Characters / Azoth Express

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Volfram Vanadevich Volkov, The Professor

An “atypical lycanthrope” and science professor hailing from the former Soviet Union, and the one who takes the lead of the investigation on the train.

• Alliterative Name: Even his patronymic begins with a V.
• Amateur Sleuth: Among the passengers, he’s the one who finds out and links the majority of clues despite not being a professional detective.
• Blue Is Calm: Ironically, considered his political sympathies, he wears a navy blue suit for most of the trip and is generally associated with the colour blue in the promotional material. He’s also the most rational passenger.
• Bubble Pipe: He usually blows into it when he’s pondering.
• Cool Teacher: He would enjoy this reputation and still keeps the letters of his students. Being a lycanthrope in a lab coat surely helps.
• Detective Animal: Although he used to be a human before the events of the story.
• Freak Lab Accident: He owes his current looks to a steppe wolf hair accidentally ending up in a mixture intended to cure alopecia.
• Gentleman and a Scholar: He never boasts about his intellect and tries to be affable with anyone.
• Gentleman Snarker: If he has to throw vitriol, he will do so with the uttermost etiquette.
• Hollywood Atheist: Averted. While Volkov is an atheist, he considers religion a phenomenon worthy of being studied like any other human activity, and acknowledges that people can bring progress and knowledge to the world despite having different beliefs.
• Husky Russkie: Averted, despite all the puns it would allow. He’s tall and somewhat imposing but not particularly bulky, which is justified by both being an academician and steppe wolves being smaller and leaner than other subspecies.
• Iconic Item: His bubble pipe.
• Meaningful Name: As well as patronymic and surname.
  • Wolframium (also known as tungsten) and vanadium are two chemical elements.
  • “Wolfram” is a Germanic name that means “wolf’s soot”. It became lupi spuma (“wolf’s foam”) in Latin, and Volkov always carries his trusted bubble pipe with him.
  • Finally, “volk” means “wolf” in Russian.
• Noble Wolves: While lacking the strength usually associated to the animal, he’s nevertheless brave, protective and determined.
• Omnidisciplinary Scientist: He has an impressively extensive knowledge of anything scientific, including philosophy of science and possibly music theory.
• Science Hero: He puts his wide knowledge to good use.
• Sherlock Homage: Possibly through Sherlock Hound due to both being anthropomorphic canids.
• The Spock: Logical, intellectual, wears blue and even has pointy ears.
• Super-Senses: His senses of hearing and smell have been particularly enhanced by his transformation.
• Was Once a Man: As he was studying a cure for alopecia, a steppe wolf hair ended up in the mixture. The results are now for everyone to see.
• Wolf Man: His origin story is explained scientifically (sort of) and the moon doesn’t affect him, neither can he shapeshift.
• Wonderful Werewolf: An upstanding science professor who just happens to be a werewolf because of a Freak Lab Accident. Despite lacking the usual strength and agility associated with the trope, he uses his intellect and Super Senses to investigate, all while blowing bubbles out of his Bubble Pipe because he abhors smoking.
• Working-Class Werewolves: A lycanthrope and an unyielding Socialist, with a clear diffidence towards aristocrats like the Ravenscrofts.

Mercedes Itzcua y Gutierrez, The Actress

A Mexican actress starring in the telenovela The Mirror of Truth.

• Bad Powers, Good People: Downplayed. Her powers come from an amoral source and seem associated with vampires and witchcraft, although they exert from her own health first. That said, she uses them resolutely for good.
• Brainy Brunette: She had raven black hair and, while not being a scientist like Volkov, she's an acute observer and knows her way around people.
• Cast from Hit Points: Using her powers takes a temporary toll on her health. The effects are mitigated if the person she's trying to hypnotized doesn't resist her attempt. Eating a rare steak from time to time also helps.
• Clingy MacGuffin: She tried several times to get rid of her necklace, but it always found a way back to her.
• Establishing Character Moment: When Volkov bumps into her, she's surprised by his appearance only for a moment, before showing him sympathy and easily starting a conversation. This shows her social skills but leaves the doubt that she could be just acting to ease situations in her favor. She also doesn't seem too fazed at the sight of a creature like Volkov, showing that she's familiar with the supernatural.
• Femme Fatale: Her beauty and mysterious charm suggest that she's hiding something dangerous.
• Hot Witch: The necklace grants her the power to turn into intangible smoke and to force someone to tell the truth.
• Iconic Item: Her obsidian necklace.
• Lady in Red: She always wears something red and knows how to use her charms.
• Meaningful Name: Her surname derives from the Nahuatl itztli, which means "obsidian", like the stone of her necklace.
• The Not-Love Interest: She and Volkov hit it off almost immediately, and seem to check many appropriate tropes that could point towards a romantic interest, but they actually become friends.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Red wardrobe, black hair, an obsidian jewel and the suspect of being witch. This is however averted, even with her ability to turn into black smoke, as she's firmly on the good side.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: Her job along with her magical powers gets in the way of her attempt of maintaining a relationship with her on-and-off boyfriend Ramon.

Lyra Windrac, The Explorer

A young woman with an extensive knowledge of the ocean, coming from the underwater city of Pharadon.

Harlan "Joe" Maddox, The Croupier

A Las Vegas croupier with unusual tics and a passion for money.

• Affably Evil: It's clear from early on that he's up to no good and brings a suitcase with a bomb so that he can threaten the whole train if necessary, but he can be genuinely charming when he wants. He entertains Mercedes and Volkov with drinks, and makes the passengers mingle during dinner.
• Character Tics: He has the tendency to suddenly jerk his head to the side as he gets carried away with one of his monologues, as if suffering from some kind of spasm.
• Gold Is Yellow: Evoked through his clothes, which always contain yellow in some measure.
• Greed: Even when faced with the possibility of a prize beyond his imagination, he still tries to twist the rules in his favor since also the rest of the group would get the same as him.
• Hidden Depths: He's actually the first among the passenger to solve the mystery, although he prefers to keep it for himself in the hope he'll be the only one to profit from it.
• Motor Mouth: Once he starts recounting one of his stories, nothing can stop him.
• Pet the Dog: He sincerely appreciates Volkov's intelligence and, since the professor isn't a heavy drinker, fixes his highball so that it won't be to strong.

Ernst Peter Zohn, The Diplomat

A secretive diplomat who seems unable to detach himself from his typewriter.

Yong Chun-Hee and Yong Jae-Shin, The Carriers

A Korean couple traveling with a mysterious luggage.

Cheon, The Unexpected Passenger

The creature born from the iridescent egg transported by the Yongs.

Randolph Ravenscroft, The Scion

The firstborn and heir to the family castle and title.

Willow and Winifred Ravenscroft, The Twins

Randolph's younger twin sisters.

Lady Phyllis Ravenscroft, The Matriarch

Lord Roderick's widow.

Mr. Guyle, The Butler

The Ravenscrofts' trusted butler, with an unusual greyish skin.

Roderick Ravenscroft, The Not-So-Late Relative

The patriarch of the family, whose body is conserved in a sarcophagus at the beginning of the story. He's still alive, although turned into a monstrous sea creature because of a curse on his bloodline.

• Benevolent Abomination: He's still a doting father even though he's turned into a Lovecraftian monster.
• Eyes Do Not Belong There: Not that his face is clearly visible anymore, but his body is disseminated with spherical eyes of different dimensions.
• Lovecraft Lite: His family's backstory draws heavily from the Cthulhu Mythos, but he's a friendly creature and still cares for his family.