Notkin

* Pathologic 2
* Pathologic

This entry contains potential spoilers for *Pathologic 2*. Read at your own risk.

*Come now, you haven't given us any time to change the set!*This entry contains potential spoilers for Pathologic 2. Read at your own risk.

 English Voice | JT

**Notkin** is the leader of the children's gang the Soul-and-a-Halves.

## Description

Notkin is an orphan who lives in the Warehouses. He is the leader of the Soul-and-a-Halves and one of the children listed on Isidor Burakh's List. During the epidemic he falls under the care of the Haruspex. His hands are covered in tiny cat scratches and to his gang he is a revered quick thinker.

## Background

Notkin's mother died in childbirth and his father later died in the war, leaving him an orphan. Notkin used to reside with the other children in the Polyhedron before he grew tired of their obsession with miracles and lofty ideals, leading to a falling out with Khan, the leader of the Dogheads. Following his ousting from the Polyhedron he retreated to the Warehouses and created a group much more interested in the value of simplicity and Earth: the Soul-and-a-Halves. The Soul-and-a-Halves are dual-souls, each chosen by an animal companion that acts as their extra half of a soul. Notkin's Half is a gray cat named Jester.

## Appearance

Notkin is a young boy with brown eyes and light red hair. He has a scar from his inner eye down his cheek. He wears a worn blue sweater under an old brown leather jacket that is noticably too big for him. Similarily, he wears baggy green trousers and large brown boots. Around his neck is a dog collar and several whistle charms carved out of wood. He has several scratches on his hand which resemble cat claw marks.

## Plot

### Haruspex Route

On the first day of the Haruspex's return Notkin asks for his aid in helping with some of his Soul-and-a-Halves dogs Alma, Duke, and Wolfling as he had already asked the Bachelor for help and was refused. Notkin will ask the Haruspex a number of troubling moral quandaries, questioning when he thinks a murder is just - if at all. Following the strange conversation Notkin will tell the Haruspex of his troubles with the Doghead Lika, who is the one who poisoned their dogs, who the Halves "like better than people". If the Haruspex insists on helping with his issue Notkin will give him a leash, insisting that he give it to Lika. If the leash if given to Lika it is implied that the Halves control him somehow, throwing him down a Well. If he spares Lika Notkin is not angry, only contemplative.

Notkin, being one of the children who visited Isidor Burakh frequently, may tell the Haruspex of his visits and direct him to Capella for further information.

On the day of the outbreak one of the Soul-and-a-Halves, Patches, falls ill. Notkin asks for help first from the Bachelor, who advises that Patches is a lost cause and that the Warehouse should be quarantined. Unsatisfied with the Bachelor's advice Notkin sends for the Haruspex, who he believes will be able to help. When the Haruspex arrives Notkin provides him with three antibiotic pills they have managed to find, and wishes him luck. The Haruspex does manage to lower Patches infection through his treatment. Unfortunately Patches still passes, as even with the following help of the Changeling he could not be saved.

In the evening Notkin meets with Khan in the Broken Heart to discuss the search for the House of Death - a home that is, according to legend, the home of Death. According to the legend if someone were to either stay in the home until midnight or light candles inside they would scare Death away. Neither Notkin or Khan truly believe in the legend, but insist on looking anyway as "when there's smoke, there's fire." The two are interupted by the Haruspex, who insists on going in their place. The boys refuse as Notkin does not want to be seen as weak, hiding behind another man's back. Notkin and Khan find the home in the Crude Sprawl and wait inside, hoping to scare Death away. The Haruspex catches up with them and, after lighting the required candles, takes the boys away from the dangerous house.

Following their foray into the House of Death Notkin becomes infected with the Sand Plague. It is unclear where exactly he caught it from as he had both been near Patches and inside an infected home in recent days. Notkin begs the Haruspex to take him away from the Soul-and-a-half Fortress to keep his friends safe. The Haruspex may use a shmowder on Notkin, curing him of the Sand Pest. If he does so Notkin will become angry, insisting that it was a foolish thing for the Haruspex to do. He later sobers, thanking the Haruspex for saving him, even if he doesn't think that it was a good idea. If Notkin is not cured following the House of Death it is likely that he will die.

During the days of the outbreak Notkin sends his Soul-and-a-Halves to inspect infected districts in order to make a map for the Haruspex.

On the tenth day since the Haruspex returned to his hometown the plague suddenly infects all of the currently living children on his list. This marks the second time Notkin becomes infected due to extraneous circumstances.

In the Diurnal Ending Notkin can be found by Taya Tycheek, Oyun, and Aspity, contemplating convincing Taya to join the Soul-and-a-Halves when she is a little bit older. If the Haruspex asks to join the Soul-and-a-Halves, Notkin will ask in turn to be adopted into the Kin, offering to build a museum of the world's wonders. In the Nocturnal Ending Notkin flees the Town with those who can no longer live within the Town alongside many of the Utopians and Humbles.

### The Marble Nest

Notkin perished prior to the events of *The Marble Nest*.

## Spoken Dialogue

*→ See Notkin/Spoken Dialogue#Pathologic\_2*
## Screenshots

* Notkin's in-game portrait
* Notkin in dialogue
* Notkin's full model
* Notkin in game
* Notkin in the Polyhedron
* Notkin and Khan
* Notkin and Khan in the House of Death
* Notkin in the Theatre
* Notkin in the Diurnal Ending
* Notkin in the Nocturnal Ending

## Official Art

* Notkin's card portrait in the *Pathologic* tabletop game
* Notkin's *Pathologic 2* full model

## Notes

* In *Pathologic*, Jester's name was Artist.
* The name "Notkin" suggests that it is a surname, due to its ending '-in' (eg. Rub**in**, Ka**in**). However, it is unclear if Notkin's name is meant to be either a first name or surname.

## References

1. ↑ Notkin does everything right. Fast on the draw. His father got killed in the war, mom died during childbirth. Most of our lot are orphans. That's why we're tough. - *Smokey, Day 2*
2. ↑ We each have a Half, besides our own soul. See this gray cat here, chasing his own tail? That's Jester. We're always together.
3. ↑ boudicamelodia on Tumblr

 Russian Voice | Konstantin Abramov

**Notkin** is the leader of a children's gang in the Warehouses, the Soul-and-a-Halves. In the Haruspex route, he sells the player Infection Maps. He is at odds with Khan, who is the leader of the Dogheads.

## Description

***Pose**: Lying down and curling up.
**Personality**: This boy was of such outstanding personality that as the result of his falling out with the Mother Superior he was exiled from the Polyhedron. When the Mother Superior left to take over the Termitary after her deceased father, Notkin was invited back, but, being his proud self, he refused. Instead, he set up his lair in the Warehouses and started the game of “station” (something like a game of tag). It was a dangerous game because actual bandits with Bad Grief in charge were hiding in the Warehouse undergrounds. Bad Grief disregards the Kains, so he poses a real threat to the children. Notkin took the risk, and it drew in the kids to him: the kids were outcasts and daredevils, just like him. Little by little the kids developed their own slummy community with its laws and customs. They have their own fashion and hair styles, a distinct system of signs and marks. A new mythology was born. After the rite of initiation, a member of the community adopts an animal, raises it and never parts with it. Usually, these animals happen to be cats and puppies, but on rare occasions the choice could be quite exotic: wolves, ferrets, and ravens. As for Notkin, he is always accompanied by a big grey cat named Artist.*

Notkin is is blunt and short-tempered, but is easily appeased. He is good-natured at heart, and is well-aware of his social power and the consequences that could result from it. He is very fond of animals, as is a theme within his Soul-and-a-Halves. Notkin owns a large grey cat named "Artist".

## Background

Once a close friend of Kaspar "Khan" Kain, the two boys eventually had a falling out, and Notkin was ousted from the Polyhedron. In retaliation, Notkin assembled his own group of homeless children, and took up residence in the southern section of the Warehouses. There is a dangerous rivalry between his gang and Khan's, and prior to the Second Outbreak each side was preparing for an open war.

Notkin has a badly sprained foot and suffers from limited movement. Despite his immobility, his Soul-and-a-Halves scour the city, acting in his command.

### Soul-and-a-Halves

In Steppe lore, a "Dualsoul" is the name for an evil spirit which houses two souls inside one body. Notkin referenced this creature when creating his gang: the "half-soul" refers to an animal companion living with a member of the gang. They raise and protect a chosen animal in their youth—but when both are grown, the roles are reversed and the animal instead protects the owner.

Most of the gang's "half-souls" are dogs, though there have been some exotic examples: wolves, ferrets, crows, etc.

## Appearance

Notkin is a young boy with short brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a striped sweater with brown, black, white, and red stripes underneath a light brown zippered jacket. He wears blue jeans, a black belt, and small black wing tip shoes. He usually stands with his hands in his pockets.

## Plot

Please help improve this if you can. Reason: "*While the following information is complete, it could use some cleaning up. We want the Pathologic 1 plot entries to feel more detailed — in depth information about how the characters react to events, as well as providing context for quests and interactions rather than just stating when they appear.*"

**This article may need cleanup to meet quality standards.**
Please help improve this if you can.
Reason: "*While the following information is complete, it could use some cleaning up. We want the Pathologic 1 plot entries to feel more detailed — in depth information about how the characters react to events, as well as providing context for quests and interactions rather than just stating when they appear.*"

#### Bachelor Route

Notkin only briefly appears in the Bachelor's route on **Day 12**, where an Executor may be present outside of the Soul-and-a-Half Fortress. If the player wishes for the Haruspex to attend the Cathedral meeting, they must give Notkin a Shmowder or a Panacea to cure him.

#### Haruspex Route

On **Day 1** Notkin may hide the Haruspex in the Soul-and-a-Half Fortress while running away from angry townsfolk. Notkin then asks the Haruspex with dealing with Lika, a Doghead who has betrayed the Soul-and-a-Halves, stealing a shmowder.

On **Day 3**, the Haruspex may be asked by Capella to check on Notkin. Notkin will ask the Haruspex for Twyrine Extracts in exchange for allowing him to buy maps of the infected districts every day. If Haruspex is unable to provide the tinctures, he will have to trade Crowbars to Notkin in exchange for maps.

On **Day 4**, Notkin will ask the Haruspex's help in getting rid of looters in the abandoned districts and to bring him Crowbars as proof.

On **Day 10**, the Haruspex must ask Notkin for his thoughts on what to do with the auroch at the Bone Stake Lot and gain his approval before the Worm there will provide him with Abattoir Blood.

On **Day 11**, Notkin will ask Haruspex to meet with him and advise him to check on what happened to the auroch from Day 10. Notkin informs the Haruspex that the auroch is now gone, burned by the Army.

Following the "Termite Ending", Capella states that Notkin will become one of the rulers of the town, managing the relations with the Steppe and railway. There must be constant communication with the world beyond the Town. His associated color will become "gold."

#### Changeling Route

On **Day 1**, Anna Angel will advise the Changeling to speak to Notkin about the allegiances of the Haruspex. The Changeling can also persuade Notkin to give her a Double Barrelled Pistol.

On **Day 4**, while investigating Bad Grief at the behest of Alexander Saburov, the Changeling will have to talk to Notkin about the rumours surrounding Bad Grief and his gang. Although Notkin will corroborate Bad Grief's statement that he is not responsible for throwing bodies into the river, Notkin warns her that Bad Grief seems to be hiding something else.

On **Day 10**, the Changeling receives a letter from Notkin. She talks to him at the warehouse learns that Stanislav Rubin is looking for her.

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

## Screenshots

* Notkin's in-game portrait in the original *Pathologic*
* Notkin's in-game portrait
* Notkin's full model
* Notkin's back in *Pathologic Classic HD*
* Notkin in game
* Notkin in game
* Notkin in game
* Notkin in the Termite ending

## References

1. ↑ https://vk.com/photo-147796\_292115736
2. ↑ *Ice-Pick Lodge Wiki* (Russian)
3. ↑ *Концепты: Персонажи*