diff --git a/amanuensis/backend/article.py b/amanuensis/backend/article.py
index 187e9d0..84d2572 100644
--- a/amanuensis/backend/article.py
+++ b/amanuensis/backend/article.py
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 Article query interface
 """
 
-from typing import Optional
-
 from sqlalchemy import select
 
 from amanuensis.db import *
@@ -13,8 +11,8 @@ from amanuensis.errors import ArgumentError, BackendArgumentTypeError
 def create(
     db: DbContext,
     lexicon_id: int,
-    user_id: int,
-    character_id: Optional[int],
+    character_id: int,
+    ersatz: bool = False,
 ) -> Article:
     """
     Create a new article in a lexicon.
@@ -22,39 +20,21 @@ def create(
     # Verify argument types are correct
     if not isinstance(lexicon_id, int):
         raise BackendArgumentTypeError(int, lexicon_id=lexicon_id)
-    if not isinstance(user_id, int):
-        raise BackendArgumentTypeError(int, user_id=user_id)
     if character_id is not None and not isinstance(character_id, int):
         raise BackendArgumentTypeError(int, character_id=character_id)
 
-    # Check that the user is a member of this lexicon
-    mem: Membership = db(
-        select(Membership)
-        .where(Membership.user_id == user_id)
-        .where(Membership.lexicon_id == lexicon_id)
+    # Check that the character belongs to the lexicon
+    character: Character = db(
+        select(Character).where(Character.id == character_id)
     ).scalar_one_or_none()
-    if not mem:
-        raise ArgumentError("User is not a member of lexicon")
-
-    # If the character id is provided, check that the user owns the character
-    # and the character belongs to the lexicon
-    if character_id is not None:
-        character: Character = db(
-            select(Character).where(Character.id == character_id)
-        ).scalar_one_or_none()
-        if not character:
-            raise ArgumentError("Character does not exist")
-        if character.user.id != user_id:
-            raise ArgumentError("Character is owned by the wrong player")
-        if character.lexicon.id != lexicon_id:
-            raise ArgumentError("Character belongs to the wrong lexicon")
-        signature = character.signature
-    else:
-        signature = "~Ersatz Scrivener"
+    if not character:
+        raise ArgumentError("Character does not exist")
+    if character.lexicon.id != lexicon_id:
+        raise ArgumentError("Character belongs to the wrong lexicon")
+    signature = character.signature if not ersatz else "~Ersatz Scrivener"
 
     new_article = Article(
         lexicon_id=lexicon_id,
-        user_id=user_id,
         character_id=character_id,
         title="Article title",
         body=f"\n\n{signature}",
diff --git a/amanuensis/backend/index.py b/amanuensis/backend/index.py
index e1a64be..7a8af92 100644
--- a/amanuensis/backend/index.py
+++ b/amanuensis/backend/index.py
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ def get_for_lexicon(db: DbContext, lexicon_id: int) -> Sequence[ArticleIndex]:
     ).scalars()
 
 
-
 def update(db: DbContext, lexicon_id: int, indices: Sequence[ArticleIndex]) -> None:
     """
     Update the indices for a lexicon. Indices are matched by type and pattern.
diff --git a/amanuensis/db/models.py b/amanuensis/db/models.py
index e972e31..fa99e04 100644
--- a/amanuensis/db/models.py
+++ b/amanuensis/db/models.py
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ class User(ModelBase):
 
     memberships = relationship("Membership", back_populates="user")
     characters = relationship("Character", back_populates="user")
-    articles = relationship("Article", back_populates="user")
     posts = relationship("Post", back_populates="user")
 
     #########################
@@ -393,11 +392,7 @@ class Article(ModelBase):
     lexicon_id = Column(Integer, ForeignKey("lexicon.id"), nullable=False)
 
     # The character who is the author of this article
-    # If this is NULL, the article is written by Ersatz Scrivener
-    character_id = Column(Integer, ForeignKey("character.id"), nullable=True)
-
-    # The user who owns this article
-    user_id = Column(Integer, ForeignKey("user.id"), nullable=False)
+    character_id = Column(Integer, ForeignKey("character.id"), nullable=False)
 
     # The article to which this is an addendum
     addendum_to = Column(Integer, ForeignKey("article.id"), nullable=True)
@@ -416,6 +411,9 @@ class Article(ModelBase):
     # The number of times the article has been submitted
     submit_nonce = Column(Integer, nullable=False, default=0)
 
+    # Whether the article is an Ersatz Scrivener article
+    ersatz = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, default=False)
+
     ####################
     # History tracking #
     ####################
@@ -449,7 +447,6 @@ class Article(ModelBase):
 
     lexicon = relationship("Lexicon", back_populates="articles")
     character = relationship("Character", back_populates="articles")
-    user = relationship("User", back_populates="articles")
     addenda = relationship("Article", backref=backref("parent", remote_side=[id]))
 
 
diff --git a/tests/backend/test_article.py b/tests/backend/test_article.py
index 269a898..41c7864 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test_article.py
+++ b/tests/backend/test_article.py
@@ -16,43 +16,26 @@ def test_create_article(db: DbContext, make: ObjectFactory):
     lexicon1: Lexicon = make.lexicon()
     make.membership(user_id=user1.id, lexicon_id=lexicon1.id)
     make.membership(user_id=user2.id, lexicon_id=lexicon1.id)
-    char1_1: Character = make.character(lexicon_id=lexicon1.id, user_id=user1.id)
-    char1_2: Character = make.character(lexicon_id=lexicon1.id, user_id=user2.id)
+    char_l1_u1: Character = make.character(lexicon_id=lexicon1.id, user_id=user1.id)
+    char_l1_u2: Character = make.character(lexicon_id=lexicon1.id, user_id=user2.id)
 
     # Create a lexicon that only one user is in
     lexicon2: Lexicon = make.lexicon()
     make.membership(user_id=user2.id, lexicon_id=lexicon2.id)
-    char2_2: Character = make.character(lexicon_id=lexicon2.id, user_id=user2.id)
+    char_l2_u2: Character = make.character(lexicon_id=lexicon2.id, user_id=user2.id)
 
-    # User cannot create article for another user's character
+    # Characters can't own articles in other lexicons
     with pytest.raises(ArgumentError):
-        artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, user1.id, char1_2.id)
+        artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, char_l2_u2.id)
     with pytest.raises(ArgumentError):
-        artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, user2.id, char1_1.id)
-
-    # User cannot create article for their character in the wrong lexicon
+        artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, char_l1_u1.id)
     with pytest.raises(ArgumentError):
-        artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, user2.id, char2_2.id)
-    with pytest.raises(ArgumentError):
-        artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, user2.id, char1_2.id)
-
-    # User cannot create article in a lexicon they aren't in
-    with pytest.raises(ArgumentError):
-        artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, user1.id, char1_1.id)
-
-    # User cannot create anonymous articles in a lexicon they aren't in
-    with pytest.raises(ArgumentError):
-        artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, user1.id, character_id=None)
+        artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, char_l1_u2.id)
 
     # Users can create character-owned articles
-    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, user1.id, char1_1.id)
-    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, user2.id, char1_2.id)
-    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, user2.id, char2_2.id)
-
-    # Users can create anonymous articles
-    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, user1.id, character_id=None)
-    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, user2.id, character_id=None)
-    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, user2.id, character_id=None)
+    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, char_l1_u1.id)
+    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon1.id, char_l1_u2.id)
+    assert artiq.create(db, lexicon2.id, char_l2_u2.id)
 
 
 def test_article_update_ts(db: DbContext, make: ObjectFactory):
@@ -61,7 +44,7 @@ def test_article_update_ts(db: DbContext, make: ObjectFactory):
     lexicon: Lexicon = make.lexicon()
     make.membership(user_id=user.id, lexicon_id=lexicon.id)
     char: Character = make.character(lexicon_id=lexicon.id, user_id=user.id)
-    article = artiq.create(db, lexicon.id, user.id, char.id)
+    article = artiq.create(db, lexicon.id, char.id)
     created = article.last_updated
     time.sleep(1)  # The update timestamp has only second-level precision
     article.title = "New title, who dis"