Ethan really began as one of the most uninteresting characters in the Officers pantheon. Little more than a grizzled old soldier whose loyalty was beyond question. Then I added a few bits about his son, Matize, who dies right before the campaign’s storyline begins. Suddenly I found myself rewriting him in my mind, really trying to get in the mind of a father whose lost his son, and how that could cause him to rethink his life and the directions he’s taken.
Ethan starts out as your only intrigue capable officer. Intrigue and Espionage act as separate branches of the overall skullduggery section of the game. Intrigue, unlike espionage, is typically done without the character hiding their identity in any way. They may join an enemy army to turn against them at a key battle, or they may hire bandits to harass an enemy’s supply line. In any case, Ethan having intrigue options shows that he is more than just a soldier, he’s also a politician and orator. By the third act, Ethan will have come into this role in full, going from an active general, to instead being an ambassador, negotiator and minister.
In a way, he’s really become one of my favorite characters so far. As an outspoken opponent of warfare, I’ve had some hard conversations with myself about why I so enjoy making games about the subject. The total contents of those discussions is for another day, but having a character who slides away from being an excellent general to being a man of peace helps me feel that perhaps my thoughts are not entirely lost in the entertainment aspects.