To the outside observer, it might seem that Colin is well cared for, surrounded by staff who tend to his every need. However, the truth is far more bleak.Â
The servants of Misselthwaite are dressed in the attire of their time, their forms a pale imitation of their former livese, with outfits ranging from the elaborate dress of Victorian maids and butlers to the simpler garb of gardeners and cooks. Their faces, though distinguishable, often carry a blank, distant expression, as if lost in a moment forever out of reach.
The shades offer no true care, for they are incapable of it; they are echoes of the past, stripped of the depth and complexity that characterize human interaction. Their "care" for Colin is as hollow as their own existences, a set of motions repeated ad infinitum, devoid of any real understanding or compassion.
The true nature of the ghost servants is ambiguous. Are they bound spirits, illusions crafted by the manor's dark magic, echoes of a time loop, or something entirely unknown? Regardless, they are shades of the original staff who once walked the halls of Misselthwaite before its transplantation to the Demiplane of Dread.
Their bodies are solid and substantial, just like normal humans. They suffer damage, react to scenes of fear and horror, and act in all ways as living beings. If "killed," they reappear moments later, continuing their duties as if nothing happened. This cycle reinforces the eerie, timeless atmosphere of Misselthwaite Manor, leaving their true nature a matter for the inhabitants and visitors to ponder and fear.