Duskfade NPCs
The people who sell flasks, hide kittens, judge outfits, and quietly carry Zirian's grief story.
Tick Town is not a pause menu with a fountain. It is a clockpunk village of vendors, pests, and grief metaphors who walk back in after you rescue them from later biomes. This page is the directory for named NPCs that trophies and shops care about. Zirian and Allira, Cuckoo, Cloudies, and bosses have their own articles. Talk to everyone twice: once when you meet them, again after Grapple, Pendulum, or a chain break.
Tailord — outfits and kittens
Tailord is the wardrobe. You find him in the Clockwork Academy / underwater academy, help him escape for Be My Muse!, then open his Tick Town shop by smashing the orange crystal under the Hills sign near the teleporter. He sells World Hopper and other dyes for Flasks of Dye and crystals. Catching all of his kittens is Gold Come Here Right Meow and unlocks extra outfits that the Sora recolour does not need. See outfits for the shop loop.
Arpeggio — music boxes
Find Arpeggio in the caves (Can I Get Your Autograph?). Returning all music boxes is Gold Master of Melody. Boxes sit on optional ledges; if a melody icon teases you across a gap, it is usually a later movement verb, not a broken quest flag. Deliveries complete at his cave or hub presence after you have the set.
Gramps / Tristan / Master XII
Zirian and Allira’s grandfather Tristan is the emotional axis reviewers keep circling. Story Silvers The Final Star (help Gramps cross the Veil) and Gold Master XII’s Secret belong here. Do not farm him like a vendor. Play the late Clock Tower chapters. The story walkthrough flags when those beats occur without quoting the ending.
The Traveler — Shopaholic
The Traveler sells objects and upgrades you must buy out for Gold Shopaholic. Early stock can feel thin — some reviews call the first half of the shop uninspiring — but the trophy still wants the full list. Save shards for health, Temporal Energy, and mobility nodes on the Upgrade Gears trees before cosmetics. Tick Town is the usual stall.
Palette — The Mask of Pain
Palette judges outfits. Wear your best look (World Hopper is an easy complete set) and speak to them for Bronze The Mask of Pain. Palette is not Tailord. One sells clothes; the other scores the runway.
N1-C0, desert explorer, Canyon granny, Wilson, Wally
N1-C0 is the friend Bronze You’ve Got a Friend in Me — befriend the robot when the story presents it. The mysterious desert explorer is Don’t Talk to Strangers. The Canyon granny gives money for A Grandma’s Love. Wilson is the unfortunate Bronze You Seriously Didn’t See That One Coming? — if you are trophy hunting, you will know when the setup appears. Wally hides in every region for No Peeking!; treat him like a Where’s Wally cameo on high shelves and silly corners, then check the tracker.
Cloudie side casts
Cloudies already have a page. Trophy-relevant extras: the Cloudie with the strange crown (You Seem Familiar) and the Cloudie Guard’s pots (Heartless). Break the pots on purpose. Buy flasks without guilt.
How NPCs connect to traversal
Duskfade hides people behind the same gates as loot. Tailord waits on Academy completion. His Tick Town door waits on Pendulum. Arpeggio waits on cave routing. Palette waits on having something worth wearing. If an NPC “vanished,” teleport home and walk the plaza again. The teleporter is the real map.
Single-player only: nobody is joining your session. These characters are local, voiced in cutscenes more than in every banter line — DualShockers noted most friendly chatter is unvoiced, which is why text boxes matter. Turn Cuckoo’s optional speech bubbles on if you like extra hints; they do not replace talking to Tailord.
When a trophy description names a person, search this page first, then the trophies list, then the region on biomes. Do not download “NPC trainers.” There are no codes.
Suggested Tick Town loop after every chain
- Traveler — dump spare shards, check new stock.
- Tailord — kittens turned in? New dye?
- Palette — if you changed clothes.
- Cloudies — flasks, crown Cloudie, pots if still standing.
- Teleport to Arpeggio if you pocketed a music box.
That five-stop circuit prevents the “I finished the game at 40% Shopaholic” feeling. Pair it with items if you forget what a flask is for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers from the full campaign, trophies, and remaining demo slice.
Who sells Duskfade outfits?
Tailord, after you rescue him from the Clockwork Academy and open the Hills crystal in Tick Town. Guide: [outfits](/guides/outfits/).
Where is Arpeggio?
In the caves. Finding him is a Bronze; returning every music box is a Gold. See [trophies](/guides/trophies/).
Is Cuckoo an NPC or a party member?
A mechanical companion with a skill tree. Full notes on the [Cuckoo](/characters/cuckoo/) page.
Do I need to kill Wilson for Platinum?
Yes if you want Master Clockmaker. It is a Bronze on the full list, not a missable story choice according to launch reports.