on the protagonist of "the seance of blake manor," declan ward
it may seem silly to say, but one aspect i found unexpectedly charming about "the seance of blake manor" was actually the protagonist, declan ward, and how he interacts with the game's world and people. i wasn't expecting to feel too much for him at first honestly, as my first impression pinned him as the classically cold and calculating type befitting the average detective story - the kind who focuses his cunning on his goals, who has little interest in supernatural explanations. then, pleasantly, he surprised me.
[spoilers for most of "the seance of blake manor" ahead]
as the game picks up, it becomes quite clear that, although declan may start the game as a grounded man of god, he should not avoid the reality of ghosts, magic, and otherworldly beings. and so he doesn't! he spends relatively little time resisting the reality of strange happenings at the manor; rather than dismiss it as superstition as many a detective in this genre is wont to do, he seeks to understand it. he incorporates supernatural elements into his theories, makes a point to do research and consult magical experts. after all, if it aids his investigation, why not expand his pre-existing worldview? both declan and the player must embrace the world's mechanics to progress further, reflecting a major theme of the game: open-mindedness to ways of living and thinking that are not your own. especially in the context of a story so invested in the bloody legacy of colonization, declan's behavior is a welcome contrast to the attitude of european conquerers who likely thought themselves too enlightened, too superior to treat fellow human beings with understanding and dignity.
of course, it's not just our protagonist's receptiveness to new ideas, but also his active interest in the well-being of others. on a technical and mechanical level, declan doesn't have to prevent people from attending the titular seance in order to solve the mystery of what happened to evelyn deane… but he expresses his drive to do so anyway for fear of these strangers' safety. moreover, after rooting out each manor guest or staff's personal motivations, declan displays a remarkable amount of principle, empathy, and support. for instance, when he figures out michael skerritt's bonkers plan to off himself and secure his legacy by becoming the firstghost to ever speak to the living, i didn't really expect him to speak so passionately against both skerritt's utterly insipid logic and the utter waste that his suicide would be. it's about more than just preventing another person's attendance; the detective seems almost disgusted that someone would act so selfishly when they could still live to make a difference. nevertheless, he goes out of his way to help skerritt and so many fellow manor residents. rather than stop at learning enough info to eliminate potential culprits, he seeks out what each person needs to resolve their unfinished business, too.
the way in which declan helps address so many people's problems is also notable. it would be simple enough to have him perform a sort of fetch quest on his own, and sure, as a player, this is sometimes all you need to do. but just as frequently if not more so, you and declan must use the evidence you've uncovered to determine who to connect to whom. corentine quinn and ines barbosa, both callaghans, caitlyn joyce and lloyd dupre, darragh hunter and ivy mcleod, fiadh callaghan and saoirse murphy, and so on - there are so many people capable of helping each other to bring together, so many connections to understand and/or foster. by the game's climax, declan's actions have contributed to a touching narrative that shifts the focus away from just what one individual can do to save the day onto what many individuals can do to save one another. our dear detective may start this game as a stranger among strangers, but he ends it as a conduit for community.
there are other smaller things i find appealing about declan ward. for one, this game had me feeling the opposite of the chagrin you might experience when picking a seemingly innocuous dialog option only for it to be delivered far more harshly than expected. declan always manages to advance his investigation with tact and subtlety, even when broaching touchy or potentially impolite topics. for another, i admired him even more after the reveal that mrs. joyce reached out to him because of his reputation as a champion of the lower classes against the complacent elite. for one more, his desire to do so because of the part he believes to have played in his brother's tragic death strikes me as bittersweet yet redemptive.
in all these ways and more, declan ward slots quite nicely into the "warm and calculating" character archetype that i personally crave more of. he is a wonderful protagonist to step into the shoes of, one written to espouse values of receptivity, kindness, and reparation in stark contrast to the selfishness of both the game's ultimate culprit and the colonizing violence haunting the lands of blake manor and beyond. i love the detective/mystery genre as a whole, and honestly, this game feels so uniquely thematically rich within that context. i truly believe mr. ward plays no small part in that.
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