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Characters / A Study in Steampunk

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The Protagonist

  • Badges and Dog Tags: Invalided out of military service, begins the game as a police surgeon. Officially. Actually, he's a member of "Woodward's Irregulars", the local counterintelligence force.
  • Combat Medic: The story starts with a flashback to his war days. The protagonist is a fully trained, highly competent former army doctor. The player can choose to increase his marksmanship ability, making him a crack shot, as well as his medical abilities to make him a better medic.
  • Healing Hands: Possible, if the player chooses to develop his healing abilities.
  • Expy: Of John H. Watson.
  • Hello, [Insert Name Here]: The player gets to name him in the flashback scene. Before that, the Stats screen displays his name as "Dr. Firstname I. Lastname".
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran: With an obligatory war flashback. He also has been wounded, like Watson (the location of the injury is selectable - his arm or his leg, reflecting Conan Doyle's Flip-Flop of God on the location of Watson's wound).
  • Revolvers Are Just Better: Like Dr. Watson, the PC uses his old service revolver for dangerous missions.

Garrett Finch

  • Expy: Of Sherlock Holmes.
  • Great Detective: As a counterintelligence agent, but he really is Sherlock Holmes with serial numbers filed off.
  • Fakingthe Dead: Pretends to be dead for three years.
  • Incompatible Orientation: Even if the protagonist is straight, Finch will harbor feelings for him.
  • Intrepid Reporter: Officially a newspaper photographer.
  • Master of Disguise: Displays a knack for disguises.
  • Sherlock Homage: Great Detective in a steampunked Victorian London, he has The Watson (player character) and the general air. The first thing he does in the narrative is wake his Watson up because "the game is afoot", and then run a Sherlock Scan on him and deduce the PC's had a rough night.
  • Sherlock Scan: The skill most valued by Finch, and which continues to impress Woodward and the PC. He conducts himself very similarly to Sherlock Holmes, ie. noticing small details, like markings on sleeves and cuffs, and getting so caught up in his deductions to the point of not noticing he's upsetting his friend,.
  • Straight Gay: Regardless of the protagonist's sexual orientation, Finch will have romantic feelings for him. You can choose whether to reciprocate them or not.

Grace Chandler

  • Love Interest: One of the romance options for the PC.
  • Noble Bigot: Prejudiced against sun-worshippers, but won't rat the protagonist out if he's one.
  • Plain Jane: Described as "not exactly pretty, but pleasant to look at". Finch pins her down (correctly) as a governess, and in her first appearance Grace is wearing a very simple beige gown with no decorations.

Arthur Woodward

Alexandra Townsend

  • Femme Fatale: Beautiful, daring, seductive and uses her charms in her work for the Mercian Resistance.
  • Friendly Rivalry: Though Free Mercia and the Church come at the oppression of the government from different angles, she expresses approval for what you are doing if you choose to join the Church instead of Free Mercia.
  • Love Interest: Another romantic option for the PC.

Christopher Taggart

Madame Adela Albescu

The Professor Sean Callahan

Miss Lawrence

Woodward's secretary.

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