The Lamb’s Club
While we’re waiting for the gods to drop upon us a cool playable demo, there’s not a lot to talk about except design. This month, I thought I’d share some new characters with you. You already know Sam and David. But are not the only pieces on the Gray Matter gameboard? Hell no. In fact, there’s a lively supporting cast.
Supporting characters can be a lot of fun to write. For one thing, they can be more extreme since they’re applied in smaller doses. Kind of like pepper in a stew. They can be totally new, which becomes more relevant as a series progresses. And they can be an excellent foil against which to test your main character and demonstrate what he or she is made of.
Mysteries often have great ensemble casts. Think of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and “Murder on the Orient Express”. Or, you know, Love Boat. I modeled my cast in “Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned” on this template. You have an isolated location, a fixed group of diverse people, and a reason to suspect each one of them. That’s inherently creepy.
Our “ensemb” in Gray Matter is called The Lamb’s Club. It’s a group of Oxford students that Sam gathers up to take part in David’s experiments. When one of the members gloomily dubs them “lambs to slaughter” the name sticks. But naturally we won’t really slaughter them during the course of the game. At least, not all of them.
They do, however, all fall under suspicion as Sam is investigating the happenings at Dread Hill House. There’s gotta be an “inside man”, right? But they can’t suspect that they’re suspected. Got it?
The Members of The Lamb’s Club:
(Note: For full effect, apply organ music stingers to the end of each bio. Thanks.)
Harvey – Harv’s a New Yorker whose father sent him to Harvard to study law, but who really wants to be the next Orson Welles. He’s the class clown, but not stupid. Sam can get very little by him. Is that because he already knows what’s going to happen?
Helena – A European Princess from “some country you never heard of”, Helena is rich and pampered. She cares about booze and boys, though not in that order. How she ever got roped into something as pedestrian as this club is a puzzle. Or did she get roped into it?
Charles – Charles looks like a statue of a Botticelli angel but doesn’t have the confidence to match. In fact, this self-proclaimed momma’s boy from Manchester seems pathetically nervous around women. No way, Jose. Not with a bod like that. It must be an act.
Angela – Bookish and quiet, Angela is the quintessential college type. She even has the gentle Scottish brogue to match. Such a waifish little thing. Surely she’s harmless, even if she is a few pences shy of a pound when it comes to her interest in fate, angels and the paranormal.
Malik – This Indian neurobiology student seems both compelled and repulsed by the legendary Dr. Styles. He invited himself to the experiments and is the first one to insist they continue. Is he a neuro-science fan-boy or the younger gunslinger there to take David down?
The wunderbars artist at Wizarbox made this concept sketch of The Lamb’s Club. It’s one of my favorite Gray matter concept sketches so far. Can you tell which character is which?
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Harvey, Charles, Sam, Helena, Malik, Angela?
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Hey great, I just asked for another blog entry and there it is! Thank you, Jane!
m
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I agree fully with Simo’s guess on who’s who on the picture! They fit perfectly!
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Thank you for the second entry!
Great concept, I LOVED the format as it was used in GK3! Nothing like a small, quaint hotel full of suspects.
I can’t wait to seeing how it will be implemented in GM. Best wishes, Jane!
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Nice to see there comes more drop for drop =)
I like those club stories, I hope it get thrilling and not to easy to find out who did what and when.
The artwork for the six members is nice to, i love Helena`s and Sam`s outfit. I think my favorites at the moment are Malik, Sam, Helena and Harvey but the little bios of everyone sound interesting, so i look forward to a bunch of cool characters.
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:26 pm
i don´t want to be sentimantel, but i just love your stuff und need more!! I can´t wait to the realese of gray matter and this blog is more than satisfying. thank you Jane
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Very interesting entry: thanks Jane for caring so much about us!
I’m really intrigued, even more than I already was. I loved what Jane did with Gabriel Knight games - and particularly with the third - in terms of characters development, and I’m totally beguiled by the “Murder of the Orient Express” type of ensemble cast: so much mystery and suspense, doubts and double-dealings!
As for the Lamb’s characters, I already love Charles, Malik and Angela and I really can’t wait to see more of them (and maybe of David ^^)!
Again thank you, Jane!
Andrea
October 24th, 2008 at 1:56 am
Yay, another post! Very interesting. Thanks so much for doing this blog, these little tidbits mean a lot to your fans. I love the creepy setting for this game and i know it won’t go to waste when you’re done with it. I’m so glad Gray Matter is going ahead in spite of all the upheaval.
I saw you at the GK conclave in Seattle (what was that, 7 or 8 years ago?). I was the youngest person there, didn’t even have a driver’s license, but my parents made a special gift of it to me and took me to Seattle for it (luckily we only lived 5 hours away). I’m still amazed at your fanbase. Your games are just so damn good–I met people of all ages who had one thing in common, they loved a good story and appreciated your games to the max for the quality and attention to detail they bring. I don’t do a lot of online social stuff, but the friends I made online while waiting for GK3 are the best people I’ve ever met online. And I see them all out here again, cheering you on for Gray Matter!
October 24th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Thank you so much for the update, Jane! As someone anxious to play this game, it really raises my spirits.
The concept art looks great!
October 24th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Wow another update!! Really happy about that.. Counting down to the release.. Thanks very much!
October 26th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I admire your storytelling philosophy. The tangential elements are the ones that give the spice of mystique to the characters (instead of just serving to move from spot A to B and so on).
October 27th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I believe the sequence is:
Harvey, Charles, Sam, Helena, Malik and Angela
Thanks Jane for another great update and an exclusive screenshot! Did I actually hear you mentioning a DEMO? WOAH! How that would be a super sweet Christmas gift!!! I do not dare believe it could be possible
Much love from your fan in Denmark!
October 28th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Great idea, I loved too the format as it was used in GK3. I hope we don’t have to await very much the release. Thanks and congratulations!
October 31st, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I cannot believe it’s almost 10 years without Gabriel… I so desperately need a new Jensen adventure! I can almost feel the atmosphere overwhelming me..
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:44 am
Jane hi. I’m Michael. 10 years without Gabriel! My god! but… i played every time. I like very much GK2 it has more atmosfear and dark mood. what’s the problem with the Gray Matter project?
I can’t wait! 19 people here in Komotini in Greece they wait!!!
Take Care and good luck.
Michael V.
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Yes, CarpeDiem I agree whole heartedly!
GK III was the last adventure I really really loved. There were some good ones after that, but none came even close.
I’m so happy that Jane is back creating games! I can’t wait playing it!
November 2nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Very intriguing! The descriptions of these supporting characters casts an entirely new light on the story for me. I have so many questions already, but I’m sure they’ll be answered during the gameplay. Such as: what singles out these particular characters for Sam? How does she approach them? Do they approach her? Does Sam use her sleight-of-hand to convince them to take part in David’s experiments? What kind of suspicion do they fall under? What’s really going on?
I’m really looking forward to discovering the answers!
The last I heard, Robert Holmes was creating the music for the game. I just wonder if this is still the case. I’m hoping so.
November 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Congratulations!
It is nice to see what you are working on. I’m glad I found the blog.
Take care,
Christy
November 11th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Hello dear Jane!
Is very nice to read your comments. The blog was a great idea!
I’m looking forward to Gray Matter.
I have to tell you that, in my opininon, Gabriel Knight 3 - Blood of The Sacred, Blood of the Damned is one of the best games ever and a all time favorite of mine.
The awesome plot, the characters and their routines in the valley, the feeling of mystery, the music, the great 3D gameplay (I loved that was really possible to explore every corner of each ambient in various angles)… so many outstanding things!
Congratulations for designing such a marvelous game.
Pity Gray matter won’t be in full 3D as GK 3. But still, it promises to be a very good game.
Succes to you!
Éder R. M. (from Brazil)
November 15th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Sounds great! I can’t wait for this game to come out!