Try our affiliated browser extension - redirect to BreezeWiki automatically!

Dan

  • Expansion required
  • This article is too short to provide more than rudimentary information about the subject.
Expanding ● Talk ● Articles requiring expansion

“ You see a man in a dusty suit with a holstered gun on his belt. It's the local boss. He snaps his fingers without looking at you ”

— In-game description

Dan or Denis Denisovich (Russian: Дэн, Денис Денисович) is a character in the ATOM RPG. He is the leader of Abandoned Factory's gang.

Description

A man with a bushy mustache, upright posture, neat hairstyle, sharp intelligent eyes, and a confident, slightly hoarse voice. He wears a shirt with a tie, and in the pocket of his once-white jacket, he keeps a small notebook in which he makes notes with the stub of a pencil. He has a habit of counting money by moistening his finger. During conversations, he rubs his nose bridge when tired, presses his lips together, and slightly leans back when surprised. He may look at his conversation partner with a cold, almost penetrating gaze, as if looking into their soul.

According to Dan, before the war, he served in the KGB as an ordinary office worker. His potential was revealed after he had to witness a lot and see much during the early post-war years. The former "paper pusher" Denis Denisovich came to understand that a life without purpose is empty and meaningless, so he decided to leave his mark in history and start establishing "some kind of order" in the Wasteland. He hopes that history textbooks will write about him as a "prominent political figure and military leader of the early 21st century."

It is known that Dan has some old scores to settle with Peregon. The Strategist believes that they probably clashed when both were just ordinary bandits.

According to Kachan's memories, Dan's gang used to be involved in torture, executions, and extortion.

A couple of years before Cadet's arrival in the Central Wastelands, a small group of Dan's bandits took over a former factory near the river and settled there. At first, the bandits were even afraid they wouldn't be able to hold the territory if someone showed up "with demands." Then, other people, completely different from them, joined their group.

Dan arrived at the abandoned factory at just the right time. The center he controlled was a very important location from a strategic standpoint. At the same time, both Chamber of Commerce and "Peregon" had a hard time reaching it.

After that, Dan's group seized all the surrounding territories, including Otradnoye. Now, they collect tribute from the local residents and protect them, as much as possible.

Dan refers to his organization as something like the enforcers of order in these lands, holding a monopoly on violence in exchange for demanding tribute.

Usually, Dan offers a new village protection in a friendly manner. If they refuse, he sends his boys there to have some fun at the locals' expense. If they refuse again, Dan's boys return, bringing fire and fireworks along. If, after all that, the local elder continues to resist, Dan sends two of his men—Bator and his partner—after which the village can be safely crossed off the map. However, Dan does this much less often now.

Dan claims that he knows everyone at the factory, and that they all work for him. According to him, they are now recruiting a very specific type of people into their ranks.

Dan hired the Strategist to deal with a problem threatening the settlement of Otradnoye: a large slave trader squad decided to take over the village and make it their base in the center of the Wastelands. Dan also asked the Strategist to inform everyone about this.

Political Ambitions

According to Dan, on these lands, he is trying to create a semblance of a state out of a herd of drunkards and collective farmers. That's why he is teaching the locals to obey totally, and punishes them for non-compliance. And although this will make them grind their teeth, in return, they will get peace and tranquility.

Currently, Dan is negotiating with the Chamber of Commerce to have them recognized as an official combat formation responsible for guarding the northern borders. In that case, they will collect taxes from the local peasants instead of tribute. According to Dan, the Chamber of Commerce has already de facto recognized them as their official representatives in these lands, meaning they don't meddle in their affairs, and they don't interfere with their caravans. Dan hopes that soon, if everything goes as planned (and he has no doubts about this), they will be recognized de jure, which will allow them to act openly and have an additional influence on the politics of Red Banner. The Strategist believes that if Red Banner shows weakness, Dan will not hesitate to take advantage of it.

In Dan's relationship with Peregon, it doesn't come to open confrontation, but they play small, petty tricks on each other.

Relationships

  • Kosoy considers Dan a worthy person, even though he's not one of the "connected" (or "thieves-in-law"). He has his own vision of the future.
  • Dunya says that Dan plans to gain the support of all the local residents and start restoring peace in this region. She believes it's a very good plan, and as for the methods used to carry it out—that's up to Denis Denisovich.
  • Taras Genderenko believes that Dan has real leadership talent. He is convinced that banditry is just a transitional phase for him, and his ultimate goal is to restore order—even if it's only in a couple of small villages.

Characteristics

ST EN DX IN AT PE LK
5 5 6 9 9 6 6

Skills

Level MA MW PS RS AF TH SP BA GA SU FA ST LP PC TE TN AL
9 114 99 110 92 93 76 41 36 11 82 98 31 27 31 43 29 92

Inventory

Location

The Abandoned Factory, with a separate small house in the corner of the fenced perimeter.

Quests

Notes

  • Dan has a bodyguard—Taras Genderenko—who only stayed in his "connected" (or criminal) crew because of Dan.
  • In the dialogue with Dan, various options are repeatedly proposed, after choosing which the gang leader supposedly releases Cadet. However, as soon as Cadet steps onto the porch, Taras attacks him on Dan's command. In all cases, the same script plays out.
    • Cadet, upon first meeting, refuses to give his name;
    • After completing the test task, Cadet rudely snaps at Dan: "This applies to everyone! Don’t tell me what to do!"
    • Cadet either withholds information or deceives Dan in the conversation that concludes the final quest in the chain.
  • Completing Dan's quest chain directly affects not only the fate of his people but also the fate of Otradnoye in the final cutscene.
  • Dan calls rubles "red-banner wrappers" (or "red-banner candies").
  • Regarding Krasnov's syndrome, Dan might note that despite the completely different symptoms of all the patients he's encountered, they were all united by dullness and a belief in various idle superstitions.

Quotes

  • "A tendency toward senseless cruelty is a sign of weakness and complexes due to low self-esteem. A bad combination… Bad, but if directed in the right way, it could still be useful."
  • "On these lands, I’m trying to turn a crowd of drunks and collective farmers into something resembling a state, with me as the ruler. That’s why I’m training them—to pay taxes, to obey completely, to follow some basic laws, however rudimentary. For noncompliance—I punish them. Harshly, severely. According to all the rules of the genre."
  • "Ruling people isn’t a game of knick-knacks."
  • "No one needs bad rumors about our organization. Worse than they already are. Otherwise, we’ll be swept away in a second, and such chaos will erupt here that all our current problems will seem like a fairy tale."
  • "Some business proposals are too good to refuse. Or too risky… Though, it all depends on how you present them."
  • "Kostya-Kham! The Bloodletter of the Wastelands, collector of skulls, child-killer, lawless scum, utterly despicable... And now also a model peasant! What’s the world coming to..." (He'll say this in response to a question about rumors if you tell Grach where Kostya-Kham is.)

Behind the Scenes

The character's appearance was based on the American actor Malachi Throne, who played the villain False Face in the television series "Batman."