Dr. Werner Von Croy
A mentor whose murder sets Lara Croft on a path through Paris and Prague.
Dr. Werner Von Croy is a former mentor of Lara Croft, appearing in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. He is murdered in Paris at the start of the game, and Lara is suspected of his killing. Von Croy had been tasked by a man named Eckhardt to find a set of artifacts known as the Obscura Paintings. His death sets the main plot in motion, as Lara goes on the run to clear her name and investigate the activities of a black magic cult.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Mentor and Archaeologist
Lore & Background
In The Angel of Darkness, Werner Von Croy is Lara's former mentor. An unspecified time after the events of The Last Revelation and Chronicles, where Lara was presumed dead, she arrives in Paris at Von Croy's request. He had been tasked by a man named Eckhardt to find the Obscura Paintings. During an argument between Lara and Von Croy, an unknown force attacks them, and Lara is knocked unconscious. She wakes to find Von Croy dead and her memories of the attack blurred. Suspected of his murder, Lara goes on the run. Later, at Von Croy's apartment, Lara relives the murder and realizes that a strange man—revealed to be Eckhardt—had knocked her unconscious and killed Von Croy. However, it is later revealed that Joachim Karel, Eckhardt's right-hand man, actually murdered Von Croy while shape-shifted into Eckhardt's form.
Reader's Guide
Dr. Werner Von Croy is a key figure in the plot of The Angel of Darkness, though he appears only in the opening scene and in flashbacks. His murder is the catalyst for Lara's journey. Players learn about his role through Lara's investigation: he was tasked by Eckhardt to find the Obscura Paintings, which hide pieces of the Sanglyph, an alchemical artifact. Lara retrieves Von Croy's journal from a colleague named Margot Carvier, learning that Von Croy discovered the location of the fourth Obscura Painting beneath the Louvre. Later, at his apartment, Lara relives the murder and identifies the killer as Eckhardt, though the true killer is later revealed to be Karel. Von Croy's death drives Lara to clear her name and ultimately stop Eckhardt's plan to awaken the Cubiculum Nephili.
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Elsewhere in Tomb Raider
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