Artur Krauss
Leader of The Gentle Hand
Artur Hinrich Krauss (a.k.a. Mr. Lucky/Herr Glück)
Artur Krauss was born in Berlin to a moderately prosperous but otherwise unremarkable family on February 29th, 1920. Being the third eldest son, they expected very little from Artur. His parents doted on his two older brothers and lauded their academic and career achievements while remaining rather apathetic to his achievements. This served only to strengthen his resolve to outdo them both in every way possible. Artur knew excellence alone was not enough to eclipse his siblings; he would have to make his own path. The line of succession for the family fortune had two significant impediments, his brothers, Hans and Georg. He required a solid strategy to forge his own opportunities. As fate would have it, that plan finally revealed itself in late 1938 with his enlistment into the Waffen-SS. Artur could easily tout the party line publicly, but his allegiance was always to his own ambitions first and his nation second. In Artur’s mind, the Nazi party was a medium for personal gain and not highly useful for anything else. Despite this ethos, he advanced swiftly through the ranks of the SS.
Enlightenment
During his initial SS training, his commanding officer realized that Artur's skills of persuasion were more than the judicious application of natural charisma. He was on the cusp of enlightenment. Within days, Artur was conscripted into the Special Programs Division where he received his first apprenticeship. He absorbed every ritual, spell, and rite of power he could before promptly implementing this arcane knowledge against any and all rivals. Seemingly random accidents, medical conditions, and scandals removed any obstacles standing in the way of his good fortune. In contrast, Artur consistently was at the right place at the right time with the right people. These extraordinary coincidences earned him the nickname, Herr Glück (Mr. Lucky).
Current Status
Feeling the winds of change starting to favor the Allies long before the Nazi failure to defeat Russia, Artur defected to the United States with a treasure trove of classified intel. The Allied command considered it a devil's bargain that they just couldn't pass up. Artur would get immunity from any war crimes he committed along with a new identity as a U.S. citizen and occult expert for the American alphabet agencies. Within 3 months, any government handlers who knew about his arrangement were reassigned or promoted to other positions with Artur's name getting lost in bureaucratic red tape. According to the U.S. government, Artur Krauss was just another legal immigrant who quickly faded into obscurity.
Seventy-five years and three social security numbers later, Artur would reappear in Boston, MA as a senior partner of the law firm, Krauss & Smith. This new identity as a third-generation German American defense attorney fit the "self-made man" narrative he constructed to take the legal world by storm. Krauss & Smith soon became the defense team you hired when no firm with an ounce of humanity would take your phone calls.
Never one to squander a chance to turn a setback into an opportunity, Artur didn't waste a single day of his anonymous seventy-five-year hiatus. He might have been lying low in the mundane world, but in arcane circles, he was busy carving out a kingdom for himself. Artur navigated the maelstrom of mage politics with the same expertise he utilized in the Waffen-SS to become the head of The Gentle Hand. The litany of mages who learned the harsh lesson that being Artur's ally can be far more dangerous than being his enemy is a testament to his machiavellian prowess.
Magnus Covington and numerous other political opponents have fervently declared that too many coincidences surround Artur's rise to power and can no longer be ignored. But, however uncannily convenient these events might seem, every inquiry into these claims produces no contrary evidence. So, for the time being, Artur has very little to fear as the undisputed leader of The Gentle Hand.
Abilities
Artur is an arcane prodigy with virtuosity in all magical disciplines. He is especially adept in artifact creation, mind control, and fate spells. Artur abhors overt displays of power and rarely demonstrates any talents publicly at all. In fact, it's doubtful that even the members of The Gentle Hand know the true extent of his skill and abilities. They just know what happens to individuals who stand in his way, proven or not. The one talent that is not up for debate is his ability to survive being stalked by a Vengeance Shadow. Artur has survived three such curses from powerful enemies. Yet, Artur still lives while they do not. Whatever method Artur has used to maintain his status among the living, hasn't been shared with even with his most trusted lieutenants.
Appearance
While not unattractive, Artur's charisma seems to stem from his silver tongue and not a handsome face. Artur always dresses appropriately for the situation. If there's one thing that he took away from his time in the Waffen-SS is that the right "uniform" can make all the difference in the world. Fastidious and soft-spoken, one could forgive the countless rivals that have underestimated him. If you passed Artur on the street, you might not give him a second thought. This suits him just fine as real power doesn't need garish displays. The proverb, "The tiger hiding in the grass is still a tiger." epitomizes Artur's outlook on power dynamics.
Roleplaying Tips
It is very tempting to play Artur Krauss as a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" style villain. You could give him an over the top German accent or some James Bond villain level soliloquies to spout at the player characters. If this fits your campaign vision, go for it. But that's not how he played out in our playtest campaign.
After speaking American English for over seven decades, any traces of his German accent are gone. Artur isn't a racist or fascist. The Nazi party was a tool at his disposal so he used it. Capitalism and living the "American Dream" makes far more sense to Artur than anything the Third Reich preached and he has embraced it wholeheartedly. In fact, he expects everyone to act with the same level of self-interest that he employs and holds no malice towards those individuals that oppose him.
Why wouldn't they? To Artur, the only real sin a mage can commit is to not to live up to your full potential. As much as Magnus Covington despises him, Artur genuinely likes and admires Magnus and all that he has accomplished. Artur will wipe out Magnus and his little band of Lighthouse miscreants if necessary but only if it's the final option left on the table. It would be better if all that talent could be put to a higher purpose...his agenda. Mages should rule the unenlightened masses and he should rule over all the mages. It's really all very simple. Why Magnus doesn't see this truth is most perplexing to him.
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