Artagan

Artagan is an elf-like Archfey from the Feywild. He posed as a satyr named Garmelie to travel with Vox Machina for his own amusement before eventually revealing himself as Artagan once Saundor was dead. As an NPC, he is played by Matthew Mercer.

Appearance
Artagan had a wild mane of red hair.

Personality
While posing as the satyr Garmelie, Artagan played a mischievous and self-centered character that enjoyed amusing himself by drawing immature caricatures of people, stealing items that caught his eye or imagination, and playing pranks. He greatly valued his possessions, sometimes disproportionately to their actual value. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, Garmelie's capricious emotional state was typically easy to read due to his exaggerated and dramatic reactions, even when he tried to hide his feelings. When his impulses were stymied by external forces, he became frustrated easily, but his mood could just as abruptly shift again, seemingly without holding a grudge.

Garmelie preferred to avoid direct confrontation, choosing to run or hide when such situations arose. He also expressed a strong dislike and distrust of "the theatre" on multiple occasions.

Artagan, after dropping the Garmelie persona, had a calmer, more patient, more mature disposition. His deep valedictory bow toward Vox Machina also indicated a more respectful nature than Garmelie's.

Background
Unlike many fey creatures, Artagan did not belong to one of the fey courts.

Artagan
Artagan claimed that Wodenna was "an ex". This ambiguously-phrased claim does not clarify whose "ex" or an "ex" of what. For example, Wodenna could have been an ex-lover of Artagan or an ex-lover of Saundor—or even an ex-lover of Saundor first, whom she might have betrayed for Artagan before later separating from him, as well.

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.

Garmelie began stalking and drawing Vox Machina after the party entered the Feywild to retrieve Fenthras, Wrath of the Fey Warden. 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.

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.

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.

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.

As of the wrap up of Vox Machina's tale they did not hold to the first condition of the deal made with Artagan to provide a doorway into the Material Plane. However, Matthew Mercer later confirmed that the doorway would have been built, even if it wasn't explicitly covered in the episode.

Trivia

 * There has been speculation that Artagan is the true identity of The Traveler, and the archfey has been posing as Jester's deity. Whether this is just another one of Artagan's attempts to amuse himself or part of some larger game is unknown.