It's already canon that the Archangels were created from humanity's collective desires and vices. It's not unreasonable to assume the lesser monsters came about the same way; almost all of them are based on human creations, be they physical inventions or mythology. The biggest piece of evidence for this theory is Kuneko, an in-universe fictional character who came to life in New Wirral.
...But how the "real" humans envisioned themselves.
This Reddit post
brings up a conversation where Kayleigh says she doesn't look quite the same as in her previous life, and instead looks more like her "ideal" self. This could be interpreted in a number of ways — perhaps she had dysmorphia, or perhaps it's a nod to the Character Customization — but two users bring up an interesting point:
- hotstickywaffle: What if the people who are finding themselves there aren't even really people, just the ideas people have of themselves?
Ghostorderman: With a case like Viola or Kuneko, it is definitely possible. It'd be especially more possible if you consider the 'mask' one creates when facing different people. A character you create to face life's many problems that's still you. Then again, I might be overcomplicating it. It's like that one guy in the bottom right corner of Harbourtown- in the docks. Simply put, it just doesn't make sense. And it doesn't have to.
In other words, since New Wirral is made of human imagination, everyone is imaginary... but some are more imaginary than others.
The events of the book by Daphne du Maurier have taken place in some worlds: uncountable masses of birds inexplicably become a Hive Mind with the sole objective of attacking humans at any and all costs.
This is why Hoylake refused to elaborate when the player character admitted to not knowing what it was; telling someone about it would just make them constantly worry about the people from their own world over the possibility of it eventually happening.
Cassette Beasts is a game by a British studio, full of cultural references from around the world but with British ones standing out the most (Black Shuck, Averevoir being based on Liverpool's old town seal, Morgante and Aleph being inspired by Morgan le Fay and King Arthur...), so the possibility exists for this reference to a horror story by a British writer.
- Freedom
