Here, we will shine the spotlight on several interesting points in Echo Night that aren't explained by playing the game alone, such as the meaning of the sun relief and the origin of the Orpheus' name, in a Q&A format.
A: Just like, for example, the Titanic took its name from the mythical giant Titan, the Orpheus takes its name from the person in a Greek myth who passed through the underworld in order to save the soul of his lover. The reason why this was used as the name of the ship where the game is set is because it matched well with the theme of Echo Night (where the protagonist saves many souls).
A: There are people who were killed with the knife, and people who were killed by evil spirits born from that. People like the sailor in the chart room and the patrolman were killed by spirits. Arthur, Hilda and so on were killed using the knife.
A: If we're talking in terms of sailing all that time, then no. I think of the Orpheus itself as being within another dimension that deviates a little from reality. I think you might be able to figure that out from the fact that everything you obtained while on the boat has vanished in the ending, too.
A: The red stone created evil spirits after taking in too much power, and at that point this power had already begun to awaken. The sun rose at the wharf right after that and Billy narrowly managed to escape death, but he was killed after later encountering another spirit aboard the ship.
A: Yes. I described it as another dimension earlier, but I think of it as something that exists beyond the boundaries of the axis of time. This is why the boat hasn't aged at all, too.
A: When evil spirits began to appear on the boat, the captain realised that something was wrong and made his way down to the first level. He ran into the library to escape from a spirit, and there he found the comet book. He fled back to his room with the book, guided by a voice from within, but couldn't understand what drove him to do such a thing. No longer hearing the voice from inside the book, he grew fearful of it and shut it away inside a drawer.
A: The spirits aboard the ship use human life force as energy (like the red stone). Since their bodies have been absorbed as a source of this energy, they no longer remain.
A: It's unclear whether such a place even truly exists to begin with.
A: That's top secret information which I can't reveal. This might be cleared up in 2 (if it gets made, that is).
A: William, desperately trying to restrain the red stone after it had accrued too much power, realised that his death was drawing near and wished for the destruction of the stone. The red stone itself knew that its holder was close to death and sought a new one. They both desired the same thing, and this power guided the two to the ship.
A: Henry, who gradually descends into a state of mental confusion due to the red stone's power.
A: This is never touched upon during the game, but this is what it's supposed to be.
"In order to understand the power of the red stone he has obtained, William devotes himself to mysticism. During this process he meets a man who will have a great influence upon him. This man has both knowledge regarding the two stones and a variety of other strange powers besides. The two spend more and more time talking with each other, but one day the man suddenly vanishes. Even with the power of the Rockwell family he is unable to be located. All that remains are the two things he gave to William: a plate in the shape of a sun, and a crystal. Ever since then, William has used this sun as a protective symbol for his house. The man's name is not recorded, only testimony that he was blind."
A: Nothing too significant in particular, but an occultism fad was part of the historical background of that time (the 1910s), which is reflected in them. Perhaps Hilda or someone around her was obsessed with it.
A: Henry did.
A: Henry set fire to it.
A: He lost it due to an injury sustained after jumping from the train to escape William.
A: William's crystal.
A: It is an embodiment of the power of the red stone, taking the form of William, its previous holder.
A: The boat itself is treated as a sort of ghostly entity. I think this means that it simply disappeared.
A: It depends on whether or not they are aware of their own death.
A: It's easier to understand if you picture the red stone as a parasite. Andrew became king due to the power of the red stone, but afterwards he wanted to preserve himself and began to fear it. Plus, since he was old, the red stone had already abandoned him.
A: Tuberculosis.