Part 4: 04/17/09 - 04/20/09
A New Morning
So while who-knows-what is happening, after Makoto collapsed he found himself back in a strange corridor(?) leading to a blue door...
The Poem For Everyone's Soul
You became unconscious after awakening to your "power." ...It's nothing to worry about, though. So, just relax. By the way...
That power is called a Persona... It is a manifestation of your psyche.
I don't understand. It may take some time to fully comprehend. 
Considering that IS literally what the word means, and how it is used in psychology, that's a pretty good way to think about it.
That being said, your power is still weak... Whaddya mean 'weak'? When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength.
Only took 3 updates, but we finally got told about the real main gameplay mechanic. Social Links are going to come up a lot - A LOT - in the future after all...
The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that. Now, then... Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then... Farewell. Silence
> You wonder how long you've been asleep.
> You feel someone's presence beside you.
Tranquility 
Um, how do you feel? Where am I...?
Thank goodness. You finally came to... 
It's been a little over a week, even! It was the 9th and now it's the 17th, jeez.
...I was so worried about you...
The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted... But, you kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was? Um... I'm sorry I couldn't do anything... Even though I was supposed to protect you, I... But, your power... It was amazing. What were those things?
They're what we're fighting against.
We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before... I, uh... I wanted to tell you that... I'm sorta like you. Why're you telling me this?
I didn't think we were already at the "here's my tragic backstory!" level in our relationship...
And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms... You're all alone too, right? To be honest, I already know about your past... But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine... 
There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened...
So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you. 
I'm sorry... You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward... It's not your fault. Thanks... but still... And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up. While I was waiting, I thought to myself, 
So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time. ...Alright, I'm gonna get going. 
Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you. ...Bye. End
Well, that was a productive day. Let's see what new things we have in store now.
Want To Be Close / Time
Damn, Makoto was asleep in a hopsital bed for 8 days and is already up and right back to school. That's pretty impressive for so many reasons.
Yeah, I'm alright. That's good. Hey, sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning... ...but Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you today.
It's really kind of a shame how it seems like we should be getting free reign any day now, but we're still actually in the introduction sequence technically.
...I told you it was pretty long!
And that wraps it up for the Stone Age. *sigh*... I'm tired of lessons about stones. I'd rather talk about the Sengoku era! Japanese history's not that exciting until then. Though I'm paid to do this, so I've gotta... It's tough being an adult. Next is... the Jomon period? When do the samurai get their day in the sun!? I'll just ask a question at random and call it a day. Hmm... hey, Junpei!
Uhh... How am I supposed to know about something way back then? (Quick, Makoto! What the heck is he talking about!?) (Mud huts.)
...It's no use. I can't get interested. Ugh... I wanna get to the age of katanas. Everything else is so dull... (Hey...! I answered right, and I don't get any credit?) (Tch... Oh well. Thanks, Makoto.)
Oh, I forgot to mention it before but each correct answer is worth 2 points of Charm. Likewise, staying awake when we get that opportunity is worth 2 points of Academics. It's pretty unfairly balanced against Academics, yeah.
> You decided to go home early.
When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars / Way of Life
Well, hey, it's a little later than before but at least Makoto gets to take a random detour through Paulownia Mall now.
Not sure why, since he's alone. Probably just getting used to where everything is or whatever.
Iwatodai Dorm
Unlike what you'd expect, we aren't thrown straight to the fourth floor.
There's no one here to talk to, so we can just watch the news instead.
The attraction will continue in operation until May 5th.
...Ahh, there seems to have just been an earthquake.
I repeat, there has just been an earthquake. We have no further information at this time, but we urge our viewers to be watchful for tsunamis.
I repeat: there has just been an earthquake. We have no further information at this time. Please continue checking the weather warnings for possible tsunami updates.
I think we can take a bit of a detour while en route to the fourth. Just gonna grab a drink while we can.
There's some... memorable soda also available but this'll do for now. Gotta get some of that caffeine!
The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad This Mysterious Feeling
I'm glad that you're okay. The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you. Please, have a seat.
Oh, before that. 
Okay, let me start off by asking you this...
No.
Do you remember the night you came here? You had to have noticed the signs...
Didn't it feel like you were in a different time...? 
I don't get it. I know how you feel. Who would believe such a story? But, the Dark Hour occurs each night, right at midnight. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come.
But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting.
...You saw those creatures. We call them "Shadows."
It's our job to defeat them. ...Sounds exciting, huh?
You just got hurt the other day! Now, now. He does his work well. Long story short,
How on Earth is an Execution Squad a school cl-- actually, y'know what? This doesn't really matter that much. Just gonna go with it.
Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor.
They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them. How do you fight them?
Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. 
The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it's all up to you guys. So...?
We've prepared an Evoker for you. We'd like you to lend us your strength. Alright. *sigh* I was afraid you'd say no... Welcome aboard! Thank you so much. I'm really glad. Oh, I almost forgot... About your room assignment... 
I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end. *chuckle* Holdup? But, wasn't that-- Oh, never mind... It doesn't matter anymore... The Power of the Heart 
> A mysterious voice rings in your head...
Along with a non-specific mysterious voice, this card kind of appears..
The Fool is our first Social Link, is represented by the SEES group as a whole and is Makoto's primary Arcana. Orpheus' Arcana is The Fool after all.
> You feel your inner strength growing...
> You recall what Igor said about the power of Social Links.
Strange Child The Voice Someone Calls
And you are...?
We've met before. Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you. I don't care. Really? ...If you say so. 
Then why mention it at all...?
Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power... ...and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none... It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up. Do you remember when we first met
I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me... Okay then, see you later.
Well, that was a scene alright. Not sure why it happened but hey. It's... nice to know, I guess.
A New Housemate
Iwatodai Dorm
Can you come down here?
There's someone I want to introduce. ...Hey, hurry up.
Hey, I know that voice!
Silence
Wait, don't tell me--
Afternoon Break 
*chuckle* Wazzup? He's staying HERE!? You've gotta be kidding me! I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently... I told him about us, and he agreed to help. You have the potential!? For real!?
I don't remember much, but... man, that's embarrassing! He said that's, ya know, completely normal... in the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that? Didn't happen to me.I don't have that problem, goodbye!
Big deal. It happens to everyone else.
I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know.
Huh? Uh, y-yeah... Well, enough with the introductions. I think we're about ready... Ooh, we're gonna go do somethin'? Sweetness!
Tartarus...? What's that? ...Sounds like toothpaste. We believe we can find the reason for the Dark Hour there. I hope so... The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so be ready. End
Alright, so, we at least have some idea of what we're going to get done today. That's nice, at least.
Want To Be Close / Time
Listening: Yeah, me too. The only thing you can do is to sleep through first period.
Listening: Wait... tomorrow is when we have morning assembly!
Gossiping: Ughhh... I'm too lazy for that. I'll just pretend I didn't hear...
> The first bell has rung.
The only thing worthwhile about this scene is how Mitsuru casually walks into our class. And immediately gets a ton of attention. In part because she's an older student and in part because she's Mitsuru.
Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. Oh, are we having that talk? I'll save the details for later. See you there.
She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us. Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility? Well, it's not that I don't like her... She's just...
> You decided to go home early with Junpei.
When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars / Way of Life
We've already seen this area, so this is probably a good sign.
If it's run out of new areas to deal with, then we must be nearly done with the opening segment at last.
> You walked home with Junpei, talking and laughing at each other's inappropriate jokes...
This time, we ARE thrown right onto the fourth floor of the dorm.
Tartarus This Mysterious Feeling
I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to five. Therefore...
Sorry... I asked this yesterday, but what's this Tartarus thing again? You haven't seen it, Junpei? Hm...? It's no surprise...
The Dark Hour...? Just like the Shadows... Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train.
Well then, I can absolutely get right behind this.
Whoa... Their nest, huh...? But, Senpai... what about your injury?
...Yeah, I know. Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in.
I'm not so sure about this... What about you, Mr. Chairman? I'll stay here.
So, let's go see where Tartarus actually is shall we?
Why HERE? Just wait a few minutes... It's almost midnight. Silence
And back to the anime-zone we go...
As the clock hits 12 exact again, we enter the Dark Hour as expected.
And as we do, Gekkoukan High School begins to shift and change...
It rapidly grows and makes a horrific mechanical creaking noise.
The Voice Someone Calls
Labyrinth...?
What are you talking about!? What happened to our school!?
This is the "nest" you were talking about!? But, why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!? ...... You don't know, either?
I'm sure it's complicated. Who cares anyway? It's not like it would change our minds about fighting. Well, maybe now we'll find out. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it?
Akihiko. I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today.
I know... You don't have to remind me.
But, it sure is creepy...
First, we'll have you three get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?
We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here. So, you two didn't plan on coming in the first place? That's right.
For real? ...One of us?
I like how you can tell exactly who Akihiko is talking to purely by where he's facing.
W-Wait! Why him!? He doesn't look like a leader! But, he HAS fought them before... Seriously? That's true, but there's another reason. You two...
I wouldn't necessarily say "without difficulty," considering how long he hesitated originally.
Y-Yeah, of course I can! I think so.
I'm aware of that.
As Makoto heads towards the door leading to the Velvet Room, everyone watches him confused...
The Poem For Everyone's Soul
The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? 
That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power. The nature of my power...? Your power is unique. 
...That's not unique at all! Everyone in both Persona 1 and 2 could do that as well.
But no one played them (they should!) so I guess they don't count.
And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you.
Your power will grow accordingly... Be sure to keep that in mind. My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord.
Until then... Farewell. The Voice Someone Calls
Yeah, what's up? You look like a zombie. Nothing. Don't tell me you just dozed off!
Come on, man. You're s'posed to be our leader. Cut him some slack. If nothing's wrong, then let's get going. End
Now we have actual, proper control. We have party members and everything!
But first, we gotta see what everyone has to say. That just feels like the natural thing to do here.
You'll be just fine.
I use it to transport delicate equipment necessary for gathering information.
I'll prove that I should be in charge.
Alright, so! There's a lot of things that are awkward as hell to do in this game for whatever reason. Checking characters stats requires you to talk to them and pick that option. Changing their equipment can also only be done this way when inside Tartarus proper. It is a pain in the ass, yes.
Aside from Makoto, everyone here has a specific strength that won't be immediately obvious on account of being level 1.
We'll see Junpei and Yukari's Personae later, so don't worry about that.
Y'know, it's really weird that bows have such terrible accuracy. I dunno, that they have a 12% chance to miss is just strange considering Yukari is in the archery club and all.
Anyway, let's head on in to Tartarus now.
tartarus_0d01 no thats not a weird metadata screwup or anything that is literally its name
I hope I don't get lost...
Whoa! Is that you, Senpai? I'll be providing audio backup from here on out. Wait... Ya mean, you can see inside here?
I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day.It's a semi-randomised dungeon layout, oh boy. That sounds like fuuuuun...
That's why outside support is imperative. Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better...
They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect. Right! Got it. (Why is she always like that...?)
Yeah, let's. I'm just gonna interrupt Mitsuru at this point and get right to work. This is all tutorial stuff, so we'll just get it done as quickly as we can.
First, though, I'm grabbing this. Getting as much of this as we can as quickly as possible is going to be important for the early game, I reckon.
Because it's an SP restorative. Since Dia costs 3 SP and heals a bunch and all HP costs are proportional, SP is worth expontentially more than HP and it's harder to recover as a result.
So, just like every RPG ever.
After that, we've got a fight up ahead, oh boy.
But now we get to deal with timing nonsense as we try to not get ambushed. It's really easy though, so the only thing that potentially hampers it is my own incompetence with depth perception.
Mass Destruction / Wiping All Out
Every single fight here, all of them, starts with Mitsuru wanting to tutorialise you on combat. After we've already had a fight. I'll pass, thanks.
But now that Orpheus is level 2, we picked up Agi and can see how well this does.
On the one hand, it's actually a weakness. On the other hand, it's not quite a one-shot.
But it's fine though, because that knocked the Cowardly Maya down which is important.
Because it's the core combat mechanic this time around. Knock every enemy down, and everyone piles in making a comical dust cloud animation happen.
This deals Almighty damage to everything and is usually the most efficient way to deal with fights. Since doing an All-Out Attack is optional, you can choose to not do so if you don't want to.
There are times that's a better idea, even.
After The Battle
We don't get anywhere near as much EXP this time around, but that's fine. What's displayed here is only what Makoto gets as well so it's also potentially misleading.
tartarus_0d01
Our Tartarus excursion this time around is pretty limited, honestly. We can't explore beyond the first real floor and trying to do so has Mitsuru repeatedly tell us we're not allowed.
So we'll fight something else.
Mass Destruction / Wiping All Out
This time there are two Cowardly Maya!
Our tutorial this time is on the Press Turn analogue for this game. Knocking an enemy down by hitting its weakness (or getting a crit) gives that character another free turn. You can chain these by knocking down multiple enemies in a row BUT you do not get another for hitting an already Downed enemy.
Right now we don't have to worry about anything else other than "cast Agi, make dust cloud."
Oh, fun fact. The press turn symbols for Nocturne are in the game files here. That's either a holdover from building off the engine or the original intention was to use a straight Press Turn system instead.
This excursion through Tartarus is basically just "fight four Shadows!" which boils down to "have Makoto cast Agi on every Maya and then the other 2 contribute by boosting All-Out Attack damage."
It's a pattern that I can absolutely get behind, even if it is fairly SP intensive. We have more than enough, though.
Fight 3 introduces another new mechanic, and this one is semi-important but only in specific situations.
After The Battle
Since we don't fight normal demons and we can't negotiate with Shadows, we need some way to recruit new Personae with minimal hassle. Enter, Shuffle Time(!!) which lets you do just that among a few other things.
It's basically a shell-game of sorts, with rewards that scale based on your location in Tartarus, etc. etc.
You can get 5 things out of this, though a free Persona is usually the best option.
tartarus_0d01
It's mildly annoying but you don't even get told when people other than Makoto level up. They get a thing back here and then you have to talk to them to check their stats to see what changed. It's kind of a pain in the ass.
Before we get to our next fight, Mitsuru tells you how to heal if you don't already know. Use an item, have a Persona that knows a Dia-line spell or just ask Yukari since she has it as a dialogue option.
After that, we get a fight against 4 Cowardly Maya and Mitsuru finally decides to tell us about All-Out Attacks.
Her tutorial for the 3rd fight was how to get 1 Mores. She's really bad at tutorials.
This one also proc'd a Shuffle Time so I took the opportunity to grab a free weapon. I was hoping for a bow, honestly. Well, not like it REALLY matters right now anyway.
The Imitation Katana is Junpei's default weapon and is considered a two-handed sword. Junpei can only use these things and Yukari can only use bows. In vanilla and FES, Makoto can use almost everything. In Portable, he can only use one-handed swords like the Rapier and Kotone can only use naginata.
Now that we've beaten every Shadow on the floor, Mitsuru tutorialises us about a mechanic I will never use again.
Press square and you can split the party and have everyone run around randomly to collect treasure, find stairs, whatever. But they will more often than not run face first into enemy Shadows. And require you to bail them out. Or they will get promptly trashed and drop.
But this is a tutorial where it's required, so whatever. Junpei can find a thing, then we'll reconvene by using that menu again and use that green thing to leave.
If we didn't group back up before leaving, we wouldn't actually get the item that Junpei found. It's a really dumb mechanic, yes.
...Y'know, I coulda swore this was just a Medicine but I guess not.
The Voice Someone Calls
So, how was it? No problem.
I see. Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved. Wow... I never knew I had that kind of power! We kicked some ass! But damn, I'm beat...
You look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan. I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually...
Don't worry, though, you'll adapt. This IS an actual mechanic, but it doesn't get a chance to come up here so we'll worry about this later.
But, I'm surprised... You all did much better than I expected. At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time, Heh, we'll see about that.
> A mysterious voice rings in your head...
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana...
> Your power to create Personas of the Fool Arcana has grown!
Well, that was nice and easy at least. We'll worry about what that means a little bit down the line though.
We have to bug everyone again to see what they have to say now!
Tch! If only I hadn't gotten injured...
I'll explain the details some other time. Tres bien! You did well today. Now, let's head back to the dorm.
I'm starving...
Let's go back...
There's nothing else we can do in Tartarus right now, so I'm fine with leaving. We'll save Velvet Room stuff for later, and all. This also causes the day to end; there's no time limit when you're in here. Well, not an actual one.
But before we turn in, we should consider an important question...
What is the best sport: Kendo, Swimming or Track?