Thank you for visiting The Alter-Ego™!
Our site takes places in an original universe set within the realm of Shin Megami Tensei's "Persona" video game series. We are an English-literate roleplay that emphasizes detailed, story-driven character development with a pseudo-statistical format that seeks to emulate the experience of playing the games. Form bonds with characters and roleplayers alike in an interactive Persona experience unlike any other.
Events
PROLOGUE: The site is now open under beta circumstances. What
you are viewing is a fully playable version of the site that will
evolve and release more content as you role-play. Please, enjoy
this project as much as we have had making it.
- The Velvet Room Staff
Esoteric Meaning The Hermit travels the path alone, guided by nothing but his staff and a lantern illuminated by his own inner wisdom. He chooses contemplative solitude instead of succumbing to the pressures of conformity, for he knows that true enlightenment cannot be sought after in the external world — one must draw inward to achieve the meaning they seek.
Common Themes Introspection; seeking or discovering solitude; privacy; spiritual experiences; enlightenment; meditation; discretion; study; distancing oneself from society; patience; self-reflection; seeing the forest for the trees.
Shadow Aspects Refusing help; withdrawing from others; being or feeling isolated; loneliness; exile; self-absorption; inability to express one's true feelings; sadness; rejection; social ostracism; denial.
Hermit Personas Personas that belong to the Hermit Arcana excel at puppeteering the flow of combat from behind the scenes, trading away their potential for learning skills that allow them to inflict raw damage with a preference for amassing a large number of status-altering abilities. Hermit Personas can and often do appear as actual hermit figures, but can also assume the guise of sages and other wise man archetypes, or characters and beings that are known for operating through a veil of subterfuge or obscurity.
Examples of Characters – A self-professed gamer who neglects their schoolwork. – An undercover detective having second thoughts about his choice of profession. – The stereotypical basement-dwelling neckbeard.
Esoteric Meaning The Fortune Arcana is the crystallization of opportunities. When examined more broadly, this can mean many things: luck, chance, turning points, the never-ending cycle of ups and downs. Fate is a fickle mistress, bestowing windfalls one day and stripping these earnings away the next, sometimes without apparent rhyme nor reason. These instances of seemingly random occurrence are part of a larger scheme at play, guided by forces beyond our control. One can only surrender to the current and see what happens.
Common Themes Opportunity; chance; good luck; changes; turning points; winning; the cycle of life; ups-and-downs; destiny; fate; cause and effect; windfalls; a life-changing offer.
Shadow Aspects Misfortune; bad luck; mishaps; plans fall apart; periods of hardship; setbacks and failure; disappointments; unforeseen circumstances; refusing to see the bigger picture at large; feeling powerless against fate.
Fortune Personas Personas that embody the Fortune Arcana are the manifestations of destiny and omens, appearing as gods and goddesses associated with time, fate, luck, prophecy, or an important sequence of events that occur in a cyclical format. As avatars of destiny, Fortune Personas are not beholden to any particular growth patterns in terms of affinity or skill preferences, but they are often capable of providing allies and enemies alike with an equal to chance to win, or die trying.
Examples of Characters – A Tarot reader attempting to start their business in a new city. – The ill and disabled forced to draw government assistance. – A smooth-talking investor that plays the stock markets like slots at a casino.
Esoteric Meaning The Strength Arcana represents the use of inner power to rein in one's primal urges, the expression of self-control in its purest form. Like the maiden who uses compassion to calm the lion, we are put on notice to restrain our own inner beasts with soft control and intellect instead of attempting to subdue it using brute force and violence; only then can we express our true power. Until then, fear not those who would do you harm, for gentleness and courage are the sharpest blades of all.
Common Themes Inner strength; self-control; believing in yourself; patience; endurance; fortitude; compassion; confidence; using power virtuously; heroic acts and deeds; vitality; virility; sexual energy; self-assurance.
Strength Personas Personas of the Strength Arcana are blessed with an innate proficiency for strong melee attacks and defensive support skills, owing to their ability to withstand great amounts of punishment over sustained periods of time as a benefit of their owner's inner fortitude. Strength Personas continue to illustrate their ties to heroism by appearing as folk or culture heroes and heroines, warriors, or figures and deities that embody the principles of integrity and good character.
Examples of Characters – Your favorite lady bartender at your favorite nightclub. – A social worker who is also the parent of a special needs child. – The school custodian.
Esoteric Meaning The Hanged Man Arcana is representative of a period in one's life where a state of suspension is reached; you might feel as if the rug was pulled right from beneath your feet, leaving you prone and vulnerable to the mercy of life's unforeseen events. It is here that we are put on notice to examine our situations with clarity of mind instead of succumbing to the chaos, underlining its secondary associations with self-sacrifice and surrender. To resist the event is to deny yourself a solution to it.
Common Themes Letting go; breaking old habits; crises; delays; unexpected events; suspension; alternative direction; new perspectives; self-sacrifice; surrender; detachment from the material; acceptance; the review before the test.
Shadow Aspects Feeling entrapped; starting back at square one; false motives; holding yourself back; refusal to let go; focus on the smaller picture; narrow-mindedness; resisting the inevitable; lacking insight; second guessing.
Hanged Man Personas Personas that are classified under the Hanged Man Arcana draw a great deal of influence from their owner's ability to mold themselves accordingly to their surroundings, translating directly into a propensity for learning skills that increase the odds of survival for themselves and their party. Hanged Man Personas often evoke imagery of martyrdom and sainthood, and usually manifest as figures, deities, creatures, or characters that are associated with self-sacrifice, perspective, enlightenment, and illumination through transition.
Examples of Characters – The terminally ill billionaire that turns to philanthropy. – The high school senior trying to juggle two full-time jobs to afford his own apartment. – The cynical criminal that helps others to avoid making the same mistakes he did.
Esoteric Meaning Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey; it does not lie silently in wait, nor does it give active chase. All things must eventually come to an end, and it is through termination and cessation — the cutting of the strings — that all worldly attachments can finally be cast aside. In doing this, a metamorphosis is achieved, and you are reborn anew, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of its old self. Take heed, for the new cannot come forth without first clearing out the old; this is why Death smiles.
Common Themes Endings; transformation; mortality; loss; making peace with the past; severing old ties; wrapping up loose ends; rebirth; change; metamorphosis; one door closes while another opens.
Shadow Aspects Delaying the inevitable; clinging to the past; resisting or refusing change; terminal illness; sullen gloominess; depression; inertia; unawareness; existing mechanically; stagnation; decay.
Death Personas Personas of the Death Arcana are exceptionally recognizable for their affinity to Curse skills and status-debuffing attacks on account of their transparent connection to death and decay, but this also makes them susceptible to Bless abilities. Furthermore, Death Personas are almost always skeletal beings, gods, spirits, or psychopomp figures bear a connection to death, decay, irreversible changes, or the afterlife.
Examples of Characters – A surgeon with an overwhelmingly high mortality rate. – The accountant who must cope with the act of filing for bankruptcy. – The creepy old lady at the riverside reminiscing about her late husband.
Esoteric Meaning Temperance represents the perfect synthesis that all human beings strive to achieve with themselves and the environment which they occupy, the seamless fusion between two forces inherently opposed to one another. For this to happen, patience must be cultivated and moderation in all things practiced. In doing this, an understanding can be reached within the self, leading to boundless harmony and uninhibited symmetry in every aspect of their lives.
Common Themes Balance; synthesis; combination; synergy; alchemy; moderation; symmetry; good health; harmony; blending of opposites; patience; diligence.
Temperance Personas Personas that represent the Temperance Arcana are the embodiment of equilibrium and balance, demonstrating a carefully tailored approach to combat according to their owner's disposition while leaving plenty of room for growth. Temperance Personas usually take the form of mythological beasts, creatures, beings, or deities associated with the aspects of harmony, order, balance, or patience.
Examples of Characters – The school lunch lady in the process of recovering from an alcohol addiction. – The student that joins every extracurricular activity. – A recreational pot smoker that holds down part-time work.
Esoteric Meaning The Devil is a hedonist in every sense of the word, acting solely on his own interests without remorse or regrets. However, beneath his pleasure-seeking exterior is a creature enslaved by old habits, a prisoner to his impulses; he might appear to enjoy the party life, but there is a deeper yearning to escape, to ignore the issues that supposedly cling to him at every turn. He may be running from his enemies, but he will hungrily pursue the object of his ambitions with unwavering resolve all the same. That is the Devil's nature, after all.
Common Themes Temptation; hedonism; materialism; sexual liberation; gratification; overcoming old patterns; pleasure-seeking behavior; pursuing ambitions; freedom from restraint.
Shadow Aspects Choosing the Devil you know; addictions; unhealthy relationships; impotence; corruption; submission; bondage; enslavement; lacking options; deviancy; violence; self-debasement.
Devil Personas Personas of the Devil Arcana are self-referential examples of vice and corruption and parallel the Death Arcana in many ways, from its natural lean towards the Curse affinity and ailment-inflicting skills to a common weakness against Bless attacks. Their imagery also ends up being rather self-explanatory, as Devil Personas usually appear as literal devils and demons, or figures, deities, creatures, and characters associated with concepts like malice, evil, darkness, immorality, corruption, or malevolent power.
Examples of Characters – The cocktail-guzzling reporter who continues to look for that next groundbreaking scoop. – The classmate that operates his own meth lab as part of a larger cartel. – Your impulsive, troublemaking older brother.
Esoteric Meaning The Tower evokes sudden catastrophe and violent upheaval which result in the apparent destruction of everything one could possibly hold dear. The supposed randomness of such events could very well be interpreted as a sign of disapproval from the universe — or it could be a clue to rebuild something new from the rubble, an opportunity to start over from scratch. Even something as terrible as a forest fire gives room for new life to grow.
Common Themes Sudden change; upheaval; destruction; ruination; catastrophe; release; learning your limitations; revelation; being overthrown; renovation; accidents; loss of work; eviction; disaster; intervention.
Shadow Aspects Prolonged disruptions; obstacles; minor but frequent losses; contentious people; arrogance; crippling illness or disability; cynicism; refusing to mend fences; difficulties; victim mentality; repeating old mistakes; hostility.
Tower Personas Personas under the Tower Arcana are truly a dangerous lot, wielding unprecedented physical and magical strength with their fluidity in learning devastatingly powerful skills, but trading so much of their potential for defense away that it negatively impacts both the user and their allies in some form or another. Tower Personas are evocative of arrogance or hubris, destruction, catastrophe, and calamity, and typically appear as figures, deities, or beings associated with these concepts or those who are depicted as having been betrayed or fallen from grace.
Examples of Characters – A homeless person whose gambling addictions have spiraled out of control. – A bratty child trying to cope with the aftermath of his father's violent suicide. – A former street racer who lost his legs in a terrible car crash.
Esoteric Meaning The Star glimmers more brightly than all the others, an example of its importance as a beacon of inspiration and hope. It hearkens back to our earliest memories of childhood, where casting a wish upon this twinkling ball of light meant grasping a dream with the intentions of making it real. Faith is its own reward, and through it comes an ability to appreciate all the wonderful miracles that life has to offer, both big and small. Never lose sight of your goals.
Common Themes Hope; optimism; opportunity; faith; individuality; spirituality; aesthetics; talent; beauty; wishes; healthiness; happiness; inspiration; serenity; alternative lifestyles; altruism; idealism.
Shadow Aspects Despair; nihilism; missed chances; biting the hand that feeds; refusing or withholding help; clouded thinking; loss of identity; fearing your potential; uncertainty; delayed renewal.
Star Personas Personas of the Star Arcana reflect effortless talent and a natural inclination for greatness, displaying outstanding magical aptitude and enjoying a development pattern that allows for the learning of powerful healing and support skills that augment the party's efficacy in combat. Thematically, Star Personas often bear a connection to space and the cosmos, astrology and astronomy, or manifest as creatures, beings, deities, figures and characters that occupy numerous cultural spheres of influence.
Examples of Characters – A medical student who hopes to make a positive impact as a relief worker. – Your favorite outspoken hair stylist. – A political activist that seeks to inspire change in the government.
Esoteric Meaning The Moon resonates mystery and secrecy, as if a fog has descended over the path that leads forward to the truth. Things are not as they seem, and this uncertainty may give rise to fear and doubt. One must be careful not to succumb to such deceptions, for these are lessons to teach us the importance of allowing our intuition to guide us where our other senses cannot. Resist not your confusion, but come to understand it — the true way forward is much closer than you think.
Common Themes Dreams; illusion; mystery; confusion; periods of difficulty; ambiguity; secrets; intuitive experiences; foresight.
Moon Personas Personas that fall under the Moon Arcana are the representations of the hidden side within all of us, and reflect this expression of intended obscurity with a talent for learning skills that allow them to remain out of sight and away from the thick of battle, albeit at the expense of their ability to develop themselves in other equally useful ways, leading to more of a specialized approach in their development patterns. As their nomenclature also suggests, Moon Personas are often lunar deities or figures and characters associated with madness, insanity, illusion, secrecy, intuition, treachery, or subterfuge.
Examples of Characters – A rich girl that spends impulsively to hide her feelings about being neglected. – A bullied kid that retreats to online imageboards as a way to cope with his anger toward his aggressors. – An actor that drowns himself in his work to avoid his abusive spouse.
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The skin was created by TIMELAPSE OF WICKED WONDERLAND and editted by SKYTHE.