Artemis Entreri Artemis Entreri ( once known as Barrabus the Gray ) was a ruthless assassin and the former arch - nemesis of Drizzt Do ' Urden . A cunning and tactical assassin , Entreri lived an empty life , devoid of any kind of pleasure , existing only to kill . The passage of time caused him to soften his sentiments , but never his fighting edge . He was credited with being one of the most feared and effective assassins in Faerûn . Description . Artemis Entreri was not very tall ( in fact , considered " small " ) but he was compact with wiry muscles . He was possessed of angular features , striking high cheekbones , and prominent sideburns . Though he was usually clean - shaven , Artemis always seemed to need a shave . He had brown skin , which was later tinged with a grayish hue . His raven - black hair was thick and full , but his eyes were gray and lifeless , portraying the emptiness of his life and his soul . When he was about 40 years old , Artemis had the lean athleticism of a man half his age . While traveling with the drow elf Jarlaxle , Artemis was often seen wearing a small - brimmed black hat called a bolero . As humans aged far more quickly than elves , Artemis first started to feel the bite of age in 1364 DR , while Drizzt was still as agile and powerful as he was when the two of them first met . On the way to Damara , Artemis inadvertently stole the life - force of a shade with his vampiric dagger . He then appeared to have reversed age a full decade , and his aging slowed considerably . It was likely that he would live as long as an elf or dwarf . In 1484 DR , Artemis appeared to be 40 years old . Personality . Artemis was a professional and always had an air of control about him . Every move he made or word he spoke was calculated to achieve a desired effect . He never allowed emotions or the circumstances , no matter how dire , to master him . Underneath this facade , however , he was terribly angry , which he recognized in himself only with the influence of Idalia ' s flute . Artemis tirelessly maintained himself in top condition , and constantly sought to improve his martial skills . He was extremely cunning , able to out - think as well as outfight his opponents . Artemis vowed to " never leave an enemy in his wake " and he did not take threats lightly . However , for the most part , those who were not enemies of Artemis or his allies had nothing to fear from him . He did in fact have his own code of honor , although it was sometimes obscured . Artemis ' s greatest hatred and disgust was reserved for those who were willing to hurt or betray their children for their own benefit or to save themselves . This was because of events in his childhood . Artemis ' s time spent traveling with Drizzt Do ' Urden in the 15th century DR changed him . He was generally less angry and became willing to defend his allies as well as entertain the notion of having friends . History . Early years . Artemis revealed little about his past to others , but some things were known about his early life . He was born into the streets of Memnon in Calimshan to a prostitute named Shanali . He was constantly abused by his " father " , Belrigger , and was molested by his uncle Tosso . Eventually , his mother sold him to a pedophile merchant who was , if anything , worse than his uncle ; presumably , this is how he came to Calimport . This betrayal was enough to put a block on Entreri ' s emotions . He hid from the world with a mental wall of cynicism and later anger . In Calimport , he was taken in by the thieves ' guild ruled by Pasha Basadoni . Basadoni taught young Artemis the tricks of the trade , instructing him in the basics of fighting and helping him master stealth . As Entreri practiced , he flourished , becoming the most efficient and deadly assassin in Calimshan and perhaps all of Faerûn . First clash with the Companions of the Hall . Under Pasha Pook ' s command , Artemis Entreri chased the halfling Regis for nearly five years before finding him in Icewind Dale in 1356 DR . There he kidnapped Catti - brie to hold an advantage over Bruenor Battlehammer , Wulfgar , Drizzt Do ' Urden , and Regis . He was met by some allies on the way from Luskan , though during the chase they each eventually died . Artemis finally located the Companions in Mithral Hall , where he fought Drizzt for the first time , however , their fight was interrupted by the shadow dragon Shimmergloom and neither warrior could call himself victor . To ensure that he would get his fight again , Artemis kidnapped Regis as well as Guenhwyvar . Drizzt and Wulfgar chased Entreri all the way to Calimport , and there Drizzt again fought Entreri . Their fight reached the streets of Calimport , where the scared citizens broke up the fight to try and kill Drizzt , believing him to be a drow scout from the Forest of Mir and a prelude to an army . Entreri wanted to see who was the better fighter and so eventually became obsessed with destroying or defeating Drizzt . Involvement with the drow . To get another fight against Drizzt , Artemis went to greater lengths , allying with the band of drow mercenaries called Bregan D ' aerthe . In 1357 DR , the mercenaries were bringing Drizzt from Mithral Hall to Menzoberranzan and allowed Artemis to have his fight . The fight never truly ended because of various interferences and when Artemis managed to get his fight once again , Regis was the factor that resulted in his loss . Artemis fell off the side of a mountain and was left for dead . Artemis was rescued by Jarlaxle and Bregan D ' aerthe , though none in Mithral Hall knew of this . They brought him to Menzoberranzan , where he felt like a prisoner and slave to the drow there , something he utterly despised . He was also used by the drow priestesses ( including Berellip Xorlarrin ) as a plaything ; they were fondest of making love to him while dangling him over the Clawrift . When Catti - brie and Drizzt came to Menzoberranzan , Artemis entered into an unlikely alliance with the two in order to escape the Underdark . Return to Calimport . By 1364 DR , Artemis had returned to Calimport to once again stake out his territory . His friend LaValle helped him rise once again in power . Eventually , however , he wound up in the hands of Bregan D ' aerthe once more , with Jarlaxle seeing him as their opportunity to extend operations into Calimshan . Artemis , with the help of Bregan D ' aerthe , took over the guild of Pasha Basadoni and as a reward , he was allowed a fight with Drizzt . Bregan D ' aerthe took " Crenshinibon " from Drizzt and forced him into its crystal tower , Cryshal - Tirith , where Drizzt and Artemis fought for a final time with no outside interference . However , the heads of the two opponents clashed and temporarily Artemis lost his sight , something that gave Drizzt the advantage , causing Entreri to lose . Drizzt was about to leave the crystal tower feeling the fight was over and that nothing was proved with it , but Entreri was enraged and went to attack Drizzt . Drizzt defended himself , but Kimmuriel Oblodra bestowed a kinetic shield on Artemis that resulted in Drizzt taking some serious wounds . Although Jarlaxle made Rai - guy Bondalek heal Drizzt moments later , Artemis was not told that his rival was in fact alive . He felt betrayed , unsure if he would have fairly won the fight or not . He returned to Calimport once more with calculating plans . . With Bregan D ' aerthe sponsoring his activities in Calimport , Entreri waged war against all other thieves guilds and the Basadoni Guild , now a faction of Bregan D ' aerthe . Entreri obtained " Charon ' s Claw " , a powerful Netherese sword that he acquired by killing its owner , Kohrin Soulez . Eventually , Artemis became something of a king in Calimport . However , Entreri grew wary of Jarlaxle ' s lieutenants ( Kimmuriel and Rai - guy ) , whom he hated , and of Jarlaxle himself , who was growing more and more fascinated with " Crenshinibon " . However , Artemis felt that he would be unable to escape the wrath of Kimmuriel and Rai - guy without Jarlaxle ' s protection , so he devised a plan to protect Jarlaxle when the lieutenants and Berg ' inyon Baenre tried to steal " Crenshinibon " and supplant Jarlaxle as ruler of Bregan D ' aerthe . Artemis was able to obtain " Crenshinibon " and resist its psychic influence through sheer willpower . He and Jarlaxle then fled to Spirit Soaring , where Cadderly Bonaduce and his allies waited for them , expecting an attack by the wielders of " Crenshinibon " . Entreri and Jarlaxle made it clear that they wanted the destruction of the artifact , which made them ally with Cadderly and his wife , Danica Maupoissant , in order to destroy it with the fire of the red dragon Hephaestus . Things were complicated by tensions between Entreri and Danica as well as an ambush by Rai - guy and his allies , including the illithid Yharaskrik , but the team eventually completed the task and the shard was destroyed — or so it was believed . Entreri , who had experienced some change of heart through his adventures , saved Danica ' s life instead of leaving her to die . Cadderly expected him and Jarlaxle to reform and renounce their evil ways ; when they refused , he left them to go their own way . Jarlaxle had the option of returning to his band , but he elected to hand over its leadership temporarily to Kimmuriel and adventure with the assassin instead of going back to the Underdark . The Bloodstone Lands . In 1367 DR , Artemis and Jarlaxle were assaulted by Shadovar hoping to reclaim " Charon ' s Claw " for the Netherese . Artemis used his vampiric dagger against a shade , which inadvertently made Artemis part - shade , making Charon ' s Claw feel a certain affinity for him and possibly giving it more sway over him in the future . Artemis and Jarlaxle ended up in Damara , where they were employed by the dragon sisters Tazmikella and Ilnezhara . They fought the lich Hermincle and the dracolich Urshula . They were then recruited into a task - force instructed by King Gareth Dragonsbane to investigate a replica of Castle Perilous in Vaasa and the possible return of Zhengyi the Witch - King . In a bizarre turn of events , Jarlaxle claimed the castle and the surrounding lands for " King Artemis I , " provoking the ire of King Gareth . Artemis , however , was more preoccupied with Idalia ' s flute and his awakened past emotions than with Jarlaxle ' s antics . Artemis and Jarlaxle eventually retreated with the help of Bregan D ' aerthe and Artemis headed for Calimshan . There he settled accounts with all those who abused him , killing Yinochek and allowing Pinochek to live only with an ultimatum . Artemis refused to continue on in the company of Jarlaxle , whose actions ( particularly involving the flute ) he viewed as gross manipulation . At some point after their parting , Jarlaxle betrayed Artemis to the Netherese , who were seeking " Charon ' s Claw " , in Baldur ' s Gate . In truth , Jarlaxle had found himself trapped and forced to capture Artemis in an extra - dimensional pocket for the Netherese , but he had intended to rescue Artemis immediately thereafter . However , the drow was manipulated by Kimmuriel Oblodra and Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre and psionically forced to forget about that event , believing instead that Entreri had in fact betrayed him . However , Entreri was never privy to that information and never forgave Jarlaxle . The Netherese lord Herzgo Alegni then obtained Charon ' s Claw from Draygo Quick and tied Entreri ' s life - force to the sword , forcing Entreri to serve him and making it so that Entreri could not die while in the service of " Charon ' s Claw " . Barrabus the Gray . In the 15th century DR , Entreri , now known as " Barrabus the Gray " , served Herzgo Alegni as spy and assassin in Neverwinter and Neverwinter Wood . Barrabus helped the citizens of New Neverwinter against the Thay ans , giving the Shadovar the citizens ' favor . In honor of Barrabus , the citizens renamed the Winged Wyvern Bridge as " the Walk of Barrabus " , but Alegni , who held a fondness for the bridge , forced them to rename it the " Herzgo Alegni Bridge " , a feat he had achieved before Mount Hotenow erupted . Alegni ordered Barrabus to kill Dahlia Sin ' felle , but Artemis ended up joining forces with Dahlia and Drizzt Do ' Urden , who were both out on a quest to kill the Thayan commander Sylora Salm . Artemis assisted them in killing Salm because he hoped they they might help him in killing Alegni . The pair then decided to allow Artemis to help them get revenge on Alegni , and in the process free Artemis from the grasp of " Charon ' s Claw " . They succeeded in retrieving the sword , believing they had killed Alegni . In truth , Alegni had made it to the Shadowfell , where he was healed and tasked with retrieving the Netherese artifact . Artemis ' s group headed for Gauntlgrym , where they believed they could destroy the sword and thus allow Artemis to die . Despite Alegni ' s forces , Drizzt was able to throw the sword over the rim of the pit where the fire primordial Maegera resided . The sword was presumed destroyed and its hold over Artemis broken . Artemis , unexpectedly , did not keel over on the spot but continued to live . After being freed from the enslavement of " Charon ' s Claw " , Artemis ceased using the name Barrabus and returned to his old name . In Neverwinter , Arunika placed a magical dweomer on Artemis to spy on him unknowingly from afar . He continued to travel with Drizzt and Dahlia ( as well as Ambergris , Afafrenfere , and later Effron ) , after being lured to Port Llast by Drizzt offering the possibility of retrieving his lost jeweled dagger . Along the way , he developed a close relationship with Dahlia . He and Dahlia ended up petrified in the home of Draygo Quick after a botched rescue attempt for Guenhwyvar . They were turned back into flesh when Jarlaxle rescued the entire group . Artemis traveled with the group to Icewind Dale , where they spent a night on the edge of Iruladoon that lasted eighteen years in the real world . When they returned to civilization and found how much time had passed , Drizzt opted to stay and ended his relationship with Dahlia , who attacked him in fury . Artemis was last seen pulling Dahlia off of Drizzt , but not before the drow was gravely wounded . Capture . Artemis continued to travel with Dahlia , Effron , Ambergris , and Afafrenfere . They headed to Luskan , but when Artemis learned that Jarlaxle might be there , they went instead to Port Llast . There they ( except Effron ) were captured by a drow band led by Tiago Baenre and taken to Q ' Xorlarrin . He was hung in a cage close to Dahlia , who was driven insane by the illithid Methil El - Viddenvelp . Artemis managed to escape by picking the lock with his thumbnail ; he was subsequently " rescued " by Drizzt Do ' Urden and the reborn Companions of the Hall . He refused to travel with them and instead tarried in Q ' Xorlarrin with Dahlia ' s corpse , killing Berellip Xorlarrin . The last word of Artemis was that he had escaped Q ' Xorlarrin . Artemis was later journeying with Jarlaxle and Drizzt to rescue Dahlia from Menzoberranzan . It wasn ' t clear if Artemis and Jarlaxle had reconciled . Artemis tried to return to the City of Spiders to save Drizzt after the drow loyally refused to have one of his friends killed in return for his own freedom . Jarlaxle stopped him and they most likely headed to Luskan . Abilities . Artemis specialized in a two - weapon fighting style with the use of a dagger and a sword , equaling Drizzt in fighting capability . He generally wielded his jeweled dagger as a main - gauche in his left hand with a sword or saber in his right . He was a tactical master , taking every advantage offered him and seeking to create more . Artemis was also a very fast learner . Even if he observed a particular combat maneuver just once or twice , he was able to adapt it to his choice of weapons and duplicate it effectively in battle ( these tended to be Drizzt ' s maneuvers , since their styles and skill level were so similar ) . He was also excellent at improvising ; he could use his surroundings to excellent effect , when he would otherwise be at a severe disadvantage . Artemis was also a consummate warrior , combining his ambidexterity , thieving training , and warrior ' s weapon skills to be one of the most dangerous swordsmen in the Realms . Few men indeed could have so repeatedly crossed blades with Drizzt Do ' Urden and lived to tell of it . Later in his life , Artemis was able to see in the dark innately , as a gift from Jarlaxle . Before that , in Menzoberranzan , he had worn a cat ' s eye circlet to be able to see in the dark . Artemis was able to peel off the top layer of his thumbnail and use it as a lock pick . He kept his thumbnail long for this purpose . Possessions . Artemis carried a number of signature items over his years , many ( but not all ) of which were lost later in his life when he became Barrabus . Relationships . Dwahvel Tiggerwillies . Artemis ' s first true friendship was with the halfling Dwahvel Tiggerwillies , with whom he spoke openly , sharing opinions and thoughts he shared with nobody else . He trusted her as a confidant , informer , and helper . When they parted ways , Artemis wrote her a very moving letter written in a way that caused Artemis himself to doubt that he was the letter ' s author . Jarlaxle . The relationship between Jarlaxle and Artemis was often strained , but the two traveled together for many years and seemed to have developed some form of friendship — perhaps more so on the part of Jarlaxle , who considered Artemis a friend and even a century later grieved at the idea of his death . Jarlaxle and Artemis met when Vierna Do ' Urden employed Artemis to help find , capture , and fight against Drizzt Do ' Urden . After Artemis was trapped in the Underdark , Jarlaxle gave him advice and missions , perhaps his only solace from the drow . In Calimport , Artemis rescued Jarlaxle — claiming he needed the drow for protection — and escaped the wrath of Rai - Guy and Kimmuriel during the Bregan D ' aerthe takeover . The pair continued to work together as mercenaries and treasure hunters in the Bloodstone Lands . During their many travels , Jarlaxle tried to use Idalia ' s flute to make him resolve his emotional problems , but Artemis came to view that as part of Jarlaxle ' s manipulation of him . Artemis was later betrayed by Jarlaxle to the Netherese and never forgave him , although he did not know the full story , which was that Jarlaxle had every intention of rescuing him but was manipulated by forces outside his control . Jarlaxle and Artemis did not come face - to - face after the betrayal ( Artemis was a statue during his release from Draygo Quick ' s clutches ) . Artemis refused to enter Luskan because of the possibility that Jarlaxle might be there . He also originally believed that Jarlaxle was behind his capture and removal to Q ' Xorlarrin . Drizzt Do ' Urden . After their first meeting , Artemis knew that he and Drizzt Do ' Urden were virtually equal in skill . The primary difference between himself and Drizzt noticed by Artemis was Drizzt ' s virtue , specifically Drizzt ' s caring and concern for his friends . Artemis , by contrast , had a life that could only be considered empty . He had no real friends and no loved ones . He considered such emotional connections to be hindrances , believing that the reason he was so skilled with his blades was because he had dedicated his life to being the best , and had done so to the exclusion of all other pursuits . But then there was somebody seemingly as good as he was , somebody with friends and loved ones and a full life . For Entreri to accept that Drizzt was his equal in fighting skill , he would be forced to accept that it was possible to be an effective fighter while still pursuing and finding friendship , love , and happiness . If this were true , it would mean that Entreri had wasted his life . This was something the assassin vehemently refused to admit to himself . Thus he became obsessed with proving once and for all that he was the better fighter , and that he was the better fighter because he had chosen to forgo such things as friendship and love . Entreri said as much to Drizzt . He taunted the drow by telling him that all one needed to do to manipulate him was threaten one of his friends and that he , Entreri , could never be manipulated in such a manner . Artemis was never able to trust anybody as a friend as he grew up , and developed a belief that the only person he could truly count on was himself . When Artemis looked at Drizzt , he saw the kind of person he might have become if things had gone differently in his life , while Drizzt saw the same thing when he looked at Artemis . This was one of the reasons for their extreme rivalry . Artemis saw Drizzt had found friends he could count on and enjoy life with . When Drizzt ran into Artemis as Barrabus the Gray , Artemis found that he was no longer jealous of Drizzt ( claiming he had grown " bored " of him ) and found that he now trusted the drow . For his part , Drizzt had the chance to kill Artemis and decided not to , finding that he was a welcome reminder of the past . Drizzt even gave up the chance to exchange Artemis and " Charon ' s Claw " for the captured Guenhwyvar , although he felt like a " miserable friend " afterwards . He became somewhat jealous of Artemis when the intimacy between him and Dahlia became clear , but Drizzt later let that go . Just before believing he would die , Artemis admitted he had always envied Drizzt but " not for [ his ] blades . " Dahlia Sin ' felle . During their travels , Dahlia Sin ' felle and Artemis bonded through an understanding that came from shared past experiences . Dahlia was the first person in his life he ever told about the traumatic events in his childhood . Dahlia grew quite close to him and didn ' t want him to die . They became quite intimate , sharing a bed at least once . It was Artemis who tried to prevent Dahlia from killing Drizzt . He believed he was mentoring her in anger , love , and self - hate .