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<Center>''"I am a Shadow, the true self..."''</center><br>
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<Center>''"Everyone carries a shadow."''</center><br>
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=Overview=
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==Overview==
  
There is a reason why we often hide our real selves behind masks. The true feelings we have, even for a moment, might be jealous, petty, selfish, or worse. We recognize this, and hide those feelings away, pushing them into the darkness where they cannot be seen, where they can be bottled away and forgotten.
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Dark things dwell in depths of the collective unconsciousness of humanity. Whether springing forth from an individual level, or the conflicting views of an entire community, or representing the submerged thoughts from humanity as a whole, all the broad types of Shadows have one thing in common: they are dangerous.
  
This is the Shadow. The Shadow is the essence of those feelings given form. Everyone has traits that they do not want others to see, either because of our beliefs, personal preferences, our position, or due to the pressures of society. The Shadow is not exactly evil, but as it is the essence of our repressed and denied urges, if unleashed it is often harmful... Or even lethally dangerous.
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==The Nature of the Wandering Shadows==
  
=Nature=
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Every human being carries a shadow within them. Under certain circumstances, this shadow is released and exists as a kind of independent being. Most commonly found during the Dark Hour and within the Midnight Channel, Shadows of this broad type encompass numerous forms, as strange as they are varied. They are hostile to humans found in their world and attack them, with what happens to their victims ranging from what the world calls the Apathy Syndrome to death. While not truly sentient in a way that humans would find familiar, they still possess a certain intelligence, capable of pack hunting tactics to chase down their prey. For those unfortunate enough to encounter them, prey often means 'humans'. Shadows will also prey upon other (usually weaker) Shadows and can grow larger by engulfing them.
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All Shadows of this sort bear masks, and can be further subdivided into various subtypes depending on the mask and where they hail from. For example, those in SEES may know that there are twelve types of Shadows seen within the Dark Hour. The same is not the case within the Midnight channel. The form that the Shadows will take are varied ones, perhaps reflecting some of the free-floating concepts and emotions within the collective psyche of humanity.
  
The Shadow is both a great weapon and a terrible foe. In the world of Persona, Shadows might find the ability to work independantly of their host. When a Shadow manifests independant of a living host, it often appears to be a twin of that person, though their expression instantly reflects the unusual nature of the person it came from. Their emotions and actions show none of the restraint that the original may have possessed, and their eyes invariably shine with unnatural golden irises. The Shadow often taunts and pushes the host to acknowledge them, having no problems with exposing their darkest desires and secrets before anyone who cares to listen. This almost invariably causes the host to deny them.
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Shadows possess strange powers of such a nature that they can only be called 'magical'. They possess a wide array of abilities, depending on what sort of Shadow they are. Some might be able to summon fire effortlessly, others display a lethal mastery over ice. Still others might command powers that affect the mind, terrifying or confusing their opponents. It's been rumored by some researchers that particularly powerful Shadows might possess the ability to manipulate time itself.
  
This, unfortunately, only gives the Shadow greater power, as they thrive off of that repression and denial of self. Eventually, when a Shadow's power grows past a critical point, it draws other Shadows to it and becomes a monstrous form that reflects the host's hidden feelings and desires. The host usually does not survive the experience, as they have no way of combating that supernatural power on their own... And the stress of facing themself in such a manner usually leaves them already weak and disoriented, leaving them easy prey. As long as the host denies that the Shadow is a part of them, they will never defeat it on their own.
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While most Shadows of this type are dangerous, there exist those among them with greater power still. Those of this type are incredibly rare, with frightful powers far beyond any mundane Shadow. For example, a Shadow of this type might possess the power to take the forms of their targets' greatest and most hidden fears. Port Island in particular has seen many of them recently, dating back to the spring of 2009. What these strong Shadows might foretell is, for now, a mystery.
  
However, if the Shadow is defeated, and acknowledged by the host, the Shadow becomes a source of power controlled by the host. This kind of frank, wholehearted acceptance of the true nature of the Shadow and themselves requires a great deal of courage and self-honesty... And this courage and power becomes a mask to protect the host from the challenges they might face in the future: A Persona. A Persona created in this way often has physical traits that are reminiscent of the Shadow, showing their nature.
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==The Nature of the Shadow Within==
  
Other times, Shadows roam free, their hosts long gone. They moves as blobs of mobile blackness, bearing a mask. This mask often is shaped and decorated in a way that signifies their Arcana. When prey draws near, the Shadow acts, taking an inhuman form based on their power and nature and attacking without mercy.
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Everyone has a part of their personality that is unacceptable to them, whether they've rejected it because they've found it personally repellent, or because of their role in society, or because it's a part of themselves that simply runs counter to what society says is acceptable. Cast aside and buried deep, most people remain unaware of what they've rejected in their daily lives.
  
==Shadow-Possession==
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Within the world accessible through the television in Inaba, this Shadow within is freed. Appearing as a duplicate of the original self, usually only their abnormal behavior and eerie golden irises give away the fact they are the Shadow. As a manifestation of discarded urges and instincts desiring to be acknowledged, they are often defensive, and become violent they are disagreed with. When drawn to combat, these Shadows shed their human-like appearance and, drawing weaker Shadows to them, take on strange forms reflecting the mind of the person they sprang from.
  
There are sometimes situations where the Shadow does not destroy their host, instead using their power to dominate their former master. The hosts' personality often changes, becoming less restrained and more instinctive, much like their Shadow. When they time comes for the Shadow-Possessed to use their power, it can often manifest similar to a Persona's... But the Shadow can also take over the body, changing it according to its desires into a powerful form that is their power unleashed. The amount of control the host asserts in these cases are variable... but the Shadow is always dominant from then on, unless an external force is somehow brought to bear to weaken the Shadow enough for the host to regain control once more. Those who plumb the depths of their mind to gain the power of Persona must be wary of this.
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While it is not considered IC information for the most part, Personas and Shadows are one and the same: a Persona is a controlled Shadow, and a Shadow is an uncontrolled Persona. It's entirely possible for someone to both lose control over their Persona and risk it reverting into a Shadow, as well as for someone to integrate and accept their Shadow as a part of themselves and gain a Persona. It's entirely possible that someone who gains a Persona by facing their Shadow may notice that there are some general visual similarities between the Shadow and the Persona.
  
==Shadow Powers==
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Under certain circumstances, this Shadow can come to the fore. Significant stress can result in one's Shadow emerging, and depending on the circumstances of this eruption, may result in one of two things.
  
Shadows possess a strange and terrible array of powers. Many of them are similar to those exhibited by Personae, but as the dark flipside of the coin, the Shadow is often far crueler about their use. Some have found that Shadows, when extracted, can be used to fuel certain kinds of occult mechanisms and machinery, though the process of extraction can cause horrible things to happen to those who survive...
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Complete possession by one's Shadow is possible, if the stress on the psyche is too great to be overcome easily, or if the Shadow is accepted in such a way that it isn't really controlled at all. For more information on the causes behind and abilities of the Shadow Possessed, please see [[Shadow Possession]].
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Confronting one's Shadow is also a route to obtain a Persona, assuming this takes place within the depths of the Midnight Channel. For more information on this route to a Persona, please see [[Persona#The_Shadow_and_the_Truth|this page]].
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==The Nature of Rumor Shadows==
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Occasionally, two opposing stories about a person spread wildly within Sumaru City. Normally, this would hardly be cause for concern, but through the power of rumors and the nature of that city, both stories becoming true creates a contradiction which in turn produces an actual entity known as a 'Rumor Shadow'. A near-perfect duplicate save for several features which are 'off' in some way, a Rumor Shadow retains all that the original knew, but not their personality. A Rumor Shadow's personality may simply be a reversal of the original, or something else entirely, often relating to the rumors that spawned them. A good example of a contradictory pair of rumors might be one where a person is described as being a hero and a friend to all children in one, while the other rumor insists that they're actually a card-carrying member of some nefarious organization.
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As stated earlier, a Rumor Shadow knows what the original knew at the time of their creation. This means that they will know all about the dirty secrets the original might have kept to themselves, and may go so far as to air dirty laundry if it's sufficient to cause the original to suffer. Of course, they're also fully capable of lying if it suits their needs, but usually it's the truth that hurts more.
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In some respects, they possess a similarity to the Shadow that dwells within all people. However, while inner Shadows likely consist of negative thoughts and repressed impulses, they are not inherently evil. A Rumor Shadow unambiguously /is/. Wholly malicious and filled with absolute loathing for their original, they seek to do nothing else but to erase them and take over their life. If they should succeed in this goal, the original will obviously cease to exist.
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If the original is a Persona-user, the Rumor Shadow will fight similarly to the person they mirror, even going so far as to possess an apparent warped version of their Persona. However, they are unable to change Personas at all or undergo the physical transformation other Shadows might perform. What a Rumor Shadow of someone who was Shadow-Possessed or who didn't possess a Persona in the first place might be capable is, for now, unknown. In all cases, though, it must be noted that it is '''not possible''' to reliably tell a Rumor Shadow from the original against the Shadow's will. Even ostensibly obvious physical tells such as the strange eye color can be suppressed or hidden, and resonance marks no change.
  
 
[[Category: Newsfiles]]
 
[[Category: Newsfiles]]
 
[[Category: IC]]
 
[[Category: IC]]

Revision as of 07:14, 7 March 2012

"Everyone carries a shadow."


Contents

Overview

Dark things dwell in depths of the collective unconsciousness of humanity. Whether springing forth from an individual level, or the conflicting views of an entire community, or representing the submerged thoughts from humanity as a whole, all the broad types of Shadows have one thing in common: they are dangerous.

The Nature of the Wandering Shadows

Every human being carries a shadow within them. Under certain circumstances, this shadow is released and exists as a kind of independent being. Most commonly found during the Dark Hour and within the Midnight Channel, Shadows of this broad type encompass numerous forms, as strange as they are varied. They are hostile to humans found in their world and attack them, with what happens to their victims ranging from what the world calls the Apathy Syndrome to death. While not truly sentient in a way that humans would find familiar, they still possess a certain intelligence, capable of pack hunting tactics to chase down their prey. For those unfortunate enough to encounter them, prey often means 'humans'. Shadows will also prey upon other (usually weaker) Shadows and can grow larger by engulfing them. All Shadows of this sort bear masks, and can be further subdivided into various subtypes depending on the mask and where they hail from. For example, those in SEES may know that there are twelve types of Shadows seen within the Dark Hour. The same is not the case within the Midnight channel. The form that the Shadows will take are varied ones, perhaps reflecting some of the free-floating concepts and emotions within the collective psyche of humanity.

Shadows possess strange powers of such a nature that they can only be called 'magical'. They possess a wide array of abilities, depending on what sort of Shadow they are. Some might be able to summon fire effortlessly, others display a lethal mastery over ice. Still others might command powers that affect the mind, terrifying or confusing their opponents. It's been rumored by some researchers that particularly powerful Shadows might possess the ability to manipulate time itself.

While most Shadows of this type are dangerous, there exist those among them with greater power still. Those of this type are incredibly rare, with frightful powers far beyond any mundane Shadow. For example, a Shadow of this type might possess the power to take the forms of their targets' greatest and most hidden fears. Port Island in particular has seen many of them recently, dating back to the spring of 2009. What these strong Shadows might foretell is, for now, a mystery.

The Nature of the Shadow Within

Everyone has a part of their personality that is unacceptable to them, whether they've rejected it because they've found it personally repellent, or because of their role in society, or because it's a part of themselves that simply runs counter to what society says is acceptable. Cast aside and buried deep, most people remain unaware of what they've rejected in their daily lives.

Within the world accessible through the television in Inaba, this Shadow within is freed. Appearing as a duplicate of the original self, usually only their abnormal behavior and eerie golden irises give away the fact they are the Shadow. As a manifestation of discarded urges and instincts desiring to be acknowledged, they are often defensive, and become violent they are disagreed with. When drawn to combat, these Shadows shed their human-like appearance and, drawing weaker Shadows to them, take on strange forms reflecting the mind of the person they sprang from.

While it is not considered IC information for the most part, Personas and Shadows are one and the same: a Persona is a controlled Shadow, and a Shadow is an uncontrolled Persona. It's entirely possible for someone to both lose control over their Persona and risk it reverting into a Shadow, as well as for someone to integrate and accept their Shadow as a part of themselves and gain a Persona. It's entirely possible that someone who gains a Persona by facing their Shadow may notice that there are some general visual similarities between the Shadow and the Persona.

Under certain circumstances, this Shadow can come to the fore. Significant stress can result in one's Shadow emerging, and depending on the circumstances of this eruption, may result in one of two things.

Complete possession by one's Shadow is possible, if the stress on the psyche is too great to be overcome easily, or if the Shadow is accepted in such a way that it isn't really controlled at all. For more information on the causes behind and abilities of the Shadow Possessed, please see Shadow Possession.

Confronting one's Shadow is also a route to obtain a Persona, assuming this takes place within the depths of the Midnight Channel. For more information on this route to a Persona, please see this page.

The Nature of Rumor Shadows

Occasionally, two opposing stories about a person spread wildly within Sumaru City. Normally, this would hardly be cause for concern, but through the power of rumors and the nature of that city, both stories becoming true creates a contradiction which in turn produces an actual entity known as a 'Rumor Shadow'. A near-perfect duplicate save for several features which are 'off' in some way, a Rumor Shadow retains all that the original knew, but not their personality. A Rumor Shadow's personality may simply be a reversal of the original, or something else entirely, often relating to the rumors that spawned them. A good example of a contradictory pair of rumors might be one where a person is described as being a hero and a friend to all children in one, while the other rumor insists that they're actually a card-carrying member of some nefarious organization.

As stated earlier, a Rumor Shadow knows what the original knew at the time of their creation. This means that they will know all about the dirty secrets the original might have kept to themselves, and may go so far as to air dirty laundry if it's sufficient to cause the original to suffer. Of course, they're also fully capable of lying if it suits their needs, but usually it's the truth that hurts more.

In some respects, they possess a similarity to the Shadow that dwells within all people. However, while inner Shadows likely consist of negative thoughts and repressed impulses, they are not inherently evil. A Rumor Shadow unambiguously /is/. Wholly malicious and filled with absolute loathing for their original, they seek to do nothing else but to erase them and take over their life. If they should succeed in this goal, the original will obviously cease to exist.

If the original is a Persona-user, the Rumor Shadow will fight similarly to the person they mirror, even going so far as to possess an apparent warped version of their Persona. However, they are unable to change Personas at all or undergo the physical transformation other Shadows might perform. What a Rumor Shadow of someone who was Shadow-Possessed or who didn't possess a Persona in the first place might be capable is, for now, unknown. In all cases, though, it must be noted that it is not possible to reliably tell a Rumor Shadow from the original against the Shadow's will. Even ostensibly obvious physical tells such as the strange eye color can be suppressed or hidden, and resonance marks no change.

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