Artis Artisian

> "*Well, shit.*"
> ― Artis Artisian
>
>

> "*I’m just pessimistic about anything these days*"
> ― Artis
>
>

Artis Artisian is one of the four mentors available to the first years at Wildcliff. He mentors Integrity Idleberry, Mira Marchand, Serinepth Sinderman, and Winsler Wallaby.

Artis was introduced in Episode 11 - Meet the Mentors.

## Physical Description

Artis is described as a tall high elf with long black hair pulled back in a red ribbon, hazel eyes, a wide frame, perfect eyebrows, and dark clothing. As of Episode 28 - The Penultimate Pen and Paper Practicals, two of his fingers have been amputated, replaced by mechanical prosthetics. As of Episode 125 - Firefighters, it is established that Artis' body has been burnt and his soul placed in a small pebble with his name engraved in it. He was given a new, albeit slightly younger looking, body in Episode 153 - I’d Trade You & I for an Artis, after the students transferred his soul into a flesh golem, and polymorphed it to look like him.

## Personality

Artis initially appeared rather serious and intimidating to the students, his regular smiling only serving to intimidate them more. Despite this aura, Artis had made no attempts to harm the students and has been surprisingly patient with their shenanigans. After saving his life in Patter, the students came to trust Artis and view him as a responsible figure.

Artis is concerned with the safety and well-being of the students, and often exhibits exhaustion and exasperation when dealing with their antics. Regardless, Artis holds a fondness for his students, and is focused on their best interests- in his words, he loves the students and cares for them deeply despite the stress they sometimes cause.

## History

According to Artis, he was a former student at Wildcliff, where he befriended Teb, then known as Tebethy, as well as Dain and Fidan Peslam. All four students were placed in a study group together, where they all discovered the Sunken Hatch. He later married Fidan, also known as Digger, who went missing after exploring the Hatch. Based on the presence of a crib in his shed, it can be presumed that at some point, he intended to have a child with Fidan. Artis is currently an arcane historian, studying elemental presence in the Plane of Isathil.

After the disappearance of Fidan and the deaths of Dain and Teb, Artis is the last remaining member of his friend group.

### Arc 3 - Eyes on the Prize

After meeting the students for the first time, he confided in them that Teb gave him the green Orb of Reverence before leaving to find Digger. He also revealed in his possession the yellow Orb of Might, which he supposedly gained from completing the trial as a student. Artis asked the students to win their upcoming duel and choose him as their mentor.

### Arc 4 - Pitter Patter

After the students won their duel, Artis accompanied them to the Plane of Isathil in search of powerful elemental magic. After arriving in Patter, Artis was separated from the students. When the students later discovered Artis in the Detention Layer, he was unconscious and badly injured, with a broken nose, multiple cuts, and gold-plated fingers. Artis was also separated from his belongings, including both of the orbs in his possession.

Artis' status continued to worsen throughout the day, with none of the students' health potions or healing spells curing his dying status. After Serinepth Sinderman returned Ferimel's staff to him, Ferimel revealed that Artis' dying was likely caused by his bonding with a powerful arcane artifact, the lack of which was killing him. Upon hearing this, Integrity Idleberry gave him back the Orb of Might, improving his health almost immediately.

### Arc 5 - Whiteout

Preceding Episode 28 - The Penultimate Pen and Paper Practicals, the students were asked to meet up with Wildcliff's Council of Administrators to take part in a hearing regarding the safety of interplanar travel. Before the hearing, they met up with Artis, whose hand was bandaged up, the previously gold-plated fingers amputated. He revealed that the fingers would soon be replaced with mechanical prosthetics similar to Yexim's arm prosthetic.

Artis also thanked the students for their dedication in looking after him after he was found unconscious, and asked them if they were aware of the location of the Orb of Reverence. Integrity opted to lie, claiming that it was not there when she recovered Artis' backpack. The students then told Artis that Ferimel possessed the Orb of Power. This surprised Artis, who did not seem to have heard of Ferimel before that moment.

Artis then proceeded along with the students towards the meeting room with the Council of Administrators, where Artis and Desa Truebeard spoke with the Council. The students later met with the Council independently of Artis.

### Arc 6: Food For Thought

After the students returned home from Lightmere, they were invited to Artis' office in Episode 37 - Sincere Intentions. Winsler inquired privately about how to reverse deals with Woods-Witches, but did not specify why he was asking, and claimed he had no involvement with any when asked. After the meeting was called, Integrity kicked down his door, causing multiple items to fall off of his shelves. He informed them that they would be joining him in the Restricted Section to study the Heart of Gold and the orbs, and sent Winsler off.

Once Winsler left, the group admitted to him that Winsler had made a deal with Seltie for a fraction of his soul, and agreed not to tell Winsler that Artis knew. In an attempt to further build their relationship of trust, Integrity admitted to Artis that she had the Orb of Reverence, claiming she later found it in her backpack. A very angry Artis tersely demanded she give it back, telling Integrity he was angry with her.

In Episode 38 - Double-Take, Artis accompanied the group to the Restricted Section for further studying, and learned that the book on Woods-Witches was currently being checked out by Professor Lawntoss. Artis asked to meet with Winsler later to gain access to the book.

In Episode 42 - Roll for Crime, Artis met with Winsler, explaining to him that Professor Lawntoss had refused to return the book on time; thus, he had gained permission from Professor Underbough to steal it back from her. Artis made a plan with Winsler to distract the other teachers with fine wine while Winsler snuck upstairs to her office steal the book back.

In Episode 45 - Slime Monster Evil, Winsler asked Integrity to deliver a gift to Artis, a jar of lavender goo from Seltie's house. Integrity visited Artis' office and apologized to him for keeping the orb from him. Artis warned her that the orbs' temptations were dangerous. Integrity also informed him of a recent dream she had had of The Progenitor, and promised to inform him of any future dreams or visions.

In Episode 47 - Teasaster, the students, excepting Serinepth, visited Artis' office, asking him to keep an eye out for suspicious sightings regarding the disappearance of students and the appearance of slime lookalikes. During the process of giving Artis details, Mira informed Artis of her and Integrity switching places during an exam, as well as the fact that the students gave truth serum to Professor Deeptar. Winsler also informed Artis and his friends about his meeting with the mysterious girl made of goo. In response, Artis agreed to keep an eye out and inform Professor Underbough of the situation, warning them that it might necessitate telling him about the rule-breaking. Ultimately, Artis informed Underbough of the full situation.

### Arc 7: Shake & Break

Artis accompanied the students to the city of Nebulosis, with the intention of meeting the Grand Artificer Juanita and gaining her insight on the Heart of Gold. As they arrived in the city, Mira apologized to Artis for a rude comment in their previous interaction. Only a few short minutes after arriving, however, the students were pickpocketed, and chased the thieves down a bottomless pit. Artis contacted city security, eventually helping them to get out.

The student eventually decided to venture into the city's underground City of Ghosts to regain their possessions, including the Orb of Progress. Because they were being supervised by Aaltine, the students decided to feed him rotten food to give him stomach problems. Artis agreed with their plan, helping them to do so and admitting that he strongly disliked Aaltine. The next day, after recovering their possessions, the students and Artis made their way to Spire Nebulosis to meet with Juanita and gain her insight on the Heart and the orbs. Because Artis becomes physically ill if separated from his orb, he remained with Juanita as the students explored the spire.

The students reunited with Artis several hours later in the midst of an attack on the spire, orchestrated by Chudley. The powerful Marid Zanak emerged and began to fight Juanita, and Artis encouraged the students to take the orbs and leave. They all eventually jumped out of the spire windows, protecting themselves with slow falling magic. As the spire collapsed and fell to the ground, Artis and the students escaped the city via teleportation circle. Aaltine, who was still at the inn with food poisoning, survived, but did not accompany them back to the city.

## Notable Items

 Orb of Reverence |  | Presumably given to Artis by Teb before he sets off to find digger.
Obtained from the Trial of Reverence at an unknown time.
 Enchanted Ring
 Rupert's Excretions
These properties are unknown to Artis as of yet.

## Trivia and Speculation

* In his time at Wildcliff, Artis was in a team consisting of Dain, himself, Fidan and Teb, nicknamed "DAFT".
* Artis wrote a book titled "Artistic Resonance Theory - The Effects of Elemental Convergence Zones on the Creative Mind: A Historical Review". According to Artis, only about seven copies were made, and he owns three of them.