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The Shaman is a minor character featured in Red Dead Redemption 2.

History[]

Background[]

The Shaman was hired by Roanoke Fuel Company to pose as a spiritualist and manipulate the residents of Butcher Creek into leaving by making them believe that their village is cursed, in an attempt to have them absolve Roanoke Fuel Company of liability after the nearby lake and river are contaminated with arsenic and lead.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2[]

Considered infallible by the villagers due to his supposed status as a shaman, the Shaman is first seen stating that he was right about the circumstances of the curse. Dubious as to who he is and what his intentions are, the player questions the Shaman about the situation, who says that they should destroy a collection of charms in the woods in order to lift the curse.

After the player destroys the charms as sanctioned, the Shaman states that the charms' destruction has worsened the curse. Angry about the Shaman's blatant deception, the player accuses him of being a liar, to which the Shaman asserts in response that he has "the gift" and is therefore faultless in his testimony. The protagonist then proceeds to aggressively threaten the Shaman, which causes him to run away.

The player asks Obediah Hinton about the situation, who simply states that the Shaman told the villagers to stay away from a nearby mine at Elysian Pool. Intrigued by this, the player decides to investigate it. Inside, the protagonist finds a poisonous substance leaking into the village's water source, so they collect some and store it in a vial. Immediately afterwards, a dynamite explosion occurs, almost certainly committed by the Shaman, trapping the player inside. Despite the toxic fumes emanating from the water, the player successfully escapes from the mine.

The player quickly proceeds to the village, where they find the Shaman telling the residents that writing their signatures on the document presented to them will lift the curse. Obediah begins reading the document; the Shaman is shocked that he is able to read and tells him to stop, saying that he was not granted permission to do so. With the document revealing the Shaman's true allegiance, the Roanoke Fuel Company, the protagonist announces that he is a con and that they found the real source of the curse: the poison. The Shaman insists that it’s nothing when it isn’t presented to him, so the player forces him to consume it. The Shaman finally admits that the substance is poison and that he will die, before running away; he is not seen again and his ultimate fate is unknown.

Character[]

Personality[]

The "Shaman" (actually a con man sent to deceive Butcher Creek for Roanoke Fuel Company), is a man who perpetuates the belief that Butcher Creek is haunted. By setting up charms around the forest and telling villagers to avoid entering the mine near the town, the Shaman has the village on a tight string with his lies. In reality, the Shaman is nothing more than a con man and coward, with his only backing being his word. By poisoning the villages' water supply with lead, and perpetuating the lie of Butcher Creeks' haunting, the Shaman was almost successful in getting Butcher Creek to sign off the land to his employers. The Shaman is so loyal to his employers in fact, that he attempted to kill the protagonist when they investigated the mine which the poisoned water was coming from.

Appearance[]

The Shaman, as per his name, dresses as an old Indian shaman. He looks to be in his early or late 50s, and has long graying hair.

Mission appearances[]

Red Dead Redemption 2

Trivia[]

  • It is possible to find the Shaman running around the village screaming after the final cutscene. The player can either kill him or knock him out, although this will cause the village to become hostile.
  • Despite the man's persona being an attempt to suggest otherwise, it's highly likely that the Shaman is not Native at all -- for one, Native American tribes did not have shamans, but medicine men. Secondly, his skin and eyes are too clear for someone of Native ancestry, meaning he is most likely white.
  • If the player uses photo mode right after collecting the poison, they can see the Shaman standing in the tunnel before the explosion sets off.

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