14 July 2021 | Unfathomable

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Introducing the Playable Characters for Unfathomable

#Unfathomable

Last month, we announced Unfathomable, the latest game in the Arkham Horror Files universe. This thrilling game of traitors and terror is filled with twists and turns, and it brings a whole new cast of characters into the Arkham franchise.

Each of these characters brings their own strengths and abilities into the fold, and today we’re taking the opportunity to get to know them all! Without further ado, let’s meet the cast of Unfathomable!

The Captain: Keilani Tatupu

We gave a brief introduction to the SS Atlantica’s stalwart captain in the announcement article, but now we can introduce her in full!

Keilani knows how it feels to lose a ship. When a typhoon killed the captain of her previous ship, she stepped up and took charge. Unfortunately, a mutiny soon afterwards left her stranded on a lifeboat with eleven other crewmembers for four weeks. Despite all odds, Keilani kept everyone alive, including a teenage boy from her home island of Samoa that was pulled overboard by a mysterious, hideous creature. Keilani dove after the creature to save the boy, and after locking eyes with it, the creature let the boy go.

The story of Keilani and her crew’s four weeks at sea earned her a glowing reputation and a new ship of her own: the SS Atlantica. But why did that creature let the boy go when it saw her? And why is she seeing its yellow eyes again in her dreams? Maybe there is more to Keilani than even she realizes. 

As the captain of the SS Atlantica, Keilani can take command of any situation, using her wealth of experience to help out during skill checks and wielding her  Speaking Trumpet  to guide panicking passengers to safety. During a crisis, Keilani can use her skills as an  Unconventional Leader  to cancel any dire consequences of that crisis at the cost of a resource, allowing her to swoop in and save the day when it counts!

However, if Keilani is a traitor, then her position as captain can also make her a formidable foe. Her experience can be used to sabotage a skill check at a crucial moment, such as saving herself from being sent to the Brig. While her ability to cancel a choice on a crisis may seem purely beneficial, all four of the Atlantica’s resources are crucial, meaning Keilani can end the game if any of them get too low.

The First Mate: Arjun Singh

As a soldier in the British Indian Army, all Arjun wanted was for his fellow Sikhs to be treated as equals rather than expendables. So he followed orders, even when they conflicted with his beliefs, and he took on assignments alone to protect his brethren. When his major invited Arjun to dine in the officers’ mess, he accepted, thinking he’d finally earned some respect.

He didn’t expect to find several hooded figures, or for the major to tell him he “will make an excellent servant for the Father.” After their chanting stirred something in Arjun’s mind, he broke free and fled the army. Years later, after becoming first mate of the Atlantica, Arjun caught glimpse of a familiar robed figure ducking through the ship’s corridors, stirring something in his mind once more.

 

As a former soldier used to operating alone, it should come as no surprise that Arjun is a versatile character. His signature ability allows him to quickly move around the ship and then perform an additional action, either rescuing wayward passengers or dispatching Deep Ones with his trusty  Six-Shooter . True to his selfless nature, Arjun can use  Self Sacrifice  to automatically determine the outcome of a skill check at the cost of sending himself to Sick Bay, allowing him to pull the ship out of a deadly crisis when it matters most.

However, if Arjun is a traitor, then his skills can make him a deadly threat. His mobility and versatility can make it extra hard for the humans on board to pin him down, his six-shooter is just as effective against humans as Deep Ones, and he could just as easily sacrifice himself to doom the ship as he could to save it.

The Surgeon: Svetlana Gedroits

Svetlana’s talents as a physician are unrivaled. Not only is she proficient with modern medicine, she also utilizes the special words her mother taught her to save many lives. She’s so skilled that her peers in Saint Petersburg accused her of witchcraft and banned her from practicing medicine in the city. So she left Russia, using her services as a physician to buy passage aboard ships traveling the world.

Now, years later on the Atlantica, a passenger was found murdered alongside a strange book. Svetlana had never seen the characters written in that book before, but somehow she recognized them as her mother’s words.

As a skilled doctor, Svetlana is a powerful healer who excels at keeping the crew and passengers of the Atlantica on their feet. Her Healing Words can prevent other players from being defeated, while her  Travel Pharmacy  can be used to keep passengers alive. In a desperate situation, Svetlana can rush in and perform a  Medical Intervention  to save anyone aboard the ship, potentially keeping important figures active during a crucial moment in the voyage.

However, if Svetlana is a traitor, she can withhold her treatments and only use her skills to save herself. With her Travel Pharmacy potentially draining the ship’s food supply, Svetlana could easily put the Atlantica under serious pressure; or, if the ship runs low on people, she can Conduct Malpractice to kill off the passengers she swore to save.

The Engineer: Jeanne Lafarge

Jeanne has always been an activist. Her parents taught her that one must understand their oppressor to fight oppression, so they sent her to be educated in France at the Institute for the Deaf in Bordeaux. Eventually she found her way onto the Atlantica, where she was stationed in the loud confines of the engine room. She earned herself a promotion to chief engineer by teaching her peers to communicate via sign language.

It was on the Atlantica that Jeanne discovered crates of pillaged artifacts from her homeland of Senegal, along with a number of strange, golden idols depicting humanoid figures with fishlike features. Seeing these relics ignited outrage in her heart, so Jeanne sent a secret signal requesting an unsanctioned rendezvous. Now she waits for her associates to take back what is rightfully theirs. Mother and father will be so proud.

As the ship’s engineer, it comes as no surprise that Jeanne is skilled at keeping the Atlantica moving. Her Jury Rigger ability allows her to increase the distance traveled whenever a player moves the ship, and with her  Tool Kit  she can repair the damage she caused in an instant. In a dire situation, she can cause the ship to go  Full Steam Ahead  and launch ahead on the travel track. Keep in mind that the humans on the ship need only to safely reach Boston to win the game, so using this card at the right moment could potentially win the game!

However, if Jeanne is a traitor, then her mechanical expertise could easily hasten the ship’s doom. Jury Rigger damages the ship and can be used anytime Jeanne isn’t in the Brig, allowing her to punish the humans as they try to get the ship to Boston, and, by holding onto the Tool Kit, she can make it more difficult for other characters to repair the damage she does. Finally, while Full Steam Ahead can provide a burst of speed, it also could potentially use up the last of the ship’s fuel supply, leaving the Atlantica stranded in Deep One-infested waters.

The Master-at-Arms: Jamie Snell

Jamie has never hesitated to follow their heart. From a young age, Jamie liked to wear dresses and hunt along the bayou of the Mississippi Delta. They often listened to stories from their mother, who told Jamie that “Papa heard the call of the sea and he had to answer. One day, you will understand.”

The sea enthralled Jamie, to the point where they eventually signed up to be a sailor, and they have felt at home on the waves ever since. When a body was found in the Atlantica’s chapel, Jamie’s experience in beauty salons helped them identify the face powder laced with arsenic on the victim’s teacup. But why do they feel so at home on the ocean? Could they have been the one who poisoned the woman to begin with?

As the Atlantica’s master-at-arms, Jamie is able to put their lifetime of hunting experience to good use in defense of the ship. Their Quick Draw ability lets Jamie take a free shot once per turn, and with their  Repeating Rifle  allowing them to pick off enemies from a distance, there can be no mistake that this sailor is not to be trifled with. By conducting an  Arrest Order , Jamie can force somebody into the ship’s Brig, locking them out of many of their abilities and, if that person is a traitor, protecting the rest of the ship from their schemes.

However, if Jamie is a traitor, then their strength and martial skill makes them incredibly dangerous. Jamie’s Repeating Rifle can raise hell for humans trying to fend off the Deep One assault, and if anyone proves too troublesome, Jamie can use their Arrest Order to lock that person up in the Brig, leaving the machinations of Hydra and Dagon unhindered.

The Apprentice: William Bowleg

There are holes in William’s memory. When a foreign woman showed up to his isolated village in the Bahamas looking for a guide, he helped her to explore a nearby island he’d never seen. To this day, William has no idea how long he was down in the island’s underwater cavern or what he found there. He felt compelled to help this woman with her quest to unravel the mysteries of the strange tome she carried.

Another hole in his memory appeared tonight when his companion asked him to fetch something from her cabin. By the time William returned to the chapel, he found her dead. He has no idea who killed her, but he knows they’re still on the Atlantica.

William’s past may be riddled with mystery, but his present capabilities are formidable. His Occult Training allows him to freely look at and manipulate the spell deck once per turn, a valuable skill that can allow players access to the right magic at the right time. His  Elder Sign Amulet  gets extra mileage out of his skill cards, and, in a pinch, he can use  Quick Cast  to cast a spell without costing him an action. The cards in the spell deck have some powerful effects, so being able to use them quickly makes William a valuable asset to the team.

However, if William is a traitor, then that magical knowledge becomes a huge threat. His Occult Training can be used to prevent the humans from accessing the spells they need when they need them, and his ability to use multiple actions and effects with his amulet and Quick Cast means he can cause a lot of trouble in just one turn. The humans will have to stay on their toes!

The Mathematician: Beatrice Sharpe

Numbers have a way of talking to Beatrice. She’s used them to predict future events since she was a child. While studying at Miskatonic University, she found an unusual almanac filled with esoteric data, and she always seemed to open it to the exact page she needed.

The almanac let her predict larger and more significant events, and when she began having dreams of a vast, underwater city, it helped Beatrice calculate the most probable location for her to find it. She found a passenger ship that would be steaming right past it, so she booked herself passage aboard the Atlantica.

Beatrice’s quick, calculative thinking makes her an expert at predicting the future, and this is reflected in her playstyle. With Predictive Analytics, Beatrice can choose to resolve the milder of two crises at the end of her turn, and with her trusty  Almanac  she can boost any die roll at the cost of a skill card from her hand. In a pinch, she can choose the exact result of any die roll with  Perfect Number , which means the humans won’t need to leave anything to chance during a crucial roll.

However, if Beatrice is a traitor, she can easily use these skills to sabotage the other players. Predictive Analytics can easily be used to choose the worse of two crises, and the Almanac can boost her own dice rolls as she works to aid the Deep Ones. With Perfect Number, she can guarantee that a die roll lands on an unfavorable result, which could be devastating when used at the right moment. Never underestimate this mathematician!

The Exile: Ishmael Marsh

Born and raised in Innsmouth, Massachussetts, Ishmael was a dutiful child who attended services at the Esoteric Order of Dagon with his family. It was only when he got older that he started feeling uneasy with the teachings and goals of the Order. He grew more and more uncomfortable over time, until eventually he fled Innsmouth in an attempt to escape the reach of the Order.

Ishmael spent several years traveling, trying to stay one step ahead of the Order, which was surely after him. Eventually, he woke up aboard the Atlantica, a copy of the Book of Dagon lying next to him, with no idea how he got there. It seems that Ishmael can’t quite escape his upbringing, no matter how hard he tries.

Even though he’s tried to separate himself from the Order of Dagon, Ishmael is easily the most connected to the Deep Ones out of all the characters in the game. The First Oath of Dagon allows him to move Father Dagon or Mother Hydra away from the ship, and the  Book of Dagon  allows him to control the movements of their Deep One spawn. His  Deep One Ancestry  allows Ishmael to determine the exact loyalties of any one other player, which helps him keep tabs on any Deep One hybrids that might be lurking about on the ship.

However, if Ishmael is a traitor, then his connection to the Deep Ones makes them even more dangerous. The First Oath of Dagon can easily be used to move Dagon or Hydra to threaten a more vulnerable part of the ship, the Book of Dagon can do the same with their spawn, and Deep One Ancestry lets Ishmael cause havoc by falsely accusing an innocent player of being a traitor or gain himself or a fellow hybrid some trust by declaring another player to be a loyal human (whether they are or not).

The Jinx: Edmund Mallory

 

At first, Edmund didn’t think much of the unremarkable gold ring his mother gave him. It wasn’t until he learned of his parents’ deaths in a steamship accident that he realized it was the last gift he would ever receive from them. Unfortunately, the death of his parents was just the beginning. First his house staff took ill, then his family estate crumbled off the cliff it was built on, then his yacht sank after Edmund heard an eerie, yet melodic sound.

Edmund survived all these misfortunes, and he was convinced that the ring had some sort of curse. Following an instinctual urge to return the ring to whence it came, he contacted a friend whose father was an expert archaeologist in hopes that they could help. Jack agreed to meet Edmund in Boston, so he booked passage aboard the Atlantica, determined to break the curse before misfortune finally catches up to him.

Edmund’s luck (specifically, his bad luck) takes the stage in his playstyle, with lots of opportunities to leave things to chance. His Fortunate Son ability lets him reroll dice as many times as he likes (so long as he has skill cards to discard), and with the  "Lucky" Ring  he received from his mother, he can boost the chances of a skill check succeeding at the cost of possibly bringing about future misfortune. If someone draws a particularly nasty mythos card, he can use his  Uncanny Fortune  to give them a new one. Just be careful—the new card might be even worse!

However, if Edmund is a traitor, then his string of bad luck is only a boon to him and the Deep Ones. His access to all five skill types lets him easily cast suspicion on other players while sabotaging skill checks. Fortunate Son could potentially turn any successful die roll into a failure, the Ring could fill the chaos deck with treacheries, and Uncanny Fortune could easily force someone to resolve a much worse mythos card than what they were doing originally. Everyone has to be wary of the jinx, especially if that jinx is working with ancient evils!

The Stowaway: Samira Dualeh

 

All Samira wants is to be reunited with her family. Her parents left Somaliland to travel to the United States in search of a better life for the family, but when Samira tried to follow them, she was rejected from Ellis Island as “defective” because of her albinism and was deported back to Morocco. After living on the streets for a while, she followed a Frenchman to a banquet for poor children. During the meal, she witnessed a young boy writhing on the floor, his skin a mottled gray and his eyes bulging out of his head.

Eventually, Samira found a ship bound for Boston and snuck aboard. While hiding in the cargo hold, she overheard a pair of voices talking about a passenger who was impeding their plans. They would have discovered her if not for the loud bark of a giant schnauzer that burst from a nearby crate. Samira fed the dog some of her stolen food, earning herself a trusty companion.

Samira is used to fending for herself and making use of whatever she can get her hands on, and this adaptability is reflected in her playstyle. Her Scavenger ability lets her stockpile useful items and share them with other players (if she chooses to), and  Well Equipped  lets her boost the result of a skill check for each item in her possession. She also comes with her newfound companion,  Starbuck , who can help fend off enemies or protect her from harm.

However, if Samira is a traitor, then this versatility makes her a massive threat. Each item she takes with Scavenger is an item that the humans can’t use, and they all have features that can give her an edge during her sabotage. Well Equipped can be used to decrease the result of a skill check and ensure its failure, and Starbuck is loyal only to her—she will readily attack any human that dares to challenge her beloved Samira.

A Varied Crew

This colorful cast of intriguing characters helps bring the world of Unfathomable to life. We hope you are excited to meet them when Unfathomable launches this September!

Join us next time for a gameplay preview of this thrilling game of traitors and terror. You can pre-order your own copy of Unfathomable (UNF01) at your local retailer or online through our webstore today!

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