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

[ Ok Mondo thinks he saw something crawling inside the fridge. He'll just... close it real quick before it slips out. Bugs don't bug him, but Kido will probably freak out if she knows...

And look, it's fine! Endurance is his forte, this is nothing!! ...Sike, he does feel lethargic, but he needs to be sure first that there's nothing in this house that can do a surprise attack on them! Kido seems really exhausted too, after all.

Once the Mondo Inspection is over, he'll join her sitting down on the floor, facing the direction where he can look at both her and the window outside. The way she puts her hands over her ears catches his eyes. ]

...You ok, Kido?

[ Kido would definitely freak out if she knew and would immediately leave the kitchen. She doesn't need to know there's a bug three feet to her left, it's okay.

With her hands over her ears, she doesn't hear him speak, but feels him sit beside her and only then does she drop her hands to her lap and look over at him. ]

Did you find anything?

[ She completely missed his question but it wasn't an important question .]

[ ...A bug. And another. But again, she doesn't need to know. He'll try to keep his poker face. ]

Nah. This place's pretty run down　ー stuff here are either broken or useless. Didn't see anythin' that we can bring along.

[ She didn't answer his question, which... she probably missed because she was covering her ears, or she heard but didn't want to answer. ]

I'll keep watch, so you can nap for a bit if you wanna. It's best to rest up a lil' before we try to navigate back out.

[ Kido shakes her head, though she lets her legs straighten out instead of holding them close anymore. ]

Falling asleep here wouldn't be the best idea. It'll probably be better if we walk, actually, to keep our muscles warmed up in case we have to make a break for it.

[ But she just wants to sleep ahhhhhhhh why did this all have to happen at midnight ]

[ Well, that's a good point, but it's barely convincing when she seems so tired.

He falls silent for a moment, before an idea suddenly strikes and-- ]

Hey, that's right! I can carry you!

[ Yeah! If they need to bail and he carries her on his shoulder, it'll be a muscle training for his arm(s?? he probably just needs one) and his legs at the same time! He nods to himself, confident that it's a good idea. ]

No you can not.

[ Vetoed ]

[ He can't quite see Kido's expression in the darkness of the house, but her tone is firm. He doesn't really get it though??? ]

Why not? It's two birds one stone, right? You can rest while I can exercise!

If you touch me, I will break your nose.

[ Does he get it now...? ]

[ Oh. ]

...Uh.

[ Yeah. He gets it now. ]

O, ou.

[ He rubs the back of his head awkwardly, subsequently getting up and cracking his neck. They should probably decide how they're gonna find their way back out. Through the dusty window of the house, he can see some of the Shadows passing by, like they're patrolling. But none of them seem to notice him inside the window despite standing tall and... gaudy.

Wait, that particular one looks like it's glaring at him. ]

Aah? Is it tryinna challenge me?!

[ He glares back, but the Shadow just looks away and walks off. ]

...Hah? The hell's that? 'twas lookin' this way...

[ Good, she doesn't have to say anything more. She stands quickly at his outburst, though, one hand grabbing a lantern in case she has to throw it and the other grabbing the back of Mondo's collar to pull him back. ]

What was it? And, sheesh, next time don't go shouting like that when you see something weird; you might agitate it and make it attack next time!

[ Should they go after it? Or continue hiding in the kitchen... though, if they were spotted, it's hardly a good hiding place. ]

Maybe we should keep going...

[ Oh I have the appropriate icon for this, lmao. ]

It glared at me first!!

[ Like a son reprimanded by his mom, he argues, trying to blame it at the Shadow. How did you end up with so many children, Kido... But ok Mondo knows that she's right... there's a reason they're keeping a distance. ]

Well... we can try ta slip our way out. There seem to be a pattern to their walking, so if we rush on their blindside, it might do the trick?

[ A big part of Mondo wants to just Fight them the way a man does it, but he's learned for the better. He's not all that strong against the creatures. ]

This time we'll stick together.

[ Somebody's learned something. ]

[ Mom voice: you're both wrong! ]

Yeah, we'll stick together and leave together when its back is turned. If they're patrolling in formation or whatever... that just makes it easier on us.

[ She gets up, rolling her ankles to keep them limber and ready to run when needed, and then inches out of the kitchen, head turned towards wherever Mondo was looking last to see if she can spot whatever monster it was that had passed them

Easy enough to make it out... ]

We'll go from house to house. It'll be restricting for both sides, but I'd feel better with walls around us protecting at least one side, instead of being out in the open. ]

[ BUT MOOOMMMM

Mondo too, watches out the window as they speak. ]

Gotcha. We'll aim for that house at 2 o'clock on the count of 3. [ He has his hand on the doorknob, slowly pulling it open... ] One... two... three!!

[ He'll dash out, but not without making sure Kido's with him when he does so. When they're halfway through, he spares a glance to the other side to check what the blobs are doing. Seems like they still have their backs on them, good.

The closer they are getting to the house, though, they can smell a very strong odor... that's clearly not each other's BO. Saying it really stinks is an understatement. ]

Fuck, what's this smell?

[ Oh. Ugh, Kido makes a face when the smell hits her too, pulling up her jacket coller to cover her nose and mouth so she can breathe a little easier. ]

Never mind this one- we'll go for the next house!

[ Even if it's closer and safer, there is no way she can stay here without gagging on the smell, and they wouldn't be able to rest here at all.

It's just really too bad that the smell just gets worse and worse the further forward they run. ]

[ Mondo follows Kido's lead, but-- god, it really ain't gettin' any better, the hell. He puts up his sleeve under his nose, trying to focus on breathing in the smell of fabric instead.

The next closest house is nearby, but before he can even reach, a loud screech locks him down in a spot. ]

Fuckー [ His eyes reflexively shut at the noise, hands over his ears, and when it reopens... a weirdass looking bird shows up from the side of the house, standing tall in its reeking glory. ] God fuckin' dammit!

[ Do they fight it? They both were pretty exhausted from the fight with the ravens, but-- shit, he's got no time to think, the bird's approaching. He grabs his own amulet, and looks at Kido.

Before he can ask anything, the same lion-dog from earlier jumps out from nowhere, striking the bird and pinning it down. But it's clear as the day that the lion-dog's overpowered ー he won't be able to pin it down for too long. ]

[ Kido meets Mondo's eye, and- though she hesitates for a second- she also pulls out her amulet and summons her Persona, the ghost cat dissipating into the smoke the bird brings and being able to use it as cover just as well as the Shadow can, lunging at the Shadow when Komainu pits it down to sink its teeth into the bird's head. Not very effective on its own, but with the both of them keeping the Shadow still, even for just a few moments, Nekogami can cast bufu and shards of ice shoot up from the ground to pierce through the Shadow's body. ]

[ Honestly, Mondo wouldn't know how he'd manage if Kido wasn't here. At this moment, Komainu isn't strong enough to handle it alone ー it really helps that Nekogami's pretty compatible with him despite their opposing elements. They manage to get quite a big damage with the double assault, but Onmoraki manages to stand back up, pushing them back and tries to breathe fire towards them, which Komainu answers with another fire attack, causing it to explode in air.

Most Shadows are strong against the element they use, is what Mondo has learned thus far. It looks like using fire attacks against this stinky bird probably won't work, so... fighting physically it is! Komainu raises its paw and tries to rip the bird apart with its claws. The attack they did earlier was effective, so they just gotta keep doing it. Komainu will pin the bird back down, this time longer than earlier, now that he's more familiar with the bird's moving pattern. ]

[ It's why you don't solo dungeons, Kido's learning. It'd be even easier if they had more people, but it would also get a lot messier— her and Mondo working so well together could only be accomplished because they'd met before and aren't complete strangers, she thinks, her trusting him to some degree and vice versa. It's a tactic that works, and so she keeps with the same strategy, pinning the bird and piercing it with ice until the damage is too much and it explodes in a shower of black gunk, Kido turning and pulling her hood over her head to avoid the worse of it. ]

Gross... It still smells.

[ Something falls to the ground- a scroll but Kido just sort of picks it up and rips off part of the sheet to use as a napkin to wipe off the black stuff. She holds the other half to Mondo. ]

Here, wipe yourself off.

[ Whoa, no hesitation... Mondo takes what's given to him, pulling it open to see if there's anything indicated there. Nope. Maybe this is the ancient toilet paper. So he does as told, wiping off what he can. Tch, he got some on his tokkoufuku. ]

Aight, let's dash before any more of those catch us.

[ They probably gained some good EXP from that smelly fucker, but who knows how much they can endure with their energy getting largely exhausted after every fight. ]

D'ya remember the way back? I've got it in my head vaguely, but just to be real sure.

[ It's totally ancient toilet paper and Kido is more than glad to turn around and leave. Hell yeah hell yeah level up time, maybe this is when Kido's Persona learns those sweet new skills so they can blast through any more Shadows they come across along the way. ]

This floor is pretty straightforward, and as long as we take it slow in the maze and don't miss a turn, I think I know the way back.

[ It's a lot harder doing things backwards than it is forwards... She should take a leaf from Rei's book and draw out that maze, probably, thoughts for next time. ]

[ No level up for Mondo yet bc he's been relatively cautious in his approach in the dungeon. Not so much being scared as much as he's just trying to get used to this whole fighting style where he might be in a big disadvantage if he tries to fight them by his fists instead. A dumbass also has one intact brain cell sometimes... ]

Aight, cool.

[ He'll walk in the same pace as Kido, looking around for any useful things to pick up. Maybe there are some items they can scavenge, they'll never know when they need it.

As they go further, he begins to spot more and more farming tools recklessly scattered like people had no time to tidy them up. He picks up a sickle when he sees one, turning it around to see how sharp the tool is. It's definitely not brand new, but pretty well-maintained. He's gonna keep that just in case. ]

[ Gardening tools... Kido doesn't know much about them, but they're intuitive enough to know how to use. Swing a sickle, snip with the shears she has in her hands, it all works out. ]

Hmm... I'll see if I can find strong enough fabric to make you a headband. We need to get that under control.

[ Points at his pomp. She'd feel bad about cutting it, like she'd feel bad about anybody suggesting that she cut her own hair that took so long to grow out, but it's also just very inconvenient. She'll figure it out somehow, maybe next month. ]

[ Yep, they're armed, and ready to fight!!

He looks up to his pomp, and then to the sickle he's holding. Hm... At this point, he doesn't really mind changing up his hairstyle, but it just feels weird to suddenly cut it. It doesn't feel like the right timing. So maybe not this time... but he'll consider it. ]

Yeah, 's kinda in the way when we need to hide. ...Say, your... uh, cat? Thing. It's got ice attacks right? Can it do water too?

[ He's only got fire attacks, he doesn't really want to burn his hair...

Anyway, as they keep going, the shack where they got down from earlier is in sight, and they just need to climb that up to return to the initial maze. ]

[ Armed and ready to fight and Kido's really hoping they don't need to fight anymore!!

She's glad to see the door coming into view, ready to get out of here, thinking over whether her cat(?) thing can do water or not. ]

I don't think so... But in a place like this that's so hot, ice would melt soon enough to become water. Why? Are you thirsty? We should remember to bring water and other supplies the next time we're here.

[ Uh. ]

...My hair. With enough water it'll flop down.

[ Maybe when they need it next time... or if she wants to do it now. The enemies at upper floor are significantly weaker, so they should be... fine... Or they can just blaze through. ]

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

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