Think of the character options and their developing story arcs and back stories like the characters from an ensemble TV show: seven intertwined, unfolding story lines whose personalities are fleshed out – and skills and weaknesses added – both through the main story as well as playable flashbacks. There are seven playable characters with seven distinct character story lines. Broad-stroke descriptions are as follows:
Ellen – A wiry, twenty-something girl from the sticks made cynical and hard beyond her years by an impoverished childhood and rough adolescence. Her typical clothes are a sweater over a t-shirt, jeans, and boots – what her people would call shit-kickers – all a little worse for wear. Ellen is independent, distrustful of everyone – especially urbanites – quick-witted and no stranger to physical violence. She's in town looking for her younger brother, Arney, who ran away from home months ago. Her goal is to get her brother to safety. Thwarting her in this is the Fagin-like character who's claimed her brother as his own, as well as the trust issues that exist between her and her brother stemming from their relationship with their parents.
Holly – A middle-aged mother, wife and office drone who's office is in the Dae-su building, as is her husband's and their daughter's daycare. Holly's sweetness and accommodation is sincere but sits atop of a deep, rich sense of irony and cutting observation. She good-humoredly suffers a lack of appreciation for her intelligence from three of the four corners of her life, her daughter being the only person who recognizes the extent of her capabilities. Holly's goal is to save her family. Thwarting her in this is her husband and/or daughter themselves, after one or both of them succumb to the transmutations, as well as her having to come to terms with her unnassertiveness and difficulty activating her self-interest and independence.
Ronny – An ex-con, weathered, older. A small, wiry man, in a weathered black suit and derby. He spent a long time in prison for a high-profile armed robbery. Life passed him by. He got out of jail a week prior and wants money owed him by his old partner, who, having spent all of both of their share of the heist, now works in the mail room of the Dae-su. Ronny gave him a week to come up with the money owed him but was stood up. Ronny's goal is to find his old partner at work and confront him, ultimately to get his money and make up for the life-living he's lost. Thwarting him in this are his old partner and a number of enforcers for the criminal organization that Ronny used to get funding from – family member's of his old partner – as well as Ronny's stubbornness and unwillingness to come to terms with his age.
Bunk – Brian “Bunk” Unkerton, a stout, blue collar, sprinkler-fitter working on an under-construction floor of the Dae-su building. Bunk is a large guy, an ex-rugby player. He's let himself go a bit since his playing days but is still nine times out of ten the strongest guy in the room. He's also very mellow, goodhearted and quick to laugh. Bunk's been tasked by his sister with saving her fiance, whom he's not fond of. Thwarting Bunk in this is his sister's fiance, who's a bit of an obnoxious pain in the ass.
Llewellyn – An introverted lab technician, Llewellyn has a powerful crush on one of his coworkers, is being anonymously blackmailed (by another coworker, most likely) for his unwitting involvement in yet another coworker's corporate espionage. Llewellyn's goal is to save (and win the heart of) the object of his affections, as well figure out who is black mailing him and address that. He is thwarted by his blackmailer(s), his company's security, his competition for the girl of his dream's heart, and his own involuntary awkwardness and fears. Llewellyn starts the game in despair, about to jump off of the roof of the building.
Paige – A widower of advanced years but spry and sprightly for her age. She dresses like a cross between a flapper and a hippy. Paige has brought her cat Ferdinand to the Dae-su for a visit to the vet. Ferdinand is her best friend and her strongest tie to her deceased husband, who bought the kitten for her shortly before his death. It's become sickly as of late but nothing that can't be easily treated with the proper medication. Paige's goal is to get the handful of animals in the vet's office to safety. Thwarting her in this is her infirmity and the logistics of keeping the animals safe. Fortunately for Paige, she inspires an enormous amount of assistance from strangers – not to mention the animals in her care – and has an wide assortment of life experiences from which to draw on, providing her a variety of skills and a wealth of information.
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