#vollinger

A few months ago, I shared the scans of the followers shown in Prima's Official Strategy Guide for Arcanum. Unfortunately, not all the followers are in the book, but the ones who are have a higher-resolution portrait, just in grayscale. So, I set out coloring them, because why not? Until Troika Games' developers release the original high-resolution colored portraits, this is what we gotta work with (˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )

My coloring process was pretty simple: First, overlay the colorful in-game icon layer over the grayscale scan. Then, set the in-game icon's layer blending mode to "Color." Finally, manually color in the rest of the portrait (since the in-game icons were usually cropped in tighter than the scan). Hope I did alright. Enjoy!~

Virgil Brummond (human magicker)

Sogg Mead Mug (half-ogre melee fighter)

Jayna Stiles (half-elven technologist)

Magnus Shale Fist (dwarven technologist)

Gar ("orc" melee fighter)

Dante (human magicker)

Geoffrey Tarellond-Ashe (human magicker)

Dog (...a literal, normal dog...he bites things)

Vollinger (gnome technologist)

Chukka (ogre melee fighter)

Jormund (dwarven magicker)

Torian Kel (human melee fighter)

Waromon (Bedokaan magicker)

Perriman Smythe (human magicker)

Z'an Al'urin (elven magicker)

Sebastian (human technologist)

Tollo Underhill (halfling technologist)

Raven (elven magicker)

FRANKLIN PAYNE!!! (human technologist)

(entries are sorted by the level joined rather than alphabetically)

Virgil - The original follower, Virgil is on hand from the moment you crawl out of the ruins of the Zephyr. He knows a bit of the legends of the Panarii, and is a bit over-excited about the fact that you seem to be the reincarnation of a very important Elf. You don’t have to ask Virgil to follow you: you can be pretty sure he’s yours until you tell him to go away. (If he gets mad at you, just talk nice at him for a while till he’s happy again.) He’s happiest following you if you’re good, but with a bit of persuasion can be turned to evil acts. His most useful talent is healing … allowing you to focus on other skills if you like. He appreciates being given good armour and weapons.

Sogg Mead Mug - Sogg is an uncomplicated Half-Ogre you meet at the local tavern in Shrouded Hills. It’s easy to make friends with Mr. Mead Mugg … just buy him a drink. Sogg’s too tipsy at any given time to really care what your underlying motivations are. Good, bad, magick, tech … it all looks fuzzy to him. He’ll happily hit anyone or anything who looks combative, and if you stuff your excess inventory into his backpack, he’ll barely even notice. If at any time he starts to get surly towards you, give him a bottle of wine and he’ll settle down into his regular bleary inebriation.

Jayna Stiles* - You meet Jayna in Cumbria … and frankly she doesn’t want to be there. She’s a scientific healer, and technology is outlawed in that part of Arcanum. If you’re technologically inclined (and can take on another follower), she’s more than happy to go with you to Tarant. She’ll accept a few detours, but Tarant is her intended destination. She likes sweet cakes, and if she starts to get antsy, a few of those will help her feel more relaxed. She’s good to have if you need a healer, and after a while of traveling with you, she’ll get pretty good at defending herself as well.

*(Jayna's surname in-game is "Stiles," with an I, not "Styles" with a Y.)

Magnus Shale Fist - Magnus is a surly Dwarf that you meet outside the Schuylers’ shop in Tarant. Magnus is an important person to know, even if he doesn’t become a follower. If he does, more the better, since he’s got his finger on the pulse of an important element of the storyline. He definitely has opinions on the Schuylers. If he starts to get particularly unhappy about the state of things, a pinch or two of Dwarven snuff will put him into a more congenial frame of mind. He hates Torian Kel, however, and including Kel in your group will make him very unhappy.

Gar - You meet Gar (Garfield Thelonius Remington) in Parnell’s museum in Tarant. He has the body of an Orc, but the mental abilities of a Human. He’s not in the best of situations, but it’s far better than most things someone who looks like an Orc can expect. However, if the situation is right he’ll be pleased to go along with you … and someone with the muscle of an Orc is always helpful. What he can’t fight he can carry. Gar, despite appearances, is good. He likes Earl Grey tea, and if he starts to become dissatisfied with your way of thinking, giving him a cup will keep him happy.

Dante - You meet Dante in Black Root, trying to forget his troubles in a less-than savory environment. He used to be the head of the Church of Cumbria and an advisor to the king, but currently he’s in disfavor and exile. If you are on the quest to collect the taxes for Praetor of Cumbria, you might convince him that helping you might win back some of the favor of his king. He’s in no position to be choosy about his traveling companions, so if he joins you, you can expect him to stick around no matter what you’re up to. If your quest to clear his name is successful, however, he’ll want to part ways in Cumbria.

Geoffrey Tarellond-Ashe - You meet Geoffrey in Ashbury. He’s your typical snooty upper-crust aristocrat, with an interest in being a salaried Black Necromancer … except that he can’t quite get himself to apply for any openings. Instead, he’s interested in acquiring a gem from the local cemetery. He’s well educated about the towns and cities of Arcanum. He’s evil in a dark-gray sort of way. He doesn’t like Smythe, and he won’t join your group if Smythe is a current follower. He does, however, like Chateau de Be’ron Brandy … and it’ll smooth over any rough times you might have with him.

Dog - In Ashbury you’ll encounter a local bully being mean to a poor defenseless dog. Rescuing Dog from his abuser is the gift that lasts: Dog is a combat canine that earns his kibble by taking on all comers. As far as he’s concerned, granite creatures keep his teeth clean. Dog is loyal with no agenda of his own. You wanna do good deeds, he’s your buddy. You wanna walk the dark underside of Arcanum, he’ll keep the baddies at bay. There’s nothing you can give him that will make him like you any more, but he’s not inclined to like you any less, anyway.

Vollinger - You find Vollinger in a bar in Dernholm. He’s definitely not a good character. Still, he’s handy in an adventure as long as you don’t expect him to be a front-line warrior or for him to carry a lot of weight. He’s a Gnome, and he’s sneaky. He and Virgil don’t get along … they mostly ignore each other, but there’s a constant tension between the two. He reacts strangely in many different cities, and is inclined to become annoyed with you if you don’t stick to the dark and twisty side of things, but a serving of absinthe sweetens his mood.

Chukka - Chukka is Gilbert Bates’ personal Half-Ogre bodyguard. If you play nice with Bates he’ll offer you the chance of having Chukka join you. Chukka’s a good guy. If you get too shady in what you do, he’ll warn you once or twice, and then he’ll leave. That’s it. You can’t give him little presents and make him happy again. Chukka’s not much of a conversationalist. He’s a fighter and a carrier of heavy things. In general you’ll find that you’ll run out of space in his inventory before he starts to slow down significantly. Half- Ogres are wonderful followers that way.

Jormund - Jormund is a confused fellow. He’s a Dwarf, but against all odds he’s a magickal Dwarf. Since Dwarves are usually Tech users, he’s in a difficult position. You meet him in Qintarra, where he’s been permanently apprenticed to the Elf Wrath. He really hates Elves, but it’s the only game around for him. He doesn’t talk much, since he’s a Dwarf, but he does talk more than most Dwarves, since he’s a mage. He’s not inclined to either good or evil, so you don’t have to worry about finding little goodies to keep him happy. He has some rather dramatic Fire spells that come in handy in battles.

Torian Kel - Torian Kel is found in the Temple of the Derian-Ka. When you first meet him, he’s a skeleton, but you can fix him up with a little judicious application of dragon’s blood. It turns out that he’s an ancient warrior from the early days, and he may be willing to join your band. Unlike most characters, he’s not only neutral (well, maybe a bit evil) but he prefers his companions that way, too. There’s not much you can do to change his mind except change your ways. He doesn’t care about other followers … unless it looks like you’re going to keep company with [SPOILER*]. He’ll absolutely refuse to hang around that guy.

*Torian's entry casually has a very spoilery endgame detail. The uncovered version of his entry will be at the very end of this post, under a cut.

Waromon - Waromon is a Lizard Man who may join you in your adventures after you meet him in the Bedokaan Village. He’s more of an enigma than anything else. There’s not enough of a cultural background to establish much of a friendship on … even Dwarves and Elves are both warm-blooded — they may not get along, but they are actually more similar than different. Lizards and people just don’t have a lot to talk about. He’ll follow you, for good or evil, and fight when you need him to, and that’s about it. He has a smattering of magick, but don’t count on major fireworks from him in battle.

Perriman Smythe - You meet Smythe in Tarant. He’s an accomplished mage; in fact, he might be able to serve as an Expert Healer if you’re looking for one. He’s primarily interested in the College of Phantasm. He knows a lot about Tulla, and is useful to talk to, even if he doesn’t join your group. He’s drawn to adventure and “seeing the world,” but he doesn’t like traveling with evil people, and he particularly doesn’t like traveling with Tarrelond-Ashe. A spot of Earl Grey tea will do wonders for his outlook if he starts to disapprove of your actions.

Z'an Al'urin - You meet Z’an Al’urin in T’Sen Ang, the Dark Elf village. She’s a warrior-priestess who experiences visions and is decidedly more introspective than most Dark Elves. She’s having a crisis of faith — faith that Dark Elves are naturally superior and the only ones fit to rule. She’s not so sure; her visions are confusing her confidence. Her visions spawned by each town are interesting, but are always enigmatic. You can anger her with your actions, but a bottle of pure Elven Spring Water will restore her good will. She doesn’t like to travel with Raven any more than Raven wants to travel with her.

Sebastian - The traditional way to meet Sebastian is to talk to Mr. Willoughsby in Tarant, who sends you over to Caleb Malloy’s bar to see if you can help Sebastian with a problem. If you help him with his problem, he’ll be more inclined to help you with yours. He’s a handy guy, in a general, all-purpose kind of way. He’s not the kind of fellow you’d catch bringing a knife to a gunfight …. He’s definitely inclined towards evil*. If he starts to get upset about the overall tone of your adventures, a bottle of wine should make him more pleasant about any mutual misunderstandings.

*(contrary to this entry, Sebastian's in-game alignment and motivations actually skew toward the Good alignment)

Tollo Underhill - You meet Underhill in the Pits of Dernholm. This Halfling’s not exactly a joy to travel with, unless you like your companions tough and mean-minded and … well, pretty evil. If you’re already in the Pits, though, he’s a useful person to take along until you get out. Even if you don’t wind up in the Pits on your own, he does happen to be one of the few people who knows how to get to the Vendigrothian Ruins — although he’s more than happy not to share that part of your adventure with you. He’s quick-tempered, but an occasional gift of absinthe keeps him pretty genial.

Raven - You’ll meet the Elf named Raven in Qintarra: as the Silver Queen’s daughter, you have to talk to her before you can talk to the queen. She’ll give you a quest to prove yourself, but nothing new there. She may prove a little different from the other followers as far as her attitude toward you goes. She’s very useful and is a major plot point even if she doesn’t join you. When times get tough, Elven Spring Water makes her happy. When times get weird, Z’an Al’urin makes her very unhappy. Elves and Dark Elves are like that.

Franklin Payne - You run into Franklin Payne in Black Root. It’s a small place to find someone who takes up that much emotional space, but that’s where you find him. Franklin Payne is British. Never mind that there is no Britain in Arcanum, they don’t need it because they’ve got the whole empire condensed into one man. Payne fights the good fight, climbs the mountain because it’s there, and can talk your ear off about the adventures he’s had. He’s useful in a lot of little ways, but he’s not a specialist in anything. If he starts to get snippy, just give him some Earl Grey tea, and he’s good to go.

Loghaire Thunder Stone - You originally meet Loghaire Thunderstone in the Wheel Clan area, but he’s not interested in joining you until after he returns to the throne. Just keep mentioning you know about the Black Mountain Clan until he pays attention. Once he’s back on the throne, if the conditions are right, he gets either a serious case of patriotism or wanderlust, and will join you. Of course, he’s not really happy with the Elves, and especially with the Dark Elves. If Z’an Al’urin is in your group, it will take some talking to make him accept her presence. He’s good, but like most other Dwarves, Dwarven snuff makes him a bit fuzzy on what kind of people he’ll keep company with.

Unfortunately, the strategy guide does not have entries for the temporary followers (Doc Roberts, Cynthia Boggs, Thorvald Two Stones, Swyft, Lady Druella, and Murgo) or the super-endgame followers. Weldo Rubin, a halfling follower who is technically considered a "regular" follower, is somehow not included either.

*Torian's Kel's uncovered spoilery entry is below the cut.

Magnus Shale Fist: "Yes…this is the Wheel Clan, home of King Loghaire Thunder Stone. Watch your bloody step around here, and try not to embarrass me! More than likely, I'll, uh, run into someone I know here…probably have a few, ah…relatives here as well…"

Vollinger: "Looks to be the Wheel Clan. Most powerful dwarven clan in all of Arcanum." [He gives you an appraising stare.] "You run in interesting circles, friend. Interesting, indeed…"

Perriman Smythe: "Yes, of course! It's the home of the dwarven king, Loghaire Thunder Stone. A few of the Tullan elders have actually met him, but I don't think anyone has seen him for a long, long time…"

Z'an Al'urin: [She closes her eyes.] "I see a great axe, and the pain of the one who wields it. I also see a flock of dark birds who speak with two mouths." [She opens her eyes.] "I wonder what that means…"

Raven: "We're in the caverns of the Wheel Clan, home of the King of the Dwarves. I don't especially like dwarven homes…they're so…restrictive. I feel so closed in. And, as you probably know, there is no love lost between the elves and the dwarves. We are creatures of magick, and they…well…they're dwarves…"

Franklin Payne: "Oh! This is the Wheel Clan! Wonderful place, although dwarves being dwarves they don't usually let people like me run around their caverns! Rumor has it that there's an old abandoned mine around here that's just full to the brim with ferocious beasts! Let's have at it then!"

Roseborough at last draws near (two days my eye).  And at last the assassins have caught up with us once more - though not at all the ones we were expecting.

It started with a broken down wagon - a man and his wife, travelling with their new baby to start a new life in Roseborough.  Or possibly Caladon.  He seemed confused about which direction they were going, which was the first clue that something was amiss - and we were, of course, naturally suspicious.  Oh that we have come to such a place of cynicism and paranoia.  But we confirmed that they were not wearing Molochian Hand amulets, and that the infant was genuine, and, their story corroborated, Dyna offered to help fix the wagon.  Norman, it turns out, is surprisingly good with babies, but was disappointed with its inferior number of legs.  He has been on a “more legs” kick recently, and spending more time in spider form for that reason, and Dyna has promised to add some once we get to Roseborough.  The prospect of adding limbs to an infant is an intriguing one, but it would require a supply of spare baby parts, and ideal attachment points are not immediately obvious.  Yes, infant physiology has a high degree of plasticity, but I’d still want to practice on lesser creatures first, and I have yet to find a way to ask a baby how many legs it wants.  Still, thoughts to ponder for the future.

They came at us out of the Western sky, the sun behind them, and they were beautiful - a perfect phalanx swooping in.  I would have liked to get a photograph, but they were already shooting at us before I had a chance.  For it was neither the Molochian Hand nor the Dark Elves nor even the Gnomish Industrial Council, but none other than the mysterious Vollinger, whom we had left for dead in Dernholm nearly two years ago!  He apparently holds a grudge, though I am hard-pressed to see why.  He seems to be quite pleased with his draconic transformation, given that he has begun recruiting followers and now styles himself “Dragon-God of Arcanum.”  He also flies better than Straf and is apparently made of flesh and blood, albeit of strange texture, rather than an undifferentiated mass of salt.  What, then, does he have to complain about?

He did not explain himself to us.  Rather, he lay to with an elephant gun as big as he is (seriously, what is it with gnomes and elephant guns?  It’s a delightful weapon, but it can’t be nearly so effective when it’s the same size as you are) and his four winged followers.  Dyna brought down one with her explosive arrows, but the others rained grenades upon us while we did our best to return fire.  I do not enjoy being stunned... but in all fairness I doubt Vollinger enjoyed being shot repeatedly with a Hand Cannon blessed by the Ogre God of Battle.  Ehehehehe.  Still, setting the wagon on fire was low, even for an abomination of nature.  There was a baby in there, for crying out loud!

At length, the winged Vollinger fled with his remaining followers, screaming imprecations at us all the way.  Dyna and Norman were able to rescue both mother and child from the flaming wreckage, and the family, though grateful, understandably wanted no more to do with us and proceeded dolefully on towards Roseborough.  We, however, turned to the more pressing business of retrieving the downed dragonling, and found to our surprise that it was still living.  So much for my hopes of dissection.  It was nevertheless extremely informative.  The creature had some rudimentary language - it could say “Master” but little else - but apart from that and an ability to use simple tools (ie: grenades) and follow simple commands, we found it little more than a beast.  More curious was its substance - leather, almost slimy, moist and glistening in places.  Aspects of it were definitely of a kind with what we have observed of what Vollinger has become, but less pronouncedly so.  My guess is that Vollinger has been creating his minions by injecting his own fluids into natural creatures, triggering a draconic transformation similar to his own.  The unfortunate that we had captured seemed to be at least four or five “generations” removed from it’s progenitor.  And even more surprising - I am forced to conclude that Vollinger started out this process with a Void Lizard, such as the ones we fought outside Blackroot.

Where could he have acquired such a creature?  Has he set up his base of operations at the site of another rift?  If so, it is imperative that we find and close it.  And how many more of these servants has he created?  It is unwaveringly loyal to him, despite Wolf’s charms, and eventually we released it.  What else, really, could we do?  It is something to be grateful for that Straf has no fluids or essence of his own, for a winged army based upon him would be too horrible to contemplate.  I have little doubt we shall encounter Vollinger and his ilk again.  

I have made drawings and photographs, which I would like to send to both Maxim and Jayna, since the mechanics of living dragons in flight is relevant to both of their interests, albeit in vastly different ways.  I do not know though when next I shall have an opportunity to develop film or to post mail - and who knows if my writings are even reaching their destinations?  Not that I expect response - if mail can reach us assassins can as well, and our allies understand that. 

Bath by Creative Spaciz / SPACIZ Design Studio

Kitchen by Creative Spaciz / SPACIZ Design Studio