Avery

— Avery explaining his occupation.

**Avery** is a character in The Smoke Room, appearing primarily in Cliff's route. He is a doctor in Echo and a member of the Meseta Tribe.

## Appearance

Avery is a large, heavyset stag with brown fur and brown eyes, and a massive pair of antlers atop his head. He wears a peach long-sleeved button-up shirt with the top buttons undone to expose a red ascot-like accessory. He also wears gray pants, a black belt with a silver buckle, a navy blue blazer, gold rimmed glasses, and a black satchel.

## Personality

Avery is equable, accommodating, and readily takes initiative to care for others, as befits his profession. He tends to be sensible even when shaken and often helps others see reason through his rational thinking. Avery is proud of his Meseta heritage but chooses to live in Echo in order to try and make a living and 'move past' the losses his people have suffered, although he is still gravely aware of them. Generally Avery is jovial and kind with a good sense of humor, though he can be more solemn and stern when speaking on serious matters.

According to Jeb, Avery gets very talkative when he is drunk.

### Prior to The Smoke Room

Avery was born to Manaba and Gad and raised in a hogan in a forest not far from Echo. Before he moved to Echo, Avery spent his summers working as a farmhand on Jebediah's family's ranch where the two became friends.

Avery had a sister ten years younger than him named Enola who was taken by the government as a child to attend a residential boarding school, after which Avery and his family were prevented from seeking contact with her. Though the family was eventually informed of her passing, Enola was never seen by her family again in life or death, a fact that seems to haunt Avery.

Avery makes his living serving as a doctor for the people of Echo. Despite lacking formal training, Avery's medical expertise and strict confidentiality make him a popular doctor in town, especially for brothels such as the Saguaro's Hip or those in need of medical attention for reasons that could prove difficult to explain to more official sources. On occasion Avery visits his parents at their hogan in the forest near Echo, and he sometimes travels with his friends Yiska and Tsela along the way. He is also an infrequent client of Samuel Ayers.

### Prologue

After Madam Dora sends Cynthia to alert him of Sam's injury, Avery arrives at the Hip and stitches up the head wound that he received from Jack's shovel. Avery remarks that he can tell Sam was hit with a heavy tool of some kind.

### Cliff's Route

Avery reappears unexpectedly in the forest between Echo and the Meseta settlement, and is encountered by Sam's party shortly after they have a run-in with a mysterious monster that leaves Sam injured. Avery explains that he met up with three Meseta fishermen, Shilah, Yiska, and Tsela, on his way to visit his parents' nearby hogan, but Shilah was dragged off when they were ambushed near the river by the same monster. Avery initially lies and says that the creature, which appeared differently to each person who saw it, looked to him like a vast fish, but much later he admits that he actually saw his younger sister Enola.

In the wake of the attack Cliff begins to panic over the loss of his research notes, but Avery calms him down and distributes food to the group. Having previously found Avery's tent seemingly abandoned, Jeb is relieved to the point of tears see him safe, and the two old friends share a joyful reunion. Avery then bandages Sam's injuries and invites everyone to his family home so that they can rest and recover. At the hogan, Avery introduces his parents and helps to interpret their cultural practices for those unfamiliar with Meseta philosophy. At one point, Avery's parents seem distressed that Avery is trying to make a living in Echo, and Avery winces at what seems to be a familiar disagreement. Over dinner, Avery and Sam agree that their groups should travel together to the settlement, since there is safety in numbers and partly because Avery does not want to abandon Jeb, and they all depart the hogan in the morning.

In order to recover whatever supplies they can, the group first sets out for the campsite where Sam and the others were attacked previously, and where Jeb's donkey Doris was killed. When they arrive, they find the place in disarray and can salvage very little. Avery remarks that the headless, mangled corpse of Doris doesn't look like the work of a predator killing to eat, and compares it instead to ritualistic slaughter. Avery helps Jeb recover from the shock of seeing Doris and assists in the donkey's burial. The group moves on and, after a disagreement over directions with Jeb, Avery and the group stumble across a remote, dilapidated cabin. Avery chooses to stay outside alongside Jeb, Yiska, Tsela, and possibly Sam.

Eventually, the expedition reaches a popular campsite along the trail and settles down for the night alongside a large group of fellow travelers. Avery holds Jeb as they sit around the fire with their companions. If Sam, Cliff, and Murdoch have a threesome at the nearby hot springs, afterward they catch Avery and Jeb sneaking off to possibly have sex as well. If Murdoch does not join Sam and Cliff, he washes up at the spring with Avery and Jeb but then leaves them alone for a private moment.

The group reconvenes around the campfire to discuss the creature that attacked them, and Avery reveals the truth about his lost sister. Avery also takes part in the evening's merriment alongside the rest of the assembled travelers.

As the party arrives at the Meseta settlement the following day, Avery warns the newcomers, particularly an exuberantly curious Cliff, that it is 'not a happy place.' When they encounter Reverend Caldwell, Avery treats him with barely concealed disdain. He directs Sam, Cliff, and Murdoch to a nearby inn, and then departs to accompany Jeb. They spend the night together, but then Avery decides he needs to be alone for a while. Avery spends much of the next morning searching for his sister's grave. He believes he is able to find the site where she is likely buried, but there are other unmarked graves in the same area and he chooses not to disturb any of them, even though it means he cannot be certain.

The following morning, Tsela brings Avery to his cabin so he can treat Sam, whose leg has been injured by what appears to be the same monster that has been pursuing them. Avery then helps him find a suitable walking stick, supporting him since he cannot walk on his own. Avery tells Sam about his sister's grave. Sam can tell that he is much more tense at the settlement than he was in the forest, and Avery explains that he plans to head back to Echo as soon as possible.

Avery also tells Sam that Murdoch and Jeb were concerned when he never returned to the inn and have been searching for him. Realizing that Sam intends to take his leave by departing for Camp Rosa with Yiska and Tsela in two days' time, Avery encourages Sam to be open about his plans with his traveling companions so that they do not worry on his behalf. Avery leaves, hoping to depart the reservation quickly, but he promises to check on Sam's injuries again once more before he goes.

That night, Avery finds Caldwell fatally mauled from an encounter with what seems to be the same beast from the forest. He calmly describes the severity of the reverend's wounds, but chooses not to assist him. In a parody of Caldwell's typical insistence that students of the residential school speak proper Albion, Avery feigns an inability to understand his gasped and garbled pleas for help. Avery spitefully acknowledges that another identical preacher will soon come to replace Caldwell and continue his work, but decides he can at least take personal solace in the justice of the death of the one who played a large part in his sister's mistreatment. Avery initially walks away whistling, then hears a sound nearby and runs off to avoid being caught at the scene. Unbeknownst to him, the sound is Cliff, who is trapped in a shed nearby and witnesses the entire interaction.

### William's Route

At Madam Dora's request, Avery arrives at the Hip to treat Marcy Greene after she suffers a potentially fatal miscarriage. He explains to Dora and Gretchen that the prognosis is dire but not hopeless, and promises do what he can to save Marcy's life.

## Relationships

### Jebediah

Avery and Jeb are old friends and likely have a sexual and possibly romantic relationship. Avery has known Jeb for much of his life, and took care of Jeb's late partner when he fell terminally ill. At Doris' funeral, Avery holds Jeb as he cries, and the two later lean affectionately on each other at the hot spring outpost. They may also be seen sneaking off together, presumably to have sex. Avery seems to be closer to Jeb than anyone else outside of his family, and he is among the few for whom Jeb is shown to come out of his shell completely.

### Sam

At some point, Avery became a client of Sam's, albeit an infrequent one, and Sam remembers his time spent with Avery fondly. After inspecting Sam's wound from Jack, Avery presumably keeps whatever conclusions he is able to draw about the incident confidential, and during Cliff's route he teases Sam about his repeated injuries but is more than willing to bandage him up. Avery seems to have a good relationship with Sam and evidently finds him attractive, though the two are not overly familiar with each other's lives beyond their appointments.

### Madam Dora

Madam Dora frequently calls upon Avery's to treat members of her staff or others within her circle, such as Marcy, whose conditions or situations would not be well-received by an official doctor. Dora firmly trusts Avery's medical knowledge and pays him well, causing him to regard her highly. Avery respects Dora and describes her as someone he knows to be understanding of the various lengths that people must go through to make it in their lives.

### Cliff

Avery finds Cliff's frantic excitement about the Meseta somewhat exasperating, but he is patient with Cliff and encourages him to view Meseta culture as a way of life rather than a curiosity to be studied. Cliff can tell that Avery remains somewhat wary of his intentions for the Meseta settlement, and Avery likely does not yet trust Cliff completely.

### Manaba and Gad

Avery has a warm relationship with his parents, and visits them fairly often. Manaba and Gad seem to disapprove of Avery's decision to settle in Echo, which is unsurprising considering their culture's long-standing taboo against the place, but they are overall supportive of him.

### Caldwell

Caldwell is notably the only person to visibly and immediately draw a negative reaction from Avery, likely due to his role in overseeing the Meseta settlement and by extension the residential school where Enola was killed. Upon finding Caldwell fatally injured later on, Avery reveals his knowledge of Caldwell's direct role in Enola's mistreatment and intentionally leaves him to bleed out, though not without bitterly remarking that the worst part about Caldwell is the fact that another person just like him will soon take his place.

### Enola

Enola was Avery's younger sister. She was taken from her family by the government and forcibly enrolled in a residential school in the Meseta settlement, where she died without ever having contact with her family again. Avery appears to be deeply haunted by Enola's passing, having undergone personal investigation to figure out the specifics of her fate and even seeing the beast disguised as her when it attacked his party in the woods. While visiting the Meseta settlement during Cliff's route, he attempts to visit her burial site and narrows down the area as closely as he can, given that her grave is an unmarked pile of stones.

## Trivia

* In early builds of The Smoke Room, Sam's injuries were stitched up by a character known as Dr. Miller. This was later amended to be Avery.
* Avery does not have a last name, stating that "the one is enough."
* Much like a real cervine, Avery has horizontal pupils.
* While trekking to and from Echo, Avery sleeps in a distinct tent covered in patches. Sam observes that all these repairs may be the result of Avery's antlers repeatedly snagging and tearing holes in the fabric.

## Gallery

DefaultSeriousAngryConfusedSurprisedWinkingThinkingHappySadScaredAvery without his jacket onConcept art and sprites for Avery. Drawn by Shtarfish.An early concept sketch of Avery. Drawn by Redd.Avery and Jeb during the animatic in Cliff's route.