Line #22 Characters/ChzoMythos


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	[[folder:Protagonists]]
4	!!Trilby
5	[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trilby.png]]
6	The main character of the franchise, a GentlemanThief turned paranormal investigator.
7
8	----
9	* ActionSurvivor: Gets so good at this it basically becomes his job.
10	* BadassNormal: Capable of taking on magic supernatural entities with just his wits and enough strength to yank the occasional rug and kick the occasional face.
11	* CoatHatMask: In his early days as a thief, he wears his suit, his trademark trilby hat, and a full mask that is black cloth and featureless.
12	* GentlemanSnarker: Much of his dialogue is dry English wit.
13	* GentlemanThief: Trilby prefers to label himself as such, and always fends off accusations that he is a simple burglar by pointing out that he only steals from the rich.
14	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: He prefers not to let people know his real name - although WordOfGod is that he shares a birth name with [[spoiler:Malcolm Somerset]].
15	* MalevolentMaskedMen: Subverted. While during his time as gentleman thief, he wore a black featureless full mask, he is by no means malevolent. And after his experience in the first game, he ditched the mask entirely.
16	* ManipulativeBastard: Makes a habit of it. Explicitly stated in ''Trilby and the Ghost'', where he's outright called a devious bastard after his [[GoodIsNotNice well-meaning but unkind]] way of dealing with a ghost. He admits that's why they keep him around.
17	* MasterOfUnlocking: In ''6 Days''.
18	* OccultDetective: Becomes one as a part of a rehabilitation program.
19	* PersonWithTheClothing: He named himself after his hat.
20	* RetiredOutlaw: As of ''Notes''.
21	* SharpDressedMan: Including his trademark trilby hat and WaistcoatOfStyle. Becomes AwesomeAnachronisticApparel in the future-set ''6 Days''.
22	* StiffUpperLip: He tries very hard to appear unflappable in public, even though we see that privately he is very affected by his experiences.
23	* UnfazedEveryman: He's astonishingly quick to accept the existence of ghosts, paranormal investigation agencies and parallel universes, although the trauma of being possessed and nearly killed by the Defoe Wraith does appear to give him a mild form of PTSD. [[spoiler:His clones are, if anything, even ''more'' unfazed by their own existence as clones, and one of them remains able to hold an eloquent conversation while ''inside Chzo''.]]
24
25	!! Dr. John Somerset
26
27	A psychologist on the Mephistopheles, [[spoiler:later revealed to be a fraud who stole the identity of his own father]], who tangles with the [=DeFoe=] wraith and later [[spoiler:kills himself in prison to become the Caretaker of destiny]].
28
29	----
30	* ActionSurvivor: Like the other two protagonists, he survives an encounter with John [=DeFoe=] without any real combat skills.
31	* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:Becomes the immortal Caretaker in death.]]
32	* ImpersonationExclusiveCharacter: [[spoiler:We never see the real Dr. Somerset.]]
33	* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:Killed his father to steal his identity.]]
34	* YouCantFightFate: Comes to believe this [[spoiler:after becoming the Caretaker. This is caused by his gaining the ability to see all of time at once following his suicide.]]
35
36	!! Theo [=DaCabe=]
37
38	A council building inspector and all-around average joe, the plot of 6 Days a Sacrifice kicks off when Theo is sent to inspect the [[ChurchOfHappyology Optimology]] building for signs of illegal expansion. Pushed down an elevator shaft and into a secret underground facility by a member of the cult for which Optimology is a front ([[ReligionOfEvil the masochistic and Chzo-worshipping Order of Blessed Agonies]]), Theo, badly injured but alive, struggles to survive the horrors contained within. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, Theo, now having endured all of the Blessed Agonies, is dragged through a portal to the World of Magick, and, transformed into the New Prince by Chzo, kills Cabadath and takes his place by Chzo's side.]]
39
40	----
41	* ActionSurvivor: Especially so in his case, as he has no experience with any kind of violence or dangerous situations whatsoever.
42	* FourthDateMarriage: After knowing Janine for all of four days - most of which he spent out doing fetch-quests while she hid in her room - he finds himself sleeping with her for comfort and ends up emotionally relying on her so much that [[spoiler:losing her puts him through the Blessed Agony of the Soul.]]
43	* HeroicBSOD: Has one of these after [[spoiler:the death of Janine. It also counts as the Blessed Agony of the Soul.]]
44	* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:Theo's name, when rearranged, is very similar phonetically to Cabadath, hinting at his eventual fate.]]
45	* TheEveryman: Is the most normal out of the 3 protagonists in the series, having no special skills to speak of and having a relatively uninteresting life -- [[spoiler:that is, until he becomes the New Prince.]]
46	* TheWoobie: He did nothing to deserve the horrors heaped on him, yet easily goes through the most traumatic experiences of any of the three protagonists. [[spoiler:This is what makes him a more desirable servant to Chzo than Cabadath, as he has been through the Blessed Agonies and thus is "of [Chzo's] flesh."]]
47
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Antagonists]]
51
52	!!Chzo/The King
53	[[quoteright:186:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chzo.png]]
54	The titular entity of the Mythos, originally an ordinary Pain Elemental in the Ethereal Realm, who consumed all of his brethren and became a fully-fledged EldritchAbomination.
55
56	----
57	* AlmightyIdiot: Theorised to be a "fattened pig" acting on basic instinct but backed up by the power and magic of a god.
58	* TheBadGuyWins: The Order of Blessed agonies assumed their worship of Chzo would bring him into the World of Technology and usher in a new era of torment for humanity. [[spoiler:Not only is this not what happens, it isn't what Chzo wanted. His only goal was to acquire a new, more perfect servant. And he succeeds.]]
59	* BigBad: Everything which happens in the series is by its design.
60	* TheChessmaster: Albeit possibly by instinct rather than intent.
61	* EldritchAbomination: Beyond the limits of understandable reality, even time. Just to give an idea, its plans reach a conclusion more than 200 years before one of the steps to completion, but this does not stop it.
62	* EvilIsPetty: [[spoiler:Keeps Cabadath in a vulnerable position so the New Prince can kill him, instead of doing it himself]].
63	* FacelessEye: All he mostly is when shown is a big eye with pinkish skin of a sort.
64	* FromNobodyToNightmare: Pain Elementals were once tiny weak entities which fed on the misery and pain of sentient creatures. Then Chzo came along and decided to do it to his brethren.
65	* LastOfHisKind: Chzo became the monstrously powerful deific entity it is by eating and absorbing the strength of every other pain elemental.
66	* MonstrousCannibalism: Pain Elementals were never supposed to feed on anything but negative emotions, but Chzo decided to to something different.
67	* PhysicalGod: Downplayed. [[spoiler:If Chzo were able to enter physical reality, nothing would be able to stop it. However, as a PureMagicBeing, it is incapable of doing this, so it must act through its servants.]]
68	* PureMagicBeing: As a pain elemental.
69
70	!!Cabadath/The Tall Man/The Prince
71	[[quoteright:191:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cabadath.png]]
72
73	Originally a druid in the year 55 BCE, Cabadath was dragged into the World of Magick by Chzo after a failed attempt to summon and bind it in order to defeat an invading Roman army. Turned into an immortal {{Lich}} by Chzo, and deformed after years of horrific torture, Cabadath eventually broke down and swore himself into Chzo's service, and now carries out his master's will in the World of Technology. [[spoiler:That is, until Chzo attempts to replace him...]]
74	----
75	* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The staff he wields. Said staff is similar to a four-bladed scythe, however the sharp part of the blades is on the outside rather than the inside. [[FridgeBrilliance As a result, the staff is much less efficient at killing, causing incredible amounts of pain in the process...which is a perfect fit for the right hand of a god who feeds on pain.]]
76	* TheBlank: Didn't start out as one, but was deformed as such by Chzo's torture.
77	* BreakTheHaughty: What Chzo intended when it turned Cabadath into the Tall Man, as punishment for attempting to bind Chzo to his will. Whether it succeeded or not is debatable, [[spoiler:as while he became a DragonWithAnAgenda and actively opposed Chzo's goals, he claims that it was out of loyalty and a desire to continue serving it. It's unclear whether he's telling the truth, or if he's just lying to try to save himself and is really just afraid of a FateWorseThanDeath]].
78	* TheDragon: To Chzo.
79	* DragonWithAnAgenda: Becomes desperate to remain with Chzo, even if that means sabotaging Chzo's actions.
80	* DressedToKill: Wears a nice suit with a BadassLongcoat and ScarfOfAsskicking while painfully murdering people.
81	* TheHeavy: Takes over from John [=DeFoe=] for the duration of ''Trilby's Notes'' and makes an effort to share the role in ''6 Days''.
82	* HumanoidAbomination: Post-transformation.
83	* IconicSequelCharacter: He was introduced in ''Trilby's Notes'', a very late stage in a series with four main entries, but he's one of the most recognizable and important characters in the games.
84	* IHaveManyNames: "Cabadath" is his original human name, "The Tall Man" refers to his appearance and is what most people call him, "The Arrogant Man" is what Chzo called him originally, as he thought he could control Chzo, and "The Prince" is what Chzo calls him after he becomes his servant.
85	* MercyKill: When Chzo reached into the Realm of Technology and took Cabadath, Cabadath begged his friend Galdn to kill him. Galdn was terrified and ran, and Cabadath ended up in immortal slavery to Chzo.
86	* NeckSnap: Uses these to kill the Trilby clones near the end of 6 Days A Sacrifice.
87	* OurLichesAreDifferent: He isn't any sort of necromancer, but was made a Lich involuntarily by Chzo.
88	* SoulJar: His tree.
89	* SuperStrength: Frequently tears people open with his bare hands.
90	* UndyingLoyalty: Towards Chzo. [[spoiler:Either this, or the fear of a FateWorseThanDeath, is what motivates him to try and prevent Chzo from replacing him.]]
91	* WasOnceAMan
92
93	!!John [=DeFoe=]/The Welder
94
95	An abused feral child, turned into a serial-killing wraith by the Tall Man.
96	----
97
98	* AbusiveParents: His father kept him locked in a basement until he went insane.
99	* TheBrute: The least intelligent and most violent of the villains.
100	* CoolMask: A (somewhat anachronistic) welder's mask forms part of his costume.
101	* DemonicPossession: He possesses people in order to kill, his old body being rotted away to bones by now.
102	* {{Expy}}: Of [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]]. Mask. Machete. Menacing stroll. Lack of dialogue. Child abuse backstory. Associated with significant date. Keeps killing people even after his death.
103	* GeniusLoci: His mind is trapped in the ruins of his house.
104	* TheHeavy: The most commonly-recurring villain in the series and the most direct threat in three out of four games.
105	* IconicOutfit: A welder's mask, leather apron and machete are considered to be the artifacts of John [=DeFoe=], and are an instant identifier of anything related to him.
106	* MeaningfulName: Possibly unintentional, but "John [=DeFoe=]" is very similar to "John Doe", the name used as a placeholder for unidentified individuals or corpses. Given his status as both a wraith and nameless, this is rather appropriate.
107	* MenacingStroll: How he moves at all times.
108	* NeverGivenAName: Was never given a name in life, due to being disowned and locked in a basement on the day he was born. As such, the different characters come up with various means of identifying him, the most frequently used being Trilby's "John [=DeFoe=]".
109	* OffscreenTeleportation
110	* TheQuietOne: Rarely says anything (unless you count the recurring phrase "father why").
111	* SoulJar: The wooden idol.
112	* SuperStrength: Enough to hack people apart and break necks with extreme ease.
113	* TragicMonster: He only kills because he's severely mentally ill and urged to violence by supernatural forces beyond his control.
114
115	!!The New Prince
116	[[quoteright:234:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thenewprince.png]]
117	Another servant of Chzo, who came into being following the events of 6 Days a Sacrifice. [[spoiler:Is actually Theo [=DaCabe=], transformed into Chzo's new [[TheDragon Dragon]] and having pulled a KlingonPromotion on a powerless Cabadath on Chzo's orders.]]
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119
120	* AnArmAndALeg: His left leg is missing the corresponding foot, [[spoiler:most likely having been blown off by the explosion.]]
121	* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:Poor, poor Theo...]]
122	* CoolMask: Similar to that worn by John [=DeFoe=], though the eye slit is vertical rather than horizontal, and the mask encloses his entire head. It would be impossible for it to be used effectively by anyone human - conveniently, the New Prince may not count. [[spoiler: Not anymore, at least.]]
123	* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler:Defeats the de-powered Cabadath with ease.]]
124	* HumanoidAbomination
125	* IconicOutfit: A steel mask and leather apron, very similar to that worn by John [=DeFoe=], as well as his entire body being covered from head to toe in bandages. [[spoiler:The bandages are a holdover from Theo's dressings after he was injured, and the mask and apron are, indeed, artifacts of John [=DeFoe=] that Theo was wearing at the time. It is also significant in that John [=DeFoe=], as the Bridge, was instrumental in Theo's transformation, and is thusly reflected in his design.]]
126	* PowerFloats: Levitates off the ground at all times. This could be an indicator that he is a more fitting servant for Chzo, a being of magic, than Cabadath, who is always seen walking. [[spoiler:Given Theo's broken body after the blast, it's also possible that his feet- or rather, [[AnArmAndALeg foot]]- just don't work anymore.]]
127	* TragicMonster: Was made Chzo's servant by force, just from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
128	* TheDragon: Shares this role with Cabadath, to Chzo. [[spoiler:For a few seconds, anyway.]]
129	* WalkingSpoiler: It's hard to say anything about him without spoiling the fact that [[spoiler:he is a transformed Theo [=DaCabe=], having murdered Cabadath and taken his place after he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived his usefulness.]]]]
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:''5 Days A Stranger'' Supporting Cast]]
133	!!A.J.
134	* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: A.J. never gave his full name to anyone [[spoiler:and ends up dead before talking to Trilby/the player]].
135
136	!!James "Jim" Fowler
137	* ActionSurvivor: [[spoiler:He, Trilby, and Simone are the only survivors in 5 Days.]]
138
139	!!Matthew [=DeFoe=]
140	* PosthumousCharacter: Like his father, died long before the game starts. [[spoiler:Though his spirit briefly possesses Jim.]]
141
142	!!Philip Harty
143	* {{Jerkass}}: Philip is very abrasive and feels the need to make snide comments on nearly everything. He's also the quickest to throw blame around, especially after A.J. is found dead.
144
145	!!Sir Roderick [=DeFoe=]
146	* AbusiveParents: Kept his mentally disabled son chained up in the basement, and eventually beat him to death.
147	* BaitTheDog: His final journal entry in ''5 Days'', written shortly after his murder of John, has him begging God for forgiveness, suggesting that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he was immediately overcome with remorse]] after doing the deed. [[spoiler:The flashback to John's death in ''Trilby's Notes'' reveals that this wasn't the case at all. What Roderick was ''actually'' praying for forgiveness for was for bringing John into the world and not "destorying the monster" sooner.]]
148	* PosthumousCharacter: Died generations before the events of the game, and only shows up in flashbacks [[spoiler:and briefly possesses Simone, as a spirit.]]
149
150	!!Simone Taylor
151	* BackForTheDead: Trilby goes to visit her in ''Notes'' [[spoiler:only to find Simone has been murdered]].
152	* HotScoop: An up and coming reporter eager for a story.
153
154	[[/folder]]
155
156	[[folder:''7 Days A Skeptic'' Supporting Cast]]
157	!!Engineer Lt. Adam Gilkenny
158	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Adam opened the locker containing John [=DeFoe=]'s remains, causing all the problems in the game.
159	* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Adam spends the entire game avoiding nearly all his duties as engineer.
160
161	!!Lt. Cdr. Angela Garrett
162	* LookBehindYou: Angela refuses to heed John's warning [[spoiler:causing her to be killed by a possessed, reanimated Barry]].
163	* TheSpock: Angela is extremely cold and logical.
164
165	!!Capt. Barry Chahal
166	* BenevolentBoss: He's very friendly and personable, and he prefers a more informal attitude from his crew.
167	* CameBackWrong: [[spoiler:His corpse gets possessed by John [=DeFoe=]'s soul, making him a kind of murderous zombie.]]
168	* TheCaptain: Barry was the posted captain of The Mephistopheles.
169	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Barry ignores a recommendation from high command and brings the John [=DeFoe=] locker onto the ship.
170	* {{Retirony}}: Barry was on his final posting when the events of ''7 Days'' began.
171	* TemptingFate: Barry wished for an exciting final posting. A killer wraith probably wasn't what he had in mind.
172
173	!!CCO Serena Langley
174	* EmotionlessGirl: Throughout the game, Serena displays no emotion at all, even after Somerset tells her that [[spoiler:Barry was dead]].
175	* ScaryShinyGlasses: Her glasses look like that throughout the entire game, which is fitting after [[spoiler:Somerset sees her in random locations after her disappearance, and especially when she appears in front of him right after he found her headless and limbless torso]].
176
177	!!Dr. William Taylor
178	* TheDragon: [[spoiler:He becomes one either due to John [=DeFoe=]'s influence or out of self-preservation. Possibly a combination of both.]]
179	[[/folder]]
180
181	[[folder:''Trilby's Notes'' Supporting Cast]]
182	!!Siobhan O'Malley
183	* DamselInDistress: Becomes this in the climax when [[spoiler:Lenkmann ties her up in the climax.]]
184
185	!!Dr. Abed Chahal
186	* AbsentMindedProfessor: A large part of why he's easily manipulated and why he's oblivious to what's happening around him.
187	* OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler:His ultimate fate. In a display of what Trilby describes as morbid humor, The Tall Man replaces his head with that of a porcelain doll that Trilby takes to solve a puzzle.]]
188
189	!!Peter Lenkmann
190	* AllThereInTheManual: The ''6 Days'' special edition content includes documents which mention Lenkmann's first name.
191	* TheDragon: [[spoiler:To the Tall Man.]]
192	* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:Pretends to be an agent of the Ministry of Occultism in order to manipulate Trilby, with orders to try and convert him. Though he admits to Trilby that he personally didn't think it was a viable.]]
193	* LastNameBasis: His first name is only in the ''6 Days'' special edition content.
194	* YouHaveFailedMe: [[spoiler:Is on the receiving end of this by The Tall Man when Trilby (temporarily) dies. His ultimate fate is being turned into a flesh ventriloquist dummy for Cabadath to use to communicate with the Order, until ''6 Days'', where his corpse is unceremoniously disposed of and used to lure one of the Trilby clones.]]
195	[[/folder]]
196
197	[[folder:''6 Days A Sacrifice'' Supporting Cast]]
198	!!Canning
199	* BigBadWannabe: Canning certainly looks intimidating with his bright red robe and creepily calm demeanor. While Theo initially thinks Canning is the one keeping them prisoner, Sam and Janine reveal that Canning is nothing more than a low level acolyte that the rest of the order left behind to keep an eye on the prisoners.
200	* UnwittingPawn: While Canning believes he is playing an important role in the summoning of Chzo, he is completely unaware of the fact that his superiors have abandoned him to die for a previous failure.
201
202	!!The Caretaker
203	* TricksterMentor: To Theo, the final Trilby clone, and [[spoiler:his younger self]].
204	* WalkingSpoiler: It's hard to say anything about him without spoiling the fact that [[spoiler:he is Malcolm Somerset, the protagonist of ''7 Days A Skeptic'', after killing himself with Frehorn's blade and [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascending to a higher plane of existence that allows him to see time in a nonlinear way.]]]]
205
206	!!Janine Orzechowski
207	* DemonicPossession: Later in the game, [[spoiler:by John [=DeFoe=].]]
208	* IntrepidReporter: Basically why she's even involved in the first place, she was investigating the Optimology building and stumbled upon the underground complex.
209
210	!!Dr. Samantha Hardy
211	* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Comes with the territory when you work with a cult worshipping a god of pain.

Context Characters / ChzoMythos