These are the main characters of Azoth Express.
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The passengers
Volfram Volkov
Professor Volfram Vanadevich Volkov
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
Mercedes Itzcua y Gutierrez
A Mexican actress starring in the telenovela The Mirror of Truth.
- 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.
- 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.
