Line #77 Roleplay/MAHOUProject


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_static_btcuxwa8krkkk0wwk8o0sgc0.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:"We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already."]]
3
4	[[https://mahouproject-one.tumblr.com/ The M.A.H.O.U. Project]] is a submission-based Franchise/DanganRonpa + Franchise/HarryPotter crossover roleplay group hosted over Tumblr. In a cultural exchange between the magical and non-magical worlds, a group of ''mahounashi,'' muggles, are taken to the Japanese wizarding school Mahoutokoro to spend a semester and experience a snippet of the wizarding world.
5
6	However, once there, things go differently than planned...
7
8	!! The magical tropes in this magical roleplay include:
9	%% * AmateurSleuth: Downplayed in certain cases, played straight for the most part, averted in the case of Reiko the [[PrivateDetective Cold Case Detective]]
10	* AmusingInjuries: On ''[[CriticalFailure very]]'' [[CriticalFailure bad RNG rolls]], the students tend to cause misfortune or injury to themselves. This is often taken seriously depending on the context and the severity of the wound, but sometimes it's played for humor instead.
11	* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Chapter 4 saw a ''lot'' of these, due to the motive [[spoiler:of potentially being forgotten forever]]. To wit, this happens with [[spoiler:three]] different people: [[spoiler:Holy, Shinobu K., and Airi]].
12	* AnyoneCanDie:
13	** Even being a roleplay, any of the characters can be a victim or culprit.
14	** Even extends to deaths outside the norm, as demonstrated with [[spoiler:Subaru and Deborah during the third motive.]]
15	** [=NPCs=] aren't safe, either. Seiji's death at the end of the prologue marks the beginning of the main plot. And in Chapter 5, [[spoiler:Zoya and Yukie are both executed as a result of a mistrial]].
16	* AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat:
17	** Done out-of-universe by the mods towards the players whenever a character is about to take an action that is likely to result in injury. Sometimes the character actually succeeds without a hitch, but other times it ends in disaster.
18	** Said in-universe by an NPC during Chapter 1. [[spoiler:Zoya, knowing that the class will have to execute someone if they hold an official trial, warns them they're about to get blood on their hands and asks if they're absolutely sure they want to do this.]] The votes narrowly swing away from that choice after she says that.
19	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: At the beginning of Chapter 1, several students wish that the people associated with Mahoutokoro would sacrifice themselves to protect the [=HPA=] students. Come the first "trial", [[spoiler: the clan founders do exactly that, falling in their battle against Ouryuu... who still isn't satisfied and continues to torment the students, now unimpeded.]]
20	* BloodOnTheDebateFloor:
21	** This can happen when tensions boil over during or after a trial, or if a suspect decides to fight back anyone trying to do a physical check on them, prominently seen in Chapters 3 and 4. Even without punches being exchanged, numerous death threats also get thrown around, some of them quite graphic. [[TheGadfly Takako]] treats these situations like a soap opera.
22	** The mastermind trial in Chapter 5 outshines the quick scuffles of previous trials, after [[spoiler:the class fails to identify Joon-young's murderer, just for several people to realize it's most likely Takako]]. Reiko goes over to attack the already-injured Takako... and gets beaten back so badly that she's left limping from ''a bite wound on her leg''. Clove comes in right afterwards to avenge her girlfriend, and this time Itona gets involved and manages to break up the fight, though not before Clove takes some serious blows as well.
23	* BodyOfTheWeek:
24	** Every chapter results in at least one death that the remaining students have to investigate.
25	** [[spoiler:Subverted for the first chapter. The apparent victim turns out to have barely survived, and the other students narrowly vote not to have a trial, sparing the attacker from execution.]]
26	* BornUnlucky: Evidently, [[spoiler:Clan Byakko. Three of the first four dead students hail from them, leaving the clan at half-strength only three chapters in.]]
27	%% * CharactersDroppingLikeFlies
28	* ClothingSwitch: Featured during the Chapter 5 event whenever two people enter the aesthetic tents. Whether it's their usual clothing or the outfits they obtained during the event, their clothes are switched and tailored as needed. Even their hair and eye colors are temporarily swapped.
29	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Many details of the setting match the representative colors of the Clans: Blue for Seiryuu, red for Suzaku, white/green for Byakko, and black/[[PurpleIsTheNewBlack purple]] for Genbu. The roster even depicts each student with GlowingEyes in their Clan's color. Yellow/gold is also the signature color of Ouryuu.
30	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: The executions, which are tailor-made for each culprit. Usually, they either mock their Super High School Level talent or exploit their deepest fears, ensuring their punishment is as terrifying as possible. Occasionally, a murder victim also dies in a particularly horrible manner, or a Labyrinth hazard gives an especially painful or drawn-out death.
31	%% * DeadlyGame
32	%% * DevelopingDoomedCharacters: That's some to most of the characters. Good luck figuring out which ones they are before they die. They currently consist of:
33	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Shinobu Tenpō''', ''SHSL Alpinist'', Chapter 2 Victim]]
34	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Jinzaemon Hasekura''', ''SHSL Boxer / Vigilante'', Executed as a result of a mistrial in Chapter 2]]
35	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Subaru Kurokawa''', ''SHSL Horror Mangaka'', Perishes due to the motive mid-Chapter 3]]
36	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Deborah Daze''', ''SHSL Carhop'', Perishes due to the motive mid-Chapter 3]]
37	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Mio Agatsuma''', ''SHSL Survival Gamer'', Chapter 3 Victim]]
38	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Miyu Suzuki''', ''SHSL Oil Painter / Art Forger'', Chapter 3 Killer]]
39	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Airi Inoue''', ''SHSL Sculptor'', Chapter 4 Victim]]
40	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Mi-ke''', ''SHSL Feline Behaviourist'', Executed as a result of a mistrial in Chapter 4]]
41	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Sollith Izumi''', ''SHSL Brawler'', Chapter 5 Victim]]
42	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Shiba''', ''SHSL Decora Fashion Model'', Chapter 5 Victim]]
43	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Joon-Young Myung''', ''SHSL Supermodel'', Chapter 5 Victim]]
44	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Kris Tenshi''', ''SHSL Street Magician / Hitman'', Chapter 5 Killer]]
45	%% ** [[spoiler:'''Yukie Amemori-Kozlova''' ''(ex-SHSL Cryobiologist)'' and '''Zoya Amemori-Kozlova''', Executed as a result of a partial mistrial in Chapter 5]]
46	* DraggedByTheCollar: A variant done with the obi, which glow and pull students around under certain circumstances such as for punishment or to get them out of danger. During the prologue, most of the Suzaku students are seen getting dragged by their obi back to their dorm, effectively grounded. This usually only drags people around by the waists, but if a student is wearing their obi in a nonstandard way such as as a ''scarf''...
47	* DwindlingParty: The game began with 24 students, and people have steadily begun to die as the chapters go on.
48	%% * DysfunctionJunction: With twenty-four different characters (not counting [=NPCs=]), it's to be expected that something like this would happen. To what extent depends on the character in question...and the person playing them.
49	%% * EarnYourHappyEnding: But who knows how much the students will have to sacrifice to achieve it?
50	%% * EmotionalTorque
51	* EveryoneIsASuspect: The objective of each trial is to find out who is the ''most'' suspicious.
52	* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Unlike the source material, these students remember their times together at Hope's Peak. The difference is that many of them were not in the same class and only a handful had spoken sparingly before.
53	* EvidenceScavengerHunt: Once a body is discovered, the surviving students, culprit included, are expected to investigate for evidence to prepare for the class trial where they will attempt to find the person behind the crime.
54	* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: When Zoya first meets the [=HPA=] students, she says that she thought people with such important titles would have been taller. It should be noted that both Zoya and her sister are over ''six feet tall''.
55	* TheFamine: Forcefully engineered as the Chapter 3 motive. Not only has all food been confiscated, not only have all water sources been dried up, but the temperature on the campus is steadily increasing. [[spoiler:The effects are so devastating that two people die to this before a murder is finally carried out.]]
56	* FestivalEpisode: Several events are held throughout the game to try and help ease tensions. Some of these offer the usual festival activities, while others are tailored to Mahoutokoro's history. Zoya admits that the fashion show isn't even a school tradition, but insists on holding one anyway.
57	** Chapter 2's event is a dance battle tournament between pairs, in which they must keep their obi touching throughout the entire match. Sabotaging the competition is not only allowed, but encouraged.
58	** Chapter 3's event is a summer festival, complete with games, dancing, and cherry blossoms (altered by magic to bloom out of season).
59	** Chapter 4's event is a [[SchoolFestival sports festival]]. Alongside the traditional beanbag-throwing game and team events, there's also a trivia game [[spoiler:that ends up leaking a lot of dark personal secrets, and even predictions of future incidents]].
60	** Chapter 5's event is a fashion show, with two contests to partake in (a traditional, if magical, runway event, and a "talent show" that showcases skills the student is ''bad'' at). Magic-enhanced makeovers are provided to any student that wants one.
61	* FireForgedFriends: Often, relationships (both platonic and possibly romantic) are formed due to the stress everyone is put under and the bonds created thusly.
62	* FlowerMotif:
63	** Ouryuu's signature flower is a golden chrysanthemum, which is a recurring symbol. The center of the trial room features its image on the floor, which opens up to reveal the Labyrinth. Students receive temporary petal markings after going on a Labyrinth trip, [[spoiler:as well as unfading ones after sentencing someone to execution]].
64	** The Majo Matsuri event in Chapter 3 includes a lot of flower symbolism: The students are given hairpins with flowers representing their respective clan, they send flowers with special meanings amongst each other to send messages, and there's even an [=OOC=] section on the event document asking what flower represents each character individually ...the last of which comes back with a vengeance in Chapter 4, when the motive involves those same flowers blooming and withering on each character's head, symbolizing the memories they've left on other people.
65	* TheFourGods: The four Clans (equivalent to the Houses of Hogwarts and Ilvermorny) are based on these, from name to mascot to overall aesthetic. The Yellow Dragon is also represented in the story as a major villain.
66	* FromBadToWorse:
67	** Used as the title of one of the event posts in Chapter 1, signifying that Ouryuu is ''furious'' that [[spoiler:a student thought dead was actually still alive]]. It culminates in her trying to kill all of the students at once, the clan founders waging a futile battle to defeat her, and Ouryuu demanding ''extra'' sacrifices in retribution for this "trickery" (becoming the in-character justification for executions).
68	** The aftermath of the Chapter 2 trial: [[spoiler:While awaiting punishment for the mistrial, tensions rapidly escalate between the students, peaking when a knife gets involved. What really tips it over the edge is when the randomizer settles on a target: It's someone from the same clan as the victim, leaving Byakko with a third of its students dead in less than a day. As if that's not bad enough, the students actually get to ''experience the execution through Jinzaemon's eyes'', feeling his pain. Their bodies are marked with chrysanthemum petals as a permanent reminder of his death.]]
69	** Chapter 5's trial marks a low point for many characters, and they spend much of their time on arguments and denouncements. The ending of the trial manages to make things even ''worse:'' [[spoiler:Being unable to identify one of the killers leads to the remaining two chaperones being executed. Being unable to identify the Mastermind leads to Ouryuu herself manifesting in physical form, allowing her to exert more influence on the castle.]]
70	* FunWithAcronyms: M.A.H.O.U. turns out to be a hint towards the true names of several major [=NPCs=] who are initially only known by their titles: [[spoiler: Mikage, Ake, Haru, Otohiko, and Ushiro.]] (Previously, they had been respectively referred to as [[spoiler:Genbu, Suzaku, Seiryuu, Ouryuu, and Byakko]].)
71	* GorgeousGarmentGeneration: Featured during the Chapter 5 event whenever a single person enters the aesthetic tents. They get a whole new outfit created just for them, whether it's a formal ensemble or a detailed cosplay. It even comes with a new hairstyle for some characters. Of course, whether or not the outfits are actually ''gorgeous'' is left to the whims of RNG...
72	* HiddenDepths: There are more to every character than meets the eye - it's just that some of them are rather open to telling others their backstories or feelings, and others keep it under such a careful lock and key.
73	%% * HumansAreFlawed
74	%% * InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath
75	* {{Irony}}: The first chapter, and the rest of the story in comparison. [[spoiler:Airi nearly murders Miyu; later, Miyu is the murderer of Chapter 3, while Airi is murdered in Chapter 4.]]
76	%% * KangarooCourt: Only a few of the characters has any sort of background that might give them a step up in a court setting.
77	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: The Chapter 4 motive. As each petal falls from a student's flower, more and more people will forget they ever existed -- classmates, family, enemies, fans, etc.. The amnesia is reversed after a murder takes place -- unless that student loses ''all'' of their petals, in which case it's permanent.
78	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Considering its premise and the fact that it's a roleplay, the characters are not above poking fun at the supposed absurdity of their circumstances.
79	* MalevolentArchitecture: Ouryuu's Labyrinth is a ''dangerous'' location to explore. Between all the hazards set up in each section and how most actions are subject to the whims of the RandomNumberGod, students can be seriously injured or even killed in the Labyrinth -- although they're returned to the entrance alive and unharmed, save for any psychological trauma.
80	* MiscarriageOfJustice:
81	** The end result of Chapter [[spoiler:2]]: [[spoiler:Tenpō's killer can't be identified, with the only certain fact being that it was someone from Suzaku, but not Tsukuyomi. Jinzaemon is then selected at random to be executed.]]
82	** This is also the outcome of Chapter [[spoiler:4]]: [[spoiler:Almost every vote piles onto Mitsuo, mainly because of the fear that this is his ''second'' murder (having been discovered to be Tenpō's killer). It isn't, and it was Joon-young who killed Airi. Mi-ke is then selected to be executed.]]
83	** The outcome of Chapter [[spoiler:5]]. [[spoiler:A lack of confidence in any one theory leads to a last-minute shift in votes against Outa, accusing him of Joon's murder. It turns out to have been Takako, and Yukie and Zoya are both executed as punishment for the partial mistrial.]]
84	%% * {{Muggles}}: The Japanese equivalent, ''mahounashi.''
85	* MysteryOfTheWeek: There's a new murder every two-three weeks in real life, and every half a week or so in-game.
86	* NonUniformUniform: The [=HPA=] students are given Mahoutokoro uniforms, but they're allowed to customize certain aspects to their liking (sleeve length, pants and/or skirts, optional color-shifting robes, etc). They can even ignore parts of the uniform and wear their own clothes. The only thing they're actually required to wear is the obi because of the vital functions it carries out... and there's no rule saying they have to wear it ''properly''.
87	* OhCrapThereAreFanficsOfUs:
88	** Some of the celebrity students are aware of the existence of [[RealPersonFic real-person fanfics]] about themselves. A few even deliberately seek them out and read them.
89	** During one group's Labyrinth run, they find a scrapbook filled with photos from "Nondespair AU": An [[AlternateUniverseFic alternate universe]] where they're able to lead peaceful lives at Hope's Peak Academy.
90	* OneSteveLimit: Averted, as there are two students named Shinobu and one student named Shino. Played with for student aliases: [[spoiler:Two students actually go by the nickname Shiba. One of them, however, is not openly known as that name and only uses it in certain criminal communications; it's rarely brought up due to lack of relevance.]]
91	* OurGhostsAreDifferent:
92	** Deceased students persist as ghosts and can rather freely interact with the rest of the cast, even participating in trials and [[spoiler:having access to a special section of the Labyrinth]]. There are some limitations, however: They are intangible to living people and most objects, and even the few items they ''can'' touch are only temporarily tangible. Ghosts who have very recently died also cannot attend a trial and murder victims initially recall little to nothing about their deaths, preserving the integrity of the mystery.
93	** After Chapter 5, [[spoiler:ghosts are given a fully physical form in the normal world, though their eyes are always glowing gold. They can interact with their surroundings as normal but cannot be killed again]].
94	* PhysicalScarsPsychologicalScars: The [[spoiler:center]] Labyrinth is different from the others, in that it can leave permanent golden markings on people, usually in the shape of an injury they sustained while in the Labyrinth. This area also directly targets a chosen student by exploiting their fears and insecurities.
95	%% * PlotTriggeringDeath: The murder of [[spoiler:Seiji Ohara, their chaperone,]] marks the awakening of Ouryuu and the end of the prologue.
96	* PoorCommunicationKills: During Chapter 3, [[spoiler:the murderer and one of her accomplices hatch up a [[WoundedGazelleGambit dual]]-[[ZeroApprovalGambit gambit]] plan to protect the former -- and neither of them warn the ''second'' accomplice about this]]. As a result, in the trial [[spoiler:the third person is devastated by watching their boyfriend act so cruelly to gain the class's hatred, and in their breakdown they implicate the true killer]].
97	* ThePowerOfHate: The Dark Arts are fueled by intense negativity, as Zoya warns the class during the chaotic fifth trial. [[spoiler:Otohiko specifically credits the violence and animosity between the class as a reason why she's gained so much power.]]
98	* PublicExecution: If a killer is caught or if someone is randomly chosen as a scapegoat, they are dragged away to a cruel execution that usually causes them a lot of emotional and physical suffering before they are finally killed. [[spoiler:In a twist on the standard executions of the genre, the remaining students view and experience the entire execution from the condemned's perspective, and afterwards they're left with markings on their bodies that mirror the late student's wounds.]]
99	* RandomNumberGod: Many events in the game, such as the results of area explorations, are determined by a roll between 1 and 20; the numbers can be further weighted by factors like Clan affiliation and current character health. This can quickly build up into a lot of chaos if characters get multiple bad rolls in a row.
100	%% * RedHerring: Par for the course in a murder mystery. There's usually one or two big ones every case.
101	%% * SadisticChoice: Kill one of your classmates, or spend the rest of your life in captivity — and when it comes down to the trial, fess up and receive a gruesome punishment, or escape with the blood of everyone else on your hands.
102	* ShoutOut: May contain references to popular culture, internet phenomena and call-backs to previous games the muns and their muses have been in.
103	* StaircaseTumble: The entryway to the Dungeon and Labyrinth area is a long staircase leading into darkness. And walking up or down these stairs requires [[RandomNumberGod a roll]]. Accidents have become so frequent that it borders on a RunningGag, although as of late the staircase rolls have been skipped.
104	* SupernaturalGoldEyes: Happens to various characters and entities, often as a sign that there is some link to Ouryuu. Yukie is the earliest example, but over time other [=NPCs=] also grow vulnerable to Ouryuu's influence, and [[spoiler:the dead students' eyes start glowing yellow after her magic is fully restored]].
105	* {{Synchronization}}: Used as part of Chapter 5's motive, though the link is one-way. Students in Seiryuu and Genbu have their suffering linked to the most important person in their lives. Every physical pain they've ever felt is transferred over to that person, lingering until the motive is ended. This results in several students having to endure a classmate's pain; at least one person ends up with ''two'' classmates' worth of suffering.
106	* TeenGenius: All the students to some extent. They were initially accepted into Hope's Peak for being the best in their age bracket at what they do.
107	* TonightSomeoneDies: Specifically, every couple of weeks, someone will be murdered.
108	* TranslationConvention: All characters are presumed to be speaking Japanese unless otherwise noted, even though the game is written in English.
109	* WelcomedToTheMasquerade: An exchange between Mahoutokoro and Hope's Peak Academy sees the latter sending two dozen students to the magical school.
110	* WhamEpisode:
111	** Chapter 3 becomes this during the second half, beginning with the reveal of the motive: [[spoiler:A heat wave has begun, and all sources of food and water have been removed. On the second and third days of the motive, Subaru and Deborah pass away from heat stroke. Mio is murdered on the third night, and during the course of the trial it becomes clear that ''three people'' worked together to kill them -- Mi-ke, Kris, and Miyu. The latter two are also revealed to be lying about their talents and are the Hitman and Art Forger respectively, while Jinzaemon and Tsukuyomi are revealed to be the Vigilante and Phantom Thief. The class is nearly led into a mistrial before pinning Miyu as the true culprit, and this ''destroys'' the reputations of her and her accomplices.]] At the end of it all, many students find it difficult to trust one another again.
112	** Chapter 5. Two words: [[spoiler:'''''Three victims.''''']] And after a very messy trial filled with lots of physical and verbal fighting, the chapter ends with [[spoiler:a partial mistrial on the murder case, an unsuccessful mastermind vote, the execution of two [=NPCs=], and the appearance of Ouryuu's true form as she thanks the class for letting their hateful emotions give her strength]].
113	* WinYourFreedom: Students are informed that escape is possible; they just have to get away with murder twice as an individual, or three times total between them and their clanmates.
114	* WorldOfSnark: Many of the students and [=NPCs=] have sharp tongues. SnarkToSnarkCombat is inevitable.

Context Roleplay / MAHOUProject