"Now I want to be gangmaster of the East and West Landings, just like we agreed."
- -Heft Vespius
Heft Vespius was a leaguesman of the Wicktwisters and Waxdippers and the cousin-in-law of Linius Pallitax. Vain, arrogant, miserly, and frequently drunk, Heft Vespius hoarded loads of gold and spent only the bare minimum required to live on. He also constantly pressured Linius Pallitax for favours, but was always denied. Additionally, Heft frequently attempted to use his relation to Linius Pallitax to appear well-connected in Sanctaphrax, but the academics usually saw right through his ploys.
When Linius died, Heft paid for Ferule Gleet to forge Linius's will so that Maris would go into his care, and he would acquire all of her inheritance money. He and his wife, Dacia, treated her cruelly, and Heft attempted to pressure her into signing a document that would secure a position for Heft as cage-master of the East and West Landings. Maris resisted, but eventually he forced her to sign the document. Heft then took the document to the Professors of Light and Darkness, claiming that Maris desperately wanted him to have the job, and that they owed this favor to the only child of the former Most High Academe. However, he was still refused the job, because his track record of cruelty to animals made him unsuitable to look after prowlgrins.
Later, Daxiel Xaxis promised Heft that, once he had taken over Sanctaphrax, he would secure the position of gangmaster for him in return for a supply of new recruits for the Gatekeepers. Heft provided a large group of experienced Undertown tavern-brawlers for service in Daxiel's army, but the Gatekeepers' revolution proved unsuccessful. Soon after, Heft's original forgery was uncovered. As punishment, Heft had all his wealth stripped from him.