Stanislav Rubin

Pathologic 2=

Stanislav Rubin is a faithful student of Isidor Burakh. After the death of his teacher, he becomes the only local physician.

Description
"The most gifted and active of Isidor’s disciples, his right hand. Artemy Burakh’s doppelganger and rival in a lot more ways than one. “A candle, burning up.” A man dealt a hard hand in life. Values resolve for resolve’s sake, which results in one poorly-thought-out act after another, leading to severe and sometimes fateful consequences. Rubin is not a nice guy. He’s exceptionally attached to Isidor, but there’s not a lot of love in him. He’s the fiery zealot type, like Levi Matvei in The Master and Margarita."

- From the game's design documents

Stakh Rubin is headstrong and determined, attached deeply to his morals and willing to break the law should they conflict. During the outbreak of the Sand Plague he is one of the only four healers in The Town.

Background
Isidor Burakh's apprentice and one of the local doctors, a pathoanatomist by training. He is disliked by the Kin for cutting bodies as part of his job, which he implies he partly did to shield Isidor's reputation. During his childhood Rubin was friends with Grigory Filin (better known as Bad Grief), Lara Ravel (nicknamed Gravel), and Artemy Burakh. Artemy claims that the group of them used to disappear for weeks, enjoying their freedom in a way that children of the Town normally cannot. However, sometime prior to the events of the game Rubin and Bad Grief had a falling out and he deeply resents Artemy for having left the Town, believing that he had abandoned Isidor.

Appearance
Rubin is a very tall man, with intense hazel eyes and a bald head, which seems to be a new decision of his; Artemy comments that he looks like either a monk or a soldier. He has an unshaven stubble growing on his face. He wears a brown button down shirt beneath a periwinkle blue robe, with several tassels up the chest that tie across. He wears pants in a similar shade to his robe, and makeshift shoes made out of brown cloth tied around his ankles. He is usually seen sitting when in game, but seems to stand with a slouch.

Haruspex Route
"My path was called "The Warden." With the fruits of my sacrilege, I sated the Town."

Rubin is one of three childhood friends that the Haruspex thinks of visiting on his return to the Town. However, on arriving at Rubin's apartment, he will find the Bachelor instead, who informs him that Rubin blames him for Isidor's death. The Bachelor also says he has gotten Rubin to enter his service. It isn't until later that the Haruspex can find him in his apartment along with Lara Ravel.

On Day 3 he will be found at the Crucible, reporting on the disappearance of Simon Kain's body, and he can be invited to come to the Basket that night along with Lara and Bad Grief. He is also present at the Town Hall once the alarm bell rings, and if spoken to will tell the Haruspex to abandon his plans of vengeance in favor of focusing on finding a cure by falling back on Isidor's teachings. Once the hospital is set up in the Theatre, Rubin can be found working there during daytime.

Over the course of his investigations, the Haruspex can learn that the Kin are looking for Rubin. If he chooses to investigate, he can learn that Rubin has a hideout in the Warehouses district where he is performing experiments. During the early mornings of Days 5 and 6, Rubin will ask that the Haruspex distract members of the Kin surrounding his hideout so that he can continue his work, the details of which he refuses explain. If successfully helped, Rubin reveals that he has been helping the Bachelor to come up with a vaccine against the Sand Pest, but with unsatisfactory results.

If the Haruspex has retrieved a vial of Panacea from his brewery before the Inquisition arrives, Rubin will be found deeply asleep in his apartment. If the Haruspex helped him the previous nights, the Haruspex will reminisce about their relationship and express a wish for Rubin to stay; if not, he will simply observe Rubin in his slumber.

If the Haruspex does not secure a Panacea before then, Rubin will be absent. During the first conversation with Aglaya Lilich, she will reveal that Rubin died during the night but left a sample of a cure and credited its existence to the Haruspex. The Haruspex can confront Aspity about Rubin's death, but she denies that the Kin touched him at all and implies he killed himself out of a guilty conscience.

If alive on Day 11, Rubin can be found near the Train Station, preparing to leave with the army. The Haruspex can convince him to stay and become the Haruspex's assistant, or let him go.

In the Diurnal Ending, if he was convinced to stay, he will be found on the same Stairway to Heaven as Lara and Bad Grief. He seems sullen when spoken to and torn about his decision to stay, and remarks that the Haruspex has turned out to be just like his father in the end. If he was not spoken to on Day 11, or if was convinced to leave, he will be absent.

In the Nocturnal Ending, he flees the Town with many of the Utopians and Humbles.

Pathologic: The Marble Nest
"Stakh Rubin, one of the few local doctors, used to live here. Now he sleeps in the Army train. Any soldier’s mask may hide Stakh Rubin's face."

Though he cannot be found or interacted with, Rubin is still alive during the events of The Marble Nest, having joined the Army.

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See Stanislav Rubin/Spoken Dialogue

Description
"Appearance: Wide shoulders, strong neck, narrow waist and small wrists. Stakh has clean-cut features: a hooked nose, fiery brown eyes. The whites of his eyes contrast with his swarthy complexion. There are lines in the corners of his mouth, like he is biting his lips. His forehead is crossed with a long horizontal wrinkle. Everything about his appearance indicates his readiness for confrontation. He looks like a guy straight out of Manowar album art cover.

Pose: Standing with his legs astride and arms akimbo, as if he’s about to face his opponents.

Personality: Stakh is of composed “nordic” character. He is a warrior moved by his will, confident in his righteousness. He finds the axes of “good — evil” convenient, although his definition of good is rather narrow: there are good guys who are worth fighting for because of their moral values. He isn’t a cruel man, but he gets drunk with the moments of triumph and the realization of his own strength. He prefers destruction to protection, especially if the destruction happens in the name of poetic justice. To be fair, Stakh feels this way only towards those who truly deserve it. He is Alexander Block’s opposite: a frustrated general, which is definitely for the best. "

- From original Pathologic character concepts

The only authority he recognizes is that of his teacher, Isidor Burakh, so he is then thought to be stubborn by the town's leaders. He does whatever he feels is appropriate and is considered "impossible to find a common language" with. He is strongly principled—when Rubin believes that his master's son, Artemy Burakh, is the one responsible for Isidor's murder, he attempts to mercilessly hunt him down for revenge. However, his actions are always for others, never for himself; he is firmly selfless and honest.

An avid believer in Bos Turokh and the cult of bulls, he cares about the protection of the Kin and the morals of natural law.

Background
Isidor Burakh's most loyal and talented apprentice. Rubin began to study under Isidor an unspecified time ago, and was taught medicine and dissection. He mentions that shortly before the Second Outbreak, Isidor was in the process of formally adopting him as a foster son, which would allow him to be viewed as a proper menkhu; due to this Rubin has the right to cut bodies, but nobody in the Town will acknowledge it. He and Artemy were close childhood friends.

Though he is one of the only local doctors, he rarely spends his time in the Town, preferring to sleep out in the Steppe or occasionally boarding at Lara Ravel's Shelter.

Rubin was a former mercenary and soldier-for-hire for a time, serving under the command of General Shoin. His military service was ended by a head injury during a battle. After this, he was made to return to the Town.

Appearance
Rubin is an incredibly tall man, with sparse hair on his head and an unshaven stubble on his jaw. He has dark brown eyes and an stern stare. He wears a leather ensemble with a long black coat that reaches his heels, with brown leather lining the inside. His coat is loosely tied across a black leather shirt, with leather pants and laced leather boots. Similarily, he wears black leather gloves. There is a small scar on the top of his head.

Bachelor Route
Rubin is first met on Day 1, as the Bachelor seeks him out to discuss the coming Outbreak. After discovering that there is sickness inside Isidor Burakh's House, he returns to the Crucible and finds Rubin inside. He expresses deep shock and outright fear at the possibility of the Sand Plague returning, but immediately dedicates himself to the cause to cure it.

On Day 3, the Bachelor will be informed that both Stanislav Rubin and the body of Simon Kain has gone missing. During the day, the Bachelor will receive a letter from Rubin, revealing the location of his Prosectorium in the Warehouses. Upon arriving, the Bachelor learns that it was Rubin who stole Simon's body, and that he is currently attempting to make a vaccine out of the remains of the Kain patriarch.

Come Day 5, Rubin requests the Bachelor's presence at his Prosectorium. Rubin asks the Bachelor to bring him the heart of a recently deceased infected individual in order to experiment on it. Once the Bachelor has acquired the heart, he may give it to Rubin, who continues his experiment. He will give the Bachelor a vaccine the following day.

On Day 10, Katerina Saburova claims that Simon Kain is alive, as she had felt his spirit in the Crucible. The Bachelor seeks out Rubin, who can still be found in his Prosectorium, stretched to his limits. Rubin balks at the idea that Simon could possibly be alive, and insists that Katerina is wrong. He tells the Bachelor to speak to the Kains for further information.

On Day 12, as Rubin is one of the Changeling's Bound, there is a chance that an Executor will be stationed outside of Rubin's Prosectorium with Rubin being infected inside. If the player wishes for the Changeling to attend the Cathedral meeting, they must give Rubin a Shmowder or a Panacea to cure him.

Haruspex Route
At the start of the Haruspex route, Rubin believes that the Haruspex is directly responsible for Isidor Burakh's death. When he discovers that the Haruspex did not commit the murder, Rubin bears no ill will towards him. However, his appearance in the route is limited.

On Day 4, the Haruspex may visit Rubin's Hideout, although Rubin will not be there. Inside, the Haruspex can find a vial of Dead Tissue which he can give to the Bachelor. The Haruspex tracks Rubin to a warehouse in the Factory, where he is aiding the wounded after a conflict between townsfolk and Barley the Barber's men. Rubin apologizes to the Haruspex for his threatening letters, and explains that he is making a vaccine by desecrating Simon Kain's remains. He mentions Katerina Saburova's prophecy that the Haruspex will spill "rivers of blood".

On Day 12, as Rubin is one of the Changeling's Bound, there is a chance that an Executor will be stationed outside of Rubin's Prosectorium with Rubin infected inside. If the player wishes for the Changeling to attend the Cathedral meeting, they must give Rubin a Shmowder or a Panacea to cure him.

Changeling Route
On Day 3, Anna Angel will ask the Changeling to investigate what the Bachelor and Rubin have been up to. The Changeling will learn of the location of Rubin's Prosectorium from Eva Yan. She can talk to Rubin, who will ask her not to reveal his location to the Kains, and gives her two bottles of Black Vaccine.

On Day 5, Alexander Saburov wants the Changeling to investigate if Rubin is responsible for the outbreak of the Plague. She is directed to Vlad the Younger, who tells her to bring Rubin Twyrine and Fresh Meat to feed him, as he would appreciate the gesture; he's usually very unfriendly. After bringing the food to the Prosectorium, Rubin sits with the Changeling and eats his meal. He tells her what he has done to Simon Kain's body - dissecting it to create a vaccine for the Plague. The Changeling speaks to Georgiy Kain to ensure that Rubin will not be persecuted. Georgiy says that Rubin will be given clemency until the Outbreak is contained.

If the Changeling betrays Rubin to the Kains or tells Saburov that Rubin is guilty, he will become infected at midnight and an Executor will be found standing outside of the Prosectorium every day until the end of the game, unless he is cured with a Shmowder or Panacea.

On Day 10, the Changeling receives a letter from Notkin, who tells her that Rubin is looking for her. Upon entering Rubin's Prosectorium, the Changeling will instead find the Bachelor. He informs her that Rubin had gone to speak to the Kains, leaving to confess his actions.

On Day 11, as one of the Changeling's Bound, Rubin may be chosen to be spoken to in relation to the main quest. He shows deep regret for what he has done - both to Simon Kain, and also in how he failed his mentor - and is prepared to be sacrificed to cure the people in Town.

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See Stanislav Rubin/Spoken Dialogue