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The Present Day
Michael Arthate
The protagonist of the video game, an aspiring writer who, having become wealthy by the success of his first novel, Vanishing Town, purchases Blackwood Manor, a Victorian mansion on the outskirts of Rothbury, a small rural town in Northumberland.- Idiot Ball: Repeated instances in the game. Exploring the obviously creepy basement in the manor, as well as going through a vent passage in a fireplace. There's also leaving the door to Robin's cell open, but that can be justified because of panic.
- I Should Write a Book About This: While exploring the manor, he quickly notices a lot of things that would make a great series of horror stories, as he admits to Jerry in a conversation.
- Meaningful Name: Can't get anymore on the nose as a horror writer when your surname is literally an inversion of Lovecraft.
- Nightmare Fetishist: He's very interested in the weird goings-on and mystery in the Blackwood Manor, he is a horror writer after all. While he's scared out of his wits, he still insists that Jerry not call the police, until Michael has figured things out himself.
- Too Dumb to Live: Certainly, Michael. Open up that locked door that looks like it is the only entry to a prison cell. This couldn't backfire at all. He manages to survive, but only because he ran away from Robin in time.
- Writer's Block: He comes to the house because he thinks he can finish his book there. He only writes, at most, a page or two before the mystery's distractions and ugly revelations makes him unwilling to even look at his typewriter.
Jerry P. Carter
A successful real estate agent and old friend of Michael, who helped him secure Blackwood Manor's purchase.- Con Man: Possibly. It is revealed very near the end that his acquisition of Blackwood Manor was in some way improper. The Last Visit validates this assumption as Jerry is later arrested for fraud.
- Only Sane Man: Plays this role towards Michael, the more he gets obsessed with the mysteries of Blackwood Manor. He rightfully tells Michael that he should call the police if a burglar or the suspected-to-be-still-alive murderer James Blackwood is in the house and to leave the manor as soon as possible. Though the latter may have to do with knowing that the gig is up and the police will head to the manor soon, if Michael doesn't leave.
Barbara Stiles
Michael's assistant.- Chekhov's Skill: She's mentioned to have started learning foreign languages, including Italian. Michael sends the Italian maid's letter to her, for translating.
- Sassy Secretary: She makes teasing and even slightly rude comments towards her boss, but knows her job is safe, since she's a good worker.
The Reporter
The Player Character from Last Visit who is sent to investigate Blackwood Manor just before it's demolished.- Deadpan Snarker: He has some sassy answers to his boss.
- Intrepid Reporter
- No Name Given: We never know his name.
The Past
James Thomas Blackwood
The former owner of Blackwood Manor, having perished years ago of a heart attack after accusations of having murdered his wife.- Mistaken for Murderer: He is believed to have killed his wife. It was his deranged son, James merely buried the body.
- Nightmare Fetishist: His first few journal pages indicate this about him. He sounds fascinated of the African tribes, including the war tribe, and almost sounds amazed at describing how they ate one of their own. Some of the paintings in the house reinforce this impression that he was into creepy things.
- Occult Detective: He investigated African tribes, before wondering if his actions actually brought upon a curse on his family.
Catherine Lydia Blackwood
James Blackwood's wife, and the mother of Robin.- Slashed Throat: How she died according to witnesses.
- My God, What Have I Done?: It is hinted that she felt remorse of locking Robin in the basement, which may have been the cause of her death when trying to make amends with Robin.
Christopher Edward Milton
The Blackwood's family friend and doctor, and inheritor of James' estate. He vanished without a trace five years ago, shortly after acquiring Blackwood Manor.- Only Sane Man: In his diary he claimed to be the voice of reason at first, when James was blaming everything to a curse.
- Redemption Equals Death: Like Catherine before him, he is killed by Robin while trying to make amends, although he indicates that he was already dying anyways.
Eva Mariani
A maid who used to live and work at Blackwood Manor during the 60's.- Chekhov's Hobby: She was an aspiring photographer, as attested by her room displaying many books on the subject and her bathroom had been turned into a dark room to develop the photographs she took of the house and its grounds. Thanks to this she was able to take a picture of James Blackwood burying Catherine's body in the yard.
William Bailey
A retired police chief (presumably of Rothbury), who took part in the investigation of Catherine's murder. He was firmly convinced of James' guilt, but never able to convict him.- Incurable Cough of Death: Judging by how he sounds on the phone, he's either dying of lung cancer or just barely hanging in there with advanced emphysema.
- Knight in Sour Armor: He's a washed up drunk by the time the game takes place, who's still resentful of never convicting James.
Robin Blackwood
James Blackwood's deceased infant son.- Death of a Child: He died shortly after birth. At least that's what we were lead to think.
- Un-person: After his death his room's entrance was walled up and covered, with all evidence of his existence inside, in the hopes to be forever forgotten. Turns out his "death" was also part of the cover up.
Spoiler Characters
The Mask/Dolhom
A mysterious entity seemingly inhabiting an African mask brought back from a mysterious tribe in South Africa by James Blackwood, who blamed it for the fate of Robin.- Big Bad: Maybe
- Cats Are Mean / Panthera Awesome: It is said to take the physical form of a big lion.
- Darkest Africa: Although the Dhalmaar are considered far, far different than any other African tribe, so this may count a subversion.
- Eldritch Abomination: A strange entity inhabiting a mask, capable of altering reality on some level.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Has a deep guttural voice and laughter.
- Greater-Scope Villain: It never directly interacts with the player; its role (if any beyond the motivation provided by an inert object with an extremely disturbing history.) is limited to the backstory, though the exorcism near the end of the game may have directly gotten it involved. It may also be this if one assumes it is not the primary cause of Robin's deformities, but still exists as a supernatural entity.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: It's never made entirely clear whether Dolhom is real or not. Last Visit adds fuel to the "mundane" explanation, but even the main character admits that after all has been said and done, something seems out of place.
Robin Blackwood
James Blackwood's son, who, having been born with hideous deformities, was locked in a hidden part of Blackwood Manor's basement, and, following his killing of his mother and his fathers subsequent stress under the strain of being accused of his wife's murder, has been kept alive via regular shipments of meat arranged by Christopher Milton.- Glowing Eyes of Doom: The first thing the player sees of him.
- I Am a Humanitarian: He ripped his mother apart with his teeth, though whether he attempted to eat her at the time is left ambiguous.
- Madwoman in the Attic: A combination of both types.
- Nightmare Face: A gray, mangled thing of a face.
- Walking Spoiler: The fact that he's alive and in the mansion is the biggest Plot Twist of the game.
