He is variously an information broker, a fence and an arms dealer, able to "get anything anybody wants at any time". He specializes in acquiring contraband goods such as high-grade explosives or weaponry. His regnant is unknown, but implied to be Sebastian LaCroix himself: once a month Mercurio visits the Venture Tower for his next fix. Mercurio is loyal to the Camarilla, but not too loyal: he says a lot of his business comes from Anarch-controlled Hollywood, and specifically a good customer of his can be found in the graveyard.
Mercurio is "almost sixty" in 2004, and so was likely born in the mid-to-late 1940s. In approximately 1974, he began working for the Camarilla (and was probably ghouled at this time).
Around 2001, Mercurio was on guard duty for an elder, with a couple of other ghouls and some neonates. The Sabbat hit them, trying to pull a "dine-and-dash." Only two walked away: Mercurio and the elder.
He has a strong Brooklyn accent, but claims to be "heat bait" due to a police record back east.
Mercurio will only be able to provide weapons should the fledgling not tell LaCroix that he failed to pick up the Astrolite himself. Otherwise, LaCroix will tell the fledgling that he would "deal with this disappointment," and Mercurio will disappear. If the fledgling threatens to reveal his failure, he will ambush them on a subsequent visit.
After speaking with Smiling Jack following Griffith Park. (Story State 90)
Quests[]
Wherefore Art Thou: This quest is given by Lacroix in the cutscene that introduces the player to the game. It is completed after first visiting Mercurio.
The Pain of Being Mercurio: Mercurio is in dire need of some painkillers which you can get at the Santa Monica Medical Clinic. This quest is optional.
Surf's Up: This main quest has the player visiting the gang that hurt Mercurio and get the Astrolite and possibly Mercurio's stolen money from them.
Explosive Beginning: Mercurio provides an "in" through Bertram Tung, who is the only person able to infiltrate the Sabbat's warehouse. Unfortunately, he's tied up in a spat with Therese Voerman.
Background Information[]
Mercurio lives in apartment 4 of Santa Monica Suites. In Chinese, the number 4 is considered unlucky, because it's a homophone for the word for death.
Rosa refers to Mercurio as "the man on the couch," one of two people that the prince's agent can trust.
If you threaten to expose his failure, he'll turn violent during a later encounter. If you expose him to the prince, he'll be missing entirely if you return later. However, if you keep his confidence, he becomes a valuable provider of some of the more powerful weapons in the game.
Returning to Mercurio during the endgame sequence, if you ask him questions before purchasing items, you may ask him about Troika Games.
In Family Guy episode "Joe's Revenge," the man who originally paralyzed Joe Swanson was Bobby Briggs, who was at one point depicted looking very similar to Mercurio.
Mercurio stocks Rocket Launcher ammo, an item that was cut before final release. Should the rocket launcher have been included, the ammo would have been made available after the first endgame enemy has been defeated, during the second leg of your cab ride -- literally the last time the option to visit Mercurio is available to the player.
