Bad Grief

Pathologic 2=

Grigory Filin, better known as Bad Grief, is the head of the criminal world and a smuggler. Officially, he's considered a "shopkeeper". He sells weapons and illegally made twyrine in the Warehouses.

Description
"Grief dreams of not being ordered about by anyone (neither people nor, say, the steppe monsters, of which he has a slight superstitious fear). He prefers humiliating an enemy to really, reliably finishing them off (this isn’t humanism, just another side to his love of beauty). He’s a little playful in everything he does, but his is not an intellectual playfulness—more of the contrary, the natural antics of someone who is, in a certain sense, naïve. He’s an “anti-Immortell” who runs an “anti-Theatre” at the Warehouses, his outlaw domain. A general air of mockery. He knows something highly compromising about you; he knows the nets you’ve let yourself get caught in—and he relishes knowing it before you do. He may sneer and grimace, cocking his head to one side and then the other, as if appraising you like merchandise."

- From the game's design documents

Bad Grief is a poetic man who speaks in theatrics and metaphors. He is rarely serious and makes his job appear easy. Truthfully Bad Grief holds a tight grip over his reputation among his men - one that he occasionally finds slipping. Bad Grief has his finger on the pulse of the Town and is familiar with most of its gossip and rumour-mill.

Background
During his childhood Bad Grief was friends with Lara Ravel (nicknamed Gravel), Artemy Burakh (the Haruspex), and Stanislav Rubin (more often called Stakh). Artemy claims that they used to disappear for weeks, enjoying their freedom in a way that children of the Town normally cannot, according to Khan. When they were children he used to be the one who would goad the Haruspex into doing "crazy stunts". Grief eventually became the leader of The Town's underground criminal element. He rules over the Warehouses, existing beyond Big Vlad's otherwise watchful eye. It is due to his chosen lifestyle that his relationship with Stakh Rubin and Lara Ravel became strained.

Bad Grief has been the ruler of the underground criminal element for some time. He has since fallen out with a faction of his gang, losing people to Barley the Barber as they disagreed with the superstition surrounding knives in the Town.

Before turning to crime Bad Grief used to be a clocksmith.

Haruspex Route
"My path was not called 'The Spider'. No, think wider. It was 'The Silkworm'! The end of a railroad, I pulled strings firm; unaware someone more cunning pulled mine upstairs."

As one of the Haruspex's childhood friends Bad Grief is one of the few people he can turn to upon his return to the Town. During the hunt for the Shabnak-Adyg one of Grief's men, Piecework, is injured with a Lockpick. Grief first asked for the aid of Stanislav Rubin, but was ignored. Instead, he requests that the Haruspex helps him. The Haruspex agrees, and says that he will bring back whatever it was that injured Piecework. Upon the Haruspex's return Bad Grief can either discover that the Haruspex saved Piecework and has returned with the bloody lockpick that was buried in his stomach, or, he may discover that the Haruspex killed Piecework. If he discovered the latter he remarks that he is now going to have to keep an eye on the Haruspex.

Following the Haruspex's reunion with all three of his childhood friends he, alongside Lara Ravel, decide to attempt to get them together again. He sets up a meeting place and time for them to meet - the old place by the Apple Road - and invites Grief to attend. Grief, with some reluctance due to his since strained relationship with Lara and Rubin, does show when midnight comes. He is concerned with how the outbreak of the Sand Plague will effect his gang and his work as he knows his grip on them will slip away with the upcoming chaos. He knows that a crisis such as theirs will cause hungry people to turn to burglary and murder, and he knows that the Town will quickly grow comfortable with death. Grief is familiar with the crude and dark sides of humanity, and sees trouble in his future.

When Rubin comes to him needing a place to hide from the eyes of the Kin Bad Grief allows him to stay in an abandoned Warehouse beside Bad Grief's Nest. When the Haruspex comes poking around looking for Rubin he accidentally gives Rubin's location away by referring to him as his neighbour.

On the day before the arrival of the Inquisitor the Haruspex asks Bad Grief to help him destroy the tracks so that the State Inquisitors train can never arrive. Though he initially agrees Grief later decides to light a signal fire by the tracks, summoning the train rather than deterring it. He desperately does not want the railroad destroyed. He also believes that the arrival of the Inquisitor will aid in cleaning up the Town and invites it, even despite the reality that he will be one of the first to show their guilt to an Inquisitor.

Following the arrival of the Inquisitor Bad Grief is called to the Cathedral. He speaks with the Inquisitor and, in doing so, appears to lose his mind. He believes that he has been uselessly struggling against his pre-determined fate his whole life, and is now exhausted, not wanting to fight it anymore. He believes that he is a puppet that some higher power plays with. He believes that he, unlike the Haruspex, only has one path to take. Wishing to turn over a new leaf and leave his old life behind Bad Grief asks the Haruspex to close his Warehouse and disperse the remaining members of his gang. The Haruspex does so, killing Barley the Barber - who did not want to leave - in the process. Grief laments that the Haruspex had to dirty his hands for his sake, but gives the Haruspex an old shotgun for his troubles. He claims it was one he used to carry for show and has never been fired.

In the Dirunal Ending Bad Grief sits alongside Lara, on the Stairway to Heaven above Rubin. He claims he has a new perspective on time.

In the Nocturnal Ending Bad Grief flees the Town with many of the Utopians and Humbles.

The Marble Nest
"Bad Grief, a local thief, used to hide here. But one can't steal themselves from Death."

Bad Grief died prior to the events of The Marble Nest.

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See Bad Grief/Spoken Dialogue

Description
"In the novel this character doesn’t appear as significant as he truly is. He resembles Clopin Trouillefou: he is either the king of the underworld or the chief of a jesters feast. He sneers, grimaces, theatricalizes, speaks in riddles. Like Ivan the Terrible, he likes to poor-mouth and make a sight of himself, often acts as a wretched stupid and weak person while enjoying the fact that he is in the position to afford to pull this off. He always plays to the gallery.

''Bad Grief is in the control of the Town’s underworld. In the underground catacombs beneath the warehouses he has the say-so, and while in town his power is hardly present, it slithers like invisible tentacles and seizes those who get into its way."

- From original Pathologic character concepts ''

Bad Grief is notorious in town. However, he is not without principles. In particular, he and his associates never attack people with knives and razors, and never to kill. As it turns out during the course of the game, it is revealed that it is Barley the Barber who is responsible for the night robbery. Grief seems to honor local traditions, only allowing flesh to be cut by those with special status, namely menkhu and butchers.

However, in the Changeling's scenario this is revealed to be a lie. If you use hypnosis on Bad Grief, he admits that he was behind the killings, but was able to place the blame on Barley.

Background
Some time prior to the events of Pathologic Barley the Barber broke away from Bad Grief's gang and in so doing, became his enemy.

Portrait Quotes
"What is he? A store keeper that neither keeps nor stores. He's got a whole community of birds of his feather there. Somehow they manage the warehouse business past Big Vlad's pocket. They accept twyre-gatherers and throat-cutters as their brethren; uncharacteristically of the locals, sometimes they put their knives to use. But really, their twyrine is something else..."

- Peter Stamatin's take on him "His real name is Grigory Filin. The thieves call him Big Bad Grief, even though he's merely a nuisance. Grief is the kingpin of the shady world. Name any prohibited item—and rest assured they're selling it. Father has no choice but to tolerate him; somehow these loafers managed to get a firm grip over the workmen community. If only we had direct communication options with them, there would be no need for those parasite middlemen... or should I say meddlemen?"

- Vlad the Younger's take on him

Spoken Dialogue

 * → See Bad Grief/Spoken Dialogue