Banned
Welcome to London, more specifically the Thames' Edge University, the acclaimed institution of higher education. As an attractive University for eyes all across the world, offering a plethora of degrees, courses and specialisations, it's no doubt that its attracted the attention of the world. And from there, one could go down any path of life they'd like, providing they put in the effort. As the University's motto states: "Reperio vestri propositi." - Find your purpose.
Purpose. A driving force that gives meaning to life; a fuel for humanity, a goal that all seek. Purpose is many things, and yet in each iteration its the same. Whether the physical actions one makes or the principles behind their individuality, purpose always comes back to defining their existence. Without it, many will find life unpleasant, unguided and empty. And with that in mind, humankind has constantly searched and created purposes of its own, reasons to move forward through the harshest of winters, the most blistering summers and the tribulations that the Earth has to offer. It sets them ahead of all living organisms. It encourages those to create, the invent, to desire and to conquer. Both for the betterment of good and the enhancement of all evil, purpose is everywhere. Once removed, one would find themselves a husk. Beneath every human is a manifestation of their purpose. Reflections of cruel, violent purposes mirror into a world beyond the naked eye. A realm locked away from the common man holds the darkest forms of motives.
Shadows, they are called. Figments of ones' own worst desires melt together into abominations unrecognisable to the real world. Very little stands between your world and theirs. Worst still, only a select few can enter the world under their own will. Any other case requires forceful manipulation, a transporter taking them there with potentially malicious intent. There are, however, ways to combat the shadows, to best the hearts and to correct the purposes of the vulgar. By using the forms of Persona, one could test the fate of one's desires and look to fix them.
But you're just a student of Thames' Edge University, either a newly inducted student or a returning one. You could be from the local area, elsewhere in the United Kingdom or an international student entering a new culture. Things are normal. Things seem okay. Your world is woven into the obscurity of the people around you. All except a single binding factor. Upon waking up every morning, forcing those eyelids open at the crack of a burdened sunrise, you can't help but sadly, angrily or hopelessly ask yourself the same question. It's been the same question that has haunted you since the very beginning. Now at the final steps into the fully fledged world, a husk looks at you in the mirror and mouths the same words you do...
"What is my purpose?"
Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen, to Persona - The Beholder! Here, we'll be following a new, original premise surrounding the persona universe, separated by both country and characters. This roleplay aims to be an exciting blend of character narratives and interactive storytelling. London is our focal point and the world of Persona has reached new shores, cities and countrysides. We'll be delving into the theme of 'purpose', and the lack of it. Characters who may find themselves in search for a driver to carry them on through life. Discovering what they intend to do in life helps them realise who they are inside, the common trait throughout Persona.
As previously mentioned, this roleplay is mainly a character-driven narrative, setting aside the gamey systems for a more fluid method of delivering action. We won't be relying on RNG, dice rolls or other tabletop style mechanics that mimic the strategy of the series, instead taking a step back and relying the narrative-style writing you'd expect in most other RPs. With this comes the focus on who the characters interact with, the relationships they forge, love that blooms, rivalries that manifest and so forth. Combat is less about getting a higher number or a lucky damage count, instead its dictated by you as a writer. This does open up the potential for interesting and controlled character arcs, weaknesses and strengths, ones that aren't concrete nor tied to a simple rule. Speaking of combat and action, you're still likely to use the same persona, melee and gun forms of combat, however to what extent, style and restriction (within reason) is up to you as a character creator. Another major note to make is that the pace in which characters 'unlock' their Persona is up for debate, and is potentially subject to a lengthy development, giving way for a strong and fleshed out character narrative with larger payoffs. Then again, that's a conversation that'll arise when the time comes. For now, we will focus on what to expect from the story!
Conspiracy, legacy and responsibility. Three pillars accompany purpose in its core design. The story's direction will ultimately be up to the players themselves, having an adjustable framework set in place to be toyed with (again, within reason lmao). Pathways alternating between the morally good, morally bad and grey middle ground can be explored and used as a mechanism to generate interesting diversions in our cast. Again, won't spoil too much here. Worth saving all the interesting details for what's ahead. For what you can expect in general, though, a slightly heavier focus on the more serious aspects of the world are more than welcome.
Character creation is something I'm looking forward towards. Always love reading what other people come up with, so below will be the listed character sheet. Just a few notes to get through first: personas made for your character can either be existing or original. As for the character sheet itself, it should help summarise everything that should be included. You can alter the design of your character sheet as much as you want, after all it can be fun to mess around with it. Just as long as the necessary information is in there, do what you want. Any additional information you feel like putting in is completely up to you as well.
Final thing to talk about is the university itself. Thames' Edge University is a leading institution in this roleplay, taking on around 6,000 students across a multitude of specialisations, courses and ideas. They have specialised campuses around the city for the more prestigious courses, however they are mostly close together and part of the main body. All students that don't live with parents in the City of London are usually settled in the student accommodation. Those who wanted to go for an independent but more stressful time may have gotten individual housing with groups, or on their own, though that's a bit less likely in a busy metropolis such as London. Its facilities aren't the best in the world, but they rival much more famous universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, alongside its contemporary counterparts like the Imperial College.
With that layered out, I don't want to drag the OOC on too much. Any questions that people may have, just shoot me a mention! We also have a discord that hosts a lot of other OOCs. Feel free to hit me with a message there too. As for anyone else interested who wasn't in the interest check, I'd love to have you on! Just remember that some of the Arcana's will have already been claimed along the way, so keep that in mind when creating your character. I'll be making a list eventually when more characters are accepted in the appropriate tab highlighting the claimed ones. You're all free to make secondary characters too, ones that can offer a lot of interaction and relationship development throughout. I thank you for reading this far and hope that if you aren't part of it already, you're just as interested to join as I am to run this!
