Halandil "Hal" Fang is an orc bard played by Liam O'Brien in Campaign Four.
Description[]
Official art of Halandil Fang, by Loren Hontanilla.[art 2]
Appearance[]
Hal is an older orcish gentleman with white-streaked dark hair, who wears fine but not ostentatious clothing. He has smile lines around his eyes "from a life well-lived".[3] He resembles his younger half-brother Thjazi Fang, although the latter had dark eyes, while Hal's are blue.[19]
Personality[]
Hal has tried to maintain a buoyant spirit throughout his life.[20] Liam O'Brien described him as: "Hal is a successful entrepreneur of the arts, and family man, and scion of the city of Dol-Makjar. He's very much a man concerned with history and the future and finding the mortal identity in this godless world. Hal's real danger spot is his children. If someone really wanted to hurt Hal, it would be to go for his kids."[21]
Biography[]
Background[]
Halandil grew up in the Rookery, and was close to Thjazi Fang, his paternal half-brother. The brothers didn't see eye to eye all the time,[22] and Thjazi "gave him shit" when he was ten, but eventually the dynamic became more respectful, to the point where Thjazi started hiding dangerous aspects of his life from him.[23] Halandil fought at the very end of the War of Axe and Vine,[24] but led a very different life than his brother as they got older, focusing more on his art.[22]
Hal and Thaisha Lloy fell in love when they were about 19 years old and formed a family, but Hal's art awakened a love of the world in Thaisha, who abandoned her family to become a druid (although they remained friends).[8] Subsequently, Hal had several more relationships, and remained in his family's house to raise his own family there: a medium-sized home designed for hosting guests near the top of a hill in the arts district of The Rookery. The rooftop held seats facing a nearby open-air public theater along the river, which Hal had devoted his life to building up and nurturing.[25] Within the past few months before Campaign Four, he was granted ownership of an ancient theater along the river (which he renamed as "the Hallowed Round")[26] by the Revolutionary Council, on the condition he keep it safe from arcane hijinks[27] and the original theater in the Rookery was repurposed to train students there.[28] Halandil was working with Bolaire Lathalia on the rebuilding of the newly acquired amphitheater.[29]
Not long after, Thjazi Fang was sentenced to death by the Chamber of Lords-Advisory, so Halandil spent two weeks working with House Royce (the house of his sister-in-law, Lady Aranessa) to find a way to save Thjazi.[30] Although the brothers had grown somewhat apart, Hal felt the pull of family and a responsibility to be present for the execution when his efforts failed.[31]
Campaign Four[]
Overture[]
Although Hal had failed to persuade the Sundered Houses to pardon his brother he was aware that other family friends and allies were working on a plan to help him escape (with Wicander Halovar being a fail-safe on Halandil's behalf). Regardless of the potential result, Hal attended the execution, willing to stay with his brother until the end, whatever that might be. Thjazi was brought in front of a huge audience, but he was able to spot Halandil in the crowd; despite the situation, he moved his lips to joke about what plans he had later, and if he was preparing his funeral, trying to cheer his brother up. However, when Thjazi looked up he saw something that frightened him; using the residual energy of Azune's Message, the Fang brothers were able to speak magically for a few moments, and Thjazi started sharing instructions, telling Hal that he had to help Murray, mentioning the Penteveral, and Bolaire's paint. After he shared some defying words with the crowd out loud, the rope tightened around Thjazi Fang's neck before he could finish conveying his last words to Hal through the Message, about how he wanted Thimble not to be scared.
Halandil returned home, comforted his daughter Shadia and gave her some advice about how to prepare for the Farramh they were about to celebrate. When Thaisha arrived with Occtis Tachonis, she immeditately hugged Hal very tight, and used her nature magic to enrich the plant life of the area surrounding them from a year; when Azune arrived with Thjazi's body, Halandil showed him where to put it, as people started to show up to the funeral. When Wicander and his Aspirant, Tyranny, arrived, the former wanted to give the deceased's scimitar to Hal, but when he brought him to his office he focused instead on asking why had they killed Thjazi despite all the measures to find a way of saving him; the priest apologized and explained he didn't understand why his house would do such a thing, while assuring that he would never do anything to hurt Hal, since he respected him so much as a teacher. After hearing that, the bard accepted Wick's words, and insisted that they share a drink (which the nobleman drank reluctantly). More people arrived, including Hal's other daughter, Hero, with her mother Elodie, and Bolaire, who was greeted as an old friend by the Fangs; shortly after Wick finally had the chance to give Hal his brother's sword, and he said it was a kindness. Aranessa also attended the funeral, and greeted Hal with a hug. They spent some time together, with her lamenting that she didn't know how long would her name mean anything after the doors of Faerie closed (since she had failed to persuade the Halovars to save Thjazi); she also expressed interest in visiting her husband's childhood home nearby, if it was as charming as Hal's. At nightfall an unexpected guest arrived: Vaelus, an elf from the Mournvale who wanted an item Thjazi had stolen from her weeks before; Hal tried to keep things calm, asking questions about the item, and declaring that he wasn't familiar with the device she was describing. Although Vaelus was rude at first, she ended up agreeing to wait and not make a scene. Finally having a quiet moment, Thaisha joined Hal in his office, taking with her a silver box Thjazi had asked her to bring. Said box suddenly reacted to someone mentioning Thimble's name downstairs, and broken pieces of ceramic came out of it, forming a dark mask similar to Bolaire's.[32] When Thaisha, curious, tried to fit two pieces of pottery together, everything turned to fog, and the druid fell unconscious; Hal reacted quickly, reviving her with a single "Healing Word" (stay). Some of the guests came upstairs to check on the two orcs, and Bolaire scolded them for touching things they shouldn't; while Vaelus was there Hal kept his eyes near his brother's sword, fearing he would have to use it to defend his family. When they went downstairs Aranessa checked on him before she and Julien left.
As the funeral was ending Halandil told Hero to take her lyre, and they both played Broken Wing together (with the bard focusing his own music in supporting his daughter's, while he used Thaumaturgy to modify the lights in the house to enhance the performance). It was then when Thimble with Occtis, Azune, Teor, and Kattigan Vale; the pixie apologized to Hal for what had happened, and faced Vaelus, who assured her that, despite the situation, she hadn't been involved in Thjazi's death (although Hal didn't know if he believed it). Before the elf left Hal gave her cranberry rolls and he threatened her for putting his family in danger.
The following morning Thaisha went to Hal very early and they talked about the events of the day before, with the druid telling her ex that he shouldn't blame himself about Thjazi's fate, and that being hopeful wasn't a bad thing; the bard also mentioned that his brother had seen something in the sky at the very end. Hal told Thaisha that she should take the chance to spend some time with Shadia and she agreed, praising how he and Hero had played the lyre together last night, and how important it was for their own generation to make the world better for those children that came after them. During breakfast, Kattigan returned and Hal offered him breakfast, not minding the ranger's bad table manners. Later, after the others left to visit a tavern of the Crow Keepers,[33] Hal went with Shadia and Thaisha to show the latter his new theater, what used to be the dithyramb of Azgra, since they had only talked about it through letters (and he didn't know how much they could enjoy it, considering how unpredictable politics were as of late); he let mother and daughter spend some time together, smiling as he saw them explore the place. After a while, Bolaire joined them, bringing with them amphorae with paint that Thjazi had left for his brother; the two men, along with Thaisha, talked about Thjazi's last words, and Halandil was very confused about what the paint was supposed to be.
When Hal and Thaisha returned to the Fang home they found several of their friends already there, and were joined shortly after by Teor, Tyranny, and Wicander. They learned that Casimir had been the traitor in the previous day's plan, and that he had ran away chasing Cyd Pridesire; they also were informed that House Halovar was doing some dark stuff and almost got Teor killed for getting too closed to them. Hal, worried about any of the people present being followed, went to the roof to keep watch, and after a bit he took his brother's sword and started practicing with it, feeling its weight and wondering what new problems Thjazi left for them. When he came downstairs again he asked if his family was safe, and Thimble admitted that it had been public knowledge that Thjazi's reputation kept them safe until now. It ended up being decided that Thimble, Teor, Kattigan, Tyranny, and Wick would leave town to find Casimir; before they did, Halandil talked to the pixie in the door, asking her to find the one who caused Thjazi's death, and inspired her with those words (with the Lloy nail on top of them amplifying the magic of his Bardic Inspiration).[34]
While the others were out Hal gave Murray the letter about Bolaire she was supposed to receive; he then spent some time speaking with Shadia (who had just arrived) about her plans for the new theater and how to decorate it. After his daughter went upstairs he checked the letter too, and he and Murray spoke about Bolaire's strange relationship with Thjazi, who apparently didn't trust him; he also asked details about how those deals affected Murray herself, and stated that he couldn't ignore them anymore if they put his family at risk. When Azune returned they went together to the Archanade to speak with Bolaire, and although Azune was confused about them being there instead of looking for Occtis, Halandil asked him to be on guard, having noticed that the curator guiding them inside the museum was behaving slightly different than usual, and his body seemed changed somehow. Bolaire, somewhat angry because Thimble had left Dol-Makjar, brought them to his secret archive (which Hal found impressive), and from there to his private vault; there the bard examined with curiosity the tattoos on a giant's severed hand, although that caused Bolaire to warn him if he was going to be reading things outloud in such a dangerous space. Hal explained the situation to his friend, and asked him about the warnings Thjazi left behind; after Bolaire revealed he had existed since the Shapers' War and had been involved in the death of Rauwyn, Hal asked him to be as explicitly sincere as possible (since until then he had been a friend who had been involved in his family's life), so Bolaire confessed: he was a sentient mask that wore mortal bodies and had been just a tool until one of Halandil's plays had inspired him to be more. Bolaire insisted that he always wanted to share the truth with the bard, but Thjazi's intervention prevented him to be completely honest with his friend; hearing that, Hal thought that his brother's humor was sometimes darker and more literal than people thought, and realized that his letter actually revealed Bolaire's true nature. The curator had to leave to meet some visitors, and when he returned he was in a hurry, telling the group something was going on at the Palazzo Davinos (Hal then cast Aid on his friends as a precaution).
When they reached the castle they saw that everything was dark but surprisingly clean and undisturbed; while the others were examining a melted candle Halandil started moving away to have some quiet, and as Azune Mended the item, the bard heard the paws of a small fox, and they all followed the sound. They reached the Lloy estate, finding there Sir Julien, Lady Aranessa, Vaelus, Thaisha, and the dead body of Occtis; as soon as he saw that two Hal thought of his own son, and went to hug Thaisha to comfort her. Combining Bolaire's tools with Murray's Mage Hand and Portent, and supported by Hal's Bardic Inspiration and Thaisha's Guidance, they successfully removed the Stone of Nightsong from inside Occtis, and he started breathing again as the ground shook and his body started repairing itself. Everyone was happy, and although Sir Julien was furious about the connection between the young man and House Tachonis (responsible for the massacre in the Palazzo), Lady Aranessa calmed him down, and reminded the group that they still had fights ahead;[35] Hal used Healing Word on Thaisha as he told her to be careful, since she had let herself be stabbed by Julien's rapier. In the period before dawn, the group discussed Occtis's status and the implications for House Tachonis, as well as the repercussions for other political forces in the city; they gradually defined a plan, with the newly resurrected necromancer leaving Dol-Makjar with an escort to seek answers about his post-mortem visions, while the rest stayed behind to sound out the Sundered Houses and look for ways to weaken them. Thaisha and Hal were concerned about one of the visions, since it involved an orc that might be Alogar; because of this, the bard asked that if they did find his son, he should be brought back safe.
After the Seekers left (with Thaisha giving Halandil one last kiss), Bolaire, Murray, Azune, and Hal started preparing for their respective jobs, and agreeing that they should find a place to meet as often as possible, preferably without connections to any of them; the warlock told them about the place where he and Halandil drank together. The latter used that chance to tell his friend that he would have kept the secret, had he told him that he was a sentient mask, but Bolaire argued that he had confessed, Thjazi would have killed him; in the conversation that followed, however, the curator assured he had nothing to do with Thjazi's execution, and the bard didn't think he was lying. After that Halandil went back home, arriving during sunrise, with Shadia still asleep. In the second floor he found a nest in which a baby magpie was hatching; the orc greeted the small creature as it came out of the egg, while he looked at Dol-Makjar.[36]
Relationships[]
Thjazi Fang[]
Thjazi was Hal's paternal half-brother. They were both raised in The Rookery, though in different homes. Hal fondly remembers playing with a then ten-year-old Thjazi at their father's house[37] where Thjazi lived with both of his parents.[6] Thjazi seems to have been protective of Hal, having shielded him from the more dangerous elements of his life.[38] However, the older brother was aware of his sometimes-malicious nature, and how he could be an "asshole" if necessary.[39]
Bolaire Lathalia[]
Hal, without knowing it, changed Bolaire's life and inspired him to become his own person. They became friends and had long talks about literature, with the warlock even getting involved in the lives of Hal's kids.[40] Even after discovering that some aspects of the curator's nature had been hidden from him, after speaking to him he decided to take a leap of faith and trust him regardless.[41]
Thaisha Lloy[]
Thaisha is Hal's ex and the mother of his children, Alogar[42] and Shadia.[43] They fell in love at age 19 and started a family. However, Thaisha fell in love with the world through Hal's art and left their family to pursue her calling as a druid.[8] Although many years have passed, Hal has kept Thaisha's old study in good conditions for whenever she visits, including with a bed. They both have "enjoyed each other's company" over the years[44] and she calls him "Love" from time to time.[45] They remain friends, and co-parent their children as much as they can. Halandil thinks of her as his best friend in the world.[46]
Wicander Halovar[]
Halandil was once Wicander Halovar's speaking coach.[47] In return, Halandil was granted ownership of The Hallowed Round by House Halovar (even if it was technically the Council) after Wicander insisted.[48] Later Halandil would try to use that connection with Wicander to convince his family to free Thjazi Fang when he got arrested, to no avail.[49]
Character information[]
Notable items[]
- Lyre[50]
- The Liar's Blade, Thjazi Fang's old sword, forged by the Lloy family[51]
Abilities[]
Unless otherwise noted, the following abilities are assumed from the 2024 Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook[52]
Orc abilities[]
- Adrenaline Rush (2/rest)
- Darkvision: 120ft.
- Relentless Endurance (1/day)
Proficiencies[]
- Skills:
Feats[]
Bard abilities[]
- Bardic Inspiration (d6, 4/rest)
- Spellcasting (charisma-based ability)
- Expertise
- Jack of All Trades
Spells[]
As a 3rd-level bard, Hal knows 2 cantrips and 6 leveled spells, when leveling he can replace one of each.
| Spell level | Spell | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (cantrip) | Thaumaturgy[53] | |
| 1st | Comprehend Languages[54] | |
| 1st | Healing Word[55] | |
| 2nd | Aid[56] |
Appearances and mentions[]
- Campaign Four
- "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) (first appearance)
- "Broken Wing" (4x02)
- "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03)
- "Stone-Faced" (4x04)
- "Branching Paths" (4x05)
Quotations[]
- Julien Davinos: "I thank you kindly for your hospitality."
Halandil: "Always and for all."[57] - Tyranny: (referring to the theater) Why do people pretend to be other people? It's so crazy to me.
Halandil: To find the truth.[58]
Trivia[]
- Halandil is the first bard Liam O'Brien has ever played on Critical Role despite saying he would never play a bard.[59][60]
- Halandil shares his nickname, "Hal", with Haldur Lorelei, an Exandrian noble NPC who was also played by Liam.
- Before Campaign Four officially started, there were hints about the connection between Halandil and Thjazi. In a video preview of Campaign Four, a whiteboard showed "Hal - brother" with "orc bard" beneath the word "Hal".[61][2]
- Halandil has a love for languages.[62]
References[]
- ↑
Liam O'Brien (voiceofobrien) on Instagram: "Ladies and Gentleorcs, Hal Fang. C4 is just around the corner" (September 15, 2025)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 See "What Is Campaign Four?" at 10:15. Under "Dol-Makyar", the word "Hal" has "orc bard" written beneath it.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:00:25.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:31:30.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 0:36:48. Thaisha and Hal's daughter Shadia is 25, it is implied that Alogar is at least one year older, and the couple got together when they were both 19.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 3:56:02.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 3:15:58.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 1:55:28.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:40:55.
- ↑ See
Critical Recap: Critical Role C4E01 “The Fall of Thjazi Fang” on CritRole.com . Dani Carr confirms Alogar is also Hal's son.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:32:30.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 3:10:16.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 3:10:20.
- ↑ See "Overview of the Overture | Campaign 4 | Ep 1-4 Recap" at 16:20.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:35:15.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 0:46:09.
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03) at 2:16:40.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:32:08.
- ↑ See "Overview of the Overture | Campaign 4 | Ep 1-4 Recap at 0:51.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:30:26.
- ↑ See "Overview of the Overture | Campaign 4 | Ep 1-4 Recap" at 1:16.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 See "Overview of the Overture | Campaign 4 | Ep 1-4 Recap" at 01:46.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:52:38. See also at 3:55:43.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 1:05:14.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:30:10.
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03) at 2:08:53.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 1:48:21.
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03) at 2:18:02.
- ↑ See "Branching Paths" (4x05) at 1:37:23.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:35:44.
- ↑ See "Overview of the Overture | Campaign 4 | Ep 1-4 Recap" at 01:57.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01).
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02).
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03).
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04).
- ↑ See "Branching Paths" (4x05).
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:52:40.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:53:07.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 4:09:56.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 4:04:28.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 4:20:34.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 3:09:31.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 0:42:27.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 3:47:31.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 3:51:25.
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03) at 2:12:48.
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03) at 4:25:50.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 1:31:14.
- ↑ See "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) at 1:51:49.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 0:47:18.
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03) at 4:07:56.
- ↑ See D&D: Player's Handbook (2024), 5th ed., p. 59 and 195.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 0:50:50.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 3:46:59.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 0:24:37.
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 4:20:39.
- ↑ See "Broken Wing" (4x02) at 0:43:14.
- ↑ See "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03) at 4:26:01.
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #17: 'Voice of the Tempest'" (TMx17) at 1:19:43.
- ↑ See "Critical Role: Full Panel | ECCC 2019 | SYFY WIRE" at 12:04.
- ↑ What is Campaign Four? on CritRole.com (August 21, 2025).
- ↑ See "Stone-Faced" (4x04) at 3:46:52.
Art:
- ↑ Official art of Halandil Fang, cropped from a larger image, by Loren Hontanilla (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official art of Halandil Fang, by Loren Hontanilla (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
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