Father Grigori

General CVG character
width=180px
name=Father Grigori


caption=Father Grigori, with his rifle Annabelle.
series="Half-Life" series
firstgame="Half-Life 2"
voiceactor=Jim French
inuniverse=

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 modelled on the father of one of the modellers (Daniel Dociu). He is middle-aged, wears his hair shaved, and dresses in drab clothing and look-alike Converse All-Stars sneakers. He bears a 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 mythical group of fallen angels. It may also be a reference 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 dishevelled, 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" Hodgson, David. "Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar". Prima Games, 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4364-3.] and the official Prima "Half-Life 2" strategy guideHodgson, David. "Half-Life 2: Prima Official Game Guide". Prima Games, 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4362-7.] 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. 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.

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. He speaks enthusiastically in his Eastern European accent about "tending to his flock" while dispatching the remaining zombie inhabitants of the city, using his double-barreled slug gun, 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, which he ignites a wall of fire surrounding it and disappears laughing maniacally, thus leaving his ultimate fate a mystery.

Some believe that, even if he survived the tomb standoff, that he was killed in the destruction of the Citadel in '. Others believe that he might re-appear in later Half-Life installments, but it is highly unlikely. There are several instances in ' where Gordon encounters zombies and Antlion grubs that have been mangled in a similar manner to the zombies found in Ravenholm, possibly hinting that Father Grigori survived the events of "Half Life 2" and "Episode One". Also, several Ravenholm-like traps are seen in "Episode Two", though these could have been constructed by the Resistance.

References