Assorted Supernatural Phenomena

The Black Mask

Detective Akechi relating his encounter with the Black Mask

The true, original culprit behind the Psychotic Breakdowns and Mental Shutdowns, known more fully as "the one in the black mask." Who are they, really? That's a secret known only to select individuals in the top ranks of the New World Order.

What is known, and only by another select few at that, is that they work for Masayoshi Shido, who both uses them to gain power for himself and sells their services for top dollar to the right clientele. The Demons, Mementos Shadows, and Palace Rulers they viciously bully all speak their sobriquet with fear.

Cognitions

Cognitions are the strange residents within Palaces, Kingdoms, and other Cognitive Worlds that are not Shadows. The best explanation the Dark Side of Sumaru community has for them is that they're the version of people that exist within someone's head.

The form cognitions take within Palaces depends entirely on the distortion of the Ruler. Typically they are people, but the form they take and what they know depends on how the Palace Ruler views them. Some particularly distorted Rulers may not even view them as people and so appear accordingly.

Cognitions for the most part have little supernatural power to speak of and are dispatched quite easily, but that too depends on the distortion of the person in question. For example, someone who sees an abusive parent as an all-powerful source of trauma may have a particularly mighty cognition of them.

If a cognition is dispatched, it reappears naturally within a few hours unless the mind receives evidence--factual or not--that the person is dead in reality.

OOC Minutiae

• Player characters are encouraged to think outside the box in using cognitions to their advantage. There are infamous examples in Persona 5 of using them for grand outcomes, and characters can potentially discover or create more if they're willing to experiment. Send a request to staff for anything major in advance, please.

The Collective Unconscious

Each person that exists within the Velvet Room MUSH has their own individual psyche, which allows for the concept of consciousness. While these people may exist within the material world, they simultaneously exist within supernatural dimensions wherein all consciousness is connected to each other. Not simply those who are currently alive, but to everyone that has ever existed.

Everything that has ever happened within human history is stored within the Collective Unconsciousness, and while it may not necessarily be acceptable, it would perhaps be a great comfort to many that there is in fact, proof of their existence indelibly written into all the concepts of humanity. Unfortunately, most never come by this knowledge.

The Collective Unconscious is divided into multiple dimensional layers that are cordoned off from one another. The shallowest layers may concern the daily concerns of every day people, while as you go deeper, one might come upon narrative archetypes of myth, or concepts such as 'Fatherhood' and 'Motherhood'. The deepest layers of all regard more abstract concepts such as time, space, memory, life, death and how all of humanity relates to such.

One's personal interaction within the Collective Unconscious is typically 'the Shadow'. To have one's Shadow exist within multiple dimensions is not a contradiction, but a reality. One's Shadow will always reflect the dimension it's in, as part of how it interfaces with the world. As one goes deeper within the realms of the eldritch and abstract, you may not be able to locate one's Shadow, or even perceive the form it takes. In these realms it is difficult for 'individuality' to even be maintained as one is exposed to the great mysteries of human existence.

Note: it is exceptionally difficult and dangerous to cross into supernatural dimensions by one's own power. The Collective Unconscious is extremely hazardous, and guarded by great powers who can snatch away the lives of the foolhardy within a single instant. While there are Persona Users throughout history who have developed these powers and traversed the boundaries upon their own power, it typically requires decades of meditation upon one's identity and study. As a result, these powers are inappable at the start of the game, and will likely remain so throughout most of the game's running.

So too, at the start of the game is it inappable for a Persona User to have a great breadth of knowledge on the Collective Unconscious itself. Typically the focus of individuals who do scientifically study it is more specialized, rather than academic expertise upon all of these dimensions for the same reason that traversing the dimensions is so difficult.

As more information is made available in character, this section will be updated with more concrete information on the cosmology and metaphysics of the Collective Unconsciousness.

Jose

Hey Mister!

A strange child-like being that bears a superficial resemblance to the Wild Card attendants in the Velvet Room in that he has silver "hair" and golden eyes. However, his body has strangely artificial-looking characteristics, with an odd half-egg shape to his hairline, extremely rounded ears, and a Pinocchio-like stub of a nose.

Jose rides around Mementos in a cartoonish car that's stacked high with his belongings and decorated in starry balloons. His goal is to collect odd flowers that materialize throughout Mementos, turn them into beverages, and drink them, purportedly to better understand the nature of humans. He claims Mementos talks to him and fills him in on things, but rarely clarifies what it's telling him.

Those Metaverse travelers who are willing to help him find his flowers will discover that he can and will use his car to set up shop and offer incredibly useful rewards. He primarily offers services manipulating the 'pressure points' of Mementos that seemingly only he can find, which can net one more money or items or experience while fighting Shadows there, but he can also transform Will Seeds into useful items.

A truly confusing being, but one that tends to endear himself into the hearts of those he meets anyway through earnest curiosity and innocent sincerity.

Kotodama

A concept in Japanese mythology about how words possess mystical power that can affect the world around them. While acting as the Joker Killer, Tatsuya Sudou freely shares that Kotodama is responsible for the power of Rumors in Sumaru City, but it's unclear whether it's the ravings of a madman or, perhaps more disquietingly, actually true. If Kotodama is responsible for the power of Rumors in Sumaru City, then few understand why or what it means.

OOC Minutiae

• Most protagonists haven't yet heard the word 'Kotodama' in connection to rumors at the time of game start.

• Strega members would know about it because of Tatsuya Sudou's guidance, while New World Order members might be privy to the fact that the Ritual of Kotodama before Gozen is responsible for a great deal of their supernatural might. The exact specifics would elude both sides.

The Mark

Tatsuya Suou's Mark, as seen on his right hand.

While some Guides do not require fealty from the ones they are guiding, more malevolent entities often require something more from the person in question. Nyarlathotep, also known as the Crawling Chaos, requires an 'invitation.' Contrary to what the term might indicate, this invitation need not be voluntary. He is empowered by delusion, attachment, and hatred, and a grand act of any of these opens the door for him to show himself in. Those unfortunate souls who draw his personal attention are sometimes 'gifted' with a twisted shadowy brand of the outline of a three eyed figure watching them; it appears to slither up to one's arm.

Possession of the Mark is in turn the idea of being possessed. There is an understanding that you belong to Nyarlathotep, whether you defy, fear, or celebrate it. It is an invitation to power and the constant temptation to use it. By invoking the Mark, it creates a link from the Material World to another layer of the Collective Unconscious. Demons commensurate to the power of the person who summoned them begin to appear in not just their immediate area, but in the location where they invoke it entirely. These Demons in general look upon their summoner and their allies with favor for bringing them to this world and are likely to obey them, but it's not absolute control. Upsetting a Demon may have consequences.

Furthermore, invocation of the Mark is like a beacon to any with Resonance, revealing the location of the person to some degree. This can be partially but not fully dulled with interference-type abilities; the use of the Crawling Chaos' power to such a potent degree is antithetical to most Persona users, and they simply feel it. The Mark's powers will last at least until the user leaves the area or is defeated. Afterwards, within a matter of hours, the Demons will begin to vanish back to where they came.

Note: If one who has not awakened yet receives the Mark; they will then awaken immediately from the event, with Nyarlathotep as their Guide and their starting Persona's narrative so affected by his position within their lives. To those individuals who have a Persona already upon receipt, their Persona will not change, but their destiny will thenceforth be guided by the Crawling Chaos.

The New World Order is the easiest way for a user to receive the Mark. The act of delusion from rituals in the presence of Gozen is enough that Nyarlathotep may be invited into the person without their consent, though they will often have the impression that they let him in to some degree. Possession of the Mark within the NWO is often sold as a method of 'advancement' towards being a part of the World Without Sin to come, and those with it are often given a degree of authority over normal people. Others may catch his eye as individuals, often receiving hallucinatory visions or whispers that are typically half-truths about the presence of the Other Side and how much better it would be if the world returned to its proper state.

Possession of the Mark is a ticking time bomb, spiritually. Use of it merely speeds up the clock. Eventually all who possess it will become 'his' so completely that he will decide to 'reward' them for their service. This typically transforms the person into a twisted parody of their fondest wish, forcing them into a demonic form that shatters the psyche altogether.

Getting rid of the Mark is near impossible without assistance from another Guide. This generally takes the form of suppression of the Mark's power, thereby extending the timer, since removal requires the Guide to actively take what is 'his'--something they are all understandably reluctant to do, given the cost to themselves.

OOC Minutiae

• Staff on the Velvet Room MUSH will not enforce the timer on the Mark. Since that is mostly up to Nyarlathotep's whim, the timer is thus indefinite in an OOC sense. The end point is permanent death, so it is entirely up to you as the player of the character to decide when or if it happens. The Mark is intended primarily as a narrative tool for antagonists, or rare protagonists, that bear it. Having it is not an indication that you must one day kill your character; far from it. Our desire is to offer you a tool for your antagonist to tell a story with that threat of the Mark's consequences hanging over them. How do they deal with the Mark being voluntarily taken on, or involuntarily conferred to them? Do they resist temptation? Become desperate? Seek the assistance of other characters or a Guide? Descend further into madness? Or do you want to tell a tragedy where the character does, in fact, just succumb? All are valid decisions for your character's stories and we encourage players to explore them. Staff, as always, maintains the ultimate decision over the death of feature characters.

• Those with the Mark should not make their whispers from Nyarlathotep omniscient in regards to other player characters. His focus is destruction of This Side via the New World Order, or the collapse of This Side into the Other Side, and the voices are heavily slanted towards that aim. So too are they obfuscated behind layers of deception and various guises that he uses. If you're going to have the Crawling Chaos reveal to your character some secret of another character, make certain to ask for their consent first.

• The Mark did not exist on the Other Side. The method for summoning Nyarlathotep's power was different prior to the creation of This Side. More information will be revealed when the appropriate time comes, though a Tatsuya Suou player may ask the staff for some of the details.

• Use of the Mark not only outright fails in Mementos but enrages the Shadows in the area, causing them to converge in the place it was used. This may still be useful to characters looking for a means of escape from people. In other supernatural spaces, it might have peculiar side effects. Don't use the Mark ICly in a way that might touch upon other supernatural spaces without contacting staff and planning it out with us. You never have to ask permission in real-world spaces so long as it isn't during The Dark Hour.

• Use of rumors may significantly extend the effect of the Mark in an area within the bounds of Sumaru City. What rumors take effect for this long, and how long they last, is entirely up to staff. In general, staff will only allow this if we feel it enhances things for Demons to stick around, but submission of an area having Demons around temporarily for a Monad is entirely appropriate. Sometimes part-time retail workers just have to deal with a Jack Frost demanding they crush a rock with their bare hands. Unlike canon, we're not putting Demons permanently in the halls of Seven Sisters or Kasugayama High, the air raid shelter excluded. You must still go to school today.

• The Mark doesn't have to be placed on the character's arm, while that's the most common placement, other possible sites on the body for it can exist, and the form it takes can be a bit flexible. The common features are mostly the 'shadowed hand' and 'three eyes'. If one chooses to do this to your character, please don't be weird about it. Staff won't approve locations for it in application that we deem to be overtly sexual.

Meta-Nav

The Metaverse Navigator, or Meta-Nav for short, is a mysterious smartphone application that facilitates access to the The Metaverse. Functioning with ultramodern voice activation that seems beyond even most cell phone technologies and a codebase that even the greatest hackers in the world can't access, it is wholly a mystery. Deleting it will never get rid of it, and buying a new phone will only cause it to appear there as well.

By inputting "Mementos" near any place associated with travel, or the name of a Palace Ruler, the form their Palace takes, and the location it's associated with, one can enter the Metaverse, either into Mementos or that specific Palace. By returning to the point where one entered the Metaverse, one then leaves. The Meta-Nav automatically saves locations already visited and deletes them if they no longer exist, such as in the case of a Palace's collapse.

How one gets the Meta-Nav is a mystery. Not even bringing people into a Palace or Mementos with it will consistently grant them the application. Regardless, it remains the simplest method of doing precisely what it says: navigating the Metaverse.

OOC Minutiae

• Not all PCs will have the Meta-Nav at the start of the game! For more details on how non-Will of Rebellion characters access the Metaverse, see Mementos and Palaces.
• The exact details of how one receives the Meta-Nav are a secret, but should one have the potential for an awakening with the Will of Rebellion, then it is likely to appear on your phone at some point as you walk through Tokyo. Circumstances will conspire for that person to be drawn in, either through accidentally voice activating it themselves, finding it and experimenting with it, or being drawn in with someone else nearby.
• Hilariously, not having a smartphone doesn't prevent one from receiving the Meta-Nav! It will appear on a flip phone, even if it makes no technological sense for it to do so. However, we ask that if someone uses this option on a character, they soon after get a smartphone, just to participate in the thematic conceits of Persona 5.
• Should one buy, be gifted, or steal a new phone, the Meta-Nav will vanish from their old phone and appear on their new one. It will exist precisely on one phone in current use that the character associates as their own. Other people can use it; it just can't be replicated onto other phones.
• Attempts to look into the nature of the program's code and how it works fail utterly, even with supernatural assistance.
• Extremely powerful effects can, on rare occasions, draw people into the Metaverse without their consent and conceal aspects of the visit even on the Meta-Nav. Don't do this without staff approval, though. These incidents are rare for a reason.

Metaverse

A mysterious cognitive space, so dubbed by the Metaverse Navigator or Meta-Nav app that facilitates entry into it. Most speculate that it's a part of the Collective Unconscious, but few are able to even guess which part or how it came to be.

As far as most know, the Metaverse is composed of Mementos and Palaces, distinguished from other cognitive spaces by the unique nature of Metaverse Shadows. The name 'Metaverse' itself is just as puzzling to those posting on the Dark Side of Sumaru and the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

Morgana has backed up that it's called the Metaverse to the Phantom Thieves, which lends it a lot of weight given that he doesn't use the Meta-Nav himself to enter. Unfortunately, his amnesia has made it impossible to know how he got this information.

Some veterans of the Persona communities have quietly posited that it might be related to the SEBEC Scandal of three years ago but have been unable to offer any proof, and those survivors of the incident have been close-lipped.

Whatever one may think about it, many mysteries remain that just as many Persona Users continue to investigate, such as: How did the Metaverse and Meta-Nav come to be? What's at the bottom of Mementos? And why are there signs there's been someone utilizing it for years to their own benefit?

The Other Side

'The Other Side' is a term used by the Joker Killer. What he means by this is unknown to most, given his psychotic tendencies.

In a more meta sense, it refers to the timeline of Persona 2: Innocent Sin, wherein the majority of humanity save those within the boundaries of Sumaru City was killed by the event known as the Grand Cross. This term of 'The Other Side' was coined by Nyarlathotep in his whispers to the Joker Killer--Tatsuya Sudou, though at present almost no one ICly knows that--to imply that this world is not as it should be and that things would be better if it returned to this state.

Most player characters other than the Persona 2: Eternal Punishment cast have not yet heard this term at game start, nor understand its significance.

Characters who specifically possess The Mark without receiving it from Gozen are likely to receive whispers from Nyarlathotep and would have a similar understanding as Sudou: half-truths that lead one to believe everything would be better off if 'This Side' became 'The Other Side.'

Characters that possess this understanding do not know the truth of the Other Side, nor do they have specific recall of events. They only know what Nyarlathotep has told them.

Rulers

The Shadows of individuals whose cognition and desires are so distorted that they possess a Palace. The Ruler's form depends upon their particular distortion, which is likewise mirrored in the form the Palace takes. For example, if a person saw a certain place as their own personal castle, the Ruler of that castle-themed Palace would likely be a King or Queen; if a person saw a part of town as their own personal bank, the Ruler of that bank-themed Palace might be the bank president. The important thing is that the Ruler is the person in charge of the Palace.

The Ruler draws Metaverse Shadows into their Palace by their mere existence, and the form those Shadows take depends upon the type of Palace. These Shadows are often more communicative because they are drawn up into the Ruler's narrative and almost always act as a form of security for them.

There's no easy way to deal with a Ruler. Attempting to steal their Treasure as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts do nearly always cause them to call upon the power of the unifying narrative of that distortion is. This usually summons an archetype of a great Archdemon to armor them and defend the Treasure.

These are naturally very difficult fights. However, should one win, one has the opportunity to create a Change of Heart by convincing them to live without the distorted desire the Treasure represents.

Of course, one could also just kill their Shadow if one were less inclined to be merciful, an act which Rumormonger Moriae speculates would cause a Mental Shutdown just as their tests within Mementos--but this has yet to be proven.

Shadow Cards

Shadow Cards, so dubbed by Jose are cards extracted from the Shadows of the Metaverse to help him better understand the human condition.

Each card is an imprint of the memories of a Shadow's 'distorted desires' and by grasping the card, one becomes privy to such information. Their deepest secrets of what they have done in pursuit of these ambitions is instantly revealed to them.

These Shadow Card appears much like an Arcana tarot card, with an image of the Shadow in question, and a holographic shine which shows the shift to the demonic archetype they draw upon in battle.

Jose has stated that Shadows that have their Shadow Card extracted become fearful and paranoid, but this has yet to be demonstrated...

OOC Minutia

• Shadow Cards can only be extracted from a subdued Shadow of a human. This includes Metaverse Shadows in Mementos Rulers and inevitably will lead to a boss battle.

• The ability to extract Shadow Cards is currently only granted by Jose. At this time it is exclusive to characters affiliated with the Cardboard Dragon, but in time it will open up to other characters. Concepts that utilize the Will of Rebellion in particular may find it easier to justify this ability, but it is not exclusive to these characters.

• If you possess the Shadow Card of a human Shadow, then contact staff and we'll discuss what happens next! Until then, you'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Shuffle Time

An event that can occur after Shadows are defeated, representing both the Shadows' fluid forms and the Collective Unconscious' perception that defeating monsters should carry its own rewards.

On occasion, a series of ephemeral cards appear over their dissolved bodies; selecting one causes rewards to materialize, such as currency, skill cards, or even just receiving a second wind (represented mechanically with HP and/or SP restoration). Some cards may receive additional picks based on the Arcana suit and what it represents, while others might cause rewards to vanish as if they never existed.

Wild Cards in particular can sometimes receive Personas from Shuffle Time, which only appear if they're the ones doing the choosing. This balances itself out by these Personas taking up cards which might offer more lucrative options or more picks.

OOC Minutiae

• Shuffle Time is a part of the Monad System. You're welcome to roleplay out the results as you like. The system doesn't offer pre-made new Persona forms to Wild Cards, only the opportunity to make one. If you want one your character received from Shuffle Time, it needs to be applied for per Wild Card standards in Arcana System.

This Side

'This Side' is a term used by the Joker Killer (Tatsuya Sudou, though at present almost no one ICly knows that). What he means by this is unknown to most, given his psychotic tendencies.

In a more meta sense, 'This Side' refers to the timeline the Velvet Room MUSH is currently running on, whereas The Other Side refers to the Innocent Sin timeline. Only Tatsuya Suou has a full recall of what occurred in the Innocent Sin timeline among players, and understands perfectly what Sudou means.

Characters who specifically possess The Mark without receiving it from Gozen are likely to receive whispers from Nyarlathotep and would have a similar understanding as Sudou: half-truths that lead one to believe everything would be better off if 'This Side' became 'The Other Side.'

Characters that possess this understanding do not know the truth of the Other Side, nor do they have specific recall of events. They only know what Nyarlathotep has told them.

OOC Hooks

Players may have occasional moments of déjà vu in which they think they hear a distant voice akin to an auditory hallucination when they come near a moment that resonates with them, or feel the pain of prior significant injuries, or experience a sense of familiarity when encountering someone they met previously in the Innocent Sin timeline for the first time in this one.

We encourage these moments; however, it has to be understood that they should be kept incredibly vague. Defining these moments in elaborate detail may accidentally power-pose things from Innocent Sin that players will define later.

Trish

Don't let her cute face fool you. Trish's soul is black as pitch.

Trish is one of the more unusual beings that individuals in supernatural spaces encounter sooner or later by virtue of being a demon that runs a healing fountain and sanctuary from the dangers outside. Despite her cute appearance, she was kicked out of the fairy realm for her materialistic ways and can only return once she's done enough good deeds.

It sounds like she has the perfect setup for doing just that, except she's continuing as she always has, with a bad attitude and charging exorbitant, ever-climbing fees for the use of her services. One might be tempted to never use her services at all if she didn't have a mysterious link to the Velvet Room, allowing the entrance of her spring to potentially appear anywhere it can.

Which means more often than not, you're paying her fees, because your party used its last Snuff Soul long ago, didn't you? And this fairy can smell desperation. It's just about her favorite thing.

OOC Minutiae

• Trish can appear automatically in Mementos and spaces where The Mark has been utilized. She nearly always appears near the Velvet Room entrance in these spaces.

• During The Dark Hour, Trish appears almost exclusively within Tartarus, since the streets elsewhere are not typically dangerous enough to have much need of her services before the Dark Hour ends.

• Trish will appear in Palaces upon request, but only if you pay a roaming fee within the Velvet Room to have Igor pick up the hellphone and call her for her spring's entrance to appear. These fees are similarly exorbitant to the subsequent fee she'll then charge to be healed.

• Trish isn't selling ice cream just yet!

• Attempting to attack Trish never goes well, partly because she can't seem to be killed, and partly because if provoked to seriousness, she can defeat even powerful Persona Users with ease. More likely one will be evicted with enormous fees applied for reentry. Trish never leaves the confines of her spring that anyone has ever seen; it's unknown if this has anything to do with her toughness and power. However, slapstick comedy with Trish is always fine and even encouraged.

The Treasure

An object referred to within the calling cards sent by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, who threaten a Change of Heart within the person in question. At this time, no one else currently exploring the Metaverse knows what it is or how they do what they do. However, that doesn't stop speculation about its existence, from what they are to if they even truly exist.

Treasures in Palaces

The amorphous core of a Palace, hidden at its deepest depths. Currently only the Phantom Thieves of Hearts know that threatening to steal this object will make it materialize into something physical that can be stolen.

Stealing it will make the Palace collapse, and a Change of Heart is likely to occur. This is easier said than done, though; because the calling card informs a Ruler ahead of time of the intent to steal their Treasure, Palace security rises to maximum and even the Ruler themself will step up to defend it.

The form a Treasure takes in a given Palace relates to the distortion itself--something representative of the Ruler's endless desire or ambition. Once brought to reality, it becomes a copy of a physical object that represents the context of why they became so warped in the first place.

These objects often have greater value than average Metaverse objects, but one shouldn't expect to become wealthy off of them. The Collective Unconscious tends to rein it in, so to speak, when making the transition to reality.

Mementos Treasures

Within the Shadows of individuals that reside within Mementos, the Treasure is internalized and cannot be perceived without sending a calling card. Once one is received, the Shadow's defeat in the Metaverse will trigger its release and cause a Change of Heart in reality once it's taken.

Similar to Palaces, the treasures in Mementos will typically be objects of value, representative of their distortion, but are more likely to take the form of useful items to Metaverse explorers such as weapons or armor related to the person's distortion.

OOC Minutiae

• The Persona 1 cast will have a better idea than most that Treasures actually exist for reasons that are obvious to their past history, but still won't understand what form they take or how to manifest them.

Will Seeds

A Will Seed

Deep within each Palace are hidden chambers off the beaten path, nearly always guarded by powerful Shadows or elaborate cognitive security systems. The reward for those determined enough to find their way inside are Will Seeds.

Will Seeds are glowing skull-like protrusions that grow out of the Palace itself on warped, plant-like vines and growths. The reason why they occur is fully a mystery to the Persona User community at this time, but the following is known.

Those who locate one and pick it from its growths will receive a surge of energy, like a mental second wind. Inside these chambers, one will also hear whispers; if one listens closely and patiently, they'll convey the thoughts and feelings of the Palace Ruler's ego in reality.

While Jose has offered to transform Will Seeds into useful cognitive items for those that bring him enough of them from the same Palace, one may wonder, why do they exist? And is this truly the only use for them?

OOC Minutiae

• Despite there only ever being three in canon within a Palace, more can form so long as the Palace exists. It is fully appropriate for Will Seeds to be a Monad Reward for Palaces.