Hope

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Hope (霍普)
Alias(es)	Hope Love; “Little White” 69 81
Species/Race	Son of the King of Kings; a foreign soul inhabiting a human body 24 148
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Whateley family by birth; formerly confined at Whateley House 4 21
Occupation/Role	Miskatonic University student; occult investigator and opponent of the Whateley family 80 133
Status	Alive; assisting preparations for Jack Corbett’s Ascension Ritual 153
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Uncertainty: 1	9, 15	Identifies his spatial-transfer magic after arriving in Old Williams’s Rose Garden without explanation. The ability remains at rank 1 despite repeated use.
Source-ification: 0.3	15	An unexplained innate trait recorded alongside Uncertainty. It later enables Hope to interfere with and perceive other souls’ magic.
Curse of Darkness: 1	15	Acquired after killing the Great Night Hawk; feathered growths emerge from his shoulder blades, while a black shadow begins following him.
Inspiration: 0 → 0.01	37	Gains a small amount of Inspiration/Mana after the black shadow and Steel Pen manifest a spell. The amount is expended during the shadow’s time-distortion incantation.
Exchange: 1	86	Takes control of Skull No. 1’s attempted soul exchange and redirects it, acquiring the skull’s Exchange magic.
Source-ification: +0.2	102	Alters the power stored in Wilbur’s stone through Exchange and gains an additional 0.2 Source-ification.
Temporary Spirit Body restoration	127	Uses Inspiration to connect with Oliver Whateley’s skull and temporarily restores the Spirit Body he lost through Exchange for roughly five minutes.
Erasure anomaly	137	Uses an anomaly that removes designated possible futures, including Wilbur using hostages or reaching Hope’s hiding place. It can maintain only three erasures at once.

Background

Hope is an amnesiac foreign soul who arrives in Dunwich with little understanding of its supernatural world. At the beginning of the story, he is confined within Whateley House and is apparently allowed outside only once each month. His old acquaintances recognize him as “Hope,” but their familiarity belongs to Number One Hope, a predecessor whose friendships and history Hope cannot remember 4 24.

He is connected to the Whateley family through Old Whateley, who is identified as his grandfather, and the King of Kings, later revealed to be his father 21 148. Hope’s inheritance leaves him valuable to both the Night Hawk Union and Miskatonic University, while also making him a target for Wilbur’s schemes 148.

After leaving Miskatonic University under the effects of the Heart-shaped Padlock, Hope regains his complete memory. He decides that the Whateley House situation must eventually be revealed to Dr. Morgan and Professor Armitage 73.

Appearance

Hope is a young man approximately 180 centimeters tall with a moderately built body. His albinism gives him pale skin and distinctive eyes, while his poor natural vision makes sudden light especially painful 10 41 54 100.

• Has severely limited eyesight and frequently relies on sound, memorized surroundings, or his attributes to assess danger 15 21.
• His albinism makes direct sunlight a concern; the library gatekeeper lends him an umbrella for protection 54.
• Developed small feathered growths near both shoulder blades after killing the Great Night Hawk 15.
• Uses disguises when necessary, including a black raincoat and a cardboard-box hood with tiny eyeholes 64 100.
• His body becomes visibly frail and wrinkled after disastrous attribute exchanges, though Oliver’s skull can briefly restore his lost vitality 127 144.

Personality

Hope is observant, pragmatic, and quick to improvise under pressure. He tests the rules of unfamiliar powers rather than accepting them at face value, whether by studying Uncertainty’s observer restriction, probing the black shadow’s time magic, or turning Skull No. 1’s Exchange against it 9 39 86.

He is socially awkward, particularly around physical contact and people who knew Number One Hope. Annie’s enthusiastic embrace leaves him stiff, silent, and uncertain how to respond because he does not share the predecessor’s memories 4.

Despite his caution and capacity for deception, Hope repeatedly chooses to protect others. He helps a captive boy escape the Great Night Hawk, risks himself to recover Elizabeth’s soul, and refuses to trade Elizabeth’s life for magic 15 83 85. He enjoys being praised as a hero, but also recognizes the cost and uncertainty behind heroism 15 152.

Abilities & Skills

Attribute Perception

Hope perceives an internal “Memorandum” that displays numerical attributes for himself and others. He initially labels them as Talent, Physique, Vision, and Mana before learning the more formal terms: Self-Being, Spirit Body, Self-Sense, and Inspiration 8 89 100.

• Can inspect others’ approximate physical ability, sensory capacity, and Inspiration 51 133.
• Can mentally annotate and retain notes within the Memorandum 8.
• Detects magic and exchangeable qualities after gaining Exchange and deepening his connection to another soul 85 87.
• Uses the information to estimate enemies’ remaining power, including Wilbur’s Inspiration 133 137.

Uncertainty

Uncertainty is Hope’s primary spatial-transfer magic. By closing his eyes and imagining a location, he can relocate himself across short or long distances 9 11.

• Allows rapid escapes, infiltration, and repositioning during combat 13 58 138.
• Can be used to reach concealed places such as under beds, rooftops, and spaces behind cover 28 30 50.
• Requires freedom from observation; the Great Night Hawk, Transparent Monster, Skull No. 1, and Wilbur’s detached-flesh eyes can prevent its activation 11 87 106 137.
• Hope must account for whether anyone saw a target location empty before he appears there 50.
• Its rank remains at 1 despite frequent use 30.

Exchange

Hope obtains Exchange by outmaneuvering Skull No. 1 during an attempted soul swap. It allows him to form a connection with a target and trade compatible attributes, powers, or properties 86 87.

• Exchanged Skull No. 1’s Inspiration for his own Self-Sense to weaken the skull’s sustained spells 87.
• Altered the power within Wilbur’s stone, ensuring Wilbur could not use it as intended 102.
• Can affect attributes, but reckless exchanges can result in unconsciousness, bodily collapse, or death 89.
• Requires Hope to perceive the target through Self-Sense or another means; reducing his Self-Sense too far may prevent further use 125.
• Hope’s exchanges severely reduce his Spirit Body and Self-Being, leaving him unable to breathe automatically without conscious effort 144.

Source-ification

Source-ification is an innate, partially quantified trait whose full nature remains unclear. Hope theorizes it represents similarity to the King of Kings 102.

• Lets Hope gradually gain influence over a soul with which he is connected 86.
• Allows him to perceive Skull No. 1’s attempted use of Disappearance, forcing the magic to stop once detected 85.
• Increased after Hope exchanged the contents of Wilbur’s stone 102.
• Its exact effects and limits remain unknown 102.

Curse of Darkness and the Black Shadow

After killing the Great Night Hawk, Hope develops the Curse of Darkness and becomes accompanied by a black shadow linked to Night Hawk cries and the Steel Pen 15 37.

• The shadow can cast an incantation that distorts time around Hope, effectively accelerating his perception and actions threefold 39 139.
• The incantation consumes roughly 0.01 Inspiration every three seconds of Hope’s accelerated time 139.
• Its spell requires both a Night Hawk’s cry and the Steel Pen, making it difficult to invoke deliberately 40.
• The curse is associated with the souls consumed by the Great Night Hawk; Dr. Morgan warns that such remnants can affect Hope’s mind and personality 122.

Erasure

Erasure is an anomaly that turns a possible future into an impossible one 137.

• Erased the fate of Wilbur using hostages to threaten Hope 137.
• Erased the fate of Wilbur reaching a tree before Hope could hide behind it 137.
• The more likely the erased event is, the longer the process takes 137.
• Can maintain only three active erasures at once 137.

Bone Spike Fusion

Hope possesses a magic described as the ability to fuse Bone Spikes. Old Whateley classifies it as “magic,” meaning it does not require the cost associated with spells or special abilities 60.

• Its specific mechanism and applications are not disclosed.
• Hope deliberately withholds the full truth of the ability from Old Whateley 60.

Combat and Survival Skills

Hope is not physically overwhelming, but he is agile, resourceful, and willing to use his surroundings.

• Climbs damaged structures through improvised leverage and athletic movement 10.
• Uses firearms, including Old Williams’s hunting rifle, a shotgun, and a revolver 15 127 137.
• Fights with a scythe in close quarters against Robert 21.
• Uses stealth, terrain, and Uncertainty to evade stronger enemies such as the Great Night Hawk and Wilbur 13 137.
• Has practical knowledge of herbs, poisons, antidotes, and occult pharmacology 53 80 139.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Old Williams’s hunting rifle — Used to wound the Great Night Hawk and later shoot Wilbur from cover 15 137.
• Scythe — Hope’s principal melee weapon during his confrontation with Robert 21.
• Revolver — Found during the conflict over Oliver’s skull; Jack helps Hope practice firing it 127.
• Steel Pen — Originally lent by Robert as Old Whateley’s pen; its presence is connected to the black shadow’s spellcasting 19 37.
• Elizabeth’s silver pocket watch — Given to Hope as a token of trust and friendship 27.
• Heart-shaped Padlock key — Connects Hope to a storage room but causes accumulating fatigue and weakness while carried 49 50.
• Wooden Amulet — Delivered through Lavinia to help Hope create an opening against the Transparent Monster 120.
• Elder Sign — A wooden amulet personally gifted by Professor Armitage after Hope’s heroism 152.
• Oliver Whateley’s skull — Contains Hope’s lost Spirit Body and can temporarily restore it when Hope spends Inspiration 127.
• Spirit medium candle — Used with Elizabeth to communicate with Number Four Hope 94.

Relationships

• Elizabeth — Trusted ally and close friend. Hope saves her from the Star Hemp incident, later protects her soul from Skull No. 1, and fights beside her in the Skull Museum 23 83 87.
• Paul — Friend and frequent ally. Paul protects Hope’s hidden note from Wilbur, assists him against Robert, and continues supporting him during later crises 6 20 153.
• Wilbur Whateley — Primary antagonist and former captor. Wilbur monitors Hope, attempts to control his movements, and ultimately dies after their prolonged conflict 106 137 140.
• Old Whateley — Hope’s grandfather and a manipulative Whateley family authority figure who attempts to learn the nature of Hope’s magic 21 60.
• Professor Henry Armitage — Mentor and protector at Miskatonic University. He explains occult concepts, assists against Wilbur, gives Hope an Elder Sign, and writes him a recommendation letter 89 124 152.
• Dr. Francis Morgan — Ally who helps Hope escape Whateley House and warns him of the Great Night Hawk’s spiritual aftermath 120 122.
• Jack Corbett — Ally and Federation investigator who recognizes Hope’s potential, teaches him firearm use, and offers him a place in the Federation 127 133.
• Lavinia Whateley — Whateley family member whose treatment by the Bria siblings prompts Hope to intervene. She later unknowingly delivers the Wooden Amulet for his escape plan 4 120.
• Number One Hope — A predecessor whose relationships, messages, and preparations shape Hope’s circumstances. Hope’s former friends primarily knew Number One rather than the current Hope 4 110.
• Number Four Hope — Another predecessor who leaves messages and communicates with Hope through a spirit medium candle 30 94.
• Nancy Wagner — Wilbur’s associate whom Hope warns about Wilbur and uses to obtain the stone tied to the King of Kings 100 102.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Whateley House confinement — Hope navigates his imprisonment, old acquaintances, and uncertain connection to Number One Hope while trying to protect Lavinia from further harassment 4.
• Great Night Hawk incident — He survives the Great Night Hawk’s pursuit, rescues its captive boy, kills the creature with a hunting gun, and gains the Curse of Darkness 11 13 15.
• Robert and the Transparent Monster — Hope confronts Robert’s fish-man transformation, forms an alliance with Elizabeth, and begins investigating the entity occupying the sealed room beside his own 21 23 24.
• Miskatonic University — He seeks translations for Number Four Hope’s message, meets Dr. Morgan and Professor Armitage, reconnects with Elizabeth, and develops a reputation among students 50 69 79 80.
• Skull No. 1 crisis — Hope discovers Elizabeth’s soul trapped in Skull No. 1, defeats the possessing soul through negotiation and Exchange, and suffers severe physical consequences from attribute trading 83 86 89.
• Whateley family investigation — He learns Oliver Whateley’s history, interferes with Wilbur’s stone, and uncovers the Whateley family’s hereditary Disappearance magic 102 110.
• Conflict with Wilbur — Hope escapes renewed imprisonment, joins Armitage, Morgan, Rice, and Jack against Wilbur, employs Erasure and the black shadow’s time spell, and survives the final confrontation 120 137 140.
• Aftermath and ritual preparations — Weakened by Exchange, Hope receives recognition for his actions and assists the group as Jack prepares to target the Transparent Monster in an Ascension Ritual 144 152 153.