Template:Infobox charactersmall Artanis is a young Protoss Praetor in the fictional StarCraft universe. At only 262 years old, he has been given great military responsibility.
Artanis is a good tactician who practically worships Tassadar. He sneers at the Terrans, thinking of them as weak, although this appeared to change throughout the game due to his tutelage under Zeratul.
When starting to play StarCraft: Brood War, you can see a close-up of a 3-D model of Artanis. In this image, 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 High Templar and has not lost his appendages.
A young warrior and Scout pilot in the service of the now defunct Protoss Conclave, Artanis is among the few remaining heroes of his race and among the last of its great Templar leaders. Though he employs unconventional tactics and is a dynamic, flexible leader, his youth is the sire to arrogance and a brash demeanor.
However, in his high position of power Artanis sometimes found himself given to his overweening pride, as he hopes to becomes as great a leader as Tassadar; a path which could cause him to forsake his better judgement.
History
Artanis stands tall
Artanis was appointed Praetor shortly after the apocalyptic battle that saw the destruction of the Zerg Overmind and death of Tassadar. Among the fledgling High Templar's first assignments as his role as line commander was the escort and safeguarding of Khalai and other refugees to the Warp Gate; he performed admirably and saved countless lives. He went on to serve as part of the core advisory council of the Executor and played a large role in many subsequent campaigns.
When the Protoss made it safely to Shakuras, Artanis was put in charge of the refugee camp, New Antioch. However, the Zerg travelled through the Warp Gate and attacked the camp, but were driven off by Dark Templar.
The Zerg continued to spread over Shakuras, but Jim Raynor and Fenix, who were defending the Aiur 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 more Zerg from pouring through. Artanis promised to send to them as many warriors as 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 in order to activate it. However, Raszagal wanted the Zerg cleared away from the Temple first. Artanis saw, for the first time, the true power of the Dark Templar as they slew two Cerebrates.
Afterwards, Infested Kerrigan made her introduction to the Protoss of Shakuras. While Raszagal welcomed her, Artanis said he could not forget what she had done to his race. Aldaris, meanwhile, refused to talk to Raszagal.
Quest for the Crystals
Artanis, Zeratul and Infested Kerrigan took part in the expedition to Braxis, where the Uraj crystal was located. Overcoming damage to the Protoss Warp Matrix, which prevented his forces from summoning space vessels; the Protoss defeated the Terran forces there and recovered the crystal.
When the Protoss tried to leave Braxis, however, they met a surprise: the United Earth Directorate. Vice Admiral Alexi 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.
Zeratul did not seem enthusiastic about fighting the Terrans, which puzzled Artanis.
"Have faith, Zeratul! You almost sound as if you fear these humans. What are they to such as we? Was it not we who defeated the dreaded Overmind?" said Artanis. However, Zeratul told him that the Protoss could only defeat the Zerg Overmind with the assistance of humans such as Jim Raynor.
Artanis, incensed at Stukov's attitude, personally led the Protoss forces against the UED from his Scout. However, his assault bogged down as the Terrans defended the fusion reactors which powered the Missile Turrets, and Zeratul had to send him reinforcements. 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 second Zerg Overmind and the location of the Khalis crystal. Unfortunately, the new Overmind had 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.
Infested Kerrigan and Artanis both proposed a way of recovering the crystal. Kerrigan suggested cutting a path through the Zerg in order to recover it, while Artanis suggested dealing enough subdual 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 told Artanis that his plan was very bold, worthy of Tassadar himself, bringing a blushing reaction from Artanis and a sarcastic comment from Kerrigan.
During the upcoming battle, Kerrigan took control of a Zerg Hive Cluster and "donated" it to the Protoss. Together, the Zerg and Protoss fought their way to the Overmind and Khalis, spiriting the crystal away. However, Artanis seemed despondent. He believed his forces would arrive at Shakuras too late to finally defeat the Zerg there.
Return to Shakuras
When Artanis, Kerrigan and Zeratul arrived on Shakuras, they found it in a state of war. Aldaris, angered at Raszagal's acceptance of Infested Kerrigan, had taken control of the Judicator Caste and Templar warriors and sent them in an aggressive attack against the Matriarch. Aldaris even had Protoss Archons which he could send against Raszagal, which worried Artanis, but Zeratul told him not to worry - the Dark Templar had Archons of their own.
Artanis and Zeratul fought for the Matriarch, while Kerrigan avoided the action, as it was an internal Protoss matter. After defeating Aldaris, Artanis and Zeratul descended on him.
"Aldaris, be reasonable! Kerrigan has changed. She no longer seeks to enslave anyone. Do not force us to destroy you." said Artanis, but Aldaris refused to surrender. He said that Artanis could no longer afford to be so naive, and he believed that Kerrigan's influence over Raszagal went deep, but Kerrigan interrupted the conversation with a deadly attack on Aldaris.
Zeratul evicted a gloating Kerrigan from Shakuras as a result of her actions.
Fury of the Xel'Naga
During the second confrontation between Protoss and Zerg forces on the much hallowed Xel'Naga Temple grounds of Shakuras, which lay atop a nexus of cosmic energy, Artanis was instrumental in breaking the Zerg blockade and activating the ancient weapon. Wielding the golden Uraj crystal, he manipulated the nexus's cosmic energies to eradicate all Zerg life on Shakuras.
The Siege of Char
Artanis accompanied Zeratul to Char after Infested Kerrigan had kidnapped Raszagal from Shakuras and brought her there, as a tool to force Zeratul to destroy the second Zerg Overmind.
While Kerrigan's ploy was successful, Zeratul escaped with the Matriarch. Kerrigan send most of her Zerg Broods down to the surface of Char to recapture the Matriarch, but Zeratul's action shocked Kerrigan. Kerrigan allowed Zeratul to leave, but even so, she was in a weak position. Only one of her Broods was in a position to defend the strategic orbital platform over Char.
Artanis lead the assault on Kerrigan's base of operations on Char for the Protoss; in a desperate alliance the Protoss, Terran Dominion, and United Earth Directorate combined their resources and assaulted the world, attempting to secure the Omega platform to use as a staging point for the defeat of the Zerg on Char. However, the plans, strategies and strength of the three depleted allied armies were inadequate and the alliance crumbled before the might of the Zerg Swarm; Artanis and a few survivors fled back to Shakuras after the debacle.
Artanis later took part in a mission on Braxis.
Trivia
Artanis's name is "Sinatra" spelled backwards, a nod to the famous singer and Rat Pack member Frank Sinatra.
References
- StarCraft homepage at Blizzard Entertainment
- Battle.net StarCraft Compendium
- Underwood, Peter, Chris Metzen and Bill Roper. StarCraft: Brood War (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.