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Name: Lord Murp Pdeetons: Ex-Convict; Destroyer of Chairs; Winner of Girliest Screams Murphy Pendleton The Third
Age: 39 (although in ataraxion he is about 43-years-old now)
Canon: Silent Hill: Downpour
Original or Alternate Universe: Original
Canon Point: A few days after the Truth And Justice/Ending B continuity
Number: OPR » 006 » 073


"I'm not a number... I'm a free man!"
— Number 6; The Prisoner

Personality:

You wouldn't think that a guy who spent time in the slammer would be a very swell person. Right? For Murphy, morality isn't such a black and white ideology, but a shade of gray. He was not driven to crime by sociopathy or mindless violence. As a matter of fact, first impressions might not even indicate him to be a violent man at all. But if Murphy is guilty of any fault, he's a goddamned Roaring Rampage of Revenge, which is not a force to be reckoned with when pushed to his limits.

While hardened by his years Ryall State Penitentiary, Murphy was at one point reported to be a "model prisoner". He kept his head down most of the time, and minded his own business when among the crowd. Be it an already existing behavior or a habit he picked up in prison, Murphy doesn't look someone in the eye very long, with only the occasional brief glances. Given that he spent so many years surrounded by murderers and convicts much worse than himself, staring contests with his peers probably wasn't a practiced habit. Either way, he has a perpetual penchant for keeping his head down when talking to people. He also slouches quite a bit when he walks.

Another noticeable trait is that, when alone, Murphy tends to talk to himself. A lot. It's a probable and understandable symptom of unnerved jumpiness when hurled into a tense scene for anyone, but still. The sound of his own voice might have actually helped keep him grounded to some realm of sanity in a world of madness and isolation, which Murphy is already quite familiar with. He's mostly realistic when solving problems, while still capable of thinking outside the box.

It might have also been a habit he picked up after spending time alone in his prison cell, and he probably didn't converse much with his fellow inmates. On that note, it's more than likely that he didn't have any friends while in prison, and trusted only Coleridge and Sewell for a time. And then he had no one. He isn't one to start knocking heads for no reason, but did what he could to stay clear from trouble. Though, if the marks that frequent his face are any indicator, trouble usually seemed to wind up finding him. On a good day, he can be described as having a soft-spoken and withdrawn disposition.

Murphy never understood Frank Coleridge, why he treated him the way he did, or accepted him despite his failures. Murphy's low opinion of himself makes him believe that he's a screw-up who always lets people down, but Frank was the only one who never gave up on him. To add Charlie and Napier's death, Murphy carries the weight of losing a noble friend like Frank on his shoulders as well. It's not an easy burden to carry. Why, it's almost enough for one to believe that death just tends to follow them wherever they go.

There is one other thing that Murphy does not take for granted, and that is the simple things in life. Understandable, for someone who's been isolated from his old societal life for so long. He's described a feeling of dehumanization after being identified by his prisoner number for so long, and he's actually quite content after he finally changed into some "real" clothes. When he finally makes out outside, he expresses great relief.

At first glance, you wouldn't have thought that a man like Murphy was ever a happy guy. But he was, at one time. Being a happy father once himself, he obviously has a soft spot for kids, and is generally protective of them in the face of dangerous outcomes. He doesn't like seeing innocent people getting hurt, either, and isn't above going out of his way to step in to help someone in need (even if they were, you know, pointing a gun at him two seconds ago). Be it freeing caged birds or hopelessly looking for lost children or helping hobos in the subway, he can be a Good Samaritan when the times call for it. What a guy.

Emotionally distraught by the death of his six-year-old son, Murphy is a prime example of what tragedy can do to destroy a person. For an escaped convict, he isn't entirely without his virtues, and can be a genuinely decent person at heart. In spite of his ruthless vengeance streak, Murphy admits that he would never hurt anyone who didn't deserve to be hurt -- implying that he might hurt them if he believed that they did deserve it. He also states that he would never be able to live with himself if he ever hurt a child. That said, he isn't too thrilled about people who hurt kids, either.

That doesn't rule out the fact that Murphy has an anger problem. While he may not immediately resort to physical violence, he is a violent person -- just more liable to respond by lashing out verbally when things don't work out in his favor. This was most likely the final straw that led to his divorce with Carol. Murphy is completely aware of his crimes, but is usually more quick to justify them than anything else. He isn't in denial that he wanted his son's killer dead, but he does try and rationalize his actions because of what he was forced to go through. He actually does this a lot, not just with his anger, but with his delinquent actions as well. As in, bending the law a little isn't a big deal if it's not big enough for anyone to notice ("They won't miss this," he says as he helps himself to a few dollars from a cash register).

Like with anyone who's been unlucky enough to venture into Silent Hill, it's worth noting that many of the monsters and physical manifestations of the town are also reflections of Murphy himself. These are usually left open for interpretation, but for posterity's sake, I wrote up these, as they go into further analysis to what the elements of Silent Hill mean to the character. It's worth nothing that, for someone who has lived among monstrous people for so many years, Murphy's demons would take on a more humanoid appearance than previous victims of the town.

But anyway...

Despite his efforts to escape from his fate at Wayside Max, Murphy isn't slow to concede in defeat. He isn't the type to beg for his life, and he's even willing to accept his fate if that is what's chosen for him. He doesn't plead for Anne not to kill him, and even tells her while they're on Ricks' boat that she might as well. It might be a stretch to call Murphy suicidal, but he does very much fall into that area where he doesn't care whether he lives or dies. There is also an ominous implication in that the last thing he tells Anne is the same thing that JP Sater had told him, just before Sater had jumped into the Devil's Pit. Additionally, Silent Hill is riddled with nooses and allusions of people hanging themselves, which might point towards Murphy's thoughts of suicide.

He is wrecked by a lifetime of guilt. Even though he had no power over what happened to Charlie, he blamed himself when things go wrong. This, most likely, did not make matters better with his ex-wife. He needed Carol's forgiveness during a time in which he could not forgive himself, and she simply couldn't deliver -- not that he blames or resents her for it. Carol had come to know Murphy better than anyone; she was his best friend, and she forgave him for all the wrongs that he had done in his life. Just not this time, when she told Murphy that all she had ever asked of him was to be a good enough father... and he couldn't do even that. To add more insult to injury, she told him that he had failed his family, and it was his fault they would never have Charlie back. Just as Murphy's grief drove him to anger and revenge, Carol was most likely just taking her grief out on her husband.

Murphy had grown to hate himself, and has fallen pretty deep down this destructive path of self-deprecation and doubt. A parent having to bury their child, especially so young, is doubtlessly a scarring experience that not even years worth of counseling can always pull you through. But not even killing Napier brought him any peace, and by the time he realized this, it was too late. Now, he is haunted by the pleads he'd made, the blood, and the look Napier gave him when he died. Murphy's story is one that explores the path of vengeance at its ugliest core, and the vicious reality that cycles it.

"It's me. It's always been me, my own worst enemy,
the one who always screws up and lets other down.
I've tried so many times to start over and find my way to peace, but then...

"Back in the can the Chaplain told me that I should not punish myself,
but it's the only thing I've got left under my control."

Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:

Murphy is just a normal human. As such, he has no special powers to limit.

Abilities:
→ Calling All Cars: Given his previous knowledge and interest for cars, it's no surprise that Murphy is able to break in and boost them as well. He displays a sharp memory, having no problem with distinguishing automobiles on the spot. That said, he probably knows his way around mechanical equipment.
→ Cutting Room Floor: He also had experience working in a movie theater, so he knows how to work a film reel splicer and a projector. How the hell will this ever be useful? I have no idea, but it's something he can do...
→ Fight? Murphy isn't entirely vulnerable. He is pretty resourceful when cornered into a fight. Be it facing monsters or other humans, he'll be quick to defend himself. He tends to try and make the rational and realistic decision, especially with whether or not if he needs to resolve an issue with violence. Murphy will also make use of just about anything as a weapon, be it rocks, tools, chairs, his fists, or even his own thick skull.
Yeah.
Between pistols, colts, and shotguns, he's got a pretty good shot, too. He's not above fighting dirty, either. Because prison brothers never know how to fight fair, and sometimes you have to get down to their level if you want to survive.
The man also has an impressive stamina. Even after being cooped up in a cell for an ungodly period of time, he can run for long periods of time and hop over objects pretty quickly. He's not a particularly fast runner except when hopped up on adrenaline, in which he just books it like a Weeping Bat out of Hell.

Weaknesses:
→ Or flight? When faced with an impossible situation, Murphy has no reservations about tearing like a bat out of Hell. But he's also more inclined to flee than he is to stick around. He has issues with authority and most people in any sort of position of power, especially when that person pertains to any government positions. So, the moment that one rolls around, his immediate instinct is going to be to get out of there and never look back.
Why is this a weakness?
Because Murphy has a bad habit of running from his problems, rather than owning up and facing them. And there's nothing worse than running from yourself.
→ Going Off The Rails: It's hinted that Murphy suffers a case of post-traumatic stress disorder, which he expresses in acts of anger that drives him to making irrational choices. It can be a result of a lot of things: Losing his son, watching a man get beaten to death in front of him, solitary confinement in prison, and Silent Hill as a whole.
Because of PTSD, Murphy has difficulty with trust as well as remembering how to act around people who aren't murderous inmates or monsters trying to cut his throat open. Fighting for his life is all he's ever known for awhile. Recent events have also led Murphy to oftentimes question the state of his sanity. He's only human, and to top it off, witnessing his son's body being pulled out of the lake as well as bloodying his own hands did a number on his mental health. Wrought by his own demons and regret, he's a basketcase of mental issues.
→ Piñata Party: There are certain things that Murphy is not too fond of -- small spaces being one of them. Because his vision of torment is manifested in several enclosed spaces and confinement that he must pass through, it isn't a stretch to say that Murphy is a high functioning claustrophobic. If he's ever in a situation in which he is trapped or imprisoned again, chances are he isn't going to know how to handle it very well.

From the Voice/Body Language Meme:

→ VOICE:
Murphy can sometimes be a quiet man with a softspoken demeanor, not like most guys in prison but obviously hardened by doing his time. Oh, and he's also voiced by NOT David Hayter Solid Snake David Boyd Konrad. Don't know who that is? Neither do I! But he's got a really deep voice if nothing else. At times Murphy sounds like he's got some kind of accent, like a southern dialect, but considering that he's originally from Boston, Massachusetts I'm not sure where they were going with the way he talks. He mutters to himself a lot too, in a way that shows he probably didn't have that many people to talk to to a long period of time and his tones will sometimes trail off. His attempts to reason with a very pissed off Anne is nothing short of pathetic, and if you need comfort... yeah, don't always want to count on Murphy to know what he's doing. His consolation is just about as effective as "Thank you for calling the Silent Hill Help Hotline. Uh. Please don't do it?"

Despite his deep and manly voice, he screams like a little bitch.

Just saying.

Also there aren't that many individual cutscenes uploaded on YouTube to showcase for some reason, but hopefully this timestamp will work because it's definitely my favorite example of just how Murphy sounds and acts when he's pushed to his emotional limits and also more screaming. While he's not a particularly violent person, he's not above YELLING AND LOUD NOISES to show that he's REALLY REALLY ANGRY.

RAWG.

CURSING.

→ BODY LANGUAGE
His body language is actually pretty telling, more so than actual words ever can. Murphy doesn't talk much at all during his prison transfer, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact with the guards and other inmates. The way the guards look at him and the way he avoids looking at his fellow prisoners, there's kind of a hint of tension and dislike with the kinds of guys he's lived among. No surprise there. You get a little more about the way he carries himself during the gameplay as well. Interestingly enough, it's actually kind of similar in how the weeping bat monsters, which symbolize solitary confinement, walk and are haunch over with their shoulders. It's an odd thing to note that he does swing his arms outward a lot when he walks, not much unlike the weeping bats do, too.

But in any case, Murphy is pretty much all body language. He communicates a lot with his hands and movement, stepping away from people he finds suspicious even when they come off as friendly to him. He's a good guy, but Murphy himself doesn't always seem to know how to act friendly sometimes when his whole life was surrounded by mostly unfriendly people. I've always imagined that Murphy usually made an effort to come off as unfriendly to people in order to keep other prisoners from messing with him in the can.

He's also a shitty liar and it shows when he basically acts like the human equivalent to Denver the guilty dog. No I am dead serious here.

Physical contact is kind of a big thing to Murphy. He was a family man who went through an extreme period of complicated grief, and he wasn't above showing the fact that he loves the people he cares about. When Anne hugs him, he's visibly relieved as someone who probably hasn't experienced any kind of affection since his son was murdered. So yeah, underneath his usually guarded and untrusting exterior, think of him as nothing more than a cuddly teddy bear.

Inventory:
→ Go here.

Current Living Situation:
→ Room 006 » 073 with Anne Marie Cunningham. Because of reasons. And marriage.

and i know i'm not forgiven
but i hope that i'll be given some peace

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