JULY DUNGEON

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→ 7/8: Lockdown Begins

At the stroke of midnight, the world plunges into darkness. From the stars in the sky to the lamps on the streets, it’s as if all the light in the world gets sucked away, sight adjusting to the darkness courtesy of a single source left in the sky: the moon continues to hang overhead, though its brightness still depends on the phase.

Regardless of where the characters are that night, they find that along with light, all other creatures have disappeared as well— from the townspeople to the bear in the castle ruins to all the cats overpopulating the town and its surrounding forest— replaced with the howling of the wind that picks up and continues all night long. For those who venture outside, they may find a breeze blowing by from time to time, the temperature plummeting until they step out of the path— and returning when they step back into it. Strange. Standing on the spot, one would find that the wind does not die down no matter how long they wait, more akin to a river than intermittent gusts of wind.

Following the breeze brings one into town (a godsend to those still in the forest, whether because they had just woken up in the castle ruins or because they decided to camp out in the forest overnight) and towards the school to flow past the school gates. The gates are still locked, but the roaming lights of the security guards are missing, and door to the high school building has been left slightly ajar. Will you jump the gate and enter? The decision should be made quickly, as those who linger to remain outside- or perhaps are still lost in the forest- will find the occasional mass of darkness approaching. Those caught by these Shadows will pass out, to awake unharmed the next morning, so run while you can.

Or learn how to fight back.

In an hour, Lockdown ends, stars blinking back in the sky and the lights and sound returning to the town as the people reappear. Those who were still awake at midnight continue about their business without any notice of that missing hour, and those who were asleep remain none the wiser. Over the course of the month, the townspeople become more and more lethargic, productivity in the town crawling to a stop near the end of the month. Perhaps it's a flu that's going around, or the summer heat finally getting to everybody... or perhaps it's those Shadows that come out each night during Lockdown, escaped from the dungeon to sneak into house after house, never staying very long, but checking each one as if looking for something.

It's anybody's guess as to what that might be, but with the way they will attack anybody outside the dungeon and knock them unconscious, they can't be anything good.

→ 1st Floor

Entering the dungeon during Lockdown, the front door to the high school building swings open silently, halls in complete darkness until one steps past the threshold and find their foot drops, a staircase leading down rather than the usual hallway inside the building. At the bottom of the short set of stairs lies another door that opens out to... outside. Rather than a school building with classrooms and festival decorations, all one sees under the starless night sky are fields of rice and barley and other grains, bales stacked high and bound together to form the entrance to a maze. Will you enter? Walking around the perimeter of the maze reveals no exit on the other side, with the possibility of something to be found within.

The maze is vast, the true path circling around several times before revealing a little shack resting in the center, but is not too difficult to navigate so long as one has the patience to try different paths and backtrack as needed, or the luck to choose the right path to begin with. For the cheaters among us, the walls are not too high that one cannot climb over them, but be aware that doing so will draw Shadows in towards the area. Now would be a good time to learn how to summon your Persona or pick up a pitchfork or other farming tools scattered around the maze, and fight back. Upon summoning your Persona, the darkness lifts slightly, allowing you to see the Shadows for what they are.

Common Shadows that can be found here include: BLACK RAVEN and HYBRID Shadows.

BLACK RAVEN
Type Shadow	Resists Wind	Weak Electricity
At first glance, these Shadows may appear to be regular animals, but as they swoop down from the air and swing their lanterns at unsuspecting heads, it becomes quickly clear that they aren't friendly. Gripped in their talons, they carry a small lantern that they'd use to strike against characters, but they're not shy at using their becks as well. Flying in flocks, they prefer to stay high in the sky where they cannot be reached, diving only to make an attack before quickly retreating back into the air. They're difficult to corner with the large open space and although they're small, they are able to conjure up great gusts of wind with a few flaps of their wings. However, when you're finally able to land a hit on them, they are quickly defeated. Their defences, so it seems, aren't very strong. Feathers and lanterns can be collected as loot.

HYBRID
Type Shadow	Resists Dark, Physical	Weak Fire
These large jittery creatures rarely stay still, jerking and twitching in seemingly unnatural movements. Their large bulgy eyes are constantly moving, hyper aware of their surroundings. The moment they spot an outsider, they unleash a high-pitched cry and begin to charge. They use their long legs to reach out and grab enemies with their long talons. Once they successfully take hold of someone, they will repeatedly slam them into the ground. Should they miss their lunge, they will instead resort to clawing or using their branch-like horns to inflict damage. Physical attacks will do very little to deter the creature, much less stop its rampage, but it will become terrified at the sight of fire. Fangs, talons, and feathers can be collected as loot.

Upon defeat, Shadows may drop items and/or a small gemstone. Those who have been to the forest shrine may recognize the gemstone as being similar to the ones left inside the offertory box, though these are brightly colored and well polished. Hold onto these for now, and press forward to the shack standing at the center of the maze, which opens up to another set of stairs leading down into the abyss.

→ 2nd Floor

The door opens up fields of rice and barley and other grains... bales stacked in full carts, houses in the distance glowing with the flames of iron furnaces that bring a little more light to the night, and large planks of wood bound together like shields set up throughout the field, broken arrows and the occasional intact bow scattered all around.

Better take a quick look around, because while there is no maze to obscure your path, there is also little preventing the enemies here from seeing you either, unless you use those shields to your advantage to approach the beginnings of a village, fires burning warm even though all the houses remain devoid of people. Bedding exists in some houses, old pots and pans and many sets of wooden chopsticks. A couple of iron sharpening tools may be found, if you need to sharpen your... pitchfork or something.

The BLACK RAVEN and HYBRID Shadows from the previous dungeon continue to be the most common Shadows on this floor, with the occasional ONMORAKI Shadow and the rare F.O.E. CHIMERA. F.O.E.s are at a much higher level than the characters, and it is advisable to avoid them, rather than engage.

ONMORAKI
Type Shadow	Resists Dark, Fire	Weak Light
You'd notice the smell before anything else. Reeking of rotting flesh, these Shadows can be found miles away before they can even be spotted. They come in packs, intensifying their stench and if that isn't enough to incapacitate characters, their loud shrill shrieks will. A plume of smoke follows them around and they use both the smog and darkness to conceal themselves from enemy eyes. In the shadows, they will breathe fire and engulf characters in flames. Dark attacks will be nearly ineffective against these creatures, but Light attacks will reveal their hiding spots and also be effective in defeating them. A scroll with an incomplete purification rite can be collected as loot.

CHIMERA
Type F.O.E.	Null Fire, Light	Weak None
Larger than any other Shadow, these F.O.E.s act as guards of the dungeon. While the Shadows are the disposable troops that wander the area and simply attack whomever they see, the F.O.E.s specifically seek out intruders and attack with the sole purpose of killing them. They lurk throughout the dungeons, using their many eyes and noses to track down Persona users and charge without hesitation when they spot one. Their physical strength is tremendous and a single swipe of their mighty paws or talons will surely knock anyone out. They are unaffected by fire or light-based attacks and they will shrug off most other attacks. Unless you have a death wish, it would be unwise to challenge them in your current level...

For whatever reason, the Shadows and F.O.E.s cannot enter the houses, so these would be good places to rest and recuperate... and hope the Shadows aren't waiting outside the front door for you to step out. Near the back of the village, however, stands a small nondescript building, a wooden gate barring the entrance. Through the windows, one may see desks and chairs and chalkboards, papers hung up on the walls that are too far away to be read clearly, outside of the gates.

You're all going to get really good at breaking and entering by the end of this month, guys.

The gate swings open, but rather than a straight path to the schoolhouse, it's another set of stairs that await. Down you go...

→ 3rd Floor

The acrid smell of smoke hits at the bottom of the stairs, thick and choking in the sweltering heat of this floor. The same houses stand as in the one prior, but this time on fire, painting the night sky dusty reds and browns, phantom cries of help audible beneath the crackle of the flames although nobody is to be found after the fire is put out and village searched through. The field has been cut down, small structures of metal erected in its place, walls still hot to the touch. Inside, basic swords, axes, and shields can be found, some rusted over with blood, all of them battered and well worn. It's just as well that there are weapons storages to be found here because regardless of how well or not they served the village, they will be more useful for the ones here and now.

On this floor, ONMORAKI Shadows and the F.O.E. CHIMERA are much more prevalent, though other Shadows from previous floors may still appear. This floor also introduces two new Shadows, which are much stronger than the ones previous: the KOPPA TENGU and the TOBI TENGU.

KOPPA TENGU
Type Shadow	Resists Wind	Weak Dark
Travelling in groups, these Tengu-based Shadows will flee once they see any sight of danger. They're less interested in fighting and more preoccupied with being safe, so capturing one may be difficult. They will fly high into the air and blow people away by conjuring large gusts of wind with their wings. They don't have a lot of attacks and their defense is low, so they are easy enough to defeat, assuming that they don't fly away first. Curiously enough, none of the other Shadows or F.O.E.s pay them much attention... A Tengu mask and a blank scroll can be collected as loot.

TOBI TENGU
Type Shadow	Resists Light, Wind	Weak Ice
Although they are solidary creatures, this Shadow is accomplanied by smaller versions of itself. It strays away from the other packs of Shadows and spends its company with a minimum of one to a maximum of three mini-versions, flying around the lower depths of the dungeon. It doesn't attack characters directly. Instead, it uses its mini-versions to cast a wide range of status ailments that either causes team members to fight among themselves or hinders their progress, such as sleep, confusion, charm, or rage. After you are incapacitated, it will rush in with Dark-based attacks, but as soon you are able to snap out of your afflictions, it will retreat and send its minions to immobilize you and your team once more. A Tengu mask and magical healing leaves can be collected as loot.

On the other side of the area, tall iron gates prevent the characters from reaching the palace behind it. A large number of F.O.E.s patrol the area around the gate and on both sides of it, preventing characters from getting close or they will attack. Perhaps there's another way past them, if not by brute force? Those who picked up the masks dropped by the Tengu Shadows may realize that the F.O.E.s ignore the Tengu Shadows, and may reason that by putting the mask on to disguise themselves, the F.O.E.s will not attack them either.

F.O.E.s are keeping a close eye on anybody who passes through the gate, however, and nobody is allowed past, regardless of whether they're a Shadow, F.O.E., or trespasser.

→ 4th Floor

The gate remains locked and heavily guarded until the 22nd, upon which characters may notice a certain increase in agitation from all the enemies around the area, along with a certain amount of distraction. Every once in a while, a masked Tengu Shadow will approach the gate with a shining weapon or a barrel full of gold on hand, payment to be allowed entrance past the gate and into the palace beyond.

In order to pass, each character must obtain a mask in order to disguise themselves as Tengu Shadows, along with procuring an offering of some sort for the ruler of the palace. From the types of offerings seen going into the palace, it appears that the sharper and shinier, the better. Strangely, none of the Shadows seem to leave the palace after their delivery... It may be wise to get as many people together, and make the first shot count.

→ Mod Notes

⬥ A mod-posted toplevel for Floor 4 will OOCly go up on 7/22 for the boss encounter. ICly, characters will be able to fight the boss from the 22nd through the end of the month.
⬥ To determine the outcome of the boss battle, a minimum of 20 threads across the entire player base from this post is required, with a maximum of 2 threads turned in per player. Threads may involve battling, healing, exploring, discussing, etc as long as the characters interact with the dungeon in some way and must contain at least five comments from you. Please report your threads in the mod top level below. They are due by the end of the month.
⬥ The first time the characters come across a Shadow, their omamori grows warmer and warmer until it's impossible to ignore. All it takes is a touch of the omamori and an intention in mind— whether that's a call for help, something to for defence, or healing— and the character's shadow disappears from under their feet, gets sucked up into the omamori, and manifests as their Persona.
⬥ After this initial summoning, the characters will have the same strengths/weaknesses as their Persona regardless of whether it is actively summoned. Personas may be summoned during the day, but will not be not as strong as they would be during the Lockdown period.
⬥ The Lockdown period of darkness only exists for an hour, to return each night at midnight. There are no portals allowing characters to bypass cleared floors, so it would be advisable to work together to clear out the Shadows and allow for an easier time to reach the lower floors. The Lockdown may end while the characters are still inside the dungeon; one of two things may happen, up to player discretion: 1) they may remain in the dungeon, but for every hour they stay, an entire IC day passes by without their awareness; or 2) they will simply pass out and awaken somewhere randomly inside the high school building in the morning. The security guards are back, so don't get caught!! Or, play it safe and make sure to leave before Lockdown ends.
⬥ For those who choose to remain outside the dungeon during Lockdown, Shadows may be found outside of the dungeon as well.
⬥ Around 7/15-7/18 when the moon is at its fullest, Personas may behave strangely and disobey orders. Personas appear stronger the brighter and fuller the moon is, though becomes unstable once it's the full moon. This is an optional mechanic.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[You must have the worst luck ever, Mondo, because as soon as you attempt to hide in the room, it's clear that there's already someone else in it. Guess who also woke up in the school this morning? Killua, that's who.

He sits up with a groan, one hand pressed to his face. What the hell happened?]

Stop making so much noise, would you? [Killua glares up at him fiercely, then does a double-take a second later.] Mondo?

[ Oh for fuck's sake, that scares the shit out of him. ...Except no, he's totally not scared!! Just surprised!! He tries to keep still, just so they don't make more noise, before realisiing-- ]

Killua?

[ He sighs in a huge relief. ]

The hell, 's just you. You ok? You... went to that place, too, right?

Oh, it's just you. [Killua mimics, with an annoyed look in his direction.]

"That place"--you mean whatever was inside the school yesterday night? Yeah. [Some of the ferocity in his stare lessens, turning calculating instead as he begins to process the information he's just been given.] Let me guess, you didn't get out in time either?

[ Ah, feisty as always. ]

That. [ He sighs, mostly in relief. So Killua wasn't hurt. And by the sounds of it, he doesn't seem like he's even remotely phased by the dungeon. If Mondo hadn't met kids like Jon and Damian before, he'd probably worry a lot more. ] ...Sort of. [ Ok maybe not really. ] Some golden... thing knocked me out. Did you see it?

What golden thing? [Well, that answers the question! Though Killua does lose the irritated expression in favor of a more curious one.] I didn't see anything like that, just those weird birds.

[Suddenly, he goes still, eyes narrowed at the doorway.]

There's someone coming. Were you running from something earlier?

Dunno, I didn't get to see much before gettin' knocked out. 's probably tougher than any other weird shit we saw in there.

[ At Killua's word, he stills too, voice toned down into a whisper. ]

...Rather than 'something' 's just... we're outsiders. Prolly won't be good getting caught in school premises at this hour. 's troublesome to explain, y'know? How're ya gonna explain the monsters?

Good point. [He'll humor Mondo and lower his voice, too.] I doubt anyone's gonna believe us if none of them have seen the monsters for themselves.

[The footsteps get closer and closer, and Killua pauses.]

Want me to knock them out? We can slip out from the school after that.

Hah?! Whaddya mean with 'knock them out'? Ya gonna punch them?

[ Mondo's hissing whisper gets louder than ever, prompting the footsteps to come even closer with a "Who's there?!". Before he can do anything, the cupboard door slowly opens... ]

Shh! [Killua's warning comes too late, and the door's already sliding open.]

Shit, no time to explain. [He bursts into motion, raising his hand to chop at the hapless person's neck as soon as the door's open. They crumple, unconscious, and Killua catches them before they fall to the floor.

That's what he meant.]

[ Holy fucking shit. There's no way that was just a fluke. The swift movement, the precision and the lack of hesitancy tell it all. ]

What the flippin'... [ He gets out of the cabinet, staring down at the unconscious man, then at Killua. ] Where did you learn that?

[Killua's eyes flick over to him, something hesitant swimming in there for a moment. The more he sees, the more he wonders just how many of these persona users actually know how to fight. Gon and the other friends he'd made back home were all prepared to see violence in some shape or form by the time they met--but these people are different.]

You could say it's part of the family trade.

[There's a certain kind of forced nonchalance in his tone this time. Would Mondo put things together with what he already learned about his family last time? And if he did, would he want nothing to do with Killua after that? Both of these questions run through Killua's mind as he readjusts his grip on whoever he just knocked out.]

C'mon, let's leave them somewhere and get out of here.

[ More than anything, it always fucks Mondo up when he sees kids younger than he is being so capable to fight. It makes him wonder what kind of world they're living in, and what kind of situation that presses them to learn how to do things like... that. There's no fear in those eyes, nor doubt. ]

Family trade...

[ He echoes it and his mind did link it to the whole 'needle control', what they didn't manage to discuss further before. It was clear that acupuncture isn't it ー he looked it up since, and he found out what it actually was ー but it's beyond his imagination how the needle would work, and just... what kind of things he's been through. He just nods and follows Killua, down the hallway, then the stairs. There are many things he wants to ask, but not here. Not when they're trying to sneak out of the school, and not knowing who'd overhear the conversation. ]

[Mondo's being quiet--that's a sign that Killua picks up on easily enough. It shouldn't matter, what people think. And yet, Mondo had seemed like a decent enough person that Killua maybe feels a bit of a sting at the idea that he'd want to avoid Killua after this.

Face blank, he hefts the person over his shoulder and then deposits them in one of the many chairs around the room.]

They'll be fine here.

[Is all he says before he turns and leaves the room, hands shoved casually into his pockets like he didn't just do something extremely suspect. He doesn't look over his shoulder--Mondo's free to follow him if he wants to, but Killua's not going to wait.]

[ Wherever Killua goes, Mondo will follow. After all, he still has so many questions to ask, that he isn't even sure he can ask. That's not only it, though. He does care for Killua, and while-- sure, it's important to be strong enough to defend yourself, especially at a place where you never know what will happen like this place, but...

There's something different about Killua after what he did just now. He's not really a chatterbox in the first place, but the look in his face is kind of unsettling. After a few minutes of silence walking, he'll try to start a conversation quietly. There doesn't seem to be anyone around right now, it shouldn't be too bad right? He'll keep it short. He just needs to know: ]

...You good?

[Mondo gets a considering look, just a flick of a gaze. It's minuscule, but he does relax a little. If Mondo's bothering to check in on him like this, it's a good sign, isn't it?]

Why wouldn't I be?

[But as soon as they're out of the school grounds, Killua adds, with a sigh:]

What do you want to know? You look like you're dying to ask about something.

[ Mondo doesn't say anything else after what Killua says while they're trying to get out of the school, not until Killua speaks up again when they're finally outside.

The boy's sharp and Mondo can't help but rub his hand against the back of his own head. How does he even start... ]

...I wanna know what you've been through. [ A beat. ] But ya don't gotta tell me what ya don't wanna share. [ Welp, that's probably too straight-forward. If only he knows how to word better... had he been in Killua's shoes, he wouldn't have wanted to share anything. ] I just... don't think that's somethin' that just about anyone your age can do normally.

You're not wrong. [There's nothing hesitant about Killua's voice this time. He shrugs, shoulders rolling with an ease that seems out of place for a topic so heavy.]

I was raised to be an assassin. That's about as far from normal as you can get.

[While Killua's being fairly upfront about all this, his answer probably just raises more questions than actually explains anything.]

You're... what?!

[ God fucking dammit, what kind of sane people raise their kids like that? Holy fuck. Parental units are literal crap! ]

So... what, your brothers do it too? Your whole family? Why the fuck...

[ Have they never thought about the danger they're putting Killua in? What the fucking hell. ]

Well, yeah, it's the family trade. Like I said. [Can you believe how unphased he looks while he says all this?] Everyone's in on it, and they start training us at an early age.

[Like three years old, but eh, details.]

Soooo yeah. That's how I can do all those things.

That's fuckin' ridiculous. Don'cha hate it?

[ He regrets the question the moment he says it because heck, who'll really enjoy being an assassin unless they're twisted as fuck, or the people they kill are people who deserve death? Who are people who deserve death, anyway? Mondo's not sure where he stands in terms of morality scale, but to be truthful, he doesn't care enough for the lives of people that don't matter to him. ]

My bad if I'm askin' too much. Just... goddammit.

[Mondo gets a roll of his eyes, but Killua doesn't look that offended. Actually, there's a tiny tilt of his mouth that could even pass for a smile.]

Well, duh. Why do you think I left? [And then, smirking for real now:] They put up a hell of a fight when I first left, though. Heh.

[Why are the Zoldycks like this?]

[ That's....... not something you talk about with a smirk, goddamn. But he's not surprised. Just from what he's heard so far, it's no rocket science to conclude that Killua's family's fucked up. They've trained him since early age, of course they won't let him off so easily. ]

So you got here after you left 'em?

Not exactly. Traveled around for a bit with some friends. [One in particular. Killua's eyes flicker with something unreadable before his expression smooths out again.]

Ran into them right before I woke up here, though.

Huh, that sounds nice. Wish I did that back then, too.

[ He doesn't even know himself what he was referring to with 'back then'. When he thought of travelling with friends, he thought of Ishimaru first of all, and possibly Liv and Tsumiki, and all the friends he's made in Wonderland, but... they won't be able to do that anyway, with how Wonderland is. ]

...Ah, huh? So yer family found ya midway travellin'?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

JULY DUNGEON

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ 7/8: Lockdown Begins

→ 1st Floor

→ 2nd Floor

→ 3rd Floor

→ 4th Floor

→ Mod Notes

7/9 School

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