Souji's Dungeon: Results.

 

The Present. Setting: The Grid

Souji keeps his Personas.

The Challenge. Setting: Harrogate. Ruling Arcana: Devil & Tower.

Chie & Naoto reject and fight both Shadows (with decreased powersets), feeling that neither represent Souji & neither can be allowed to win.  The key, rather than coming from the defeated Shadows, in this case comes from within Chie & Naoto, and is a fused Empress/Sun key.

The Past. Setting: Shoals. Ruling Arcana: Emperor & Empress.

Chie wound up advocating for her Shadow Self and Empress here: Souji will focus on nourishing his friendships over his role as an observer

The Future. Setting: Moebius. Ruling Arcana: Hanged Man & Death.

While Rise advocates for Balance, Naoki advocates for change and moving on, so Souji will feel that it’s all right, if not necessary, to leave the wounds and mistakes of the past behind him and focus on the future.

Aspirations. Setting: Rome. Ruling Arcana: Strength & Sun.

Thanks to Rise and Souji, Souji’s motivations stay balanced here, which means there won’t be a big change in his approach or initiative (except that, doubts being resolved throughout the dungeon, he will be hesitating less overall).

Subconscious & Emotions. Setting: QC. Ruling Arcana: Fool & Magician.

With two people advocating for balance, and two for being proactive, Souji will become at least a little more anticipatory in taking action.  Overall, the dungeon’s biggest thematic shifts so far are letting go of the past and becoming more active.

Advice. Setting: Lightning Age. Ruling Arcana: Priestess & Moon.

While everyone advocates for balance here, Casper’s notion that normalcy is impossible will also lead Souji to be a little more adventurous and a little less domestic.

Influences. Setting: Olympus. Ruling Arcana: Hermit & Judgment.

Advocating for balance, but leaning towards action, Souji will be more outgoing than introspective.

Hopes & Fears. Setting: Newport. Ruling Arcana: World & Lovers.

Three people advocate that balance is possible, and two that Souji needs to be a leader: so while Souji will be content to play second fiddle or take a backseat, he won’t be relaxed and social, but motivated and social.

Outcome. Setting: Bando. Ruling Arcana: Chariot & Justice.

Again, Souji will be universally convinced to move on, to change, to stop thinking of himself as a Persona-user or Inaba-native or group-leader, and instead discovering what he can be now and in the future.

BEHIND THE SEAL OF FATE

The party will confront the shapeshifter, but refuse to fight it, instead pressing Souji to accept that these changes and uncertainties are fine, that no-one will force him to change OR reject him because he’s changed, and he doesn’t need to face his doubts in a dramatic conflict and be done with them, but can be open about them and work through them slowly, that he doesn’t need to pass a test to keep his wild card but is free to give it up, if and only if he chooses.  The shapeshifter will, when Souji’s Treasure is returned, divide into his Personas again, but transformed to his ten favored social links, and let him out to continue to be unsure, but with the full knowledge and support of his friends.

Alternate Endings:

If Souji had lost his Wild Card, had his Personas taken, or been persuaded fully that he should change/surrender his past/embrace his friendships & new sensations, he would have retained only a support Persona.  If Souji had been persuaded to hang onto the past and not change... I know his friends, so that was never a real possibility, the only question was whether it would be balance/new outlook or transformation/full change.

WORLD (Inaba) - IZANAGI-NO-MIKOTO, Rank 5, Level 73

Block Light & Dark, Absorb Electric, Weak Wind

Dekunda, Heat Riser, Angelic Grace, Auto-Maraku, Growth 3, Mind Charge

CHARIOT (Kanji) - Rank 4 - THOR, Level 64

Absorb Electricity, Resist Physical, Weak Psychic

High Counter, Arms Master, Thunder Reign, Life Aid, Mazionga, Skull Cleave

JUDGMENT (Kohaku) - Rank 4 - Trumpeter, Level 70

Reflects Light, Blocks Ice and Fire, Weak Dark

Megidola, Cool Breeze, Kougaon, Debilitate, Matarunda

MOON (Beato) Rank 3 - Yamata No Oroshi, Level 65

Block Ice, Resist Curse, Weak Fire, Nuclear

Energy Shower, Green Wall, Red Wall, Oni-Kagura, Snake Glare

EMPRESS (Chie) Rank 6 - GABRIEL, Level 65

Reflect Ice, Block Light, Weak Darkness

Mediarama, Tetrakarn, Samarecarm, Mabufula, Ice Amp, Touch ‘n Go

MAGICIAN (Himself)  Rank 1- MADA, Level 78

Absorb Fire, Resist Psychic, Weak Ice

Agidyne, Burn Boost, Unshaken Will, Foolish Whisper, Ailment Boost
DEATH (Naoki) - Rank 5 - White Rider, Level 63

Reflect Darkness, Block Fire, Weak light & Ice

Evil Touch, Megido, Masukukaja, Foul Breath, Guillotine

STRENGTH (Rise) - Rank 10 - Kali, Level 82

Block Psychic & Dark, Resist Electricity

Regenerate 3, Brain Shake, Revolution, Power Charge, Pain Eater, Auto-Mataru, Heroic Gemini, Vorpal Blade
SUN (Naoto) - Rank 10 - Asura, Level 92

Reflect Fire, Block Light, Weak Wind

Marakukaja, Unshaken Will, High Counter, Spell Master, Shura Instincts, Atomic Flare, Mafreidyne, Primal Force.

XVI. PHOENIX ARCANA - Rank I - HORUS, Level 49

Reflect Light, Block Electricity, Weak Fire, Dark

Diarahan, Kougaon, Mediarama

FOOL - Hiroshi - Rank 3
MAGICIAN - Himself/His Infiltrations, Rank 1

PRIESTESS - Philip - rank 4

EMPEROR - Yosuke - rank 10

EMPRESS - Chie - rank 6

LOVERS - Lovers - rank 4

CHARIOT - Kanji - rank 4

STRENGTH - Rise - rank 10

HERMIT - Casper - rank 3

HANGED MAN (reversed) Yua - rank 5

DEATH - Naoki - rank 5

SUN - Naoto - rank 10

MOON - Beato - rank 3

JUDGMENT - Kohaku - rank 3

WORLD - Inaba, Rank 5