For the final time, we appeared back in front of the campfire. Camden was gone. He either died or hid for so long that he was Written Off. Either way, it was just the four of us, Dina, Kimberly, Anna, and me. My injuries had healed, so I was no longer in terrible pain.

But something else had changed. When I had been in the last story, I noticed there was something off about Douglas, the young character who had been so obsessed with removing perceived trespassers that he had, apparently, created the Straggler curse itself.

There was something about him I couldn’t put my finger on, something being hidden from me.

He had offered his own blood in exchange for his last wish—the conclusion of the same years-long Eldritch-induced mania that had corrupted Hesper.

He was no longer an NPC. He was an enemy. I didn’t find that out until being transported out of the story. Over two hundred years had passed between that story and the present. And yet, Douglas was still here. He had been here the whole time.

Douglas “Old Man” Akers

Plot Armor: 35

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Tropes

Unreliable Narrator

There may be a kernel of truth to this villain’s tale, but it is best not to take them at their word.

Telegraphed Reveal

While an astute observer will know there is something strange about this character, the specifics will be hidden from the player until the end of the story. The red wallpaper and insight tropes will not help you here, though logic might.

Curse of Life

This villain will wander the earth until they remove their curse.

Mouth of the Host

This villain will speak for the enemy.

Narrator

This character can tell stories that the players must play through.

Non-combatant

This villain cannot be attacked On-Screen until it attacks the player or is otherwise identified as hostile. Attacking it will not be effective, nor will it change the story. It will cause the player to go Off-Screen for a time.