Bachelor

Pathologic 2=

Daniil Dankovsky — also known as the Bachelor — is one of three playable characters alongside the Haruspex and the Changeling. He is the player character in Pathologic: The Marble Nest.

Description
"The Bachelor is about vision and the brain... ...The Bachelor’s overarching idea is comprehension and rational (analytical) interpretation... ...The Bachelor sees... ...The Bachelor: solids + upward vector."

- [from the game’s design documents]

"The Bachelor is so engrossed in his noble battle against death that he forgets to value the lives of those near him."

- [from the game’s design documents]

Bachelor Daniil Dankovsky is a famed thanatologist, having dedicated his life to study the effects of death and the possibilities of immortality. He reveres rationale over all, blinding him to the more effective solutions of the Haruspex and Changeling. Throughout the story, he is tasked with discovering a vaccine for the plague outbreak and to curb further infection.

Background
Dankovsky is a Bachelor of medicine and an expert on thanatology. He is the lead of the Thanatica; a research lab in the Capital that is dedicated to the ambitious goal of destroying Death itself. His work has made him a celebrity and he is renowned even to the people of the Town-on-Gorkhon. . It is evident that his research not only drew awe, but some ire as well as there are powers who would prefer to have him quietly disposed of.

As a child he collected Beetles and has since left the collection with his father.

Haruspex Route
Summoned to town by Isidor Burakh, who claims to hold proof to further advance his research on death, the Bachelor arrives in the Town shortly before the outbreak of the Sand Plague. He becomes a pupil of the Kains, staying nearby their Crucible in Eva Yan's Stillwater. Dankovsky quickly makes the acquaintance of Stanislav Rubin, taking him as his colleague and aide. He later attempts to do the same to the Haruspex but finds his proposal rejected.

In the days leading up to the beginning of the epidemic the Bachelor makes a name for himself, gaining the reputation of being quick on the draw. Some of the Townsfolk see him as self-assured and self-absorbed, claiming that he will only bring the Town harm. His refusal to help Notkin's Soul-and-a-Halves with their poisoned dogs does not endear him to them either and he gains a sour reputation among some of the Town's children. This is only amplified by his refusal to help Patches - a boy infected with Sand Pest on the first day of the epidemic - despite being a Doctor whose expertise could have possibly helped the boy.

On the second day the Bachelor is involved with Isidor Burakh's House, where he has arrived with a quarantine order for the building. Depending on the time of arrival the Haruspex will either meet him while exiting the house, or while attempting to enter. If the Haruspex arrives before midnight the Bachelor is standing outside as he leaves, demanding that the house be inspected. The Haruspex, who does not plan to live in the home anyway, reluctantly agrees. If the Haruspex arrives after midnight the house has already been quarantined along with the rest of the district. In this case the Bachelor is found on the doorstep speaking to an Executor, and gives the Haruspex the Rusty Key he would have found in Isidor’s Room had he been able to enter himself.

Following the beginning of the epidemic the Bachelor is placed in charge of most quarantine measures, supply , and the creation of the Hospital. Alongside this he is also in charge of the creation of an isolation ward in the Cathedral and eventually heads the management of the Cemetery. It falls to him to ensure the Town continues to have enough water, and it is through him that the Fund is created. While maintaining medical order in the Town the Bachelor works on a vaccine, testing infected tissues and blood samples provided to him by the Haruspex. With the aid of Stanislav Rubin the Bachelor succeeds in creating a vaccine, though it only provides temporary protection from the Sand Plague.

In the final days of the epidemic the Bachelor turns his eye to the Polyhedron. He becomes infatuated with the structure, fascinated by its impossible architecture and with the fact that it is impenetrable to disease. He goes to extreme lengths to protect it from harm, even going so far as to murder an Inquisitorial Courier carrying orders for it's destruction.

In the Diurnal Ending the Bachelor can be found drinking at the Broken Heart alongside Peter Stamatin, Andrey Stamatin, and Yulia Lyuricheva.

In the Nocturnal Ending he flees the Town with those who can no longer live within the Town's borders, namely many of the Utopians and Humbles.

Pathologic: The Marble Nest
"I don't intend to stay here for long."

- Bachelor's Hover details on his home in the Marble Nest

The events of The Marble Nest take place on the tenth day of the outbreak, as experienced by the Bachelor.

The Bachelor awakens in a coffin within a small room, disoriented and unsure of when and where he is. He is soon confronted by Aspity, who chides him for failing to discover the source of the Sand Plague in the Stone Yard the previous day. Passing by the corpse of Dora Feugel, Bachelor learns from an orderly that the quarantined refugees from across the river have all perished. Bachelor stumbles away from the grisly scene to discover that Dora is alive. Dora tells Bachelor that she and Marat Ranin had been certain that he was dead, and that Marat was furious with him for his failure. Upstairs, Bachelor finds Marat, who accuses him of having been apathetic to the plight of those endangered by the Plague. Following the argument, Marat assaults Bachelor, who overpowers him and beats him to death. Attempting to leave, Bachelor finds an Executor, who repeatedly asks him to accept his death. Refusing, Bachelor instead steps out onto the heady plague-ridden street, where he promptly blacks out.

Bachelor is awoken by Sticky, who informs him both that The Judge had come looking for him and that his friend Blacky's stepfather is sick. Concluding that he had witnessed a prophetic nightmare, Bachelor sets out to find the carrier of the Plague. He soon learns that he had been presumed dead, and that The Judge had assumed his position of authority and ordered an end to the quarantine. The Judge later tells him that he had met with the carrier but decided to let them go in order to test the resilience of the Town.

Setting to tracking down the carrier, Bachelor determines that Blacky's stepfather has died of a stroke rather than Sand Plague. He also finds Dora and Marat self-quarantined in the Cathedral; however, he is unable to determine if they are suffering from the Plague, and sends them to his lodgings in order to reexamine them later. Bachelor also investigates rumors of a funeral in the Steppe encampment outside of town; at the bequest of an Herb Bride, he dresses an Odongh's self-inflicted wound, unwittingly enabling an Herb Bride sacrificial marriage to take place. Sometime during the day, Bachelor also finds a crowd of people waiting for Aspity to interpret their dreams. Aspity once again rebukes Bachelor for refusing to accept or understand death, and demonstrates how to "die properly"—crumpling to the ground before him, lifeless, only to reappear outside. Eventually, Sleepy Head, Shrew, and Sticky alert Bachelor to the location of the carriers, and he successfully orders their quarantine. The victory is short though, as an orderly informs Bachelor that a mob of sick refugees from across the river have made it through the barricades and dispersed throughout the Stone Yard.

Come nightfall, the Plague takes hold and spreads throughout the streets of the Stone Yard; the air grows thick, and the tenement walls develop oozing, mottled sores. Townspeople take to the streets, killing an Odongh out of suspicion that it is the carrier. At the evening bell, the townspeople begin travelling North for a funeral. Following the crowd, Bachelor is informed that a learned doctor from the Capital has become the first victim of the Sand Plague in the Stone Yards. Pushing through the crowd, Bachelor enters his lodgings to find Sleepy Head, Shrew, Sticky, Dora, and Marat—all of whom speak to him as if they are watching over him while he feverishly sleeps. Fleeing the thunderous clamor of knocking emanating from the walls, Bachelor returns to the room that he had woken up in in his nightmare to find an Executor looming over a cradle where his coffin had been. Once again, the Executor urges Bachelor to accept his death, rather than playing out the events of the day once more, vainly trying to prevent the spread of the Plague. Upon the Bachelor's—or perhaps the Player's—refusal, the Executor leaves off, and bids him return to another fruitless loop. "Now close your eyes," says the Executor, "When you open them, a boy called Sticky will wake you up, and the Stone Yard will once again be free of infection. Perhaps this time you'll manage to prepare yourself for the inevitable. See you soon."

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See The Bachelor/Spoken Dialogue

Description
"The history of humanity witnessed a number of catastrophes that have demonstrated without a shadow of a doubt the pettiness of human achievement and the triumph of the invincible Evil. Outbreaks of infectious diseases that have from time to time wiped towns and cities off the map are undoubtedly among those.

However smart and virtuous, the people caught up in these destructive events have repeatedly come to the conclusion that it's no use trying to fight these circumstances; the best you can do is bite the bullet and cope with your losses.

This is the story of a person who has managed to work a miracle and defeat a seemingly unvanquishable foe."

Dankovsky is a young and dashing Bachelor of Medicine from the Capital with a brilliant and determined mind, but also someone who carries with his persona a considerable notion of self-importance. He often recites Latin quotes.

Dankovsky has a strong sense of justice, and uses logic and knowledge to accomplish his goals. His way of thinking often clashes with the more traditional ways of the Steppe, which brings out in him a temper and an impatience when dealing with others. He is good-natured and cares about the townsfolk, but he still shows a friendlier disposition to those that share his analytical and sceptical mind.

Dankovsky is an adherent of logic and knowledge. He relies upon cold reason, not letting superstitions and the incompetence of others interfere in his work.

Background
"Daniil Dankovsky, a Bachelor of Medicine, was brought here by circumstances most unfortunate. Dankovsky's lifework, his theory challenging the existing notions of human mortality, is being harshly persecuted by the Powers That Be. Suddenly a letter arrives from a colleague, suggesting that there is previously undiscovered evidence which may support Dankovsky's claims.

There is a settlement, the letter says, ruled by an extraordinary man who may well be seen as objective proof of Dankovsky's daring hypothesis. Grasping at straws of hope, Dankovsky decides to follow what he believes to be a sign of divine providence. Without further ado, he sets off for the settlement."

- "The Invisible Enemy" Route Introduction

After earning a degree in medicine, Dankovsky founded the infamous laboratory Thanatica, where he and a close circle of his associates researched death itself and possible ways to cure it. It is mentioned that in his past, he once met Aglaya Lilich during a presentation where he reanimated dead tissue, and briefly attended the same university as Andrey Stamatin.

From his colleague and correspondent, Isidor Burakh, Dankovsky learns about a 150 year old man named Simon Kain, who seems to have achieved immortality. Dankovsky makes his way to the Town-on-Gorkhon to meet the old man and verify his age and hopes that in doing so, he can save his laboratory from interference from the Powers That Be. He arrives in the Town by train and stays at the Stillwater, Eva Yan's house.

Gameplay Abilities
The Bachelor carries a special device, called the Plaguefinder, which allows him to detect contagious clouds of the Plague at a great distance in order to avoid them. He also starts the game with a pair of Medical Gloves and a Scalpel, but may use other weapons as he chooses. The Plaguefinder device may be upgraded using Lenses.

Unlike the other playable characters, the Bachelor may not participate in rat races, gather herbs, or trade with Worms. However, the Bachelor is still able to fight in the Circle of Suok for rewards.

Bachelor Route

 * → See The Bachelor's Route

The initial objective of the Bachelor is to save Thanatica and to uncover the secret of immortality. Later, he seeks to vanquish the plague and preserve the Polyhedron and those associated with it.

Haruspex Route
The Haruspex is initially advised to avoid the Bachelor, who is angered by the deaths of Simon and Isidor. However, by the time they meet, he is accepting of the Haruspex's innocence.

As an outsider the Bachelor is unable to acquire the organic tissues he requires to determine the natural and origin of the outbreak. Instead, he relies on the Haruspex's aid to not only bypass the Town's peculiar superstitions but to also peer into those places in the Town he is forbidden from such as the Abattoir.

Changeling Route
The Bachelor works to find the source of the Plague while manufacturing his Vaccine with Rubin. This puts him in the Changeling's path when she is accused of being a carrier of the disease. In later days, he is engaged in a rivalry with the Haruspex. This often toes the line of deadly, with the two of them engaged in a game of cat and mouse throughout the town. The Changeling is able to help or hinder the Bachelor as she chooses. He is also willing to reward the Changeling for revealing her sister's hideouts.

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See The Bachelor/Spoken Dialogue