Murdoch Byrnes

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— Murdoch Byrnes

**Murdoch Byrnes** is one of the love interests in The Smoke Room. He is a photographer and a salesman at his parents' general store. He is the son of Alfred and Gretchen Byrnes and the brother of Holly, Dahlia, and Seamus.

## Appearance

Murdoch is a red fox with orange and white fur and green eyes. He has well-combed brown hair and brown paws which likely lead to his grandmother nicknaming him Socks. Murdoch wears a gray vest with a white and pink striped dress shirt underneath, black slacks, and a black tie with a golden clip. He has strong legs and shoulders from lifting boxes in his family's store, but is not overly muscular otherwise.

Murdoch typically carries a small black camera around his neck, though it is occasionally removed when he is working. During his sister's wedding festivities, Murdoch wears a black two-piece suit with a gray waistcoat and a white dress shirt underneath, as well as a white bowtie.

## Personality

Murdoch initially presents himself as flirty and charismatic, albeit aloof. He possesses a bit of a mischievous tendency and enjoys lightly toying with the other characters through sly remarks and jokes. He is revealed to be highly altruistic, offering Samuel a job when he discovers that he is low on cash and even taking a bullet on Cliff's behalf. This is seen as something of a character flaw to many characters, especially when it comes to his family, to whom Murdoch is willing to devote himself tirelessly at the expense of his own wellbeing. Murdoch tends to work to the point of exhaustion, and he often wordlessly takes on the brunt of his exacting parents' verbal abuse, masking the strain he is under with a smile. While he does not harbor any ill-will for his family in this regard, Murdoch is deeply insecure about his identity, as he describes himself acting as a performer putting up a charade for the sake of those around him.

Murdoch is curious and keenly observant of his surroundings. He has great passion for photography and the supernatural, often going on long tangents on these subjects. This makes him an excellent storyteller. Murdoch is also a talented musician, both as a guitarist and a vocalist. He is desperate to uncover the truth behind Echo's seemingly paranormal activity, and he seems to simultaneously possess a deep fear and burning curiosity about the town's otherworldly circumstances.

To stabilize his own mood, cope with his responsibilities, and inure himself to Echo's strange happenings, Murdoch routinely uses various drugs, particularly opium. He also has an affinity toward sex, as he describes it as the only time in which he feels he is able to authentically be himself without being commanded by his family or having to dwell on his own thoughts.

## Story

### Early Life

Murdoch was born on June 6th, 1889. His grandparents emigrated from Eire, making Murdoch a third-generation Echo resident. The Byrnes are a well-established middle class family in the town; Murdoch's father Alfred owns a general store called Red's General Goods and his mother Gretchen is the principal of Echo School.

Murdoch is the second-oldest of the four Byrnes children. Growing up, he slept in the same room as his siblings and shared a cramped bunk bed that left him with claustrophobic memories. Murdoch's parents raised him in their Catholic faith and he still routinely attends church with his family, although his own beliefs seem to be more esoteric and are inspired by the animist Celtic spirituality of his grandmother.

On the Fourth of July in 1905, Murdoch's youngest sibling, Seamus, died in a boating accident on Lake Emma. Murdoch's parents were out of town and Murdoch was supposed to be looking after his brother. At the time, Murdoch had returned to his house to get a drink only to be knocked unconscious by an apparent robber. He suffered a concussion as a result, which gave him reoccurring headaches that have lasted into his adulthood. Upon his awakening, he discovered what had befallen Seamus. The strain of the tragedy reshaped the dynamics of the Byrnes family to some extent, and the loss of their other son is likely part of the reason why Murdoch's parents place so much pressure on him.

Murdoch currently works at Red's General Goods and is training for a managing position, although there is no guarantee that he will actually inherit the store after his aging father passes on. He is roommates with Ralph, his close childhood friend and the general store's pharmacist. Murdoch harbored romantic feelings for Ralph when they were younger, but does not seem to have acted on them. After Ralph left Echo for over a decade to finish his schooling this attraction seems to have dissipated, and Murdoch now feels that the two now want different things out of life.

Murdoch is an experienced photographer and has been working in the general store's darkroom developing photos since he was six years old. He has also been a skilled guitarist since a young age, and performs at The Stag occasionally. Murdoch has long admired Sam from a distance, both for his appearance and in envy of his occupation. This has resulted in him forming something of a parasocial relationship with Sam despite the two being unacquainted.

### Prologue

Murdoch is first seen debriefing with William about a grisly murder that has just been discovered in the mines. After consoling a battered Cliff in front of The Hip, Samuel encounters Murdoch and William and remarks that Murdoch looks familiar even though they have never spoken before.

Once the sheriff leaves, Murdoch displays his keen, investigative nature by quickly surmising that Sam and Will have been intimate recently from the way that Sam smells. He teases Sam about this, and also flirtatiously offers to use his status as a third-generation resident of Echo to help Sam make "connections" in town, before departing with a promise to visit Sam at the Hip that evening.

Sam, Murdoch, and Will later enter the Hip's powder room together. Cynthia and Sam attempt to goad Murdoch into booking an appointment with Sam for the evening, but instead of buying Sam's services outright Murdoch proposes a bet: five times Sam's hourly wage to whoever has the better time in bed.

### Murdoch's Route

#### Chapter 1

Murdoch looks taken aback if his bet is accepted, and he later confesses that he did not actually expect Sam to agree. With his usual confidence, however, he gives Sam an unsigned check for the amount promised. In Sam's bedroom Murdoch presents the terms of the bet: the two will take turns pleasuring each other, and whoever climaxes first has to pay up. Sam is coaxed into having full-on sex with Murdoch and loses the wager.

In the morning, the two wash each other and Murdoch waxes philosophical about photography. When Sam asks if he believes in souls, Murdoch looks 'broken' and deeply afraid for a moment, but then suppresses it with a smile. Murdoch admits that he peeked at Sam's wallet and knows he cannot afford to hold up the bet, and so calls it off. Instead, he offers Sam an opportunity to work for him at Red's General Goods for some extra money, both so they can see each other more and so Sam can help Murdoch deal with the expectations placed on him by his family.

On Sam's first day, Murdoch takes him into the darkroom to demonstrate how photographs are developed, using the crime scene photos that he does not yet know are from Sam's murder of Jack. Murdoch introduces Sam to Ralph, who ridicules the idea of hiring a gay prostitute and warns Murdoch that they risk outing themselves, which would infuriate the Byrnes family, by associating with Sam. Murdoch asserts that it will be good for him to have Sam around, since he has no queer friends other than Ralph. Afterward, Murdoch's father Alfred appears and begins reprimanding him for a minor error in the way he has stocked the shelves of the store. Murdoch passively bears his father's tirade, and after Alfred further accuses him of being unprepared for the upcoming yearbook photoshoot, Murdoch dutifully departs with Sam for Echo School to get things ready.

On the way, Murdoch talks about his interest in the paranormal, and shares a ghost story about the Starlight 65 train. According to Murdoch, hopping the train at midnight and shouting your biggest regret as the horn blows causes a strange creature to appear and either forgive or devour you. Sam asks him directly if he's ever seen a monster, but Murdoch is cagey. At the school, Murdoch delivers order forms for picture day with Sam's assistance. Murdoch also encounters his mother, who criticizes him for failing to anticipate a change she has made to the normal picture day schedule. She does however praise him for hiring Sam, citing his muscular stature as being an improvement over the "reedier" men he typically brings around.

Murdoch and Sam return to the darkroom so Murdoch can enlarge the pictures he developed that morning. In an overexposed negative from the crime scene, which Sam previously tried to sabotage to cover his tracks, Murdoch notices some faint details and uses the enlarging process to bring out an image. Sam can then make out an eerie pattern of eyes in the picture. Murdoch asks Sam to describe the picture, and when he does Murdoch appears suddenly confident for just a moment, then reveals he does not recall ever taking a photo of the image Sam sees. He dismisses Sam so he can 'think about some things' and Sam observes that he looks both excited and exhausted.

#### Chapter 2

The next day, Murdoch performs his picture day duties at the school. Sam finds him in the auditorium and the two are joined by Gretchen. She blames Murdoch for being the reason that Sam is underdressed for the occasion, and he apologizes vacantly. Sam asks why he lets his mother treat him so harshly, and Murdoch simply says that it's normal. After Murdoch works himself ragged with Sam over the course of the day, Cliff and Ralph join them in the auditorium and Cliff excitedly asks if Murdoch can join his planned anthropological expedition as a photographer. Murdoch visibly struggles to say no, so Ralph steps in to rudely decline on his behalf. Murdoch scolds Ralph for his harshness, and follows Cliff out to make amends.

Later, back in the darkroom, Murdoch asks Sam to take another look at the strange picture from the day before. He explains that photographs taken in Echo sometimes come out warped and wrong, and that what a person sees in them can change depending on their state of mind. He admits that he saw something different yesterday when he looked at the photo: himself and his brother Seamus in 1905, about to go fishing on the day Seamus died. Currently, however, Murdoch sees only Jack's skull. Sam suddenly falls to the floor in tears and Murdoch sees his brother in the picture again. He rips up the photo, then comforts Sam, assuring him that they are not crazy.

Murdoch escorts Sam out of the darkroom and they deliver the remaining photos to William, although Murdoch conspiratorially confides to Sam that he doesn't believe they will offer the sheriff any new evidence. That evening he and Ralph take Sam to their 'spot,' a secluded cavern on the shores of Lake Emma near where Seamus died. Murdoch shares with Sam that for nine years he and Ralph have been coming to the cave to experiment with different ways to cope with the strange, mind-altering effects of living in Echo. To demonstrate this, Murdoch uses a photo that seems to show an ordinary landscape but reveals a large slug-like creature to him whenever he feels like he's at his lowest, which always occurs when he returns to the cave because of its connection to Seamus. When Sam thinks of his worst memory, he too can suddenly see the monster in the photo. Murdoch takes a cannabis pill and he and Ralph explain that they've determined that drugs and sexual release are useful mood stabilizers that can cause the picture to return to normal, seemingly indicating that Echo's influence has been suppressed. Murdoch discloses his belief that whatever power is hurting the people of Echo can think and has a will of its own, and says that he wants to hurt it back.

The group hears a sound from outside the cave, and then witness a figure hauling what looks like a body in a sack. As they watch in horror, the figure bashes the sack with a rock, then fills it with stones and dumps it into the lake. The smell of Ralph's pot startles the figure into bolting and Murdoch, Sam, and Ralph run off in the other direction. During their escape they encounter Blithe, who is out searching for her missing friend, but she flees before they can decide what to do about her. Later in Murdoch and Ralph's apartment, the three realize that the monster in the photo has persisted despite their drug use. Murdoch agrees to have sex with Sam, partly to see if sexual release will actually work to return the picture to normal, and when they check it again after finishing the monster has indeed disappeared.

The next day is Sunday, and Murdoch follows the Byrnes family tradition of attending church in the morning then eating lunch at Saguaro's Hip. That evening, he visits William to tell him what he witnessed at the lake, and then takes Cliff around town to meet and interview some of the Meseta residents of Echo to make up for his unavailability causing Cliff's expedition to stall.

In the darkroom on Monday, Sam shows Murdoch a cryptic encoded message given to him by Dahlia, and Murdoch takes it with him to study. Holly then arrives and invites Sam to dinner at the Byrnes home despite Murdoch's protests.

Before they eat, Murdoch sits in the parlor with his father, Holly's fiancé Jim, and Sam. Red effusively praises Jim's professional success and snaps at Murdoch when he tries to change the subject. Red excuses himself and Jim obliquely references the fact that he has had sex with Sam at the Hip, which rattles Murdoch. At the dinner table Gretchen browbeats Sam and Murdoch into being ushers at Jim and Holly's upcoming wedding over Murdoch's objections.

When Sam comes into work the next morning, Murdoch is quiet and distant. Sam glimpses a chore list he has written for Dahlia that appears to encode a hidden response to her note from the previous day. Jim then leads Murdoch and Sam to a tailor to be fitted with suits for his bachelor party and wedding. In the changing room, Sam asks Murdoch why he is acting so detached, and Murdoch has a breakdown as he reckons with the weight of the duties his family constantly burdens him with. He divulges that Jim has been having sex with him as well, and that the arrangement was orchestrated by Holly in order to help Jim settle down in Echo and keep him from growing bored with monogamous life.

Murdoch further admits that he relies on drugs to keep himself going, and that he uses sex with men to reassert his stifled sense of self. He reminisces about times when his parents were kinder, and then after a bout of sobbing, he suppresses his emotions abruptly and his usual composure returns. He expresses his affection for Sam, and the two agree to try and get to know one another without pretense. To lighten the mood, Murdoch mentions he has recently learned from Dahlia that going into outer space would make a person feel weightless, and he and Sam muse about whether such an escape would ever be possible, or even desirable.

Murdoch then admits he overheard Nik implicating Sam in Jack's murder, and even though Sam refuses to outright confess, Murdoch assures him he only wants to help. Sam asks him to never bring it up again and Murdoch agrees, but he worries about the tension building among Echo's population as they wait eagerly to see who will be hanged for the crime.

William ambushes Murdoch and Sam back at the store with questions about the murder, and Murdoch helps cover for Sam. As Will leaves, he flirts with Murdoch, having inferred the nature of his relationship with Sam. Alone with Sam in the darkroom afterward, Murdoch slyly lets slip that he intentionally ruined several of the crime scene photos before passing them on to Will. He then details the events of the day Seamus presumably drowned, including the gaps in his memory due to the concussion he sustained during the apparent robbery that occurred around the same time as his brother's death. When prompted by Sam, Murdoch admits the possibility that his family may simply be using him, and that he may care for them far more than they care for him.

#### Chapter 3

The next day, before Jim's bachelor party, Sam sees Dahlia slipping Murdoch a note in the Byrnes family's rose garden. After Jim and his friends arrive, Gretchen sends Sam to find Murdoch, who he learns from Dahlia is still in the back garden. Sam finds Murdoch and Holly talking and, on an odd tip from Dahlia, decides to wait and listen to their conversation before announcing himself.

Sam eavesdrops as Murdoch tries in vain to get out of attending Jim's party. In response, Holly firmly reminds him that as a woman she is under even more social pressure than he is to behave properly, and asks him to keep performing perfectly just until the wedding the following day. Holly alludes to a scheme to get the whole Byrnes family out of Echo by first moving to the city with Jim and then convincing Gretchen to relocate there as well. Murdoch is skeptical, and worries aloud what will happen if Jim does not love Holly as much as she thinks he does, but cannot think of a better alternative and accepts his role in the plan. Sam announces his presence, and then shortly afterward Gretchen arrives and sends Murdoch and Sam off to the Hip to entertain Jim, as well as his friends Neil and Reubin who have just arrived from the big city to celebrate Jim's bachelor party.

On the way, Murdoch is called away by Alfred, who is in the Byrnes' basement with Ralph and needs help unpacking things for the party. After assisting, Murdoch returns with Ralph in tow and tries to make small talk with Jim, Reubin, and Neil. Murdoch is polite towards his rowdy guests but they show no interest in including him in their conversation, which seems to exasperate him. At the Hip, Ralph cannot help but trade barbs with Jim's haughty friends, much to their amusement, but Murdoch warns him to keep things civil. The conversation turns ribald and Jim begins to insinuate that he plans for his friends to have sex with Sam and Murdoch, and upon realizing this Murdoch looks "queasy" and excuses himself.

Sam follows and guides Murdoch up to his room. Murdoch tries to tell himself that his arrangement with Jim is temporary and will only last until everyone is out of Echo. Sam admits he often tells himself the same kinds of things, and helps Murdoch frankly confront the fact that the bargain he has made with Jim and Holly is also a kind of whoring, and that it can therefore be simple and transactional. This seems to give Murdoch a sense of clarity that he needs to get through the night, and Sam tells him that he makes a good whore.

Murdoch then requests a "real kiss" but Sam digresses, bringing up instead the fact that his days are numbered because of the crime he has committed, which Murdoch has all but guessed the truth about. Murdoch snaps Sam out of his fatalism and promises to take him along when Jim gets the Byrnes family out of Echo, since relocating with his employer will provide a plausible cover for Sam to skip town. Murdoch goes on to make a further bet with Sam in which if he receives a genuine kiss by the end of the night Sam will accept Murdoch as his partner, while if he does not Murdoch will accept that their life paths are going in two different directions and get over him. The two then decide to sneak out of the bachelor party, and Sam suggests enlisting Cynthia's help to create a diversion so Jim will not be upset with them.

They meet with her discreetly in a washroom, and Cynthia suggests an impromptu musical "hootenanny" to distract Jim and the rest of the Hip's crowd. Just as the plan is taking shape Ralph bursts in and discovers the plot, but he immediately agrees to help keep Jim and his friends occupied, and confesses that he has just become aware Holly is coercing Murdoch into sex with Jim to save her wedding. Cynthia gets onstage and introduces Murdoch, who starts performing a song. Once the festivities draw a crowd he tosses his guitar to Ralph to keep the party going while he and Sam abscond. Alone outside, the two dance together and Sam gives Murdoch the kiss he requested, solidifying their relationship.

Suddenly, Sam remembers that he has missed an appointment with Blithe and leads Murdoch to Echo's cemetery, explaining along the way that she has taken his money and won't return it unless he does her a favor. Blithe is not around, but Cliff and Dahlia are in the cemetery examining unmarked graves. Cliff departs to catch a train out of Echo, which Murdoch observes with relief, and then Dahlia notices Murdoch and Sam. She vents to Murdoch about Holly's strange behavior leading up to the wedding, then points out a grave and tells them it is important as she leaves. The headstone bears only the name *Scholl*, which is likely a discreet response to the coded correspondence that Dahlia and Murdoch have been carrying out over the course of the route, directing Murdoch to investigate Echo School.

Murdoch decides to head back to the Hip with Sam, newly assured that he wants to go through what Sam does and feeling more confident about the prospect of facing Jim and his friends. Jim welcomes him back smugly, and says that they should make the experience good for each other since the impending wedding means they may not be able to have sex again for a while. Attracted to but conflicted by Jim as usual, Murdoch fellates him in front of Neil and Reubin. Sam steps in to pleasure Jim's friends, presumably so that Murdoch is not overwhelmed, and Murdoch climaxes without even touching himself when he thinks about himself and Sam servicing men together and becoming covered in their love.

In the afterglow, Jim snickers crudely at Murdoch, which causes him to pull away abruptly. This badly disconcerts Jim, and his friends begin to laugh at him. In the hallway, a panicked Jim explains that he cannot attract the 'reputation' Murdoch has, but he freezes up at Murdoch's insinuation that he may be more attracted to male intimacy, and more submissive, than he wants to admit. When Jim asks about his behavior, Murdoch downplays his revulsion to being laughed at, and Jim leaves with his friends after saying that they will talk more about it later.

Murdoch asks Sam to walk him home, and the two are surprised to see Holly outside waiting for them at the Byrnes residence. She chastises Murdoch for slipping away from his duty to escort Jim, only for Jim himself to appear and confront Holly about the way she treats her brother. Jim tries to get Holly to reveal that she has been pressuring Murdoch into having sex with him but she is evasive, and Murdoch tries to defuse the simmering conflict by claiming that he is to blame instead of Holly. Sam speaks up to set the record straight but Holly cuts him off. Murdoch shouts at his sister in defense of Sam, which Sam observes is the first time he has ever seen Murdoch direct malice towards a family member.

Holly feigns tears at the outburst and Murdoch is immediately remorseful, but Sam again steps in to establish once and for all that Murdoch started having sex with Jim because of Holly's coercion. Jim is shocked and tries to call off the wedding so that he can reconsider things, only for Holly to reveal that she has preempted his reluctance with an elaborate blackmail scheme. In order to ensure Jim's compliance, she explains that three informants have been given photos of Jim and Murdoch having sex, and will disseminate them if the wedding does not go as planned. Murdoch is horrified, apparently realizing that he is acceptable collateral in Holly's plan, but she asks him to trust her and assures him he is safe because their mother's influence can get him out of any trouble that results.

Suddenly, Holly is struck a by rock and recoils in pain. She immediately accuses Ralph of throwing the rock as he arrives and slaps him across the face over Murdoch's protests. After Sam points out that the rock came from the direction of the house, the group looks over to see Dahlia watching them from the window. Though Dahlia is ambiguous about having thrown the rock, she does imply that the group should examine its other side before closing the window. After confirming the identities of Holly's informants, Murdoch looks on in silence as Sam resolves the situation between the soon-to-be bride and groom by appealing to Jim's genuine affection for Murdoch. After the pair depart, Murdoch futilely attempts to dissuade Ralph from further antagonizing Holly before going to sit on the garden bench. He then asks Ralph and Sam to help him find the rock thrown by Dahlia, and upon receiving it seemingly decodes the morse code message written on it before the trio return to Murdoch and Ralph's apartment.

After arriving at the apartment, Murdoch and Sam decide to together in Murdoch's bedroom. While intimately cuddling, they discuss the night's events, with Murdoch admitting that he doesn't truly hate Jim in spite of rebuffing him at The Hip. He explains to Sam the recent trend of the upper class attempting to mingle with the middle working class and shares his observations on how Jim and his friends are perpetually worried about being judged by one another, noting that Holly and Jim's wedding is already contentious as the union between upper and middle class individuals.

He and Sam then talk about Holly's blackmail photos and how they might go about getting the copies back, with Murdoch suggesting that he might be able to convince his grandmother to give them over due to their positive relationship. When Sam volunteers to approach her instead, Murdoch tells Sam about where to find her the following day. The pair then touch on Porter Moore, who Murdoch is less acquainted with but dismisses as a charlatan interested in the occult. He tells Sam about his own experiments with photos becoming altered through replication, as well as Holly's horror at his results in comparison to Dahlia and Ralph's calm reactions. Murdoch then reaffirms that Holly's wedding allowing the family to escape will be a good thing for all of them in spite of the current adversity surrounding it, with the exception of Jim.

Upon being questioned by Sam as to why he cares about Jim and Holly making amends, Murdoch admits that he had long assumed that after their wedding, he would simply stay around them and the family in order to fulfill whatever needs they might have. After meeting and becoming romantically involved with Sam though, he realized there could be more to his own life and laments that things are happening so fast. Sam encourages Murdoch to lean into Jim's affection for him should it be necessary to secure something he needs, which Murdoch agrees to consider. He then reminds Sam that they still have to make it through the wedding and gives him a kiss, teasing him for his reaction in response to affection before the pair fall asleep.

In the morning, Murdoch rushes out the door without eating breakfast to help with preparations for the wedding. He is later found by Sam sitting between Jim and Holly in the front row of the church. He excuses himself upon seeing Sam and walks down the aisle with him as "practice," giving him a kiss at the end. He then takes Sam into the bathroom to get him dressed and freshened up for the ceremony, as Sam had forgotten his suit and the apartment. While helping Sam prepare, Murdoch is especially physically affectionate toward his newfound boyfriend, though he reminds Sam to keep a "professional distance" during the proceedings. He then tells Sam that they should try to make the best of the day before departing.

Afterward, Murdoch discovers that Dahlia is missing and spends much of the rest of the morning searching for her to no avail. As the church bells begin to ring, Murdoch rushes out to gather Sam and apologizes for being unable to walk Sam through his duties ahead of time due to his distraction with the search. The pair eventually get all of the guests to their seats as the wedding commences, only for the ceremony to be interrupted when the guests see that the Hendricks' mansion has caught fire.

### Cliff's Route

#### Chapter 1

Murdoch acts unsurprised if Sam opts for Cliff, and warns Sam 'not to wear him out' before sauntering off with a smirk.

The next day, Murdoch visits Will at his office and learns about the status of his investigation into Jack's murder. Later, Murdoch encounters Sam outside Red's General Goods, and admits to feeling envious of Sam and Cliff's night together. In exchange for an account of how Cliff was in bed, he divulges to Sam that William already has a lead and a witness. Sam panics at this information and departs without buying anything, which causes Murdoch to become concerned and suspicious.

At some point later that day, Murdoch takes Cliff to visit The Stag, a haven for the gay men of Echo, where the two meet Jeb. Murdoch then goes to Cliff's home to deliver supplies for his expedition and the two become intimate. When Sam visits Cliff afterward he observes that the couch smells like fox, but Cliff is nonchalant and does not reveal what happened between him and Murdoch.

Murdoch accompanies Cliff, Sam, and Jeb on their journey to the Meseta settlement, mostly to document Cliff's escapades with his camera. He also brings ample supplies from his family's store. Upon learning that Murdoch will be coming along, Sam is frustrated and can choose whether or not to voice his objections, but Murdoch joins the group regardless. If Sam initially speaks out, however, then Murdoch treats him with much more suspicion, which is mutual, and their dynamic is more tense. If Sam decides not to object, then he, Murdoch, and Cliff are less secretive with each other, beginning with Murdoch openly declaring that he has had sex with Cliff.

#### Chapter 2

During the trek to Echo Canyon, Murdoch and Cliff banter happily, but Murdoch's initial attempts to get Sam and Jeb to open up more and lower their guards are not as successful. Murdoch photographs the desert as they traverse it, and stops at one point to take pictures of Cliff, including a shirtless one. He offers to do the same for Sam, but is turned down.

At the Echo canyon overlook, Murdoch questions Sam about his suspicious behavior at the store and expresses concern about his well-being, but Sam keeps his crime a secret. Murdoch assures Sam that he is among friends and, if Sam did not object to Murdoch's presence at the start of the journey, also proposes a threesome with Cliff. After leaving Echo Canyon, the group sets up camp in a forested area and Murdoch tells a ghost story by the fire. Cliff is unimpressed, so Murdoch then delves into the scientific theory that all sensory information is subjective, and that an individual's perception can only hint at reality by creating imperfect facsimiles. He perturbs Cliff with the idea that there may be an intangible, unknowable world existing just beyond their senses.

In the night, the group is attacked by a mysterious beast that kills one of Jeb's donkeys. The beast appears differently to each person who sees it, and Murdoch sees a non-anthropomorphic fox. Sam is knocked unconscious in the attack, and Murdoch and Cliff help carry him to safety. They return to the campsite to find that many of their supplies were ransacked by the monster, and even Murdoch's guitar was destroyed. They press on, with Murdoch (at Cliff's suggestion) using his claws to mark trees as they pass so they can keep themselves oriented, but it quickly becomes clear that their progress is being supernaturally redirected. Cliff and Jeb get into an argument about Jeb's drinking, and his apparent inability to lead them through the forest, but Murdoch breaks it up and Jeb storms off.

Murdoch proposes to Sam and Cliff that the three of them start being more honest with each other, in order to dispel any lingering suspicion and ensure their mutual survival. If Sam and Murdoch are on good terms, Sam admits that he is running from Echo, although he still does not specify why, and in turn, Murdoch confesses that he is reliant on the limited supply of opium he has brought along to keep him 'grounded,' and that he is deeply scared by the prospect of facing sobriety. Jeb returns and he and Murdoch smell their way to the remains of another campsite, which turns out to belong to a group of Meseta travelers led by Avery. Avery and his companions are reeling after their own encounter with the monster, and the two parties band together.

Following a night spent recuperating at the home of Avery's parents, the group returns to the scene of the attack to salvage their supplies. On the way, the forest once again seems to be redirecting their progress, and Murdoch wonders if there is something it is trying to show them. Before long they stumble upon a dilapidated cabin, and Murdoch explores it with Cliff. Upon arriving at their ransacked camp, Avery remarks that Jeb's donkey has been mangled in a manner that looks more like a ritualistic slaughter than the work of a beast killing to survive, which rattles Murdoch badly. In the wreckage, Murdoch finds a scuffed document that includes evidence that Cliff is traveling under an assumed name, and that his birth name is Cornelis van Houwelinck.

After helping Jeb bury his donkey, the party makes it out of the woods and camps at an outpost near a hot spring, where they make the acquaintance of Ed. Depending on Sam's preference, Murdoch may join Cliff and Sam for a threesome at the spring, or he may leave the two to have a private moment together and wash up with Jeb and Avery instead.

Back at the campfire, Murdoch tells another tale, this one based on local folklore. According to the story, going out into the desert alone at high noon with no provisions and surviving until nightfall will bestow whoever can manage it with the thing they need most in the world. Ed informs Murdoch that the story originated from a friend of his, who spread it in order to kill off naïve newcomers to the region. Afterward, Murdoch borrows Ed's guitar and performs a song as Sam and Cliff dance together.

#### Chapter 3

If Murdoch has sex with Cliff and Sam, then the next morning Cliff has the option to set boundaries on their relationship by asking Murdoch to keep things professional. Murdoch seems very upset to hear this, but quickly masks his dejection with a characteristic smile. If Murdoch was left out of the tryst instead, he promises not to pry into what Sam and Cliff did at the springs, but tells Cliff to be careful with Sam, since Murdoch can tell he has 'been through a lot.'

Once the group makes it to the Meseta settlement, Murdoch departs with Sam to find lodging at the local inn. They are barred from accessing their room without upfront payment so the two try to explain that their stay is being financed by Cliff, but there is no reservation on file booked under that name. Murdoch produces the document with Cliff's birth name, however, and the clerk lets them check in.

Inside their room, Murdoch explains to Sam that he has discovered Cliff is using an alias, although neither thinks it is necessarily suspicious. Cliff and then Jeb arrive shortly after and quickly get into another argument. Cliff's frustration with their late arrival at the settlement leads him to consider replacing Jeb and finding a new guide, which Jeb strongly resents. Murdoch sides with Jeb, pointing out that it is unreasonable to blame him for the seemingly supernatural obstructions they faced along the way, and after Jeb storms out Murdoch tries to help Cliff calm down and empathize with Jeb's frustration. As Cliff and Sam leave, Murdoch gets to work converting the room's closet into a dark room so he can develop all the photos he took during the journey, and discovers that one of them shows a beast with a contorted face stalking Cliff.

Neither Sam nor Cliff return that night, and Murdoch worries that Sam has departed from their company for good. Offscreen, Murdoch helps to further smooth things over with Jeb by assuring him that Cliff will keep him employed for their return journey, although he does not confirm this with Cliff explicitly.

After another brush with the monster stalking them, Sam returns to the inn with a sprained ankle that keeps him from walking without support, and Murdoch is shocked and possibly even hurt to learn that Sam nonetheless still intends to set off by himself. If Murdoch and Sam have established a mutual trust, then Murdoch asks Jeb to step out of the room and shows Sam the photograph of the beast, likely in an attempt to get him to reconsider setting out on his own. Sam counters by inviting Murdoch to leave along with him, but Murdoch says he has too many obligations in Echo to accept and insists that they should all stay together to stay safe. When they realize that Cliff set off on his own the previous night and never returned, Murdoch looks truly terrified, even as he tries to confidently insist that Cliff has the company of Yiska to keep him safe. The two then agree to find Cliff and tell him about the photo.

If Sam and Murdoch have not agreed to trust one another then Murdoch does not share the revelation about the photo. He still urgently enlists the help of both Jeb and Sam to find Cliff, instead saying simply that he has a good reason to believe that he is in trouble.

Murdoch and Sam discover Cliff locked in a shed on the grounds of the school, disheveled and badly dehydrated. Along with the key to the shed, they find scraps of Caldwell's clothing scattered outside and Murdoch surmises that something must have happened to the reverend. They free Cliff and bring him back to the hotel to recover, and if the three have been intimate previously and Cliff has encouraged Murdoch's affections, then Murdoch and Sam bathe Cliff fondly.

Cliff reveals that Caldwell is indeed dead, and was likely a victim of the same predatory creature from the forest. Soon afterward Jeb returns with news that the Meseta caught a beast in the act of goring the reverend the previous night and killed it, but Murdoch and the others are surprised and incredulous to hear that it was simply a massive but otherwise mundane wild boar. In order to be certain Murdoch grabs his camera and accompanies Cliff and Jeb to see the animal's body, but they have only just reached the carcass when suddenly William and James Hendricks arrive at the settlement by automobile.

### William's Route

#### Chapter 1

In reaction to Samuel's sudden outburst, Murdoch apologizes for putting stress on him. He worries what the miners' strike could mean for Echo, since the town depends on CSCG so heavily. When William dismisses everyone from the powder room, Murdoch brushes off the girls' advances and lounges on one of the couches, looking bored, as Samuel and William leave.

Despite his initial reluctance, Murdoch agrees to return with Will to the mines to photograph the crime scene, becoming professional and cheery with a suddenness that Sam finds unnerving. At some point during their work together Murdoch had learned from Will that Sam is a potential suspect in Jack's murder, and he quickly realizes the truth of Sam's guilt when he sees him being ushered out of the Hip in Will's custody.

The group hears women laughing inside the mine, and Murdoch suggests that it is simply idle youths and leads the way through a narrow passage. In the cavern where Sam killed Jack, Murdoch observes that the tarantulas nesting together on the evidence are acting unusually for the season. He snaps a few pictures of the scene, then exits the mine with the rest of the group. Murdoch praises Sam's decision to come clean and assures him William will ensure the best outcome for him, then departs for his home when they reach Echo.

The following evening, Murdoch and Cliff arrive at the sheriff's office for a poker game. Will is frustrated by Murdoch's guest as he had had neglected to tell Will who he was bringing along, but Cliff is allowed to stay and play as well. During the game, Murdoch discretely keeps track of a figure that has been watching them from outside of the window as the group plays. When the figure eventually reveals a gun and takes aim at Cliff, Murdoch knocks him out of the line of fire and is hit in the shoulder by the bullet instead. His injury is nonlethal, and he is treated by Nik and Cliff.

It is revealed that Murdoch had noticed someone following him to the office, but it is unclear whether he knew about the figure's murderous intent. Murdoch identifies the assailant, who Will has shot and killed, as Jimmy Fisher, an errant teenager infamous for doing illicit jobs around town. Murdoch is then bandaged up and carted off by Nik, Todd, and Cliff to go home and rest after almost fainting in the jail block of the office.

#### Chapter 2

Off-screen, Murdoch is treated by Ralph and the two go walking near Lake Emma, where they overhear what sounds like a struggle followed by a body being dumped in the lake. Murdoch visits the sheriff's office to report what he saw, and William agrees to investigate. When Will refers offhand to his ex-wife, who has come to Echo, Murdoch is curious but does not press him.

The next day, Murdoch prepares a picnic with Cliff while they wait for Sam and William to arrive at Lake Emma. Will teases him about his ongoing relationship with Cliff, and Murdoch responds sharply. He escorts the group to the lakeside cavern where he heard the possible crime, then returns to Cliff. When the others return and Will explains that he made rash mistakes during the investigation, Murdoch may be impressed to hear that Sam managed to calm him down. Murdoch is notably at ease in Will's presence, seeming to enjoy spending a rare moment with him as a friend rather than a business associate, and calls the sheriff by his first name for the first time.

Murdoch invites Sam and Will to The Stag, a men's only bar, and then coaches Sam through taking a photograph of the group all together. Murdoch accompanies Cliff back to his home, under the pretense of protecting him from further attacks, but Cliff points out that Murdoch's injuries mean he is just as likely to need assistance.

#### Chapter 3

Murdoch apparently sleeps through Reed's attempt to break into Cliff's home during the night, and is woken up by Cliff in the morning. Murdoch staggers as he makes his way back to his family's store, and Will observes that he looks weary.

A few days later, William finds a film canister on Marcy Greene's property and learns that her murdered husband Huxley was last seen departing their home in a carriage with a red fox. Since this possibly implicates a member of the Byrnes family, Will comes to Red's General Goods to interview Murdoch about what his parents and siblings have been up to in the previous days. Ralph tries to stop Will at the door, but Murdoch invites him inside after hearing that the sheriff's business is urgent and may lead to arrests. Murdoch and Will go into the store's dark room for privacy, where Murdoch confirms that the film canister may have come from the store but was likely not purchased by the Greenes, since they were not frequent customers.

Murdoch recounts his recent whereabouts, and Will concludes that he is likely personally uninvolved in Huxley's disappearance but may possibly be lying to cover for his family. At Will's prompting, Murdoch mentions that his mother and father are usually the ones who drive the company carriage, and reveals that Gretchen and possibly Alfred attended a party thrown by Cordelia Hendricks at her mansion on the night that Huxley disappeared. Gretchen herself then bursts into the dark room and demands that Will ask his questions to her instead of Murdoch, only to depart after a terse conversation upon learning that Marcy Greene is near death at the Hip.

Alone with Will again, Murdoch says he has nothing to hide but speculates that the first step to undermine an investigation would be to tamper with evidence. Will reveals that Cliff is using a false name and was brought to Echo to work for James, and Murdoch remarks that although the alias is strange most of the town is employed by James somehow. Will further advises him not to be so willing to take bullets for strangers, and even as Murdoch tries to downplay his actions he seems to appreciate that Will considers him a friend and values his well-being. Murdoch reiterates his invitation to The Stag, and says that Will should be more willing to get along with Cliff if they are all going to be spending more time together.

### Nikolai's Route

#### Chapter 1

Cliff gets his hopes up when he hears Sam decline Murdoch's bet, and so Murdoch playfully remarks that Cliff will be heartbroken if Sam doesn't choose him instead. Murdoch then strolls off in the direction William went, and is not seen until much later in the route.

#### Chapter 2

Late one night, Murdoch startles Sam outside of Chang's opium den. Murdoch assumes Sam is a fellow customer there to buy drugs, and inquires about what visions Sam has seen while high. He mentions his observation that Echo itself seems to cause drugs to affect people unusually, but apologizes for making things awkward after Sam fails to show an interest. He then gives Sam some money in order to express his regret for making the bet at the Hip, and explains he was only trying to impress him at the time. Murdoch also invites Sam to come watch one of his performances at The Stag, and says he saw him there a few nights before.

Jim arrives, impatient to get going to the mines where Murdoch will be photographing sites for him to sample in his role as an assayer for CSCG. Jim behaves flirtatiously towards Sam, and although he does not say it, Murdoch seems to understand that Jim has had sex with Sam at the Hip.

#### Chapter 3

As recounted later, Murdoch and Jim venture into the mines and have a possibly supernatural encounter. At some point after 7:30, Murdoch sees a series of inexplicable doors in the wall of the caverns, through which he thinks he can see people. Jim tells him the sites of the doors correspond to known gas leaks, but then when he and Jim go through one to investigate they somehow reappear back on the surface.

The next evening at around 7:30, a dazed and dirty Murdoch finds Sam and Nik on the shore of Lake Emma and asks them for the time, then begins vomiting. After getting some water to drink from Nik, he is led back to The Hip where a group of miners help him recover. Chang is among them and Murdoch identifies him even through his confusion, commenting vaguely that the opium he used may have been too strong.

Murdoch is giddy and delirious, and seems to still be under the residual effects of drugs, possibly combined with the fallout from his perception-altering experience. Nik brings him a honey bun to eat, and as he does he begins to sober up. He reveals that he has no memory of the previous twenty-four hours, and looks at the dirt beneath his nails as he recounts the doors he saw. Murdoch tries to write the experience off as a hallucination, only for the miners to then share several of their own stories of inexplicable things occurring in the mines.

Later, after he is feeling better, Murdoch overhears Nik ask Sam for a dance and offers to play something special for them. The lively performance dispels the tense atmosphere of the previous conversation, and many of the miners dance along.

## Relationships

### Samuel

Underneath his flirtatious, smug behavior towards Sam, Murdoch harbors a deep curiosity about him, and even feels envy for a romanticized version of what he believes Sam's profession entails. This has led to him developing feelings for Sam from a distance, with Murdoch hoping that he may have a kindred spirit in the object of his affection.

In his own route, Murdoch seems to consider Sam a good listener, and readily explains topics he is passionate about to Sam at length. Murdoch hires Sam with the intention of befriending him, and their relationship soon becomes a rare part of Murdoch's life that his family holds no sway over. Though Murdoch finds that Sam is not who or what he expected, he gradually becomes attached to the man he gets to know. He later says he deeply respects Sam, and Sam becomes one of the few people that Murdoch can truly open up to about his deeply troubled inner life. Notably, defending Sam seems to be one of the only reliable motivations for Murdoch to ever speak up against his family. Later in the route after getting to know one another better, Murdoch and Sam begin dating. Murdoch further fantasizes about becoming whores together, and he ends up taking pointers from Sam after being tasked to pleasure Jim and his friends.

In Cliff's route, Murdoch's inquisitive nature puts him at odds with a paranoid Sam, who fears being hanged for the murder of Jack, but depending on Sam's attitude towards him the two may slowly grow closer. They may also have a threesome with Cliff if Sam decides he is open to it.

Murdoch is presumably aware of Sam's involvement in Jack's death across all routes, but due to his own feelings, a lack of certainty in these accusations, and having heard this info being told to Will himself, he keeps this knowledge secret in most cases. On Murdoch's route, he is especially defensive of Sam and declares that it doesn't truly matter to him what he did, as he can overlook it regardless. He goes on to lie in order to protect Sam and tearfully declares that he will help save him by bringing him with the family after Holly and Jim's wedding is over and they move to the city. In Cliff's route, should the pair have a more negative relationship, however, Murdoch becomes increasingly frustrated by Sam's refusal to trust him and acts more coldly to him in turn, even appearing scared of Sam at some points.

### Ralph

Murdoch and Ralph have been friends for much of their lives, and Ralph is one of the only people that Murdoch drops all pretense around. Both of them are interested in formulating theories about the supernatural forces at work in Echo, and they have tried for many years to get to the bottom of the town's mysteries together. The pair also used to perform musically together, with Ralph crediting Murdoch with inspiring him to enjoy the piano rather than having learned it out of obligation.

Murdoch says he loved Ralph when they were younger but believes they are now incompatible, since their years spent apart while Ralph was abroad for school have caused them to develop into very different people who want different things out of life. This seems to apply to their musical career in particular, with Ralph at one point longing to travel the country together performing while Murdoch remains bound by his familial obligations. It is unclear if Ralph still harbors any of this old attraction, but he is very protective of Murdoch, often using his acerbic personality to vet the friends Murdoch makes and ensure that they will not take advantage of his giving nature. In that regard, Ralph insists that Murdoch enjoys keeping him around due to his nature as a necessary protector. Murdoch typically tries to get Ralph to stand down from these confrontations, though he is rarely successful.

### Cliff

Murdoch is attracted to Cliff, and behaves in his characteristically flirtatious way towards him. Perhaps because of their shared struggles with familial expectation, the two seem to share an immediate chemistry, which frequently draws them towards one another in several of the game's storylines. The pair are especially friendly on Will's route and spend much of their time together.

In Cliff's route, Murdoch appears deeply hurt if Cliff initially entertains his attention but then asks to keep things professional, indicating that Murdoch has developed feelings for Cliff that go beyond casual attraction. When Murdoch realizes Cliff is missing and may be in danger, Sam observes that the easy confidence that Murdoch usually uses to conceals his feelings fails to hide how terrified he is.

### William

As a photographer, Murdoch works with William to take crime scene photos. The two have a professional relationship, although Murdoch teases Will on occasion. Will also invites Murdoch to the poker nights he hosts, and the two seem aware of each other's sexuality.

Murdoch believes that William is very logical in his investigations, but worries that in a town like Echo logical conclusions can be very incorrect. He has a high opinion of Will's sense of justice, however, and describes him as gallant. Murdoch seems to be attracted to Will, though due to their business relationship he is unwilling to act on any such feelings. When Will declares that Murdoch would make a good whore, he is first flustered, but becomes notably flattered and accepts this excitedly as praise after some goading from Sam.

### Nikolai

Murdoch and Nik do not interact much, but share an easy camaraderie.

In Will's route, Murdoch calls Nik 'earnest,' and after learning that Sam's friendship with Nik has become strained, assures him that Nik will come around.

### Jebediah

During Cliff's route, Murdoch often playfully invites the normally taciturn Jeb to join in on conversations, which Sam speculates may be because Murdoch enjoys trying to 'get a rise' out of him. Murdoch and Jeb develop a comfortable rapport as they travel together, and given the opposing personalities of Jeb and Cliff, Murdoch often ends up mediating between them. He often speaks out when he feels that Cliff is being unfairly critical of Jeb's skills as a guide and ensures that Jeb's concerns are heard. After an intense falling out upon reaching the settlement, Murdoch manages to keep Jeb from swearing Cliff off entirely by ensuring him full payment and promising him that he will reason with Cliff and get him to apologize .

### Todd

Murdoch and Todd are friendly with each other, and often play poker together. Murdoch sly joking nature shines in their interactions, and he enjoys playfully taking advantage of Todd's tendency to get easily flustered.

### The Byrnes Family

Murdoch has an exceptionally toxic relationship with his family. Both his parents constantly belittle him and make demands of him, taking full advantage of his devotion to them. His sister Holly further exploits his altruism by making him sleep with her fiancé, Jim, in order to secure their marriage, which both her and Murdoch justify for the good of the family. Only his younger sister, Dahlia, appears to treat Murdoch with kindness, though usually from a distance. Murdoch believes his family grants him stability and claims to enjoy feeling needed, and so remains paralyzingly devoted to them.

Murdoch's parents seem to be aware that he is gay. In Murdoch's route, Holly explains that Gretchen uses her influence as a respected woman in Echo to shield him from the consequences of his sexuality becoming public knowledge. Likely because they do not expect him to have children, Murdoch's parents heavily favor Holly, whose marriage will provide a veneer of 'respectability' for the family, over Murdoch as the technical heir. Murdoch and his sisters are all aware of Echo's supernatural nature and share a desire to escape town as soon as possible as a result. Dahlia and Murdoch also seem to correspond through coded messages with disturbing implications, though the extent of what these messages mean has yet to be revealed.

### Grandma Rowan

Grandma Rowan is Murdoch's maternal grandmother and one of his closest familial connections. Murdoch would visit Grandma Rowan with his siblings each summer and enjoyed her stories about fae and supernatural presences greatly, and he seemingly subscribes more to her traditional spiritual beliefs than the Catholicism practiced by the rest of his family. He credits her with helping him devise his own theories about Echo's paranormal nature, particularly the concept of locations having "souls" determined by the people who live there and the actions that take place as a result. For her part Grandma Rowan seems to favor Murdoch among her grandchildren and affectionally calls him by the nickname Socks, notably condemning his family's habit of taking him for granted.

### Seamus

Murdoch misses his brother terribly, and the places that hold memories of him are still bitter for Murdoch to revisit, even years later. Murdoch blames himself heavily for his death, though seems to believe that whatever entity holds sway over Echo is equally responsible due to the string of bad judgments and coincidences that culminated in the events of his accident.

At his lowest, Murdoch reveals that he remarks that his parents would have seen Seamus a better son that him, had he gotten the chance to grow up.

### Jim

Murdoch anguishes over his illicit relationship with his future brother-in-law but feels trapped in the arrangement by his duty to his sister and parents, and fears that if Jim gets 'bored' with heterosexual monogamy he will leave Holly and the Byrnes family will be stranded in Echo. Murdoch expresses attraction towards Jim, calling him "beautiful," and enjoys their trysts on a physical level, but he is galled by Jim's low opinion of women and gays, as well as the cruel way he talks about the Byrnes family, and considers him a "rich brat." Ultimately, any pleasure Murdoch might derive from his encounters with Jim seems to be overshadowed by the despair he feels about the circumstances of their relationship, and the aspects of Jim's personality that he finds objectionable.

Despite this, Jim later admits to Sam that he doesn't truly hate Jim and that one on one he's simply ignorant rather than incorrigible. Murdoch notes that Jim's actions are largely informed by his fear of judgement and seems to somewhat pity him as a result. He does not reciprocate Jim's apparent feelings toward him however, though with Sam's prompting he agrees to at least consider using this connection to his advantage should the need arise.

## Trivia

* Murdoch is the only member of the main cast (the four love interests plus Sam) to have been born and raised in Echo.
* Murdoch was originally left out of the list of major characters from The Smoke Room that Sam mentions in a scene near the end of Leo's route in Echo. The scene was eventually updated to include him as the development of The Smoke Room progressed and he became a central character.
* Murdoch's character concept, particularly his role as the town's photographer, originated as a way to justify the photographs from 1915 that Chase finds during Echo.
* Murdoch keeps a flipbook in his wallet that shows a sequence likely inspired by the real-world 1902 short film *A Trip to the Moon*, which is considered one of the most influential films in the early history of cinema.
* In the 'Buy a Man Some Hooch' animatics, Murdoch's singing voice is performed by Kader.
* Murdoch's favorite book is *The Time Machine*.
* Murdoch appears to understand Morse code to some degree, as indicated by the clicking sounds he makes after finding a coded message left by Dahlia using said format.

## References

1. ↑ GeorgeSquares' CuriousCat
2. ↑ GeorgeSquares' CuriousCat