Character Spotlight: Artan

Who Is Artan?

Johnny's faithful canine companion! Artan is the grandson of the Grey Wolf. His father, Andrei, was the companion of Igor Ivanov, one of the Bogovi. After Johnny traded his left arm to Andrei in exchange for one of Andrei's magical fangs, the Wolf-Hound decided that it would be funny to see what Johnny would do with one of his pups. Since at that point in the story, Johnny was terrified of anything dog-shaped, it seemed like a good way to get a few laughs. Andrei's gift nearly sent Johnny into fits.

How Did He Join?

In a big sense, Artan didn't 'join' the Band until after Johnny's Demigod Visitation. Lugh fed him a special doggy treat that aged the puppy into a full-grown adult in just a few minutes. As an adult, Artan can speak perfectly understandable English and is as intelligent as most children.

What Role Does He Play?

Originally, Artan was Johnny's protector. Since Johnny got himself Reshaped and picked up a whole lot of trouble-avoidance measures, that's been less and less the case. Artan is still dangerous in a fight, but as the Band faces more powerful foes, he's more of a support attacker than a heavy hitter. 

As Johnny has become more uncertain about the rightness of his actions and gotten progressively more depressed about his life, Artan has taken on the role of Johnny's conscience. He got a little help when Nuada bound Johnny with a Geas that, if broken, requires Artan to maim Johnny continually until the Geas is restored. Artan now offers advice and gentle pushes whenever he thinks his master is being "a bad Johnny" or just being stupid. 

What Are His Stories?

Aside from his involvement with Johnny, Artan has a story of his own. He's fallen in love with a poodle named Agatha Snowball. He thinks that's a stupid name, so he calls her Fluffy. After convincing Boris to buy Agatha from the sweet old lady that owned her (Boris ended up bringing the old woman's husband back from the dead in trade for the dog), Artan and Fluffy have settled into a happy family. Recently Fluffy delivered three of Artan's puppies. They have yet to be given human-language names, and are being referred to by their colors: White, Cinnamon and Black. White and Black are boys; Cinnamon is a girl.

Where Is He Headed?

Since Johnny cheated on his wife, Artan hasn't been too happy with his master. He's confused and angry that Johnny won't just bring her back from the dead after she was killed, and thinks Johnny should remain faithful to her memory until she comes back. This disagreement has put a strain on the relationship between Artan and Johnny. Artan just can't understand how someone could not want to be mated for life. He also hasn't quite figured out that eventually, he's going to have to watch Fluffy grow old and die while he stays healthy and young.

Then again, Fluffy has been learning some of Artan's tricks somehow. When Boris is around, Fluffy will occasionally let out a special bark to get his attention. It sounds an awful lot like the first syllable of his name. Artan claims he is "helping" Fluffy, but will not elaborate.