Characters / The Blackout Club

The Blackout Club

(Left to Right) Dax, Isabella, and Gwen

A group of kids of Redacre who have banded together to combat the strange evil that lurks in their sleepy town.

General Tropes

• Action Survivor: Just a bunch of average kids trapped in a town with a much darker story to tell and must work together to combat it,
• Determinator: Even though the stakes are heavily stacked against their favor, the Blackout Club has no intentions of giving up the fight, even at the cost of their lives.
• Cowardly Lion: Understandably, all of the kids are terrified of what's going on. They were so terrified at first, they didn't know what to do and Isabella was the only one brave enough. After Isabella is captured, they finally managed to scramble together and finally started to act.
• Home Base: Their main base of operations happens to be in an abandoned train car in the middle of the woods.
• Just a Kid: All of the club members are kids, ranging from 13-16 years old.
• Kid Hero: Effectively all of them are.
• Never Split the Party: One of the grand rules of the Club Rules of the Blackout Club. The game also encourages the party to stick together and to cover each other's backs, even granting a much higher stamina regeneration when around fellow teammates.
• The Runaway: Many of the Blackout Club members have run away from home to join the Blackout Club; however, some others do still live with their parents, but have to remain extremely cautious doing so.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: One of the most important club rules, even emphasized twice on the club rules poster. After all, the people they're working against could be their family members or people they care about.
• We Work Well Together: All the kids are from different families and have different personalities, but they all band to work together to solve the mystery in Redacre.
• What Did I Do Last Night?: All the kids suffer from this unfortunately.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: Understandably, being in such a harsh and unforgiving situation forces the club members to act a lot smarter than your average fifteen year old kid.

The New Kid (Player)

• Best Friend: According to the official description of the game on the website, the player had been best friends with Isabella. The kid will also occasionally remark when taking down an enemy that it was for Bells.
• Big Eater: According to the small cutscene after the prologue where they're munching on some snacks and Gwen even remarks that they eat like a monster.
• Character Customization: The player's kid is customizable. Once you choose an eye color, gender, and voice, you can't change it (unless you decide to "Sacrifice Yourself"), but clothes and hair are all customizable.
• Player Character: If it isn't obvious, this character is you.
• Reset Button: Players have the option to sacrifice their kid and all their exp to reset their character. All experience and skills will be lost, but the player gets to keep all cosmetic items.

Isabela "Bells" Madi-Shaw

Voiced by: Ashly Burch

• Ankle Drag: Was dragged away and captured when trying to escape her home.
• Best Friend: Seemed to have been this with Gwen, Dax, and possibly the player.
• Player Character: You play as her in the game's tutorial / prologue.
• I Die Free: During the Sundown Ritual, SPEAK-AS-ONE attempts to use her as the next Voice. She chooses to kill herself rather than submit.
• The Leader: Assumed leader of the Blackout Club before her disappearance.
• Uncertain Doom: It's unknown what happened to Bells after she was captured by the adults. She could be alive or dead, considering that it's possible to find captured club members dead, it's unknown what happened to her.

Gwen

• Best Friend: Seemed to have been this with Isabella and Dax.
• Face Your Fears: Admitted that she and the other club members were too scared which is why Bells went off on her own to solve the mystery of Redacre. She eventually braves up and starts working on the field.
• The Leader: Seemed to have officially taken over after Bells' capture. Presumably she's the one who writes all the reports for the club missions.
• Tag Team: Seems to be one with Dax.
• Tomboy: Appears to be one based on the speech in her reports.

Dax

• Best Friend: Seemed to have been this with Isabella and Gwen. He seems particularly close with Bells.
• The Engineer: Seems to be one for the club.
• Gadgeteer Genius: Seems to be the one responsible for creating the drone that club members use regularly for their missions. He also managed to figure out a way to dismantle enemy mines and presumably taught the other club members.
• The Smart Guy: Presumably one of the smartest kids in The Blackout Club.
• Tag Team: Seems to be one with Gwen.

The Launch Trailer Kids

A group of four friends that appeared in the Launch Trailer of the game: Jenny, Tink, Paulie, and an unnamed fourth member.

• Best Friend: Seemed to have been this with each other. However, their closeness didn't stop the fourth member from turning out to be a False Friend.
• Sole Survivor: All but one of the unnamed fourth member were caught during a mission, leaving her to return to the Hideout as the sole survivor.
• The Mole: At the end of the trailer, the unnamed fourth member - the one who had made the plan that the group tried to carry out - kneels in front of the mirror and asks SPEAK-AS-ONE if they are pleased with her friends' sacrifices. SPEAK-AS-ONE tells her to bring them more.

Enemies

The Stalker

A mysterious, lonesome kid who lives in a van in the woods and works against the Blackout club.

• Ambiguously Evil: Although they clearly work against The Blackout Club, some apparently started working for SPEAK-AS-ONE in exchange for their family's safety. Others are simply in it "to save themselves", per DIE-FOR-YOU.
• Character Customization: Just like the player's club member kid, the Stalker is completely customizable.
• Creepy Child: A bunch of creepy children who hang out in an a van in the woods and stalk their fellow kids so they can report it to the enemies.
• Fate Worse than Death: What IN-HER-TEETH has in store for stalkers who are caught.
• The Insomniac: Messages by the Stalker reveal that SPEAK-AS-ONE is preventing them from sleeping.
• I Work Alone: Unlike the Blackout club, even though there are multiple Stalkers, the Stalkers works by themselves, but can work with the enemies.
• Player Character: An alternative character the player can play as if they want to mess with other players.
• Stalker without a Crush: Makes a habit of invading club missions to stalk the club members and sabotaging them.
• Tragic Villain: Despite being a villain and considered a unforgivable traitor to the club members, it's hard not to feel sorry for their story.

Sleepers

A Cult Sleeper

Adults who have fallen under control of a mysterious entity. They are asleep and as such are completely blind, but have extraordinarily exceptional hearing.

• Demonic Possession: They are currently adults being mind controlled by a higher entity.
• Sleep Mask: Pajama sleepers wear these eye masks with a glowing eye on it.
• Mass Hypnosis: Apparently something that effects every adult in the town.
• Super-Senses: They might be blind, but they have the most excellent of hearing and can hear the faintest of footsteps of kids trying to sneak by.
• Talkative Loon: The entity controlling them is generally quietly and creepily muttering to itself about strange things.
• Temporary Blindness: During the day, they're normal adults, but at night they sleepwalk around the place serving a higher entity. During the nightly excursions they are completely blind.
• Third-Person Person: When muttering, they constantly refer to themselves with pronouns. Occasionally you can hear one of them refer to themselves as "I" - only to immediately gasp in pain.
  Sleeper: SPEAK NOT OF "I". TO NAME IT - IS TO DRAW IT'S GAZE.
• Villain Override: Whomever is controlling them can apparently see and speak through them.
  Sleeper: THIS BODY IS OURS.
• Would Hurt a Child: They are willing to manhandle young children into submission.
• Zombie Gait: They wander around the place with their hands out just like a zombie. Though once they have identified a location of a kid, man, can they sprint.

Lucids

Like Sleepers, Lucids are also asleep, but are marginally more awake than their counterpart. They can see and are able to form coherent human speech. Unlike Sleepers, they are fully aware of their actions and do their part willingly. According to some ambient dialogue, they used to be Sleepers at one point.

• Blatant Lies: Does this when they try to coax kids into giving themselves in by playing the responsible and kind adult.
• Facial Horror: While their faces are actually presumably fine, the kids have enough brainwashing left over to be unable to recognize their faces, which is represented by a Lucid's face being a shifting, indistinct mess of dancing features.
• Femme Fatalons: A minor example. While both male and female Lucids have horrid bony hands, female lucids have very long painted nails.
• Food as Bribe: One of their lines in attempt to appeal to the kids is the offer of a warm hot cocoa.
• Infinite Flashlight: They usually carry one as they wander around and lets the player know which direction they're looking.
• The Insomniac: Judging from their idle chatter, Lucids don't fully sleep anymore, spending their lives in a sleepwalking state that can be easily passed for wakefulness. They also pretend to sleep when living under one roof with regular people.
• It Can Think: Lucids, unlike Sleepers, are cognizant enough to talk coherently. They attempt to sneak up on anything suspicious, making it harder to avoid them.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Listening to their ambient chatter reveals that most don't like the violence they're asked to do to kids and only do so to protect the town, being terrified of SPEAK-AS-ONE. A lot of their Blatant Lies are attempts to peacefully deescalate.
• Rule of Empathy: Although Lucids may be under a facade when trying to appeal to the kids (by playing the understanding adult or the promise of food/comfort), unalerted ambient dialogue reveals that they actually don't like hurting the kids even if they're 'dangerous'. When the Shape is nearby, they even hope that whatever the Shape does to the kids is quick.
• Villain Teleportation: Lucids can use Red Doors to move around, either to patrol different area or to investigate a disturbance.
• Would Hurt a Child: Just like many of the enemies of this game, Lucids are perfectly willing to manhandle young children into submission even if they say so otherwise.

The Shape

A strange and terrifying being that appears from the Red Doors scattered around Redacre. It cannot be seen with the naked eye, but instead can only be seen when eyes are closed.

• The Dragon: To SPEAK-AS-ONE, as far as anyone can tell.
• Dragon with an Agenda: One of the Daimons claimed that the Shape does SPEEK-AS-ONE's bidding only because their goals align, and it would turn on its supposed master if they were to commit a "sin" against the Song themselves.
• Humanoid Abomination: A strange, invisible, humanoid beast that spawns from strange portals that can only be seen when you have your eyes closed.
• Forced Sleep: Puts club members it catches under the influence of the Song, thus being asleep, but somewhat awake.
• Invisible Monsters: Invisible to the naked eye. However, it can be seen with eyes closed, or if you splash some foam on it.
• Neck Lift: They pick up caught kids by the neck before taking over their mind.
• Our Angels Are Different: That's what the Sleepers call it. If pissed off, it can even reveal a pair of wings.
• The Unseen: It's unknown what it's true form looks like (aside from being humanoid), but frankly the idea that it cannot be seen at all is already terrifying enough.
• Up Close with the Monster: The Shape blacks out a kid's vision, forcing the kid to look into their face before taking over their mind.
• Would Hurt a Child: Would attempt to brainwash a child as much as it would if they were an adult. Also the only enemy to be able to actually kill the kids if they care caught by it too much.

The Voices a.k.a. the Daimons

A group of mysterious god-like entities who seem directly tied to what hangs over Redacre. The kids of the Blackout Club can communicate to them through prayers, to which they may or may not respond.

General Tropes

• The Ageless: Seemed to have lived for a very long time, even before the incidents in Redacre started, though they do make references to some of them being older than the others.
• Ambiguous Gender: Some of the Daimons have female or male voices, but it's really unclear what gender they exactly are. Some refer to each other as 'brother' or 'sister' so they might have a gender.
• Demonic Possession: Sufficiently strong and/or vicious Voices, or ones with sufficient influence over the human in question, can make the target "black out", taking over their body for a time.
• Gods Need Prayer Badly: Their main source of their power comes from people following their idea, but prayers invokign them directly give them a considerable boost. They even admit that they "live and die by the clarity of their message".
• Hearing Voices: Their main mode of direct communication with humans, hence the name. Some prefer to use visual hallucinations instead.
• I Know Your True Name: Daimons have two names - one spoken with words, and another in an ancient non-verbal language of gestures and motions. Knowledge of the latter allows human performers to have a degree of control over the Daimon. However, those names are a closely guarded secret, and in case of the older Daimons, are so long it'd take weeks for a group of performers to spell one out.
• Meaningful Name: Daimons tend to have descriptive names, and those may change with time to reflect the changes in its owner's views.
• Nigh-Invulnerability: They can't be killed by conventional means, though it appears the Daimons can defeat each other.
• Our Gods Are Different: The Daimons seem very different than your average gods. They seem to represent ideas and principles rather than elements or objects.
• Say My Name: They can be "invoked" by dancing/acting out their names in an ancient non-verbal language. This act gives Daimons power, both in general, and over the performers specifically. Their spoken names, when mentioned in a prayer or in conversation, can draw their attention as well - that's why most Daimons have a nickname for others to call them by without invoking them.

SPEAK-AS-ONE

Voiced by: Matt Mercer (male voice), Marisha Ray (female voice)

A Daimon who seems to represent order and unity, but at the cost of one's own individuality.

• Affably Evil: Weirdly seems to be this in their Recalled Dreams, showing a general disgust for violence and a desire for universal happiness.
• Ambiguous Gender: Especially so in their case, as they speak with both male and female coded voices simultaneously in dreams, or directly through the mouths of Sleepers.
• Big Bad: Appears to be one so far. They are the only god with a red symbol.
• The Evils of Free Will: This seems to be their driving ethos, and why they seek a world where all "speak as one" instead of in discordant differences.
• God Is Evil / God of Evil: The only (outwardly) malicious god. They seem responsible for the chaos that has fallen upon Redacre.
• Hive Mind: The main theme of SPEAK-AS-ONE. They also have control of all the sleepers and lucids, all of which of course: speak as one.
• In-Series Nickname: The Progenitor, The Management.
• Magic Music: One of their thematics, with the hive mind and their pet corporation being called the Chorus and provoking suppression with audio technology.
• Jerkass Gods: Has punished people for little petty things.
• Kill the God: Apparently destroyed one of their fellow gods, THEE-I-DARE, though not completely.
• Voice of the Legion: Described and heard as speaking in two voices, with the sounds of the Instrument thrown in on the background.
• Would Hurt a Child: Doesn't seem to care much that their actions are leading to the deaths of children.

THEE-I-DARE

Voiced by: Liam O'Brien

A Daimon who seems to represent rebellion and risk-taking.

• Fallen Angel: Was first to rebel and split off the only proto-Daimon that existed in prehistoric times.
• Fatal Flaw: While THEE-I-DARE turns down dares that are clearly suicidal for his hosts, his nature disallows him to refuse any other dare - a flaw that has been exploited by the other Daimons.
• God Is Dead: Apparently rebelled against SPEAK-AS-ONE and was killed. They don't seem completely dead and their fragments are scattered around Red Acre. THE-MEASURE-CUTS describes them as being in a "dismembered" state.
• God Is Good: Compared to the other daimons, they are pretty sympathetic to the kids of the Blackout Club. As evident in some conversations, THEE-I-DARE seems to genuinely care for the kids - albeit they admitted that the kids are the only leverage they have left.
• In-Series Nickname: The Adversary.
• Pieces of God: THEE-I-DARE's fragments are scattered all throughout Redacre after they were killed by SPEAK-AS-ONE. Some of the kids of the The Blackout Club have started collecting them.
• Rebellious Rebel: Seems to be the main theme of THEE-I-DARE. Likely what caused them to rebel against SPEAK-AS-ONE.

DANCE-FOR-US

Voiced by: Ashly Burch

A Daimon who seems to represent music and not being afraid.

• Fun Personified: In tune with dancing away your fears.
• God Is Dead: Was unfortunately caught and 'eaten' by the HUNT-THE-STRONG.
• In-Series Nickname: The Dancer.
• Involuntary Dance: Can do this to those it posesses.
• Odd Job Gods: Seems to be one of the stranger Daimons in terms of what they represent.
• Take Away Their Name: After her demise, other Daimons no longer can remember or hear her spoken name.
• Your Soul Is Mine!: Her power and energy was stolen and funneled into the mysterious hunter god. Her followers have apparently hijacked into the hunter's followers.

LAUGH-LAST

Voiced by: Sam Riegel

A Daimon with fondness of pranks and bitter laughter in the face of inevitability.

• Black Comedy: Seems to like making dark jokes.
• Gallows Humor: This seems to be LL's main motivation.
• In-Series Nickname: The Fool.
• Troll: Can certainly behave like one.
• Your Mom: Boasts that it helped a praying kid on a mission by "distracting" their mother all night. If true, it's probably in the context of her being a Sleeper, but LAUGH-LAST is happy to lean into the implication.

IN-HER-TEETH

Voiced by: Erika Ishii

A Daimon focused on making peace with your own mortality.

• Don't Fear the Reaper: Her main theme seems to be accepting death as part of cycle of life.
• Foreseeing My Death: Not of herself, but of her followers. She claims to know how people die and assures her followers that following her would not have a painful or scary death.
• Hunter Of Her Own Kind: Seeks the means for all Daimons to end, including herself.
• Mood-Swinger: Seems to flip-flop from being a friend or your worst nightmare.
• More Teeth than the Osmond Family: As evident in her symbol.

DIE-FOR-YOU

Voiced by: Matt Mercer

A Daimon who seems to represent selflessness and sacrifice.

• God Is Dead: Was devoured by HUNT-THE-STRONG.
• Heroic Sacrifice: DIE-FOR-YOU's main theme if that wasn't already obvious by their title. DIE-FOR-YOU doesn't posses their followers, but in return asks them to honor self-sacrifice.
• In-Series Nickname: The Martyr.
• Inspirational Martyr: Seeks to create these out of his followers, thus spreading his own message of self-sacrifice.
• Martyr Without a Cause: Or, rather, Martyr For Any Cause. Die-For-You doesn't care what exactly you are willing to die for, provided it is indeed your will and that the cause is personally important to you.

THE-MEASURE-CUTS

Voiced by: Liam O'Brien

A Daimon who seems to represent knowledge and impassionate logic.

• Good with Numbers: Implied, to the point they claim they'd prefer using mathematics instead of language.
• In-Series Nickname: The Scholar.
• The Smart Guy: Seems to be the logical and intelligence based Daimon.
• The Stoic: Represents the impassionate, scientific approach. In his own words, "a happy mouse and a sad one weigh about the same".
• Surrounded by Idiots: Does not say so verbatim, but admits his resentment of having to rely on kids as the last resort tool.

HUNT-THE-STRONG

Voiced by: Taliesin Jaffe

A Daimon focused on achieving power through any means necessary and challenging stronger opponents.

• Bastard Understudy: Successfully tricked THEE-I-DARE into crippling his master, CHASE-THE-SUN, and took her power.
• Challenge Seeker: He demands this from his followers, so they become stronger.
• The Chessmaster: Is fairly good at manipulation, having tricked both THEE-I-DARE and DANCE-FOR-US on occasion.
• Hunter of His Own Kind: Is responsible for the demise of at least three other Daimons.
• No Name Given: Their true name used to be unknown, with "The Eighth" or "The Hunter" being used as substitutes.
• Worthy Opponent: Hunter has stated several times that they prefer going for the strongest opponents.
• You Kill It, You Bought It: Takes over the followers and even the very names of their victims, adding their power to its own.
• Your Soul Is Mine!: Apparently has done this to those Daimons he has killed.

SEED-THE-GRUDGE

Voiced by: Marisha Ray

A Daimon focused on instigating conflict.

• Blood Knight: One of the more bloodthirsty Daimons.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Encourages her followers to go for these, probably because it will inspire a Cycle of Revenge for her to feed on.
• Dragon with an Agenda: Initially served IN-HER-TEETH, but grew tired of her and rebelled to become a full-fledged Daimon.
• Neutral No Longer: By her own admission, grew tired of IN-HER-TEETH's "why bother, we will all die anyway" attitude towards those followers who sought revenge against someone, and decided to act on her own.
• Revenge: Their primary motivation. In particular, SEED-THE-GRUDGE focuses on revenge over the long-term, with slowly growing resentments and elaborately planned comeuppance. Hence the "SEED" part of the name.
• Revenge Before Reason: One of the tools in STD's arsenal.

CHASE-THE-SUN

A Daimon focused on achieving victory and good sportsmanship.

Voiced by: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

• God Is Dead: CTS has been killed and devoured by her Bastard Understudy, HUNT-THE-STRONG, before the events of the game.
• In-Series Nickname: The Olympian.
• The Only Believer: Apparently the reason for her demise was that she only had one follower sticking by her true message of fair play. Everyone else was more interested in "victory" part...

Other Characters

The Dead Skeptic

Voiced by: Erika Ishii

A group of humans with strictly anti-Daimon disposition.

• Deprogram: They attempt to ward the kids away from the Daimons, urging them to renounce every single one.
• Evil Former Friend: Their colleague, Unknown Caller, has been taken and controlled around the clock by HUNT-THE-STRONG, with their moments of lucidity few and far between.
• Hunter of Monsters: Seek to reduce the influence of the Daimons, considering them parasites.
• Tinfoil Hat: Likely not literally, but they are called "the Tinfoil Cavalry" and kids that join them get a tinfoil halo.
• Off the Grid: Employed by necessity, as agents of the Daimons aren't terribly fond of them.

Isolated Watcher

A former Watcher working for SPEAK-AS-ONE, now having her own agenda.

• Brain Uploading: Watchers are collections of memories of dead people that are given temporary life in the Song. They often act as surveilance operatives, watching over the flesh-and-blood members' thoughts and experiences.
• Go Mad from the Isolation: Happens to her first moments after becoming isolated. Whether she actually got better afterwards is arguable.
• I Know Your True Name: So far managed to avert this, by constructing herself a non-verbal name akin to one Daimons have, and growing it to keep them guessing.
• Revenge: Seems to be fixated on revenge against those who ruined her grandchild's life and Chorus in general.
• Rogue Drone: Has been cut off the Song in an attempt by other Daimons to gain inside information on SPEAK-AS-ONE activities. That worked too well.