Shoedsackovskaïa family: Difference between revisions

{{Character

| Razoff, the

| image = [[File:Rayman 3 Razoff 1.png|center|180px|Count Razoff]]

| alignment = One bad; others unknown

| appears in = ''[[Rayman 3|Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc]]''

| species = Unknown ''(similar to to race of [[Inspector Grub]] from [[Rayman: The Animated Series|The Animated Series]]; may be part-divine through Artemis)''

The '''Shoedsackovskaïa family''' is a royal family of maniac hunters. Known members include Nimrod, Artemis, Zaroff and [[Razoff|Count Razoff]]. Most of the information regarding the Shoedsackovskaïa family comes from ''[[Rayman 3]]''’s in-game pause screen, the official ''Rayman 3'' website, and the French ''[https://raymanpc.com/Img/dossierpresse_rayman3.pdf dossier presse]'' booklet which was released to tie in with the game.

As of ''[[Rayman 3]]'', [[Razoff|Count Razoff]] is said to be the last descendant of the family, implying that Nimrod and Zaroff (and possibly Artemis) are dead.

A Shoedsackovskaïa family tradition is that each member must leave home and return only with an exotic and extraordinary creature. It seems that Nimrod's prey was the Abominable Geranium of the Seas of Cockatoo, while the prey Zaroff returned with was, in fact, the [[Space Mama]] of [[Picture City]], who appeared as a boss in [[Rayman 1|the first ''Rayman'' game]]. By the time of ''[[Rayman 3]]'', [[Razoff|Count Razoff]] has settled in [[the Bog of Murk]], where he lives in a mansion decorated mainly with images of himself. Here Razoff attempts to make the intruding [[Rayman]] his 'exotic prey' (going so far as to say 'I've always wanted a Rayman-skin rug', implying that he has had his sights on Rayman for some time), but Rayman defeats Razoff when attacked by him. As a female who married into the family, Artemis may have been exempt from this tradition.

The name of each member of the Shoedsackovskaïa family is in some way a reference to hunting. In the Old Testament, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrod Nimrod], who was said to be responsible for the construction of the Tower of Babel, is referred to as ‘a mighty hunter before the Lord’. In Greek mythology, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis Artemis] was the goddess of hunting (it is, however, unknown if this reference to a goddess is of any real significance or connection to other known deities of the [[Glade of Dreams]], such as [[Polokus]] and the [[Leptys]]). And in Richard Connell's short story, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Most_Dangerous_Game ''The Most Dangerous Game''], a villainous hunter named General Zaroff appears. The plot of the story bears some resemblance to [[Rayman]]'s encounter with [[Razoff|Count Razoff]] in [[the Bog of Murk]]. However, it seems that the game's characters were inspired by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Most_Dangerous_Game_%28film%29 the 1932 film adaptation] rather than the original story; in the story, Zaroff is a general, whereas in the film he is a count, like Razoff. Additionally, the film's director, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_B._Schoedsack Ernest Schoedsack], appears to be the source of the name ‘Shoedsackovskaïa’.

The witch [[Bégoniax]] is infatuated with [[Razoff]], and is eventually seen forcing her affection upon him in his dungeon in [[the Bog of Murk]]. As such, the fate of the last surviving member of the Shoedsackovskaïa family is uncertain. Bégoniax has been known to transform the men who reject her love into [[toad]]s, and then breed with them, producing a great number of tadpoles – it is possible that this was Razoff's final fate. However, the minigame [[Crush]], which takes place after the events of ''[[Rayman 3]]'', depicts Razoff successfully fighting off an invasion of his home by Bégoniax and her toads.