Race: Human
Age: 34
Rank: Corporal, Sunhaven Army
Homeland: Emberward, a fortified town on the eastern border of Sunhaven
Halric was born in the frontier town of Emberward, a community often threatened by roaming undead and raiders from the Ashblight Wastes. Raised by a blacksmith and a tavern cook, Halric joined the Sunhaven Army young and rose to the rank of Corporal through years of quiet service.
He was recently assigned to a patrol unit stationed along the southern perimeter near the overrun Greylatch Farms, a once-productive agricultural zone now crawling with undead. When his squad was ambushed two nights ago, Halric was separated, lightly wounded, and forced to flee into the thickets and nearby ruins. He’s been disoriented and hungry, hiding in haylofts and abandoned sheds, driven by guilt and duty to retake the farmstead if he can.
DIALOGUE TABLE (Roll 1d6 or choose)
| d6 | Halric’s Dialogue |
|---|---|
| 1 | “Are you real, or am I still fever-dreamin’ in a hay pile?” |
| 2 | “They came out of the cornfields… silent, like ghosts in the fog.” |
| 3 | “I told them we should’ve fallen back. I was right. And now they’re dead.” |
| 4 | “If you’re headin’ near Greylatch… burn the barn. That’s where they nest now.” |
| 5 | “Sunhaven hasn’t seen a wave of dead like this in years. It’s no coincidence.” |
| 6 | “Got a blade and some dried meat? I’ll help clear that cursed soil with you.” |
PLOT HOOK IDEAS
- Rescue Mission: Halric begs the party to search for survivors from his squad who may still be trapped in the farmstead or nearby woods.
- The Missing Orders: He lost a dispatch scroll with sensitive information meant for a Sunhaven outpost—now in undead-infested territory.
- Tainted Soil: Halric suspects the farm’s sudden overrun is due to a cursed artifact buried beneath it—possibly an old relic from the last Undead War.
- Burn the Barn: He pleads with the party to torch the barn where the undead seem to be regenerating each night—but something inside is resisting fire.
- Traitor in the Ranks: He believes one of the soldiers may have led the undead to their position—a saboteur working with necromancers.
- Return to Emberward: If the party escorts him safely back to Emberward, they’ll gain favor with the local garrison and learn more about the undead plague.
TREASURE & LOOT
Halric carries little of value, but what he has tells a story:
On His Person
- Sunhaven Army Badge (Brass): Etched with his name and rank.
- Half-rusted Shortsword: Still functional, engraved with “For Emberward.”
- Crumpled Farm Map: A stained map of the Greylatch region with markings of undead sightings and escape routes.
- Torn Pack: Contains a water skin, dried fruit (half-rotten), and 5 silver pieces wrapped in cloth.
If He Is Helped or Joins the Party
- Potion of Lesser Restoration: A gift from a grateful priest in Emberward, wrapped in linen.
- Folded Letter: From his younger sister, mentioning odd behavior in Emberward and sightings of ghost lights at the edge of the forest.
- Lucky Charm: A carved wooden sun with an embedded amber bead—rumored to bring warmth in darkness (nonmagical, but sentimentally important).
