Click Here for Update 108
: “Should we tell Yoshizawa? Well, we should probably leave her alone. Tell everyone to meet at the hideout. We should all talk this over before we infiltrate the Palace.”
: Today sucks, because we can’t get an alarm reading when we really want one. I think (but I can’t prove) that Maruki’s dungeon has a higher chance of spawning alarms to offset this.
: “February 3rd is the date we agreed on with Dr. Maruki… we’ve gotta go find that Treasure already. Once that date passes, it’s over. We all get that, right?”
: “We’ll have to discover a route by February 2nd, to be precise.”
: “That’s another way to look at it! And nice, you actually remembered?”
: “Of course I did. It wouldn’t be a terrible idea to secure our route sooner rather than later… we must be deliberate, however. We have no idea what’s going to happen.”
: “Yeah. Dr. Maruki’s pretty much got the power of a god. I doubt anything’s going to go smoothly. We’d better not let our guard down.”
: “You’re going to fight Dr. Maruki, yes? …Please, take me with you!”
: “Uh, but… you can’t go in dressed like that.”
: Persona 1? What’s that? Everyone knows Persona started with 3.
: “Please? I’m done running away.”
: “I can’t keep relying on people, like Akira-senpai… I want to live life as Sumire!”
: “Heh, color me impressed.”
: “Looks like she’ll do just fine here.”
: “Thank you!”
: “In that case, we gotta come up with a code name for you!”
: …Why? Maruki already knows who everyone is.
: “A what now?”
: “It wouldn’t be right if you were the only one usin’ your real name, y’know?”
: “Oh, you’re right!”
: “Joker, got any suggestions?”
: Yes, that makes total sense as a codename, in this dungeon where the person running it already knows who you are.
: " ‘Violet’… yes, let’s go with that!"
: "Excellent! Now remember everyone, ‘Violet!’ Not ‘Violent’, ‘Violet!’ "
: I have no idea what she says in Japanese, but it’s definitely not that.
: “Yes, thank you for clarifying!”
: “Are we done? We should probably get moving.”
: “I know, I know. Geez! C’mon, Violet - let’s roll!”
: “Um, so what are we supposed to do now?”
: “First, we secure a route to the Treasure. We’ve gotta know where it is before we can steal it, after all. We’ve already checked most of the places on the map though…”
: “Looks like we’ll need to go even deeper into the Palace.”
: “Hold on, lemme take a look real quick.”
: “Except, I’m getting some weird Shadow readings, sooo… be careful. That’s over in front of the auditorium. Let’s get going.”
: Before we get going, let’s take a look at Sumire’s Persona so I can explain why I’m not using her.
: Cendrillon kinda sucks. She’s a Bless/Physical hybrid who has Bless Amp but doesn’t have a magic stat to back it up. Given that it’s too late to give her Charge or Concentrate, we have no reason to use her.
: “Violet, are you holding up okay?”
: “Yes! Sorry, it’s just… I feel just a little off…”
: “I let my guard down for a second, but I swear I’m fine! So sorry for making you all worry.”
: “That’s fine and all, but don’t hold us back either. If you push yourself harder than you’re capable of handling, you’ll endanger everyone on your side, too.”
: “Enemies approaching! They’re fast… I dunno what the heck they are, but we’d better move it.”
: “Should we get back to it? If things start looking bad, we’ll retreat right away. Until then, we’ll back you up with everything we’ve got!”
: Why is Maruki not here? All of the other awakening scenes have the villain in them.
: Man, the lighting in this scene does not do the models any favors. Haru’s hair looks like it’s made of plastic.
: Did ANYONE proofread this fucking script? Anyone at all?
: The lighting here makes Kasumi look like Maki. Seriously though, who decided this lighting was a good idea?
: The wiki claims that Cendrillon is actually Kasumi in the same way that Nanjo’s final Persona in Persona 1 was his dead butler, Yamaoka. I have no idea where the fuck they got this from.
: It wouldn’t make thematic sense for Cendrillon to be her sister because the whole fucking point of her character is that she’s trying NOT to be her sister.
: “I’m done running away from myself!”
: “Yeah, you tell 'em!”
: “Go, Violet! Give 'em hell!”
: These are Loa, which are weak to bless and psychic. The entire theme of this dungeon is “enemies that are weak to bless”.. but given that you’ve likely been using Joker for Bless and Curse coverage the entire game, there’s not much of a reason to switch now.
: “You were as impressive as always out there. Well done, Violet!”
: As what, the one time you’ve actually seen her fight?
: “Thank you. I still have a lot to learn, though. I promise I’ll do my best not to slow you down!”
: “C’mon, you don’t have to be so formal with us.”
: “Sorry. And the same goes for you too, Joker-senpai.. I hope you’ll still be there for me.”
: And with this, we are no longer at 100%. It is once again possible for us to permafuck - though it’d be difficult since I think Kasumi’s confidant ranks require a lower point threshold.
: “All right, let’s kick some ass!”
: “Yes, let’s press onward!”
: “So the Shadows were behaving unusually because of that ambush… well, we may have been run through the wringer, but we have a mission here! Let’s check out that door.”
: “Ah yes, you’re right… I’d completely forgotten.”
: Let’s go through that door now.
: “I took a look around, but it looks like it was built so it couldn’t be accessed anywhere else. You’ll need an ID for the door.”
: “That lock means there’s gotta be somethin’ important in there, though! Let’s go get an ID!”
: “But first, we need some sort of clue…”
: "Oh! Look!’
: Futaba, with the power to hear things nearby!
: “Wassup, Oracle?”
: “I intercepted some communication between the Shadows… our ID hunt’s finally come to an end. That Shadow over there has one.”
: “Looks like your snooping - I mean, your tech skills came in handy again. I didn’t even spot that Shadow.”
: “I don’t think he knows I heard him. Why don’t you ambush him for the ID? You can’t reach him from in here, though. You’ll have to go around the back and through the auditorium.”
: “Understood. We need to take that hall up ahead. Let’s go!”
: You’ll notice a lot of side areas in this room. They are all COMPLETELY FUCKING POINTLESS.
: Roughly half of the enemies in this part of the dungeon are outright insta-killable.
: This area is a featureless hallway, but near the end you’ll hear the “grappling hook here, idiot!” sound effect.
: The rafters in this room are kind of a maze, but we get a glimpse of this dungeon’s red shadow right away. I would not recommend fighting them unless you use Morgana and feel like save-reloading.
: This is Fafnir. Fafnir is extremely annoying to fight: he repels Phys and Gun, absorbs Fire and Nuke, and resists Electric. He has no weaknesses.
: The ‘intended’ way to fight him using Akechi and Sumire.. though really, Akechi and Sumire are going to be pretty useless because they’re both physical hybrids.
: Fafnir is also level 86, putting him well outside negotiation range. The party at this point is around level 81. Most guides recommend that if you’re going to attempt to negotiate, you save and then use Down Shots repeatedly until you can negotiate.
: We don’t see it this fight, but Fafnir also has Nuke Break - meaning he can bypass Makoto’s innate Nuke defense and Lucifer.
: Fafnir drops the Sooty Scale Armor, which has a chance of turning into Morgana’s best armor. I think you have to wash it yourself to have a shot at it.
: Shortly afterward, we get a fusion alarm.. and then I notice something. Fafnir’s starting Magic stat is one point higher than Michael’s. He also has significantly better resistances.
: We get a cutscene that can be summarized by those two lines: we can now fuse any of the Personas native to Maruki’s palace. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Returning Persona: Fafnir
Origin: Norway
First Appearance: Megami Tensei II
Son of the dwarf king Hreidmar, and brother to Regin and Otr. Turned into a dragon after plotting with Regin to kill their father and steal a large amount of gold that had been given to him by Loki. Was later slain by Siegfried.
: Fafnir gives Joker access to Debilitate, which is one of the few ways left to boost Joker’s damage. As soon as I left the Velvet Room, I got another alarm, so…
New Persona: Hastur
Origin: Modern Fiction
First Appearance: Persona 2 Eternal Punishment
Hastur is a Cthonic god best known for his appearances in HP Lovecraft’s stories - but he did not originate there. He instead originated from a short story called “Haita the Shepherd” by Ambrose Bierce, who you may remember as the writer of The Devil’s Dictionary. Best known for killing anyone who says his name three times.
: Oh yeah. In Eternal Punishment, Hastur is a SUPER HIDDEN Persona that the game never tells you exists. Let me describe the process for getting him.
: You have to go to Double Slash in Aoba and talk to a random NPC who will ask you for your birth date, which you have to answer with either “HASTURCOMEFORTH” or “イアイアハスタア” (IA IA HASUTA) at which point the material card spawns on Maya’s desk at Kismet.
: Anyway, Hastur has a magic stat exactly one point higher than Baal’s and several points above Vishnu’s, while at the same time having better resistances than either.
: Unfortunately, I don’t have the space to hold enough Personas to fuse what we’d need to make the best guns for Akechi and Sumire. Making their melee weapons is kind of pointless - the ones they start with are maybe 20 or 30 attack lower than these.
: Lavenza also has her own animation for fusion accidents.
: Anyway, this entire area is a bunch of linear platforms with enemies we can kill with one button on them.
: “Wait, hold up! He’s communicating with another Shadow. I might be able to intercept some useful info.”
: “Wha-!? Sorry, Joker… that Shadow’s about to head out! Ambush him! Quick! Go, go, go!”
: We’ve got a fight against Dionysus and a Chimera. This is one of the possible random encounters in the next area.
: Dionysus has no weaknesses, but doesn’t have the raw tankiness needed to make him an annoyance.
: Once he’s down, the Chimera goes down in a single Panta Rhei from Hastur. We’ll see him in action later.
: “We got the ID! Now, we just have to…”
: “It sure feels like we’re one step closer to the Treasure. Might as well try the ID out on that door now.”
: “It opened! You did it, Oracle-senpai!”
: “Oracle-senpai… mweheheh, I like the sound of that! From here on out, we’re off the map. Keep your guard up, everyone!”
: If I was writing this, Futaba would whip out a katana and go “It looks like the kouhai… has become the senpai”.
: “Ugh, we go through the hassle of gettin’ this ID and THIS is where we wind up?”
: “Don’t be too disheartened just yet.”
: “Considering the size of the room, there are most likely multiple exits. If we can make our way through here, I believe we’ll be much closer to the Palace’s central area.”
: “Sooo, basically, we just gotta keep chargin’ on! Well, then let’s hurry and get the hell outta here!”
: “Being psyched is fine and all, but we don’t have the best visibility here. Stay on guard, all right?”
: This area is small, but very vertical.
: Here, we run into the Treasure Demon for Maruki’s palace: Orichalcum. While it’s used a lot in fantasy RPGs, it has a basis in reality - it’s a metal that comes up in ancient Greek writing.
: The demon’s appearance is based on actual “orichalcum” bars found in a shipwreck off the coast of Sicily in 2015. Those bars were primarily made of copper and zinc.
: We want an Orichalcum because of what it itemizes into: an accessory of the same name that boosts all stats by 6 (7 if you make it during an alarm) and gives the Evade Phys ability.
: At this point, we don’t really need Tae’s SP recovery accessory on Joker. His SP costs are rock bottom and Life Aid will recover all the SP he spends in regular battles.
: An extra 7 points brings Joker’s total Magic from gear to 22, which is enough to boost even his weakest Personas over 80.
: “Is that the exit? Let’s wrap this up, Joker.”
: There’s a few Fafnir encounters lurking around in this area, which take advantage of the cramped hallways and relative lack of hiding places.
: “That means this place must be important. Let’s take them out whenever we’re ready.”
: “We will surely be walking into a fight - have you finished your preparations?”
: “Very well. Let’s go!”
: For a mini-boss, this fight manages to be pretty annoying. While Cu Chulainn is weak to electric, Scathach has no weaknesses.
: In addition, Scathach has both Tetrakarn and Makarakarn in her moveset. Makarakarn isn’t that big of a deal because everyone nulls their own element, but Tetrakarn shuts down Yusuke.
: We get a Showtime fairly early into the fight, probably because Joker kept knocking down Cu Chulainn and Baton Passing. Now, here’s where the fight starts getting irritating.
: Scathach also has Elec Wall, which she’ll use on Cu Chulainn to null lightning if you weakness hit him a few times.
: To make things worse, Cu Chulainn casts Revolution and starts critting on every attack.
: Your best bet here is to have Joker hit Cu Chulainn with lightning, and then Baton Pass to Ann or Makoto and use the extra turn to Concentrate.
: Once Scathach is alone, she’ll start bringing out the ice spells. This is where you should probably switch Ann out.
: Scathach now has both Tetrakarn and Makarakarn on her.
: I also forget that for some stupid reason, Metatron doesn’t null Bless, so Joker eats some reflect damage.
: Ann gets a Burn off on Scathach, which Makoto follows up on for a free All-Out.
: “So, where are we now?”
: “This room seems very different from the rest of the Palace… it was more heavily guarded as well.”
: “Could this be… some sort of surveillance room? The monitors are displaying various rooms within the Palace.”
: That last line doesn’t sound like dialogue - it sounds like a narration… and a pointless one at that.
: “Wait… we were being watched this whole time?”
: “I dunno about that…”
: “All sorts of information’s being collected here from across the Palace and getting converted into raw data.”
: “Data collection? But, what for?”
: “Y’know, this room ain’t got any sorta way forward. Think we gotta find another path somewhere else?”
: “Is that… Mementos?”
: “I’ve tracked the location all the data is being sent to! Looks like it’s going into Mementos. We might be able to make some headway if we investigate this location.”
: Seriously, what the fuck is this dialog?
: “That reminds me, Lavenza did tell us… Dr. Maruki is utilizing Mementos to distort all of reality. Even still… are those really data cables?”
: I know this probably isn’t the case, but it feels like they wrote a lot of this dialog to be Joker’s thoughts rather than actual dialog, and then re-did this scene to have the party in it.
: “Agreed. Sticking around here isn’t going to help us any.”
: “Alright, let’s get outta here for now. Let’s see if a Mementos trip does us any good!”
: This feels like more filler. What we’ve seen of Maruki’s palace so far is far smaller than even half of Shido’s or Okumura’s dungeons, and now we’re going into Mementos.. which is procedurally generated.
: “We’ve got more firepower now, but our target this time is so much more powerful than any we’ve faced so far. We should probably get ourselves as ready as possible, like Yusuke said.”
: Wait, what’s Mishima doing here? Shouldn’t he be in a world where women find him attractive?
: “About the Phan-Site requests. If I find any this year, I’ll be sure to pass the info on to you!”
: “There aren’t as many posts now, but it looks like there are still plenty of people in trouble. We’re all counting on you, Phantom Thieves! Dispense justice!”
: “There are still people in trouble out there, huh? …That could mean there are still some targets left in Mementos. Whether there are or not, we’d better be prepared for anything - who knows what might happen.”
: You might ask why the fuck anyone would bother doing sidequests this late into the game, at a point when Mishima’s confidant is locked out. I haven’t recorded that far yet, but my suspicion is that these are for mid-bosses in the new area of Mementos that serves as the second half of Maruki’s palace.
: “Hey, if it’s okay with you, then… can I see you after school? I’ll be in the usual spot. All right. Thanks.”
: “Uh.. I can go on ahead…”
: “Oh, sorry! We’re all good now! I’m gonna get going. See you later!”
: The game will suggest a Rank 11 event each day, but we are not bound by their suggestion. All of the base game party members (not counting Akechi) are available from today on.
: “Make sure we’re all stocked up on important supplies. We don’t want to run out of something when we need it most.”
: Yeah, let’s go see…
: Yusuke! Do you really think Joker wouldn’t go see his boyfriend first?
: “We’ve already decided we’re going to oppose Dr. Maruki, so I know it’s far too late to say anything, but…”
: “I just can’t keep averting my eyes from the truth…! I betrayed you, and all we stand for! How can I pretend I’m still worthy of our lofty ideals? Or your support!? I’m… I’m an utterly hopeless fool!”
: “Please, I don’t deserve consoling..! You gave me my strength. You taught me to face the truth without fear… that strength - that anger is how I rose up against Madarame. I saw him for the fraud he was, and I freed myself from his lies…”
: “And just look at what I’ve become. Dr. Maruki gave me a false security. He showed me a life spun from my deepest desires, and fool that I am, I welcomed it!”
: “What indescribable humiliation…! How could I be such a detestable, narrow-minded sheep of a man!?”
: “And you! You of all people deserve to shame me, but still you say nothing!? I betrayed you..! I have spat on the very principles of art! And more than that - I have spat on all you did to help me find my answers!”
: “I’m nothing… not even worth the empty words I spoke… I can’t even bring myself to look you in the eye.. forgive me, Akira…”
: “Are our hearts truly so deluded? Are we foolish enough to cling to these misguided fantasies!? …You offer me mercy I do not deserve! There is no beauty in this!”
: “I was a slave to my hubris all along. How did I ever believe the meaning of true beauty was within my grasp…? I was just a fool, lost in dreams!”
: “I… see. Perhaps there is truth in that. …I can only apologize. You’ve saved me from repeating my mistakes once more. Compared to the grand legacy of my mother’s art… I am still but a chick toddling in her shadow as she soars.”
: “I dreamed of flying at her side. Yet for all my leaps of faith, I only plummeted from my nest, again and again… what I needed.. was a teacher. To grasp the beauty in my mother’s work… I needed a guiding hand, to offer criticism and validation as I earned it.”
: I was going to have Salty Vanilla do a Yusu-Gay for this, but then I realized this scene is pretty gay as-is.
: “And our talks together have already led me to so many beautiful revelations.”
: “My apologies - I got ahead of myself. But my point stands. I believe there is still a great deal I can learn from you. And if that’s true… then I’ve found my teacher. And with him, the path to truly grasping my mother’s art.”
: You are not ready to see what Yusuke’s final Persona is. Trust me, no matter how ready you think you are, you aren’t.
New Persona: Gorokichi
Origin: An Actual Person
Persona 5 Royal Original
Birth name of Ishikawa Goemon. Only mentioned in two historical sources, both made after his death - one a history of Toyotomi Hideyoshi detailing Goemon’s attempt on Hideyoshi’s life (which led to Goemon’s execution) and a second from Pedro de Morejon (who was apparently a Spanish missionary who traveled around Asia in the late 16th century).
: Gorokichi gains a resistance to Wind and an upgrade to his trait, which gives a greater chance of dodging physical attacks. His final skill, Hyakka Ryouran (a Japanese phrase meaning “Hundreds of Flowers Blooming Profusely”) is effectively Thermopylae without the restrictions. It costs a whopping 90 SP, but given that Yusuke only uses his SP to charge, is a great way to save Joker’s action economy.
: “Akira… this reality of ideals and perfections - it’s not wholly wrong. Truly, there are parts of it I find almost painfully beautiful. However.. you have helped me see clearly again. I believe I wish to return to our own reality.”
: “It suits me far better to paint with both ugliness and beauty upon my palette.”
: “Ha! Indeed. Let us return to our true home. To the reality where I discovered true beauty. …Ah, but first… you know what they say about fighting on an empty stomach.”
: “That reminds me - I haven’t even offered you any tea yet. And you brought some kind of treat with you too, didn’t you? Is it sweet bean jelly? Or maybe a baked dessert, like dorayaki? Or perhaps you’ve brought…”
: How does Futaba know the kid is female?
: There’s a trade we can do tonight that I’m not going to bother showing because the reward is ass - you trade a bun from the Chinese bun stall in Kichijoji for an accessory that gives Resist Phys.
: Instead, we’re going to see the big reward for doing all of Caroline and Justine’s outings throughout the year. I’m not sure if the game will hint at this or not if you don’t know it’s there.
: “…If I may be abrupt, could I ask a favor of you?”
: “The truth is… I still have memories from when I was split in two… spending time with you and visiting all sorts of places together. So, I have been wondering… would you show me your current home?”
: “I would like to see the room that has shaped you into the person you have become. I do understand my timing is not the most appropriate, given the current state of the world, but…”
: “Are you certain? Thank you so much. Let us be off immediately.”
: Joker points to the sign reading “BOYFRIEND STORAGE” that’s always just off-camera.
: “Oh! I would never have guessed. So you prefer cramped, dingy spaces? How fascinating… please, tell me more about yourself.”
: “Your infiltration tools are made here? Could I possibly try my hand at it?”
: “Thank you. Let us see what I can do.”
: “Now, what should I make? Ah! I know - to show my gratitude for rescuing me, I shall craft for you a secret weapon. I think you’ll be rather pleased with it.”
: I feel like this is the devs going “We could have put in an actual reward here, but we won’t.” This scene IS the reward.
: The animations for this look really weird if you have the laptop on the desk - it looks like she’s doing something to it.
: “Ouch! Cursed screwdriver - how dare you defy your wielder!? Obey me! Drive those screws! …Ugh! Oh, screw it! Megido-”
: “While it pains me to say it, your secret weapon will have to wait. More importantly, I should be using this time to learn more about you.”
: They should’ve at least put in a joke melee weapon for Joker or something.
: “It’s… surprisingly similar to the one in your cell. Can you truly rest here?”
: The cat comes with terrible allergies and a need to wash your sheets every three days to remove all the hair.
: “So you can pet it as much as you like whenever you rest? I must say, I am a bit jealous… still, this space seems somewhat cramped for a fully grown human and a feline. May I sit?”
: It’s better that way, fewer places for him to get his hair.
: “You fiend! You’ll pay for splitting me in two! Let’s see how your ‘holy’ grail holds up to this sledgehammer! Take that - huh? It didn’t work!?”
: “W-Wait! You can’t… ahhh! No… I-I’m being split again!”
: “Was I… talking?”
: “Please, forget whatever you heard… I was just so comfortable… perhaps I allowed myself to relax a little too much.”
: “Ah, you use it for training? May I ask for a demonstration?”
: “Put your back into it! You think you can save the world like that? One, two, one two! One, two, one two! Don’t expect me to go easy on you! I’m doing this for your sake.”
: “Or is it actually coming from the box attached to it? What is this?”
: “I see! I’ve heard quite a bit about these remarkable devices. They say that once a player begins, they’re unable to tear themselves away. If it truly can entrance humans to such a degree… could you play a bit for me?”
: “Look how they scatter! This is quite impressive… you weave around each bullet with dizzying precision. Wha-! There’s so many of them now.. oh, you’re surrounded!”
: “Look out! On your right! I mean, left! No, they’re in front now! Use the boost! Look, it’s the boss! Fire the beam cannons! Annihilate it!”
: “You did it! The world is saved! …Ahem. A most dexterous display. I can certainly see why humans get so passionate about these games… perhaps I’ll ask my master if we can install one in our room.”
: I feel like this date isn’t as good as the Caroline and Justine ones were.
: “Before I became whole, I visited many places with you and gained a wealth of new experiences. Thanks to that, I feel like I’ve come to understand humans better.. and perhaps more importantly, I feel like I understand you better…”
: “So, thank you. Though you have cast off your shackles, I will still await you in that room. This is a token of my gratitude for today. Please, take it.”
: Enduring Soul is a completely useless ability unless you’re doing a low-level run or something. It gives Joker the same ability to survive a hit with 1 HP that the party members have. It’s not worth the skill slot.
