Father Grigori, with his rifle Annabelle.
Father Grigori is a fictional character in Valve Software's computer game sequel Half-Life 2, appearing throughout the Ravenholm chapter (Chapter 6) of the game. He is voiced by Jim French and modeled on the father of one of the modelers (Daniel Dociu)[1]. He is middle-aged, wears his hair shaved, and dresses in drab clothing and look-alike Converse All-Stars sneakers. He bears a cross-shaped scar on the back of his right hand.[2] The destruction of Ravenholm and his subsequent survival within the town seem to have left him somewhat mentally unbalanced, although he never displays aggression towards Gordon Freeman in their meetings; quite the opposite, in fact - Grigori proves a powerful aid and protector for the player.
The name Grigori (Григо́рий) is common in Russia. It derives from Greek egrḗgoroi, which means "watchful" or "vigilant". It may also be a reference to the Grigori, a group of fallen angels, or to Grigori (Gregory) Rasputin, "the mad monk," who was a close acquaintance of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia.
Role in Half-Life 2[]
The disheveled, unshaven Father Grigori is seemingly the only remaining human occupant of Ravenholm. Seen as an ordinary Russian Orthodox (because of the design of his church) priest, Raising the Bar [1] and the official Prima Half-Life 2 strategy guide[3] indicate that he sought to minister to the citizens of Ravenholm before the town was overrun. The Prima game guide also says that he had once been a pastor of the town church.[3] Also, the sophistication of his traps suggest experience with basic engineering and construction. He witnessed the Combine's bombardment of his town with artillery containing headcrabs, which have left virtually all of the town's remaining residents either dead or turned into zombies, whom he refers to as his congregation.
Based on a scene involving headcrab-less zombies lying on tables surrounded by med kits, it seems that Grigori has experimented on these bodies by attempting to remove the headcrabs from their hosts.[3] He speaks enthusiastically in his Eastern European accent about "tending to his flock" while dispatching the remaining zombie inhabitants of the city, using his Winchester Rifle, Annabelle, and homemade traps. The lines he utters whilst slaying zombies, such as "Balm for your affliction, child!" indicates that he has chosen to remain in Ravenholm to redeem the souls of his congregation. He helps Gordon Freeman intermittently in Ravenholm, both through actions, including giving Freeman a shotgun and sniping zombies from rooftops, and through combat tips and directions to escape Ravenholm. Eventually, Grigori escorts Freeman through a cemetery infested with zombies to show him a hidden passage to the mines out of the haunted town. After waving Gordon off, Grigori continues fighting the hordes of enemies until he retreats into a nearby tomb.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hodgson, David. Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. Prima Games, 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4364-3.
- ↑ http://img25.exs.cx/img25/1982/grigorihand0hp.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hodgson, David. Half-Life 2: Prima Official Game Guide. Prima Games, 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4362-7.
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