Mainliners

A Mainliner trying to inject its chemicals into Torque

The Mainliner is a one of the malefactors and common enemy encountered in both Suffering games. There are two documented strains of this creature.

Carnate Mainliners

First Appearance: The Suffering Chapter 4, "Abbot Prison Blues"

Representation

These Mainliners are a representation of lethal injection, making them the most modern Malefactor on Carnate.

Appearance

The Mainliner is a small, squat humanoid creature with withered orange skin. Their most distinguishing trait is that they possess several glowing green syringes stuck into their back. Their eyes are also replaced by syringes, one of them protruding from the back of its head as well. They have an inconsistent amount of limbs, having one arm with two fingers, the other stumped at the wrist, and having one footless leg, while the other ends at the knee. Due to this, they slither around along the ground in a grotesque manner. They are clad in what appears to be white briefs. Their blood is green, and appears to be replaced almost entirely by a mixture of sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride (chemicals in the lethal injection needles), indicating they suffer when they move.

Baltimore Mainliners

A mainliner fighting Torque in Ties That Bind

Representation

Baltimore Mainliners are an embodiment of Baltimore's history of drug scandals, such as the numerous junkies found in its poorest neighborhoods, though the Mainliner is believed to represent an agressive drug dealer rather than a junky.

Appearance

Baltimore Mainliners are noticeably more human-like in appearance and having greenish skin, although they still retain their withered limbs. Another obvious difference is that the needles are now orange, containing a purified heroine-derived narcotic. They have buzzcuts, and only one of their eyes is replaced by a needle, the other being sewn shut. Their right arm has a leather band tied extremely tightly around it, and a needle jammed just below it. They also now wear green shorts. Their blood is still toxic, but is now orange.

Telltale Sign

Large blood stains or shallow pools of liquid on the ground tend to hint that Mainliners will appear, as they are able to spawn from, and travel between, these pools. They will also let out a guttural squawk when they see Torque, signalling their appearance. Although it is much less prevelant, corpses covered in syringes may also signal that they will appear.

Attacks

The Mainliner's primary attack is to pull a syringe from their back and to throw it at Torque or others. They can be thrown from a decent distance. The screen turning a sickly green indicates that Torque is hit. They will also attempt to jump on Torque and inject a syringe directly into his neck.

Strategy

Mainliners have relatively low health. It is important to look around to see where they can spawn. The Mainliners' needles will immediately cancel out Torque's monster form, so use normal weapons to dispose of them.

Archive Entries

Clem's Entry

"In the 1970s, lethal injection was introduced as the most humane means of state sanctioned killing. To date, twenty-five such procedures have taken place in Abbot. This creature - I call him the Mainliner, appears to suffer with every move he makes. Perhaps the mixture of sodium pentothal, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride in his veins is not to his liking. The numerous needles jabbed into his body cannot help his disposition."

Dr. Killjoy's Entry

"Surely the most pathetic of all the creatures, this vile thing slides along the floor, preferring to stay out of sight until presented with a chance to pounce. The glowing needles on its back work against its stealthy nature, however, with the light dashing its best attempts to stay concealed. This is the most modern of the creatures, using a means of execution far too scientific to have ever taken place during my time: the people of modern times call it "lethal injection." Even I find this perversion of medical science upsetting, because it is so extremely cold and calculated. My own patients may not have had a terribly high survival rate, but my experimental and risky work was done in the name of science. My patients' deaths were not because I perverted medicine with the express intent of snuffing out their lives."

Jordan's Entry

"An offshoot of the mainliner seen on Carnate, this malefactor's appearence is evocative of the numerous junkies that one finds in Baltimore's poorest neighborhoods. Its innate behavior is to assault enemies with its syringes, suggesting that it is more an aggressive drug dealer than a drug abuser. The syringes that we have analyzed contain a unique heroin-derived concoction that is capable of insantly killing almost any human immediately upon injection."