Difference between revisions of "Dark Hour"

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<i><center>"However... Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered."</center></i><br>
 
<i><center>"However... Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered."</center></i><br>
  
The Dark Hour is a phenomenon of Port Island that began occurring ten years ago. Every night at midnight, the entire city undergoes a strange and terrible change. The night sky transforms to a pale green, the moon a sickly yellowish hue, and water takes on the appearance of blood. The atmosphere of the Dark Hour itself is almost toxic upon those within it. There is a constant mind-numbing sussurus within the Dark Hour that saps one's vitality and causes them to grow weak. Sometimes they can even get sick if they are active long enough. It takes a great deal of practice and training to combat these effects, but they never are eliminated entirely. One cannot enter or leave Port Island during the Dark Hour. The roads and routes out of the city appear to simply go on forever, never being able to actually leave the area. Additionally, the vast majority of electrical devices do not function during the Dark Hour. Cars do not run. Televisions do not work. Everything is dead and silent. The exception are a rare few objects created with special technology possessed by the Kirijo Group and SEBEC, and such objects are extremely expensive. Normal people are Transmogrified, a process that changes them into a gleaming coffin of obsidian. Within the coffin, the person passes through the Dark Hour completely unaware of the change. The coffins are generally invulnerable to normal damage, but some know the secret of removing the Transmogrification effect from a person, thrusting them into the Dark Hour completely vulnerable to the dangers therein.
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==What is the Dark Hour?==
  
This is because Shadows prowl the streets during the Dark Hour, hunting for those who can be taken. It is unknown what happens to those who are caught by the Shadows during this time. Sometimes they disappear. Sometimes they are found dead from unexplainable wounds and in strange circumstances. Most often, however, they are afflicted with what has become known as Apathy Syndrome. Those who have the Potential to manifest a Persona but have not done so are the most common targets, as they do not Transmogrify during the Dark Hour. There are also rare normal humans who do not Transmogify, but they are few and far between. It is unknown as to what allows them to operate during this time.
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The Dark Hour is a daily time and space anomaly that affects certain areas on the game. When it occurs, it affects the areas it occurs within dramatically. Time effectively stops. Electronics fail to work, the environment takes a chilling turn, and most importantly, Shadows emerge.
  
The Shadows' home is a massive tower known as Tartarus, which manifests only during the Dark Hour, in the location of the Gekkoukan High School. The building itself twists and transforms into the tower, the internals changing every time. Within Tartarus, a seemingly innumerable number of Shadows await those who dare to enter. The only path to go is up, as the stairs vanish once ascended. Every so often one may find a strange device that will teleport them to the first floor, which is the only safe location in the tower. Powerful guardians make their lairs every so often in the tower, having established their place in the strange and twisted shadow hierarchy of Tartarus. Every so often, the path further is blocked by seemingly impassible barriers of various forms, growing more ornate and alien as one ascends. The centerpiece of all of these barriers are a large pole with a glowing moon upon it. These barriers seem to vanish when certain conditions are met.
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The Dark Hour occurs at the stroke of midnight. As the name implies, it endures for approximately an 'hour', though of course telling time is impossible within it. Once it has concluded for the night, normal time resumes at 12:01 AM.
  
When the Dark Hour ends, everything changes back to normal, everything generally returning to exactly how it was, time resuming at 12:01 AM.
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==Who experiences the Dark Hour?==
  
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Persona-users and Shadow-Possessed form the bulk of people who consciously experience the Dark Hour. While technically speaking everyone experiences the Dark Hour, ordinary people or those who haven't awakened to a Persona typically don't remember it, as they almost always are Transmogrified during it.
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Exceptions occur, particularly for player characters. The Dark Hour is much more dangerous for those without supernatural powers, of course.
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==Where does the Dark Hour take place?==
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The Dark Hour takes place in three locations: all of Tatsumi-shi, Okina City, and Yumezaki Ward. Mechanically speaking, the experience is the same for all three locations, with the only notable difference being that Shadows are rather weak in Yumezaki Ward.
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==What is Transmogrification?==
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Transmogrification is what happens to most people during the Dark Hour: they are encapsulated in coffin-like structures that prevent them from experiencing the Dark Hour. They cannot be touched by Shadows while they remain Transmogrified.
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People who emerge from Transmogrification in the Dark Hour are at risk of being preyed on by Shadows. This is the cause of [[Apathy Syndrome]], please see the newsfile on it for more information. Shadows may also consume people completely, killing them.
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Animals and other forms of life don't Transmogrify. They seemingly cease to exist until the Dark Hour ends.
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==What is Tartarus?==
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Tartarus is a tower that pierces the sky within the Tatsumi-shi Dark Hour. It can be called a 'Shadow nest'. Standing where Gekkoukan High typically sits, it emerges with the start of the Dark Hour. Shadows emerge from here into the city streets.
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As it is full of Shadows, Tartarus is a good place to train. However, it is also dangerous -- without proper preparation, assistance, and backup, someone could get killed in here. The ever-shifting interior and maze-like nature of Tartarus make it difficult to navigate.
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No one knows how tall Tartarus goes; the top floors, if there even is such a thing, have not been explored. Teleporters provide easy access to points within the tower. Every few score of floors, the design of the inside of the tower shifts dramatically. More powerful Shadows than is typical can be occasionally found on certain floors.
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From Tartarus, it is possible to access the Abyss of Time. Please see [[Abyss]] for more information.
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==What other things should I know about the Dark Hour?==
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* People become tired more easily in the Dark Hour. It's possible to build up tolerance to this over time.
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* As stated above, electronics don't work. Some organizations have developed special electronic equipment that will work in the Dark Hour, but these are limited to members of those organizations (such as SEES, NWO). Additionally, some powerful Shadows can make electronics work if they possess them.
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* Water turns to blood in the Dark Hour. This also applies to snow, ice, etc. It returns to water afterwards. Other environmental transformations include crawling shadows, a huge green moon, and other various signs that all is far from ever being 'well' again.
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* Photography within the Dark Hour is possible (with older cameras) but the photographs gain numerous eerie distortions. For example, a photograph of a dark street might develop to have the ghostly outline of a skull overlaying it.
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* Ordinary people tend to rationalize the effects of things that happened in the Dark Hour. 'Thugs vandalized that building' or 'someone disabled security' for example.
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* Demons can show up in the Dark Hour. They thrive in it. Demons and Shadows don't get along, though, and will fight one another.
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[[Category: Newsfiles]]
 
[[Category: Newsfiles]]
[[Category: IC]]
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[[Category: Places]]

Latest revision as of 02:18, 3 February 2014

Contents

"However... Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered."

[edit] What is the Dark Hour?

The Dark Hour is a daily time and space anomaly that affects certain areas on the game. When it occurs, it affects the areas it occurs within dramatically. Time effectively stops. Electronics fail to work, the environment takes a chilling turn, and most importantly, Shadows emerge.

The Dark Hour occurs at the stroke of midnight. As the name implies, it endures for approximately an 'hour', though of course telling time is impossible within it. Once it has concluded for the night, normal time resumes at 12:01 AM.

[edit] Who experiences the Dark Hour?

Persona-users and Shadow-Possessed form the bulk of people who consciously experience the Dark Hour. While technically speaking everyone experiences the Dark Hour, ordinary people or those who haven't awakened to a Persona typically don't remember it, as they almost always are Transmogrified during it.

Exceptions occur, particularly for player characters. The Dark Hour is much more dangerous for those without supernatural powers, of course.

[edit] Where does the Dark Hour take place?

The Dark Hour takes place in three locations: all of Tatsumi-shi, Okina City, and Yumezaki Ward. Mechanically speaking, the experience is the same for all three locations, with the only notable difference being that Shadows are rather weak in Yumezaki Ward.

[edit] What is Transmogrification?

Transmogrification is what happens to most people during the Dark Hour: they are encapsulated in coffin-like structures that prevent them from experiencing the Dark Hour. They cannot be touched by Shadows while they remain Transmogrified.

People who emerge from Transmogrification in the Dark Hour are at risk of being preyed on by Shadows. This is the cause of Apathy Syndrome, please see the newsfile on it for more information. Shadows may also consume people completely, killing them.

Animals and other forms of life don't Transmogrify. They seemingly cease to exist until the Dark Hour ends.

[edit] What is Tartarus?

Tartarus is a tower that pierces the sky within the Tatsumi-shi Dark Hour. It can be called a 'Shadow nest'. Standing where Gekkoukan High typically sits, it emerges with the start of the Dark Hour. Shadows emerge from here into the city streets.

As it is full of Shadows, Tartarus is a good place to train. However, it is also dangerous -- without proper preparation, assistance, and backup, someone could get killed in here. The ever-shifting interior and maze-like nature of Tartarus make it difficult to navigate.

No one knows how tall Tartarus goes; the top floors, if there even is such a thing, have not been explored. Teleporters provide easy access to points within the tower. Every few score of floors, the design of the inside of the tower shifts dramatically. More powerful Shadows than is typical can be occasionally found on certain floors.

From Tartarus, it is possible to access the Abyss of Time. Please see Abyss for more information.

[edit] What other things should I know about the Dark Hour?

  • People become tired more easily in the Dark Hour. It's possible to build up tolerance to this over time.
  • As stated above, electronics don't work. Some organizations have developed special electronic equipment that will work in the Dark Hour, but these are limited to members of those organizations (such as SEES, NWO). Additionally, some powerful Shadows can make electronics work if they possess them.
  • Water turns to blood in the Dark Hour. This also applies to snow, ice, etc. It returns to water afterwards. Other environmental transformations include crawling shadows, a huge green moon, and other various signs that all is far from ever being 'well' again.
  • Photography within the Dark Hour is possible (with older cameras) but the photographs gain numerous eerie distortions. For example, a photograph of a dark street might develop to have the ghostly outline of a skull overlaying it.
  • Ordinary people tend to rationalize the effects of things that happened in the Dark Hour. 'Thugs vandalized that building' or 'someone disabled security' for example.
  • Demons can show up in the Dark Hour. They thrive in it. Demons and Shadows don't get along, though, and will fight one another.
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