Rinaldo Gandolfi


Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate
The long-deceased Rinaldo Gandolfi is spoken of as the creator of the Combat Cross and its many extensions
Rinaldo Gandolfi's name is seen in the descriptions for hero characters and some of their weapons

Rinaldo Gandolfi was a renowned artisan, a brilliant alchemist, and a member of the Brotherhood of Light. One day a vampire kidnapped his daughter, and he set out to rescue her. Correctly guessing that he unarmed stood no chance against such a being, he combined his crafting skills and scientific knowledge to create the Combat Cross--a necessarily brutal instrument--and its multiple attachments (the Hook Tip, for latching onto and rappelling across structures; the spiked chain, for destroying tough obstacles; and the Vampire Killer, which allowed it to slay super natural beings). The incident was left apparently unresolved, and Gandolfi disappeared, never to be seen again. In regard to his whereabouts, there existed only rumors and hearsay, which pegged him as having survived and taking up the residence in the Bones Forest, where he posed as a beggar. He was spoken about in the scrolls of fallen Brotherhood knights, who believed he was still alive and would soon be coming to their aid; a particular knight left behind a scroll speaking of an encounter with Gandolfi (or what appeared to be him) in the Veros Woods, and he described the man as aloof but keenly intelligent.

The only tangible evidence of his existence were the weapons he had created during his rescue mission. Suspecting that they would be of use to the Prophecy's warrior, he sealed them within mausoleums located all around the world, hidden within the tombs of fallen warriors; this was necessary because the Brotherhood would not approve of their creation, since their deadly accouterments were deemed to be "too cruel." Such tools of destruction include the aforementioned weapons plus the Improved Combat Cross, which was a copy of the true Vampire Killer but nevertheless an effective killing machine. Gandolfi is survived by his Brotherhood brethren and the curse-afflicted Toy Maker, who was his most outstanding pupil.

 
 
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