Persona: Secundum Vestri Umbra

Started by Hikari, March 26, 2010, 05:37:33 AM

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Empyrean

Is there anyone who would be interested in running this in the meantime?

Hikari

Unfortunately, the scheduling conflicts that prevent me from running a game of this sort persist.  However, I am considering running a more conventionally-scheduled, normal system game in roughly the same setting and with similar themes.  This game would only be for about five players, and would not run on a set schedule.

There are a few issues to consider, however:

I'm going to need highly motivated, creative, diligent players.  First off, the fact that I will sometimes be absent for a week or more at a time means that there will be long lulls in GM activity: I expect the players to be able to conduct scenes between one another, develop plot threads, and generally maintain interest during this time!  That means you not only have to be capable of maintaining interest in the lack of immediate GM activity, you also have to be capable of proactively creating and pursuing your own scenes.  Second off, I will be sharing with players responsibility in creating NPCs (we will be using a sort of round-robin system to populate the school with collaboratively created characters), coming up with story ideas, etc.; I cannot afford passive players who only know how to function in the standard DM-Player relationship.

I also need players who have a very strong sense of the setting and themes and are capable of creating extremely interesting, vibrant characters.  This game is going to revolve around the player characters to a degree many players probably won't be accustomed to; that means those characters need to not only be able to stand up under scrutiny as "lifelike" and "interesting", but also have the weight of bearing a lot of the setting's thematic direction upon them.  To put it bluntly, Persona protagonists are fucked up; you need to be able to create and convincingly play a character who is fucked up and yet still functional, engaging, and that people can relate to on at least some level.  I know it's not easy.

To further expand on the point about setting and themes, also understand that this game will not be for everyone.  I am going to be employing a lot of the strong themes present in Persona 3 and 4: alienation from and in society, the inevitability of loss, futility, suicidal-ideation, transience of self, existentialism, and more.  Persona can be pretty fucking depressing, at the end of the day, and it's not really the vehicle for telling stories about invincible heroes who can do no wrong, if that's what you're after.  It's probably not the best place for playing out power fantasies, or otherwise trying to vicariously live a better life through your character; a more interesting life, certainly, but you might end up being glad you're you and not who you're playing at the end of the day.

I'm also soliciting suggestions for the system to use.  The main purpose of the system will be for playing out Persona Battles, with "normal world" events being far less crunchy for the most part.  At the moment, I'm looking at Exalted 2nd Edition and Weapons of the Gods as possibilities.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

Hikari

So, what's the basic premise, then?

That's not changing very much.  The player characters are still going to be students, Persona-users, and shadow hunters trying to unravel the mysteries behind their extremely unusual lives amidst the duality of living altogether too normal lives as high school students.  The focus is likely to shift more toward the Dark Hour and what happens there, as opposed to day-to-day school life, but it will still be an important facet of the campaign, including the use of Social Links.

The year is 2012, and Japan is starting to feel the onset of the "1.29 shock" as the nation's low fertility rate leads to a progressively aging society; to try and combat the "pensioner explosion" the nation has begun to explore opening avenues into immigration after decades of extremely stringent and restrictive policy.  New Dejima is a pilot program in this vein, an artificial island created by the Juutaku keiretsu in the hopes of making the technology behind it profitable now that land reclamation is reaching its limits along the Tokyo-Chiba-Osaka coastline.  The main feature of the island is New Dejima High, a secondary school created specifically to house a multicultural student body selectively invited to participate in the program from around the world.

New Dejima High--idiomatically "Nedekouttou" for Neo Dejima Kouttougakkou, or NDK--woos would-be scholars with the lures of ultra-modern facilities, overqualified teaching staff, and full-ride scholarships all in a "zero expense" package for participant families sending their children to be educated, all--ostensibly--in the hopes that the young scholars will continue on to university in Japan and begin a wave of immigration and naturalization among highly professional individuals from around the world.  Unofficially, the school is also seen by most as an effort toward growing the Northeast Asian "community" of Japan, China, and Korea, which has often stated in recent years a desire to move toward a model similar to that of the European Union; the high-tech, multi-cultural school is very much thought of as a "beacon" for the "bright future" of a cooperative and peaceful Asia, healed from the scars of the past.

Unanswered questions surround the project, however.  What exactly is the criterion used to select students for the pilot program, given that no objective analysis could possibly say that those invited to participate are--necessarily and specifically--the "best and brightest" of their points of origin, academically or otherwise?  Why, aside from the ease of securing their participation with the promises of free room and board and an easy path to higher education, are so many of the students orphans or troubled youths?  Why so much effort and expense for what ultimately amounts to a normal high school?

The shadows are gathering over Nagasaki, and strange things are occurring on New Dejima Island.  The truth is there--between seconds, between heartbeats, lost to time--but will the next generation of shadow hunters figure it out in time...  and will knowing it be enough?

***

As you can probably guess from the above, your characters will be NDK students.  You may have also surmised that in a break from Persona tradition, they do not have to be Japanese; all students at the school take immersive language courses their first year there, however, so it will be assumed that the characters know and are speaking Japanese unless otherwise noted.

Player characters will all be Persona-users, though they may not start the game with their ability awakened yet.  This means they are also capable of perceiving Dark Hours--no, that's not a typo--and possibly even inducing them, in some cases.  The students will live in a dorm on Dejima (this is basically required, since most students technically are not Japanese citizens and can't own property in Nagasaki, and even for locals a morning commute to a man-made island is a bit much); "coincidence" of course dictates that PCs will live in the same dorm, along with some NPCs.  You can choose what year of studies your character is in.  (Bearing in mind that Japanese schools run on a 6-3-3 system, so for high school there are only Freshmen, Juniors, and Seniors.)

I'm looking for a minimum of four players to start; in the grand Persona tradition, we may pick up more PCs as we go, and I'll allow up to six initially if there's that much sincere interest.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

Crovonovin

I would just like to say that I'm still very much interested in participating in this game, though I imagine my character will need to be reworked a bit in order to fit with the new setting (mainly, she can't be commuting from her dad's apartment).  Hopefully more interested parties will come out of the woodwork, but for now consider me onboard. 

Zero

I'd be interested in this, I've been a fan of the Persona games, and I think that even without a DM for a week or so, the characters should still be able to interact with each other pretty well (specifically because of the nature of the RP itself)
*New Update.* A&A Updated 7/30/18

Schrödinger

#80
Quote from: Shihong on June 10, 2010, 07:08:08 AM
I would just like to say that I'm still very much interested in participating in this game, though I imagine my character will need to be reworked a bit in order to fit with the new setting (mainly, she can't be commuting from her dad's apartment).  Hopefully more interested parties will come out of the woodwork, but for now consider me onboard.

Similarly, I may have to do a little bit of reworking on Norio myself - a below-average student probably has no business at Nedekouttou High, but I could easily rework him to a student that did well UNTIL! disaster struck and he's back to his self-loathing, self-abusive drinking self again.

In a week and a half or so I may be able to start up on some serious posting again, I'm rather busy IRL right now - finishing up this year of college.

I'm actually looking forward to the round-robin distribution and collaborative writing for characters so we can cover for each others' Social Links, and I believe if everyone still interested has properly updated their characters with the new NDK and background info in mind, they might as well offer some 'hooks' for their potential Social Links if they haven't already. General direction, potential Arcana's, that sort of thing?

@ Hikari, since you mentioned a system again, might I direct you all again to PDQ Sharp ? Rules light, easy to pick up, mallable as heck  :-)

EDIT: Sorry! I meant to say, PDQ, normal version. Sharp is more for straight-up swashbuckling, dueling etc. Wrong link  :P

    [li]
Schrödinger's O/O[/li]
[li]Plot ideas![/li][/list]

TheHangedOne

I am definitely interested in this! I've long been a fan of the Shin Megami Tensei games. I also have a lovely little resource that may interest people:  megamitensei.wikia.com
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Hikari

Quote from: Schrödinger on June 11, 2010, 01:24:22 AM
Similarly, I may have to do a little bit of reworking on Norio myself - a below-average student probably has no business at Nedekouttou High, but I could easily rework him to a student that did well UNTIL! disaster struck and he's back to his self-loathing, self-abusive drinking self again.

Actually, a below-average student is fine.  No one's really certain what the methodology was behind choosing candidate students, but it wasn't academic accomplishment or otherwise an obvious quest for "prodigies" of any kind.  Aside from an unusually large number of students who or orphans or otherwise come from troubled family situations--which most people assume is simply a result of people in such circumstances being more likely to accept the invitation--the student body seems to run the gamut, with no strong variations from (international) "averages".

There are even students with criminal records, despite the fact that they most likely would not be able to successfully immigrate to Japan.  (Dejima Island, itself, is nominally extraterritorial, though it's generally understood and assumed that students are pursuing immigration or scholastic visas as an end goal, at the minimum.)

QuoteI'm actually looking forward to the round-robin distribution and collaborative writing for characters so we can cover for each others' Social Links, and I believe if everyone still interested has properly updated their characters with the new NDK and background info in mind, they might as well offer some 'hooks' for their potential Social Links if they haven't already. General direction, potential Arcana's, that sort of thing?

The basic method for round-robin creating NPCs is as follows:

The player who is initiating the creation of the NPC sets three values which are static: Arcana (if any), Gender, and Nationality.  These values cannot be altered during the rest of the process.  That player also proposes three traits, which can be just about anything.  A trait could be "Otaku" or "Blonde" or "Senior", or even something like "Loves to Eat Takoyaki".  The next player in the circle then does two things: they add a trait of their own, and they modify an existing trait.  ("Modify" in this case isn't strictly defined, but it's generally understood that you should either focus/clarify the trait--for example, narrowing from "Socially Awkward" to "Afraid of Talking to Boys"--or change it to a trait that's generally similar--such as switching "Otaku" with "Math Nerd" or "Bookworm".)

The next player does the same, and over again, until it circles back around to the player who initiated creation of the character.  That player then adds one trait, modifies one trait, and removes one trait.  If the character is basically complete at this point I'll fill in some of the details; otherwise it goes back to the second player in the process who again adds one trait and modifies another.

A similar process might also be employed to add some "venues" to Dejima Island.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

Hikari

The matter of the system remains something of an open question for the moment, and we may start in more of a freeform mode to begin with, but you're welcome to start creating characters regardless.  For the moment, concentrate on the essentials of your character's personality, background, and persona (keeping in mind that your character most likely will not begin play knowing they have the ability to use persona, but regardless).

If you have any questions or need any help, let me know.  Feel free to PM me if it's information you'd rather keep secret regarding your character for dramatic purposes.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

Hikari

Anyone have any questions, or need any assistance?  You don't have to throw a complete character up fully-formed; feel free to post up ideas, seek advise or collaboration, and generally involve myself or the other players in the process.  After all, we wouldn't want all four of you to come up with the same basic character concept (ie, tsundere junior who plays on the soccer team and has the Strength Arcana, for example) because you were working in a vacuum.  If you need me to expand upon some points of the setting, or what is/isn't appropriate thematically, don't be afraid to ask as well.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

Crovonovin

#85
For now I'm just going to repost my initial sheet with some alterations to better suit the new setting.

Name: Tsukiko Hirukawa
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Year: Junior
Major Arcana: The Emperor
Persona: Bhelen

Appearance:  Hirukawa is a remarkably composed individual, never one to let her feelings get the better of her or allow anything more than the briefest sign of hesitation or discomfort to cross her pretty, if stern features.  This is a student that puts a great deal of care into maintaining her flawless appearance; manicured nails, gorgeous blond locks styled ever so perfectly, and milky white skin that seems better suited for a porcelain doll than a young woman.  She walks with the sort of confidence one would expect from a high-ranking businesswoman, professional one moment and subtly sensual the next.  Were it not for one irksome trait, one might easily mistake her for being several years more mature than she actually is.  Though she would never admit it aloud, Hirukawa is painfully envious of her more "well endowed" classmates.  Her glasses however are worn with pride, and she chooses to consider them the mark of a sophisticate rather than dwell on her imperfect vision.

Personality:  Hirukawa is as prim and proper as one would expect from someone with her stately countenance.  She follows the rules of respectful authority figures without question, shows an eagerness to provide answers and advice in her classes without stepping on the toes of other students or her teachers, and as the acting Vice-President of the student council she displays a willingness to elevate herself above many of the more apathetic pupils at Gekkoukan High.  Though she tries to be helpful to her peers when academics are concerned, she is notoriously impatient when dealing with known delinquents and layabouts.  Blusterous anger is not an emotion she is known for, but her trademark withering glare is known to chill the blood and make small children cry.

Only on those rare occasions where she believes herself to be completely alone does she dare to let the facade slip, the lovely lady's composure shattering into something resembling exhaustion.  But only for the briefest of moments, lest she be seen without her precious mask.

History:

The daughter of an American woman and native Japanese father, Hirukawa has never led a particularly stable life.  Animosity on both sides of the family concerning the union of her parents was omnipresent, though the brunt of the hostility came from her father's family due to their close proximity.  They were the sort of people to make cruel and subtle comments instead of saying anything directly, though her mother was always clever enough to pick up on what they meant.  It was an obvious strain on both of them, but such was their love for each other and their baby girl that they would not let the prejudices of their relatives weigh them down.

Throughout her early years Hirukawa was largely isolated, considered a curiosity at best and an oddity at worst for her bright hair colour and sharp blue eyes.  Rather than crumble beneath the whispering and laughter of her ignorant peers, the girl devoted herself totally to her schoolwork and voraciously devouring every book she got her little hands on.  It was an admittedly lonely existence, but the escape that literature provided was enough to keep her going.  Her parents were a supportive influence on her life, encouraging this desire for learning and buying her whatever books they could.  They were not a wealthy couple, particularly after their own parents refused to give them any further help, but with both of them working whatever jobs they could they managed to scrape by.  Happiness was the time they spent together, no matter how tough things sometimes got.

But this life was always a hair's breadth away from tragedy, and when Hirukawa was eleven years old her mother was taken from her by a nameless drunk with an itchy trigger finger.  Devastated, her father quickly became a worthless wreck of a man.  Though his family offered their consolations and their help with raising Hirukawa, he would have none of it.  Their callous attempts to set him up with other women so soon after the death of his first wife were met with hostility, and understandably so.  But as he became more withdrawn and isolated from the world, concern was raised as to the well-being of his daughter.  Though equally wounded by the loss of her mother, Hirukawa did not allow herself to sink to the same depths of despair.  Ever the precocious and intelligent child, she knew full well how to take care of herself without constant supervision.  Not wishing to have their son shamed further by relieving Hirukawa from his custody, she was allowed to remain with him as long as he posed no threat to her safety.

For the past six years she has juggled the demands of school, extracurricular activities, taking care of her slothful drunkard of a dad, and, most recently, a part-time job waitressing at a nearby restaurant.  She has grudgingly accepted the monetary aid of her father's parents until she is able to become financially dependent, considering herself nothing more than a leech until that day. 

However, this hectic lifestyle was recently interrupted by a sudden invitation into the New Dejima program.  It would appear that neither side of the family referred her, nor had Hirukawa even heard of the program before the invitation arrived.  Regardless of how representatives of NDK discovered her, the opportunity seemed too good to pass up; the savings alone were temptation enough.  Still, it took a great deal of fervent persuasion from both her father and relatives to accept the proposal.  The idea of leaving her incompetent father alone did not sit very well with her, but eventually the walls she'd built up began to cave and hesitance made way for acceptance.

Even at Nedekouttou Hirukawa tries to maintain a strict schedule, hastily eating breakfast and brushing her teeth, preparing her lunch, rushing to the school gym early in the morning, showering, then heading off to classes for the rest of the day.  On those days where she doesn't have any Student Council business or work to attend to, she can usually be found hidden away in the library or running laps around the track.

Though Hirukawa has attracted some male (and female) admirers over the years, each one was rejected in turn.  Her beauty seems to be the only thing that attracts others to her, for she is otherwise not particularly popular or social.  Perhaps a particularly persistent man (or woman) could break through the shell she has erected around herself, but until now nobody has worked up the nerve to attempt it.

Persona:

Bhelen: An oft forgotten figure of Slavonic mythology, Bhelen is a lesser demon of the earth that once sought to dominate the entire world.  He only managed to gain control over a few insignificant villages filled with weak and superstitious men and women before the Lord of the lands he was intruding upon sent a sizable force to stop him.  Though the demon possessed great physical strength and a mastery of lightning-based spells, his movements were far too slow and amateurish to put his deadly skills to good use, and he was summarily defeated and cast down in a pool of his own blood.  The demon cursed the mortal men that had defeated him, claiming that he would sleep for a thousand years, and that when he awakened his body would have transformed into that of a God's.  Bhelen fled from the site of his humiliation and returned to the depths of his mountain home, falling into a deep slumber.  Just as the demon foretold, it is said that should he ever return from the realm of dreams, his size and power will have increased ten-fold, and he will rend the very world asunder with his vengeance.

Appearance (Pictured Above): Bhelen reeks of ancient days and sun-starved soil, and of the moldering tombs deep beneath the hills of the world.  So long has he slumbered that his skin has petrified, cracked, and flaked like the bark of a rotting tree.  He is more a slumbering corpse than a living entity, joints aching from disuse and tied in place with dusty bandages.  Yet even after so many long centuries of hibernation his ceremonial patterns retain their vibrancy, crimson drops of swirling blood of a malignant and long forgotten origin.

Personality:  Bhelen is the sleeping God, and true to his name he walks through the mortal world trapped in illusions of his own design.  His four eyes remain sealed shut even now, shunning the realm of man in favor of surreal dreamscapes.  As such, his movements are slow and ponderous ones, hands reaching hesitantly out into the unknown to grasp at his surroundings.  When he speaks it is with a deliberate, hollow intonation, like one calling through a heavy fog.  The arrogance of his younger days is all but gone now, replaced with a sort of nonsensical wisdom. 


Hikari

Very nice.  I don't have any complaints or proposed modifications, but a few areas you might want to expound upon:

*Persona: Appearance and personality.  Though in the game your Persona may only pop up briefly and doesn't interact on any meaningful level, the same won't necessarily be true in this game.  The majority of the time your Persona will simply be an extension of your character and fully under your control as a player; there may be some circumstances where it functionally acts as an NPC in and of itself, however.  I'll need some basic guidelines for Bhelen's personality and mannerisms.

*Interests: You've got a good start here, as she's obviously a member of student council.  Are there any other extracurricular clubs, teams, or activities she might be interested in?  This doesn't have to represent a commitment for her to be a member at the moment or participate at all, I just want to make sure the bases are covered for the foreseeable future.  Likewise, her non-school hobbies or interests, unless she spends all her free time studying/exercising.  Did taking care of her father give her an interest in cooking, for example?  Does she do a lot of recreational reading, or only studying?  Does she have any interests that went neglected for a long time due to her incredibly busy schedule in a household with a single, negligent parent?

I'm still fooling around with a few different possible systems.  I'd like something a bit "crunchy" for Dark Hour events.  Do you have any particular preferences or aversions with regards to certain systems?
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

Hikari

By the by, if any of you--or anyone watching on the sidelines who wants to play but is having trouble coming up with a "hook" for a character--are having trouble coming up with something to make your character concept "more Persona" don't be afraid to ask.  I've got a decent number of hooks for NPCs that you can build from and expand into something more suitable for a protagonist.  A good NPC is nice, but the game isn't really about the NPCs, so first priority is on getting a really vibrant, compelling group of PCs to build on!
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

Crovonovin

The appearance of Bhelen is just the creature in the background of the image I've already posted, but I'll take those other points into consideration and make some additions to the character sheet.  By your explanation, I take it that Persona are less tools, as they've been shown to be in the Persona games thus far, and more individuals like those in the Shin Megami Tensei games?

Hikari

#89
They're somewhere in between.  Technically, the Persona were individuals in Persona 3 (as evidenced by the fact that Strega's Persona would actively try to kill them unless medicated), but it was a plot thread that was never fully explored.  (For that matter, P3 never delves very deeply into the origin or nature of Persona, or why certain individuals have the capability, though it certainly drops some 5-ton hints.)

The Persona in this game are going to be 'dormant' most of the time and generally in full submission when summoned--that is, they will be under player control and will not do or say anything outside of the will of the summoner--but may at times become 'active' and thus non-submissive.  A good example would be the zanpakutou in Bleach: the vast majority of the time they are non-communicative weapons that display no will of their own, but every now and then they do communicate with their "owner" and show some degree of their own desires.

EDIT: Though a better metaphor might be the EVAs from Evangelion.  The Persona is, after all, an alien--and often terrifying--entity that may be strangely familiar to the summoner, but ultimately remains a horribly powerful and inhuman thing that he or she employs but barely understands.  Honestly, without the immediate need for their protection it's hard to imagine most people would be able to "accept" their own Persona, which is probably why Strega had so much trouble with their artificially-induced Personae.  This is really straying into themes I'd rather explore in-game, though!
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

TheHangedOne

Name: Redrick Krosse
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Year: Junior
Arcana: The Moon
Persona: Hermit

Appearance: An overall large American man, with long hair, often dyed different colors depending on his mood, though usually it is red and black. His natural hair color is brown. He has brown eyes, and a ruddy complexion.  He prefers to wear light, loose clothing, and seems agitated by the school uniform. He is usually frowning or has a ponderous look on his face.

Personality: Redrick is the shy and quiet type, though by and far, he does not fit this stereotype entirely. A hardcore geek, he has a large frame. He's neither fat nor muscular, but a little of both. This physical appearance actually reflects him  to some degree, as he seems to be a little of this, and a little of that. When interacting with others, he seems confused. He is complex, but unstable. His instability may be more deep seated than anyone else may imagine... 

Interests: Reading, writing, cooking, video games, animals.

History: Redrick's family was killed in a car accident early in his life, when he was still very young, about four or five, he can not fully recall when. He has since been into a dozen different foster homes and orphanages.

Because of his constantly being bounced back and forth and never really settling down, he has developed into something of a stoic, self sufficient, loner type. Despite this fact, though, he does occasionally go out of his way to try and make friends, usually with disastrous results.

He is not entirely sure why he was chosen to go to the school, but he decided, what the hell? Why not?  Maybe in a different spot, a different land, he could finally find someone who understood him, and who he could understand.

It hasn't happen so far, but he has yet to give in to despair. He just keeps plodding along, hoping.


Persona

Rather than some god or divine entity, Redrick finds his Persona is actually an archetypal figure.  The Hermit sits, in his cave, on his stone pillar, within the dark forest, inside his locked room, and thinks. He contemplates the greater meanings to existence, to the cosmos, to humanity and God. Or maybe he just wonders to himself daily what is wrong with him, or the world, that he has isolated himself from it.

While the tradition of the Christian hermit, the anchorite, the solitary is what largely defines the archetype; the idea of a solitary man wandering off into the wilderness to understand something of the world is almost as old as time itself. However, the modern world with its emphasis on community and the undesirable nature of solitude, has done a great deal of damage to the positive aspects of the Hermit's image. The Hermit has become another word for the recluse or shut-in, the misanthrope incapable of dealing with modern society.

Appearance: Hermit appears in an almost cliched fantasy sorcerer appearance. An old man, bent with age, leans heavily on his large, knotted staff, and wears a plain brown cloak.

Personality: Quiet, sagacious, introspective, and solitary. The hermit can be helpful, for indeed, many people in the old days would visit such wise men for aid. The Hermit may help, but he is not there to help others. He is there to learn for himself, first and foremost.



I hope this looks good. I know it deviates a bit from what may be traditional. Any constructive commentary is welcome.
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

NotoriusBEN

whoa, almost missed this hikari ^^.

I'll throw in my character again, but Im gonna need to change his last name 'cause of hangman's guy.

"Krosse and Khross at your service... no relation." :P

Hikari

No problem, I just remembered you were interested because of your avatar.  I believe Reiji also wanted to play, and he's more than welcome if he likes the new direction.  I would just invite everyone, but I had four people respond relatively quick when I put up the new idea, so if all four of them stay on board the bus will already be a little full.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

ReijiTabibito

Yeah, I did want to play...I just don't think I ever decided on anything regarding my character.  >_<

Hikari

Quote from: TheHangedMan on June 13, 2010, 10:26:51 AM
Name: Redrick Krosse
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Year: Junior
Arcana: The Moon
Persona: Hermit

Appearance: An overall large American man, with long hair, often dyed different colors depending on his mood, though usually it is red and black. His natural hair color is brown. He has brown eyes, and a ruddy complexion.  He prefers to wear light, loose clothing, and seems agitated by the school uniform. He is usually frowning or has a ponderous look on his face.

Personality: Redrick is the shy and quiet type, though by and far, he does not fit this stereotype entirely. A hardcore geek, he has a large frame. He's neither fat nor muscular, but a little of both. This physical appearance actually reflects him  to some degree, as he seems to be a little of this, and a little of that. When interacting with others, he seems confused. He is complex, but unstable. His instability may be more deep seated than anyone else may imagine... 

Interests: Reading, writing, cooking, video games, animals.

History: Redrick's family was killed in a car accident early in his life, when he was still very young, about four or five, he can not fully recall when. He has since been into a dozen different foster homes and orphanages.

Because of his constantly being bounced back and forth and never really settling down, he has developed into something of a stoic, self sufficient, loner type. Despite this fact, though, he does occasionally go out of his way to try and make friends, usually with disastrous results.

He is not entirely sure why he was chosen to go to the school, but he decided, what the hell? Why not?  Maybe in a different spot, a different land, he could finally find someone who understood him, and who he could understand.

It hasn't happen so far, but he has yet to give in to despair. He just keeps plodding along, hoping.


Persona

Rather than some god or divine entity, Redrick finds his Persona is actually an archetypal figure.  The Hermit sits, in his cave, on his stone pillar, within the dark forest, inside his locked room, and thinks. He contemplates the greater meanings to existence, to the cosmos, to humanity and God. Or maybe he just wonders to himself daily what is wrong with him, or the world, that he has isolated himself from it.

While the tradition of the Christian hermit, the anchorite, the solitary is what largely defines the archetype; the idea of a solitary man wandering off into the wilderness to understand something of the world is almost as old as time itself. However, the modern world with its emphasis on community and the undesirable nature of solitude, has done a great deal of damage to the positive aspects of the Hermit's image. The Hermit has become another word for the recluse or shut-in, the misanthrope incapable of dealing with modern society.

Appearance: Hermit appears in an almost cliched fantasy sorcerer appearance. An old man, bent with age, leans heavily on his large, knotted staff, and wears a plain brown cloak.

Personality: Quiet, sagacious, introspective, and solitary. The hermit can be helpful, for indeed, many people in the old days would visit such wise men for aid. The Hermit may help, but he is not there to help others. He is there to learn for himself, first and foremost.



I hope this looks good. I know it deviates a bit from what may be traditional. Any constructive commentary is welcome.

Good for the most part, though again there are a few issues with the Persona.  The Hermit is, of course, one of the Major Arcana of the Tarot; it can't really be used as-is as a Persona, and certainly not one of The Moon Arcana.  Besides that, it's really a bit lackluster.  Persona tend to be, well, weird, especially in the case of characters who only have one (think Yukari's girl-chained-to-a-cow-skull or Ken's rather disturbing buzzsaw robot-monster thing).  A perfectly normal, viable human figure is a little on the dull side.  Even beyond that, because your Persona will actually be getting summoned for more extended periods of time as opposed to just popping up and firing off a shot, you probably want it to be something a little more believably spry and actionable.

Keep in mind Persona allows you to go really non-traditional in what counts as a "mythological" figure, so you don't have to use something from standard mythology.  You could, for example, use Merlin--though as the iconic figure normally painted on The Hermit card, he again doesn't make the best case for a Moon representative--or Solomon, or even a famous magician like Crowley, even Houdini.  Though, in any of these cases, you'd still probably want to "weird" it up a bit: rather than a hunched old man in robes, the robes themselves could be seemingly empty or filled with some nebulous, starry matter; in the case of a notable magician like Crowley, the figure could have its hood down and generally appear relatively normal...  when it isn't unleashing a mass of cthonic tentacles/swarm of locusts consolidated into a humanoid shape/shadowy tendrils of nothingness/etc. from beneath the robes.

As far as the background goes, it looks good, though there are a few questions.  Who were his parents and what were they like before they died?  Does he remember at all?  Does he have any other significant relations?  Where in America is he from, and what's his ethnicity?  (Americans, after all, aren't the most uniform lot, and in a multi-ethnic school it's likely to come up eventually.)  Did he do well in school--play any sports, participate in any activities?  Why has he gone through so many foster homes, and did he meet anyone significant or interesting along the way?

You don't have to answer all these questions, and many of them might have very simple and relatively non-useful answers (for example, given his foster home situation it seems like that he doesn't have any notable relatives, unless for whatever reason they refuse to claim him).  That's okay if so!  I'm just pointing out places where you might have overlooked something.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

TheHangedOne

Well, I was trying to go in a more non-traditional (by Persona standards) route with it. The Hermit as an Archetypal figure. "An archetype is an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated; a symbol universally recognized by all. In psychology, an archetype is a model of a person, personality, or behavior." But no worries, I can change it around without any problems, and was, myself, expecting it to get an ehh. Anyways. Will cook up a new one in a bit.

I'll just redo and repost the sheet with the extra stuff in it.
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

TheHangedOne

Name: Redrick Krosse
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Year: Junior
Arcana: The Moon
Persona: Miseria

Appearance: An overall large,  American man, with long hair, often dyed different colors depending on his mood, though usually it is red and black. His natural hair color is brown. He has brown eyes, and a ruddy complexion. Caucasian. He prefers to wear light, loose clothing, and seems agitated by the school uniform. He is usually frowning or has a ponderous look on his face. He speaks with a noticeable Irish accent.

Personality: Redrick is the shy and quiet type, though by and far, he does not fit this stereotype entirely. A hardcore geek, he has a large frame. He's neither fat nor muscular, but a little of both. This physical appearance actually reflects him  to some degree, as he seems to be a little of this, and a little of that. When interacting with others, he seems confused. He is complex, but unstable. His instability may be more deep seated than anyone else may imagine...

Interests: Reading, writing, cooking, video games, animals.

History: Redrick's family was killed in a car accident early in his life, when he was still very young, about four or five, he can not fully recall when. He has since been into a dozen different foster homes and orphanages. While he was young, he was easier to manage, but as he grew older,  into his teens,  he would often alienate his family and isolate himself from them because "They're not my family".

He was too young to have any real recollection of his parents. He knows very little from the adoption agency about him. They were Irish immigrants, his father worked at a factory, his mother owned a bakeshop.  All he has as a reminder is a photo of his family, taken when he was still in a crib. Because of the kind and happy facial expressions in this picture, he has crafted an idealistic view of what his parents were like.

Although he supposedly has kin in Ireland, he has never gone there, afraid that they will be dead, or even worse, that they would reject him. Even if they didn't, he doesn't know those people, and could they really be considered family?

Because of his constantly being bounced back and forth and never really settling down, he has developed into something of a stoic, self sufficient, loner type. Despite this fact, though, he does occasionally go out of his way to try and make friends, usually with disastrous results.

He does not believe he has ever met a single person that was worthwhile in his life.  His emotional distance may very well be a coping mechanism, however.

He is not entirely sure why he was chosen to go to the school, but he decided, what the hell? Why not?  Maybe in a different spot, a different land, he could finally find someone who understood him, and who he could understand.

It hasn't happen so far, but he has yet to give in to despair. He just keeps plodding along, hoping.


Persona

Appearance: Miseria's true appearance seems to be unknown, as it is trapped inside an iron maiden, bound with chains.  Eye sockets allow it to see out, and its eyes glow a fiery red color. The iron maiden is capable of floating through the air via some form of magic or kinesis, and the prehensile chains can be shortened or lengthened, and used for a variety of tasks.

Personality: Miseria seems to radiate a palpable aura of sadness and pain, and may very well be all his negative emotions manifested into a physical form. It can communicate vaguely through whispers, but when it speaks, it sounds as if this is a strenuous task for it. Miseria despite all appearances, is something of a guardian spirit for Redrick, and seeks to keep him safe. Although calm under most circumstances, it will lash out in anger at any perceived danger.
A&A's and O&O's *Status: Here and there | Games: Aiming for punctuality*
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."
"In the ocean of knowledge, only those who want to learn will see the land."
"Before you roar, please take a deep breath."
Check out my poet tree!

Hikari

The revision looks good to me.  Schrodinger, Zero, have you two made any progress on character creation?  If you need any help, or require more setting information and specifics on something, feel free to ask.  I'm probably going to shift the proceedings over to a proper OOC thread soon if I can get another couple of character concepts up and running.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia

NotoriusBEN

I'll still use my character concept on page 3, but I'll rename him Ben Bishop. Any maybe a bit less likely to fall into a panic attack :P

Doesn't mean he's not still scared about all this.
And double negatives rawk.

Hikari

Ben should work for the most part, though he's missing a bit of "drama" at the moment.  I'll throw some ideas your way as examples of what I mean.  Panic attacks are fine, as well; for lack of really compelling alternatives I'm still looking at using modified Exalted rules, and would probably replace the Limit mechanic with a Sanity one.  So, characters are going to need some neurotic or even psychotic tendencies to express when they get overstressed by supernatural events.
The wait is over,
I'm now taking over
You're no longer laughing
I'm not drowning fast enough


-The Strokes, Reptilia