Remove ads

Persona: HEAVEN (Persona/Sword Art Online/Isekai Multicross)

Reader mode
[X] Yomotsu-Hisame

I like the flavor more, and it's Enhance Armament is very interesting.

Also, I think Izamani is just so much cooler than Yaldabaoth tbh.
 
[X] Keres

[X] Call out to Yuuki.

[X] Persona Roster
-[X] Magdalene
-[X] Urvashi
-[X] Alice Lidell
-[X] Undine
-[X] Putana

Mechanically, I concede that Archon is the easy winner there but I love Persona 3 too much I have to pick Nyx. I do think the Enhance Armament could be useful in concert with Alice along with the narrative fear of death.

For the party members... it's a shame Asuna isn't a choice because I think she would have been the most immediately useful. Shiroe actually appears to still be giving us advice it seems so I'm not sure it's as critical to call out to him. Yuuki, as a party member, would be the most useful I think with her high stats and skills. It sounds like we get the Sleeping Knights too (maybe a "guest" party member like Granze's Raid Team? But they should all also be high-end players.) Also maybe we can try to contest Sugou's manipulation of cognition if we release more players who are wishing in opposition to him? IDK. (And you could make an argument that Shiroe's "enchant all minds" could be leveraged similarly depending on what it does.) Gwen... if we got our equipment back I think the true benefit would actually be giving her the ability to heal and possibly use Mjolnir again... but would that work? I'm afraid to try and read too much into these.

As for the Persona Roster... I wonder if Khodumodumo's Enhance Armament being able to bypass Immortal Object would apply here. I don't think it was ever name dropped though so this might be a higher level of protection? But we never got to test it out on either Sugou's deflector shield in the last fight or Kayaba with his weird SEED barrier just now. I'll just go with the flow here I think.
 
[X] Keres

Sorry p3 was my first and still is my favorite persona game so got to go with that.


[X] Persona Roster
-[X] Magdalene
-[X] Urvashi
-[X] Alice Lidell
-[X] Undine
-[X] Putana
 
Uh... what's with this total lack of Nephren-ka on your rosters? I don't think Sugou has the same weaknesses anymore, elemental or emotional.
 
Winged One said:
Uh... what's with this total lack of Nephren-ka on your rosters? I don't think Sugou has the same weaknesses anymore, elemental or emotional.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Because Nephren-Ka's main strength was letting us read the script and know all his weaknesses and OBERON was a collection of character flaws literally made from his ego. But we're not fighting OBERON anymore, we're fighting a Sugou who self-actualized and gained a Persona. This isn't a battle of psychological warfare anymore this is a battle of wills, a straight-up fight.
 
Winged One said:
Uh... what's with this total lack of Nephren-ka on your rosters? I don't think Sugou has the same weaknesses anymore, elemental or emotional.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Because we are already at 2 stress that will have to be dealt with after this arc, we don't want to accumulate any more honestly. Besides, we could start testing his weakeness by using many different moves like having Gwen use Agi or Agilao and us using Wind and Ice with Undine, or go at it with Alice and see how it reacts to Curse.
 
Last edited:
Um, actually unless it was changed at some point....

afreaknamedpete said:
STRESS is difficult to purge but has minor effects that can snowball.
If Stress accumulates to the point of being sick (3+) you will lose 1 Stress after the sickness passes.
Otherwise it is typically reset between arcs.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

On the other hand, I could have sworn we were warned at some point that Sugou was going to have some kind of interaction with our stress level.
 
Thematically, Kayaba's vision is closest to either Nyx (death) or Izanami (lies). ...and considering this is Lux...

[X] Yomotsu-Hisame

[X] Persona Roster
-[X] Nephren-ka
-[X] The Fool persona
-[X] Undine
-[X] Alice Liddel
-[X] Urvashi

[X] Call out to Shiroe.
 
Last edited:
Oh I kinda didn't expect the return of the Reason of Musubi but it really makes sense in the context of this quest
 
Alcor said:
IDK, I see more of Yaldabaoth (control) in it than Nyx - he's giving each person total control of their own HEAVEN. It's just rather than being controlled like with Yaldabaoth he's giving control. But only to the extent it stays within his vision.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Nope, this is Musubi from Nocturne. Once you get your own world you can do anything you want as seen with Kayaba saying Sugou deserves to be happy. It's best not to compare it to the themes of past Persona games, it's very much its own thing.
 
He says that, but his explanation is riddled with contradictions. Nor do I think that's actually what's happening here.

At current, creating a HEAVEN explicitly requires the wishes of other people to create. Sugou can not create a HEAVEN on his own - he needs the ALO players who wish for it to be real. By all indications, should he succeed, they enter Sugou's HEAVEN with him. However, there can be only one Chosen and that will be Sugou. Sugou tells them he'll give them whatever they want there so perhaps in practice you could have a HEAVEN ALO where every human player has their own fiefdom with no interaction between them but Sugou is still the one who maintains absolute power here. He could change his mind on a whim and turn the world into a hell for some or all of the other players in it if he decides that will entertain him more or he gets bored one day.

Which leads to Kayaba's proposed future solution here - Artificial Fluctlights/NPCs. He notes that right now they don't have the same "weight" as humanity so that's why they can't be used in place of humans to create a HEAVEN (i.e. NPCs "wishing" for a HEAVEN don't contribute to the ability to impose one over reality.) However, he also says that may change in the future and then it would truly be possible for each human to create their own HEAVEN (because instead of requiring the wishes of other people to create a single HEAVEN where only one of them can be Chosen, you could generate NPCs such that there's enough for every human to get their own HEAVEN.)

Left unsaid, however, is the likely corollary to Artificial Fluctlights/NPCs gaining the same metaphysical weight as humanity - if that occurs it is likely because they have become fully realized intelligences with their own hopes, fears, and desires (Like Alice and the end result of the Underworld/Alicization Project.) In which case you haven't the solved the problem at all - you're still requiring a multitude of sapient beings to inhabit a world where they are ultimately at the complete and utter mercy of one person.

Kayaba's logic only holds if you believe that Artificial Fluctlights/NPCs are inherently lesser to humanity and that can never change no matter if they develop true emotion and wills of their own. Heck, it's arguably worse than the AI thought experiment because in the SAO cosmology the Fluctlights basically are souls (and the Alicization/Underworld quite literally cloned the Fluctlights of newborns to generate its NPCs because the loophole in "can't copy a Fluctlight" is that if you do so early enough that they haven't really formed an identity you avoid the existential crisis. Now it's definitely possible that particular UW detail has been changed in the quest but even without that in-your-face detail I think the philosophical question remains entirely intact.)

And even then if you accept that humanity is inherently superior to Artifical Fluctlights to the point where it's morally acceptable to treat them as mere tools for self-gratification, Kayaba is quite literally running ahead with half-finished product because he readily admits they're not there yet and so you have to substitute other humans in their place. It's not a world of isolation because you're literally bringing in other people. Now if the Chosen is truly and unshakeably committed to the idea of a world of isolation they could probably effectively simulate one in their HEAVEN for each person that had to be used to create it... but they don't have to be. It's entirely down to the disposition of whoever was made the Chosen of that particular HEAVEN.
 
Last edited:
[X] Yomotsu-Hisame

[X] Persona Roster
-[X] Nephren-ka
-[X] The Fool persona
-[X] Undine
-[X] Alice Liddel
-[X] Urvashi

[X] Call out to Shiroe.
 
[X] Yomotsu-Hisame

[X] Persona Roster
-[X] Nephren-ka
-[X] The Fool persona
-[X] Undine
-[X] Alice Liddel
-[X] Urvashi

[X] Call out to Gwen.
 
Alcor said:
In which case you haven't the solved the problem at all - you're still requiring a multitude of sapient beings to inhabit a world where they are ultimately at the complete and utter mercy of one person.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Not really, if these NPCs live in a world for long enough, they will unconsciously wish it stays that way because they live in it and don't know any better.
 
Remove ads
Vs Sugou: A New World Fool
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Archon

    [X] Persona Roster
    -[X] Magdalene
    -[X] Urvashi
    -[X] Alice Lidell
    -[X] Undine
    -[X] Putana

    [X] Call out to Shiroe.

    System Call: Chosen initiating Ainsophia Apocatastasis. Authorization:[HEATHCLIFF] [GRANTED]. Incarnating new World Layer.​

    It's an ugly thing. A goblin in rags, dripping in fetid river water. It clutches the golden egg between shriveled, skeletal fingers, and a triumphant grin stretches across its face. The SEED shimmers and warps in the strange creature's light, the egg twisting and shrinking.

    Until it's the form of a single golden ring.

    "To the new world! To HEAVEN!" Sugou proclaims, holding up the ring in his hands, the altered SEED glimmering before your eyes. The ring slips onto his finger, and the world erupts into green. Sugou raises his arms, laughing wildly as the trees spring from the black and red ground. Off in the distance you see the hazy beginnings of floating islands dotting the sky, and the dead air fills with the cry of birdsong.

    "I won't let you escape. Not now, not after all this." You call out, reaching towards your Persona. But you've already overtaxed your Persona, and you had scarcely any power left to call on.

    "This again? You're quite the stupid little hypocrite, aren't you? Trying to 'save' people even though you've murdered before. Do you know how many people I've killed!? NONE! And yet, you're the ones looking at me like I'm the villain!"

    "T-that's..."

    "Do you know what the 'truth' is? What the world would see? They'll learn that 300 SAO players got tagged by some leftover protocol, nothing more than a fancy glitch. But the hardworking, industrious souls at RECT Progress worked tirelessly to protect and even free them. And on the eve of ALO's new update, a miracle! Freedom for the trapped souls, the end of the SAO incident in full!"

    He leans forward, his maniacal grin only widening. The ground is recreated around you and the SEED dev room returns to the brilliant landscape of Alfheim. "And those victims would be grateful to their savior. First them, then all the ALO players. I was going to make ALO a great, shining jewel that eclipses SAO in every possible way. Everyone will play it, everyone will love it, love OBERON! It will be a perfect piece of entertainment, another world itself, one free from the banality of life. A win-win situation for all involved, so why would anyone stand in the way of that!?"

    "THEN JUST DO THAT! GO RIPOFF SAO AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!" Gwen screams. "BUT LEAVE OUR SOULS ALONE!"

    "You poor naïve idiot, how do you think FullDive even works? This world is just a shared memory in the souls of the players, anchored in the unconscious world. The soul can be changed, rewritten, imprinted upon!" Sugou laughs. "For every second you spend here, for every drop of emotion you experience, for every hour you spend logged in, that precious thing you call a soul gets just a little bit changed. Souls, you see, are remarkably easy to manipulate."

    He reaches up at the sky and the light of the sun shines forth once more, tinging the newly formed land in rays of gold.

    "So why shouldn't we change ourselves!? Change each other! That man lacked vision, and failed to realize the scope of what he had created! This is a new opportunity, a new world. I can feel it, everyone's hearts uniting within me. In my new world there is no mental illness, no trauma, no more ugly parts of ourselves. We will be pure gods, erasing all the ugly parts of ourselves. We will be saved. We will be loved!"

    "With you as the god in the center," You say. "A slavemaster. Robbing us of the power to choose."

    Sugou licks his lips, a disgusting smile spreading across his face. "What's wrong with a little early adopter bonus? No one will be dissatisfied. Control has nothing to do with it! Everyone will simply have 'chosen' to love me. Happiness for all. But I don't need you to understand."

    The «Object Eraser» gleams in his hands. "I just need you to die."

    He's unskilled. About as fast as a middle-aged man charging at you with an unwieldy stick. He hasn't fought a real battle in his life.

    But neither have you.

    Without the system to support you, without even weapons in your hand, you're no faster than Sugou. You step back as he swings, his weapon missing you by a hair's breadth. You flail, trying to tackle him in response but only get knocked back by a sudden kick.

    He's bigger than you. Heavier. With more reach and weight behind his strikes. As he swings down the weapon, you panic summon your Persona, blasting him back with a burst of wind magic. Sugou staggers, caught off guard, but soon rights himself.

    You step forward and fire again, launching another gale his way, but he charges forward with his weapon at the ready, the blade ripping through the air. He swings at you and Undine blocks the blow, the Persona summoned from your own soul thankfully not counting as an ALO asset to the Object Eraser. But the pure repulsive force knocks you back against the ground.

    It's weak. You expended all of your Persona's power in the last fight, and there was no second wind to grant you recovery.

    Sugou doesn't have OBERON anymore. The strength of Heathcliff has long left his body. But he was still a GM account, and its specs remained higher than yours.

    Gwen lands to your side, equipment shredded and back to essentially default gear. She calls forth Daji, launching a fireball at Sugou who just contemptuously bashes it away.

    "Useless, just useless. You see? All your strength, it was just borrowed. From ALO, from the belief of the players, from me! Even your precious Personas, they fight by hacking into my world. And if it comes from my world, then what do I have to fear from it?"

    You pull «Weizhen» from your inventory, trying to distract him with a frontal attack while Gwen flanks, only for Sugou to summon forth a wave of force from the «Object Eraser». The weapon shatters in your hands, and Gwen herself is knocked back once more. So long as he has that weapon, there's practically nothing you can do.

    "The Tsurusaki sow. I can still spare you, if you choose to be a good girl and follow my orders." Sugou says, leering at Gwen. "Your Persona was a pleasant surprise, I wonder if it'd be up for a spot of fun? Hehehe..."

    "Stop bullying them, you jerk!" You a voice call out from behind you. Yuuki charges forward, holding nothing more than a branch she picked off the ground. But she's slow, no faster than an excitable school girl. Sugou merely steps to the side, sticking out his foot and tripping her to the ground.

    "Ow!"

    "Did you think you had strength, little girl?" Sugou mocks Yuuki. "All the power you possessed I permitted you to wield. In truth this is all you are, a waste, a burden on society. And you dare challenge me, the source of your so called power?" He responds by shoving his foot into Yuuki's side, eliciting a cry of pain.

    "Get away from her!" Shiroe shouts, throwing a rock at Sugou. It misses by a mile.

    "Ah, and the great cheater himself. With no weapons and no magic, what use are your tricks?" Sugou points his weapon at Shiroe and the haze of his Persona reappears in the world.

    "You could've chosen to join me. All of you! To be happy, to be gods in a perfect world. But you chose this, to die like dogs in defense of the old. Now... get the hell out of my world! SYSTEM CALL! GENERATE FULMINANT ELEMENT!"

    System Call: Incarnate PERSONA [Alberich]. ReferenceID:00​

    The strange goblin, his Persona, cackles above him, brandishing a whip. It snaps forward with a crack of lightning, and Yuuki screams as she's blasted back. Shiroe tries to catch her, only to also be blown over by Yuuki. Gwen raises her fists, no longer possessing any weapons, and tries to punch Sugou, but a single backhand is all it takes to send her falling to the ground.

    "You all are fond of myths, aren't you?" Sugou says, rubbing the ring on his finger. "What comes after Ragnarok? The world doesn't end, no, far from it. It is reborn, with a god of light in its center. In a way you've managed to fulfill the mythology to a tee, so don't I have you to thank for this? I've come to an understanding, no, a realization."

    He walks over to the two creations he's made, the clones of Asuna and Rinko respectively. Their dull eyes fill with life, and if you focus you can see the clusters of fluctuating lights within elongate and spread.

    "All my plans, ways to improve my influence in the real world. I would use ALO as a platform, creating for myself a core of devoted followers who would love me. Socialites, influencers, even dumb grunts, absolute loyalty I could always depend on. And the more ALO became popular the more my power would grow... it seemed like a good idea. Something that man could never fathom." Sugou says, cupping his hand around the Rinko clone.

    "But I was foolish. Why did I settle for influence? For simple power? I don't belong in this world. I do everything right, I've seized power— economic, political, power in all the ways that matter! And still I remain unrewarded! But no more. No more changing, no more settling. This time. I will do it right. I will create what I want, and I will invite all those who are watching to do the same."

    First, the dull eyed Rinko clone opens her mouths. She gasps, a small, tiny voice. "O-oberon?"

    "That's right. You... are «Queen Mab». I saved you. I plucked you out of obscurity and granted you a place by my side. You are gentile, servile, and supportive. You always have a kind word to speak to me, and you'll never raise your voice or speak out of turn. You are my «Queen Mab», and you will love me."

    System Call: Incarnate memories into Artificial Fluctlight [fbe304eb]. ​

    The ring shines in his hand, the light transferring from his hand into the head of «Queen Mab». He was making a copy, no, his own version of Koujiro Rinko. His fantasy of her, coalesced into an «Artificial Fluctlight» by the power of the SEED.

    "Milord... is that you?" It's quiet but refined. A voice akin to royalty. And it sounds... remarkably human. "Are you hurt? Please, you don't have to fight. I will protect you, as you have protected me..."

    "Now, now, no need for that my queen. We have one more who needs to join us," Sugou calls out, and you see the clone of Asuna walk forth from behind a tree. The real version of Asuna lugged around her shoulder, the fake dropping her against the side of the tree in a heap. You... aren't sure why Asuna is catatonic but you remember Cayna's warning, the fundamental law of souls. That there could never be two.

    Sugou had... he had duplicated Asuna? He had access to her player data and now that Kayaba's protection was gone, was Asuna's Fluctlight destabilizing because of the duplication? Shouldn't the clone be the one to die? But here, with Sugou right there maintaining her existence... Asuna was the one that seemed like she was in trouble.

    "And you, dear «Titania». You have fire within you, a deep-rooted desire to protect me. You brook no quarter against your foes, and the sight of these pathetic fools before you fills you with rage. But to me, you are kind and caring. You are my «Titania», and you will love me."

    System Call: Incarnate memories into Artificial Fluctlight [8c4a9a47]. Destabilization Warning: Fluctlight pattern match for PlayerID [c21446d9] at 98.2%. ​

    "Oberon..." Titania, the Asuna clone, walks closer to her creator, putting her hand on his shoulder. "My dear. They hurt you, didn't they? These beasts in the guise of fairies, we must vanquish them. For the sake of our eternal peace."

    Queen Mab approaches next, head bowed in subservience. "If I may milord. These... children. They are defeated. They would make no worthy foes. Why not take them with you? Show them the error of their ways?" Queen Mab asks.

    "Mercy? Yes... mercy." He looks at all of you with newfound pity in his eyes. "Yes, it wouldn't be right to leave you like this. What I've done is an act of love. An act of salvation. How about it? One last offer. Surrender and I will take you with me, as a reward for coming this far. A new world, where you can be kings and queens of your own, free to create whomever you choose to."

    The ring glows in his hand.
    Now... now that you're so close...
    It's mesmerizing.

    "By the power of the SEED, no... by the Ring of the Nibelung I command it! Make them pure! Make them loyal only to me. Only to Oberon! Now Alberich, bring forth your salvation!" A light shines forth from the ring, enveloping you. Sugou's pure belief that he was god and you were all his playthings, made manifest through the might of his Persona. "Now... all of you shall be happy. All of you will be LOVED! HehehehehehahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA!"

    It's warm.
    It's bright.
    You smile, you feel content, you feel happy, you feel loved.
    You are loved.

    ...

    Is it over?
    It is. You're tired, you're out of options. You're defeated.

    So you're giving up. Fine. Go ahead, surrender. You'll survive. You'll even enter a new world and be happy and frolicking's until the end of time. It's what Sugou wants and soon it's going to be what you want.
    Give up. Just.. survive. Did you make this choice? Is this... who you are now? Your Shadow. She wanted you to more selfish. To do everything you can to survive. You rejected this.

    A Shadow is a thing made to be rejected. But you chose, didn't you?

    You chose... to become one with the Shadow.
    You chose... to never again allow someone to come to harm because of you.

    You can reject a Shadow. But you can't reject yourself.
    She isn't your Shadow anymore.

    What am I?
    She was the part of you that survived. She was the voice that told you to be selfish. She was the manifestation of your desire to live. She was your Shadow.

    What am I now?
    The answer is simple. You are what you chose to be.

    And you chose to never be the person who would look the other way. You chose to never be the person to let an innocent die for your own safety. You chose... Never again.

    >Your party's HP/SP have fully recovered!
    >Your Shadow's priorities have changed! She no longer strongly values self preservation.


    The power of your Persona suffuses your body once more. It expands from your heart, your mind, your soul, outward to fill every corner of your being. It pushes out against Sugou's magic, against the new world that he's creating around you.

    It doesn't matter what you have to do! Don't blink, don't surrender! AND DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!

    "Milord!"
    "Oberon!"

    Queen Mab stands over Sugou, a glowing barrier of butterflies coalescing around her fingers. Sigurd's defense spell? And Titania has brandished a gleaming rapier, the point aimed straight at your throat.

    "There's... something strange about this one, milord. Please, be careful." Queen Mab says. "I owe you everything, Lord Oberon. I couldn't bear to see you injured."

    "Leave the curs to me, dear husband!" Titania proclaims, flourishing her rapier. "I shall ensure they never again trouble you!"

    "My, my..." Sugou smiles. "I see you still have the strength left to resist. What a bother... but you know what? Unlike you, I have allies. I have people who love me. And what do you have!?"

    He lifts the «Object Eraser» above his head, the power of the SEED flaring within it. "A fellow crook whose only good for her blood! And two useless gamers!"

    He's wrong. They might not be goddesses, they might not be perfect. But they're real. Your allies, your compatriots. Your friends.
    And you'll trust in that more than any manufactured love from Sugou's Ring.
    You focus and look inward.

    It's an old man, dressed in the finest robes dotted with stars, holding his hands out to you. Simon Magus, though you've never called him in battle, you know he is a part of you. A Persona created from the SEED of a dream. Shiroe's dream, his own little vision of HEAVEN that you carved out of him and made your own. You reach out through his dream and find him. Shiroe. Shirogane Kei. He's scared, defeated. With no power, no magic, no items.

    But he's still fighting. He still believes in the real world.

    "Shiroe. I'm sorry, but I need your help. One last time."

    ...

    "I have a theory."

    He steps forward as a weedy and frail college student without even an ounce of combat ability.

    "I've been watching everything up to now, and I've reviewed Lux's notes. A duplicate «Excalibur»... the strange transformation of the Norns into raid bosses. The very fact that Ragnarok was allowed to proceed as it did. It begs the question, doesn't it? Where is all this power coming from?"

    He approaches Sugou with the confidence of a man who's already won.

    "And the answer is simple. FullDive technology is nothing more than a shared memory, a unified dream. A system that synchronizes cognition to offset the no doubt limitless processing power that would otherwise be needed to create a world. So then, if one were to wish for it hard enough, couldn't they do anything? Accomplish anything? So long as they had the vision, or perhaps, the numbers to support it."

    "That's right," Sugou says. "But I am the God. The wishes of all of Alfheim lie in this ring upon my finger. So go ahead. Wish your items back. Recreate everything you lost. Call back your army of Ice Demons. Summon forth your Dragon! Ahahaha, my «Object Eraser» will destroy it all over again!"

    He's already destroyed your items. In your eyes and in the eyes of all of ALO, the «Object Eraser» was already all-powerful. It was hard enough to believe in something but... disbelieving in something that has already harmed you?

    "Then there's only one more thing to ask." Shiroe's glasses flash in the light of the newly created sun. "What game do you want to play?"

    "Game?" Sugou asks. "We're past that! This is the new world! TITANIA! My queen, show this jester the truth of this 'game'!"

    "Milord!" The rapier flies forward, aimed right at Shiroe's throat. You promised. You wouldn't allow them to come to harm. You wouldn't watch Shiroe die. But you didn't need to worry.

    "W-what is this!? Release me at once!"

    The blade stops.

    System Call: Chosen Candidate Requesting System Update. [GRANTED] Incarnating Fluctlight into World Layer.​

    "I gave ALO the benefit of the doubt. It's a new game, and based on the base code of SAO. Sure, there were no cooldowns, mana costs were wildly inconsistent, and entire swathes of magic were race restricted. I tried to adapt. But really? Playing a pure mage was an exercise in frustration. For a game that stole everything from SAO and YGGDRASIL, why didn't it steal its magic system from a better game?"

    A dozen brilliant ropes emerge from the ground, grasping at Titania's ankles. She tries to charge but the ropes draw tight, arresting her momentum.

    "Take this spell. «Thorn Bind Hostage». Low cooldown, excellent cast speed, and highly efficient in terms of damage to MP ratio. Allows you to bind a target with thorny vines provided you've spec'd into it properly, and causes damage whenever an ally strikes. But weak against high-strength builds which can ignore the bind, and the meta of layering buffs for massive single-shot DPS attacks interacts poorly with its spikes effect. Underrated, but with the proper build? Highly optimal. Truly a well-designed spell... don't you think so... Sugou?"

    Titania struggles against the restraints, now wrapped in purple vines from head to toe. They scramble up her body, seizing her by the leg, the arm, the breasts...

    Shiroe... just pulled off magic. No runic power words, just a simple cast. You've never heard of this spell before...

    ...

    There were a lot of tentacles. Did he just...

    "Yo, Glasses! Did you really just use a tentacle spell!? And here I thought you were all classy and shit!" Gwen tilts her head, watching Titania blush and squirm against the restraints. "Like of all the spells you could've used for your big moment... had to be this one. Tentacle spell. With a built-in bodice ripping function."

    "T-that's not why I cast it!" Shiroe says, blushing in indignation. "It's efficient and we're outnumbered!"

    "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

    "UNHAND ME YOU CUR! PERVERT!" Titania yells, but only serves to draw the ropes in tighter. The thorns begin ripping into the flimsy dress.

    Boys, huh...

    "It doesn't MATTER!" Sugou proclaims, raising «Object Eraser» above his head and summoning forth another wave of pure force. Wherever it touches, the newly created grass and environment of his new world melts around him. It passes through you all, crashing against the violet ropes restraining Titania.

    And does absolutely nothing.

    "W-what? The «Object Eraser» can destroy everything... so how..."

    "Because that spell isn't ALO." Shiroe adjusts his glasses, smirking. "Let me show you what I mean!"

    ​
    A white coat saturated in magic appears over his shoulder. A well worn travel bag stuffed to the brim with scrolls and reagents straps against Shiroe's chest, and a small jewelry shop's worth of trinkets and charms glow around his neck. In his hands a simple wooden staff. Shiroe taps it against the ground...

    And a giant banner of pure mana, projecting lines akin to circuits stretches out above your head.

    It's... equipment. End-game raid gear, gaudy, overdesigned, and filled with glowing lights. The type of equipment only found in an MMO at the end of its lifespan, when the developers ran out of ways to make new weapons look fancy.

    «Elder Tale».

    "It's like I said, Sugou. If this world, this game, is the one you will become God of, then we can never win by playing it. So I simply decided to play a different game. A better game. One I can believe in more than yours!" Shiroe steps forward, brandishing his banner and the runes within it.

    Yuuki... she used «Sword Skills» in a game where they didn't exist.
    Now Shiroe's calling forth character data from a game that wasn't even a VRMMO.
    Even Sugou, creating new life, trying to ascend to a new world.
    All because they believed in it. Creating something from nothing, using one's cognition to change the world.

    Incarnating their wishes into reality.

    "B-but you can't do that! «Elder Tale» isn't even a virtual game! " Sugou says. "Get out. GET OUT! YOU DON'T BELONG IN THIS WORLD!"

    Gwen lands next to you. Shiroe is just behind you, calling forth the power he believed in.
    You have no precious memories of SAO. Calling forth that avatar would likely do nothing but weaken you. ALO was the strongest you've ever been.

    But you still have it. Your Persona.
    A power you believe in...
    But also something real. Something tangible. A power that the real world and its thousands of years of history believed in.

    "Sugou. It's over. The dream has to end."

    He sneers, clutching the hand still adorned with his ring, «Object Eraser» whirling with flames. You call forth your Persona, feeling its weight settle onto your shoulders. The SEED is now firmly in his control, and the power of Ragnarok has left you. But you're still here. So you gather up what courage you have remaining and deliver your battle cry.

    "And it's time to receive your punishment!"

    TACTICAL INFORMATION
    >Your items have been destroyed!
    >ALO has been destroyed and so has all vestiges of support from the SEED!
    >Shiroe has incarnated his Elder Tale avatar!

    Asuna is disabled!
    Yuuki is disabled!

    Lux has lost all equipment bonuses!
    Gwen has lost all equipment bonuses and most of her ALO specific actions!

    PARTY MEMBERS

    LUX's current status:
    HP : 8/8
    SP : 8/8

    STR: Rank C (3 Dice)
    MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
    AGI: Rank C (3 Dice)
    VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
    CHT: Rank D (2 Dice)

    Persona Roster:
    Archon
    Magdalene
    Urvashi
    Alice Lidell
    Undine
    Putana

    GWEN's current status:
    HP : 5/5
    SP : 8/8

    Stats
    STR: Rank B (4 Dice)
    MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
    AGI: Rank B (4 Dice)
    VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
    CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)
    Weak: Slash, Elec
    Resist: Wind, Fire

    Skills (Persona):
    Devour: Blunt melee strike that heals based on damage done. [1 SP]
    Pulinpa: Attempts to confuse target enemy.
    Agi: Magic Fire attack
    Agilao: Magic Fire attack that strikes with +1 ADVANTAGE. [1 SP]


    ​
    Shiroe
    World of Origin: Elder Tale
    Current World: Alfheim
    Race: Half-Elf
    Class: Enchanter Level 90

    Special Equipment:
    «White Staff of the Wings of Ruin»: Increases Max SP +10. By doubling SP costs, single target spells can be spread to all viable targets.
    «Sacred Robe of the Stars»: Unlocks bonus effects when casting ASTRAL class magic. Regenerates 4 SP per TURN/CHAPTER.

    Stats
    HP : 7/7
    SP : 20/20

    Stats
    STR: Rank D (2 Dice)
    MAG: Rank C (3 Dice)
    AGI: Rank B (4 Dice)
    VIT: Rank B (4 Dice)
    CHT: Rank S (6 Dice)
    Weak: All Physical
    Resist: Curse, Bless


    Skills (all skills can be upcast to WIDESPREAD at DOUBLE SP cost):
    Advanced Mana Channeling: All allies gain 2 SP, then, all SP counts of the party are averaged. (QM will add up the SP of all conscious party members, divide, then redistribute equally. Any spillover goes to Lux). [Free]

    Thorn Bind Hostage: Roll CHT to inflict BIND on your opponent (cannot roll AGI). So long as the opponent remains bound, the enemy takes 1 point of ALMIGHTY damage every time they are attacked, up to 5 hits in total. [4 SP]

    Singularity: Automatically, without a roll, forces enemy to suffer one degree of DISADVANTAGE on their next defensive roll. [3 SP]

    Nightmare Sphere: Roll CHT to inflict SLEEP and attempt to debuff AGI on a single target. [3 SP]

    Infinity Force: Target ally, for the next TWO actions, has all SP costs reduced to 0. They become exhausted, gaining DISADVANTAGE to AGI and STR for 2 Actions after this effect resolves. [4 SP]

    Buff Rotation: Select TWO STATS and ONE TARGET. Those stats are buffed (+2 Dice) for 3 PHASES/ACTIONS. [4 SP]

    Passive:
    «Full Control Encounter»: ONCE per PHASE, so long as Shiroe can act, he automatically inflicts enemies with DISADVANTAGE for offensive actions, for free, when appropriate. Shiroe will expend this on the attack with the most dice. Every time this occurs, he loses [1 SP]. [Deactivates when below 6 SP]

    «The World in 30 Seconds»: Enemy stats and abilities are revealed to you.


    VALID TARGETS:
    Sugou Nobuyuki x 1

    HP : 10/10
    SP : ∞/∞

    Stats (Sugou + Alberich):
    STR: Rank C (3 Dice) + Rank D (2 Dice) = Rank A (5 Dice)
    MAG: Rank C (3 Dice) + Rank A (4 Dice) = Rank SS (7 Dice)
    AGI: Rank C (3 Dice) + Rank C (3 Dice) = Rank S (6 Dice)
    VIT: Rank C (3 Dice) + Rank C (3 Dice) = Rank S (6 Dice)
    CHT: Rank C (3 Dice) + Rank A (4 Dice) = Rank SS (7 Dice)

    Weakness: ???, ???
    Resistance: ???, ???, ???

    Marin Karin: Attempts to CHARM enemy foe.
    Zionga: Elec magic attack. Deals 1 points of extra damage if hit.

    Object Eraser: Slash physical attack, destroys equipment from ALO.
    Object Eraser Wave: Fire magic attack, destroys equipment from ALO.
    Object Defiler: Pierce physical attack, automatically poisons target if hit.
    Object Builder: Widespread blunt physical attack.

    ENHANCE ARMAMENT
    Ring of the Nibelung: Create a «Ring of the Nibelung» that you wear on your finger. Provides immunity to mind altering effects. Permits the creation of «Artificial Fluctlights». Grants you ADVANTAGE on all Charm attacks.


    Titania x 1
    (Titania is currently afflicted with Thorn Bind Hostage)
    (Roll to throw off Thorn Bind Hostage is DC 2.)

    HP : 7/7
    SP : ∞/∞

    Stats
    STR: S (6 Dice)
    MAG: S (6 Dice)
    VIT: B (4 Dice)
    AGI: SS (7 Dice)
    CHT: B (4 Dice)

    Weakness: ???, ???
    Resistance: Pierce, Wind

    Flashing Penetrator: Pierce attack using 4 Dice and generates ADVANTAGE for next turn. [Disabled while Bound]
    Shooting Star: Pierce attack that strikes twice. [Disabled while Bound]
    Quadruple Pain: Pierce attack and attempts to debuff VIT (CHT Roll).
    Star Splash: Bless magic attack.
    Hurricane Charge: Widespread Wind magic attack. [Disabled while Bound]
    Dia: Roll CHT, heal your target by result +1.


    Queen Mab x 1
    HP : 6/6
    SP : ∞/∞

    Stats
    STR: C (3 Dice)
    MAG: A (5 Dice)
    VIT: A (5 Dice)
    AGI: C (3 Dice)
    CHT: A (5 Dice)

    Weakness: ???, ???
    Resistance: ???, ???

    Butterfly Shield : Generates a defensive shield around an ally that blocks one attack. If the enemy's attack has 3 OR MORE successes, this shield is ignored.
    Media: Roll CHT, heal all targets by result.
    Meta-Magic: Declare any magic single element (including Bless/Curse) and perform a Magic Attack.

    COMBAT PLANNING

    [ ] Act Naturally.
    Shiroe will buff CHT/MAG for you and Gwen. Gwen then tries to MADNESS Queen Mab while Lux attempts Megido on Sugou.
    Shiroe will then attempt to Thorn Bind Hostage whoever is left.

    [ ] Heal/Support.
    Shiroe will widecast Nightmare Sphere. Shiroe will buff STR/CHT for you and Gwen.
    Gwen will spam Devour on Queen Mab.
    Lux will set up Jewel of Union then attempt a Sexy Dance.

    [ ] Full Assault
    Shiroe will widecast Infinity Force, then Singularity on Queen Mab.
    Gwen will spam Devour on Queen Mab.
    Lux will cast Play With Me! Then Eiga with Alice.

    [ ] Direct Commands
    Pick TWO Skills per party member.
    Designate the target of each attack.
    If you pick skills from Two different Personas you assume the weakness for the scene of both Personas (this is the cost of using multiple Persona in one turn)

    [ ] Write-in (1D minimum, more if trying to cram too many actions into one turn)
    For write-in plans if I can justify giving ADVANTAGE I will give it. More if you try to do something very cool or narratively interesting.
    Be as detailed or vague as you want.
    If you just want to specify targets of attacks pick DIRECT COMMANDS then. Consider this a beefed up version of DIRECT COMMANDS. This is for Gaia attacking Floatation Rings level of nonsense.

    Finally... call out to a friend.

    [ ] Call out to Gwen.
    And reclaim your steel.

    [ ] Call out to Shiroe.
    And enchant all minds.

    [ ] Call out to Yuuki.
    And awaken the knights.

    Next Turn is 2 Phases/Actions

    AN: Please specify in PLAN format.
    Archon is available for this fight (so you have 6 Personas available).
    And Shiroe's extra turn ability got cancelled cause it was too confusing for me.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Oh joy, Magdalene is weak to both of Alberich's physical attacks.

    We can still work with this though...

    Here's an idea:

    [X] Widowed at the conception of the new world
    -[X] Call out to Yuuki
    -[X] Direct Commands
    --[X] Lux: Jewel of Union (Urvashi) -> Collapse on Titania (Putana)
    --[X] Gwen: Agilao on Titania -> Agilao on Titania
    --[X] Shiroe: Singularity on Titania -> Double-cost Buff Rotation (MAG and AGI)
    --[X] If Titania is killed before all actions are executed, shift leftover attacks to Queen Mab

    Hopefully, killing Titania will get Asuna back, and calling out to Yuuki might get her back as well?

    At the very least, killing one of Sugou's waifus (TM) should piss him off enough that he won't be able to think straight. That, or send him into a rage, but he might devolve to just physical attacks, which might make things easier for us.

    Anyway, we need to exploit Thorn Bind Hostage while it's still active on Titania, or we're letting free Almighty damage go to waste.

    Also, how would trying to physically overpower Alberich with Putana work? An opposed STR roll, or just determined by raw stats?
     
    Random thought:

    Which boss theme would fit this final phase of the fight better?

    Blooming Villain, or something from an SAO game? (Rivers in the Desert is reserved for when we fight Kayaba)
     
    Some SAO theme for the Oberon fight phase(kirito vs Heathcliff?), Blooming Villain for this phase cause now Sugou has a persona

    Also wonder if taking down Titania and Queen Mab affects Sugou combat ability, similar to how taking the trophy affects Kamoshida's combat ability?
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top