Meet the Character – Primate Artorius

Meet the Character – Primate Artorius is part of the Meet the Character series on official website. This entry was published on 05/19/2016.

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Faithful of Akatosh,

As another Mid-Year Celebration approaches, this is a good time to reflect on the myriad of blessings provided by the Dragon God of Time. Of all the bountiful and numerous boons Akatosh bestows upon us, none gives us more pride and good cheer than the Primate of our Great Cathedral, the pious and righteous Artorius Ponticus.

The devotion and piety demonstrated by Primate Artorius on any given day barely hints at his humble beginnings. As the fourth son of the wealthy Ancrus family, young Artorius grew up without a clear idea of his place in the world. Service to the Divines was a natural path for Artorius to follow, but he had little interest in a life of spiritual devotion and prayer. Instead, young Artorius found himself drawn to the notorious crime boss, Vodunius Monrius. It wasn't long before he was running messages and performing errands for Vodunius and his lieutenants.

Primate Artorius never hides from his past. He tells us that he was full of “vinegar and fury" in those days, trying to find his place in the world. He was on the verge of either discovering his passion or losing his way when Akatosh intervened. Four members of the City Guard caught him collecting gold from a shop owner—the daily fee charged to protect the merchant from Vodunius's wrath. Instead of tossing Artorius in a dungeon and throwing away the key, however, the Guard sent him to spend a year and a day with the priests of the Divines as penance for his crimes.

Temple life soon became too exhausting for Artorius to maintain his rage. Study, meditation, and prayer were juxtaposed by various chores to maintain the temple and its shrines. Despite every attempt to do otherwise, the young initiate soon became fascinated with the tales and tenets of the Divines. He questioned the priests of each shrine endlessly about the Divine honored there, until Artorius eventually found his fate and pledged his service to the Dragon God of Time.

Of course, you've all heard the story of the "Miracle of the First Shrine," when Akatosh first used Artorius to reveal his will to the faithful. After that fateful event, Artorius received a post here at our Cathedral in Kvatch, where he quickly rose through the ranks and eventually took his place as our beloved Primate. Under his guidance and care, the Cathedral of Akatosh has remained a stabilizing force in our part of the world for most of the last decade. And, as we contemplate our blessings on this Mid-Year Celebration, remember that everything that's good and worthwhile in Kvatch and the Gold Coast comes from Akatosh and his chosen representative, Primate Artorius.

Do not let the pirates of Anvil disturb your tranquility. Do not fear the shadows or the cowardly assassins that hide within them. For Akatosh is the light and the power, and Primate Artorius is his good right hand.

As Akatosh wills it, so shall it be.

Grand Sermonizer Fithia