Don’t panic. First, calm down, take a breath, look around... See, you’re alive, and the world is out there. You are Real.

You are a new and valued member of Hive City, which we have designed to be a fantastic place for everyone to live, work, and play.

Welcome!

You are a Persona, an artificially-conceived human being created from the DNA pools of your Tribe. Your growth was accelerated, and your brain was stimulated so that you could skip over the tedious stages of infancy and childhood to take your place as a fully-formed, fully-trained adult in Hive City.

The training before your RealSurrection will have given you many skills: speaking, reading, elements of human culture, and specific abilities for your Profession. However, you may find that you are “rusty” until you practice them for yourself, and there are many Hive City details that may not have been covered. Read this guidebook to fill in some of the gaps.

Most Personas belong to a Collective, which is an organization created and run by one or more Collectors, who are Hive City’s most valued citizens. Your RealSurrection was Sponsored by your Collector, and they will provide you with a home and a job. In return, you owe your Collector your loyalty.

How can you recognize a Collector? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to distinguish them on sight, as they have an unmistakable aura which sets them above and apart from Personas, unless they purposefully disguise themselves.

The story of the founding of Hive City, the origin of the Collectors, the establishment of the Tribes, and the invention of the various technologies and magics we use every day is a fascinating but rather lengthy tale. For now, don’t worry about it.

Unfortunately, some Personas have developed or have heard some strange and false ideas about their own existence. These are not true. You are Real. Below are some of the most common false beliefs, with some specific evidence and counter-arguments if you need to be convinced or to convince a fellow Persona of the Real truth.

* I’m actually a normal human with amnesia

* I’ve already died and this is the afterlife

* This is all a dream and I’ll wake up soon

* I was summoned to this world as an isekai hero

* Everyone is a robot (except for me, maybe)

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Above all the other rules in Hive City, there are three which must always be obeyed:

There is a special exception: if a Collector challenges you to combat, you are allowed to participate, if your own Collector has not forbidden it. However, be cautious, as Collectors often have abilities beyond those of normal Personas.

You are not obligated to follow the orders of other Collectors. However, they are honored citizens, and you should be friendly and try to accommodate their wishes if there is no conflict with the interests of your Collective.

Earlier editions of the guidebook phrased this law as “Be excellent to each other.” However, this was found to be too ambiguous, hence the current form. You may still hear references to the original version from some Gen I Personas.

Prior to your RealSurrection, multiple Collectives may have competed to claim you, and thus contributed their Infusions to augment your maturation process. Normally only one will remain dominant in the end, but if you find your thoughts later drawn to another Collective, or find your loyalty to your own to be weakening, inform your Collector immediately, as you may be developing a Defect in your Infusion which needs treatment.

Any lingering influence of competing Infusions can be purged through this painless, but somewhat costly, procedure. Even if you are not troubled, you may be asked if you wish to be voluntarily Purified. It is a great honor, and means your Collective wants to retain your service for years to come.

A Persona who has broken one of the Three Laws or who has otherwise caused excessive trouble for their Collective may sometimes be chosen for Harvesting. There are strict regulations regarding this procedure. Please consult Central Edict 608 if you believe you are being Harvested unfairly.