Gabriel Krafft

Professor Gabriel Krafft is the main protagonist in the 2021 video game of Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies mode. he is a Professor of Leipzig University, Demonologist and studier of the occult who joined and helped The Allied Special Forces, Norticus and the Dark Aether Entities to stop Kortifex, Wolfram Von List, Zaballa, Zombies and Die Wahrheit during World War II.
He is voiced by Darin De Paul, who voiced Hank Rideau from Call of Duty: WWII.
== Biography ==
=== Call of Duty: Vanguard ===
Gabriel Krafft was a professor of demonology at The University of Leipzig during World War II, where he worked alongside his assistant Franz. In 1939, he met SS-Oberführer Wolfram Von List, leader of Die Wahrheit who informed him that he was to draft a resignation letter and prepare for an overseas trip as an advisor. Krafft refused, stating he had no desire to help Reichsführer Himmler twist history to fit the Nazi narrative. In response, Von List then shot and killed Franz, firmly asking Krafft if he had his attention now. He was then arrested and sent to an SS Military Prison alongside countless other Archaeologists, Museum Curators, Explorers, Historians, and more. There, they were all tasked by Von List to search for various mythological objects and places to prove the existence of the fabled Aryan master race. Out of all of those Von List had captured, Krafft was the only who still refused to serve the Nazi regime, declaring he would rather die. This only amused Von List, who had Krafft's spouse Sasha dragged out of their home and interrogated. Von List then gave Krafft and ultimatium, Serve Die Wahrheit or the love of his life would be tortured to death, slowly. Naturally, Krafft begrudgingly agreed to help. However, in secret, he vowed himself that he would find any method he could to thwart the work of Von List and his Nazi Thugs. During his work with Die Wahrheit, Krafft took part of archaeological digging expeditions in 1944 across the globe where he managed to uncover several mysterious runes. During these expeditions, Krafft kept a journal documenting his discovering his discoveries of said runes. One of these runes was a rune associated with the Elder God Kortifex The Deathless. Krafft correctly assumed these runes held some sort of shared meaning. Another rune was found is Egypt, with a rune with similar markings being found in Mexico. This rune belonged to Bellekar The Warlock. Die Wahrheit soon after discovered five artifacts, each linked to an Elder God.
When Von List become symbiotically linked to Kortifex thanks to the use of his artifact, the SS-Oberführer gained the ability to raise and command an army of the dead. beginning by resurrecting the corpses of those who died at The Battle of Stalingrad, Von List intended to use his zombie army to march across Europe and ensure an Axis victory. Horrified, Krafft would magically seal himself in his room at Stalingrad using the Tome of Rituals. After having sealed himself away, he locked picked a truck containing the various artifacts retrieved by Die Wahrheit and laid his hands upon The Mask of Bellekar which instantly sent him into shock, nearly killing him. After coming to, he awoke to find the voice of Bellekar in his head. The two got along, but Krafft soon touched the Mask again to return Bellekar to her Mask as he was an unsuitable host for her. After meeting Bellekar, Krafft and the entity would devise a plan to stop Von List and grant Bellekar and the other Elder Gods suitable hosts. Krafft would send a distress call to The Allied Special Forces to deploy and investigate. There, The Allies would be trapped by Kortifex in a containment spell, forcing them to fight the undead. While there, Krafft spoke to the Allied Operatives as they fought the terrifying armies of Von List, explaining to them his motives and history with Die Wahrheit. He provides them with the remaining artifacts, allowing them to form a connection with Inviktor The Destroyer, Nordics The Conqueror and Saraxis The Shadow, alongside Bellekar. Eventually, Krafft invites the operatives to meet him near his sealed room, Where Bellekar points out a Dark Aether portal within Von List's office. The operatives enter the portal, leading them to the Void, where they find a page from the Tome of Rituals, sealed by magic orbs. Unable to break the seal, The operatives hold out until Krafft re-establishes contact with them and pleads them to escape. The Dark Aether Gods proposes a plane to recover a weapon from The Dark Aether that would allow them to break the seal, but before they can proceed, Krafft informs them of the existence of a new portal, which Bellekar identifies as a signal from their new ally, Vercanna The Last.
While Krafft remained in Stalingrad, The Allied Operatives used Vercanna's portal and arrive at The Eastern Desert, Egypt, where Die Wahrheit first uncovered The Scepter of Kortifex. Deducing that the missing Tome page may contain secrets on Kortifex's artifact, Krafft requested The Allied Operatives to find a way to recover it, in hopes of severing the bond between Kortifex and Von List. The Allied Operatives found The Decimator Shield, a weapon capable of destroying the seal in the Void, but they first had to prove their worth to Vercanna. After completing her task, They were able to acquire the Shield, which they then used in the Void to destroy the magic orbs and break the seal. The Allied Operatives successfully recovered the page and return. Through deciphering the page, Krafft and Bellekar concluded that The Allied Operatives must travel to Shi No Numa to retrieve an artifact that's kay to defeating Kortifex.
At Shi No Numa, The Allied Operatives were told to acquire an artifact that is linked to Saraxis, though she had no memories of what it looks like. By summoning an echo of Saraxis's memories, they learned that the artifact is a mirror, broken into two pieces. After gathering the pieces and assembling it, Krafft and The Allied Operatives learned that Saraxis was originally Kortifex's consort, and her memories were erased after she gave birth to his child against his will. Upon defeating Saraxis's echo and restoring her memories, they found out that Kortifex's true goal is to approach The Construct, a living entity in The Dark Aether capable of granting great powers to those it deems worthy. 
The Allied Operatives returned to Egypt and used the mirror to separate Kortfiex's bond with Von List, though they realized that it was his plan to be separated in order to travel to The Dark Aether and summon The Construct, and become it's Archon. Having no further use for Von List, Kortifex teleported him to Krafft's room in Stalingrad. Shocked and surprised, Krafft held Von List at gunpoint and prepared to shoot him. Von List tells Krafft and the Elder Gods by offering him to help, noting about Kortifex's plan then anyone else. However, Krafft and The Elder Gods agreed, allowing Von List to assisted The Allied Operatives in The Trials of the Construct. After the Trials were complete, Krafft firmly and repeatedly tells Von List where Sasha was located. He replies and revealed the truth that Sasha was killed months ago, and Von List mentioned about the love letters from them to keep Krafft docile. Later on, Krafft angrily shoots Von List with his own gun and later informed The Elder Gods that he shot Von List. The Elder Gods were in Disarray and mentioned about Von List and his death, and later on, Krafft tells The Allied Operatives and The Elder Gods to Kill Kortifex. The Allied Operatives arrived at The Dark Aether and shoots Kortifex by shooting three of his eyes while in a large battle and however, Kortifex dies and his corpse was claimed by the bottomless depths of The Dark Aether. It is unknown what became of Krafft afterwards.
=== Legacy ===
On May 12th, 1985, Requiem Head of Energy Research Oskar Strauss was reviewing old files in Requiem's archive and learned about Krafft. He compared Krafft to himself, stating that the two have faced similar choices in their lives. At some point, Krafft encountered Aether Nests, heavily infected areas covered by Cysts and Toxic Gas. He documented these nests in records, which were used as references in 2021 by members of Operation Deadbolt, who encountered similar nests created by a Dark Aether Incursion in Zaravan, Urzikstan.
== Quotes ==
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