When famous magician Zak Gramarye was arrested for the murder of his
master, Kristoph saw it as a great opportunity to advance his career. He
approached Zak to take his case, and even decided to forge a piece of
evidence that would be sure to seal his acquittal. He met with young
forgery expert Vera Misham, and asked her to create for him a page out of
Magnifi's journal that would implicate Valant instead of Zak.
To make sure that Vera wouldn't be able to implicate him later as having
asked for forged evidence, Kristoph gave Vera a bottle of nail polish
laced with a deadly poison. It ended up not working.
But before the trial took place, Zak insisted on playing a game of cards.
Kristoph lost, and was fired as Zak's lawyer. It wasn't long afterwards
that he learned Phoenix Wright was to take the case instead. In his anger
for having been turned aside, Kristoph went to his brother Klavier, who
would be prosecuting the case (his first case). He told Klavier that
Phoenix intended to present a piece of fake evidence, and that if he
wanted to catch him in the act he should ask the forger to testify.
The next day, Kristoph handed off the evidence he'd had forged to Trucy,
with instructions to take it to Phoenix. She did so, and when Phoenix
tried to present the evidence in court, Klavier was prepared with his
witness. Phoenix lost the case, just like Kristoph wanted.
But then something happened Kristoph wasn't prepared for: Zak escaped
custody and disappeared. Kristoph knew that if Zak reappeared, and if he
told anyone that Kristoph had been his lawyer before Phoenix, everyone
might find out that he had ordered the forgery after all. He tried to
cover his tracks by sending to Vera a stamp also laced with poison,
instructing her to use it when she sent back his receipt. But Vera escaped
death again by deciding to save the stamp, which featured her favorite
magicians, the Gramaryes.
Desperate to remain clear of suspicion, Kristoph began to spy on all the
related parties that were left: he befriended Phoenix by defending him
against the allegations of forgery, and kept tabs on the Mishams, as well
as Zak's friend Spark Brushel. For seven years he kept a close eye on
anyone who could potentially harm him, which all came to an end with Zak
returned under the guise of Shadi Smith.
