ARTUS

Physical Appearance: Artus is a powerfully built
gargoyle male in his mid-30's (biologically). He has the body and
facial structures of his father Broadway and his grandfather Hudson,
though this is modified some with the height and commanding
appearance and build of his other grandfather, Goliath. Artus'
coloring follows most closely that of Hudson, with beige-brown skin,
though he has the darker hair color of Goliath and Angela.

As far as clothing, Artus' affects the `traditional'
gargoyle garb of leather armor and loincloth (making him resemble
his grandfather Hudson even more), though he is not above equipping
himself in more modern types of armor when the situation demands it.

Personality: Artus is, first and foremost, a `family
man' – though in this case the `family' refers to the Manhattan Clan
of the mid-22nd Century. Calm, caring, and yet firm when he needs
to be, Artus devotes the majority of his attention to the welfare of
the clan (like any good leader should) and relations between the
clan and others. Still, he finds enough time for his own wife,
Persephone, and their children, as well as his biological siblings
and parents.

Artus seems to have inherited much of his temperament
from Broadway, as he has a very long `fuse' as far as his temper; it
is very difficult to make him truly angry, though the few times he
does reach this point, he is perhaps one of the most fearsome in the
clan. He also has a great love of books and reading, and in private
moments will often be found sitting in a comfortable chair, reading
a good book (he somewhat looks down on the fact that his grandfather
Hudson spent that same kind of time watching TV). And he does
appreciate fine food and drink, though he is nowhere near the
supposed glutton his father was.

Still, he is a competent warrior, with plenty of
knowledge of warfare learned from his reading (and some instruction
from family and perhaps the odd fay friend on Avalon). He
especially loves to use his grandfather's sword – it ties in with
his deep sense of tradition – though he doesn't use or wear it
terribly often (people in the 22nd Century get a little nervous
around someone wearing or using such an item). Unfortunately, it's
been a very long time since Artus had to fight for real against
anyone; he sometimes wonders if, when a real threat comes, he'll be
able to deal with it properly.

One final good/bad thing about Artus' personality is his
earlier mentioned sense of tradition. As far as he's concerned the
old ways are worth remembering and emulating, especially as many
gargoyles have adopted human customs and ways; he sometimes sees
himself as a cultural conservationist of sorts. Granted, he's
willing to adopt new things if they work, and he certainly isn't
disconnected with the fact that he lives in the 22nd and not the
10th Century, but he still is very much into trying to keep old
customs (such as the `Gargoyles Protect' credo) alive and well. (Of
course, more than a few youngsters consider him something of a
fossil for this reason.)

Abilities: Physically, Artus is a capable warrior of his
kind, efficient with sword, laser cannon, and hand-to-hand combat.
Where he has special capabilities is in his capacity as leader of
his clan, where he can call upon both the resources of his brethren
and those of Alexander Xanatos (something he's more than capable of
using wisely). He is also a well-respected leader among the clans,
and would likely be able to gain assistance from them if the need
were great enough.

History: The oldest of the three children of Broadway
and Angela, Artus is the only one of the blood siblings to remember
Goliath and Elisa Maza personally (though the later was an old woman
at the time). Perhaps it was growing up in this time, with a real
link to his people's past, that helped foster his conservatism;
growing up at the knee of his two grandfathers couldn't have
distracted from this. In any event, the young gargoyle grew
straight and true, becoming a fine member of the clan in the years
before the Great Quake in NYC.

When the disaster occurred, he helped his family in
their escape to Avalon; though he wanted to stay and help in NYC, he
understood that he had a duty to his family as well and so went with
them. The fey island was pleasant enough – being a technical member
of Oberon's `honor guard' meant the fey were more or less hospitable
towards him (and those that weren't merely avoided him), and there
was more than enough to learn of the past from the castle library
(what books he was allowed to read) and from Katherine and Tom. But
the isolation from NYC and the rest of the clan, as well as his
sister Gwenyvere's growing `rebelliousness', made him chafe to be
back on Earth; his talents were going to waste on the island, and he
knew it.

So it was with a mixed measure of relief that he and his
family returned to the city of his birth. Though it was changed
severely with the passage of several decades – the scars of the
Quake had mostly healed by now – the Clan still existed and welcomed
the expatriates back. Though some of the faces were strange, Artus
was able to easily adapt, and soon was reclaiming his position as
one of the nighttime defenders of the people of NYC.

The next few decades were relatively peaceful ones for
him and the Manhattan Clan; the world of Man had become more
peaceful and united overall, and gargoyles faced few overt
challenges to their existence (with some exceptions). Artus did his
job patiently and did it well enough that, when the clan leader
stepped down, he was elected to take the man's place. He quickly
moved to strengthen ties to the other clans around the world, and
with his voice he began to give his clan some influence in the
Council meetings; it is largely due to his efforts that the
Manhattan Clan has a preeminent position in the mid-22nd century.

Artus also found time to find a mate and start a family
of his own, and with the exception of Gwen's rebelliousness and some
political matters among the clans, he had no serious challenges to
his position or status. Unfortunately, with the rise of Apep and
the Third Unseelie Court, Artus began to run into his first serious
crises in many years; problemswhich threaten to overwhelm both him
and the clan if he can't find a way to beat them.

Goals: Artus' main goal is the well-being of the
Manhattan Clan of the mid-22nd century (as he is the leader of said
clan, this goes without saying). He is also concerned with the
happiness and well-being of his mate, Persephone, and his siblings
and parents. Though the rift between Gwenyvere and Angela does
concern him, he has more important matters to attend to (due to his
position); only when it becomes obvious that she has `sided' with an
enemy does this matter become a high priority for him, and then it's
in a sense of having to fight against her as a necessity.