[center][i]There are almost eight billion people on this planet, but though one sky hangs over them all, the world each person lives in is not the same. Each person’s world is small, but infinitely complex. It is built up by one’s nature, upbringing, principles, beliefs, and by those who give it joy and meaning. On the other hand, so too is it built by one’s needs, fears, responsibilities, scars, mistakes, and by those who, through malice or inaction, work to tear it down. Every action sends tremors through countless worlds, some so strong that it is all many can do to merely survive. How then could anyone, alone in their own small world, understand someone else’s? See their value? Know their true face? And who would be willing to fight to keep your one world alive, except you?

But you are not alone. Never have been. Fear and pain may weigh you down, and you may suffer under the unfairness of life, but despite everything you’re still human. Even at rock bottom you can still climb back up. Within you is the power to change--to fight, maybe not for [b]the[/b] world, but for your one world.

Things cannot continue as they are. If you understand what needs to be done, then call my name.[/i]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/lMZr3by.png[/img][/center]

[h3]Foreward[/h3]

My goal is to make not just a Persona RP, but an excellent one, rallying together earnest writers to craft something special. The story’s central themes are suppression (suffering, confinement, the inability to act) versus liberation, the endowment of the freedom to enact one’s will and pursue one’s world.

To that end, everyone will play as characters whose are suffering to some degree, people whose lives are no longer their own. Not good or bad people, just people, trying (and maybe failing) to make the best of things. But things aren’t good. This could be due to poverty, illness, bad relationships, punishment, victimization, overworking, guilt, unbearable responsibility, you name it. Society has driven you into the prison of your mind, and the boiling point is not too far awy.

But there is hope. On a fateful day, the skyfall incident occurs. A handful of people find themselves thrust into the surreal, distorted world of the collective consciousness: the Metaverse. There they must confront the Shadows that are their suppressed inner selves, or perish. Those who are able to accept themselves and realize that things must change will gain a Persona--a mask with which they can face hardship and accomplish great things.

From there begins the campaign. These Soldiers of Fortune, freed from their shackles and armed with the power to change things, can then fight through the trenches of the human psyche to topple the depotism of the Warlords and restore the freedom of the masses.

This RP will take place in Barclay, Texas, in the United States. It is a sprawling metropolis near the Gulf of Mexico, a regional melting pot filled with just about everything humanity has to offer. The PCs must be 18 minimum, and will coalesce at the Barclay Waterfront University, although they can be employees or people there by chance. It is November 29th, and Thanksgiving Break just ended.

[h3]The Other Self[/h3]

[center][i]I am thou...Thou art I[/i][/center]

Personas are spiritual manifestations of one’s personality, awakened by one’s resolution in the face of hardship. They symbolize the resolve to overcome challenges and fight for one's world. Awakenings can take two forms depending on the primary source of your character's conflict: internal or external. An internal conflict will result in an awakening by Shadow, and an external conflict will result in an awakening by Warlord. Either way, the experience will result in your character gaining a Persona

[hider=Renewal - Awakening by Shadow][center][i]Shadows are the lower parts of the psyche everyone has... Suppressed human thoughts given physical form. When people are unable to face their darker selves, they break loose, free from all control. But sometimes, humans with special awareness can tame their Shadows…[/i][/center]

While in the Metaverse, those who are their own worst enemies will inevitably face themselves, sooner or later. You’ll find yourself in the Territory of your Shadow, a small area converted by your Shadow’s distortion. There you’ll meet the dark part of yourself, an exaggerated reflection that is the culmination of your misery, failure, self-destruction, or delusion, trying to assert itself, unable to be ignored. However that interaction goes, it will ultimately force a singular question: can you accept it? If you cannot face and accept the ugliness within yourself, the Shadow will go berserk and transform into a monstrosity and attack.

If you’re overcome, you’ll emerge from the Metaverse changed. With your will broken, your cruel self will be unfettered and free to do whatever dark deeds you wish in the real world, while your Shadow will remain in the Metaverse as a Warlord. However, if you have the will to survive and overcome, you may take up arms and fight back. If your ego can master your shadow by defeating or accepting it, it will pronounce a contract that assures your resolve, and transform once again into a Persona.[/hider]

[hider=Rebellion - Awakening by Warlord][center][i]Personas are, in other words, a "mask"—an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters[/i][/center]

A Warlord is the Shadow of someone who has gained some form of power, pride, or success in the real world as a result of pain and suffering inflicted on others. In the Metaverse, their Shadow takes on an appearance formed by the person’s conception of power, and wields weaponry that symbolizes their will to inflict harm on others.

The wounds inflicted by a tormentor leave scars even after they heal, and these scars serve as a sort of mark or branding--proof that one has power over another, and that another has been wronged by the one. And in the Metaverse, one who’s been branded in such a manner can be found by their tormentor again. Warlords are drawn to those who’ve fallen through the cracks bearing scars inflicted by their real selves, and will seek out their prey to finish the job.

When confronted by a Warlord, you’ll invariably end up in dire straights. Their strength, weaponry, terrain knowledge are all superior, not to mention any Shadows in their service. Whether through taunts, torture, or other psychological or physical abuses the Warlord will jeopardize your life, and during these emotional episodes you’ll be pushed to the brink. Will you allow the Warlord to destroy you, or will you take revenge? If you choose to rebel, your Shadow will call out to you.

A piercing agony will fill your heart, wracking your whole body with pain as all else fades. Your Shadow will continue to speak, questioning your situation and testing your resolve. If in that moment you can find your resolve, you can call it by name, pull it from your chest, and crush it in your hand to formalize the contract. Doing so will manifest both your weapon of choice and your Persona, allowing you to fight for yourself.[/hider]

The collective hearts of humanity, known also as the sea of souls, houses the whole of civilization’s archetypal stories. Personas take the form of people, monsters, and in general beings from mythology, folklore, tradition, legend, and famous literary works. For this RP, I have a couple notes:
[list][*]The chosen Persona should have an obvious relation to the story of your character
[*]Your Persona will also have one of the Major Arcana of the tarot deck
[*]If you choose a literary character, it should be one of both age and cultural significance
[*]Your character’s Persona can’t start out as a god/goddess
[*]Persona evolution is an option later on down the line
[*]We won’t be going into stats, but your Persona will get attributes: a Specialty, an Element (against which it’ll also have a resistance), and a Weakness to allocate as you please that will affect performance
[*]Since Personas are a mask to face hardship, Persona users will change outfit while in the Metaverse after awakening[/list]

Personas are pretty necessary for fighting in the Metaverse. Discarded weapons litter the place, but they alone won't be enough for an ordinary human. Personas are typically incorporeal but can attack physically and in some cases support the weight of the user, but they can't all, say, just pick you up and float into the sky to fly you around. Using them tires you out. Awakening to one will exhaust you soon after the awakening. In this setting, your Persona can speak with you to give information, support, or just companionship.

All Personas can attack with physical or gun skills proved they have the weapons to do so, although ones with a melee or ranged specialty will enjoy stronger and more special attack skills. Essentially, your choice of both Specialty and Element affect what skills and magic your Persona both starts with and can gain. Skills hurt the user when performed, and spells cost mana; if your Persona is more physical or magical, you'll have more health or magic to work with. With most spell progression, you'll learn a spell followed by its wide-area version before the next strongest spell

[hider=Skill List]
[b]Element[/b]
[list][*]Fire: Agi -> Maragi -> Agilao -> Maragion -> Agidyne -> Maragidyne -> Inferno -> Blazing Hell
[*]Ice: Bufu -> Mabufu -> Bufula -> Mabufula -> Bufudyne -> Mabufudyne -> Diamond Dust -> Ice Age
[*]Elec: Zio -> Mazio -> Zionga -> Mazionga -> Ziodyne -> Maziodyne -> Thunderclap -> Raging Storm
[*]Wind: Garu -> Magaru -> Garula -> Magarula -> Garudyne -> Magarudyne -> Vacuum Wave -> Galeforce
[*]Nuclear: Frei -> Mafrei -> Freila -> Mafreila -> Freidyne -> Mafreidyne -> Meltdown -> Cosmic Flare
[*]Psychokinesis: Psi -> Mapsi -> Psio -> Mapsio -> Psiodyne -> Mapsiodyne -> Hysteria -> Psycho Blast
[*]Bless: Kouha -> Makouha -> Kouga -> Makouga -> Kougaon -> Makougaon -> Hosanna -> God Ray
[*]Curse: Eiha -> Maeiha -> Eiga -> Maeiga -> Eigaon -> Maeigaon -> Blasphemy -> Evil Incarnate[/list]

[b]Specialty[/b]
[list][*]Melee & Ranged: You have more health, and choose two modifers you can apply to your attack skills for added effects. Choices are Dormin (Sleep), Terror (Fear), Memory (Forget), Flash (Dizzy), Abysmal (Despair), Marin (Brainwash), Skull (Confuse), Taunt (Rage), Hungry (Lifedrain), Hollow (Spiritdrain), and Lucky (Critical)
[*]Magic: You have more spirit, and your spells can either inflict an ailment or deal extra damage to those inflicted by them, called a Tech. Fire inflicts Burn. Ice inflicts Freeze. Elec inflicts Shock. Wind Techs with Burn, Dizzy, and Sleep. Nuclear Techs with Burn, Shock, and Freeze. Psy Techs with Confuse, Fear, Despair, Rage, and Brainwash. Bless & Curse have access to spells that have a chance to instantly kill targets depending on several factors: 
Hama -> Mahama -> Hamaon -> Mahamaon -> Divine Visage (Bless)
Mudo -> Mamudo -> Mudoon -> Mamudoon -> Megadeath (Curse)
[*]Support: Healing (Dia), cure (Amrita), and revival (Recarm) skills. Better skills heal more:
Dia -> Amrita -> Media -> Recarm -> Diarama -> Meamrita -> Mediarama -> Diarahan -> Samarecarm
[*]Protection: Spells of your own element heal you, gain Enduring Soul (avoid one fatal blow per fight) and defensive skills. Rakukaja (defense up) -> Fortify (increase ailment resistance) -> Wall (shield against one element) -> Dekaja (null enemy buffs) -> Marakukaja (party defense up) -> Makarakarn + Tetrakarn (spell and attack counters)[/list][/hider]

[h3]To Whom it May Concern[/h3]

So, the elephant in the room. Most Persona RPs die before anything Persona actually happens, maybe because like some of the games, they take a bit to get going. However, I’m confident that should we get enough people who actually want to write to get off the ground, that won’t happen. If people wanted to write by themselves they wouldn’t need an RP to do it; the point of a GM is to take the players on an adventure. Here’s the plan.

[hider=How this works][list][*]The general plan for posting is at least once a week. It’s not necessarily a requirement, but if you miss a couple weeks we’re probably going to be in contact. If anything happens that would stop you from posting for a time, just let me know and we’re right as rain. Communication is key
[*]If you can’t see yourself posting at least once a week (bar extenuating circumstances) for the foreseeable future (multiple years even) don’t apply. This is less of an OC show and tell and more of a commitment
[*]I’m not going to make the people who do want to play, write, and tell their stories wait on people who don’t post. When I post my weekly update, world progress [i]will[/i] happen. Time will move forward even if some characters stand still. If your character is in a dangerous situation and doesn’t act, they may take damage or otherwise suffer for it. Not much, generally, but it’s still not a good idea to leave your character hanging
[*]’He who desires but acts not breeds pestilence’ - ultimately, being in an RP means posting. Whether or not you give reassurances if your intention to post, if you can’t post with reasonable consistency, we’ll need to face reality sooner or later
[*]You have some creative freedom to make and influence the stuff around you. For instance, if you were to walk into a classroom, you could describe the students around you, their names and appearances and what they’re doing, maybe even make up some prior experiences or encounters your character remembers. You can describe portions of the world, be it a favorite coffee shop of your character’s out in the city somewhere, or an area of distortion in the Metaverse. Controlling notable enemies isn’t allowed without permission, but you can have some fun with fodder. Above all, just ask. I’m always glad to answer any questions about if or how you can do this or that
[*]If you’re going to put your character’s dialog in a color, please make it readable on the guild’s background
[*]I’m open to talking about most anything anytime. If it seems like I got something wrong or could do something better, or if it seems like I forgot something, please don’t hesitate to let me know[/list][/hider]

For the character sheet, something I think would be fun would be to keep our characters’ Personas hidden until they awaken IC. So, you’ll complete the entire sheet and PM the final version to me for approval, but when you post it in the Characters tab you’ll leave out the Metaverse section until your awakening, at which point you can edit it back in. Plan around which awakening you want as well, based on whether your character’s core conflict is more internal or external. Stuff is first come first served and will on be 'yours' when your character is accepted

Of course, you’re welcome to put your WIPs in the OOC and discuss Personas, attributes, and Arcana.

[hider=Contract]
[h3]Humanity[/h3]
[indent]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b] (18 minimum)
[b]Arcana:[/b] (Find one thematically appropriate for your character. Discuss with others to avoid overlap)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (Images in a hider alright. Accompanying text appreciated)
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Bio:[/b] (No need for every tiny detail. Include important events that made your character who he or she is now, and your character’s recent past leading up to the current (not good) situation)
[b]Scars:[/b] (A summary of the source of your characters trauma/suffering, which will be the core conflict that plays into your awakening)
[/indent]
[h3]Shadow[/h3]
(If your character’s conflict is more internal than external, their Awakening will involve facing their own Shadow, so keep this section. Otherwise, remove this section)
[indent]
[b]Appearance:[/b] (A Shadow’s appearance reflects its distortions. They clothe themselves in security and power, however that may manifest. When driven berserk by the person’s refused acceptance, Shadows transform monstrously, so include that appearance here, too)
[b]Personality:[/b] (The Shadow is the dark parts of the psyche, the thoughts and feelings that people keep hidden from everyone, even themselves. Their traits are often exaggerated)
[b]Territory:[/b] (The distortion of a powerful Shadow can warp the Metaverse in their vicinity. This domain is tailored to suit the Shadow’s aesthetic, which you can describe here)
[/indent]
[h3]Metaverse[/h3]
[indent]
[b]Persona Identity:[/b] 
[b]Persona Appearance:[/b] (Even the most human identities are rendered fantastical by the imagination)
[b]Specialty:[/b] (Either Melee, Ranged, Magic, Support, or Protection)
[b]Element:[/b] (Either Physical, Projectile, Fire, Ice, Elec, Wind, Nuclear, Psy, Bless, or Curse)
[b]Weakness:[/b] (Doesn't need to be stereotyped--for instance, yours doesn't need to be Fire if your Element is Ice)

[b]Callsign:[/b] (The name under which your character will operate as a Soldier of Fortune)
[b]Metaverse Appearance:[/b] (The new outfit is a manifestation of your character’s will to fight, so it is essentially battle attire. Minor appearance changes can accompany the outfit if you like. No mask required, but you will get a tailor-made Dog Tag listing your callsign and Persona)
[b]Melee Weapon:[/b] 
[b]Ranged Weapon:[/b]
(For both weapons, feel free to describe more about what they are and can do and even provide images of the starting weapons. Down the line you may get upgrades/replacements of the same weapon type)
[/indent]
[/hider]

If your character route is Rebellion, you'll need a Warlord too. You can either work with me to have your backstory play into one of mine, or make your own.
[hider=Warlord]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Distortion:[/b] (The theme/aesthetic that ties together your Warlord's appearance, territory, minion shadows, and so forth)
[b]Weaponry:[/b] (The Warlord's weapons of choice, symbolizing their will to harm others for their own gain)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (The Warlord's appearance stems from their conception of someone with strength or power, which they obviously see themselves as)
[b]Personality:[/b] (The Warlord's personality is an exaggeration of the person's true personality, one emphasizing their traits)
[b]Territory:[/b] (The area of the Metaverse that has been twisted by your Warlord's influence. It can be big or small depending on how impactful the person is in the real world, but somewhere in it is the Stronghold, the Warlord's heavily guarded base. There's a War Room somewhere that sheds some light on the Warlord's activities in the real world and a highly fortified Bunker that contains personal secrets about the Warlord's real self, possibly the source of that person's distortion)
[b]Shadows:[/b] (Up to twelve Shadows, either canon or custom, can serve the Warlord. For convenience please provide their primary element and weakness. Including images is optional. A good format would be something like: Jack Frost (Ice/Fire))
[hider=Spoilers]
[b]Persona:[/b] (Anyone who gains the resolve to fight for their one world, for better or worse, can gain a Persona, which includes Warlords. Choose an appropriate Persona for the Warlord to wield. This Persona will have an element and such attributes too)
[b]Fusion:[/b] (In this RP there's no wild card, so Persona Fusion takes on an entirely different meaning. Every Warlord has a powerful boss form similar to the berserk state of Shadows, accessed by fusing with their own Persona in times of need. This boss form's appearance takes elements from their Shadow appearance and their Persona's. Doing so also confers a new 'ascended' name, which doesn't need to be related to the Persona, that epitomizes the relationship of character and Warlord. For example, 'Suguru Asmodeus Kamoshida'[/hider]
[/hider]

[b][center][url=https://discord.gg/GpygBmKVHv]Join the Discord[/url][/center][/b]