"Final" Manor Game (Orpheus | Alice)
Survivors (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
Hunters (Part 1, Part 2)
Non-Playable Characters
2021
Anne Lester - The Toy Merchant
- Abusive Parents: 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.
- Animal Motifs: Butterflies.
- The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: Her skill. She can collect “toys” inside chests but is unable to use them, being limited to distributing them to her allies.
- Convenient Miscarriage: A rather dark example. Her extended backstory on the game's official site reveals that she suffered a miscarriage sometime after her father and fiancee made off with most of her money, and had left her practically destitute if not for the secret inheritance that had been left for her and was given to her sometime after.
- Death by Childbirth: Her mother is said to have died giving birth to her. It's all but outright stated that a large amount of the abuse that Anne suffered at the hands of her father came about from her father blaming her for her mother's death.
- Determinator: According to her trailer and description. Even the humiliation and disgrace that she has suffered in her in her life, Anne still tries to keep going, starting her own toy store with the money that her mother had secretly left after both her father and husband abandoned her and made off with most of her money. Unfortunately, that same determination was what brought her to the manor when she received a letter promising information on her father and former fiancee.
- Replacement Goldfish: Anne's father expected her to be a perfect copy of her late mother and was not pleased when she failed to meet his expectations.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Twice.
- After spending the majority of her early adulthood being pursued by womanisers who desired her wealth, Anne eventually became engaged to a man who she believed truly loved her in spite of her alleged shortcomings. In truth, her fiancee was no different from every other man who had pursued her, and conspired with her father to make off with Anne's inheritance and leave her destitute. If not for the secret inheritance that her mother had hidden from Anne's father, which Anne would use to open a toy shop, she would have lost everything.
- Sometime after Anne's toyshop had become commercially successful, and Anne had regained her self-worth as a result, she received a letter promising information on her deceitful father and former fiancee. All that she needed to do was go to an infamous manor...
- You Are Number 6: She is referred to by her given serial number, 3-1-2 in her Experiment File and corresponding Experiment Files on survivors that participated in the same game as her.
Ada Mesmer - The "Psychologist"
- Ambiguous Situation: 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.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Prior to Ada's 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.
- Forgotten First Meeting: 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.
- Hypocrite: 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.
- Inconsistent Spelling: The official story trailer for "Psychologist" and Patient spells her name as "Ada", but the Reunion Time trailer spells her name as "Eda"
- Named After Someone Famous: Potentially two famous people. Her first name implies that part of her character may have been inspired by Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician commonly referred to as the first computer programmer. Her surname, along with her occupation, implies that she is more heavily based on Franz Anton Mesmer, a German physician responsible for the creation of mesmerism, a practice that would later come to be known as hypnotism.
- Official Couple: With Emil.
- Tarot Motifs: Her and Emil's shared tarot card for the official "Arcana Series" merchandise is The Lovers.
- Token Good Teammate: Appeared to see herself as this among the staff of the White Sand Street Asylum, whom she believed were solely concerned with chasing fads and increasing profits, rather than actually helping the patients in the asylum.
- You Are Number 6: She is referred to by her given serial number, 0-0-1 in the Time of Reunion trailer and corresponding Experiment Files on survivors that participated in the same game as her.
Emil - The Patient
- Animal Motifs: Dogs. He was sold to a man operating dog fights, who treated him no better than the dogs he was breeding. When Ada discovers that blowing her whistle makes him calm down, she compares him to a dog being receptive to its master's wishes.
- Dark and Troubled Past: 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.
- Forgotten First Meeting: 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.
- Inconsistent Spelling: The official story trailer for the "Psychologist" and Patient spells his name as "Emil", but the Reunion Time trailer spells his name as "Emile".
- Mysterious Past: No one, not even Ada and even himself to a certain degree, knows the truth about his past. His deductions fill in most of the blanks.
- Official Couple: With Ada Mesmer.
- Parental Abandonment: His parents, either unable to raise another child or desperately needing money, seem to have sold Emil to a man (or men) operating dogfights.
- Tarot Motifs: His and Ada's shared tarot card for the official "Arcana Series" merchandise is The Lovers.
- Undying Loyalty: To Ada.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Or dogs in Emil's case.
- You Are Number 6: He is referred to by his given a serial number, 0-0-2 in the Time of Reunion trailer and corresponding Experiment Files on survivors that participated in the same game as him.
"Orpheus" - The Novelist
For more information about him and his other identities, visit here.
"Memory"/Alice DeRoss - Little Girl
For more information about her, visit here
2022
Joker - 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.
Inclination: A loose cannon on the verge of collapse.
- Ambiguously Evil: 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.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Don't be fooled by his shy and funny appearance, Joker has the highest body count of any human character and has been described as being one of the most unnecessarily cruel test subjects, which really surprises the person who writes the archival letters, as drugs never needed to be used.
- Early-Bird Cameo: His mask and lower body can be glimpsed in a Freeze-Frame Bonus in Nightmare's background trailer, a video released almost two months before his design was revealed, after Nightmare injects drugs into a rat.
- Evil Red Head: He has red hair and is described as one of the cruelest survivors.
- He Who Fights Monsters: Joker started out as a victim of abuse, who decided to break the status quo and defend Margaretha/Natalie [Female Dancer] from her abusive husband, only to have his career destroyed and his face disfigured. In this, Joker abandons any concept of morality and becomes the person with the highest murder count among human characters, having killed not only his abusers (Sergi and Bernard) but also hundreds of innocent people, which didn't seem to worry him and his hunter persona even mocked this fact. During the preparations for Game 8, he realizes that there is something wrong, and then starts acting as Sergi would, which ends up killing everyone except Murro. He also psychologically abuses Margaretha, and eliminates Violetta [Soul Weaver] in an extremely cruel manner. His actions surprises even the Manor workers, because he acted in a way only expected by people who were under the influence of the manor drugs to do so.
- Nice, Mean, and In-Between: Serves as the mean to Murro and Violetta's nice and Margaretha and Mike's in-between during the preparation stages of Game 8.
- Only One Name: No hint is made of him having a surname. Given that he was sold to the circus by his parents when he was young, it's likely that they felt no need for him to have one.
- Parental Abandonment: 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.
- Token Evil Teammate: For Game 8. His teammates are also victims of the circus and were abused in their past, but Joker is the only one to become a mass murderer.
- Tragic Villain: Although Joker is indeed a horrible person, for him to become so bad he had to be abandoned by his parents, go through years of abuse, bullying, have his face disfigured by acid, and his career ruined. While it doesn't justify killing innocents, it's still a lot more than a person should go through.
- Same Character, But Different: Joker's Survivor persona, as well as what he looked like before becoming a Hunter. The sheer physical difference between the two speaks volumes.
- You Are Number 6: He is referred to by his given serial number, 8-0-3 in his Experiment File and corresponding Experiment Files on survivors that participated in the same game as him.
Luchino Diruse - The Professor
For further information on him before the release of his Survivor persona, see Evil Reptilian.
Inclination: A wary seeker and the only test subject in this group.
- Ambiguous Situation: His role and presence in the second attempt at Step 6 of the experiment. While his Experiment File lists his serial number as 6-1-4 in the initial Group 6, the presence of Martha and the fact that she possessed the same serial number as him, raises the possibility that it may have been changed once the second attempt at Step 6 had properly begun..
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer:
- The Evil Reptilian’s deductions imply that he studied his reptile subjects by testing their venom on himself. His lab's janitor, Darren Berglund's, comments imply that this would often leave his lab a mess. Regardless, he was still respected as an outstanding scholar. He is also said to have been judged by his peers and the staff for believing in Darwin's theory of evolution (which was, at the time, thought of as ridiculous). Despite this, he was still considered a trusted official by his peers.
- The Corruptible: Both his letter and his trailer imply that he had good intentions in studying his transformation into a reptilian, but little by little the experiments corrupted him and screwed with his psyche until he became basically amoral.
- Creepy Good: Possibly good. 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 eliminated by a rocket chair.
- Early-Bird Cameo:
- His shadow can be seen in Luchino's official 2021 Character Day art.
- Luchino's Survivor persona and the details of his design (such as the scale-like debris and the bandage debris) were first alluded to in his second letter, written by Eli.
- Laughing Mad: When eliminated by the hunter he starts laughing in a manic and frightening manner, he also lets out a lower laugh when he stuns the hunter with a pallet.
- Mythical Motifs: His debut S-tier skin, Spring Heated Wine
, is themed around the cult of Dionysus, which coincidentally or not, was also the cult that ended up killing the mythological Orpheus. - Nice Guy: Despite what you might assume from Luchino's peculiar appearance and behavior, he is quite polite and friendly, both with the staff and his teammates. Unfortunately, the effect of the snake's venom is implied to have made him abandon that side.
- Promoted to Playable: Players were made aware that a pre to mid-transformation Luchino potentially participated in a game with both Eli and Demi at the manor during Luchino's 2021 Character Day. Come the following year, his Survivor persona was made a playable character.
- Same Character, But Different: Luchino's Survivor persona, and a depiction of him before he completed his transformation into the Evil Reptilian.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: His 2021 Character Day letter implies that during his time at the Manor, he served as the Savvy Guy to Demi Bourbon's Energetic Girl.
- Sole Survivor: His Experiment File reveals that he was the sole test subject in the initial Group 6 who didn't seemingly turn into a pool of cold water or, as the researcher put it, "cease to exist in terms of both vital signs and physical existence. As a result, he was then placed into a new Group 6, alongside a group of "unique but dangerous" test subjects from other groups.
- You Are Number 6: He is referred to by his given serial number, 6-1-4 in his First Experiment File and corresponding Experiment Files on survivors that participated in the same game as him.
Qi Shiyi - 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...
- Action Girl: The only combat-focused female stunner in the game.
- Almighty Janitor: A common antiques seller who apparently sold many of the Manor's mysterious items like Wu Chang's umbrella or Geisha mask, and is also a Martial Pacifist, who used to kill bad people for money and who is currently knocking out hunters to survive.
- Ambiguously Gay: Her friend, Tang Si, is described as the most important person in Qi Shiyi's life. She is implied to be both the reason Shiyi abandoned revenge and went to the manor, which has led some fans to interpret their relationship as romantic.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Her official dislikes are: High class people who violate the law, Killing and Milk.
- Badass Pacifist: One of the strongest and most talented survivors but who refrains from just immobilizing the hunter during matches.
- Bullying a Dragon: She is stronger than most hunters, unfortunately she will still be easily knocked out by two blows and put in a Rocket Chair.
- Cultured Badass: As expected of an antiquarian warrior.
- Cute Bruiser: She has a cute design, a gentle demeanor, and is an unstoppable warrior.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Her clothes are patterned in dark colors and she has an intimidating appearance, but she is a kind woman who joined the game to find her friend.
- Glass Cannon: One of the strongest survivors, but like most survivors, she will fall in two hits.
- Good Is Not Soft: She is a bit abrasive and honestly intimidating, but overall a kind and well-meaning girl who hates injustice and wants to protect the weak.
- Hates Being Touched: Previously had the "Lone Wolf" trait that made healing slower.
- Lady of War: Described as simultaneously soft as a cloud and hard as ice, Qi Xiyi is a graceful and elegant lady who is probably the best fighter among the survivors.
- Martial Pacifist: She is a martial artist but prefers to be peaceful and only use violence when necessary. As the hunters can tell from matches, you don't want to see her when the violence is necessary.
- Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Much more combat focused than the other survivors. She is also the only survivor who can disable the hunter's abilities after they have been activated and prevent a hunter from using the common hit.
- Retired Badass: She used to be a professional assassin, but gave up that path after realizing it went against what her family believed in. These days she's a relatively common antique dealer, but she'll kick any hunter's ass if she needs to.
- Sole Survivor: She is said to have been the only survivor of some form of disaster that befell the Xiao family.
Frederick Kreiburg - 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...
For more information about him, visit the Final Manor Game Character Page
2023
Alice DeRoss - The Journalist
For more information about her, visit her character page.
Charles Holt - The Aeroplanist
Having immigrated to new land, Charles Holt arrived to an era where everything was developing at a higher pace and people looked to the sky, filled to the brim with high-rise buildings and all manners of flying machines, with an almost jubilant passion. By day, Charles would share in that feeling, working as a high-altitude construction worker, alongside his close and sole confidant Mr. Albert Wayne. By night, working in a small shack that was almost submerged in the ground, Charles would endeavour to become part of that world through his efforts as the great engineer of the Sonora Aero Club. Charles sought to create his own flying machine, but, much to his chagrin, the unresolved flaws in his design continued to persist even after Charles became strapped for money. In return for a small fortune, Charles agreed to sell his risky but cost-saving design to the manager of a construction company. It was Charles's dear friend, Albert, who paid the price for Charles's sin. The truth behind the tragic accident that claimed Albert's life was covered up, and a brand new building was erected as a witness to civilisation. The only persisting evidence of what had truly occurred were the trembling hands of a guilt-ridden Charles, plagued by nightmares and unable to atone for his greatest mistake - until a letter arrived, offering Charles a chance to redeem himself.
- Accidental Murder: Technically an accessory to accidental murder.
- Acrofatic: Charles has a noticeably larger build than the other male survivors, but is just as capable of evading the hunter as the others.
- The Alcoholic: His Favourite Dish is a Large Beer.
- Ambiguously Gay: Albert is outright referred to as his "soulmate" in his official character backstory. With all that being said, it's possible that Albert is intended to be his "soulmate" in a purely platonic sense.
- Ambiguous Situation: One of Charles's deductions make mention of a woman and two children who Charles seems to have tried to contact following Albert's death. It is unclear if they are Albert's wife or children, mother and younger siblings, or if they are even related to Albert at all.
- Animal Motifs: Bears. His extended backstory compares him to a heavily built, surly brown bear.
- Big Beautiful Man: He's a little overweight, but he's honestly a really handsome guy, especially when he tries to dress well.
- Cowardly Lion: He can hurt the hunter for longer than the other survivors if there are allies nearby, but he is a shy and nervous man.
- The Eeyore: As Tracy notes, he has no pride in his actions and is more focused on the bad things that can happen during experiments.
- Genius Bruiser: While the other rescuers aren't exactly stupid, Charles is probably the smartest of them when it comes to technology, to the point that he can modify cipher machines to make decoding easier for allies.
- Gentle Giant: Bigger and broader than the other survivors, but he is a shy, dreamy man and apparently incapable of (intentionally) hurting anyone.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: He is a Gentle Giant who doesn't want to hurt anyone, but having caused his friend's accidental death during one of his experiments causes him to have low self-esteem and often let himself down.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: His eyes are always covered by his hair even during his chase and he is a timid and antisocial man.
- Historical Domain Character: Given his first name - as well as the first name of his close friend, - his personal passion, and his membership in the Sonora Aero Club, Charles is quite clearly based on Charles August Albert Dellschau, a Prussian-American who gained posthumous fame after his scrapbooks containing a vast numbers of drawings, collages and water paintings of airplanes and airships was discovered.
- Homemade Inventions: The jetpack he uses is noted to be self-made.
- Ironic Name: The name "Charles" means free man. Charles is both trapped by his guilt, and unable to pursue his dream of flying through the sky, free as a bird.
- Jet Pack: His unique item. His External Traits note that it's unstable.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: A downplayed example. While he's technically not a "hero" in the traditional sense, he's arguably one of the less morally ambiguous Survivors, and he possesses a relatively prominent chiseled jaw.
- My Greatest Failure: Desperate for cash, Charles accepted an offer from the manager of a construction company to sell his experimental design, which Charles was aware was still laden with design flaws. Charles's close friend Albert Wayne was assigned to test the device, only to be killed when the device failed to properly work. The cause of Albert's death was covered up, and Charles could never bring himself to admit the truth to anyone.
- My Greatest Second Chance: It is mentioned in his official backstory that the invitation to the manor may have been his last chance for redemption.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted; he shares a first name with Ada's father, Charles Mesmer.
- Perpetual Frowner: His default expression is a nervous frown.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: The Savvy Guy to Tracy's energetic girl. Being The Eeyore who is sad most of the time, while she is determined and excited about her work.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Gender-Inverted. Charles doesn't seem to care much about his appearance and dresses sloppily and untidy, but his S-tier skin, "Stellar Wings" makes it clear that he can be quite charming when wearing a nice outfit.
- Stout Strength: Charles is probably the heaviest survivor (even heavier than the Forward) and that's why when he doesn't have tremors he can stun the hunter with more force.
- Token Flyer: While he is not the only survivor with the ability to be airborne (like the Toy Merchant before him who can glide) he is the only survivor who can simply take off and move while flying.
- Too Many Belts: He wears suspenders and a leather harness, with a large brass belt buckle keeping his jetpack attached to him.
- Unkempt Beauty: Messy, unkempt hair covers his head and body. He's still fairly good-looking, all things considered.
- You Are Number 6: Tracy's fourth letter, along with certain wording in Luca's Experiment File points to him being the Survivor with the serial number, 10-1-3 alluded to in the latter.
Lily Barriere - The Cheerleader
Lily Barriere comes from an old family, the once beloved daughter of her influential grandfather's second son who, despite not being overly valued or favoured in the family, still possessed a considerable amount of wealth which he would use to support the happy childhoods of both his children. As the only daughter in the family, Lily was doted on by her parents and older brother and developed a naive, arrogant and paranoid personality as a result. However, her happiness would come to an abrupt end when she was sixteen years old. On the opening day of her father’s expensive new jockey club series at the Kreiburg Racecourse, the horses present unexpectedly lost control and caused a serious stampede, with Simon being heavily injured during the tragedy. Suffering from severe brain damage, and having been rendered paraplegic and mute, Simon was sent to a nursing home by his parents. The race meeting, intended to estalish Lily’s father’s prestige in the family, instead turned into a scandal that drove him out of the family completely. Unable to accept this, Lily’s father began to drink heavily, physically, verbally, and emotionally abusing Lily and her mother whenever he was drunk, and then blaming himself once he had sobered up. What was once Lily’s paradise had now become her purgatory. Lily’s only respite during this period of her life was whenever she went to the nursing home to look after her brother, cheering him on just as she once did at the racecourse. Although her brother could no longer provide her with a verbal response, he would always provide her with a happy expression on his face - an expression that belonged to the Lily of old. It was here that Lily met a girl around her own age, who, knowing what Lily was going through, offered her some “peer” advice. Not long after, Lily’s father broke his neck on his way home from a night of drinking. Lily’s mother went to the police morgue to identify the body and never returned. Now alone, Lily wrote to her uncle and grandfather, in the hope of receiving financial support to support herself into adulthood, as well as to continue to pay the medical bills for the nursing home. Her uncle ignored her letters. Her grandfather, however, sent her a sum of cash that would be enough for the siblings to live on for two years, and a strange IOU. The creditor of the IOU had changed from Lily’s grandfather to Lily herself. The debt itself concerned a manor called “Oletus”.
- Abusive Parents: Her father became physically abusive after descending into alcoholism following the tragedy that left her brother, Simon, paralysed and hospitalised. Her mother apparently abandoned her and Simon following their father's death.
- Black Sheep: A downplayed example; her Design Notes dub her the atypical member of the Barriere Family. Her uncle also showed no interest in financially helping her and her brother after their father died and their mother left them - granted, in the latter case, Reger's entire part of the family could arguably qualify as the "black sheep" of the Barriere family.
- Chess Motifs: Her skin "BISHOP-f1" is inspired by the chess piece of the same name.
- Fragile Speedster: Her unique ability, "Motivate", gives her a 70% speed boost when activated, making her one of the fastest survivors without the use of a dash, and although she is no more fragile than the average survivor, she will still go down with two hunter's hits.
- Girlish Pigtails: She is one of the youngest survivors and has pigtails. Played for Drama. Since it's implied that it's part of her attempt to pretend that she's still in the good old days of her childhood, before everything went wrong.
- The Grinch: Her only official dislike is Christmas for unknown reasons.
- Ironic Name:
- Her name, meant to represent her purity and innocence, became tragically ironic after the accident that physically and mentally destroyed her brother, and changed her father for the worst.
- To a lesser extent, her deductions reveal that her mother, Rosa, wished for her to be as "quiet as a lily". She grew up to became far more lively and out-going.
- Meaningful Name: Her deductions reveal that her parents decided to name her after the lily flower, under the belief that she would grow up to be pure and innocent. The lily flower itself is symbolic of purity and innocence.
- The Mentally Disturbed: Her External Traits reveal that she suffers from early psychosis caused by childhood trauma, leading to her being unable to properly discern her surroundings.
- Nasal Trauma: A stitched gash is visible across the bridge of her nose. Her design notes reveal that the wound is freshly healed.
- Parental Abandonment: It is all but outright stated that, following the seemingly accidental death of her husband, and fully aware of whom was actually responsible, Rosa Barriere, mother of Lily and Simon, chose to leave her family, leaving Lily and the hospitalised Simon to fend for themselves.
- Perpetual Smiler: Lily's model is always smiling in a way that creates the illusion that she is smirking.
- Pom-Pom Girl: She is a Cheerleader, her items are pom-poms, and her ability is designed to encourage her teammates to keep fighting the hunters.
- Red Herring: Her surname, Barriere, is the same as the Hidden Agenda Villain, Count Barriere, which served to draw some suspicion towards Lily when she was initially revealed. It turns out that not only is she innocent, but she is also a victim of her family's schemes.
- Self-Made Orphan: Lily's character trailer and deductions imply that she was responsible for the death of her father, Reger Barriere.
- Stepford Smiler: The reason Lily's role model never stops smiling? She wants to pretend that everything is fine. Lily is a broken bird after so many horrible things happening in her life, and wants to smile like old times.
- Tragic Keepsake: A non-fatal example is her older brother's equestrian helmet that she uses during matches.
- Vague Age: She does not have a confirmed age, but cannot drink the Barmaid's drinks, confirming that she is -21, and the last age mentioned in her lore was 16.
- Your Makeup Is Running: Mascara runs down her cheeks in streaks, resembling tears streaking from her eyes.
2024
Matthias Czernin & Louis - The Puppeteer
Matthias was born in Prague to a wealthy family. His mother was the daughter of a textile factory owner and his father came from an ancient family that was in decline. Although the family’s influence dwindled, the miraculous puppeteering skills passed down still brought considerable income. For a time, the family of three lived a slightly ordinary but happy life. One day, however, Matthias’s father received an invitation and took his family to Paris to perform a puppet show. He became famous - wealth and prestige came in droves. To strike while the iron was hot, Matthias's father became a performing artist, while Matthias's affable mother became a vain socialite. This made Matthias, who was naturally introverted, seem out of place in his family.
“It would be great if you were more like “Louis”.”
That was what his parents had always told him.
“Louis” was a puppet made by his father after he came to Paris, based on the cute and polite childhood version of Matthias. He could perform without the use strings and speak without being dubbed over. He was enthusiastic, cheerful, humorous and talkative. He was the mainstay of his father's puppet show. He was everything that Matthias was not. Years passed. The neglected Matthias became increasingly withdrawn, his role in the family was gradually replaced by “Louis”. What little time he did spend with his father - learning puppeteering - was just so that he could act as “Louise’s” partner when his father needed a rest. But there was always a lingering darkness and mean-spiritedness present in “Louis” when he was paired with Matthias. This made his parents disappointed. They scolded Matthias and became increasingly distant from him. Matthias began to feel more and more like a puppet in the family, with no flesh and blood and no one to care for him.
On his 23rd birthday, Matthias did not receive any blessings nor gifts but his father happened to have a large performance. Matthias took advantage of his father’s solo curtain call to go backstage and set fire to the room where “Louis” was stored. The fire was quickly brought under control, but the thick smoke caused panic, resulting in the collapse of the stage and a mass stampede. Matthias’s parents died in the accident, and Matthias was also severely injured on the left side of his body. But he didn’t care. At least “Louis" was dead. However, 91 days later, a wooden box was delivered to Matthias’s door, containing a brand-new “Louis”. Matthias was confused. Hadn’t the fire burnt him? This time, Matthias decided to throw “Louis” into the fireplace and watch him burn to ashes. 78 days later, he received another wooden box, and “Louis” returned. The cycle continued to repeat itself; no matter how Matthias dealt with “Louis”, he would always return, and the time interval between deliveries became shorter and shorter.
On the brink of madness, Matthias received another box on his 24th birthday. This time he noticed that there was a coat of arms on its corner. He had someone investigate and found that it belonged to a notorious manor from across the sea.
- Abusive Parents: His parents eventually grew to love a puppet they had based off of an idealised version of his happier childhood more than him. They grew so neglectful that they apparently forgot Matthias's birthday. It's arguably understandable why Matthias is implied to not have not lost a wink of sleep after accidentally getting them killed.
- Black Sheep: Matthias originates from a lineage of puppet performers known for their mastery of ventriloquism and crafting of movable devices. Their craft was so skilled that the manor game's designer is said to have taken an interest in the family. Matthias, both before and after being left an orphan, showcased traits opposite to his family's "gifts". This actually caught the eye of the game's designer.
- Cast from Hit Points: His "Louis" ability lacks any cooldown, but damages him for 25% of his total health each time (equal to half a normal attack from hunters).
- Demonic Dummy: Louis, at least in Matthias's eyes. Given that Louis is said to be able to perform without strings and speak without having to be dubbed over, his exact nature can be called into question.
- Facial Horror: His face possesses burn scars, and he is implied to be missing an eye. The stitches in the face his doll body, meanwhile, leave terrifying scars.
- Invulnerable Attack: In puppet form, he can use the Undaunted ability, immobilizing him momentarily while granting full damage immunity.
- Ironic Name: The name "Matthias" means "Gift of God". Given that his parents essentially replaced him with Louis, they likely felt that the name was not fitting.
- Light/Darkness Juxtaposition: Louis is dressed in white and sports a smile, and with it an air of confidence and assertiveness. Matthias, meanwhile, dresses in darker clothes, shows no apparent interest in standing out, and wears an empty expression.
- Looks Like Cesare: Matthias possesses sickly pale skin, dark brown hair, and hollow eyes.
- Loophole Abuse: While he is unable to be healed by others through the normal "Heal" action, he can still be healed by the Barmaid's Dovlin and the Psychologist's Empathize skill. While Barmaid's Dovlin bottles are limited in supply and Psychologist has the damage transferred to her instead, this is generally more efficient than him healing others due to just how long it takes.
- Meaningful Name: The name "Louis" means "loot bringer"; which is what he essentially was to Matthias's family.
- Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Matthias cannot be healed by allies, but heals himself when healing a fellow survivor. He can also only heal 1/4 damage at a time.
- Named After Someone Famous: Matthias's surname is potentially a reference to the House of Czernin, a Czech noble family.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Matthias is potentially based on Matej Kopecky, a famous Czech puppeteer whose descendants followed the art of puppetry - much like Matthias's family, on his father's side, did.
- Not Completely Useless: His "Useless Flesh" external trait makes him unable to be healed by others and severely decreases his speed for healing others. However, it also gives him the ability to heal chip damage from both himself and others. As Doctor can only heal chip damage on herself, while Barmaid's Dovlin can only heal chip damage below 1 point of damage (and it would also be a waste since it heals more normally), this gives a largely detrimental debuff some practical use. Certain persona talents that increase healing speed can also be used to make healing using him less painful.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted; he shares his title of "Puppeteer" with a pre-existing costume of Tracy the Mechanic's.
- Puppet Permutation: His main ability "Louis" transforms him into said puppet temporarily, with him switching back when the duration expires or if he takes enough damage from the Hunter.
- Self-Made Orphan: In his first attempt to rid himself of Louis by setting fire to the room where Louis was stored, Matthias inadvertently caused a panic and a fatal stampede that claimed the lives of both his parents. He is implied to have not lost much sleep over it.
- Unnamed Parent: His parents aren't named in his deductions or his extended backstory.
Florian Brand - The Fire Investigator
As the orphaned Florian grew up, he heard the regrets of people around him many times - for the accidental fire, for his parents who were willing to risk their lives to save him from the fire, and for himself who had to live in an orphanage after losing his parents. When the director told these stories to the donors again and again, they would all sigh together, feeling this selfless love and praising the miracle of life.
Perhaps what had occurred was indeed a miracle. In his dreams, Florian would frequently witness the scene of that day repeat itself again and again - the flames devouring his parents, who stayed in the house… Eventually he chose to accept what the adults had been saying: the love of his parents was still with him, it had just been absorbed into the flames. From that day on, those lingering dreams were no longer torture, but a form of companionship, guidance and enlightenment.
As time went on, Florian learned to cooperate with the performances organised by his caregivers, and the number of donations increasing. His proactive attitude and seemingly serious and responsible personality led to him being selected by the director of the orphanage as a manager among the children. For a while, this was Florian's life until, one day, a new fire broke out at the orphanage. The flames were difficult to extinguish and swept through the orphanage. Florian ran back and forth in the fire rescuing the director and as many children as he could.
Florian, now almost an adult, was widely reported in the news for this fearless act. He left the orphanage and was hired by the fire department. In addition to reporting on the cause of the fires he investigated, Florian also participated in dangerous rescue work, provided he could get to the sight of the fire in time. The courage and determination he showed in the face of fire, as well as his rich experience in fire prevention, made the rescue success rate of the block he was responsible for ranked among the best, with very few casualties.
Few seemed to notice, however, just how suspiciously impressive the incidence of fires in the block Florian covered was...
- Bandaged Face: Half of his face, including one of his eyes, is wrapped in a thick gauze.
- Evil Orphan: A young man orphaned after his parents were killed in a fire that broke out their house, who grew up to become an arsonist.
- Firefighter Arsonist: In this case, Fire Investigator Arsonist. Because of the way he was treated at the orphanage in his childhood, and the fact that his parents sacrificed themselves so he wouldn't die, Florian sees saving someone from fire as the ultimate form of kindness, which has caused him to initiate many of the fires he would then investigate.
- Meaningful Name: "Brand" is Dutch for "fire" and German for "configuration".
- Named After Someone Famous: Florian is likely named after Saint Florian, patron saint of chimney sweeps, soaps-makers, and firefighters.
- Unnamed Parent: His parents go unnamed in both his extended backstory and his deductions.
