Artemis Entreri

Artemis Entreri, perhaps my favorite bad guy.
Just like Drizzt, he is the brain child of author, R.A.Salvatore.

Shortly after realizing that Drizzt was in fact the star of the show, and not Wulfgur, I'm sure he decided he needed a proper challenge.

He could have gone down so many paths to do this, like another Drow but I think a human assassin was the best choice.

Just like Drizzt, Artemis is a master swordsman without equal. He is also a master of balance, moving silently, and staying hidden.

He is a deadly assassin whose very name causes fear and respect.I remember distinctly their first encounter. R.A Salvatore had been building up this moment throughout the entire book.

Both Drizzt, and Artemis were within a party that engaged each other. Drizzt, and Artemis both disappeared from view but diving into the shadows and looking for the right opportunity to strike.
They blended so well into the darkness, that as they moved for a better strike, they literally bumped into each other. Both were taken back by what seemed to be a mirror image of the other. When the fight started, they both moved in and out of the shadows, each trying to gain some sort of advantage other the other.

Even the other combatants couldn't help but glace away from there own opponents to watch to masters of combat in their deadly dance of death.

If you love high fantasy stories, regardless of being a D&D fan, I implore you to check out this and Drizzt Do'urden's lens listed below.

These books are so well thumbed by read (having read them 7 times each), that I will have to buy them all again (Hard back trilogy versions this time)

R.A Salvatore introduced us to Artemis Entreri early on in the The Icewind Dale Trilogy. As Drizzt became more of the focus over Wulfgar, a worthy antagonist was needed that matched his superior weapon skills.

Artemis Entreri was the first person ever to match Drizzt in combat. It was also the first time Artemis had ever met his match as well.

The two become obsessed with each other, and those watching there epic battle were left breathless at their dance of death.

R.A Salvatore had a real talent for describing melee fights, and really raised the bar when these two clashed.

Standing approximately 5 feet 5 inches, Artemis is lean, muscular, and agile with short black hair and favors a trimmed goatee and mustache. His skin color is grayish in hue, due to his absorption of a shade through his vampiric dagger. Rarely ever laughing or even smiling, the assassin is as well known for his fearsome glare as he is for his fighting skill; one look from the man has often been enough to stop people in mid-sentence, cowering with fear.

Artemis is a tactical master, taking every advantage offered him and seeking to create more. Artemis is also a very fast learner. Even if he observes a particular combat maneuver just once or twice, he is able to adapt it to his choice of weapons and duplicate it effectively in battle (these tend to be Drizzt's maneuvers, their styles and skill level being so similar). He is also excellent at improvising; he can use his surroundings to excellent effect, when he would otherwise be at a severe disadvantage.

Artemis is also a consummate warrior, combining his ambidexterity, thieving training, and warrior's weapon skills to be one of the most dangerous swordsmen in the Realms. Few men indeed could have so repeatedly crossed blades with Drizzt Do'Urden and lived to tell of it.

He specializes in a two-weaponed fighting style with the use of a dagger and a sword, equalling Drizzt in fighting capability. (When he first encountered Drizzt and other drow, Entreri was impressed by how common it was for drow elves to fight skillfully while simultaneously wielding two long blades, as it would obviously be easy to tangle one's own long blades together while moving them through fighting routines. As presumably, any disadvantage to fighting a warrior wielding two long blades when one of his own blades would be a dagger, and thus shorter than his opponent's sword, is offset by the fact that Entreri may be able to execute at least some fighting maneuvers that an opponent with two swords could not execute, or at least could not execute as easily or quickly, without tangling his weapons together.)

According to the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Entreri is an 18th level character, with twelve levels as a fighter, one level as an assassin, one level in ranger, and four levels as a rogue. This was as of the time he had his longsword, prior to stealing Charon's Claw. Entreri has had many adventures since and has risen in levels.

After their first meeting, Artemis knew that he and Drizzt were virtually equal in skill. The primary difference between himself and Drizzt noticed by Artemis was Drizzt's virtue, specifically Drizzt's caring and concern for his friends. Artemis, by contrast, had a life that could only be considered empty. He had no real friends and no loved ones. He considered such emotional connections to be hindrances, believing that the reason he was so skilled with his blades was because he had dedicated his life to being the best, and had done so to the exclusion of all other pursuits.

But now here was somebody seemingly as good as he was, somebody with friends and loved ones and a full life. For Entreri to accept that Drizzt was his equal (or possibly his better) in fighting skill, he would be forced to accept that it was possible to be an effective fighter while still pursuing and finding friendship, love and happiness. If this were true, it would mean that Entreri had wasted his life. This was something the assassin vehemently refused to admit to himself. Thus he became obsessed with proving once and for all that he was the better fighter, and that he was the better fighter because he had chosen to forego such things as friendship and love.

Entreri has said as much to Drizzt, although he was likely attempting to convince himself as well. He has taunted the drow by telling him that all one needs to do to manipulate him is threaten one of his friends and that he, Entreri, could never be manipulated in such a manner.

Another factor is jealousy. Artemis was never able to trust anybody as a friend as he grew up, and developed a belief that the only person he could truly count on was himself. When Artemis looks at Drizzt, he sees the kind of person he might have become if things had gone differently in his life (Drizzt sees the same thing when he looks at Artemis). Artemis sees Drizzt has found friends he can count on and enjoy life with, and despite anything he may say to the contrary Artemis wishes, deep down, that he had also found friends like that.