As one of the cross-breed descendants of the Dragon Varkar Barduric, Artila was a part-human creature, gifted with considerable powers by virtue of his peculiar ancestry. He was the leader of a strike force sent into the Desolation by the Dragon to intercept the quest for Mergil and attempt to secure the weapon as the adventurers emerged from the vaults of Elverandil under the ruins of Lantalaure.Despite having his whole force, including two of his half-siblings, wiped out, and being seriously wounded himself, Artila managed to escape the débacle with the aid of his sorcerous powers.
He was next encountered leading the Dragonarmy thrown against the dwarven city of Gloiran. The adventurers ambushed him in his command tent on the eve of the battle, killing him and making sure this time by removing his head and taking it away in his helmet.
The unexpected disappearance of this head some five days later was an unsolved mystery for some time. However, his lich appeared in 1607 at the head of an army of the Shadowkami from northern Rokugan. He came very close to triggering a massive war between east and west before being tracked to his lair and permanently slain by Surya, Sack and Hildraft.