Hera.

III - The Empress - Kimiko Murakami (Lady Ethereal)
The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. She sits on a throne wearing a starry crown, holding a scepter in one hand. The scepter is representative of her power over life, her crown has 12 stars representing her dominance over the year, and her throne is in the midst of a field of grain, representative of her dominion over growing things. Associated with Demeter.

IV - The Emperor - Kaito Murakami (Maestro)
Like an infant, he is filled with enthusiasm, energy, aggression. He is direct, guileless and all too often irresistible. Unfortunately, like a baby he can also be a tyrant. Impatient, demanding, controlling. In the best of circumstances, he signifies the leader that everyone wants to follow. Associated with Poseidon.

V - The Hierophant - Steven Earnhardt (blockcoder)
He strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist. Associated with Cronos.

VI - The Lovers - Kumi (Victim)
Love is a force that makes you choose and decide for reasons you often can't understand; it makes you surrender control to a higher power. Its appearance in a spread indicates some decision about an existing relationship, a temptation of the heart, or a choice of potential partners. Often an aspect of the subject's life will have to be sacrificed. The choice to accept or deny this change should not be made lightly, as the ramifications will be lasting. Associated with Aphrodite.

VII - The Chariot
On its most basic level, it implies war, a struggle, and an eventual, hard-won victory. Either over enemies, obstacles, nature, the beasts inside you, or to just get what you want. The Chariot has two conflicted sides to it that want to go separate ways. Only by forcing them to go together can problems be solved. Associated with Pallas.

VIII - Justice - Saito Renbara (Azure Limit)
Justice is about cold, objective balance through reason or natural force. They will do whatever is necessary to bring things back into balance, physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually. Associated with Prometheus.

IX - The Hermit
The Hermit is a card of introspection and analysis. This is not a time for socializing; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. Nor is it a time for action, discussion or decisions. It is a time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent during this time of withdrawal. But such times lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity. Associated with Epimetheus

X - Fortune
The Fortune is all about luck, change, and fortune. Almost always good fortune. Almost every definition of this card indicates abundance, happiness, elevation, or luck. A change that just happens, and brings with it great joy. Associated with Pheobe.

XI - Strength
Strength is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. She proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. Those forces can be controlled and used to win a struggle. Associated with Athena.

XII - The Hanged Man Chouko Unmei (Hoo)
The Hanged Man is a card about suspension, not life or death. This is a time of trial or meditation, selflessness, sacrifice, prophecy. He stops resisting; instead he makes himself vulnerable, sacrifices his position or opposition, and in doing so, gains illumination. Answers that eluded him come clear, solutions to problems are found. He sees the world differently, has almost mystical insights. Associated with Penthus.

XIII - The Death - Ritsuka Kurosaki (Kaida)
Death is not necessarily always about dying. This is a card of humility, and it may indicate the subject as being brought low, but only so that they can then go higher than they ever have before. Associated with Thanatos.

XIV - Temperance - Yui Shitsue (ShatteredMind)
Temperance represents merging seemingly impossible opposites. Belief that fiery red and watery blue cannot be merged may be the only thing standing in the way of blending the two. Change the belief, measure out each with care, and you can create otherworldly violet. Associated with Hephaestus.

XV - The Devil - Ivory Steinbach (Karri Khaos)
The Devil is not really Satan at all. This is a card about ambitions; it is also synonymous with temptation and addiction. It can be a warning to someone who is too restrained, someone who never allows themselves to get passionate, or ambitious. This, too, is a form of enslavement. The Devil is about recognizing that you are only bound because you allow yourself to be. Associated with Hades.

XVI - Tower - Ayakou Sabumidori (Hoo)
The Tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. It sometimes takes a shocking revelation to see a truth that one refuses to see. Or to bring down beliefs that are so well constructed. What's most important to remember is that the tearing down of this structure, however painful, makes room for something new to be built. Associated with Ares.

XVII - The Star - Eiji Kuroda (Cantabile)
The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming. Associated with Astraois.

XVIII - The Moon - Mayari Ruriko (Azure Limit)
The Moon is about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. Associated with Selene.

XIX - The Sun - Aika Yukimura (Tæfarós)
A positive card, it promises days in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. It symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy. Associated with Hemera.

XX - The Judgment (Not playable)
Judgment is about rebirth, resurrection. There are wounds from the past that we never let heal, sins we've committed that we refuse to forgive, bad habits we haven't the courage to lose. Judgment advises us to finally face these, recognize that the past is past, and put them to rest, absolutely and irrevocably. Associated with Zeus.

XXI - The World (Not playable)
In the material world, this card's energy often manifests as a promotion to a higher position or an initiation to a new level of knowledge that was only dreamed of before. But this time of rejoicing and happiness, this peak of ecstasy, merely gives us a glimpse of the next mountain on the horizon. So once again you must step up to the cliff and leap off, ready to start a new Fool's journey and find what secrets lie in this new level of existence. The cycle of the Major Arcana begins where it ends and ends where it begins; start and finish are no longer the ends of straight line, but coincident points on the circumference of a circle that encapsulates your life. The present is now. The future is now. Eternity is now. Formerly associated with Nyx.

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7. Character Skeleton

Code: Select all

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b] (16-19 for most of S.E.E.S., but there are exceptions allowed.)

[b]Gender:[/b]

[b]Orientation:[/b]

[b]Affiliation:[/b] (S.E.E.S., Strega, Other)

[b]Appearance:[/b] (Anime pictures allowed, but a description is mandatory.)

[b]Extracurricular Activity:[/b] (School elective(s))

[b]Personality:[/b] (A few sentences.)

[b]Hobbies:[/b] (What you like to do in your free time.)

[b]Dorm Room Description:[/b] (Customize your dorm! A tab for your room will be added once your character is stored.)

[b]Bio:[/b] (Optional, give a basic rundown of your life before now.)

[b]Weapon:[/b]

[b]Persona Name:[/b]

[b]Persona Appearance:[/b] (Describe this, too.)

[b]Persona Arcana:[/b]

[b]Skills:[/b] (Two elements, one weakness.)

[b]Theme song:[/b]


~Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, and related properties are copyright Atlus.

Congratulations! You’ve gotten to the rules and regulations! What fun!

1. Standard RPGateway rules apply. Plot twist!
2. I am your humble GM. Victim will be running things on the side; he developed ninety percent of this roleplay, so know him well and feed him cake.
3. No godmodding of any sort. Don’t make us want to reach through the screen and hurt you.
4. This is a literate roleplay. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are your friends, and creativity is the weapon with which you wield them. That being said, there is no post requirement, but this is not an excuse to get sloppy with one-liners or deliver a novel-length post ridden with purple prose. Write what progresses the story; write what feels appropriate.
5. Given the nature of Persona, romance is definitely encouraged. Just be sure to keep within the guidelines of what’s allowed. Common sense is common sense.
6. For the sake of convenience, PM your profiles to us. Victim and I will let you know if you’re in.
7. Check these often! We may decide to alter these at any time.
8. Keep OOC out of IC.
9. Post under the [Thread Play] tab. The other places will be used in chat play for whoever wants to use them.
10. If you’ve read everything, write “Pursuing My True Self” at the top of your sheet.
11. Lastly, do have fun, and don’t forget to mingle with your fellow writers. Persona is about relationships, after all. :)