Persona The RP (OOC|Open)

[Rupudska]

IC coming whenever
Opening Theme: "Hacking To The Gate" by Ito Kanako|Menu Theme: "California Love by 2Pac|Battle Theme: "Pull the Trigger"|Boss Theme: "Life Will Change"
"Freedom stretches only as far as the limits of our consciousness."
- Carl Jung, Paracelsus the Physician (1942)

---

Psychology is perhaps one of the newest of the major science fields. Sure, there are 'newer' fields in terms of physics, optics, astronomy, but these are merely offshoots of far older sciences. Psychology, however, is new - psychology as a science is arguably less than a century old and if not, it is newer than the photograph. There is much we do not understand - the psychologist faces the daunting task philosophers have faced for time immemorial of being a black box attempting to understand itself, and only since the 1850s have we been able to truly look inside. There is much we simply do not know. We know the mechanics barely enough to get by on maintaining mostly-healthy minds, and our grasp of brain chemistry is precarious even after centuries of study. And as for how the mind itself functions - from whence consciousness arises? Why do we dream? Where does imagination come from? Science has no definitive answer. As a result, the mindscape - the world of dreams, of imagination, has itself captured our imagination and has been the focus of stories for far longer than psychology has existed as a field. A world where the monsters are of our own psyche's creation.

One such franchise that deals with the world of the mind is that of the Persona series, itself a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei series by Atlus. In it, some of the major concepts of Jungian psychology - Personas, shadows, and the collective unconscious - are all taken to very literal levels. More than merely the person one portrays oneself as in public, Personas are literal spirits born of one's personality and will used to fight Shadows, their malevolent equivalent which usually stick to Shadow types born of archetypes, characters, and monster races found within mythology or history as part of the global consciousness. And in the most recent installment, Persona 5, the collective unconscious itself took form as Mementos, a dungeon mirroring the labyrinthine Tokyo subway system, wherein Shadows lay. Humans who are particularly twisted, or have insecurities/flaws they deny with particular strength, may have a Shadow of their own - and if their vileness is severe enough, it may warp the collective unconsciousness of the area around them and form a Palace - a region of the collective unconsciousness twisted to match the most powerful Shadow's warped consciousness or desires. One could argue that Tartarus, the sole dungeon of Persona 3, is also a Palace, though its formation had more to do with the ways extremely powerful Shadows could bend time and space in the real world.

We enter our story here, in the world of Persona, some thirty years after the end of Persona 3, in early August of 2029. The third will mark the first anniversary of the date when Estrella del Mar, the first floating city in the world, finished construction. It lies some twenty miles off the coast and within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County which it is connected to by the dual ten-lane and four-rail Saint Nicholas and Francis Drake bridges, and the six-lane two-rail Roy "Butch" Voris Bridge. Hailed as one of the seven wonders of the world, it was constructed in large part by the joint effort of dozens of global corporations. But by far the centerpiece of the city is the Megaroad Hadron Collider, a massive particle collider wit a circumference of 60 kilometers that encloses the city.

It is here that the Kirijo Group does most of its research in particle physics, black holes, temporal mechanics, and the boundary between our dimension and the dimension of the Shadows. The Hanzoku Gifted Academy (where most of you will probably be attending) also uses the MHC for particle physics classes. With state permission, so do the clubs. For example, the SEES club, which most of you are members or involved with, and which is backed by Kirijo Group itself - a club whose purpose is exploring the Shadowplane. History repeating itself? With no Tartarus to explore and little progress so far, it's little more than a bit of research and a bit of exploring. But there are always things happening in the city, and with how the social climate affects the Shadowplane, that could easily change.

---

Estrella del Mar, LA County, California. A glistening, floating citadel with a population already over two million despite inhabitation only beginning four years ago and the completion of its construction only one year ago, what started as a conceptual floating research station is already being hailed as the greatest engineering project of the century. Initially designed as a floating particle accelerator with housing for the scientists funded by NASA and the Kirijo Group, interest from other companies, charities, and the California (and later US) governments swelled it to a full-blown city whose outer limits are defined by the circular path of the accelerator. A network of canals, streets, and above-ground metro rails provide transportation to a city where one is as likely to own a boat as a car.

Some of the oceanside hotels of the Marseille Bay district of
Estrella del Mar. It is one of the few regions not devoted at
all to science, education, or industry.

Immigration, such as it was, came in four Waves - First Wavers, of course, were the scientists and their families hired by Kirijo Group to build the accelerator, as well as the construction equipment. Second Wavers came when the Megaroad Accelerator was opened to other business research facilities, and later headquarters. Businessmen, researchers, engineers, these mostly made up the Second Wave. Third Wavers came when education research companies and a handful of charities became interested, resulting in the creation of a school district wholly independent of that of Los Angeles, with mostly nonstandard education. It was also when Estrella del Mar became an official city - residents came in, selected at random based on a series of psychological and intelligence tests, invited to stay in the city as full-time residents with the costs of moving plus the first six months of rent, mortgage, or 50% homeownership costs paid for. This marked the official start of 'inhabitation', and its population soon swelled from a few tens of thousands to almost a million. Factories and businesses unrelated to research quickly sprang up. The fourth and final wave came after completion, when the doors of immigration were finally thrown open to the entire public - most came from Los Angeles county, attracted by various research companies offering to pay off or reduce initial costs of living in the city, and the large number of jobs needed to keep a floating city running.

A boom town, Estrella del Mar is easily one of the most technologically advanced cities in the Americas and the world. Companies such as Kirijo, GE, Samsung, Tesla, Google, and hundreds of others all went into ensuring that the city was as state of the art as possible. Perhaps as a result, it was allowed to enter the bidding to host the 2030 World Expo late in a joint effort with Los Angeles, which it has solidly won. A veritable modern paradise - low crime by county standards, even lower homelessness thanks to the Tiny House Village, an islet of tiny homes and sleepbox hotels largely for the homeless designed by a Chinese hotel chain and started to research means of minimizing homelessness. It seems the perfect city - safe, clean, and free - even if nearly everything about it either is or started as an experiment.

Alas, there are problems both inside and out. In the city, crime is rising with both tourism and population as the city transitions from the "world's largest research project" to a proper city. Not helping matters is the legality of gambling and casinos within the city, with Estrella del Mar being the first city in California to have commercial, non-American Indian-run casinos. Homelessness is rising, too, as the number of jobs available in the new city plateaus. Others are more cultural - the police, trained by the LAPD and with similar (if more modern) equipment, has heard complaints of either being too or insufficiently harsh. Fire-and-brimstone preachers, pundits, and prophets with arguments ranging from the near-logical to near-criminally insane. And of course, the cults leaking in from Los Angeles - everything from celebrity worship and UFOs to comet rides and airliners from space.

The primary campus for Hanzoku.

In the outer world, things are in a state of flux. Trump fulfilled his promises on both the Wall and improving the economy (to a point), though whether his programs actually made America great again is a contentious question. President Alan Winston took over from 2024 and expanded the rail network even farther than Trump had in his own second term, and as the Middle East cooled off in the 2020s began to fully pull out of the region, instead turning to the new/old hot regions of Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, as a decaying Russian military looked to other means of maintaining power, and Myanmar's civil war rapidly intensified after a series of bombings in 2026. However, his lack of charisma and his push to relax regulations on political parties running for congress or the presidency cost him the election to Libertarian nominee Joseph Sutherland. Outside of Southeast Asia and the US, the European Union is a shadow of its former self, with 2020 seeing France plunge into a civil war that ultimately resulted in the Sixth Republic and its departure from the EU, followed by several Eastern European states. With a Russia growing bolder even as it continues to shrink its military budget, this bodes poorly for stability in Europe.

Of course, that may or may not be a concern of you, student of Hanzoku Gifted Academy, located in the Art & Science district, within long walking distance of MHC's main facility. While technically a public school, it does require uniforms, and as a gifted school it accepts students from all across the city and from most of Los Angeles County. All walks of life are accepted at Hanzoku; the only requirements are that you pass the entry test, which you obviously have, otherwise you wouldn't be here. And as a member of the SEES club, you have a special job - funded and paid for by Kirijo Group, every once in a while you go to the particle accelerator, get sucked into an alternate dimension filled with monsters born of the global human consciousness, and do a bit of exploring in one dimension - Shadowplane - or another. You haven't been able to go far, as the only Shadowplane you currently have a stable path to isn't that big, but there's obviously more. You just need to find the way in, or wait for something to change in this dimension to open a path. Even if that would likely take one big change, or a lot of help.

It is August 3, 2029. A Friday evening like most others for you - heading to the accelerator, going to the Shadowplane. But somehow, you can't help but shake the feeling that things are about to change in a big way.

---

H A N Z O K U _ G I F T E D _ A C A D E M Y

"If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves."
- Carl Jung, The Integration of the Personality (1939)

Located near the southern end of the floating city on the eastern end of the Art & Science district, Hanzoku is the oldest and largest (by both square footage and student population) of the six gifted schools within Estrella del Mar. Like the other five, it takes in students regardless of income or location so long as they will be a resident of LA county for at least half the school year or have special permission. Its main building is positioned with the sea to its rear, like most of the larger schools in Estrella del Mar, though it also has an accessway to the sea in the courtyard large enough to allow sea buses in and out in emergencies. With a student body of 3500, it has two main reasons for the large size of the main building. Firstly, it has a large number of non-standardized classroom sizes and shapes, each one designed for a specific course or field of study - though the arts and some science courses are in separate buildings, with the main building gymnasiums both underwater.

The uniform insignia of Hanzoku.

The dorm rooms are scattered throughout the Art & Science and the neighboring Hobarth district. While not luxurious, they are state-of-the-art, as are all the facilities and vehicles. Opinion on the decor of both the dorms and the school itself has been... mixed. Some say it's fresh and modern, others say it's minimalist and overly white in color. Still others say the decor theme was stolen directly from McDonalds circa 2020. There's mostly blues and reds instead of yellows, and a lot more black, and even more cushions, but it's not entirely wrong.

The architecture and interior design of both the dorms and the school buildings is indeed minimalist - the school director chose this aging style to allow as much creative freedom to the students as possible - within reason of course, as the dorms are meant to live in for their stay as students, not to live in as humans. Still, everything short of tearing down the walls is allowed for the students, and many take advantage of it to give the normally stark white dorms vibrant colors. Dorm staff have suggested red, blue, or black, as those are the school colors, but such tones are only loosely adhered to. And usually only by fans of the Black Lions, the sports teams. Of which, the baseball, track, football, and soccer teams all play in the Black Box, a multipurpose grass stadium in Hobarth. As far as sports go, the Black Lions have (of course) a good football team, and (of course) a great basketball team, but where they really excel is in baseball and soccer, wherein they are dominant both in Estrella del Mar and major players in LA County.

The uniform, however, is pretty old-fashioned and standard. Blue-black blazers with red and gold trim over a red button-down shirt, with dark red pants/skirt and black boots and the school's insignia over the pocket. Very standard fare, and students are expected to follow the uniform standard rather strictly, even if the school does provide financing. They're of high-quality materials, so not every Estrellan can afford to buy it themselves. They are expected to be able to keep it clean however, which can sometimes be a challenge - science classes are mostly university-level, and the cafeteria is staffed by the Robert de Niro Academy for the Culinary Arts, a few blocks away. A bit heavy on the Italian, but Hanzoku does its best to have a large menu and a wide variety of national and regional cuisines to its students.

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E S T R E L L A _ D E L _ M A R

"No one can flatter himself that he is immune to the spirit of his own epoch, or even that he possesses a full understanding of it."
- Carl Jung, Paracelsus the Physician (1942)

The architecture and design of Estrella del Mar is certainly unique. Being built within ten years, the architecture is 100% modern, with even the churches being of modern design or construction - most notably the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, designed by Zaha Hadid to resemble a sailing ship. Some call the city futuristic, aesthetic, or solarpunk. Others call it a nightmare of deconstructivism and neo-futurism with as few right angles outside of streets as possible, cyberpunk when the sun is out, and soulless. The soullessness part may be off, but the rest is all true - and the city was deliberately designed as such. Expenses were spared on construction, architecture, and infrastructure, though some areas make it seem like they were short on cash near the end. For example, in many residential areas - especially in the South West district, street artists and property owners are actively encouraged to paint the buildings in vibrant colors to break up the monotonous whites and blues of many of the buildings. As a result, the residential and small business neighborhoods are quite vibrant.

Estrella del Mar's city hall, located near Malkuth Tower in Central City.

The centerpiece for the entire city is the aptly named Center City - here is downtown, the main government buildings, beneath the power plants. And at the dead center of the circular star-shaped city is Malkuth Tower, the largest singular building ever constructed at some nine hundred feet down to the sea floor and a further three thousand straight up - a massive wine-red lance aimed at the heavens. A multi-purpose facility, it serves as the primary anchor for the largest of the dozens of artificial floating islands that make up Estrella del Mar, an anchor for the underwater fusion reactors, offices, residential facilities, a massive vertical hydroponics farm, restaurants, shopping - a self-contained city center all to its own, which has led to half-serious jokes that it was built to survive the apocalypse. To which the city government officials laugh along, then half-seriously claim that it absolutely can.

Being less than a decade old, Estrella del Mar has yet to really form a culture of its own - besides that given to it by its scientist creators, most 'culture' it may have is that of the surrounding area, that is, Los Angeles and southern California. In-n-Out does battle with Five Guys and Whataburger over control of the city, the only city on the west coast that can boast all three. Otherwise, cuisine is the typical SoCal fare - a blend of Mediterranean, Southwest US, northwest Mexico, and seafood - probably more, since Estrella del Mar is literally on the sea. The music scene, likewise, is mostly a graft from Los Angeles - with most musical grafts from out-of-country instead of anything from the East Coast besides the old standards of blues, swing, metal and rock. Sports, though, it has in spades - mostly taken from nearby cities. The Chargers (in NFL) and the Krakens (in MLB) play beneath the retractable roof of the Google Dome (which already has the nickname of the Fish Bowl), the Clippers (NBA) play in the Kirijo Arena, both of which are within Gladiator Park, just north of Southwest.

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S E E S

"People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls."
- Carl Jung, Psychology and Alcehmy (1952)

SEES, the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, is a club at Hanzoku, and quite possibly the most unique after-school club in the Western Hemisphere. Instead of the students or teachers doing fundraisers for club activities and equipment, they are funded directly by Kirijo Group. Instead of using a random classroom (even if they do meet there sometimes) they meet in the Nantes dorm fourth floor lobby, which is reserved for them and consists largely of chairs and massive computers. They don't go on camping trips or field trips nearly as often as a club that rakes in as much cash as it does should, instead they usually go to a complex of three rooms within the main collision building of the Megaroad Hadron Collider, consisting of three rooms. The first a lounge and planning room, with the same massive computers as the Nantes fourth floor lobby. The second is an elevator that takes one directly into the path of the collider, and the third is a 'danger room', more on that later. Despite falling under the 'sports' budget, they do not have a uniform, instead just an armband with "S.E.E.S" on it in an unfortunate shade of red they put on their school uniform. One could argue they are a hunting club, but what they hunt is not of the material world.

SEES deals with entities known as Shadows, psionic life forms borne of negative emotions from the global collective consciousness of mankind and given form within the uncountable Shadowplanes. Large or small, though mostly small at the moment, SEES researches, analyzes, and for the larger ones kills any they find. They fight them using Personas, their willpower and personality given form in a way. Everyone possesses a Persona, though whether one can summon it is another story. There are generally three known ways to summon one's Persona. The first and simplest, which is the one SEES uses, is to use a device known as an Evoker. Evokers rely on the Kirijo Group's findings that Personas are a psionic defense mechanism of the human soul that activates by itsef whenever it senses it (the soul) is in grave danger. Evokers thus work by 'tricking' the soul into believing it is in danger, causing it to summon the Persona. Most resemble pistols, though an Evoker's form is largely irrelevant so long as the user can identify it as 'something capable of killing me'.

Gladiator Park Sportsplex metro station as it appears within
Yesod. The subway trains are some of the least modern-looking
aspects of Estrella del Mar, even in the Shadowplane.

The other two ways require being in the Shadowplane itself, and both involve a Shadow Self - a Shadow formed from an individual's subconscious instead of the global subconscious. The first involves allowing the Shadow Self to form within the Shadowplane and gain a relative amount of power. The individual must then encounter the Shadow Self and accept that part of themselves, at which point the Shadow Self will turn into a Persona. The second involves the individual being pushed to a psychological breaking point within the Shadowplane, usually due to feelings of being taken advantage of or mistreatment. However, any feeling capable of resulting in a strong conviction is sufficient - the Shadow Self forms as a mask on the individual's face and briefly merges with their soul, causing extreme pain. Ripping the mask off summons the Persona, and generates a protective barrier resembling clothing that stylistically matches the Persona's appearance. Further summonings this way do not require these processes, and merely willing the Persona summoned or removing the mask (which only requires tearing off the first time) will summon it. The great advantage these methods have over the Evoker is that they are much less draining on the body.

They explore the Shadowplane they currently have access to, code named by Kirijo as Yesod, which resembles the southern fourth of Estrella del Mar tinted a deep burgundy red and with more blatantly cyberpunk architecture. At the edge, in the sky, and in the sea is nothing but pitch blackness. It's not a large area, but there are plenty of low-strength Shadows to analyze and, if necessary, fight. Every once in a while a Daemon is encountered, this is less a Shadow and more a feral Persona without a master. Occasionally a particularly powerful Shadow, Daemon, or Shadow Self will just 'vanish' behind a corner - dropping into an alternate Shadowplane. Frustratingly, the only way to other Shadowplanes is to other dimensions, and Kirijo has yet to determine any Shadow worth pursuing so far due to the unpredictability of other dimensions. One of the few reasons the liasion from company to club has said they would is if a Shadow were to appear that was powerful enough to form a Palace - a section of Shadowplane warped to match the (invariably a Shadow Self)'s mental image of that part of the world it corresponds to in realspace. So far however, none have appeared in Estrella del Mer, so SEES is stuck in Yesod for the forseeable future.

The third room? The third room is a 'danger room' using VRMMO technology to allow SEES members to practice on Shadows of varying types and strength, with 'levels' from 1 to 100. Solo use is allowed up to level 10 without permission and up to level 50 with permission, and so far no one in SEES has made it past level 23. So far, only one group has ever managed to 'win' against the sole option for Level 100, and that was a team consisting of actress Yukari Takeba, researcher Futaba Sakura, police officers Chie Satonaka and Akihiko Sanada, Japanese government agent Naoto Shirogane, and the CEO of Kirijo Group herself, Mitsuru Kirijo. And even then only Futaba and Mitsuru made it to the end without 'dying'.

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R U L E S

1. I am OP thy OP and I reserve authority over this RP.
2. The Persona series games may all be M rated, but this forum is PG-13 and I expect you all to behave.
3. Bad and naughty children in the OOC will be sent to the Pear Wiggler to atone for their crimes.
4. Try to stay active in the OOC as well as the IC, and TG me if you won't be able to post for a while. Or if we share a Discord, just message me over that.
5. Godmodding will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
6. This RP operates on a three-strike system. Third strike and you're kicked.
7. There's no hard limit on post length, but try to avoid one-liners if at all possible.
8. RP samples are required for everyone not invited directly via either TG or Discord, or who are members of World on Fire.

⑨ Same as it ever was. Have fun, and always, stay frosty.

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A P P L I C A T I O N S

Code: Select all

    [floatright][size=200][background=black][color=#FFBF00](SURNAME, INITIALS)[/color][/background][/size][/floatright]
        [floatleft][box](Image go here, optional, you can also use Appearance below instead if you want, recommend a pic less than 500 pixels wide or tall)[/box][/floatleft][blocktext][b]+++Name:[/b] (Include nicknames)
        [b]+++Age:[/b] (14-18 is the general rule of thumb, but exceptions will be allowed on a case-by-case basis)
        [b]+++Sex/Gender:[/b] (Biological and psychological, respectively)
        [b]+++Sexual Orientation:[/b] (Optional)
        [b]+++Physical appearance:[/b] (Mostly optional if you have a picture, but put in height and weight regardless)
        [b]+++Identifying Marks:[/b] (Mostly optional if you have a picture, but describe anything hidden in the image, like tattoos)

        [b]+++Nationality:[/b] (Optional. Being American is not a requirement at Hanzoku, though most students are.)
        [b]+++Ethnicity:[/b] (Optional. There is no one 'American' ethnicity after all.)
        [b]+++Religion:[/b] (Optional.)
        [b]+++Birthplace:[/b] (Where you were born.)
        [b]+++Permanent Residence:[/b] (Optional. Just put Nantes dorm if you can't think of one.)
        [b]+++Skills:[/b] (Don't go overboard, and this doesn't count towards your Persona abilities.)
        [b]+++Equipment:[/b] (Include melee weapons and guns, if any. You only get one melee weapon and one gun! Unless you have a good reason, weapons are stored at the collider.)
        [b]+++Vehicle:[/b] (If any, put 'em all, feel free to make them up if you want.)

        [b]+++Psychological analysis:[/b] (Personality)
        [b]+++Weaknesses:[/b] (Mary Sues to be blam'd on sight)
        [b]+++Likes/dislikes:[/b]
        [b]+++Interests:[/b] (Optional)
        [b]+++Fears:[/b]

        [b]+++Persona Name:[/b]
        [b]+++Persona Appearance:[/b] (Image or description [or both], put images under a spoiler.)
        [b]+++Persona Arcana:[/b]
        [b]+++Persona Elemental Affinity:[/b] (Besides support and physical attacks, your Persona will mostly use attacks of this element, and be resistant to them.)
        [b]+++Persona Elemental Weakness:[/b] (Your Persona will be weak to attacks of this element.)
        [b]+++Persona Skills:[/b]

        [b]+++Biography:[/b]
        [b]+++RP Sample:[/b] (Members of World on Fire: Shadow Ops and anyone I've invited do not need to provide this)
        [b]+++Theme Song:[/b] (optional)
        [color=#00BF00][b]#Tutturu[/b][/color] (DO NOT REMOVE)[/blocktext]

Code: Select all

    [b][u]District Idea App[/u][/b]
    [b]+++District Name:[/b]
    [b]+++District Population:[/b] (if applicable)
    [b]+++District Demographics:[/b] (optional)
    [b]+++District Economy/Attractions:[/b] (What's what and where's where in this neighborhood)
    [spoiler=Location in Estrella del Mar](Use the map, put the area it's in using a color not on the map, then put that image here)[/spoiler]
    [color=#FF8000][b]#FutureGadgetLaboratories[/b][/color] (DO NOT REMOVE)

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S A M P L E _ A P P L I C A T I O N S

(LAPOINTE, J.M.)

+++Name: Jeannette Margot Lapointe
+++Age: 16
+++Sex/Gender: F/F
+++Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
+++Physical appearance: 170 cm and 55 kilograms. Very much on the thin side, but not underweight. Has more muscle than she seems to, but not by much.
+++Identifying Marks: A star-shaped scar on her shoulder. Before you even ask, it's seven-pointed, not five.

+++Nationality: Monegasque officially, but more often than not in America.
+++Ethnicity: French Monegasque
+++Religion: Catholic
+++Birthplace: Monaco
+++Permanent Residence: A thirteen thousand square foot 'beach' mansion in Glasshaus.
+++Skills: Speaks English, French, Japanese, and Italian. A skilled actor (and therefore liar), and just as good with computers. Top of her year in physics. Acceptable cooking skills.
+++Equipment: H&K UMP submachine gun, switchblade knife, wallet, car keys, cinnamon chewing gum, Razer Phone VI. Evoker, resembles a Walther P38.
+++Vehicle: 2029 Aston Martin Vantage in lime green, 2027 Ferrari F80 in red, 2030 Bugatti Etancelin in sea green and black, 2027 Tesla Model XL full-size SUV in black.

+++Psychological analysis: A quiet, well-spoken girl for her age, she has the sort of tone where you'd think she'd be unkind, but she is actually very good at making friends. In part this is due to her parents, who instilled in her a sense that making connections was the key to getting anywhere in the world, whether you liked the person or not. Part of it is also simply because she is an amicable person.
+++Weaknesses: Self-doubt, mostly. As a partial result of her upbringing, she at times questions whether her reactions and friendliness is genuine or traned, and this has spread to doubt about other things within her personality. When at its worst, it even causes her grades to drop noticeably as she doubts even her own intelligence.
+++Likes/dislikes: Enjoys things she can pick apart mentally - puzzles, puzzle and strategy games, RPGs where a combination of strategy and making alliances is important. Fast cars, in part due to her always seeing the Monaco Grand Prix. Dislikes seemingly-complex puzzles with simple solutions. Dislikes scientific woo, especially from celebrities. A bit camera-shy.
+++Interests: Computing, motorcars, astronomy. Cooking, though she's merely average.
+++Fears: Discovering or being discovered that her friendships or associations are fake, either that she or the other person(s) is/are faking it.

+++Persona Name: Robespierre
+++Persona Appearance: Ten feet tall and surprisingly humanoid until you get to the legs, which are long and spindly.
+++Persona Arcana: Fool
+++Persona Elemental Affinity: Nuclear
+++Persona Elemental Weakness: Psi
+++Persona Skills:

• Cleave
• Frei
• Tarujaka

+++Biography:
+++RP Sample: Amusing.
+++Theme Song:
#Tutturu (DO NOT REMOVE)

Character app is admittedly WIP but it's mostly for the Persona.

District Idea App
+++District Name: Glasshaus
+++District Population: 23,110
+++District Demographics: Has the wealthiest residents in the city, with no one demographic having dominance.
+++District Economy/Attractions: Mostly housing, and those houses are mansions ranging from large to the excessive. What industry it does have is a few high-end hotels plus the only casino resort in the city outside of Marseille Bay, the ultraluxurious Palazzo Napoli.
+++Location in Estrella del Mar: Shown in map already, between Southwest and Art & Science.

District Idea App
+++District Name: Anchorpoint
+++District Population: 1,320
+++District Demographics: A roughly even mix of black, white, Asian, and Hispanic, and almost entirely blue-collar.
+++District Economy/Attractions: Almost exclusively industrial, with a single complex of apartment buildings serving as the only residential area in the district, with the rest consisting of factories and businesses, most notably a Tesla automobile and a Samsung electronics factory. There is a park along the shore that was initially going to be a shipbuilding site, but the plan never came into being. Most notable for being the neighborhood wherein both the Saint Nicholas and the Francis Drake bridges connect to the city.
+++Location in Estrella del Mar: Shown in map already, at the northeast corner.
#FutureGadgetLaboratories (DO NOT REMOVE)

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The Map of the City

[Rupudska]

M E C H A N I C S

While this RP is based off an RPG series, I believe that keeping this too mechanics-heavy will only serve as a detriment to playing. This isn't a dice RP and RPs on this forum too heavily based on tabletop-like mechanics tend to die. So we'll be going light here. In the Persona series, all Persona skills drain either HP (Physical skills) or SP (Magic skills), but here combat will be all fluff - however I trust you to know your character's limitations and not act like they're bottomless tanks of HP and SP.

This RP will use a combination of Persona 3 and Persona 5's elements for the simple reason that Persona 4's merging of the physical Skills into one element is kinda silly, and Persona 5 only brought Pierce back for physical. A general rule of thumb is that Slash beats Pierce beats Strike beats Slash, and that Electricity beats Wind beats Fire beats Ice beats Electricity. Psy and Nuclear both have out-of-battle uses, Holy and Dark beat each other, and pretty much nothing is immune or resistant to Almighty. However these are far more guidelines than rules. Or in the words of Teddie from Hiimdaisy's Persona 4 comic: "Some shadows have weaknesses. But they never make any sense! So just guess until you get it right."

• Slash: Physical attack with blades.
• Strike: Physical attacks with blunt objects or the Persona's body.
• Pierce: Physical attacks with projectiles.
• Fire: Self-explanatory.
• Ice: Self-explanatory.
• Elec: Self-explanatory.
• Wind: Self-explanatory.
• Light: White magic/exorcism-esque magic. Comes in two types, Kou-spells which work like normal, and Hama-spells which instakill if they hit.
• Dark: Dark magic-esque magic. Comes in two types, Ei-spells which work like normal, and Mudo-spells which instakill if they hit.
• Psychokinesis: Self-explanatory.
• Nuclear: Self-explanatory. Don't worry, doesn't actually cause radiation.
• Almighty: Non-elemental magic that always works, but is more draining.
• Recovery: Healing magic.
• Support: Buffing and debuffing magic - magic that improves the abilities of you or your allies, or weakens those of your enemies.
  
  Mudo and Hama will not work on bosses for obvious reasons, however they will always work on enemies weak to the respective element. Certain enemies will completely no-sell attacks of certain elements, absorb them, or reflect them back at you.

Personas in the Persona series are classified by their Arcana - each Persona falls under one of the 22 Major Arcana. Pick the Arcana that most matches your character's personality - but don't be afraid to branch out from what the Arcana says. You cannot change Arcana later, and no two accepted PCs may have the same Arcana.

• Fool (0/XXII): Portrayed as a jester laughing very close to a cliff, accompanied with a dog at his heels. The Fool represents innocence, divine inspiration, madness, freedom, spontaneity, inexperience, chaos, and creativity. This Arcana is originally the only one that doesn't have a number, thus it is considered as the Arcana number 0 or number 22. Mythological figures of the Fool Arcana are often heroes, fools, tricksters, or the protagonists of their own mythological stories. This Arcana is reserved by the OP.
• Magician (I): Portrayed as a man with an infinity symbol above his head with a ball of fire in his hands. In tarot readings, the Magician Arcana is commonly associated with action, initiative, self-confidence, manipulation and power (more specifically, the power to harness one's talents). As the name suggests, mythological figures associated with the Magician Arcana are often associated with magic themselves, though some are deities rather than magicians. Characters of the Magician Arcana are usually male and tend to be clownish in personality, with a heart of gold, but very much a teenager.
• Priestess (II): Originally named the Popess, portrayed as an old woman with an open book, the Priestess Arcana is a symbol of hidden knowledge or other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery and patience when it appears in tarot readings. Mythological figures of the Priestess Arcana are usually crone archetypes, goddesses of wisdom, witches, female mages, or priestess figures themselves. Characters associated with the Priestess Arcana are usually quiet, reserved, and intelligent, and usually modest or shy as well.
• Empress (III): Portrayed as a woman on a throne wearing a crown of stars. In tarot readings, the Empress represents mothers, prosperity, creativity, sexuality, abundance, fertility and comfort (most often in helping maintain peace around them like an ideal mother would.) Personas of the Empress arcana tend to be historically important or powerful female figures; many are queens or goddesses. Characters of the Empress Arcana are universally female and tend to have some authority or are motherly. They tend to be elegant and somewhat cold, but still have a strong degree of care and concern for others.
• Emperor (IV): The emperor sits on a massive golden throne, scepter in one hand, globe in the other. In tarot readings, the Emperor symbolizes the desire to control one's surroundings, and its appearance could suggest that one is trying too hard to achieve this, possibly causing trouble for others; some elements in life are just not controllable. Personas of the Emperor Arcana are almost always kings, emperors, generals, or other powerful male figures (Including gods, almost always 'supreme' deities of their respective pantheons.) Characters of the Emperor Arcana are universally male, typically the type who takes charge of things, and troubled by something very personal they don't know how to deal with.
• Hierophant (V): Portrayed as a pope, a bishop, or just a pope's hat. The Hierophant is a symbol of education, authority, conservatism, obedience to rules and relationship with the divine. The definition of a "hierophant" is a person who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles, and the term was originally used to name ancient Greek priests who did so. This Arcana's original name, however, is the Pope, the male counterpart of the Popess. Hierophant Personas tend to be the male equivalent of Priestess Personas - priests, gods of wisdom, sorcerors, and the like. Characters of the Hierophant Arcana tend to be wise and logical, and often have an obsession with the past.
• Lovers (VI): In tarot readings, the Lovers Arcana initially represented two paths life could lead to, and thus a symbol of standing at a crossroad and needing to make a decision. Today, however, it is portrayed more of a symbol of love and romantic relationships, although it can also be a symbol of finding agreement with an ordinary friend or even two conflicting elements within. Personas of the Lovers Arcana are usually fairies (or something similar) or important wives of another important historical figure. Characters of the Lovers Arcana tend to be cheerful and popular, or at least spirited.
• Chariot (VII): Portrayed as a king leading a chariot made up of two differently colored horses (in some cases mythical creatures). The Chariot Arcana is a symbol of victory, conquest, self-assertion, self-confidence, control, war and command. Personas of the Chariot Arcana are almost always warriors or war gods of some sort. Characters who are of the Chariot Arcana are typically very driven individuals, who have a personal goal that they aim to achieve at any cost. It is not uncommon for Chariot characters to be short-tempered or aggressive.
• Justice (VII): Portrayed as a woman holding a sword and scales. The Justice Arcana symbolizes a strict allegory of justice, objectivity, rationality and analysis. Personas are usually various orders of angels, and are otherwise deities of justice, order, or vengeance. Commonly, characters of the Justice Arcana are concerned with matters of fairness, and otherwise are very stoic individuals.
• Hermit (IX): Portrayed as an old man in a dark place or cave, holding up a lantern, the Hermit is associated with wisdom, introspection, solitude, retreat and philosophical searches. Mythological figures associated with the Hermit Arcana are usually hermits themselves, or are otherwise figures or deities that exist and operate behind the scenes. Similarly, Hermit Arcana characters share the commonality of placing themselves in situations that hide them from the public eye. Hermit individuals hide away from others or act in more supportive roles rather than putting themselves in the spotlight. If someone is shut-in or NEET they are almost guaranteed to be of the Hermit Arcana.
• Wheel of Fortune (X): The Fortune Arcana is portrayed by the Wheel of Fortune and symbolizes fate, luck, fortune and opportunity. Personas of this Arcana are depicted as mythological figures or deities that control fate / omens. Characters of the Fortune Arcana are usually individuals who attempt to seize their own destiny in spite of fate and are typically involved with making important choices and decisions in response to what life throws at them.
• Strength (XI): Portrayed as a young woman holding up a terrifying beast (more often a lion), the Strength Arcana symbolizes an imagery beyond the Beast And Beauty, and is associated with the morality about the stronger power of self-control, gentleness, courage and virtue over brute force. In tarot readings, it can also represent creative or physical energy that needs to be or is about to be unleashed, sometimes out of desire to be recognized. Personas of the Strength Arcana are warrior figures and heroes, or are figures that embody strength of body or character. A commonality between characters of the Strength Arcana is their strength of heart. Strength characters are not upset easily and typically portray the fortitude that the Strength card represents in readings.
• Hanged Man (XII): Portrayed as a man hanging upside-down from one leg with his other leg crossing it, forming a "4"; the Hanged Man Arcana is associated with self-sacrifice for the sake of enlightenment, the bindings that makes one free, paradoxes and hanging between heaven and earth. Hanged Man Personas are typically mythological figures that exist between two different forces, or find themselves in transition. They are also sometimes martyr figures. Hanged Man characters are sometimes self-sacrificial, but are more often notable for being caught between two different extremes, parties or stages in life.
• Death (XIII): While it is associated with foreboding and of doom, Death Arcana also symbolizes the metamorphosis and deep change, regeneration and cycles. Mythological figures of the Death Arcana are usually figures related to death, or are notable in their myths for their own deaths. Characters of the Death Arcana are associated directly with death, but a commonality that connects all Death Arcana characters is the cycles of change they experience.
• Temperance (XIV): Portrayed as a woman with angel wings mixing up the water of two cups, one blue, the other red, the Temperance Arcana is a symbol of synthesis, prudence, harmony, and the merging of opposites. Characters of the Temperance Arcana are often struggling to find a balance in their lives and in their hobbies.
• Devil (XV): Portrayed as a hermaphrodite devil over two naked and chained figures, the negative aspect of the Devil Arcana represents the urge to do selfish, impulsive, violent things, and being a slave to ones' own impulse and feelings. Occasionally, it is also portrayed as a symbol of temptation. The positive aspect, however, represents a healthy bond or commitment. Fittingly, the Devil Arcana is typically represented by the devils and evil deities of mythology. Human characters associated with the Devil Arcana are often "devilish" individuals; they can be greedy, proud, lustful, or otherwise of poor character. It is not uncommon for this type of character to have somewhat of an antisocial tendency, often not caring much for the needs or well-being of others.
• Tower (XVI): Portrayed as a tower stricken by lightning, from which two small figures fall down; a straight Tower of Babel allegory about pride preceding the fall. The Tower Arcana is commonly associated to overly arrogant, prejudiced and authoritarian organization, which walk to their own ironic demise. Furthermore, it is also more generically used as an omen of doom and disaster. It can be seen as the worst card of the deck, as it rarely has a positive meaning. Tower Arcana Personas are usually mythological figures that were once heroic or well-loved, but have since fallen from grace. Alternatively, the Personas represent deities associated with destruction, righteous or otherwise. Human characters of the Tower Arcana can be arrogant, and typically find themselves in bad situations where they themselves have fallen from grace.
• Star (XVII): The Star Arcana is also commonly associated with hope, self-confidence, faith, altruism, luck, generosity, peace and joy. Personas of the Star Arcana are sometimes astrological figures, but many Star Personas are simply multi-talented figures, or deities with many different spheres of influence. Characters of the Star Arcana embody their arcana's traits of hopefulness and joy.
• Moon (XVIII): Portrayed as two dogs howling at the Moon around a pool with a lobster in it, with two towers in the background, the Moon Arcana is associated with creativity, inspiration, dreams, madness, illusions, fear, fantasy, the subconscious, and trickery. Personas of the Moon Arcana are usually mythological figures directly associated with the moon, are psychically-attuned figures, or evil figures whose story involves treachery. Characters who are of the Moon Arcana are often similarly psychically-attuned, but a more common trend is their projection of their own fears and faults onto others. They often tend to have trouble accepting themselves for who they are and, because of that fear, try to correspond to an ideal person.
• Sun (XIX): Portrayed as two children holding hands under a blazing sun, The Sun symbolizes happiness, joy, energy, optimism, and accomplishment. Occasionally, it is also associated with one's initial happiness. Personas of this Arcana are typically mythological figures directly related to the sun, light, or fire. Characters of the Sun Arcana almost always (ironically) find themselves in terrible situations, the situation betrays the underlying optimism present in nearly all of them. Also, as the Sun Arcana portrays accomplishment, some of these characters have deep thoughts about the meaning of life and manage to find their answers.
• Judgement (XX): The Judgement Arcana, in tarot, is associated with realizing one's calling, gaining a deep understanding of life, and a feeling of acceptance and absolution. Personas of the Judgment Arcana are usually related to Judgment Day myths, or are gods tied directly to the judgment of humankind. You cannot make a character of the Judgement Arcana.
• The World (XXI): It often appears as the final triumph arcana, creating miracles and aiding the protagonists. Portrayed as a young woman (or an androgyne, depending on deck) surrounded by figures of an angel, a bull, an eagle, and a lion (representations of the four elements in transcendent form, as well as the symbols of the four Evangelists Luke, Matthew, John, and Mark respectively), The World Arcana is a representation of the world's totality, the symbol of fulfillment, wholeness, and harmony. You cannot make a character of The World Arcana.

Your Persona is allowed to start with 5 points worth of skills, and a maximum of 10 skills. THE MAXIMUM WILL NOT CHANGE. Personas can only use Attack magic from one of the six main elements (Fire, Ice, Elec, Wind, Psychokinetic, Nuclear). Almighty, Recovery, and Support can be used by any Persona. Light or Dark can be used by Personas not of the Almighty element - Almighty elemental Personas can use Light, Dark, and Almighty but none of the main elements. I would suggest 2 Physical and 1 Magical skill or 2 Magical and 1 Physical skill to start out.

TIER I

---

Physical

Bash - light Strike damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Cleave - light Slash damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Single Shot - light Pierce damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Sweep - light Strike damage to all foes | 3 points
Power Slash - light Slash damage to all foes | 3 points
Spread Shot - light Pierce damage to all enemies | 3 points

Combat Magic:

Agi - light Fire damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Bufu - light Ice damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Zio - light Elec damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Garu - light Wind damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Psi - light Psy damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Frei - light Nuclear damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Kouha - light Bless damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Eiha - light Curse damage to 1 foe | 2 points
Hama - Low chance to Bless insta-kill 1 foe | 3 points
Mudo - Low chance to Curse insta-kill 1 foe | 3 points
Maragi - Light Fire damage to all foes | 3 points
Mabufu - Light Ice damage to all foes | 3 points
Mazio - Light Elec damage to all foes | 3 points
Magaru - Light Wind damage to all foes | 3 points
Mapsi - Light Psy damage to all foes | 3 points
Mafrei - Light Nuclear damage to all foes | 3 points
Makouha - Light Bless damage to all foes | 3 points
Maeiha - Light Curse damage to all foes | 3 points

Support/Recovery Magic

Dia - Light healing to 1 ally | 1 point
Tarujaka - Temporary increase 1 ally's attack ability | 1 point
Tarunda - Temporarily decrease 1 enemy's attack ability | 1 point
Rakujaka - Temporarily increase 1 ally's defense ability | 1 point
Rakunda - Temporarily decrease 1 enemy's defense ability | 1 point
Sukujaka - Temporarily increase 1 ally's evasion and accuracy | 1 point
Sukunda - Temporarily decrease 1 enemy's evasion and accuracy | 1 point
Media - Light healing to all allies | 2 points

---

D R A M A T I S _ P E R S O N A E

Table to be added once we get a few apps up.

[Hanafuridake]

This looks like it is going to be glorious.

Mind if I tag this with a WIP app?

(HANAZUMI, R.H.)

+++Name: Reiki Hanazumi (“Rei-chan” to her friends)
+++Age: 17
+++Sex/Gender: ♀/♀
+++Sexual Orientation: Lesbian
+++Physical appearance: 5'5" height, 100 lb
+++Identifying Marks: scar underneath her left eye

+++Nationality: Japanese
+++Ethnicity: Yamato
+++Religion: Shintō
+++Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
+++Permanent Residence: Nantes Dorm
+++Skills: though Hanazumi was raised to act like the perfect Japanese lady, she absorbed this ethos perhaps more enthusiastically than her tutors intended. Besides tea ceremony and classical literature, she is proficient in karate and kyūdō.
+++Equipment: Murata-jū, Type 98 officer's sword, pen and notepad, smartphone.
+++Vehicle: none.

+++Psychological analysis: Hanazumi Reiki is someone who struggles between two contradictory aspects of herself that are constantly warring in her psyche. She wants to escape the confines of the self-effacing mental room that she feels was created through her years of confinement and education, but at the same time, is unable to fully come to terms with the extroverted and sunny self that she wants to be. Her bond with her persona Artemis comes from her actualizing the balanced self that Hanazumi would desperately like to be, but is unable to find between the extremes.
+++Weaknesses: despite her regal and aristocratic appearance in academic life, Hanazumi cannot handle the real world, and when confronted with an issue that can't be solved with looks or charms, tends to become paralyzed with fear and uncertainty. Her self-centeredness can be off-putting to those who meet her. While she is adept at some exercises, her early life of ill health has lead to her endurance being weak, a painful fact of life that she is reminded of when she tries to exert mind-over-matter.
+++Likes: tea, classical poetry, cats, history.
+++Dislikes: crude language, over-excitability, darkness.
+++Interests: learning about firearms, collecting military antiques, and Kabuki theater.
+++Fears: overextending herself, being revealed as weak, death.

+++Persona Name: Artemis
+++Persona Appearance:

+++Persona Arcana: Moon (XVIII)
+++Persona Elemental Affinity: Pierce
+++Persona Elemental Weakness: Strike
+++Persona Skills:

• Single Shot
• Maeiha
• Tarujaka

+++Biography:

+++RP Sample: なーなんだこれ!!?
+++Theme Song: Hanazumi's theme
#Tutturu (DO NOT REMOVE)

[Rupudska]

Bump.

[Dragos Bee]

Tag.

[Dragos Bee]

Chekhov, M.C.)

+++Name: Mikhail Chekhov
+++Age: 15
+++Sex/Gender: Male/Male
+++Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
+++Physical appearance: 5'4, 110 pounds
+++Identifying Marks: (Mostly optional if you have a picture, but describe anything hidden in the image, like tattoos)

+++Nationality: Russian (Technically a Political Exile from Russia)
+++Ethnicity: Slavic.
+++Religion: None.
+++Birthplace: Vladivostok
+++Permanent Residence: Nantes Dorm
+++Skills: History, Political Science, a smattering of Economics, Literature, Ballet and Figure Skating.
+++Equipment: Small Holdout Pistol, Switchblade Knife, Skateboard, Smartphone and Solar-Powered Kindle with 1000 books, Evoker (bottle of poison).
+++Vehicle: None.

+++Psychological analysis: (Personality) Mikhail Chekhov is a person who is quick to form both friendships and grudges, quick to decide who he likes and dislikes and is prone to stick by his chosen group unless their friendship is proven a lie. He is suspicious, paranoid, but at the same time, someone who years for affection deep inside. One of his overriding traits is mistrust of whoever is appointed leader above him, and a tendency to question their authority unless shut up quickly. See 'Weaknesses' below.
+++Weaknesses: As befitting of the Tower Arcana, Mikhail wants to be important and in control, and resents that he does not have the Wild Card ability. In lieu of being unable to challenge Jeannete for the position of leader (yet), he tries to establish himself as first in position above the other people in New SEES. And of course, he privately holds the view that Persona Powers should be used to benefit the world... Through the use of force, including murder. This means that if sufficiently provoked (or lured into underage drinking), he would voice unpopular views on the subject of using cognitive psience as a tool of war, views that can only spark anger and outrage.
+++Likes/dislikes: Cats, Dogs, Eagles, Rabbits, as well as History and Fiction. He is also fond of honey, vegetables (including tomatoes) and soy cheese.
+++Interests: Figure Skating (amateur), Ballet (amateur).
+++Fears: Snakes, as well as the prospect of his remaining family being killed off by Russian assassins. Saying hurtful words he cannot take back, ever. Living with the consequences of mouthing off to Futaba about stuff listed above (this has not yet happened).

+++Persona Name: Seth
+++Persona Appearance: An Egyptian man with the head of a donkey and a head of red hair.
+++Persona Arcana: Tower
+++Persona Elemental Affinity: Fire
+++Persona Elemental Weakness: Light
+++Persona Skills: Bash, Agi, Sukukaja

+++Biography: Mikhail Chekhov was born in the City of Vladivostok, in a Russia that was growing more assertive even as its economy kept shrinking. Educated at home by his father, a scientist who was also a minor political dissident, Mikhail remembered happy days even as the world around him grew darker. Then, one day, his father accepted a job among the Kirijo group, a job that allowed him to finally get out of Russia, a country whose regime had made life there unplalatable. And that was when Mikhail's horizons finally grew, as he headed to the doorstep of Russia's traditional enemy, an enemy that his father had made him see as a friend.

There, in Estrella de Mar, he made friends, forged bonds, and discovered Figure Skating and Ballet, as well as History as a topic of fun, not just usefulness. He devoured any book he was able to read, except for the boring ones on management and business. Then, a dose of poison felled his father; his mother was away and his grandfather, another dissident, was at home. Thus, only said grandfather was there to bring him the news once he arrived home from the 'normal' school he had been attending.

This caused a sea change in the young man's personality and mood, making him more angry, paranoid, and depressed. But thankfully, he maintained enough presence of mind to transfer schools before he lashed out at his existing friends in any lasting manner; he still regarded that as a near-miss. He also threw himself into his studies, and on a whim, entered the entrance exams for Hanzoku Gifted Academy, where he succeeded in entering the school with flying colors. Already, he planned to throw himself into his studies, sacrificing measly things such as personal bonds if it'd grant him the revenge against the Russian Government he so wanted.

Then, in an undisclosed incident, he unlocked his control over his Persona, using a small bottle containing cyanide as his Evoker. And so he became part of New SEES, a group that fought Shadows. Taking in as much lore as his new 'superiors' were willing to give him, Mikhail began having thoughts that any Persona User from previous groups would have found treacherous and villainous, and perhaps they were - For those thoughts involved using the powers of Persona and Shadows for gains in the mundane world; the fact that he thinks it is for the greater good instead of self-interest doesn't change this - He is one step away from jumping off the slippery slope to madness.
+++RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=34743939#p34743939
+++Theme Song: (optional)
#Tutturu (DO NOT REMOVE)

[Haedros 92712]

Is this a JoJo reference? *tag*

[Dragos Bee]

Is this a JoJo reference? *tag*

No, Persona is its own franchise.

[Haedros 92712]

Is this a JoJo reference? *tag*

No, Persona is its own franchise.

Personas are incredibly similar to stands, thus my joke.

[Dragos Bee]

No, Persona is its own franchise.

Personas are incredibly similar to stands, thus my joke.

Ah.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

I have been looking for a good Persona roleplay for a long while, now; this one seems exceedingly promising!

A couple of notes: I've done a bit of worldbuilding in the Background and asked for something out of the ordinary regarding Elemental Affinity. Please do say if anything needs changing!

(PAXTON, A.T.A.)

+++Name: Alistair Timothy Alexander Paxton (Heir Apparent to the Barony of Segrave)
+++Age: 16 (birthday: 12th of December)
+++Sex/Gender: Male/Male
+++Sexual Orientation: Mostly heterosexual, as far as he has been able to tell
+++Physical appearance: Alistair is slight and lean of build and is fairly tall, standing at 187 centimetres tall and weighing 90 kilogrammes. He has black, short hair, green eyes and an angular face.
+++Identifying Marks: Nothing in particular, though he can never seem to get one particular clump of hair on the left hand side of his head to stay down. This gets far worse after taking off his helmet.
+++Nationality: United Kingdom
+++Ethnicity: White British
+++Religion: Atheist
+++Birthplace: Segrave House, Seagrave, Leicestershire, England, U.K.
+++Permanent Residence: Nantes Dorm, Hanzoku Gifted Academy, Estrella del Mar, California, U.S.A.
+++Skills: Capable for a Persona user of his age in most ways, particularly able in individual, frontline combat, good cricketer, logical and quick thinker, generally knowledgeable but especially so in mythology and history, mentally and physically resilient
+++Equipment: English bill with a detachable shaft, quiver of plumbatae, suit of plate armour (all constructed as lightly as possible, since this does not affect performance in the Shadowplane), Evoker, quick-release rucksack for supplies
+++Vehicle: A navy blue Segway, given to him by his mothers as a post-GCSE present.

+++Psychological analysis: Alistair is profoundly motivated by ideals of self-sacrifice, engrained in him from childhood; he truly wants the best for everyone around him and is committed to making that a reality and, indeed, to protecting them to give them ample opportunity to do so. One would be hard-pressed to find a more determined, single-minded person. Moreover, he is intensely compassionate and more than happy to spend time with others and come to understand them – at least, from a theoretical point of view.
+++Weaknesses: Alistair’s desire to uphold the legacy of his family has left him with a profound burden, making him inwardly-focussed and never properly affording him the opportunity to make very close friends or practice the skills needed to do so. Ironically, despite being so concerned with keeping others safe, he doesn’t exactly know how to help them to be truly happy, which has left him socially awkward and erratically either overbearing or withdrawn. His protectiveness has also left him fairly closed off, unwilling to put his own desires and worries ahead of others’ to the point at which he bottles up his negative emotions. Finally, it could be argued that he truly does work too hard; the physical and mental strain that he puts on himself can leave him exhausted at times. Though he would not admit it to anyone, he is aware of all of this – his introspection has made him aware of that much – leading to a vicious cycle of shame and self-hatred that is far from being destructive right now but will become so should there be no intervention.
+++Likes: Feeling competent, those around him being safe and happy, seeing people be successful, olives
+++Dislikes: Driving (never got the hang of it), those around him being upset, people who seek to harm others
+++Interests: HEMA, mythology, board games, cricket, cooking
+++Fears: Failure, being overwhelmed, his protective drive stunting those around him rather than allowing them to flourish

+++Persona Name: Horatius (fully ‘Publius Horatius Cocles’)
+++Persona Appearance: A one-eyed and eyepatched man carrying a bronze Italic sword, dressed in the garb of a general of the early Roman Republic. His bronze helmet is topped with a red crest flanked by a pair of white feathers; his breastplate is also of bronze and simply constructed. His most prominent feature is his great circular bronze shield, the face painted red with a central section left unpainted to form the image of a raised hand with an outward-facing, halting palm. He also wears sandals, bronze greaves and a red military cloak.
+++Persona Arcana: Strength
+++Persona Elemental Affinity: Has access to Bless skills; resists Physical attacks
+++Persona Elemental Weakness: Wind
+++Persona Skills: Power Slash, Rakujaka, Sukunda
+++Persona Background: A figure from the semi-mythical ancient traditions of Rome, Horatius, who gained the cognomen 'Cocles' ('one-eyed') after losing an eye in battle, was a young officer from one of Rome's noble families, serving when it was merely a notable Italian city-state that had just become a republic after the overthrow of the Tarquinii. When an army led by the Etruscan king Porsena arrived, intending to restore the monarchy, and the line of Roman defence failed, Horatius was stationed guarding the Pons Sublicius Bridge across the Tiber, one of the few passages to the city proper. After the men under his command, terrified, fell back in spite of his pleas, he stood on the bridge himself, alone, and ordered that it be cut down behind him. Joined by two officers from the retreating army (arguably out of shame), the three held off the entire Etruscan army under a hail of swords and javelins while the bridge was felled; even when the work was almost complete and the other two retreated, Horatius remained to buy the Romans as much as possible. When the bridge finally collapsed, halting the Etruscan assault and ultimately forcing them into a protracted siege which would never result in the city's capture, he leapt into the Tiber in full armour and prayed to the god of the river to deliver him safely to the other side. At this point tradition diverges; either he died, swept away by the current under a torrent of missiles, or survived but was grievously injured by a javelin that struck him in the last moment of the fighting and never fought another battle.

+++Biography: Alistair was born into a minor English noble family and grew up fairly comfortably. Compared to many children in this situation, however, his life so far has been filled with responsibility.

That, in part, is because his ancestry is made up of Persona users.

The Paxtons (also known as the Barons Segrave [OoC: based on a real peerage, no longer extant]) always kept quiet about it, of course (accusations of witchcraft, heresy and so on were problematic back in the day), but their family has known about the ilk of the Dark Hour, TV World and Metaverse from since anyone in the family can recall; it is assumed that one of their ancestors was a Wild Card (or whatever it was called back then – if it even had a name) and that the ability was passed from parent to child after that. That knowledge has often been used to shape the flow of English and, later, British history. They, for instance, are the only ones who truly know what happened to the Princes in the Tower. Regardless, they now form a small part of the international network of Persona users – though the Paxtons still somewhat stubbornly refer to them as ‘daemons’ after Socratic philosophy – and, indeed, fought one of the many cognitive battles that raged across the world in 2016.

The Phantom Thieves won their battle. Alistair’s mothers barely lost their own. The political chaos that ensued made whatever Brexit was going to be a thousand times worse.

Alistair was only two at the time but this defeat would affect him profoundly. He, as the Paxtons’ only child, was to be told the family’s secret as soon as his parents felt able but even before that they practiced with him in the use of the weapons that had been passed down through their family, gave him brain-training games to play on the computer, bought him books on mythology, did their utmost to shape his body and mind without actively hot-housing him or depriving him of a social life. He was not to fail as they did. This was only reinforced when his parents took him to see the Mirror (their term for the Shadows’ reality) and he awoke Horatius for the first time; seeing the inner workings of the human mind and how easily influenced it could be created the impression that people, though full of potential, were fundamentally vulnerable – that they needed protecting if they were to fulfil that potential and that it fell to him to do so.

Thus we come to today. His mothers having been in touch with Mitsuru Kirijo, Alistair, having thrown himself into both cricket, as a means of practicing his reflexes and strength across his body, and his studies and games of tactics, so as to sharpen his mind, and succeeded in both, being made captain of his prestigious former school’s team and gaining As and A*s across the board in his GCSEs, has been sent to board at Hanzoku Gifted Academy in Estrella del Mar, the new global centre of cognitive psience. There, they all hope, he will complete his training. Whether that happens, of course, remains to be seen.
+++Theme Song: Still works, I think!
+++RP Sample: Here are my usual ones!
#Tutturu (DO NOT REMOVE)

[Dragos Bee]

I changed my Arcana to Tower and my Persona to Seth!

Edit: Crap, didn't realize that A.P.A.'s Persona was already Tower. I deeply apologize.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

I changed my Arcana to Tower and my Persona to Seth!

Edit: Crap, didn't realize that A.P.A.'s Persona was already Tower. I deeply apologize.

I think that I should be the one apologising to you... Plus, Seth really does work, even if his Arcana in the games is Star (which doesn't fit as well as Tower does, in my view).

Looking over the Arcana... Hmm. Potentially odd pick, but what do you think about Chariot? Mikhail's no Chie or Ryuji, that's for sure, but everything seems to fit nonetheless: the desire for command, the quick-temperedness, the association with war and especially the single-mindedness. He would be a very different take on the archetype, certainly, but that would make it interesting and I do think that it's a natural choice!

[Dragos Bee]

I changed my Arcana to Tower and my Persona to Seth!

Edit: Crap, didn't realize that A.P.A.'s Persona was already Tower. I deeply apologize.

I think that I should be the one apologising to you... Plus, Seth really does work, even if his Arcana in the games is Star (which doesn't fit as well as Tower does, in my view).

Looking over the Arcana... Hmm. Potentially odd pick, but what do you think about Chariot? Mikhail's no Chie or Ryuji, that's for sure, but everything seems to fit nonetheless: the desire for command, the quick-temperedness, the association with war and especially the single-mindedness. He would be a very different take on the archetype, certainly, but that would make it interesting and I do think that it's a very natural choice!

That might work, but I'll see what Rup thinks first before I change once more - Nevertheless, I am open to it.

[Arkvenue]

Persona RP, eh? Been quite a while since I did one.

Lemme tag.

[Rupudska]

*snip*

Image doesn't work, and please use something besides the demon design for your Persona. Since Seth is just a misspelling of Set, I recommend something Egyptian in appearance.

*snip*

Image doesn't work, seriously who uses tinypic anymore when Imgur exists AND allows hotlinking? Otherwise it's fine - I'll leave it up to you two on Arcana, though Dragos did take Tower first, technically.

[Lunas Legion]

Slightly late, but, well, I always am. App will be up tomorrow or at the weekend.

[Dragos Bee]

*snip*

Image doesn't work, and please use something besides the demon design for your Persona. Since Seth is just a misspelling of Set, I recommend something Egyptian in appearance.

*snip*

Image doesn't work, seriously who uses tinypic anymore when Imgur exists AND allows hotlinking? Otherwise it's fine - I'll leave it up to you two on Arcana, though Dragos did take Tower first, technically.

I edited the image for Mikhail and the image link for Set/Seth, and doesn't imgur need cash?

[Rupudska]

Image doesn't work, and please use something besides the demon design for your Persona. Since Seth is just a misspelling of Set, I recommend something Egyptian in appearance.



Image doesn't work, seriously who uses tinypic anymore when Imgur exists AND allows hotlinking? Otherwise it's fine - I'll leave it up to you two on Arcana, though Dragos did take Tower first, technically.

I edited the image for Mikhail and the image link for Set/Seth, and doesn't imgur need cash?

No? It literally never has, which is why Reddit uses it? And your Persona image is... well it'll work. Everything else is fine.

[Dragos Bee]

I edited the image for Mikhail and the image link for Set/Seth, and doesn't imgur need cash?

No? It literally never has, which is why Reddit uses it? And your Persona image is... well it'll work. Everything else is fine.

Thanks!

[Sterkistan]

While I'm writing a character it would probably be a good time to get some ideas of what will work before posting my app.
If I could know which arcana are already taken that'd help.

Also, need an opinion on a Persona image. I've been a bit stuck, but I have a story for why it looks the way it does.
Unnamed Persona

[Dragos Bee]

While I'm writing a character it would probably be a good time to get some ideas of what will work before posting my app.
If I could know which arcana are already taken that'd help.

Also, need an opinion on a Persona image. I've been a bit stuck, but I have a story for why it looks the way it does.
Unnamed Persona

Trying to negotiate the status of Tower with Nimbus System; nothing is finalized yet.

[Sterkistan]

Might as well reserve the Priestess Arcana.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Having reached an agreement with Dragos Bee, I am now reworking Alistair for Strength. Going for a bit more of an optimistic take this time!

[Dragos Bee]

Having reached an agreement with Dragos Bee, I am now reworking Alistair for Strength. Going for a bit more of an optimistic take this time!

Thank you!