Wild Cards

Some characters defy easy classification, but their presence is keenly felt nevertheless…

Artax (Bryan Watson)

Full Name: Liam ard’Taxis (not widely known)
Date of Birth: 30 Oct 1811 (not widely known)
Species: Uncursed Human (Sathmoran Highlander)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White, long and bushy, with a long beard
Skin: Fair
Height: 170 cm (5′7″)
Allegiance: Unknown
Religion: Unknown
Education: Grand Master Wizard (school unknown)
Distinctive Traits: Uncanny prescience

Also known as the Old Man, Artax is a wizard of unknown-but-darned-considerable power who runs the best magic shop in the city, a store rather whimsically called SPELLS 4 U. His true age is uncertain, but he appears to be in at least his late sixties or early seventies. Of course, he’s looked about that old for as long as anyone can remember — except for the occasions when he didn’t.

Since many of his customers are non-mages looking for small charms, curios and other oddities, Artax plays the “wizard” look to the hilt, dressing in a blue robe covered with gold moons and stars and a huge pointed hat that is ludicrously tacky by a modern mage’s standards. His mottoes are emblazoned on a large sign above the cash register: “Always follow the directions. Let the buyer beware.” Magic is serious stuff; while Artax will sell most of his stock to anyone who has the cash, he does not suffer fools lightly.

The most unnerving thing about Artax, for most people, is the fact that he always knows a lot more about you than he ought to. Most wizards who use divination have to depend on tricky rituals and expensive reagents, but Artax just seems to know whatever he needs to know in order to help his customers (or, in some cases, give them enough rope to hang themselves with). Nobody’s quite figured out how he manages that — not even the other wizards…

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