Shifty
Overview
"Shifty closes the fridge door with his hips."
Group/Faction Affiliation: The Cartel, Vigil, Odyssey
Status: Alive
A former landscaper with a history of petty crime behind him, Shifty would develop into an honest and hardworking citizen of Chernarus over the years. Helping others would become his priority with the hopes of creating a better tomorrow. Shifty would find himself in multiple leadership roles taking on both political challenges and multiple wars experiencing death and betrayal along the way. Throughout his later years in Chernarus, he would find himself susceptible to going against the rules of the world and focused his time on seeking justice and revenge towards those who have wronged him.
Appearance
Shifty often sticks to dark clothing, sporting an eyepatch to cover a mysterious past injury. His preferred headwear is a boonie hat, and a stylized bandana featuring sewn white filigree which he wears in honor of his late friend Jordan. The rest of his attire is centered around pragmatism - essential ballistic protection, various long rifles, and his signature mosin.
Origins
Shifty’s origins in Chernarus can be traced back to the Cartel, a group who held the Northeastern town of Svetlojarsk in their grasp, where he developed a bond with Bangkok Stallion. Together the two helped establish and maintain the Cartel’s strength until Shifty’s eventual departure, using his connections with notable figures such as Georgie Luz and the 506th he sought a new life in the town of Bor. The Vigil would flourish and Shifty became a key figurehead for the group engaging in politics, diplomacy, trading, and hosting the hundreds of visitors the Vigil would receive over their lifespan. During his time in the Vigil Shifty became close with other members like Winslow, Jean, Ted, Jordan, Tony and maintains relations with people outside of his own faction as well as enemies for their actions against his new family.
Demeanor
A quiet but decisive thinker, Shifty always seeks to protect those close to him. He’s faced betrayal, destruction, friendship, and loss during his time in Chernarus. Quick to protect those close to him and even swifter to enact those who’ve wronged him or his family he lets his reputation speak for himself rather than boasting about his achievements. But make no mistake, Shifty has seen war and what it does to people and won’t hesitate to eliminate threats that arise against him and those he loves.
Actions
2019 - Cartel Life
During the summer of 2019, shortly after Shifty had arrived in Chernarus he, alongside a few friends, bonded together to found the Cartel. A group who at the time had very little experience and knowledge about the political landscape that surrounded them. During his time with the Cartel, Shifty served as a right hand man to Bangkok Stallion and accompanied the group to various high stake meetings. One of the first groups Shifty would run into was Dark As Midnight as the Cartel attempted to peacefully coexist with them through bribes and offers of complacency. During one of the meetings between the two groups, Dark As Midnight would attempt to execute Shifty and the other members after an armband, which had been found at their base, was dropped at the feet of Draven Sanguine and Iris belonging to their allies RISE. With the conflict growing on the horizon Shifty would be introduced to the 506th who offered a helping hand against their long time enemies, Dark As Midnight. These early meetings and interactions with the 506th would come to help Shifty later during the founding and life of the Vigil. Along with Dark As Midnight, the first iteration of Odyssey would also be a source of conflict due to competition between the weed markets and Rolf, another member of the Cartel would prove vital in Shifty’s story later on.
Towards the latter end of 2019, Shifty, along with Bonnie, would leave the Cartel due to a conflict of interest internally. Shortly after leaving the two of them founded the Vigil. The pair moved to the town of Bor, soon after their arrival the Sanctuary was built, a camp with the hopes of attracting fellow survivors and settlers looking to create a brighter future. During the Vigils early days Shifty built up strong relations with the 506th and the Pavlovo Trade Union, both groups played a vital role in helping Shifty get settled to life out West with their contributions of nails, protection and information.
2020 - Vigil’s Emergence
2020 would turn out to be a big turning point in Shifty’s story. After Bonnie's departure from the Vigil and life within Bor becoming stagnent, those who remained in the group decided to shake things up a bit. This saw the introduction of Ted, Winslow, Tony, Jean and Daniel who would all go on to wear the Vigil armband and became some of Shifty's closest and most trusted friends.
2021 - Loyalists Tension
Throughout 2021, Shifty would experience his most turbulent times. With the commitment and grit from his fellow members and friends, he would go on to survive repeated attacks on both Bor and the Sanctuary from various groups such as the Regime, Forsaken Loyalists and Bagheads. These attacks would eventually be the catalyst for Shifty to move and rebuild the Sanctuary in Zelenogorsk for a brief period of time with the help of his friend Collin, who was at the time leading the 506th, before heading back to Bor later that year to avoid a conflict of interests between the two groups. That year did provide Shifty with one consistent positive however, that was the introduction to his dear friend Jordan who would hang up his Wanderer armband to join the Vigil and help Shifty by his side.
During Spring of 2021, A perplexed Shifty would encounter CJ and Doink Doink of Dark As Midnight who were visiting Bor for the first time on civil terms. After an initial handing over of small gifts and knowing the dangers and the issues this would cause if others found out, Shifty and CJ would continue to meet up in private over the coming days, weeks and months. Shifty had a constant sense of fascination and a feeling of surrealness being alone with someone that both he and his group had feared for so long. Throughout the year, CJ allowed Shifty to feel safe and opened up an escape from reality, CJ went on to show care and compassion towards him during his struggles with leading the Vigil, a side to her she didn’t seem to reveal to anyone else. Upon returning to the sanctuary one evening, Shifty would find a large group of Dark As Midnight waiting for him. After letting them inside, Dark As Midnight proceeded to murder two of their own members, Doink Doink and a pregnant Kate in front of Shifty. This would be one of the rare true acts of evil from CJ that Shifty would witness. The bond between Shifty and CJ would eventually fizzle out as a war between Odyssey and Dark As Midnight would later surface.
Tensions between Shifty and the Forsaken Loyalists began to grow during the summer of 2021 after a good friend of Shifty’s at the time, Blake Tirty, had decided to leave Bor to join the club. A war had been brewing between Shifty’s neighbours the 506th, the Forsaken Loyalists and Wanderers which Shifty decided the Vigil would have no involvement in. Shifty would later live to regret that decision and with the help of Ted, took it upon himself to feed Dark As Midnight with information regarding the Forsaken Loyalists as an attempt to ignite a war between them, news of Shifty’s involvement would later leak. Tension finally boiled over after the Forsaken Loyalists were made aware, eventually leading to them capturing Shifty with Joe Fraser and Blake present. With the help of the Wanderers and Sedtse Stai, the Forsaken Loyalists would later that year blow up the Sanctuary, taking both Shifty and Winslow captive. At the time Winslow was the target of their attacks, the blame lay on him for the mess the Vigil had found themselves in at the time, as well as for shooting Shifty’s once close friend and ex member of the Wanderers, Zirka. Shifty would eventually bear witness to the attempted execution on Winslow carried out by Joe Fraser. Shifty presumed Winslow was dead. A month later to both Shifty and Ted’s surprise they were summoned to Green Mountain by CJ. They found Winslow there, wearing red, tied up and alive. Shifty had learnt of Winslow’s plan to hide in Gorka to avoid the aftermath and consequences of his actions. During a heated exchange between the pair Shifty threw his Vigil armband to the ground and told Winslow he was done. The Carnival was being urged on by Dark As Midnight to kill a helpless Winslow in-front of Shifty and Ted, before anyone had the chance Shifty pulled the trigger himself, killing his ex best friend and co-leader.
After leaving the Vigil, Shifty, along with Jordan would find themselves moving up North to Kalinovka, the home of the Dugout. Shifty had formed unexpected friendships with James, Jack, Lewis and Emerson of the Dugout throughout the year and would find peace amongst the chaos of life in Severograd. Rolf, an old friend from Shifty’s Cartel days would show up one day at the Dugout seeking help after getting into trouble with the Forsaken Loyalists, Shifty’s help would later prove to be unsuccessful resulting in Rolf being taken in by the Loyalists. After several months of living up North Shifty would learn from Lewis that he was the one responsible for planting the RISE armband at the Cartels base back in 2019 with the attempts to set the Cartel up. Despite their history, Shifty decided to join the Dugout to make himself useful once more.
2022 - A Change In Heart
During the early months of 2022, Shifty decided to return back down to Bor to rekindle his relations with the Vigil. Shifty held a lot of guilt over the sorry state he had originally left the group in after the murder of Winslow. Within weeks, Shifty and Tony had gathered up most of the remaining Vigil members including Jordan who had once again stuck by Shifty’s side. Shifty’s attempts to reignite new life into the Vigil sadly didn’t last long, during the coming months both Shifty and the group faced backlash from the 506th over their neutrality and unwillingness to join in with their war against Dark As Midnight. Shifty used this period to continue offering help to Rolf, despite joining the Forsaken Loyalists Shifty was never convinced it was out of choice. Unbeknown to Rolf, Shifty would also take advantage of Rolf’s visits to discretely find out where the rest of the Forsaken Loyalists were.
During his time back with the Vigil, Shifty would often hear from his fellow members about their desperation to see Joe Fraser serve justice for all the trouble he’d put the group through, at that moment Joe would become Shifty’s number one target not only for personal reasons but to make up for the disappointment both Shifty and Winslow had caused his fellow members the year before. Shifty had suffered greatly after the death of Winslow, he became emotionless and cold towards the new faces he’d meet. He no longer had the patience or temperament to run a community camp. In the summer of 2022 Shifty would once again depart the Vigil, this time on better terms. Shifty would keep to himself throughout the remainder of the year.
2023 - Odyssey
New Years of 2023 would see Shifty convene with his friends from the Dugout again, only this time the Dugout no longer existed. Shifty would soon learn that Lewis had been killed by his friend Rolf after orders given by the Forsaken Loyalists. Shifty was later pulled aside by Emerson to meet a man who he thought went by the name Phillip, it was revealed to Shifty that Phillips true identity was Lewis who was in hiding and that he was in-fact alive. Shifty was told that Rolf had gone against his club's orders and spared Lewis his life. This would lead to the re-emergence of Odyssey and Shifty was presented the opportunity to join and fight alongside them with a common goal and enemy. In the following weeks Shifty would receive the sad news of both CJ’s and Rolf’s deaths, he would learn that Rolf was killed shortly after leaving a New Years party in which Shifty and Rolf spent the evening drunkenly arguing with each other. A couple of months later Shifty would overhear a conversation on the radio between Xavier of Dark As Midnight and Alice of the Forsaken Loyalists, Xavier would confirm that Vriska was responsible for Rolf’s death.
Throughout 2023, Shifty would leave the community camp life behind and take a more aggressive and hostile approach to those who have harmed not only him but those he considered family, most noticeable against Dark As Midnight and the Forsaken Loyalists. In the winter of 2023, Odyssey would come out on top during one of those battles with Dark As Midnight, resulting in the capture of Vriska. Shifty would bear witness to the death of Vriska to his once best friend Lewis for his betrayal towards him. Revenge for Rolf had also been served. Towards the end of 2023 Shifty and Odyssey would find themselves in another war with the Forsaken Loyalists, the outcome would be similar, only this time it was Shifty’s old friend they would capture, Blake. Shifty along with 2 other Odyssey members would ultimately murder Blake after he pulled a deagle out and attempted to execute Joshua Jones of the Merry Men who refused to stop talking about FL business openly. That same evening on their way back home to Severograd, Shifty and Odyssey would encounter Thorn, a member of Dark As Midnight, alone inside of a house. Thorn had tormented the Vigil and Dugout for years with both the Regime and Dark As Midnight and was behind some of the bloodiest battles Shifty had been involved in. Thorn was also captured and killed that night thanks to the bravery of Jack who stormed the house and apprehended him, this proved to be the most successful period of revenge since Odyssey’s re-emergence.
2024 - New Found Friends
Shifty and Odyssey would be approached by Vadim at the start of 2024, Vadim would seek assistance from Odyssey during an intervention of the Golden Peppers to help try and save them from the toxic gases they had become so used to living in. The intervention turned hostile and failed, however Shifty would make a new friend in the shape of Dill in the aftermath, the two of them later became close despite the less than friendly encounter when they first met. Odyssey took a short step back from the work they were doing not long afterwards. Shifty would take more time to himself throughout these months building relations with new found friends, most noticeably Bobs of the Black Sheep and Alice Fraser, formally of the Forsaken Loyalists. Alice Fraser would initially find herself in Shifty’s good books after providing him with the opportunity to bury his friend Rolf the year before.
Shifty would spend more time down in Bor with some of his Odyssey friends reliving old memories in a place where many he knew were no longer alive, this would ultimately send him into a short spiral of depression. Shifty would also seek company in Bobs and Kasia as well as other members of the Black Sheep in Guglovo until learning about their payments to the Blackthorn Gang for safety. Shifty would eventually get dragged into helping oversee the Black Sheep with the Fireflies and the Overlook during one of their meetings with the intentions of ending these payments and potentially killing Blackthorn. The plan failed, Bobs along with multiple other members of the Black Sheep as well as Beau, a member of Odyssey who had attempted to intervene as the voice of reason were taken captive. Beau was killed in captivity to a man named Findhorn, something that Shifty and Odyssey have always struggled to accept.
2025 - A Helping Hand
Shifty would spend the beginning of 2025 back up north in Kalinovka. During the winter he was introduced to the Coalition and their camp, the House Of Hope, run by Greeny and Ivy. Shifty had a brief but negative history with Greeny, that was until Greeny provided Odyssey with some useful information regarding a group living in Severograd at the time. The Coalition would give Shifty flashbacks to the Vigil and Dugout, especially upon hearing news of the Forsaken Loyalists sniffing their noses into the Coalitions business. The Spring of 2025 would see Odyssey and the Forsaken Loyalists yet again fighting between themselves, this time resulting in the capture of Benjamin Smits. Shifty and Odyssey would lay out demands for the Forsaken Loyalists to stay out of Severograd and to leave the Coalition alone with the hopes of bringing peace to the Northern region. A ceasefire was agreed upon, multiple meetings took place in the coming weeks which would be Shifty’s first opportunity in years to come face to face with some of his greatest enemies. New demands for the ceasefire to continue would eventually be set by Joe Fraser. Shifty and Odyssey would refuse these demands which would ultimately see the ceasefire come to an end.
In the coming months Odyssey would take another step back from the work they were doing, during this time Shifty would eventually meet a new companion, Maybe, at the House Of Hope. Shifty would go on to seek out Maybe which would see the pair living in Olsha together along with James throughout the summer. Shifty and Maybe would both experience personal turmoil during this time, Shifty would struggle from the disappearance of his fellow Odyssey members whilst Maybe was grieving for the loss of her partner Ivy, who was murdered by the Cult. Shifty would refocus his efforts towards helping Maybe who would seek revenge for Ivy’s death. Shifty played a role in keeping Maybe safe whilst attempting to be a voice of reason to prevent Maybe from doing anything rash to get herself or others killed.
Notable Relationships
Winslow
Shifty and Winslow would develop a deep connection and bond during their time in the Vigil. The two would often be seen sharing stories by the campfire and or recuperating after attacks on the Sanctuary, Winslow’s eventual betrayal hurt Shifty and it would be the final event in their history as Shifty would be the one to execute his once friend.
Ted
Another of the senior members of the Vigil, Ted and Shifty became intertwined almost as brothers. After Ted’s abduction and subsequent ransom from the Forsaken Loyalist the two would bond over their love and loyalty to the Vigil until the group's disbanding.
Jordan
Shifty and Jordan became inseparable soon after they met. Shifty would often rely on Jordan for a second opinion and whilst not always being told what he wanted to hear, Jordan would provide him with the honesty and the harsh reality that others didn’t. Throughout the 3 years they knew each other, Jordan would sacrifice his own needs to stick by Shifty during his time with both the Vigil and the Dugout. Jordan would teach Shifty the true meaning of loyalty which is something Shifty holds closely to this day.
Paddy & Colin
Shifty’s friendships Paddy and Collin played a crucial role in keeping a healthy bond between the Vigil and 506th throughout the years. During more troubling times, the pair in their own ways would offer assistance to Shifty whether it be supplies, further protection or an outlet to escape Bor and the never ending political dramas that Shifty would find himself caught up in.
CJ
Shifty and CJ formed a bond which on paper should never have worked, but the pair made it happen. Despite CJ being a member of Dark As Midnight, Shifty would often see glimpses of human and care, something others wouldn’t see. The pair would often exchange gifts, info and would offer one another an escape from their usual everyday life. CJ played an important role with keeping peace between Shifty, the Vigil and Dark As Midnight as well as playing a key role in Winslow's death and aftermath.
Rolf
Despite starting out in the Cartel together, it would be 2 years later when Shifty and Rolf’s friendship would really elevate. Shifty would play an early role in Rolf’s story which would eventually see him join the Forsaken Loyalists. In spite of Rolf joining the ranks of Shifty's long term enemies, Shifty still believed it was against his own will and went out of his way to try and help Rolf through some troubling times.
James
Shifty viewed James like a brother, he would spend more time with James than anyone else throughout the pair's time in the Dugout and Odyssey. He would see James develop from a boy into a man over the years and felt a sense of proudness during his growth. James would accompany Shifty during brief stays in both Bor and Olsha when Odyssey would take a step back from the work they were doing. If Shifty needed anything, James would be the first to offer his help, something he’s always valued.
Jack
Jack was one of the first members of the Dugout who Shifty met. The pair would click straight away due to their similar sense of humour. After Shifty departed the Vigil, Jack would become one of the reasons behind his eventual decision to join both the Dugout and Odyssey. Jack would go on to play a key role in multiple parts of Shifty's story, including the capturing of both Vriska and Thorn. The pair would also become the influence behind the rebuilding and renaming of Kalinovka, now known as Brixton.
Dr. Emerson Tamagotchi
Emerson was one of Shifty’s oldest and closest friends, she knew more about him than most. He would often confide in Emerson and confessed secrets to her that nobody else knew. Emerson would often accompany Shifty when he had places to be and people to meet. The two of them would take daily trips between Severograd and Bor to spend time with both the Vigil and the Dugout. Shifty and Emerson would find themselves in multiple near death experiences with Dark As Midnight during their adventures together.
Joe Fraser
Joe Fraser has played a key role in being the main villain throughout Shifty’s story. For years the pair have never seen eye to eye. Joe took an instant dislike to Shifty after news had leaked about Shifty’s plan to feed Dark As Midnight with information with the hopes of igniting a war between the two of them. Joe became Shifty’s number one target after the attempted execution of Winslow which would take place in-front of Shifty, this moment would eventually spiral and lead to Shifty killing Winslow himself which he blames Joe for to this day. Despite Shifty having a soft respect for the way Joe handles his business, the personal rivalry and hatred remains strong.
Bobs
Shifty became a great admirer of Bobs, the two of them had a strange way of showing their appreciation for one another but their commitment to visiting and helping each other was a testament to that. Bobs would be there for Shifty in times of need and would often remind him that there would be a home in Guglovo for him if he ever found himself alone.
Where are they now?
Shifty can be found roaming with fellow members of Odyssey in Kalinovka, otherwise known as Brixton, after both his time in the Cartel and the Vigil he still holds family close and seeks to protect those who matter to him. He walks stoically, guiding his group both in combat and diplomacy due to his experiences within his time in Chernarus.