Lamplighter

The Lamplighter (Plight for short in file nameshttps://nightmargin.tumblr.com/post/156708791511/could-you-draw-funny-picture-about-niko-and) is the maintenance worker of the Refuge. He is mainly tasked to replace the red phosphor found in Refuge's lights. He is the second character that Niko and the Player meet in the Refuge.
== Bio ==
In OneShot: World Machine Edition, the Lamplighter's bio reads:
"A tired-looking man who seems to subsist purely on gallons of coffee. It's unclear how long it's been since the last time he slept. Although he's not the brightest fellow, he's an incredibly hard worker and takes his job very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he gets anxious whenever he can't perform his duties. He's responsible for keeping the lights around the city lit, as well as delivering highly concentrated phosphor for use in machines.
A high-school dropout, he feels nervous whenever he has to be around smart people. Lately the Lamplighter has taken to reading the dictionary in what little free time he has."
== Appearance ==
The Lamplighter is an adult with light skin, purple hair with bangs covering his right eye, a faint stubbly beard, and maroon eyes. He wears a patched-up violet coat over a cream-colored shirt, a violet newsboy cap that's just as patched-up, dark violet pants and shoes, and is often seen with his lighting stick strapped on his back. Artworks by Nightmargin occasionally show him also wearing a dark violet scarf.
== Personality ==
The Lamplighter has a nervous and awkward disposition, often trailing off his sentences. He's a bit self-conscious, and startles easily. He is diligent and very dedicated to his job.
== Background ==
The Lamplighter's small apartment can be found in the alley. In his apartment, Niko can find the lenses for the photo booth in a cardboard box.
The Lamplighter chugs coffee straight from the pot.https://nightmargin.tumblr.com/post/167492149321/does-niko-like-tea-or-coffee-what-about-george According to Ling, the Lamplighter never has time for a proper meal, opting to drink a whole pot of coffee from the cafe before rushing back out. He feels that the Lamplighter takes his job more extremely than necessary.
== Plot ==
=== Main Story ===
The Lamplighter makes a racket trying to get the elevator to work, which attracts Niko's attention. Niko asks the Lamplighter how to reach the surface, which the latter explains is impossible until the elevator is fixed. He prompts Niko to examine the elevator's button panel, which Niko notices is missing buttons. Niko promises that they will make a new button to get the elevator working again. Optionally, the Lamplighter can be spoken to again, and he complains about the exact number of whole minutes he has lost time from doing his job.
Niko explores the cafe, apartments, and office, and returns to the elevator with the magnetized button. They pop it into the empty slot of the elevator door's button panel, which causes the elevator to power back on. However, squares briefly appear, and the elevator system requests for a security code in order to unlock it.
The Lamplighter is unfazed by the squares but is surprised that the elevator asked for a code, as the elevator does not normally require one. Niko can optionally speak with the Lamplighter a couple of times to prompt him to ask if he can assist the elevator situation in any way, since he feels uncomfortable from being unproductive for so long. The Player can either advise Niko to tell the Lamplighter to continue standing there, or to input random codes.
If Niko suggests that the Lamplighter should input random codes, he begins with the lowest-possible code, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, which fails, then tries the next possible code, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, which also fails. This upsets the elevator system greatly. As time passes, the Lamplighter continues to sequentially input codes on his own. Niko can speak with him to see which code he happens to be on. If the Player waits for at least 3.5 hours, then the Lamplighter will input the correct code, 6, 3, 0, 1, 4, on his own, unlocking the elevator.
Alternatively, Niko inputs the correct code, either from preexisting knowledge or via solving the puzzle involving the weird film. The Lamplighter praises Niko for being smart then enters the elevator, holding the door open for them. Optionally, Niko can wander to a different area then return, causing the Lamplighter to hold the door for an unusually long amount of time; Niko apologizes for making the Lamplighter wait. Either way, Niko enters the elevator and rides down together with him.
The Lamplighter says goodbye as politely as he can to Niko before quickly running off to perform his job in another part of the Refuge. Niko can speak with him while he is fixing a particular lamp. He becomes unavailable after Niko collects the die from George.
=== Solstice Update ===
The Lamplighter makes a racket trying to get the elevator to work, which attracts Niko's attention. Rather than being worried about losing time from doing his job, he is worried that he cannot help the evacuees reach the surface's library.
Niko ponders how to recreate a magnetized button like in a previous runthrough, which might not be possible anymore due to the collapse of the apartments containing the needed materials, but as they think about the next course of action, suddenly, the elevator is consumed by squares. This causes the Lamplighter to nearly swear in front of Niko out of surprise, but he says "FUDGE" instead, with a pause between the "F" and the rest of the word. The Lamplighter likely stopped himself from swearing, realizing that it would be irresponsible to swear in front of a young child.https://nightmargin.tumblr.com/post/154605212366/nightmargin-responsible-grownup-this-came-about
Niko promises to find another way to reach the surface. They wander around and manage to locate two alternate elevators within the clock room, but they are unable to reach the activation lever high up in the air for the right elevator. They return back to broken elevator and request the Lamplighter to assist them via his power of being very tall, escorting him to the clock room.
The Lamplighter is not tall enough to reach the lever but realizes he can use his lamp-lighting pole to reach it. He activates the lever, and he and Niko ride the elevator down to the surface. Niko goes on ahead, and the Lamplighter attempts to ride the elevator back up in order to rescue the evacuees. However, while the Lamplighter is inside of it, the elevator door becomes covered in squares. This frightens both Niko and the Lamplighter, but the Lamplighter encourages Niko to continue on without him and not to worry about him.
Later, after Niko leaves the library, if they interact with the elevator the Lamplighter was trapped in, the Lamplighter will not respond.
== Trivia ==
* The Lamplighter is in his mid to late 20s.http://nightmargin.tumblr.com/post/167202079461/can-you-tell-us-about-the-canon-ages-of-characters
* Nightmargin is thinking of naming the Lamplighter "Sebastian".https://www.twitch.tv/videos/834553486?t=00h36m55shttps://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/xk77gr/we_are_the_creators_of_oneshot_and_our_game_is/ipcr7dc/?context=1
* Nightmargin mentioned that the Lamplighter is the "designated comic relief character", a sentiment further enforced by some of her drawings.http://nightmargin.tumblr.com/post/154544042476/late-night-oneshot-doodles-to-soothe-your-soul
== References ==
ru:Фонарщик
Category:Main characters