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

[ He's so stupid that he doesn't even have a phone, sobs.

Hibiki is on his way back to Kido when she touches the omamori, but seeing the large ghost cat behind her doesn't make him stop—it's fine, it's just another demon. He's never seen anything like this, but that doesn't seem to frighten him either.

What do you mean Kido would hate that. She's going to hate that because Byakko starts using ice spells as well which makes Hibiki smirk when he's handing Kido down her phone. ]

I wonder if we can do joint attacks.

[ He's the worst. ]

[ WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS DEMON SUMMONING PHONE POST-GAME...

Anyways, Kido is too busy freezing on the spot staring at Nekogami and Byakko to scream or run or do anything she wants to do, so when Hibiki speaks up, she grips her phone tight and yells at him instead. ]

Joint attacks?? Why can't either of you have proper reactions to things??!?

[ Hibiki and Terrence both!! Menaces!!! ]

[ NOTHING HAPPENED he just can't have nice things!! Maybe he'll get it sometime. Maybe he won't... ]

Either?

[ Hibiki blinks not realizing what she means quite yet. ]

It's funny that we match. [ Two ice cats, how did this happen. ] Who would have thought.

Edited 2019-07-13 11:04 (UTC)

[ Is it funny? Is it really? Kido doesn't think so. ]

I don't want to match with you.

[ How come Hibiki gets the badass ice tiger, while Kido's is more like a housecat, with the way it can drape across her shoulders?? Unfair. ]

We both have hoodies, too. It's must be fate.

[ Hibiki's fate might have come to an end just now, however. It looks like the shadow is done with, so they can advance. As long as Kido wants to be stuck with a bunny boy, that is. ]

[ They can't advance because Kido's standing in the way blocking Hibiki's path. This is a serious conversation and they must resolve this first. ]

Remove your hoodie.

[ She doesn't want to match!! And she's not going to be the one to take off her hoodie, so it's got to be Hibiki. ]

Are you for real?

[ Kido...so bold... ]

Can I at least do it in one of these houses?

[ He should probably tell her that half of his shirt was used as bandages so it's much shorter than it used to be. ]

No. Here and now.

[ Hibiki in a crop top... I can't believe this. ]

Okay...

[ So now he's stripping in the middle of a dungeon, nice. Nobody but Lora knows about this crop top...

Instead of just removing the hoodie fast, he's slowly undoing the buttons, giving Kido the chance to back down. ]

[ Cool. Cool cool cool, we sure are closing our eyes. It's really too bad Kido is too stubborn to back down. ]

Be quick about it.

As you wish.

[ Here, Kido can now appreciate (???) Hibiki's crop top in its full glory while he holds his hoodie in his hand. ]

I feel like I need new equipment. This one doesn't even give any additional defense points.

[ Wha-

Okay, first of all, ]

It's been a week. Why do you not have other clothes?

[ Second, she has no idea what he's talking about but Wyatt would know, where is Wyatt to translate for her ]

[ The answer is almost boring, especially when you consider where they are now. ]

I haven't gone clothes shopping yet.

[ Besides hiding it under hoodie works!! ]

You've been wasting money staying at the inn, but you haven't bought new clothes?!

[ It doesn't work!! Hibiki!!!! ]

Stupid, I'll get you something later, but you're not allowed to complain about how it looks!

I missed futons...

[ Of all things, this is his excuse. ]

As long as it's not a garbage bag, it'll do. Thanks, Kido. You're very reliable.

[ Is it going to be a garbage bag... ]

[ It's not going to be a garbage bag...........

Kido sighs and shakes her head. Better get Hibiki two shirts, so he can wear one while the other is in the wash, because he seems like the sort of person who'd sit around with his crop top in front of the washer if there's only one shirt. ]

It's because you're hopeless, so what else can I do?

[ Gasp. How did she know... ]

You don't have to do anything, really. [ A soft smile plays at his lips. ] And yet, you're doing a lot.

[ She's too used to fools...

But she's used to fools who tease her and make her want to tear out her hair, not say stuff like this that makes her looks away, somewhat embarrassed. ]

I'm doing it 'cause I want to. If you end up dead in the gutter without me looking after you, I'd feel guilty about that, you know?

[ It's not like she worries about and random person off the street, but Hibiki's just... look at him. It's so easy to picture him lying face down in a gutter somewhere. ]

Hey, I'm not that hopeless...

[ Maybe it's time to grow up and get serious...who is he kidding. But still, he doesn't want Kido to feel guilty about whatever happens to him. ]

I'll come here every night to train, I promise.

[ Was that supposed to be reassuring... ]

[ That is absolutely not reassuring and is exactly why Kido says he's hopeless. She reaches over to flick him on the forehead. ]

Can't you at least train with one of us? Instead of a monster who wants you dead.

Can you use any weapons?

[ Guess who used demons only and absolutely no weapons during an apocalypse (two apocalypses, actually)? This guy. ]

I've never needed to fight monsters anymore, or anything I can't kick over... but a bat or something wouldn't be hard to use. But you shouldn't have to use any weapons; just let your tiger do the work.

[ They should all just use demons only and no weapons, why would they need to, they're not demifiend out there punching demons in the face ]

I was just thinking of covering my bases. You know, in case this stops working or something.

[ Hibiki holds up the amulet to show it to Kido to make his point clear. He can't really punch demons in the face and despite being stupidly reckless, he's not planning on dying. ]

[ Honestly, as unused as she is with using the charms, it didn't cross Kido's mind that they might stop working halfway through a battle and leave them defenseless. Thanks for providing another thing to keep her up at night. ]

Can you use any weapons?

[ He's happy to help and less happy to make her anxious. What's done is done, though!! ]

Maybe I could use a staff...I always played mages in games.

[ Only serious answers here. ]

JULY DUNGEON

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ 7/8: Lockdown Begins

→ 1st Floor

→ 2nd Floor

→ 3rd Floor

→ 4th Floor

→ Mod Notes

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