The Traveler

Lord Artagan of the Morncrown

"You know, for someone who hates the theatre, you've made quite a show of all of this."

–Keyleth to Artagan

This powerful archfey of selfish and anarchic intent, who was once known by the name Artagan, drew the ire of Corellon a millennium ago when his prank-like dabblings on the Material Plane left an entire nascent elven culture worshipping a whale carcass. Banished to the Feywild and barred from the mortal realm, Artagan wandered his home plane for hundreds of years, sowing chaos for his own enjoyment—until he struck a deal with the heroes of Vox Machina that enabled him to return to the Material Plane. There, he embarked on his latest plot of dubious divinity under a new identity: the Traveler.
Eccentric, fickle, and prone to whimsy and impulse, the Traveler wanders Exandria, seeking allies and followers who entertain him. Lending his powerful fey magics in the guise of divine boons and weaving a spreading myth surrounding his secretive purpose, the Traveler appears when least expected and leaves when least preferred. Those who hear of his tenets are prone to disbelief, but the occasional "miracle" serves to reinforce his influence. Does he wish to become a new god, or is this all still just a game?

More Than a Game

Artagan's "Traveler" persona began after sensing a kinship and discovering a spark uniquely similar to his own within a little blue girl named Jester Lavorre. Young Jester believed with such unconditional childlike faith and wonder in Artagan's "divinity" as the Traveler that Artagan pretended to be the god she believed him to be, only to discover he actually started to become newly empowered from the unconditional faith she bestowed in him.
Exhilarated, Artagan (as The Traveler) began to seek out others like Jester and himself who also believed in joy, mischief and the act of exposing arrogance and hypocrisy, becoming increasingly deified by their gathering faith. However as his followers multiplied Artagan found himself overwhelmed by the increasing multitudes of voices calling upon him through prayer; demanding aid, guidance and the responsibilities of godhood. Inspired by their long standing relationship as his first disciple and witnessing Jester's mastery of creative trickery in bargaining with the witch Isharnai to release Nott the Brave from a curse, Artagan decided to confide the truth in Jester, asking she grant him counsel, revealing that he in truth "has no idea what [he] is doing," asking her aid in knowing how to proceed in his newfound role as the deity of joy and trickery known as The Traveler.

Divine Domains

• Nature
• Trickery

Divine Symbols & Sigils

The Traveler's symbol is an arched doorway over a road that vanishes into the distance.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Beneath his iconic green cloak, Artagan is very tall and thin, walking chest-forward and regal-poised. He appears almost elflike but still has exaggerated fey-like features and long ears that curl past his small head, with a pointed chin; almond-shaped, verdant-emerald green eyes; and wild, curly orange hair like a lion’s mane going down to his lower back. He wears sleeveless silk vestments of blue and green.

Identifying Characteristics

The Traveler is often depicted as a tall elf man hidden within a billowing green cloak, the hood obscuring his face except for his knowing grin.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Unlike many fey creatures, Artagan does not belong to one of the fey courts.
When Syngorn was in the Feywild during the Chroma Crisis, Artagan helped some fey, including a pixie prince named Windybranch, slip through the city's defenses, where they occupied a noblewoman's manor and transformed it into a fun slice of the Feywild; she tried to reclaim her home for years afterward.

Garmelie

A cartoonist with an immature perspective, Garmelie produced many juvenile caricatures in his sketchbook. When Syngorn phased from the Material Plane into the Feywild after the Chroma Conclave attacked Tal'Dorei, Garmelie suddenly found himself with a city full of new subjects for his unique brand of art.
Garmelie claimed to have an uncle named Jameson, who taught him about some of the dangers in the Feywild.

"The Feywild" (1x59)

Garmelie began stalking and drawing Vox Machina after the party entered the Feywild to retrieve Fenthras. Vex'ahlia noticed the stealthy satyr and managed to sneak up on him using her broom, but she also noticed that he didn't pose a serious threat. Rather playfully, Vex hovered on her broom behind Garmelie, then playfully asked, "Whatcha drawin'?" Garmelie was very flustered and prepared to flee, but not before Vex grabbed hold of him and brought him to the rest of Vox Machina. Eventually, after Garmelie charmed Percy, he and Vox Machina arrived at an agreement: after completing two tasks in Syngorn, Garmelie would guide the party to the Shademurk Bog.

"Heredity and Hats" (1x60)

As it turned out, Garmelie sought a piece of a threshold crest and High Warden Tirelda's travel hat. Vox Machina acquired the hat through deception and theft. However, Percy and Keyleth managed to satisfy the requirement for a piece of a Threshold Crest through a technicality in the verbal agreement, with Keyleth using Stone Shape to create a Whitestone crest from the threshold of a door, then Percy breaking it and handing a piece to Garmelie—literally "a piece of a threshold crest". Garmelie agreed in frustration that Vox Machina upheld its end of the bargain, but he was still quite pleased with Tirelda's travel hat. Garmelie then began leading the group toward Shademurk Bog.

"Denizens of the Moonbrush" (1x61)

Garmelie continued to guide Vox Machina through the Feywild.

"Uninviting Waters" (1x62)

Garmelie accompanied the party to a series of rivers that blocked their path, and he attemptsed to part ways. Instead, Scanlan threw him (with Bigby's Hand) as far as he could across the rivers. Ultimately Garmelie reached the other side before he was able to leave.

"The Echo Tree" (1x63)

After Vox Machina faced and defeated Saundor, Garmelie returned, revealing himself to be an Archfey named Artagan, who greatly enjoyed watching the group's adventures in the Feywild. Artagan invited Vox Machina to visit him again sometime.

A Deal for a Door

"Dark Dealings" (1x112)

When Vox Machina fled Thar Amphala to the Feywild, they struck a bargain with Artagan. The Archfey agreed to alter the Feywild's time dilation effect so that the party could rest for a day in the Feywild while only an hour passed on the Material Plane...on two conditions. The first condition was that Vox Machina would later create a door for Artagan to enter into the Material Plane. The second condition was that Artagan wanted to strangle Vax'ildan until he died, something he became interested in after hearing the half-elf say he was "kind of unkillable lately". Vax agreed to this and let the Archfey strangle him to death.

"The Final Ascent" (1x113)

The next morning, Artagan greeted the party, telling them they had been been in the Feywild for longer than the agreed-upon twenty-four hours but he would see what he could whip up. He cast a spell to control the time dilation, and Keyleth took them back to the Material Plane. Eventually, they held up their end of the bargain and created a doorway through which he could access Exandria.

The Traveler

"With Great Power..." (2x94)

The Traveler revealed his true nature to Jester, that while he was indeed her Traveler, her deity, he was not always so.

"Blessing in Disguise" (2x95)

Artagan appeared in front of the Mighty Nein and revealed himself to be not a god, but in fact an Archfey from the Feywild. He asked for their help in planning TravelerCon so that his followers would become less reliant on him and more on each other.

"The Fancy and the Fooled" (2x97)

Marion Lavorre recalled someone roughly matching Artagan's distinguishing features occasionally appearing in the audience of the Lavish Chateau.

"Maritime Mysteries" (2x103)

Jester cast Commune and asked the Traveler if had known how Vokodo affected people's memories. He responded telling her that yes, he knew what happened to those who stayed on the island. The Traveler reassured her that he was never going to leave her on the island, and when she pressed him, he included her friends as well. To cheer Jester up, he manipulated the shadows around Catha to create an image of a googly-eyed Tusktooth.

"Devoutness and Dicks" (2x107)

While the Mighty Nein were planning TravelerCon, Artagan appeared and they brainstormed how to get him out of the god business. They eventually settled on the idea of convincing his followers that the Traveler was actually the Moonweaver in disguise. On the eve of TravelerCon, Jester pulled him aside and he told her how much she's changed him for the better, and how much she's grown. She told him he was her best friend and always will be. He cautioned her that he doesn't expect things to last forever, and they should appreciate the time they have, then wandered off to enjoy the party.

"Traveler Con" (2x108)

During TravelerCon, Artagan was present though mostly in disguise, and aided Caleb in providing special effects. At its conclusion on the volcano top, he made himself look like the Moonweaver, giving a speech about hiding "her" identity from them and starting a new sect of the religion. Suddenly the clouds parted, revealing a full moon. Jester and Artagan were confused, since the moon wasn't supposed to be in the sky. Gossamer chains rained down and bound Artagan as an angelic figure descended and called for the Traveler to be brought back to the Feywild to be punished. Jester grabbed his legs, begging the angel to forgive him. The chains began rising up from the ground, along with the angel. Fjord used his Relentless Hex to grab Jester, and the Traveler kicked them both off of him. Caleb cast Feather Fall to slow their descent. At that, the angel halted, asking Artagan if he was sorry for what he had done. He apologized for impersonating the Moonweaver. The chains then broke apart, sending him into a freefall, eventually halted by Veth's Feather Fall. Artagan addressed the crowd, saying they should go worship the Moonweaver, and walked away. He later visited the party as they rested in the dome for the night and apologized for what had happened. He thanked them all for keeping Jester safe from harm's way.
Artagan has maintained a close relationship with Jester as the granter of her cleric abilities, even if he is not technically a "god". He comes when she calls upon him for aid with Scrying or Sending and provides guidance through Commune in a casual and laid-back manner, even when it interrupts his other activities. While the party was in Eiselcross, for instance, he came for a long casual chat while holding a mai tai he brought from Port Damali when Jester failed on a Divine Intervention.

"Hell or High Water" (2x136)

It was confirmed by Caleb and Beauregard's Truesight that Artagan takes the form of Jester's red weasel, Sprinkle. Caleb noted that as Capeleb he had seen Sprinkle chittering in Jester's ear while she scried, and he saw the same thing again as himself later. Sprinkle then perked up and started talking to Jester, confirming that he is Artagan.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

The Traveler finds enjoyment in mischief and pranks, but rarely seeks genuine harm.

Likes & Dislikes

For reasons he refuses to admit to anyone, Artagan loathes the theatre. He will go to great lengths to avoid it.

Divine Classification

Archfey

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Gender

Male

Quotes & Catchphrases

• "I'll help you under two conditions. One: should you go back and defeat this wannabe god thing you speak of and all is well and you're heroes and you have all of this influence and money and everything's grand, we can discuss maybe creating a doorway for me that allows passage. I'll come visit and see what strangeness your world seems to have whenever I'd like. [...] Second: I wish to strangle you until death."
• "Nothing happens for a reason; it's absolute fucking chaos."
• "Delightfully foolish; I love it."
• "Very few individuals know how to pull the rug out from under the world around them and still leave them smiling."
• "I've lived a very long time. I've made many friends and lost many friends. So I don't expect things to always last. With the time that I have, I've learned to appreciate it, the temporary things. I mean, there's a good chance that even I'm not as eternal as I believe. When things are temporary and you know it and you understand it, you truly savor it. Even we might be temporary. So let us appreciate the time we have."
• (to Jester) "It's so strange. Classically, mortal life is so... brief and dull and spoken of from the perspective of my folk for ages as... toys. Why are you so different? It makes no sense, really. It's frustrating. I just wanted to say I'm sorry I couldn't be the god you wanted me to be."