Rumors and Rumor Culture
Have you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard the latest news?
There is a unique culture in Sumaru City based entirely around rumors and gossip that might seem out of place in such a large city--until one actually tests it out for themselves. It turns out, rumors frequently just come true! Whether it's a tale of a street vendor who actually works for the Sicilian mafia or a bartender selling military-grade weapons, even the greatest skeptics soon become believers in the power of rumors when it's put to the test. Because of this, some people have taken it upon themselves to become Rumormongers: those who keep their finger on the pulse of developments in the area and hold court to broker information.
The title of Rumormonger carries a great deal of prestige, elevating even the most downtrodden and disaffected to being individuals who hold court within a certain district. They decide which rumors are spread, which are seen as credible or not, and which die before ever reaching the ears of more than a few people. While many are trying to just make a living and survive like anyone else, some understand the weight of the supernatural power they hold in altering Sumaru City while others are just doing it for fun or because they're eyeing a future career in journalism. There are numerous hidden Rumormongers around Sumaru City that hold the position without being well-known by that title to the public; if you're able to find them, then special services might be available.
Furthermore, Sumaru City has an expansive online community known as The Dark Side of Sumaru, run by the reclusive individual only known as Baofu. This site serves not only as an online forum for Rumormongers, but also as information sites for an ever-growing community of the supernatural throughout Japan. Whether you're exploring Mementos, trying to figure out what's up with that Dark Hour every night, or just enjoy dabbling in the occult, this is the place for you!
The supernaturally awakened residents of Sumaru City quickly become privy to the understanding that rumors are not exclusive merely to humans either. Demons are just as much participants in the rumor community as they are, and with enough experience and know-how can manipulate some aspects of supernatural spaces in Sumaru to their benefit. Some Demons even become hidden Rumormongers in their own right and may cooperate with humans for their mutual benefit.
Few have any idea exactly how or why rumors work, and fewer still have heard the word Kotodama, but they definitely do work for better or for worse.
What your PCs would know
- If you have a protagonist character who lives in Sumaru City, they know and may well participate in the culture of rumors to some degree, even if it's just innocent ("innocent") gossip.
- If your protagonist character is already a part of Sumaru's supernatural community, then they almost certainly know that rumors can come true to some extent, altering locations and people. They're also likely to know which Rumormongers hold court in which districts and about their role in brokering information. They probably also know that Demons are a major part of the supernatural spread of rumors, if one is able to convince them to do so!
- If your protagonist hasn't been a big part of Sumaru City's culture and/or lives outside of it, they're unlikely to know about its culture or about the power of rumors at game start. Almost certainly, they would be skeptics; it does seem unbelievable! However, they are likely aware that Sumaru City has an expansive online community that offers information on rumors of the supernatural and the occult, including things within their sphere.
- Rumormongers do exist outside of Sumaru City, and function primarily online! Terminally online or particularly tech savvy individuals who work in various groups and factions are very good candidates for Rumormongers and are likely to be using The Dark Side of Sumaru. Whether they believe in the power of rumors or not depends entirely on the person. Without staying in Sumaru City for a prolonged length of time, they're unlikely to have been yet convinced, but probably have a lot of fun anyway! People with the knowledge of the supernatural will at least understand it's the only place where people can find real information on supernatural phenomena.
- New World Order characters know the most about rumors being true and are very likely to have heard about the Ritual of the Kotodama before Gozen. They are likely to understand that manipulation of rumors is what gives them the majority of their power base in Sumaru City, but the exact extent may still elude them. They do however have more access to Demons for quick spread of rumors! How nice!
- Strega PCs would know a good amount about manipulating rumors thanks to their rumormonger, Jin Shirato, and their part-time member, Tatsuya Sudou. They're still in the process of figuring it out, but Jin, sometimes with advice by Sudou, has been very successful so far.
OOC Rules and Minutia
- For a list of rumors currently in effect, see: Active Rumors
- What rumors take hold on a permanent or semi-permanent basis is entirely up to staff. Rumors that are based on human fear or desire, or ones that benefit Nyarlathotep and the New World Order, are tilted to succeed more, but that doesn't mean that it's an 'I win' button. Counterplay is not only possible but encouraged if PCs find out about a rumor that's being spread that could hurt them or the people they care about.
- People with a Persona are resistant to being affected by rumors in ways they don't desire, but they're not immune. As such, rumors that would directly affect a player character or NPCs in their direct orbit are by consent only. If you're requesting a rumor that affects them or their space, be sure to get their consent first for the request.
- Rumors that are minor, temporary one-off jokes that don't affect the status quo are usually fine to portray without permission, but if you're not sure, ask! As for why rumors might become real for only a short time, it's because public interest is fickle and contradictory rumors are spread frequently. Rumormongers can sometimes perform damage control too!
- Monads that form due to rumors will be handled during the Monad submission and approval process. These, unless otherwise stated, are always considered short-term changes once implemented.
- OCs and FCs from themes other than Persona 2 are welcome to be Rumormongers at the time of application! Characters who are placed in Sumaru City are the best candidates, but it's not required. As noted above, the internet is for... rumors!
- With a great deal of effort, it's possible to make rumors come true not only in Sumaru City but elsewhere within Japan as well. This is exceptionally difficult for a lot of reasons that would be unclear to characters, but it can happen!
- ...But it is significantly easier when attempting to connect a supernatural space within The Metaverse to reality. Palaces in particular make for some of the easiest places for rumors to take hold. The reasons for this are unclear.
- Rumors are absolutely incapable of affecting The Dark Hour under any circumstances. Technology that exists primarily by Kotodama also does not function during The Dark Hour. Things like trying to create more of the mysterious Plume of Dusk using Kotodama also doesn't work!
- Demons are able to spread rumors. Mindless Shadows cannot communicate or be convinced into doing so. Metaverse Shadows will act like they can spread rumors like Demons, but then just won't after you let them go.
- The Sumaru PD and Public Security both ignore rumors that alter places to break Japanese laws. Things like casinos or shops that sell military-grade weapons will be completely ignored, partially due to the nature of how rumors work, but also because the higher ups within Sumaru City's Police Departments are wholly corrupt and prevent enforcement for cases of this sort by the rank and file. Your character will still be arrested if they're caught with a real gun in broad daylight. Please keep that in mind!