2025-09-16: Dark Side: Ateliers and Homunculus
- Cutscene: Dark Side: Ateliers and Homunculus
- Cast: Hazuki Nakao
- Where: Dark Side of Sumaru forums
- OOC Date: 2025-09-16
- IC Date: July 11th, 2012
- Summary: A post goes up from a user named Constellations about a new form of supernatural phenonemon.
A post from a relatively new user on the Dark Side of Sumaru goes up, the account having only been created a couple of weeks ago. Under the username 'Constellations', the user claims to have information that no one else has. This might brew some skepticism, except for the fact of HOW they phrase it: everything they're saying and how they respond to replies sounds like a genuine (if extremely new) Persona User.
What they explain is a phenomenon called a 'Homunculus', a monstrous doppelganger that replaces humans and kills the host slowly. Existing in what they believe is a special cognitive space (they're assuming based off everyone else's Dark Side terminology) known as an Atelier, the host can be saved, if one can destroy the Homunculus. The cause is not known at this time.
Constellations says that Persona users should be able to 'just tell' someone's a Homunculus, that it will be very hard to mistake.
Inside the Atelier, there are talking Shadows, who can be helpful or harmful. They exist in multiple types, each with their own role.
The Atelier already existed beforehand, and indeed, appears to be a normal phenomenon. The Homunculus instead hijacked it and started corrupting it.
But how does one get INTO an Atelier, to help a Homunculus host (or do whatever else they're going to do, like get materials)? They must take an object important to the host, known as a Thread, bring it to a lonely place that they feel like is theirs, and then go to a net cafe (or any place where you can be Alone Together) and use a special website. The URL of the website is not given; though Constellations says that Igor gave them it, and might give it to others, too.
Constellations answers questions to the best of their abilities, but most of their answers end up being 'I don't know'. They eventually post that they're getting tired, and stop replying to the thread.