Arthur James Nightingale (callsign: Broadsword) is the squad leader of 
The Hex. He manages rank-ups with the syndicate.
Albrecht Entrati's experiments turned Arthur into a Protoframe, a partial Warframe that still retains their humanity. Arthur possesses 
Excalibur's traits, and is armed with the 
AX-52, 
Vesper 77, and Protokol Longsword.
Overview[]
A retired lieutenant of the Britannic Army, Arthur is the leader of the Hex: a rebel vigilante group based in Höllvania that battle against the 
Techrot outbreak and opposing 
Scaldra forces in the year of 1999.
Protoframe Dossier[]
- Main article: Classified Protoframe Dossier
ARTHUR NIGHTINGALE
“BROADSWORD”
MATCH: CONFIRM
█ █ ██ █ ██ ███ ██
//TEAM ROLE:
Leader and combat co-ordinator.
//CHARACTERISTICS / HABITS:
Highly disciplined, professionally trained. Curiously, no known personal relationships beyond the others.
//REPUTATION:
Volatility?? Proven leadership, demonstrated selflessness, competent field command, yet still regarded as a loose cannon...
Exceptionally loyal to his sister despite their clashes; this may prove problematic for group cohesion.
Lore & History[]
Background[]
Originally a Britannic man, Arthur shared an idyllic childhood with Eleanor, never fighting once.[1] Eleanor would often braid Arthur's hair and use makeup on him.[1][2] There is an anniversary that both Arthur and Eleanor annually commiserate, where they have lost someone important to them.
He served in the Britannic Army's Crimson Watch along under Eleanor's fiance, Christopher, though Arthur was consequently promoted when Christopher was killed by a roadside bomb, with Quincy entering service under Arthur shortly after. After being ordered to kill "all possible enemy combatants" on a mission (which would have included presumably innocent civilians), Arthur attempted to confront his superiors, who threatened him with a dishonorable discharge. In response, he gave them an ultimatum: either give him an honorable discharge, or he used his connections with Eleanor to expose their actions - he was consequently honorably discharged, with Quincy following him.
Prior to arriving in Höllvania, Arthur served in the International Crisis Response (ICR) unit with Aoi, and was sent to the city-state as part of their duty.[3] Arthur would later inform Eleanor of the events in Höllvania, prompting her to illegally enter the region to investigate and report on it.[4] While he had hopes that the ICR would possess more sympathy for civilians, this was proved false when they ordered him and Aoi to kill any and all possible infected hosts.
Eventually, he became infected by the Techrot and sought a cure from Dr. Entrati.
Protoframe Experiments[]
- Main article: Fragments/Albrecht
A diagram of Arthur's anatomy as seen within the Netracells
Arthur and Aoi were some of the first volunteers who came forward to Dr. Entrati's offer to receive more than healing. They were then infused with Helminth serums from Albrecht's time, which in turn morphed and alchemized them into partial Warframes; Arthur's was that of Excalibur's. Their bodies became newly attuned to the Void, whilst their minds were kept intact.
Repeated samples were then taken from the now-transformed volunteers by Albrecht himself, with research of Arthur and Aoi's own anatomies written along the blackboards of the Netracells of Albrecht's Laboratories. It was implied by the doctor himself that their humanity may not last, and that it may be only a matter of time until the Helminth finally swallows them whole.
Whispers in the Walls[]
Arthur makes his first appearance when the protagonist Tenno performs Transference on Albrecht's Vessels within the Sanctum Anatomica, in which Loid notes that the Murmur is redirecting the Transference stream to somewhere else instead of the Vessel, putting the Tenno in the mind of Arthur.
Arthur fights off some Techrot, Infested humanoids possessing 1990s computers, in an abandoned subway. He contacts his partner, Aoi, stating that he feels like someone is in his head. Aoi then instructs him to link up with a terminal and locate a man named Dr. Entrati. Upon interfacing with a computer, Aoi declares to be under attack as the sound of 
Mag's 
Crush can be heard. Arthur is then attacked by the creatures from earlier, and after holding them off, he passes out.
Upon waking up, Arthur is confronted by the doctor and his Kavat, who grins ominously as The Man in the Wall's Voidtongue can be heard.
The Hex[]
While relaxing within the Höllvania Central Mall, Arthur's hand is suddenly possessed by Void energy which types out "UNDR MIRAS AVE 10 MIN DNT B L8". Seeing this as a lead on Dr. Entrati, he questions the rest of the Hex - Amir, Aoi, Quincy, Leticia, and Eleanor - for his Atomicycle keys. Before he is able to ride out, the rest of the Hex show up and refuse to allow Arthur to investigate the lead on his own. He instructs Amir, Aoi, and Quincy on backup while Leticia and Eleanor hold the fort.
Riding out into the city of Höllvania, Arthur encounters Major Neci Rusalka, a Scaldra commander whose forces are ordered to shoot him on sight. After battling through Scaldra forces and an H-04 Efervon Tank, Arthur is knocked unconscious but is quickly contacted by a telepathic message from Eleanor that Entrati and his kavat Kalymos are nearby, who vanishes near a cave of Techrot. Inside, Arthur encounters Helminth which spits out an Excalibur Warframe and they clash with their 
Exalted Blade. The clash is interrupted as the Drifter emerges from Excalibur and uses Transference on Arthur, who receives visions of the Lotus, the Indifference, and Höllvania's nuclear reactor exploding at the end of 1999, before expelling the Drifter and stabbing their hand.
Arthur captures the Drifter and threatens to feed them to the Techrot if their information turns out to be faulty, but acknowledges that they're running out of time and has them take point in a search for Entrati. After much searching, the Hex and the Drifter find Entrati, but Entrati and the Drifter are then taken away by the Indifference.
Deciding to stop the nuclear explosion themselves, Arthur, Amir, and Aoi breach the reactor control room. However, the Hex ultimately fail to stop the explosion, with Arthur combating a Techrot Babau descending on the nuclear core and dying from radiation poisoning. The Drifter resolves to save all of the Hex and rewinds time to the beginning of 1999, following a cryptic warning from Entrati to befriend the Hex.
Finale[]
To save Arthur from radiation poisoning, the Drifter uses Transference on Arthur, piloting his body out of the reactor core.
Kinemantik Instant Messaging[]
- Main article: Kinemantik Instant Messaging/Arthur
Arthur's username is "Broadsword". Originally standoffish at the first several interactions, Arthur is characterized as a serious person who takes his role in leadership seriously. He is also notably not a fan of the On-lyne music band, and is curious about the origins of the Drifter in Duviri.
He has a teddy bear named "Sebastian" that he found on a mission, whom he talks to on occasion.
He and Aoi used to date. However, during Venusia (Star Days), Arthur showed disinterest in a gift of 1000 folded paper cranes, causing Aoi to break off the relationship. According to Eleanor, their respective desires were also opposed: Arthur wishes to settle down somewhere ("a cottage with roses outside") and even establish his own bar, while Aoi wishes to remain more free and enjoy life's pleasures. Despite this, he holds a great deal of respect for Aoi, and believes that if it was not for her, the Hex would be dead, especially him.
Backroom[]
Upon reaching the 'Loved' chemistry rank with Arthur, he will hang out in the Backroom by the upstairs couch and can be interacted with. See Arthur/Quotes for a list of these interactions and their associated dialogue. Matching up with Eleanor's comments, he wishes to start a distillery or a bar at the mall.
Trivia[]
- Fitting with
Excalibur's theme, Arthur is named after King Arthur, wielder of the sword Excalibur.
- His codename and KIM username also lends further credence, being "Broadsword."
- Additionally, at one point Lettie sarcastically calls him "brave king," in turn making the rest of The Hex comparable to the Knights of the Round Table, the legendary entourage of knights under King Arthur's leadership.
- According to Amir, some of Arthur's scars were caused by a delirious Amir when the two first met.
- He was first revealed during the live demo of Whispers in the Walls during TennoCon 2023.
- In the Whispers of the Wall Quest, Arthur's HUD does not identify him by name; he and his weapons are all labeled as "????".
- With the release of 1999, Arthur is the one of the few Hex members to have a military insignia underneath his Hex patch, most likely in reference to his past as a Britannic Army Lieutenant.
- However, the insignia in question, two chevrons pointed downward, seem to correlate with the real-world British patch of a Corporal rather than a Lieutenant.
Gallery[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Eleanor on Kinemantik Instant Messaging - "Idyllic. We never fought, not even once. We kept one another's secrets. He even let me braid his hair."
- ↑ Eleanor on Kinemantik Instant Messaging - "Actually, he did [let me practice makeup on him]. Until quite recently, in fact. I wish he would wear eyeliner more often. He claims it's too much of a faff. Prefers burnt cork."
- ↑ Arthur on Kinemantik Instant Messaging - "Way back. We served together in the ICR. She's my best mate. Couldn't do any of this nonsense without her."
- ↑ Eleanor on Kinemantik Instant Messaging - "Oh, [Arthur] was here first. But he made the mistake of telling me what was happening here, and I couldn't sit on it. So I place a call to my old friend Danny MacIlvoy and pay over the odds for a forged visa and passport. Because I need them in a hurry."