The (More Than) Complete Cast of CVRPG
Heroes, Villains, Low-lives, and Agents of Leisure
Shaft
Yo Damn Right
Background:
Many creatures are born into evil. What is a foul-smelling, eight headed, bulbous flame beast going to do but take up residence in a cave somewhere and eat passing humans? It's what he was made to do. You can't blame a creature for following basic instincts (or, you can, but you don't do it to its face unless you're well armed and possibly wearing asbestos mail).
Others fall into evil because of the way their lives shifted. Maybe have become despondent over the start of their lives, the future, and the universe and figured "hell, I may as well kill and steal because what does it all mean?" (Of course, for the people they steal from and kill, it meant a lot, they just aren't really able to communicate this point, what with being dead).
Occasionally, though, some just choose the life of evil because they've just got the right skill set for it, and the universe has given them an easy career path to follow. For Shaft, a natural magician with powers leaning toward necromancy and ritual sacrifice, the only obvious career path was as a Priest of the Dark Arts (since politics is so hard to get into, while few people trust a doctor who says "worst comes to worst, those kidneys will certainly look good on my desk... here comes the scalpel").
From an early age, Shaft proved to have a gift with the dead. Of course there was the incident where he resurrected the family dog (what necromancer hasn't done that?). More awkward was the time he accidentally brought their dead grandmother back to life (especially awkward since she'd been dead for five years -- she could still bake a mean lemon cake, though). It was inevitable that Shaft would pursue a life as an evil sorcerer.
Because, really, it's not as if he minded killing people and reanimating them (or their bits) for his sorcery. From a certain perspective, we're all just water and carbon, right?
Personality Details:
The thing that makes Shaft a great necromancer is that he just has no consideration for "life". When you can bring anything back from the dead whenever you want, then it's not as if "death" or "life" are terms that really matter anymore. At times Shaft has worked as the local "magic doctor", helping the local masses to turn a buck (and keep a low profile), but Shaft never really felt "among" them -- letting them slowly age and die always seems like a waste of perfectly good materials.
Shaft works to be the best sorcerer in Romania (well, okay, he already thinks he's the best in the world, not just Romania, but he does still work at it). He has a meticulous nature, always working to keep his spells organized, his lab clean, and his spare body parts properly alphabetized. Some would call his need to file and organize everything anal retentive... well, okay, everyone would call it that.
Seriously, for a guy that wades through the guts of corpses, he's a real neat freak.
First Appearance: DSWC Villains Introduction #2: The Villains Plot and Plan
Last Appearance: #11: Forward to the Past
Shaft (Mirror)
The Shaft of Earth 2
Background:
It's no surprise the Mirror Universe has evil sorcerers. It seems like the Mirror universe was designed as a nexus for evil (which may be why it's so important to the fabric of the multiverse). There's a propensity for evil magic in the world, so evil witches and mages, sorcerers and sorceress are going to naturally occur.
Shaft exists in both universes. Although some people don't occur in both (no one has seen a mirror version of Richter Belmont, for example, although that's probably a good thing), Shaft was bound to appear in both. He's evil, the Mirror Universe is evil, so the two naturally occur together (like an evil version of chocolate and peanut butter).
In the Mirror Universe, though, events didn't play out quite the way Shaft expected. In our world, Shaft trained Katrina and, when her magic got out of hand, cursed her. They went their separate ways, fought occasionally (as heroes vs. villains often do), but the two largely took different paths. In the Mirror Universe, though, Katrina killed Shaft in a fit of rage, stole his powers, and went off to be the most powerful mage in the land.
Since that time, Shaft has been planning his revenge. Stuck in ghostly form, Shaft has been working to slowly rebuild his magic so he can influence the world again. Until that time, though, he can't do much more than haunt those around him, making snide remarks as he watches the world pass him by.
It's just as boring as it sounds.
Personality Details:
The Shaft of Earth 2 is consumed by one goal: revenge on the sorcerers who stole his powers. He's not working to try and bring Dracula back, nor his he trying to get into Darkmoon's good graces. No, he just wants petty revenge.
Well, okay, maybe not petty. He does have good reason to want revenge. But considering he's an evil sorcerer who cursed his only student for having a magical accident, it does seem a tad petty, all things considered.
Still, one day he might be the greatest wizard in the land again. it's s slim chance, sure, but it might happen. Maybe...
First Appearance: #777: In the Cathedral
Last Appearance: #12: CVRPG Six, Part 2
