Guns for Hire

Guns for Hire by Bob
irc.rizon.net #golemquest Gun for Hire Quest Guns For Hire Quest Thread 2: A Simple Vacation To Finland Guns For Hire Quest Thread 2 PART II: That's Right We Need To Get Back Guns For Hire Quest Thread 4: To Make Your Mark Guns For Hire Quest Thread 5: In the Company of Laine Guns For Hire Thread 6: The Laine Corporation
Discussion

Armas Laine served in the US Marines and later as an Army Ranger. During his service he came across obviously supernatural things. He decided to pursue this and relocated to Istanbul, one of the oldest cities on earth, with the intention of working as a mercenary and studying the supernatural. He currently leads a black market company of mercenaries, and has gained magic powers through a series of deals with gods.

• Information on the setting's magic system can be found on the Guns for Hire Magical Mechanics page.
  
• Information on Armas can be found on the Guns for Hire Armas page.
  
• Information on Armas's player-controlled minions can be found on the Guns for Hire Minions page, and their armaments on the Guns for Hire Armory page.
  
• A summary of what has happened to Armas in previous threads can be found in the Guns for Hire Timeline page.
  
• Collected information on certain important NPCs can be found on the Guns for Hire Sometimes Merchant and Guns for Hire Amen pages.

Character List

The list has been ordered by first mention. -Grail

Please please please import weapon statistics from wikipedia or world.guns.ru as possible. Just caliber, magazine size, RoF. That sort of thing - Bob

Added a table at the end, going to try to clean this place up. -W

Languages may be inaccurate, as some were assumed to speak their native tongue. They may also know more languages than we've seen. -Wuten

Player Characters

Armas Laine

Paul-Jacques Labombard
Heritage: French, African
Languages: English, French
Occupation: Mercenary
Affiliations: Triads
Appearance: Paul-Jacques Labombard is a large man, standing at about six foot six and weighing at least two hundred and sixty pounds. He sports a clean shaven head and a groomed goatee.
Capabilities: Labombard possesses two magical bloodlines. He primarily uses is his French, Loup Garou bloodline powers to give himself many of the power ascribed to the mythical beasts. One observed ability being very keen senses, heightened to the point that he can hardly ever be ambushed by a mortal attacker. His secondary bloodline power has yet to be revealed.
History: Well outside the line of succession for the position of clan head, Labombard sought his fortunes in Istanbul as a freelancer. Over the course of five months Labombard has busied himself fighting a one man war against US special forces groups arranged against the Triads and helping Lo Fang in various other jobs, including fights against the Titan Reapers and Galileo Savoy. Mid-January 2011 Labombard disappeared into rehab for issues stemming from the use of magic drugs which enhanced his bloodline's regeneration power at the cost of making his other powers harder to control.
Equipment: His battle attire consists of urban camouflage gear with a dozen cargo pockets and a dual-triple-stacked shoulder harness. The shoulder harnesses allow him to carry six Colt 1911's, each tooled to take the .50GI cartridge. Recently seen outfitted with a magical terracotta based armor.

• M1911A1: Single action, .50GI, 7 round magazine (closed bolt), 125mm (5 inch) barrel. Weight: 1080 g. Overall Length: 216 mm (approx. 8.5 inches).
  

Notes: Friendly toward Armas.

Galileo Savoy
Heritage: Sicilian
Languages: English, Italian
Occupation: Going crazy in the Elder Realm as a pure mathematical construct.
Affiliations: Himself, Neo-nazis
Appearance: Clean shaven man. A long scar ran from his left eyebrow to chest. He had numerous demon parts grafted to his body. He favored extremely expensive suits.
Capabilities: The Savoy bloodline, that of Sicilian Kings, allows Galileo Savoy to be anywhere at anytime. He can teleport to locations he can visualize strongly enough, as long as he is not observed while teleporting. He is rumored to be an exceptionally competent solo assassin, in no small part because of this ability. He has a contract wizard power. He has a supernatural resilience to harm, from the demon blood in his veins and multiple infernal grafts (from demons and devils). Most of his grafts were done by the Neo-Nazis, though he also had work done by Amen.
History: Galileo Savoy was called to Istanbul as part of Armas Laine's actions to take vengeance upon Angiluzzo Castelletti for sending him into a job likely to get him killed with insufficient information. He subsequently oversaw Armas' take-down of Castelletti, the replacement of Castelletti with Rocco Armani in the Istanbul branch of the Mafia, Armas' assassination of Kaspar Brandt, and presumably undertook or facilitated several other operations for the betterment of the Istanbul Mafia. He personally (and in defiance of standing orders) attempted the assassination of the Triads' leader Lo Fang and suffered a rather miserable defeat at the hands of his target and the mercenary Paul-Jacques Labombard, sending the Mafia into confusion and disarray.

Subsequent to his defeat, Savoy found an ally in Florent Smets, a vampire in control of a powerful entity called Amen. Savoy sought to gain control of Amen by betraying Smets, but Armas foiled his plan and injured him badly.

Savoy then turned to the Neo-Nazis and allowed them to begin rehabilitating him through the use of demonic tissue grafts. He lost face with them as Armas took steps to foil him. The Neo-Nazis implanted tracking magics into his body, and seeing no way to remove them, Savoy continued to cooperate with them in hopes of getting a chance to get revenge on Armas.

When the Neo-Nazis attacked the mafia's Istanbul holdings with the intention of killing Rocco and Gianni, Savoy and Armas got to face off. Armas used a contract artifact's special power to banish Savoy and erase the memory of him from most people on the planet.
Equipment: Savoy has a contract artifact dagger with a flesh corrupting power and the knifeplay skills to use it. He like thrown blades. On five separate occasions Savoy has displayed a preference for missile launchers, grenade launchers-and in general, ranged explosive devices whenever possible. He had substantial monetary resources, and was always seen wearing an impeccable suit and gold watch. Formerly under private tutelage at Gelrindo Academics, the Facility the Wizard Khubiliai runs, presumably in the use of a wizard contract power he acquired.
Notes: Catchphrase: Vestra permaneo memoria est, te fio nusquam (Your last memory will be of nothing.)

Camella Larosa a.k.a. Camella Nardi
Heritage: Italian
Languages: Italian, English
Occupation: 2nd in command of the Company of Laine, Instructor at Ito's Dojo
Affiliations: Company of Laine, Ito's Dojo, Owner (Ruling Dragon of Turkey)
Appearance: She has straw blond hair and blue eyes with a frame that can safely be described as athletic. She lost the majority of her left leg in a fight with Blackbeard, and had it replaced with a mundane Mongolian leg, which has a much darker skin color than her own.
Capabilities: Camella has no bloodline power, but is instead a once-in-a-generation example of a peak ability human, with near-perfect equilibrioception and proprioception. She has a soul quirk which grants her 108 eye-like sensors. Her excellent military training and natural ability allow her to excel in both the use of firearms and melee combat.
History: Formerly a member of the 9th Parachute Assault Regiment, Camella arrived in the bones of the earth below Istanbul. She spent a week fighting her way out and arrived in the alley behind Armas's apartment exhausted and badly wounded. He took her in, cared for her wounds, arranged a new identity for her, and introduced her to his most useful contacts. In an attack against Blackbeard she lost her leg, although she has received a new one from Wizard Khubiliai.
Equipment: When she surfaced she was wearing a tattered Italian military uniform with a helmet that included adjustable lenses for thermal and night-vision and which concealed two tactical vests and leg armor. In the pockets she also had a variety of weapons including three grenades, four flash bangs, another hatchet and a pair of spiked knuckled dusters with her assault rifle, SMG, shotgun and sidearm. Her pockets also contained five flasks, a pocket knife, a lighter, a radio, earpiece, and PDA with hidden bugs. The tattered uniform has since been replaced with a set of black clothing.

• Beretta PX4 Storm pistol: Double action, 9x19mm, 17 round magazine (closed bolt), 102mm (4 inch) barrel. Weight unloaded: 780-800 g. Overall length: 193 mm (approx. 8 inches).
• Benelli M4 Super 90: Semi auto, 12 gauge (3" chamber), 6 round magazine (closed bolt), 470mm (approx. 19 inch) barrel. Length: 1010mm (886 with stock retracted). Weight 3.8 kg unloaded.
• FN P90: Full auto/semi auto, 5.7x28mm, 50 round magazine (open bolt), 263mm (10.5 inch) barrel. Weight: 2.54kg empty, 3kg loaded. Overall length: 500mm. Rate of fire: 900 rounds per minute. Effective range: 200 meters.

-Mk.16SCAR-L: Select-fire (auto/burst/semi), 5.56x45mm, 30 round magazine, barrel length either 254mm/10", 355mm/14", or 457mm/18". Weight: 3.5kg empty. Overall length: 620-850mm (varies with barrel length). Rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute.

• Franchi Renaissance Sporting 12 Gauge: Double barrel (over/under), 12 gauge (3" chamber). Unknown length, sawn-off.
• Walther WA 2000: Semi auto, unknown caliber (.300 Win Mag, .308 [most likely] or 7.5x55 Swiss), 10 round magazine (closed bolt), 650mm barrel. Overall length: 905 mm. Weight unloaded: 6.95 kg. Second Generation model. Notes: Wood portions of ironwood, from a tree growing on an elephant burial ground. This weapon was claimed as a battle trophy by Camella from the body of Olga Brandt.
  

Notes: Friends with Armas. Friendly with the ruling dragon of Turkey, Owner. She had a falling out with Go Ping subsequent to him carrying out orders to attempt to subvert her mind for Lo Fang.

Olga Brandt
Heritage: German
Languages: German, English
Occupation: Deceased
Affiliations: Neo-Nazis
Appearance: She was woman of both average height and build with brown chest length hair.
Capabilities: Olga had no known bloodline power, but was a trained sniper. She was not known to be capable of any extraordinary feats of skill, save for the ability to throw objects extremely long distances with some speed and accuracy.
History: The wife of Kaspar Brandt. She was known to have kept him thoroughly and utterly pussy whipped, having him walk the family dog, a tiny chihuahua named Snufflupagus, around the block. Armas slew her husband and his followers and opted to keep his family out of it, leaving her a widow. Unbeknownst to Armas, she was a trained sniper who was actively attempting to find and assassinate her husband's murderer. She eventually was able to identify Armas as the killer and hired a Mohawk mercenary named Big Crazy to assist, all the while keeping him unaware of her Neo-Nazi allegiances. At some point she came into contact with Savoy who helped her lay a trap for Armas. She and Big Crazy would go undercover as people who were duped by Smets, who was in league with Savoy. They would then contact Armas and arrange meetings to discuss methods of retribution, eventually leading him into an assault on the manor where they would betray him. Their plan did not succeed. When Armas and Big Crazy breached the building Savoy let loose Smets to 'clean up' before Big Crazy could betray Armas. The two then turned on Smets and Olga aimed a shot at Armas, only to be thwarted by his Arrow Charm. She was then faced with both Camella who had noticed her betrayal and Smets' ghoul security forced who had been set upon them both.
Equipment: Kaspar Brandt's

• Tokarev TT-30 Pistol: Same weapon as used by Armas (see above).
• Walther WA 2000: Same weapon as used by Camella (see above).
  

Notes: Deceased as of Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 quest time. She was killed by Camella after the betrayal, wounds indicate she was hacked to death by Camella's axes.

Big Crazy
Heritage: Mohawk Indian
Languages: English, Mohawk
Occupation: Mercenary
Affiliations: Iroquois League (Mohawk Tribe)
Appearance: He is a huge man, shorter than Armas but much more stocky. His skin so red he appears to have a perpetual sunburn and he has acne scars across his face.
Capabilities: Big Crazy is a spirit shaman, and has bound two spirits to his soul: Little Bear (who grants greatly increased durability and strength) and Dirt Snake (described as a spirit dedicated solely to sensing).
History: Big Crazy was born and raised in Texas. He dreamed of becoming a faster shot than his tribe's elder and at some point sought out training from Bob Mundon to help achieve his dream. Was later bamboozled by Olga Brandt into working with her to kill Armas, he was dismayed to learn that she was actually a Neo-Nazi. With no money, no prospects in Istanbul, and no legal papers allowing him to be there, he approached Armas (who treated him fairly and respectfully after the dust settled) for employment. Armas decided they should go on a road trip together.
Equipment: Big Crazy doesn't use armor, since Little Bear makes him more than durable enough to take a shot and keep going. He wears a pair of modified sunglasses and carries multiple ear plugs to help with the flash and noise created by his rifle.

• Mare's Leg: A cut-down rifle.
  

Notes: No, Spirit Shamans don't make dream catchers. Dream Shamans make dream catchers. You racist.

Hillevi Valkonen
Heritage: Finnish, Valkonen
Languages: Finnish, English, Turkish, Russian
Occupation: Retainer of House Valkonen
Affiliations: House Valkonen
Appearance:
Capabilities:
History:
Equipment:
Notes:

Helmi Valkonen
Heritage: Finnish, Valkonen
Languages: Finnish, English
Occupation: Retainer of House Valkonen
Affiliations: House Valkonen
Appearance:
Capabilities:
History:
Equipment:
Notes: Helmi likes to play rough.

Non-Player Characters

Arkvad Söderström
A selling agent for the magically aware firearms company Holland & Holland, Arkvad is a long-time friend of Armas's father and is a friend of the Laine family. He is like an uncle to Armas.

Garbage Pete
A less-than-legal arms dealer, sells his wares out of an old dumpster.

Angiluzzo Castelletti (deceased)
The former head of the Istanbul branch of the mafia. A fat man prone to hedonism, he held Mammon's Device (a contract artifact gun) as well as the service of the elf Allenaethos. Armas and Castelletti were both manipulated into believing that they intended to kill each other.

Mr. Barby (deceased)
Castelletti introduced the man as some nobody who was hampering his growth in the area and needed to be eliminated. It was only after dispatching him did Armas learn this was not the case and he was instead an elderly Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon, and one of the key members of the Nazi faction in Istanbul.

O'Connor (deceased)
A former IRA member with a bum leg that specialized in explosives and shotguns. He served as Mr. Barby's assistant and bodyguard and was present at the time of Armas' ambush. He ultimately perished from wounds to both his thigh and upper arm that caused him to bleed out.

Lachlan and Tyson (deceased)
A pair of Australian twins that worked for Mr. Barby as muscle. They were each equipped with a machete and a pair of heavily modified Mateba Model 6 Unica Autorevolvers. The pair died in the ambush and Armas claimed their equipment.

Bagatur Yilmaz
An arms dealer who sells explosives and explosive accessories.

Sergeant Edward Riker
An old drill sergeant of Armas's who is experienced with the things that go bump in the night. He has access to military grade hardware and supplies available for the right price. He is also an A.O.R.B. recruitment agent, and is Armas's primary contact with A.O.R.B.

Andre Gustavo (deceased)
A German previously associated with the Neo-Nazis. Armas framed him for Barby's assassination after killing him.

Ahmad
One of five mercenaries Armas met at Constanz' Crash Course gym. Iranian national.

Hafaz
One of five mercenaries Armas met at Constanz' Crash Course gym. Effectively now their leader, where before they were sometimes associates, due to his comparatively greater knowledge of magic, and being the one to invoke Armas' aid when they had become trapped on a mission. Iranian national.

Shaya
One of five mercenaries Armas met at Constanz' Crash Course gym. Iranian national.

Hadar
One of five mercenaries Armas met at Constanz' Crash Course gym. Israeli national.

Yoni
One of five mercenaries Armas met at Constanz' Crash Course gym. Israeli national.

Boris Mihailov
SAMBO instructor at Constanz' Crash Course gym. Titus Yakimov, one of Armas's employees, works with Boris as a part-time SAMBO instructor.

Lo Fang of Mount Song
Istanbul-based Triad Boss. Has said he'd wish to face off against Armas some day, and has continually expressed an interest in squeezing as much information from Armas as possible.

Mafia Confessor
A title granted to elite mafia members tasked with keeping their membership loyal.

Mafia Finger
A title granted to five of the elite mafia members who perform assassinations and other internal policing duties.

Mafia Thumb
A title bestowed on a Mafia Finger who has gone rogue. After all, a thumb can't do anything with four fingers wrapped around him.

Allenaethos (deceased)
One of the Summer Elves. He used a magic sword and armor. Through unknown means he was obligated to protect Castelletti's life and perished defending him.

May Lee (deceased)
A member of the Triad organization sent to deal with the boat job. She was the groups designated heavy weapons user. Her secret used to prevent or detect a swap by encantado was her ownership of a cat that she regularly followed the orders of. During the battle she was grabbed by the Doonongaes and while she escaped its grasp, its potent poison killed her before help could arrive. Her corpse was captured and turned into a flesh golem by enemies of the Triads. Armas did the service of locating it for Go Ping so that it could be destroyed.

Diao Yuan
A member of the Triad organization initially sent to deal with the boat job. She is a close combat specialist utilizing shotguns with as many as twelve separate ammunition types. Her secret to prevent or detect a swap by encantado was that despite her tentative mannerism she was the opposite in the bedroom.

Go Ping
A disciple of Lo Fang's, a model member of the Traids. He is very devoted to Lo Fang, this and repeated successes, often involving Armas, have resulted in promotion to management position of a Triad owned warehouse. Uses MP7s in ranged combat, but favors dual axes he keeps hidden on his person for most engagements.

Long Wang
A Triad of indeterminable gender, used as a safety precaution in the Boat Mission. Is skilled with firearms, but prefers explosive armaments like the HK69.

The Doonongaes (deceased)
The only Doonongaes Armas has encountered. A strong, brutish shapeshifter with a poisonous touch, Armas agreed to a wager to slay this beast within a certain time frame. He completed the fight in spectacular fashion, literally fencing it into a killzone. The fight was record on video.

Doctor Finnigan
A doctor that handles injuries for those with injuries that would raise questions in a hospital. He has a clinic where he treated Armas and is capable of making house calls. He worked on Camella's injuries free of charge in in exchange for keeping him out of whatever trouble she was involved in. Finnigan allows Feodor, one of Armas's employees, to assist on busy nights.

Kaspar Brandt (deceased)
One of the 'Nazi's' early attempts at a supersoldier. Abandoned in favor of the second generation product, commonly called 'Nazinauts'. Served as a capable lieutenant for Barby in Istanbul until he was killed by Armas.

Whaitiri
Maori cannibal god of thunder, indelibly linked to Armas' Summer Bloodline. Her name literally translates to "Thunder Girl." She is prickly and proud, but respects traditions deeply.

Ogrimir
Mysterious, as-of-yet unidentified god that Armas has Contracted himself to for a 13 year period. His chosen moniker literally means "Giant Memory."

Johan Straus
Istanbul's premier Demonologist and an accomplished gunsmith with a wide number of customer. Was made to do a rare thing and smile when Armas hit upon paying the man-with time to himself. Has been using Iosef Markovic, one of Armas's employees, as a test subject for rituals.

Sometimes Merchant
The leader of the Wyld Goblins of Istanbul (and perhaps all of Turkey). See attached article for more information.

Professor Jagda
A professor up till recently unaware of the supernatural world well-versed in ancient languages. Armas has used him as a contact before, and so long as he keeps Jagda's nature as a cautious risk-avoiding family man in mind, Jagda is willing to keep working with him.

Adelat
Turkish Law enforcement officer that grew suspicious of Armas. She attempted to get close to Armas, and Armas tried to get her out of his life. When she tried illegally searching the mansion, Armas made her sign a magical contract that activates if she shares certain secrets she learned.

Mahuika's Disciple
The Summer spirit that filled in for Whaitiri when Armas was dealing with NeverNever strikes. Sometimes known as Malalaika.

Ito Sensei
Old man that Armas initially found to learn Jukenjitsu from, and has effectively become the head of a now booming gym thanks to this association. A good thing, as on a personal level Ito thinks Armas is an asshole, but will not say anything to someone that's been so helpful to him, grating to be around or no.

Mr. Locke (deceased)

Ms. Havoc (deceased)

Rocco Armani
The replacement for Castelleti, and Istanbul-based head of the Mafia. An excellent shot with small arms. Decently skilled at the Reinforcement chakra orientation. Has a bloodline that is similar to the "Forgotten Grandfather" bloodline. Dour, businesslike, and very shrewd.

Gianni Giammari
Rocco's second-in-command, a hedonistic fleshcrafter who specializes in golems. Currently at Armas' disposal thanks to a daring rescue operation.

Cornelius Zosimus
Roman-era Vampire Sire of the Zosimus clan, and an accomplished Shadowmancer. Armas made the wager to slay the Doonongaes with him.

Mammon's Stairwell (deceased)
A living staircase in a NeverNever bubble. Absorbed one of Armas's NeverNever gate strikes. Killed by Duke when Armas played a prank on him.

Mammon's Knight (deceased)
One of Mammon's chosen agents. Attempted to get Armas to agree to sell his service so that he could unlock the Mammon's Device. Killed by Duke when Armas played a prank on him.

Mammon's Knight
The successor to the entity Armas dealt with, chosen specifically to be hard to kill by Duke. Far too willful for Mammon's tastes.

Erzsi
A vampire who slept with Armas in exchange for being allowed to view Mammon's Device.

Laetissi
An elf with decidedly poor magic senses, she slept with Armas in exchange for being allowed to view Mammon's Device.

Florent Smets (deceased)
The former intelligence officer for the Zoismus clan. Known for being cautious, and a gourmand of rare blood. Liked to bully mundanes and cheat them in deals. Tried to swindle Armas, and was instead slain by him. Former master of Amen.

Amen
The Allhater, the Bloodfiend, an embodiment of Hate summoned in a blood ritual which escaped its summoner's bonds and ate them. It then attacked and defeated a God-Wizard, and immediately began to degrade. To prevent its own explosive death, it bound itself to serve the blood of Sisuthros. Amen's masters tend to die early. Armas is his latest master.

Vladimir Chugainov
A Russian General in charge of one of the Black Army brigades, the Russian military's wing for dealing with supernatural occurrences. Fond of building secrecy with corpses, and little boys. Not a pleasant person.

Zinaida Jidkova
One of Chugainov's specialists, a matronly blood manipulator who was in charge of placing the tracking runes on new inductees to the Black Army. She is competent at mortal blood runes. When Amen attempted to manipulate her through her blood, the attempt was detected at once and she was removed from the chain of command entirely as a precaution.

Grigori
Call 'The Mad Drunk', a Russian Wizard that refuses to be sober unless he absolutely has to-and even then he probably won't. He scours the world for new alcohol, and has very little patience for people who do not let the booze flow freely.

Radu Hagi
A mercenary, known by some as the Suicider, he binds targets to his own body-then he ritualistically murders himself with stab through the heart. He however does not have a heart to stab and can get back up after the act. The method he uses to link himself to the target is a carefully guarded secret. His skin is unusually tight and pale, which together with his distinctive, skeletal, facial tattoos make him an odd sight. He is an expert in a variety of curses and rituals. A comrade of Armin, they respect each other as only long-time rivals can.

Shadowbro
Armas' Soul Shadow, a copy of his own memories implanted into his shadow and made into a paired entity.

Kuvey
The diminutive version of Shadowbro's full name. A nickname given to him by Sake. Only Sake, Armas, and Lyubov know this nickname.

Nazeroth (deceased)
A male encantado who impersonated Armas Riihivuori during Kazadora's attack on the ferry. Slain by Armas Laine. Nazeroth claimed to hold the title of Lord.

Armas Riihivuori (deceased)
Finnish Bloodliner, former head of the Rhiihivuori watermancer family. Killed along with his eldest son trying to protect his family from Kazadora and Nazeroth.

Hilja Riihivuori
Finnish Bloodliner, child. Currently a ward of the Valkonen clan, as her magically aware family has died off. Thinks of Armas as a strange but funny uncle, and likes talking with him on the computer he got for her and her brother.

Eirikki Riihivuori
Finnish bloodliner, child. Protects his sister at all times. Mute, due to his tongue being mutilated to grant increased magical ability.

Kazadora
Only Encantado to survive encountering Armas-and nearly killed him in the process. Also completed the plan Armas attempted to interrupt-when he had a wizard as backup. Blood manipulator. Known for her meteoric rise in prominence and power.

Hillevi Valkonen
Youngest of the Valkonens, currently Armas' ward. See her entry in the Player Characters section.

Markku Valkonen
Head of the Valkonen family. Approves of decisive, definitive action. Easily angered. A son of a third son and third daughter, married a daughter of a third son and third daughter, Markku enjoys a great deal of additional power from the Rule of Three belief.

Einrik Valkonen
Heir of the Valkonen family. Maimed when he was 17 when he brashly challenged a young dragon to a fight, he was cursed with permanent blindness. Conventional medicine, magic healing, and most substitutes would not work to restore his sight, but luckily in the course of the fight with the dragon, he happened to acquire a shard of an undeveloped Elder construct/god (which the challenged dragon happened to have possessed thanks to winning it in a game of chance). Einrik took the shard and devised a way to graft it to himself, granting him unparalleled magic sensing abilities at the very high cost of having to live life in a very slow format. Elder beings, fragments included, do not perceive time the same way people do, and thus since installing the shard as a vision-substitute Einrik has been forced to experience subjective centuries. Needless to say, he had to learn how to be patient.

Tuomo Valkonen
One of the twin brothers of the Valkonen family.

Veiko Valkonen
One of the twin brothers of the Valkonen family.

Tartalo
A cyclops of myth that now serves the Valkonen Family. His immense size and strength made him an ideal protector for the family and his perception keeps the young safe until they learn more of the family style. Due to having a Soul hidden within a Shadow which in turn was hidden within the Dark he has been rendered Deathless and can rebound from the most grave attacks with ease.

Sake
The spirit of a Kamaitachi that absorbed the souls of his brothers (Shōchū and Toso) after all three of them were slain by Einrik. He is bound to Armas as a Soul Brother, and currently is possessing a Ramidreju body. His best friend is Lyubov, the Witch Saint of Tesla. Hobbies include: Pranks, prank calls, teasing people, playing music, and being spoiled by most of the household.

Gunner Almquist (deceased, now a Spirit)
A ranged fighter and mortal Einher who used a cursed longbow and magic arrows, he was used to fighting fire giants and other very dangerous foes. Armas laid him low in a formal mortal challenge, and Gunner became a Spiritual Einher, conducted into Valhalla by a Valkyrie. Gunner is friends with Frithjofr and Onundur, two other spirit Einherjar whom he served with in life.

Silja
Finnish peasant's soul trapped within the rifle Keihas. Silja is currently in the last stage of her return to life. The rifle has grown into a magically potent body for her.

Simo Hayha
The famous mortal sniper, Finnish national hero. Agreed to grant Silja a blessing after his ascension from mortal soul to free willed angel, provided he survived the process. To facilitate his progression toward ascension, he placed most of his soul memories related to his actions as a soldier in Silja's body (partitioned from being accessible by her so as to keep her sane).

Stallon
One of the Sami gods. Known for being a man-eater. He lost his sieidis (a vessel allowing a spiritual god to manifest physically) when Einrik fought him and won.

Rástoš (deceased)
Laib Olmai shame. Self important dick-ass kid of the lead shaman. Ran into Armas and died after challenging him to a duel. He was so hated that his clan mates were okay with having their memory altered about his death.

Dávgon
A cautious Laib Olmai Shaman, currently working for Armas as a mercenary. He has three spirit animals, and is known to have a fondness for reindeer piss beer.

Jágát
A pessimistic Laib Olmai Shaman, currently with the Laib Olmai tribe in Finland.

Ártor
A Laib Olmai Shaman, currently with the Laib Olmai tribe in Finland.

Ommot
A Laib Olmai Shaman, currently with the Laib Olmai tribe in Finland.

Antonije
A former member of the Black Army, and a helicopter pilot who is friends with Einrik. He has a blood bind by Jidkova.

Armin
An infamous mercenary who charges a premium for his services. He keeps a tidy record, only terminating contracts prematurely when given that right and burns the written agreement of his contracts on completion. Known as both the Craftsman and the German Hammer-Devil he has a fondness for constructing traps and the use of hammers as throwing weapons. He has a history with Blackbeard, having clashed with him more than any other mercenary he is considered to be an expert on the man. His sister Astrid has the famous (and rare) Item Creation bloodline. A comrade of Radu Hagi, they respect each other as only long-time rivals can.

Abloec Woosencraft Hysbryd-Gwarcheidwad
A spirit Einher who was encountered performing tasks for Odin in the mortal world. He had been sent down to put down a Úlfhéðnar who had been poisoned and his Rage Fragment unleashed by Armin before it could cause damage to the Norse pantheon's standing. He is a possession expert (frequently using host bodies when on jobs for Odin), and has remarkable spiritual senses. He has proven to be extremely knowledgeable on the spiritual side of Einherjar capabilities and provided Armas with advice to pass on to his cousin.

Iron Trick
Real name of Jitnage'gnei Gesgmaplgigwa'teget, Iron Trick is a Contract Artifact belonging to Rabbit, one of the American Trickster Gods. It's a Free Contract Artifact, in that even if it's current wielder dies or gives it away, the weapon will persist, rather than being returned to the God that originally crafted it. It is a sentient weapon whose voice can only be heard by its owner. While originally a set of tomahawks, the Artifact currently takes the form of a Buntline revolver. Due to the recursive nature of the magic bound within it, only its current owner can be aware of how it functions.

Gleb Romanov
'Mortal' Einher, of the Imperial Romanov line. Can ignore death by virtue of the Romanov bloodline's resurrection power and his magic armor being made into a phylactery for his soul by Astrid (both she and Armin are friends of Gleb). He has in reality transcended his mortality entirely and become an Angel of Odin, but due to his Einher aspect still 'pings' as being a mortal. This secret means Odin is willing to put up with an extraordinary amount of rowdy and bad behavior by Gleb. Lately Gleb has been killing Valkyries (Odin's low-level angelic constructs) for fun.

"Blackbeard"
Not the famous pirate, though one of his nicknames is "The Pirate." Blackbeard is a gunsmith and mercenary with significant personal wealth and resources. He has no regard for collateral damage, and likes to use explosives. He battled with Camella, and nearly killed her in a running gun fight through the sewers of Istanbul. Armas and Sake helped make sure a building he blew up fell on him. He survived.

"Ricky"
A Dunter Redcap, one of the speedy little blood-eating dwarfs of legend. Affable and happy to have made Armas's acquaintance. Lucy's mate.

"Lucy"
A Powrie Redcap, one of the speedy little blood-eating dwarfs of legend. Cautious, and a fan of Amen. Ricky's mate.

Otso Laine
Armas's young cousin, who recently became an Einher. Armas gives him what support he can.

Baki Yamada
One of the Yakuza lieutenants. Runs a massage parlor, and is a talented masseuse.

Walt Endman
A multi-body mortal chakra expert, he works for the Nazis and runs a global-scale smuggling network.

Abdul Ghanem
A member of the sand manipulating Ghanem family, he is an enemy of Einrik's who Armas was all too happy to help extort. Abdul once slew an entire orphanage and made blood pudding from them simply to anger Einrik.

Meng Yun

Li Zhou

Jet Fang

Nikoyaka Youkai
The Smiling One, a well connected and dangerous oni from Japan. She keeps an orchard and apiary, runs an inn, and maintains a BBS service for supernaturals looking to trade magic meats and other goods.

"Hummingbird"
Only the best hummingbird ever, and Armas's familiar.

Inquisitor Karma
A well meaning but completely incompetent Inquisitor working for the Catholic Church.

Old Granny Stomp
A Summer goblin, she runs the Amazon Poacher's Guild and provides services to the poachers. She runs a nice bar in the heart of the Amazon, and for a long time was the only merchant Duke had access to.

Thrompton
A down-on-his-luck poacher who usually works in the Amazon. He has a grandson in India.

Reginald
One of the Amazon poachers.

"Duke"
Li Kui, also known as "Iron Ox" or "Black Whirlwind." One of the legendary 108 Heavenly Spirits from the Great Chinese Classic Novel, "Water Margin." A body and soul Transcendent, Li Kui is a muscular man with a dark complexion, a reddish-yellow unibrow, and fiery eyes. He is known for his berserk behavior in combat, his strong penchant for white wine, and is known to be a hardcore gambler. Duke was assigned to protect a "Dreamer" in the Amazon by Song Jiang (his former leader in "Water Margin") to keep Duke from making trouble seeking revenge for Song's death. He spent centuries doing so. Through guile, speed, and judicious use of resources, Armas killed the Dreamer, thus relieving Li Kui of his duty. Armas talked Duke into coming home with him, where Duke drank literally hundreds of millions of dollars worth of magic wine, alcohol, and drugs from the stocks Smets acquired. Armas later successfully talked Owner, the Ruling Dragon of Turkey, into sparing Duke's life (as well as Placid's). Duke is an actual Duke (he was awarded the title by the Vatican).

Mr. Jung
A Korean arms dealer who considers himself in debt to Armas for being tipped off that a contract was out on his head.

Hamlet Hanson
An engineering student Armas hired to help research the supernaturally speedy Reaper bullets, Hamlet landed a job with H&H after the research was completed.

Old Ironhead
A loud and brash arms dealer who loves to shout.

The Owner
The ruling dragon of Turkey. He is millions of years old, and is working hard at not being bored to death. Armas and his companions are entertaining enough to keep the last few months very novel indeed for Owner. He is also the owner of the Aistane restaurant.

Placid Savant
A Neo-Nazi experiment in making something like a Skinwalker, Placid was originally War Walker 028, but gained full sapience when his spirit slipped the Neo-Nazi's remote possession control after Armas placed an emergency binding on him. Placid is at least a dragon-level threat, hideously powerful, and very calm. He has taken to collecting and ensouling animals as pets. Armas and Lyubov are the two people he has the most contact with. Armas is responsible for whatever Placid does, and is held accountable by Owner himself.

Gloom
Former employee working in the Company of Laine, tendered his resignation after Armas was rescued from a dragon's lair. Armas offered him an NDA and non-competition contract. Gloom declined, and Armas was forced to simply amputate memories that posed a security risk to the company. Gloom does not remember his time in the company at all, nor does he remember anything he learned through the company. Presently in Istanbul with a new identity and a numbered account full of cash.

Tesla (a.k.a. "The Phone Guy")
Nikola Tesla, the genius inventor, discovered as a mortal man how to instantly ascend to godhood. He became Tesla, the God of Science and Electricity, with sole control of the Nuclear Belief portfolio and a strong investment in the Mind portfolio. His form of Divinity is different from other human-based divine beings (he describes it as "mathematically derived belief") and generally classifies as Wyld magic. He is also known as "The Phone Guy" by mortals who have badly disrupted the telecommunication networks one way or another. His interests are in seeing humanity as a whole strong and prosperous, in seeing promising inventors protected and nurtured, and in fighting the Elder beings which threaten him (of which, Von Neumann is foremost). He spent months observing Armas Laine and his company before he seized an opportunity to make Lyubov his Witch Saint. Currently Tesla is expanding his collection of mortal agents.

Characters Not Yet Encountered

Yuri Lenkov
The radio specialist engaged by Olga Brandt and Big Crazy for the fight against Florence Smets.

Zmey Tugarin

Frithjofr
A spirit Einher who is friends with Onundur and Gunner.

Onundur
A spirit Einher who is friends with Frithjofr and Gunner.

Jyrki Laine

Esteri Laine

Kukka Laine

Jussi Laine

Great Rabbit

Horagalles
A Thunder God. Part of the Sami pantheon, primarily worshiped by a collective of 22 Sami in the Halti fell in northern Finland.

Vearalden
A Fertility and Growth God, and God of the Dead. The object of a phallic cult. Part of the Sami pantheon, primarily worshiped by a tribe of Sami ten to thirty strong. He lives in a Sieidis shaped like a four-fingered hand with a gnarled tree forming the index finger, pointing at the sky, located in his followers' settlement.

Laib Olmai
A Luck God, and God of the Hunt. Part of the Sami pantheon, primarily worshiped by a nomadic tribe of Sami spirit shaman. This is Dávgon's tribe. Currently lives in a mobile Sieidis seized from Stallon.

Stallon
Reputed to be a man eating giant, apparently a God of some sort. Personally led his followers, but was defeated by Einrik. His followers' male population was killed by the Laib Olmai worshiping tribe (aided by Armas, Hillevi, and Einrik) while the women and children were taken prisoner.

Jabbmeaaakka
A Goddess of the Underworld. Souls are conveyed to her by Vearalden. Her worshipers have been known to be disruptive.

Benito
Someone Gianni knows, presumably a Mafia member.

War Walker 024
A Neo-Nazi experimental weapon based on Skinwalkers. Placid's companion prior to being freed by Armas, and someone Placid would like to see freed as well.

Von Neumann
The mortal mathematician became an Elder-being of great power and the eternal enemy of Tesla. He likes to use versions of Armas Laine from other dimensions as power generation devices, thus making him inclined to view Armas as a potential biobattery instead of as an ally. Thanks to Lyubov's connection to Tesla, there is now no chance of positive interaction with him by Armas and the Laine Company.

The Yellow Emperor
One of the three God Wizards. He is the God of Chakra, and the strongest Wizard and least Godly of the God Wizards, since his divine status just feeds into his wizardly aspect. He is a grandmaster of Name magic, and well known for his scholarship. He enjoys teaching people and discussing magic mechanics, but is always short on time.

Solomon
One of the three God Wizards. The Seven-Faced God. He has his divine aspect set up so each day of the week has a wholly different form of Godly power. It is Wizard-protected from having its sequencing deciphered without having seen all seven variants. Solomon was both King Solomon and Solomon Grundy and is considered one of the three most individually powerful entities in the world.

"The Third"
One of the three God Wizards. The Master of Belief Manipulation. He or she performs active identity masking, and is the successor to Ramses (the former third God Wizard, who was slain by Amen).

Jethro Hampton
The meanest human guitarist alive. He owns a Conceptual guitar which has a Greater Pride Demon bound to it, thus ensouling the instrument. He knows a wide variety of music rituals and chakra orientations.

"Scharlach"
Jethro's guitar. As the actual Name of the guitar is only known by a few people, Jetro gave his guitar a nickname that refers to her coloration.

Karganya
Divine lightning spirit trapped in a tree. She is friends with Titus Yakimov, one of Armas's employees.

"Butt-Man"
An A.O.R.B. Agent with the ability to teleport to any ass within a given range. Spent several minutes ogling Lyubov's rear while he talked to her.

Known Supernatural Creatures

Akkorokamui

Basilisks

Black Dogs three separate breeds-the Gwyligi, the Mauthe Dhoog breeds and the Oschaert

Blink Dogs

Domovoi

Dragon

Elves

Emela-Ntouka

Encantado

Erymanthian Boar

Fext

Goblins

Griffins

Harpies

Heiðrúns

Hippocamps

Hippogriffs

Hydra

Iku-Turso

Kamaitachi

Kelpies

Mandragora

Sahagin

Sceadugenga

Shellycoats

Sirens

Soul Shadows

Svartelfs

Sæhrímnir

Tartalo

Ushi-oni

Vampires

Ved

Vodyanoy

Were-Kin

Wolpertinger

Xing Tian

Known Organizations

Holland & Holland: The famous specialty arms company also does work for clients who want supernatural and magical equipment. They can broker deals between private parties, build original empowered weapons (thanks to a couple of tomes on the subject they have in their corporate vault), and maintain their own house security and information service.

Pfiefer-Zeliska: Along with Holland & Holland, one of the two major arms companies that are fully aware of just how real fairy tales are. They seem to be capable of elaborate custom orders and place buyers of such equipment on a database.

Triad: A branch of the well known Chinese crime organization.

Russian Mob: The Russians who contracted the Russian Job were not affiliated with the KGB, but instead were wealthy (and foolhardy) individuals who wanted to make a point. They are not well established in Istanbul.

Mafia: The famed crime syndicate. One of the Company of Laine's closer business partners.

Neo-Nazis: Third Reich remnants who have coalesced into a Neo-Nazi movement, complete with Nazi super-soldiers (non-magical but very formidable), well-trained gang members, supernatural experiments and and supernatural contacts. The organization seems to be led by Otto Skorzeny with its Istanbul branch led by Endman (a hivemind spread out over multiple human bodies). Circumstantial evidence suggests that they are, in part, supported by larger organizations who reap the benefits of the Neo-Nazis weapon research programs.

Silah Dünyası (Gun World): A chain of mall sized gun stores that Armas frequents. They have dedicated legal staff just for answering customer questions, tens of thousands of weapons, all manner of ammunition, equipment, clothing, and gun maintenance supplies. The local branches recognize Armas as a wealthy and long term customer due to a recommendation he received from Holland & Holland through Arkvad.

Oyak Securities: The local and highly regarded bank that Armas, and most of the Laine Company, does their business through. Oyak provides numbered account services as well as almost all other services a bank should provide.

Emniyet İstihbarat Daire: The Turkish FBI, they employ a number of highly skilled agents like Adelat.

Zosimus Dynasty: An old and powerful vampire clan. Cornelius Zosimus, a Roman-era vampire who has survived to the modern age, bet with Armas over the death of the Doonongaes. The family has a powerful flesh golem.

Muburak Clan: A werewolf clan allied with a witch. Feuds with the Zosimus Dynasty. Led by the Matron Witch Oggmum.

Hapsburg Dynasty: Another vampire clan.

Valkonen House: Winter-aspected martial family; formerly quite influential with three Branch families and many allies, now diminished to just a small family. Based in Finland.

Aksoy Family: Autumn bloodline centered around corrosion and decay; biggest mortal name for melee in Turkey. Feuds with Ghanem. They are based in the town of Ladik.

Ghanem Clan: Arabian, based in Istanbul. Sandstorm specialists, manipulating earth and wind together. Fueds with Aksoy. Einrik and Armas are enemies with a member of this clan (Abdul Ghanem).

Aldokushin House: Russian, Winter combat bloodline; spoken excellently of. Small Branch based in Inebolu, merely competent.

Titancorp: A mercenary company with a strong human-supremacy and mundane-supremacy philosophy, their field agents are known as Reapers. They use high tech weapons, complex soul-keyed time dilation charms, and good tactics. Blackbeard applied to them and was rejected for having a soul that did not meet their standards. Holland & Holland has long coveted their gun technology. Titancorp is most active in regions that do not fall under A.O.R.B.'s purview.

A.O.R.B. (Trans-American Anti-Occult Response Battalion): An international bureau operating in the Americas, A.O.R.B. is a Pan-American organization funded and staffed by New World countries. American war heroes are usually quietly inducted into it posthumously, and serve the interests of keeping the dragons and gods in the Americas in line, as well as monitoring threats around the world and performing policing actions as required. A.O.R.B. is known for having the best in magitech equipment and training, and has been known to use unorthodox recruiting techniques (such as monitoring training simulators sold as consumer-level video games).

Monthly Costs

Service	Cost	Payment Due	Monthly Total	Notes
Phone Plan	$1,100	Monthly
Water Bill	$360	Monthly
Mundane Food Bill	$1,175	Weekly
			$6,160

Table of Periodic Food

Yeah, still needs a lot of work, will add Date later, (probably) a 'Notes' area, and clean it up. Posting what I've got now. Might have made a few mistakes or missed some deals, please correct me on IRC rizon #golemquest -W

	Recieved	Timeframe	Traded	Merchant	Date	Notes
1	One pound of Kelpie flesh	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: How we knew Allenaethos' name.	Sometimes Merchant	Sunday October 31st, 2010
2	One pound of Sahagin livestock flesh	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: How we met Allenaethos	Sometimes Merchant	Sunday October 31st, 2010
3	One pound of Sæhrímnir flesh	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: How we killed Allenaethos	Sometimes Merchant	Sunday October 31st, 2010
4	Spices to season three pounds of meat	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: Our first Gate Manifestation attempt	Sometimes Merchant	Monday November 1st, 2010.
5	One pound of Hippocamp meat	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: Our talk with the Doonongaes, Cornelius' involvement, the stairway incident and the deal Mammon offered us	Sometimes Merchant	Friday November 19th 2010
5	One pound Griffin meat	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: Our talk with the Doonongaes, Cornelius' involvement, the stairway incident and the deal Mammon offered us	Sometimes Merchant	Friday November 19th 2010
5	One liter of Basilisk blood	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: Our talk with the Doonongaes, Cornelius' involvement, the stairway incident and the deal Mammon offered us	Sometimes Merchant	Friday November 19th 2010
5	One pound of Ushi-oni meat	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: Our talk with the Doonongaes, Cornelius' involvement, the stairway incident and the deal Mammon offered us	Sometimes Merchant	Friday November 19th 2010
5	One pound of Mandragora root	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: Our talk with the Doonongaes, Cornelius' involvement, the stairway incident and the deal Mammon offered us	Sometimes Merchant	Friday November 19th 2010
5	One half pound of Erymanthian Boar liver	Once	Information: Our talk with the Doonongaes, Cornelius' involvement, the stairway incident and the deal Mammon offered us	Sometimes Merchant	Friday November 19th 2010
5	Two liters of Heiðrún's mead-milk	Each week, till the end of Armas life	Information: Our talk with the Doonongaes, Cornelius' involvement, the stairway incident and the deal Mammon offered us	Sometimes Merchant	Friday November 19th 2010
6	One Phoenix heart	Every Third week	Information: Our trip to Finland, and eventually, how we ended up with the Valks. Mad Drunk, tattoo-ed mercenary at bar, the boat incident, meeting the Valks, etc. For the tri-weekly cycle, Mad Drunk's secrets, How we found out of the missing day's favor, even though gobbos wiped it clean from our head	Sometimes Merchant	The same day we went outside Valk ground with Einrick to know what happened back at Istanbul.	Tri-weekly cycle, with the Phoenix Heart coming first
6	Three werewolf, two vampire, one troll heart	Every Third week	Information: Our trip to Finland, and eventually, how we ended up with the Valks. Mad Drunk, tattoo-ed mercenary at bar, the boat incident, meeting the Valks, etc. For the tri-weekly cycle, Mad Drunk's secrets, How we found out of the missing day's favor, even though gobbos wiped it clean from our head	Sometimes Merchant	The same day we went outside Valk ground with Einrick to know what happened back at Istanbul.	Tri-weekly cycle with the Were+Vamp+Troll second
6	Two Erinyes hearts	Every Third week	Information: Our trip to Finland, and eventually, how we ended up with the Valks. Mad Drunk, tattoo-ed mercenary at bar, the boat incident, meeting the Valks, etc. For the tri-weekly cycle, Mad Drunk's secrets, How we found out of the missing day's favor, even though gobbos wiped it clean from our head	Sometimes Merchant	The same day we went outside Valk ground with Einrick to know what happened back at Istanbul.	Tri-weekly cycle, with the Erinyes last, repeat