Haruspex

The Haruspex; Artemiy Burakh, one of the three playable characters along with the Bachelor and the Changeling.

= Background = Artemiy Burakh—a haruspex, an oynon, the only heir to a local shaman, Isidor Burakh, and a member of a Menkhu family. He left the Town-on-Gorkhon at the age of 16 to study surgery. Alexander Saburov defines him as a "vagrant scholar". Indeed, Artemiy has lived in more than a few places while studying theoretical and practical surgery, prior to his return home at his father's request after 10 years of absence.

= Description = A severe, restrained man. Eva Yan believes that Burakh has frightening eyes, and that he smells of blood. He tells quite rough and even cruel jokes and is generally sarcastic. However, for all that, Artemiy is straightforward, honest, comes to the rescue in times of need, and uses violence only when it comes to matters of duty and honor. And the smell of blood is relative. In fact, one of the twir Brides says Artemiy smells "like autumn earth, and the smoke of burnt leaves."

= Arrival = Artemiy Burakh, not wanting to wait for the regular trains, goes on the steppes along the track until catching a shunting locomotive. Artemiy comes into town and is attacked by angry locals. A little later he discovers that he is not a long-awaited guest but a dangerous criminal, the Ripper, accused of killing fifteen townsmen, Simon Kain and his own father. The most important thing for Artemiy now is to restore his own good name.

= Goals = The main objective of Artemiy throughout the game is to fulfill the obligations of his father. Because he is an oynon, or sage, he cannot afford to allow the dead of his family to have outstanding commitments, otherwise they shall be divested of the right to their title. His obligation, it becomes clear after receiving his inheritance, is to save, using the Panacea, a creature that Isidore named with only a brand. He must find the creature and the sacrifice — a task that Artemiy is trying by all means to perform during these twelve days.

= Status = After his acquittal Artemiy is considered the successor of Isadore, but not yet in a legal sense.

In order to become Menkhu—those who know the body lines, who have the right to make incisions and are able to separate the joints of the body so that it is pleasing to the Earth—a number of conditions must be met, dictated by steppe traditions and rituals.

The foreman of the Abattoir, Oyun, drew attention to the need to take knowledge of the deceased, his line, property, House, flesh, food, signs, to understand how to separate light from dark, raw from loose, burning from cold, dead from the living. And the most important inheritance is the Horn of Bos Primogenios, confirming one's seniority in the Burakh family, but also that its owner performed the ritual and has knowledge of the lines.

And, of course, one of the main conditions for initiation of any menkhu is the sacrifice.

= Abilities = Since, according to local traditions, only "Those Who Know the Lines"—specifically Menkhu and butchers—may dissect bodies, Artemiy, as an heir to Isidor, is the only one of the playable characters who can take organs from dead bodies, such as a heart, a liver, a kidney, or blood. Also he can gather Twyre, White Whip, and Saviyur—or trade them from Worms. Both organs and herbage may be useful for making healing tinctures in the distiller inherited from Isidor. The Haruspex can gamble on rat racing or engage in fisticuffs with butchers. Unlike the other two playable characters, The Haruspex has no special weapon, and only can use what he gets in the course of the game. Or he can fight with his bare fists.

= Adherents (The Termites) =
 * Sticky
 * Murky
 * Notkin
 * Khan (Caspar Kain)
 * Mother Superior (Taya Tycheek)
 * Grace
 * Capella (Victoria Olgimskaya)

= Modus Operandi =