luzysabel

[luzysabel]

Full identity v lore, all characters and main story.

This is a coletion of the game identity story. All characters stories in one place. Hope you enjoy and have fun in discovering your favorite game lore.

Long blog with a lots of spoilers, read it with time.

Main story (before game)

(The timeline is taken from the wiki)

☆ On March 14, 1874, the factory manager(Leo Beck) and his wife(Martha Remington) were married.

☆ On December 21, 1876, Emma Woods (The Gardener) was born.

☆ In 1885, the factory manager's wife and Freddy Riley(The Lawyer) took the factory manager's money and left.

☆ In the same year, the Gardener[9 years old] is sent to the orphanage. [citation needed]

☆ In 1900, Orpheus was born [citation needed]

☆ In 1923, a mysterious youth bought the manor, and the youth sent a letter to Orpheus [23 years old]

▪︎ In 1898, the Gardener [22 years old], the Lawyer [38 years old], and the Doctor [32 years old] are invited to participate in the game.

☆ In 1926, a fire burns Orpheus. (26 years old)

☆ In 1929, Orpheus [29 years old] opened a private detective office and slowly noticed his dark personality.

☆ In 1930, Orpheus [30 years old] is diagnosed with mental problems.

☆ In 1936, there was "a protagonist that was 36 years old a month ago," and a young daughter of a wealthy businessman went missing when he was on vacation in the country. After investigation, he found that all the evidence pointed to the infamous manor.

☆ "Two days ago" Orpheus received a letter of entrustment from a wealthy businessman.

☆ "Today" Orpheus arrives at the manor.

Main story (during game)

Taken from wiki

" In the northern part of Europe, there is a Winston manor that has become notorious for the villagers around because of the unknown rumors of previous generations. The villagers around the manor were not willing to get close to the manor, but they bought it at a low price. They were famous at the time. The artist bought this manor and also saw the beautiful natural scenery and quiet environment around it. After their they moved, they made a large-scale renovation of the manor. Because of their love of art, the manor was full of Western mythology. They also designed the symbols of the Muse Nine Goddess for their family.

Soon after, Orpheus was born into this family that lived happily. Their happy days would soon come to an end. On Orpheus' 12th birthday, a group of villains rushed into the manor and not only took away the valuable art in the manor, but also his father’s face. They killed his parents. Some unscrupulous people swindled him to sell the manor and then threw him into the mental hospital for a few years. After that incident, no one dared to buy the manor, and it was slowly abandoned.

Thirteen years ago , the manor was rumored to be acquired by a young man. Unlike other owners, he rehired people to run the manor. Although there were ominous rumors, there were still many people coming to apply under the heavy money. Soon, the operation of most of the functional areas of the manor was restored, but some areas that were too old and not very useful were still idle.

In the same year, Orpheus, a new criminal mystery novelist, began to emerge in the literary world. His stories were often dark and cruel. He quickly became the most popular novelist at that time.

Just when everyone thought that the manor would be fine for the young man, there was a rumor that some unspeakable things were happening in the manor, but the servants were not talking about it. More and more unknown rumors pointed to the manor, claiming that there were people going there, but there was no obvious increase in the actual number of people in the estate. However, the police's several investigations had nothing to gain.

It was not until an accident that happened about 10 years ago that the mystery of the manor was finally set aside. A fire broke out in a certain area of the manor, burning most of the area. After investigations by the fire brigade and the police, it was found that the death of the servants who died in the fire had nothing to do with the fire. Only a few survivors were stunned to the ground. Their position on the ground was specially arranged in some sort of mysterious ritual, and the novelist Orpheus was among the survivors. The strange thing was all the survivors woke up and found that they completely forgot why they came to the manor and what happened there. Subsequent investigations also confirmed that the cause of the fire was the burning of the incinerator in the absence of care, not intentional arson. The experience of the survivors and others were characterized as victims of the cult ritual, but the cause of death of the rest of the victims could not be reasonably explained.

At that time, the police searched the manor in detail, but the area was completely ruined by the fire and they could not get any clues. They suspected that the owner had fled when the fire broke out, because no similar body was found in the burned bodies. Afterwards, the police conveniently closed the manor. No one dared to even approach this area, and was called "the notorious manor."

The protagonist? - Orpheus was in a coma for a whole year at the hospital. When everyone thought he would have been stuck in that state, he finally woke up, but he completely forgot who he was. Based on the fame of a well-known novelist and his own savings, he was well looked after in the hospital that year. But shortly after waking up, he was excused from of the hospital. It was rumored that he blamed the hospital for his medication treatment affecting his writing ability, so that his hand trembled and could not create again, so he brought the issue to the hospital. There was a contradiction and he was angry and left the hospital.

Then, a reader found that what he wrote was completely inconsistent with the story in the gossip tabloid. Even the most fanatical readers couldn't stand the new lame content. They even denied that he was the real Orpheus! Soon, this once-famous name never appeared to the public eye again.

Seven years ago, on the second floor of a cheap rental house, Orpheus opened an inconspicuous private detective firm. Different from other firms, this was a door-to-door firm.

Just before January, when a young daughter of a wealthy businessman was on vacation in the country, Orpheus was strangely missing. After investigation, he found that all the evidence pointed to the infamous manor. The case was full of doubts, but the police were not willing to investigate in depth. The man helped him investigate the truth, and, most importantly, found his daughter.

Two days ago, the protagonist received a letter from the rich businessman - invited the protagonist to help investigate the manor to retrieve his missing daughter, along with the letter of entrustment, and a huge check, which was the largest since the establishment of the detective agency. The commission, the protagonist begged, look at the recipient on the letter of entrustment, is a name that he has forgotten - (the player enters the name).

Yesterday, the protagonist who couldn’t wait to go out sent a receipt letter and used the commission to buy some of the required items and prepare to leave tomorrow.

Sleeping all night, today, the detective set off and went to the "infamous" manor.

Because the manor is located in a remote place, coupled with the thunderstorm today, the protagonist lost his way, and arrived at the manor in the near night. In order to avoid the rain, the protagonist went directly to the long-lost main house to start investigation...

But apparently, there seems to be a connection between this mysterious manor and the survivors. It was like someone has been watching them for a long time and discovered their wants as well as needs. They were brought here for a reason but what is it? What is the owner of the Oletus Manor's true intention? Why are these survivors invited here? And what was this so called 'game' for? Whatever the answers are, it seems that something is about to happen soon... So, let the 'game' begin and what is to be their fates... "

Characters (survivors)

Taken from tvtropes and official information

The Gardener

Emma was born as Lisa Beck to a factory owner around 1886. Her father made her small toys and treated her well. However, her father was severely in-debt with the factory that he was tricked into buying. He burned himself in the fire after sending Lisa to an orphanage, where she stayed for five years. The orphanage resulted in children suffering psychological trauma, so Lisa was sent away to a clinic. At the clinic, she was operated on by Dr. Lydia Jones. After this, Lisa fled and changed her name to Emma Woods.

Her 2021 letter, written by a secondary source of information, heavily implies that her memory is completely intact. Her 2022 letter, in contrast written by Emma herself and privately addressed to her (hypothetical) mother, on the other hand, details that nearly all of her memories have been lost - even the memories of her childhood, her parents and previous name - and only her identity as Emma Woods remains. It remains to be seen which source of information is more reliable.

The Doctor

She is ambitious and extremely clever yet unobtrusive. But she is not all that she seems. To survive in this crazy world, you have to do something out of the ordinary. Tired of constantly moving around, Emily hopes to use this chance to find a place she can call "home" and ultimately enjoy a life of security and stability, one that she has never had. But before that, she needs to solve a few "problems" from her past.

Emily Dyer (birth name: Lydia Jones), born in a middle-class family, did not feel stable. Growing up, she tasted the changes and displacements of life. She grew tired of the life of relocating and wanted to find a stable life. She was eager for stability and security. But often, the normal state of life is to ask for nothing. The originally clever and lovely Emily slowly became dull and weak. Her original lovely big eyes were gradually lost from the glory of the past. She wanted to survive in this cold world, but she became ambitious, cold, and greedy.

In order to make ends meet she performed illegal practices, which lead to a woman's death, and forced her to change her identity and go on the run.

The Lawyer

Freddy Riley is a persuasive person, he sees money over morals and knows how to get what he wants. He conviced leo beck to buy a military factory that he knew that would ruin his financial life, seduced martha reminghton, knowing that she was married, to run way with her and the money. He complety ruined the beck family. In return, he's treated to Martha's death and an unsuccessful life living on meager pay, so in a way, this trope could have been subverted. In the game itself, however, it's played straighter.

The Thief

When the church wanted to open an orphanage on White Sand Street, Mr. Pierson generously handed over his business and land to the church. The compensation was significant, but for Mr. Pierson, not enough to build a new orphanage. Looks like he needs to make up the difference somehow...

Inclination: A petty, greedy, and selfish person whose lack of foresight made him suffer from his own "cleverness."

It is known that he used the children in his orphanage to help him rob innocent people and that a large number of the children were both physically disabled and suffering from mental illnesses. It’s possible that he crippled the children himself (or ended up getting them crippled during attempts at stealing possessions) and that his philanthropic nature was just an act to hide the fact that he was exploiting innocent children for his own gain.

There's also the matter of his exact relationship with the children in the orphanage. Robbie's deductions imply that he was cruel to the children and likely played a large role in damaging their psyches. On the other hand, certain add-odds contain details that he would occasionally try and raise the children's moods through whatever means he could. The canonicity of these add-ons is questionable, though.

This example contains a TRIVIA entry. It should be moved to the TRIVIA tab.Word of God has since confirmed that Kreacher was not responsible for the children's injuries.

Robbie's 2021 Character Day letter implies that he may have beaten some of the children if they didn't earn enough money from begging on the streets. If this is indeed the case, was him doing so him taking his anger out on children through physically violent means, or was it a (twisted) example of Tough Love and Deliberate Values Dissonance being put in play?

Further complicating matters is him calling Dolores and Robbie "helpers" and recalling how the former's broken arm could have made him a fortune were it not for the Church absorbing his orphanage in his 2021 Character Day letter, which also served as an extended version of one of his entries in his manor diary (something he likely would have no real reason to blend the truth in).

The Magician

Servais Le Roy began his magic career in Belgium and moved to London to open his own magic shop. Despite his proficiency in disappearing tricks, he has not gained approval from the public.

While waiting for the right time to investigate the frozen boar outside the manor, Servais, fed up with being bothered by a rat in the manor, decides to poison a glass of wine he had prepared for himself and leave it out for the rats. The thought that another Survivor may come across the wine and decide to drink it, apparently never crossed Servais' mind, and by the time William brings up the idea of drinking wine together while working on their diaries, Servais is so focused on discovering what is hidden inside the boar that he neglects to consider the idea that William may have taken the wine he had intended to be used to poison the rat. However, the Experiment Files would later reveal that this was in fact an Accidental Attempted Murder.

Appears to have killed his own mentor because he wouldn't let him perform tricks on stage and presumably had the Forward killed because he knew too much. Except not really. Inherited his mentor's role and reputation.

The Forward

Rugby football is attracting attention, but William Ellis, who claims to be the founder of this new sport, is being forgotten. He joined a small rugby club, but not everything went his way.

He saw (or at least believes he saw) the Magician kill his mentor, John, by tampering with the chains at a magic show and later overhears Magician and Mercenary talking. Not long after he is seemingly poisoned after eating the corpse of Murro's boar, and drinking wine offered to him by the Mercenary, who is believed to have been acting on the Magician's orders.

The Magician's Character Diary reveals that this was not actually the case. In truth, his death was a complete accident on Servais' part.

Despite being fully aware Magician and Mercenary are likely up to something sinister, he follows Mercenary's advice and has some wine with his dinner. It doesn't go so well.

If you believe that the Mercenary had nothing to do with his death, then him cooking and eating a boar that had been left out in the snow, without even considering the possibility that its body may have been poisoned or diseased, still paints him as this.

With the truth about his apparent death being revealed following the release of the Magician's Diary, we can now say for certain that he really should have known better than to drink from a glass filled with wine that just so happened to be present in the kitchen, without even considering that something might be off about the whole situation.

The Explorer

Kurt is an experienced explorer, passionate about exploring the limits of humanity. He has sailed across the English Channel, flown over old-growth forests in a hot air balloon, and, of course, joined a life-or-death game.

His "vanquishing" of a "dragon" that he claims/believes to have encountered. Did this event happen during his time as a soldier (if so, was this the catalyst for him being committed to the White Sand Street Asylum)? Or did it happen at the Manor (given that we don't yet know how Murro's boar was killed...)

Just how trustworthy is he in both William and Servais' diaries? In the Forward's diary, he describes Servais as a Jerkass who has spent almost his entire time at the manor asking questions about Murro, and had furthermore called him crazy and dubbed William a "simple-minded barbarian". Servais never outright calls Kurt crazy during the Magician's diary, and the worst thing he, intentionally, does to William calls him annoying when writing in his diary. Furthermore, it is actually Kurt who starts most of Servais' conversations about Murro. Is all of this an implication that Kurt may have hallucinated Servais saying all these things? Did Servais merely choose to omit certain details from his diary, and did indeed do everything Kurt claimed? Or does Kurt potentially have an ulterior motive, and wanted William to be suspicious of Servais?

There is also the matter of him stabbing Servais if the latter refuses to listen to him. Is it a sign that he may have become violent sometime following his release from the asylum? Or is him stabbing Servais what Servais, or even Orpheus, believes he would have done if Servais refused to listen to him?

The Coordinator

Martha was good at riding and shooting when she was young and attained the rank of captain after joining the cavalry. Not content to just gallop on horseback, Martha learned basic piloting skills and fell in love with flying. She quit her position in the cavalry and joined the Air Force. However, instead of becoming a pilot, as she had wished, Martha was required to perform signal guide work on the ground. To fly her own plane, she has to find a reliable "sponsor".

Martha’s lover, who her mother seemed to approve of, appeared to die in a glider accident during a misty night. It was Martha’s job to light up the airport with her flare gun. An earlier deduction gives the impression that Martha found her job as a signal guider to be dull, and chose to slip away from the work. It is unknown if these incidents occurred simultaneously. Another deduction potentially hints that Henry, Martha’s lover, may have had sexist views, which Martha would not have taken kindly to. It is unknown if Martha merely failed to perform her role and accidentally caused her lover’s death, or if she flat-out murdered her lover, possibly with the use of her flare gun.

A reward from the Kurt's Wondrous Journeys event states that the crash was an accident.

Her 2020 Character Day letter calls everything about her pre-established background and character into question.

The Geisha's 2021 Character Day letter reveals that Michiko's husband Miles was working with an associate with the surname of Behamfil. It is unclear if Martha was the one in contact with Miles (and had potentially come to the manor to help him find his wife), if Martha's father, or another one of her relatives, was the person in contact with Miles, or, given the implications from Martha's 2021 Character Day letter, Martha stole this person's identity or last name as part of her disguise.

At the very least, the Geisha's 2022 Character Day confirms that the Behamfil that Miles was in contact with was a female.

The Mercenary

Although not tall and physically strong, Naib is like most Gurkhas, and the rugged terrain has trained their strong body and indomitable spirit. Naib used to be a mercenary for the East India Company, but because he believed in the idea of ​​equality for human beings, his dislike of war reached its peak and refused to sell for the British. He then became a free mercenary, but he has long since left his bloodthirsty life after retirement.

Naib's exact relationship with Servais/The Magician is deliberately left unclear in the Forward's Diary. Is Naib The Heavy, acting under Servais' orders, and the one responsible for the Forward's death? Or does he have his own agenda (as hinted by Servais verbally expressing his suspicions after Naib decides to put the corpse of Murro's boar back outside)? For that matter, is he even responsible for the Forward's death in the first place?

The Magician's diary reveals that not only is he not allied with the Magician, but he also had nothing to do with William's death.

A Professional Killer who might have been responsible for the death and/or disappearance of one of the more innocent Survivors in the game which the Experiment Files confirm to be the case, on top of him also killing two more Survivors, who, nevertheless, believes in the idea of equality and values (or possibly once valued) the importance of companions.

The Mechanic

Having been wrapped up in her "useless" little inventions and obsessed with gunpowder experiments, the Mechanic Tracy was soon in debt because of the high cost of these experiments. The invitation letter promised a golden prize, but what truly attracted Tracy were the secret gadgets in the manor

Her father’s death in an explosion that occurred at his clock shop. Was he murdered by one of his rivals? Did he commit suicide by setting his clock shop on fire, so his family could receive life insurance money and pay off his debt? Did Tracy, who is noted to have been obsessed with gunpowder experiments, have something to do with her father’s death (and, if so, did she intend to kill him)?

Her official extended backstory (seen in full here) implies that the explosion that killed Tracy's father was actually caused by his rivals and that Tracy's gunpowder experiments were potentially either her attempting to uncover whether or not the official statement given to her father's untimely death (as well as the cause of the explosion in the clock shop) held up or her going on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against her father's rivals and/or suppliers.

There is also the matter of her debts. Did her father legitimately not compensate his suppliers, or were his suppliers working with Mark's rivals, and making up claims about unpaid debts so as to ensure that Tracy would sell her work to her father's rivals?

Bonbon's 2021 Character Day letter reveals that her father and Burke were acquaintances and that Tracy helped contribute to the construction of one of Burke's machines, heavily implied to be Bonbon himself.

If this is indeed the case, it is quite likely that Bonbon inspired the creation of her personal bot.

The Minds Eye

Helena is a blind woman that had lost her vision during an epidemic of a serious disease. Due to her condition, her hearing had improved exceptionally, allowing her to use her cane similar to how creatures use echolocation. Her blindness does not bring her down, though, as she often excels in her educational classes and is planning to enroll in college. However, with insufficient funds, she takes part in the 'game' at Orpheus Manor in hopes of winning the grand prize.

The Priestess

Fiona Gilman was born into an unknown class, interested in occultism and geography. She was a mystic and claimed to be a faithful believer in the time and space of Cthulhu mythology, Yog-Sothoth. When she was traveling, Gilman always carried a weird metal ring with her.

A priestess with an interest in the occult, who was studying a village home to what was basically a religious cult, whose residents mysteriously vanished, and who claims to have been guided to the manor by a spirit. That being said, nothing present in her deductions implies that she's a bad person.

Her 2021 Character Day letter implies that she may be far more aware of what is actually of what is truly going on at Oletus Manor than the other survivors. That said, it is still unclear just what it is she is up to.

Shares the surname "Gilman" with the protagonist of The Dreams in the Witch House who shares her desire to combine the ideas of science with the supernatural and comes into contact with a supernatural creature connected to Human Sacrifice (something Fiona may also have gone through, following The Reveal that she was interested in the traditions of Lakeside Village). In the story, the protagonist learns a formula that allows him to make wormholes which Fiona's portals are similar to.

Alternatively, she could also be an expy of the protagonist of The Shadow Over Innsmouth as both of them are interested in studying villages with possible ties with the supernatural located near bodies of water. It should also be noted that during his visit to Innsmouth, the protagonist stayed at the Gilman hotel.

The Perfumer

A famous perfumer from Grasse. After years of searching, she received inspiration from a mysterious perfume recipe and created 'Euphoria', a perfume that helps you to forget about your worries. Unfortunately, the aroma doesn't last long enough. She has no other choice but to go to the source of the formula and find a way to improve it.

She mistakenly believed that her sister was taking advantage of her by stealing and taking credit for her perfume designs. She later discovered that her sister had been trying to help her. Unfortunately, she only discovered this after she had murdered her sister and stolen her identity. Her reasons for coming to the Manor are so she can find a way to erase her bad memories and bury the grief and sorrow that now plagues her mind.

The Cowboy

A cowboy from the North America who befriended a young girl from a native American tribe when he was younger and learned how to use the lasso. Many years later, he was saved by the native Americans when he suffered misfortune and the passionate Kevin Alonso remained with the tribe. But good things never last and the tribe died out. He didn't want to stay, so he decided to roam the European continent.

His fourth letter contains subtle hints that the "poison" he drank was in fact one of the manor's memory-erasing drugs. In his recollection of his final night in the manor - seemingly two weeks after drinking the alleged "poison" - he takes time to note that he has the feeling that he'd lost something he once held tight, but couldn't quite put his finger on just what it was.

His 2020 Character Day letter reveals that, during his time at the manor, he may have chosen to drink poison, in order to protect a fellow Survivor (implied to be Patricia). His fourth letter would go on to reveal that he actually survived the incident, but was seemingly left incapacitated for about two weeks to such an extent that he was unable to join the "game" segment of the experiment, and claimed to experience headaches that he had been unable to shake off prior to his conversation with the manor's owner on his (alleged) final night in the manor.

The Female Dancer

Margaretha is a gorgeous dancer and is used to the good life. After an accident, however, she lost her husband, and with him all financial security. Margaretha, not knowing how to make a living, has gained a new understanding of "freedom".

Might have been responsible for the Moon River Tragedy. Mike certainly seems to believe her to be the culprit.

She is also one of the three candidates for the test subject responsible for hurting Violetta during her time in the manor. Her Experiment File confirms she wasn't the one responsible.

What little information we have on Margaretha's childhood implies that she was raised by her aunt and uncle for the majority of her life, in lakeside village. No word is given on the status of Margaretha's parents.

The Circus Runaway. Unsatisfied with living in a fishing village, and dreaming of a better life, Margaretha went along with her lover's plan to elope and drugged her aunt and uncle during dinner so that she could run away with the circus.

If one takes the voice-over accompanying the Weeping Clown's background story trailer, as well as the implications raised from it, as fact, she began to fall for Joker during her time at the circus and had, at the very least, an emotional affair with him. Considering what an absolute bastard Sergei turned out to be, her potential infidelity is incredibly easy to excuse.

Is she Natalie the animal trainer? Did she play a key role in the Moon River Tragedy?

Mike's Character Day letter reveals that she is indeed Natalie.

Her uncle is implied to have an unclear connection to the Geisha and her murderous father-in-law. What this potentially means for Margaretha is still unclear.

Mike's 2020 Character Day letter reveals that Mike was aware of the name she went by after she left the circus. Given the uncertainty of when the letter was written, what does this imply? Was Margaretha Zelle already an alias she utilized before she fled the circus, or did Mike manage to track her down and/or discover her new name after the massacre?

The Seer

From an early age, Eli could see "visions" and interactions with these visions caused Eli to view the world with an all-new perspective. However, this ability didn't improve his finances and a promise he made to his fiancée forced him to accept the invitation from Oletus Manor.

The Embalmer

There are minor differences in the final destination of people's lives and Aesop Carl is most definitely the person people envision sending them on their final journey. He follows every procedural step rigorously and affords the highest respect to visitors that have come to their final destination. He decided to come to the manor in place of an unfortunate woman, whose corpse found its way to his table, carrying a mysterious letter on her person.

His deductions suggest that Jerry taught him to help people meet their destined end and "guide lost people from darkness" by killing them. In his second Character Day letter, Aesop says that he has kept those teachings in mind as he explains that he intends to kill Victor Grantz/The Postman (and perhaps the rest of their fellow players), talking about how he believes he understands Victor and mentioning that such is his duty as an embalmer

The Prospector

After surviving a terrible mining accident, Norton Campbell became even more reserved and gloomy. With the meteorite magnet obtained from the accident, he changed his profession and became a geological surveyor to avoid entering the darkness of the mine.

While he is selfish, and is indirectly responsible for the deaths of his fellow miners, it's possible to see him as a sympathetic character, desperate to achieve a better life, and whose amoral actions were either motivated by pragmatism (him abandoning Benny in order to search for the treasure alone) or didn't go the way he had planned (the collapse of the mine) and leave him filled with remorse. On the other hand, it is also possible to interpret Norton as a sociopath, willing to exploit anyone for his own gain, whose reserved personality is a product of him being traumatized by his near-death experience, rather than feelings of regret for the deaths he was unintentionally responsible for.

Possibly. He is noted to have become more solemn and withdrawn after the mining accident. It is unclear if this is because he was traumatised by his near-death experience or because he feels guilty for causing the deaths of his fellow miners.

The Encantress

Patricia Dorval was born on a slave ship where her mother drew her last breath. Little Patricia reached New Orleans alive, the shipowner left her on the street. She thus found a new “mother”. Patricia followed her “mother”, learning herbs, healing and cursing, and when she reached adulthood she decided to go back to her foreign homeland to look for her origin. Patricia never thought that the curse hidden in her blood would gradually emerge at the moment she stepped onto the land. After running away for a decade, she finally arrived at Oletus Manor with the curse.

Was raised by a local woman of New Orleans, who was said to have selflessly loved her adopted daughter. Even when the spirit of her birth mother seemingly rejected her, Patricia chose not to feel too bad about it, mainly because she already had a loving foster mother

The product of an American man impregnating a Haitan woman who, even after finding out the truths about her origins, didn't choose to take her suffering out on the world.

The Wilding

After experiencing betrayals and struggles Murro decided to give up trying to fit into the so-called civilized society.

Was willing to do anything to escape from his uncle’s circus. Said circus just so happened to be Hullaballoo Circus, the site of an allegedly horrific massacre...

If you believe that his 2021 Character Day letter is addressed to Mike, however, Murro likely escaped from the circus a few days prior to the Moon River Tragedy, making it unlikely that he was responsible for the massacre.

Future information, likewise, would reveal him to instead be one of the more innocent and, at times, outright heroic of the Survivors.

He has been in a circus from a young age, kept isolated from the rest of the world by the circus' ringmaster Bernard until he convincingly resembled a feral child.

Murro’s uncle claimed that he grew up in the woods. Murro was actually raised in complete isolation for the first ten years of his, with his only toy dog and his uncle for company.

Frequently compares himself to Kaspar Hauser, a man who claimed he had spent the early years of his life being raised in an environment, completely cut off from human contact (this may have been a lie made by a swindler, however). It’s not hard to see where the comparison originates.

The Acrobat

Mike Morton is the most popular guy in the travelling circus “Hullaballoo”. After being left one of the only survivors of a disaster that saw the circus in ruin, Mike has made it his mission to find the person responsible for destroying his home.

In his first deduction, Mike states that Bernard is his ideal father figure. However, his fifth deduction, "Darling" has a description that reads, "How people call each other often reflects the degree to which the relationship has developed". In the same deduction, he also talks about wanting to "put [his] cold hands down [Bernard's] collar".

Murro's 2020 Character Day letter revealed that Mike was in contact with Arthur Russel (a man who had previously appeared to have been studying the phenomena of Lakeside Village), through which he had seemingly hired either a hitman or detective to do... something to an unspecified target, seemingly in return for the brain of another unspecified person. The circus was shortly afterward burned to the ground, killing the intended target and seemingly destroying any trace of the aforementioned brain, leading to Mike calling off their arrangement. It is unclear how this incident connects to Murro.

His 2020 Character Day letter. Does it take place before or after the Moon River Tragedy? And just how did he come to know of the Female Dancer's alias?

Is said to be hunting down the person responsible for the Moon River Tragedy. Given that Mike appears to believe Margaretha to have been responsible (or at least played a role in the tragedy), his 2020 Character Day letter (in which he requests Arthur Russel uncover information about Margaretha's past before joining the circus) potentially raises the possibility that he won't be satisfied with merely killing her...

The First Officer

In order to find the whereabouts of his loved ones and restore his family’s reputation, the sea knight, Jose Baden, decided to enter the cursed Oletus Manor.

It's implied that his self-loathing largely stems from his inability to turn against his father and do the right thing.

Hit the bottle pretty hard following some (as of yet) unexplained event to the point that he ended up at risk of losing his position and title due to continuously missing the tide.

Following his father's mysterious disappearance while he was delivering cargo overseas, the Queen, believing that the Baden family had stolen her treasure, proceeded to strip Jose of his title and deprive him of all the wealth that he and his family owned. Jose traveled to Oletus Manor, the intended location of one of the items that were to be delivered by his father, in order to locate his father and restore his family's reputation.

The Barmaid

Demi is a sunny girl who can make a miracle-like Dovlin, who has come to the Manor in search of her missing brother.

Both her and Jose's second letters raise the possibility that she may have been working for the manor owner. Her Experiment File casts doubt on this possibility, whilst also casting further suspicion on her brother, Sam.

Her second letter is a message left on the back of an old ferry ticket. Said ferry ticket was for a trip from Southampton to New York, which was historically the same route that the Titanic took in its fatal journey in 1912. It is, as of now, unclear if this is merely a coincidence or a hint to the time period in which Demi's game took place.

Originally thought to possess no real connection to any of the other Survivors or the Hunters, Jose's 2021 Character Day letter reveals that either she or, more likely, her brother previously did business with Jose's family. Furthermore, the fact that the handwriting in the invitation containing the codeword that Jose received resembled that of whoever had signed off the ledgers of goods that were given to Jose's father implies that one of the Bourbon siblings was involved in the First Officer's game

The Postman

Contrary to the general impressions of postmen, Victor isn’t particularly verbal and prefers to stay away from people. After receiving his first letter with great excitement, he embarked on a journey to the manor with his reliable partner, Wick the Post Dog.

His character deductions imply that his services as postman were originally used by a criminal organisation to smuggle unspecified items and that he may have witnessed the building he rescued Wick from being set on fire. It's unclear just how involved Victor was in criminal activity or what role he played in the building, where a police officer seemingly investigating him resided, being burnt to the ground. Did he witness his associates burn the building to the ground, and then rushed in an attempt to save people? Or did he burn down the building himself, only to have a crisis of conscience? His final deductions imply it was the former.

Furthermore, was he still affiliated with the criminal organisation when he received his letter from Oletus Manor or did gaining acceptance from the public for his actions during the fire allow him to become a proper postman?

There is also the question of how he got involved with the criminal organisation in the first place.

The Gravekeeper

For Andrew, rumors are more terrifying than illness. The invitation from the Manor gives Andrew the hope to be understood after years of being the Grave Keeper.

The local landlord may have been victim to a premature burial at Andrew's hands. Andrew's deductions imply that, if this was the case, Andrew was unaware that the man was still alive. That being said, it is also unclear whether or not the landlord did indeed end up dying (though Andrew's first letter implies that he did).

His implied side profession.

His deduction implies that his actual side profession was bodysnatching (digging up corpses and selling them for dissection or anatomy lectures in medical schools).

Is implied to have dug up the graves of "evil" people who had bought their way into being buried in the Lutz Cemetery and sold their bodies, on the basis that such people did not deserve to be buried in such a holy place. It is also implied that he himself wished to be buried in the Lutz Cemetery, an act which (given his status as a pariah) could only be achieved if he paid a large amount of money to be buried there. The money he would have earned from digging up graves and selling dead bodies.

The Prisioner

Luca Balsa was once a world-renowned inventor. He never gave up on his deepest aspiration even when he was sent to prison. Now that he's a free man, nothing is stopping him for completing his greatest invention.

He and his mentor came to blows, which resulted in his mentor being killed and Luca suffering from irreparable brain damage, causing his memory and focus to deteriorate. It is (as of now) unclear if Luca's mentor's death was an accident, or if Luca outright murdered him.

Made even more complicated by the fact that while Luca's character trailer implies Alva attacked Luca, Alva's character trailer implies that it was Luca who attacked Alva (or, at the very least, struck first, potentially causing Alva to retaliate).

Was sentenced to hang, but was mysteriously pardoned at the last minute. It is implied that someone connected to the Oletus Manor paid his bail and invited him to participate in a game.

Was taken under the wing of Alva Lorenz, a famous inventor, and became his assistant. Many people believed that Luca was being trained to inherit Lorenz's mantle. However, things spiraled out of control when Luca and Lorenz ended up in an academic dispute (Luca claimed that Lorenz was a plagiarist, while Lorenz accused Luca of selling the results of his research to his competitors) and turned on each other, apparently culminating in the two physically coming to blows, which resulted in Lorenz dying and Luca being sent sentenced to prison for his murder, with his reputation completely destroyed.

It is mentioned in his background story that, when he emerged as a public figure, no one knew where he came from, nor were they able to trace any hints of a family. The only things that people could clearly see were a sign of high education and a confident and ambitious personality.

The Entomologist

After the unfortunate incident, Melly realised that humanity is no different from the nature of insects; loyalty only exists when one has value.

Her background story video paints her in an extremely ominous light, to the point that you would be forgiven for assuming that she was meant to be a Hunter.

There's also the question of just how her late husband died. And if she was responsible for his death, was it an example of an abused spouse getting rid of her abusive partner or Melly getting rid of someone she thought was in her way?

If the description of the plot of the "Queen Bee" novel is any indication, Melly would appear to have killed her husband with bees in order to inherit his fortune and status.

As revealed in the Orfeo's Game anniversary event, one of Orpheus's novels - Queen Bee - told the story of a servant who married her employer and later killed him through the use of bees in order to inherit his status and fortune, only for her plans to be foiled by a detective. The plot's similarities with Melly's background are a bit too uncanny to be a coincidence.

The Painter

Edgar has long been aware of the gossip and hypocrisy. The only thing in this world that is worthy of his pursuit is the true essence of art and creative inspiration.

The last few notes of his deductions may be interpreted to imply that he used someone's blood as paint, just like in his original concept—albeit it's most likely Sarai's blood and not his own.

The Bapter

No one, no matter how affable they are, can tolerate repeated deception. Even after all this time, Ganji struggles to find a sense of belonging.

He uses his cricket bat to hit a ball towards a Hunter in order to push them away.

Assuming he was the culprit who burned down the Guard's manor, the only person he spared was the son of the manor.

The Toy Merchant

Having escaped from a life of humiliation and deception, Anne has finally realised her true power and gained a true sense of security from her small toy shop.

Her father raised her to be a Replacement Goldfish for her mother, and would frequently berate her whenever she was unable to live up to his expectations. He would later conspire with his daughter's fiancee to steal her inheritance.

Her extended backstory on the game's official site reveals that she suffered a miscarriage sometime before she got the idea to establish her toy shop and obtain financial stability.

The Psychologist

After leaving the asylum, healing Emil became Ada's most important goal in life. In order to awaken Emil's "love" and seek out effective treatment methods, she agreed to a deal put forward by an old acquaintance.

It is unclear on whether it was her or her father that did a psychological check-up on Martha Remington. Worth noting is that one of Ada's deductions mentions an investment project that a member of a laboratory wished to discuss with Ada's father.

Prior to her official release as a playable Survivor, a Dr. Mesmer was formally introduced, via correspondence, in Freddy Riley's 2021 Character Day letter, detailing their psychological check-up of the latter's pregnant wife.

Her and Emil's deductions reveal that the two first met years before Ada started working at the White Sand Street Asylum. Ada had come across Emil one day, starving on the side of the street, and, taking pity on him, gave him a piece of bread, an act of kindness that seemingly made him briefly retaliate against his caretakers.

Looks down on the doctors at the White Sand Street Asylum on the grounds of disagreeing with the methods they use to treat patients... despite admitting to having utilised the same methods in the past. She defends herself on the grounds that her motives were just and her actions necessary.

The Patient

After escaping from the asylum, Emil became an object of curiosity for Ada's research, choosing to accept Ada's treatment than face those fragmented and painful memories. Unconditional obedience, protection, dependence... These were his unique ways of forming a bond with his lover.

His deductions reveal that his parents, unable to care for another child, sold him to men operating dogfights, who would force him to beg for food, and would later use him to stir up entertainment by throwing him in the ring with the dogs. Years later, he was found on the corner of White Sand Street, suffering from a fever and afflicted with amnesia, and was promptly institutionalized in the White Sand Street Asylum, where he was made victim to a number of unethical medical procedures.

He and Ada's deductions reveal that the two encountered years before he was committed in the White Sand Street Asylum. While apparently begging for food, Emil caught the attention of a young Ada who, out of pity for his situation, gave him a piece of bread, something that Emil would be willing to attack his caretakers for, seemingly just to ensure he could eat it himself.

The Little Girl

The in-game character relationship system suggests that Orpheus is her father, something that Orpheus is shown to believe in Time of Reunion. However, the fact that she refers to him as "Orphy" and was shown together with him when they were both kids, along with the fact that the suitcase Orpheus investigates in the flashback only contains clothes fit for a 20-year-old woman, hint that she may actually be the daughter of Dennis DeRoss and his wife. Ashes of Memory would eventually reveal that "Memory" is in fact Alice DeRoss, the Journalist, with the child present in Orpheus's recollections of the past being a product of Orpheus's mind through a combination of drugs, fractured memories, and, potentially, the presence of his split personality.

The Ashes of Memory expansion would reveal her to be Detective Orpheus's mental substitute for Alice DeRoss, making her both the Identity Switch for the Journalist and the playable version of the, previously unnamed, daughter of the DeRoss couple mentioned frequently in deductions and letters that focused on the lives of the residents of the manor prior to the tragic event that led to the death of Alice's parents, and Alice herself being placed in a mental asylum.

The Weeping Clown

It doesn't matter how popular he was or will ever be because, deep inside, he knows... he will never have true friends. The Weeping Clown will forever portray his jovial side and never a miserable shell of a man.

For further information on him before the release of his Survivor persona, see Smiley Face.

One of three candidates for the test subject responsible for hurting Violetta during her time in the manor. Margaretha's Experiment File confirms that he was the perpetrator.

Having been born with a missing right leg and a naturally sullen face, Joker's parents believed that he was born to be a circus moneymaker. Given that neither his deductions nor letters make any mention of his family or any sort of life outside of the circus, it's all but outright stated that his parents gave him away to be raised as a circus act.

The professor

Professor Luchino used to study the origins of mankind with an endless thirst for knowledge, but during his research, he touched the future of human evolution.

For further information on him before the release of his Survivor persona, see Evil Reptilian.

Luchino is a friendly and well-meaning man, but also one who displays peculiar behavior and possesses an intimidating appearance according to Eli. In-game, his abilities involve removing the scales that are part of his skin to protect his allies. He also laughs rather wildly when knocked out by a rocket chair.

The Antiquarian

The youngest daughter of the noble Xiao family, and the only survivor of the disaster that befell them, Xiao Qi vowed to restore honour to her family's name and achieve her revenge. However, when her quest for revenge crumbled around her with every hardship she faced and she found herself walking a path of assured self-destruction, she realised that she needed to survive and live up to her will, even if it meant giving up her family name and piercing together a new identity. And so, Xiao Qi became Qi Shiyi, owner of the antique shop "Bamboo Study." However, just when she was ready to wash away the stains of her past, tragedy struck once again and the most important person in her life vanished without a trace a trace. As she worried for her friend, Qi Shiyi suddenly heard whispers that their strange disappearance was linked to a mysterious manor...

The Composer

As a child, Frederick Kreiburg was plagued by the ghosts inside of his head; until he attended his father's concert for the first time, and the music covered every bit of unwanted noise around him, including the voices in his head. As he grew older, Frederick desired to follow in the footsteps of his family and become the next rising star in the world of music. Alas, it was not to be, and Frederick soon lost the love of the people of Europe. Having been practically exiled by his family, Frederick desperately sought a change in his life; a possibility that emerged with the arrival of an aromatic letter...

The Characters (hunters)

Some of the characters won't be appearing because they already have their survivor form written.

The Hell ember

Leo Beck was once the owner of a small textile factory. After taking the advice of his friend Freddy Riley, he bought a small gun factory that was severely in debt. Before Leo realized the poor conditions of the factory, his wife and Freddy Riley made off with all his possessions and disappeared. Drowning in debt, Leo Beck burned down the factory.

After being tricked into debt by a trusted friend, who proceeded to steal his possessions and run off with his wife, and sending his beloved daughter to an orphanage, Leo seemingly tried to take his own life by burning down the arms factory he had been tricked into buying with him inside of it. Sadly, things only got worse from there. Left physically and mentally scarred from his near-death experience, Leo was later captured and subjected to a number of daily experiments, that are said to have killed eighty-five percent of the other test subjects, for ten years straight. Months later, through as of yet unknown circumstances, Leo becomes a Hunter and is presumably assigned to hunt his beloved daughter.

The author of his 2021 letter reveals that, after surviving the fire, Leo apparently lost a majority of his memories. However, every December 21, he would become "unusually exuberant." While it was technically the day Leo set the arms factory on fire, it is also the birthday of his beloved daughter, Lisa.

The Ripper

Before becoming "The Ripper", he was a student of James Whistler, a renowned artist influenced by Edgar Degas. Who would guess that a well-dressed gentleman during the day will, when darkness falls, walk into an alley and stalk poor women? As "The Ripper" gained infamy, the boundary between his two identities began to fade. Of course, before you see his true face, "The Ripper" is still happy to take a walk at night.

Just what exactly is the Ripper? Is it a Split Personality, or is it the result of some form of Demonic Possession?

A clerk, interviewed in Jack's 2021 Character Day letter, recalls that Jack spoke in a manner akin to a song heard in London about White Sand Street. Is this just the clerk jumping to conclusions? Is it meant to imply that Jack heard a song inspired by the tragedies that occurred in White Sand Street, and merely took a liking to it? Or is it a sign that he may possess a much more closer connection to White Sand Street than previously thought?

The Gamekeeper

Bane Perez was in charge of the forest farm and patrol cabin at Oletus Manor. In his spare time he raised a black-nosed moose like a child. However, accidents always happen, and a new hunting season was coming. Bane was wondering how he could hide the black-nosed moose to ensure its safety, but he was too late. A team of fully armed poachers had already arrived.

The gunshots rang through the forest. When Bane arrived, he saw that the black-nosed moose had fallen to the ground. He recognized a familiar face from the poacher's team. It was a boy that he had rescued a few years prior. However, when Bane pleaded with him, they cruelly wanted to turn him into a Minotaur. They cut off his tongue and put the head of the black-nose moose on him. They locked him up with a steel-jaw leghold trap and began a massacre in the forest.

After the poachers had left, the dogs dragged Bane back to the manor, where he somehow recovered. No one thought that his humiliation would turn Bane into a demon. He was transformed into a Minotaur, and the mountain forest became his maze. Since that day, Bane shows no mercy to anyone who sets foot on his land.

The Soul Weaver

Violetta was once a famous freak show performer, later reduced to performing in third-rate circuses after the audience lost interest in her. She's always wanted to get back on stage and once again become the much-anticipated star. With the help of a mechanic, Violetta installed flexible mechanical prostheses and a few sophisticated gadgets on herself and created a new show—Human Spider Show. Her old boss refused to let her perform, but Violetta didn't give up. She has accepted an invitation to perform, and is going to hold her comeback show at Oletus Manor. Of course, for safety reasons, audiences shouldn't watch it up close.

The Geisha

The Geisha met Miles, a foreign army officer at a banquet where they fell in love soon after. They got married and returned to Miles' homeland together. His father was particularly vocal in his opposition to their marriage. He was cynical of her and hoped to drive her out of the family home. Not long after, Michiko mysteriously disappeared after Miles left on a business trip. Miles' father claimed that she had ran off with another man and urged his son to find another wife. Miles, however, started to search for his wife, Michiko, but no one knew where she went.

The Feaster

Once a messenger appeared clad in a yellow robe prophesying the catastrophic arrival of a dynasty; this messenger was known as the Feaster, Him who is not to be named. He is the embodiment of calamity and suffering, but those with curious hearts have always tried to seek Him out in the hope of being enlightened and learning the truth of the world.

The White/Black Guards

Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu (the White and Black Guards) have always been like brothers. As they traveled to Nantai Bridge one day, they noticed it was going to rain. Xie told Fan to wait under the bridge while he returned home to get an umbrella. After Xie left, the rain began to pour and the river rose, but Fan, reluctant to break his promise, stayed under the bridge. Shortly after, Xie returned with the umbrella only to find that the bridge was now submerged and Fan nowhere to be seen...

Xie was so grieved that he had no choice but to live without Fan. No matter whether it was rain or shine, he carried the black umbrella of the day and wore white mourning clothes. He eventually committed suicide by hanging himself under the Nantai Bridge and left the black umbrella where Fan had stayed.

The umbrella was found by a merchant and placed in center of a hallway. Since then, his family has had strange things happen to them. The black umbrella in the room was often unsupervised. In the middle of the night, the sounds of men sighing fill the hall. Everyone said that White Guard's soul was in the umbrella. Merchants invited the Taoist to get rid of the umbrella to raise the spell on the town. Since then, the house has been calm and quiet. Soon after, the merchants went out, but on the way, they found that the country was in chaos, and that the umbrella was missing.

The Photographer

Joseph was forced to leave France and move to England with his parents. The pain of losing his twin brother caused Joseph to become absorbed with art. He hoped to save the live images of those people and objects to liven up his pictures. Joseph has become obsessed with parapsychology and hopes to make some interesting modifications to his camera. He started to tell his closest friends that he had found a way to capture souls in pictures. No one took him seriously, but then they started to notice that everyone whose picture was taken by Joseph disappeared one after another. When a panic-stricken mob forced their way into Joseph's residence, Joseph was nowhere to be seen. On the wall of his studio, however, were all kinds of lifelike portraits of people that seemed to be looking right at them.

The Mad Eyes

Burke is the eldest son of a construction worker who grew up playing amongst designs, various machines, and tools. By the time he was 20, he had already acquired local fame for his skills. Hired by a married couple, Burke arrived at Oletus Manor when it was still desolate, rundown and was responsible for most of the architectural designs. As per the wishes of his employer, he led his team of workers and expanded Oletus Manor. In his own time, he added his own touch to the manor, his devices, turning the manor into Burke's secret laboratory. It is said that even up until that unfortunate incident this crazy architect was still planning the addition of new devices.

The Dream Witch

It is said that Yidhra has existed on earth before the emergence of the very first microorganism. As billions of years passed, Yidhra acquired a unique ability from the changes that took place around her, devouring creatures to acquire their characteristics. Yidhra can, therefore, divide herself into different aspects, though each part shares her consciousness. Merging themselves with Yidhra gifts her followers eternal life. She often hides her true form through powerful images, with only summoned followers being able to see it.

The Axe Boy

In one night, Robbie had lost his spacious house, comfortable bed, delicious food… and his parents. His life was replaced by endless work and an emotionless boss. But with help from his older sister Dolores, he gradually got used to the work in the yard and gardening became his new hobby. Not long after, the White Sand Street Orphanage was taken over by the church and the orphans did not need to work for a living. Robbie was somewhat disappointed about that. However, given that he and his sister no longer had to beg on the street and the nuns were providing warm food for everyone, Robbie’s little hobby seemed less important. After all, his life with his sister was back on the right track. And that was the last memory Robbie could recall. When he woke up under the juniper tree, his sister and the orphanage were nowhere in sight. The only thing left with him was the dead branch in his hand. Robbie could now continue doing his little hobby forever.

The Bloody Queen

Who would mention something so unpleasant as "bread" to such a sweet and lovely person? She has been surrounded by flowers, jewels and fancy clothes since she was born, pursuing fashion and beauty, and being born in a relaxed royal family gave her an inappropriate innocence, so much so that she was guillotined and still distressed. Long hair cut by the executioner. Staring face down at the reflection in the basin, she watched her dress gradually turn red. This was the last scene in Bloody Queen's memory.

The Guard 26

After twenty-five failed attempts, No. 26 was born on Burke's final endeavor and was once his proudest work. No. 26 exhibited a high level of autonomy, which significantly improved its work efficiency. It also allowed Burke to take breaks from work, avoid repetitive tasks, and invest time in new mechanical designs. Over time, No. 26 became sentient and even gave itself a name—Bonbon. Burke was angered by No. 26's declined efficiency due to its newfound sentience, so he replaced its central hub and wrote new programs for No. 26. Curiously, no matter how many times Burke replaced its central hub and modified its codes, the same phrase showed up after each reboot: "Nice to meet you, Bonbon."

The Disciple

When the epidemic disease stroke, disease remained cruel despite Ann’s devotion and generosity. Her only redemption in life would perhaps be the agile footsteps walking towards her ahead of the reaper and the non-human eyes staring at her at the end of the night when she was on the brink of death.

She was blamed for a plague that broke out in the city she lived in, mistreated as a result of this belief, and ultimately killed. Her final deduction heavily implies that, upon obtaining supernatural abilities, she proceeded to release another plague on the same city, deliberately targeting those who had abused her.

A seemingly innocent woman whose eyes were altered by a strange disease around the time that a plague broke out in her hometown. This caused people to believe that she was the one who spread the plague, which led to someone piercing a wooden stake through her heart and leaving her to die in the wilderness (and making her fresh pickings for the forces behind Oletus Manor).

The Violinist

Even at the height of his fame and addictions, the violinist Antonio did not abandon his unrestrained desire for music. He could see the rhythms of the whole world, which were controlled by ubiquitous strings.

His musical talent proved to be so great that it was decided by government officials that Antonio's music should only be performed for and heard by the members of the royal family. In order to ensure that he remained as a symbol of the royal family's alleged superiority, Antonio was confined to the palace and, when attempting to leave, had all but a single string plucked off his violin.

The sculptor

When she was young, Galatea always thought that she was her creator's masterpiece, that is until destiny played a sick joke on her. But she wasn't distraught. A genius sculptor can sculpt a perfect destiny for her.

Possibly. Her sculpting abilities increased greatly after taking a commission from a wealthy gentleman but her family soon became concerned when they found out that she was talking to her sculptures.

She is one of the more conventionally cute Hunters and she also murdered a person to make them into one of her works of art.

The Undead

Like many crazy inventors in the nineteenth century, Percy was obsessed with 'resurrection from the dead' and 'perfect humanity'. He used a corpse to create a monster, and was finally killed by this 'resurrection' monster. He entered the tomb with the secret records and instruments used to make monsters. However, on a stormy night, Percy's tomb was opened and the entire tomb was raided. Soon after, in the depths of the Oletus Manor, following a burst of painful and desperate wailing, a brand new 'perfect human' opened his eyes on Burke's operating table.

The Breaking wheel

A trio of performance artists with odd figures showed up on the street. Covered in a bedspread and wearing masks, they're performing an uninspired drama while twisting their bodies into peculiar shapes. Their individual names - Joking (the brother at the top), Pessimistic (the brother in the middle) and Reticent (the brother at the bottom) - are only mentioned in their deductions.

The Naiad

The unheard are doomed to be slaughtered, like fish in a net. It was only after grasping this harsh truth that Grace took up her harpoon. Even before her transformation into a Hunter; her gill-like scars are shown to have been present on her neck since she was a young girl. She is also said to have felt more of a connection to the fish swimming in the water than she did to the humans in her village.

The Wax Artist

Philippe believes one's face and demeanor reflect evil and malice. This belief is not only his research thesis but also the essence of his aesthetic aspirations. After all, wax sculpting is an art born of science. Consider this—once his theory is finally confirmed, how many future criminals will be strangled in the cradle before being given a chance to taint the world?

Philippe was determined to eke out a career from his talent, and when an unexpected encounter led to a significant breakthrough in his research and craft, the beautiful world of his imagining seemed within reach. However, his world was turned upside-down, and his delusions of grandeur faded into the shadows. The price of his weakness and inaction was the loss of something irreplaceable—of the thing he held dearest.

Plagued with insurmountable guilt and remorse, Philippe convinced himself that the only way to repent for his failings was to move forward, in both life and art. Welcome to my waxwork exhibition... Please refrain from touching the models. Each group of sculptures tells a triumphant tale of good overcoming evil—a tale I hope we can all benefit from.

My dear guest, please don't be afraid. Come closer... Raise your head, and let me see your face.

The Clerk

As she got older, Keigan came to understand that only the voices of people with "power" were heard. But it doesn't matter, now she is enough to be the one who can decide everything.

Keigan first appears in Jack's second letter, where she acts as both the interviewer and interviewee recounting her encounter with the Ripper in the manor (something that her Background story trailer implies is something she may do on a common basis).

She deemed her brother unfit to represent justice because he was taking bribes, but her solution to the problem was poison him. Her Background story trailer implies that deep down, she is aware that she is this.

The Hermit

Alva Lorenz experienced two devastating fires in his life. The first fire took his friend and left behind an invention that brought only misfortune. The second fire burned away his guilt and gave him a new life. Alva came to the conclusion that no formula nor theory could predict human nature. Only his service could ever stand by his side.

The Night Watch

Born as a twin son of the Norwell family in a town wracked by superstition, the boy was presumed stillborn by his family and was abandoned and left to rot in the wilderness during a raging blizzard. Found, revived and later raised by a suspected witch, the boy would remain unaware of his true origins up until the day that the magistrate's son - his face a mirror to that of the boy's - would lead a mob of villagers into the Icy Forest and take away his mother to be tortured. Though the boy would succeed in infiltrating the village and rescuing his mother, he would return to his home in the woods with a woman who could no longer recognise him and whose remaining life would prove to be short-lived. From that day forward, anyone who chose to enter the northern forest on a stormy night would find themselves prey to Ithaqua, the walking death.

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(Straight off, I want you to bear with me if the quality of the drawing is a bit different than my usual—I usually draw things with a paper and pencil and then scan it in, which personally gives me a better level of control on my lines, but it would’ve been a hassle to have to scan and rescan…

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Drawing Wrinkles

I made a tutorial-thing about drawing clothing wrinkles - something I’ve had a few requests for.  For all the banality of wrinkles, they’re an expansive topic. Anyway, these are some previews. The full tutorial is available to all $1+ Patreon supporters. You can find it here!

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A doodle that I did a while ago hsjsk

He is my husband btw and MINE

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I also made this one a while ago for a friend <3

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Here the last drawing that I made uvU

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ko-fi commissions from the past month! thank you so much to everyone for trusting me with their cute OCs and their faves!!

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Notes I made for myself of the currently revealed original 7 Archons so I don’t have to squint at cutscenes

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Angel Devil CSM

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Finally... I draw something that is NOT homework

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Extremely displeased to announce I just opened my writing doc to find the fic has not yet written itself. Will check back in tomorrow to see if it’s made any progress

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planning stories: creating narrative and character arcs

I got asked about writing advice & sources of inspiration by a lovely anon, so I made a post!

Planning the Story

Whether you are making a bullet point list outline or an idea tree or even just keeping all this in your head—planning and boiling down concepts is really key to writing an effective fic in my opinion. It will prevent writer’s block and streamline your work around a core narrative arc, which tends to lead to an impactful story that will leave a lasting impression on people. Some things to consider at this stage:

Characterization. Nailing this is crucial in any fic. The most basic consideration is whether people are in character (I wrote a whole guide for this); the next consideration is what character development arcs you will write for them.

Plot. Think about what kind of plot structure you want, so that you can cut out any unnecessary bits: the basic Western one where you have a beginning, middle, climax, and end? Or perhaps you can utilize Eastern ones like kishotenketsu? I have written/attempted both and found that they each have their own uses (most of my AOT ones follow the Western narrative structure, but Ten Thousand Lanterns has a more Eastern one).

Tip for narrative structure: If you are writing a multi-chapter fic, I find it easiest to either “chunk” the chapters into something that will contain a stage of a narrative arc (e.g. the beginning of a Western narrative structure), or each chapter (or arc) is defined by a complete narrative structure (e.g. each chapter is almost its own complete mini-story). So for an instance of the latter, a single chapter in a lot my fics have their own beginning, middle, climax, and resolution (Dust, Diamonds does this).

Note that characterization arcs can also be organized into these narrative structures! I find this is the best way to avoid stagnant or boring characterization.

Choosing the pivotal scenes. In order to avoid “boring bits” of a fic, try to use the narrative structure to organize your story so that you only have parts that will push along the story. This usually improves pacing too. There should definitely be parts of the fic that allow some “breathing”, e.g. pause to lay out characterization or perhaps the world, but make sure each of these scenes also achieve a specific purpose.

The Writing Process

I will not lie, my writing process is painful and labor-intensive lol, but I find this is most effective:

Write a shitty first draft. Just let it be bad. Let your fic meander if that’s your instinct. Let there be typos. Let there be weird characterization. It’ll slow you down immensely if you want a perfect first draft.

Assess the narrative structure for the plot arc. Are you keeping your structure? Are your arcs laid out sensibly? Often at this stage I will literally C/P parts and reorder them to make sure there is a defined arc in the chapter and in the story as a whole.

Assess the narrative structure for the character arc. Basically the same as above, but for your characters instead. Here, I also assess anything that feels like a departure from faithful characterization and either delete scenes (happens often) or rewrite them entirely.

Trim the draft. I trim it in two ways: (1) considering which scenes do not progress either the characterization the arc or the narrative arc—I usually throw these scenes out; (2) find the specific words or phrases that can be deleted so that I end up with concise writing. Often I end up cutting out 10-20% of the draft at this point.

Edit. A fic without good grammar & spelling conventions is just painful for many people to read. It’s the least enjoyable step for me, haha, but really important for a polished end product.

Inspirations

I read a lot—not just fiction, but also non-fiction. Here are some random examples:

Fiction. I think Haruki Murakami, Margaret Atwood, Vladimir Nabakov have all influenced me to some degree though I do not claim to be anywhere near their calibre of writing!

Movies, shows, folklore, etc. Not all inspiration for writing has to be from classic lit! I will fully admit that Chinese donghua and dramas influence a lot of how I write romance these days. My Japanese- and Chinese-centred works contend a lot with East Asian mythological concepts and beliefs as well.

Non-fiction. So much of my stuff incorporates random psychology concepts that I’ve picked up (how stereotypical, haha). A lot of my more plot-oriented fics are based directly on historical events & struggles as well.

I also incorporate a lot of real life experiences for the character arcs I write. Since I got asked about Three Crossings, I will be transparent that Levi’s characterization is based on a lot of men I have known!

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how to keep people in character: a guide

I have gotten some requests for advice on how to write specific characters, but the underlying principles to keeping characterizations canon-compliant can apply to writing anyone in any series. Better yet, this advice may help you come up with character interpretations that feel both canonical yet original (and distinct from mine!).

You can reduce characterization to three basic principles:

1) Habits and speech patterns

Habits and speech patterns serve as “shortcuts” that immediately connect the character to the canon. The audience recognizes these cues and will associate them to the actual character.

Speech patterns are particularly important to keeping a character recognizable. As soon as the speech pattern of a person deviates from canon with no explanation, the suspension of disbelief will break for an audience. A common issue I see in shipping fics is that people will make a character give the love interest a pet name that just would never leave their mouth in canon-compliant situations.

Habits can be verbal tics (e.g. they say “babe” a lot), bodily motions (e.g. touching their hair or pushing up their glasses), behavioural trends (e.g. eating a lot), or even phrases that come up often. The latter I find is underused but very effective. Here’s the thing about people in real life: they will repeat phrases and stories, sometimes even verbatim, to different people! If you lift a line out of the show or book and re-contextualize it, it’ll immediately feel like the canon.

Habits come with two caveats:

Do not overuse the tics. It can be annoying and intrusive, especially when used more frequently than in canon! 

Do not rely too much on these habits for characterization. Your character may come off as a shallow imitation of canon without “substance” if so. 

The next two tips will help give your characterization substance and originality.

2) Drivers in decision-making and thought patterns

People in real life often have patterns in the decisions they make or the thoughts they have because of some kind of underlying motivation, whether or not they are cognizant of it. The same will apply to well-written characters in fiction. Try to think about any significant decisions the character makes in canon and why they might exist. (Hot tip: If these motivations are not explicitly stated in the canon material, this is where you can come up with some extremely juicy headcanons!)

Understanding the fundamental drivers behind the character’s actions will allow you to extrapolate and write what they’d do in the situations in your fanfic. These non-canon situations can include relationships! It’s a common issue for romantic relationships in fanfic to feel OOC because the characters act inconsistently with their canon decision-making and thought patterns solely for their love interest.

Examples of common drivers in fiction:

Abstract values such as freedom, revenge, survival, self-preservation. (If you’re writing anything political, try to figure out how they value conservatism vs liberalism, anarchy vs authoritarianism, etc).

Baggage and trauma relating to familial issues or past relationships, which can often result in maladaptive trends in behaviour or hard-lined moral codes and ideals.

Significant relationships that affect their needs, goals, etc. Pay attention to platonic, familial, or romantic bonds that are strongly featured in the canon.

All these examples are interrelated. Often our abstract values will arise from baggage, which then influence relationships, which in turn influence our values. Try to think about how each of these types of drivers may relate to one another for your characters.

Stories tend to have the most layered characterizations when the author has identified two drivers that are in conflict with one another, or one that leads to opposing behaviours. This can also be the starting point for character growth, whether it’s a hero’s journey or descent into a villain role.

3) Cultural context

Cultural context is a subcategory of drivers that I often find is overlooked. 

The culture in which someone was raised will often influence their decision-making habits, whether they conform to it or outright reject it. Recognizing the cultural context for a character can be very useful for figuring out cool little headcanons or extrapolating behaviour/opinions in the absence of canon material.

Some examples of how culture contributes to behaviour:

The kind of art and hobbies they enjoy, or at least are on their radar. 

Knowledge they would have about certain topics—even mundane things like musical instruments, certain skill sets, etc.

Their judgments on themselves and other characters, as well as the values they’d project onto their relationships.

The actions they would take when trying to conform to social norms of the time period—or even the set of actions that might occur to them!

It’s a pet peeve of mine when characters behave in a way that ignores their cultural context, simply because it won’t feel realistic! Since I’ve been relating this to shipping, I will make this point: what time period and country (or coded culture) is this character in? What are courtship norms like? And, if we’re going to go the nsfw route, what “interests” (haha) would exist?

Here are some quick examples of this analysis applied to two different characters: Hakuryuu Ren (Magi), Daryl Dixon (TWD). These are characters I’ve gotten requests for—let me know if anyone is interested in others!

Seguir leyendo

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hey! i made a brush that replicates the Splatoon art style for ibis paint. idk if someone else has done this already but here.

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Honestly, the thing that really bothers me about this episode is the implication that the actual procedure that transformed Hajime into Izuru took a long ass time. Like, in SDR2, Junko made it sound like it was just one big surgery and it was over. But what about that whole six months of nothing? Well, in this episode we see some… other things happen to him as well, such as:

Being hooked up to this freaky looking device with all sorts of electrodes covering him and:

being strapped to a table while people in HAZMAT SUITS operate on him. So if this is what HPA has been up to this past few months than have they been slowly deleting Hajime for over half a year? As if that weren’t bad enough, one of the trustees says something along the lines of Hajime being too distraught to continue only for another one to say that they just deleted that part of him, so there’s nothing to worry about.

So, does this mean that while they were slowly erasing Hajime’s personality, he realized what was happening? Did he maybe try and back out? If he did, the HPA just force him to continue with the project and he had to just sit there and accept it as he was wiped away before his eyes, one procedure after another?

What the fuck.

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