Artanis

"Executor, I am Artanis. Though I have only recently been appointed Praetor, you can trust that I will uphold the honor and traditions of the Templar."

- Artanis introduces himself

Artanis, a Scout pilot, was a young Protoss and member of the Templar Caste. Appointed Executor to replace Tassadar, he was later promoted to the rank of Praetor. At only 262 years old, he was the youngest Protoss to achieve that rank. He later achieved the rank of Hierarch in StarCraft II. His chief assistant, Selendis, a female Protoss, holds the rank of Executor.

Artanis harbors a deep respect and admiration for Tassadar. He hopes to becomes as great a leader as Tassadar; a path which could cause him to forsake his better judgement. Artanis sneered at the Terrans, thinking of them as weak, although this may have changed due to his tutelage under Zeratul.

Early Service
The full extent of Artanis' service is unknown, though it is clear that it was extensive. Alongside his comrade Fenix, Artanis travelled across hundreds of worlds.

One such world was Dannuth VII, where he and Fenix encountered Tagal forces. Despite being outnumbered 30:1 however, the Protoss were victorious..

Enter the Zerg
"En Taro Adun, Executor. I am Judicator Aldaris, and I have been sent by the Conclave to serve and counsel you. The former Executor, Tassadar, was commanded to halt the Zerg progress in the Terran sector by burning the infested human worlds. Unfortunately, he disregarded his orders and attempted to destroy the Zerg while sparing the Terrans from the flame. Clearly, Tassadar has failed us. You must not."

- Aldaris

Artanis was appointed to the position of Executor during the Zerg invasion of Aiur, following the apparent defection of the previous Executor, Tassadar, to the Dark Templar. To this end, he began by fortifying the base at Antioch, once again serving alongside Fenix. Antioch was held against the Zerg and a succesful counter attack was made.

Artanis' actions pleased his superior, Judicator Aldaris, restoring his faith in the Templar Caste. An interuption by Tassadar however, sending his thoughts from the planet Char, was not so pleasing. Regardless, Tassadar spoke of what he had learnt from the Dark Templar, how striking down the Cerebrates was the key to winning the war against the Zerg. Aldaris decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, though Tassadar maintained that he would remain on Char for the time being, returning when the time was right.

Putting Tassadar's suggestion into action, Artanis and his forces held the line against the Zerg while Fenix moved his own forces into position for an assault on the Baelrog Brood's Cerebrate. In this, he was successful, penetrating the Hive Cluster and striking down the Cerebrate. However, after staying behind to observe the Brood's actions, Fenix reported that the Cerebrate had arisen from the grave, driving its forces forward for the next offensive.

Seething at Tassadar's apparant treachery, Aldaris ordered Artanis to reclaim the province of Scion from the Zerg, while Fenix remained behind at Antioch to guard against counterattack. While Artanis was succesful in taking back the province, Antioch came under heavy attack in the meantime, Fenix falling in the assault.

Heresy
"The tenor of your thoughts is different, but I sense no evil about you. And your devotion to our world and our people is as strong as ever. I shall trust in your wisdom, noble Tassadar. I shall be as you wish."

- Artanis sides with Tassadar.

In the wake of the recent victories against the Zerg, Artanis was tasked with finding Tassadar and bringing him back to Aiur to face justice. Upon encountering Tassadar (and his new human companions), it was clear that he was not the heretic that the Conclave made him out to be. Defying Aldaris, Artanis decided to give Tassadar the benefit of the doubt, agreeing to help him rescue Zeratul and his band of Dark Templar. Battling against the Zerg and even Terran Dominion forces, the Dark Templar were succesfully rescued. They agreed to return to Aiur.

Upon returning to Aiur, Artanis and co. recieved welcome from Fenix, whose body had been recovered from Antioch and implanted inside a Dragoon exoskeleton. The response of the Conclave however, was not so favourable, surrounding the landing zone with orders to stand down and surrendur the Dark Templar for execution. Initially, Tassadar was willing to battle against the Judicator Caste's forces, Artanis following suit. However, unable to stomach his people slaughtering themselves in battle, Tassadar surrendured himself to the Conclave, granting his followers some respite.

Artanis and Fenix were left without Tassadar to guide them, and Zeratul and his Dark Templar had dissapeared. However, with the aid of the Terran Jim Raynor, they were succesfully able to rescue Tassadar before he could be executed. In addition, Zeratul returned to the fold, sharing his knowledge of the Zerg, of how they too were created by the Xel'Naga, how they would run rampant throughout the stars if not stopped here and now. It was a task that Artanis was ready to take on.

The Battle for Aiur
"Indeed. My friends, this is our final hour. Not all of us may survive the coming conflict. Yet, death may be a blessing should we fail here. We seek now to destroy a foe that has ravaged its way across the universe consuming all in its path. And now it has reached the end of its long journey. The Overmind has come to destroy all that we hold dear and assimilate us into itself. And I say to thee, this shall not come to pass! Aiur shall not fall! Executor, I stand ready!"

- Tassadar

To clear a path to the Overmind, its defences had to be thinned. Fenix proved apt in this, weakening the defences of the Hive Cluster, allowing Zeratul to assassinate the Cerebrates.

A last, final assault on the Overmind was thus made ready, the Templar of both Light and Darkness, alongside Raynor's Raiders, pooling together their forces. With the Conclave's blessings, Artanis and Tassadar led their forces against the Overmind and its minnions. In the end, though the Overmind was weakened, so too were those who assaulted it. Giving Artanis his blessings, Tassadar guided the Gantrithor on a collission course at the creature, destroying both it and himself in a burst of Dark Templar energy.

As the chaotic, swirling energies subsided, a heavy silence settled over the battlefields of Aiur. Due to Tassadar's sacrifice, the Overmind was now dead and the Zerg Swarms were scattered and broken. However, like those around him, Artanis knew that victory had cost them all but their lives. The future was far from certain...

Escape from Aiur
Artanis, now a praetor, is assigned to assist the new executor (the player). They help the survivors from Aiur to transport safely through the Warp Gate to Shakuras. Artanis was in charge of the refugee camp. However, the Zerg had also traveled through the Warp Gate and attacked the refugees. As the settlement was constructed, a number of Zerg attacked it, but these were driven off by Dark Templar.

Jim Raynor and Fenix, who had remained on Aiur and were defending that side of the Gate, were able to take control of it for a short time and send a transmission through. They would close the Gate on their side to prevent the Zerg from sending more reinforcements to Shakuras. Artanis promised to send them all the troops he could spare before the Gate was closed.

Upon meeting the Dark Templar Matriarch, Raszagal, and learning of the Xel'Naga Temple, Artanis was very enthusiastic about retrieving the Uraj and Khalis crystals in order to activate it. However, Raszagal wanted the Zerg scoured from the Temple grounds first.

Afterwards, Kerrigan appeared and made her introduction to the Protoss leaders. While Raszagal welcomed her, Artanis said he cannot forget her crimes against his race.

Quest for the Crystals
Artanis, Zeratul, Kerrigan, and the Executor departed for the planet Braxis, where the Uraj Crystal was located. Overcoming damage to the Protoss Warp Matrix, which prevented his forces from summoning Stargates, the Protoss defeated the Terran Dominion forces there and recovered the crystal.

When the Protoss tried to leave Braxis, however, they meet a surprise: the United Earth Directorate. Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov had constructed a series of Missile Turrets on a space platform over Braxis, which would prevent the Protoss from escaping. Stukov demanded the surrender of the Protoss.

Artanis, incensed at Stukov's attitude, personally lead the Protoss forces against the UED from his Scout. However, his assault bogged down as the UED defended the fusion reactors which powered the Missile Turrets, with Zeratul dispatching reinforcements when necessary. With this aid, Artanis destroyed the fusion reactors, shutting down the Missile Turrets, and allowing the escape of the Protoss.

Artanis' next destination was Char, home of the new Overmind and the location of the Khalis Crystal. Unfortunately, the new Overmind has nestled very close to the Khalis, requiring the Protoss to fight their way past a large number of Zerg in order to recover the crystal.

Kerrigan and Artanis both proposed a way of recovering the crystal. Kerrigan suggested striking hard and fast so as to fight their way through their defenses and escape with the crystal, while Artanis suggested doing enough superficial damage to the Overmind to temporarily pacify the nearby Zerg - the new Overmind was still in its infant stage, and it's control over the Zerg was still weak. Kerrigan commented that either plan would work. Zeratul complimented Artanis's plan.

During the upcoming battle, Kerrigan exerted limited control of a few of the Zerg there and provided the Protoss with some backup. Together, the Zerg and Protoss fought their way to the Overmind and Khalis, spiriting the crystal away. Artanis was worried that Shakuras may have fallen to the Zerg during their absence.

Return to Shakuras
When Artanis, Kerrigan, Zeratul, and the Executor arrived on Shakuras, they found it in a state of war. Aldaris, angered at the abandonment of Aiur, the alliance with with the Dark Templar and the acceptance of Kerrigan, had taken control of the Judicator and Templar warriors and was preparing to lead them in an attack against the Matriarch. Aldaris even had Archons which he can send against them, which worried Artanis, but Zeratul told him not to worry - the Dark Templar had Archons of their own.

After defeating Aldaris, Artanis and Zeratul confronted him. Artanis tried to persuade Aldaris that Kerrigan had changed, but Aldaris replied that the Matriarch had been manipulated. Kerrigan interrupted the conversation by killing Aldaris before he could reveal the manipulator's identity. Zeratul banished a gloating Kerrigan from Shakuras as a result of her actions.

Fury of the Xel'Naga
When the Protoss returned to the Xel'Naga Temple, Artanis personally carried the Uraj crystal; with it, he activated the temple and used its power to eradicate all Zerg life on Shakuras.

The Siege of Char
Kerrigan returned to Shakuras, capturing Matriarch Raszagal and transporting her to Char. The Protoss followed. After a brief alliance (resulting in the death of the second Overmind) the Zerg and Protoss began to fight each other. The battle resulted in the death of Raszagal and the destruction of the Protoss fleets. Zeratul set out in search of Artanis so they could return to Shakuras and plan their next moves.

Kerrigan's rash attack on the Protoss put her in a perilous position; most of her forces had descended to the surface of Char leaving her space platforms relatively unguarded. Artanis led a fleet to the space platforms, intent on revenge for Kerrigan's actions.

Artanis commanded the the assault on Kerrigan's platforms; his forces, along with Arcturus Mengsk and Admiral Gerard DuGalle of the UED launched a combined assault. However, the alliance crumbled before the might of the Zerg Swarm. "Savor this victory, Kerrigan!" said Artanis as the Protoss are defeated, "For the Protoss will never forget your treachery. We shall be watching you." Artanis and the Protoss survivors returned to Shakuras to begin rebuilding their once glorious civilization.

Future Imperfect
Artanis participated in a secret mission on Braxis.

He called a conference with Jim Raynor, alerting him to the truth of rumors that Raynor had heard; former United Earth Directorate Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov, who was murdered by Samir Duran, had been resurrected and infested by the Zerg, specifically by a Cerebrate named Kaloth.

Raynor believed Stukov would never "sell out to the Zerg" but Artanis warned him that it was very possible. He didn't want to kill Stukov, however; instead, he would employ a new nanotech serum which could reverse the infestation process. He sent Raynor and Praetor Taldarin to the surface of Braxis in order to accomplish the mission. Afterwards, his forces "purified" Braxis, melting its surface.

After the Brood War, Artanis has been named "Hierarch", the supreme leader of the reunited Protoss people, and has been focusing on merging the two sects of Protoss society together. Some Protoss cannot understand that the Khalai and the Dark Templar are two halves of the same species and are psychologically regressing to a tribal state; Artanis has his hands full trying to prevent this slide into tribalism. His chief assistant is Selendis.

Artanis's actions in StarCraft II are currently unknown, but he has been confirmed as a character in the game. One of the new Zealot quotes is "For Artanis!"

Game Unit
Artanis is of the Templar Caste, and appears in StarCraft: Brood War missions as a Scout pilot. The statistics are weaker than those for Mojo's Scout.

Trivia

 * Artanis's name is "Sinatra" spelled backwards, a nod to the famous singer and Rat Pack member Frank Sinatra.
 * In StarCraft: Brood War, the 3D model for the Protoss campaign is that of Artanis. In this image, as well as his unit portrait, he is missing his psionic appendages, leading some to believe that he is, in fact, a Dark Templar. Blizzard Entertainment has admitted this error, however - Artanis is a member of the Templar Caste and has not lost his appendages.
 * When clicked multiple times, he first responds by saying: "Stop poking me!" then moves on to what appears to be Blizzards' response to criticism against StarCraft Alpha, saying: "It's not like Warcraft in Space, it's more sophisticated. Do I look like an ork?" He finishes by saying: "I KNOW IT'S NOT 3D!"
 * In one of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels, The Silmrillion, a character named Artanis is mentioned. Later on that character would have their name changed to Galadriel.