Halas Lutagran is a powerful wizard who disappeared during the Calamity. As an NPC, Halas is played by Matthew Mercer.
Description[]
Appearance[]
Halas is a thin man, with light brown skin, long dark hair that tumbles past his shoulders, and a very thinly-groomed chin beard falling to a point three or four inches below. He is known to wear a red robe with gold trim and billowing sleeves that folds across his lap, and a handful of rings on his hands. His eyes are a piercing amber-yellow color.[6]
Personality[]
Yussa Errenis described him as "not a very team player."[7] He was a purely selfish creature.[8]
Biography[]
Background[]
Halas identified himself as a "mage of Zeidel", a society based in Zemniaz, one of the floating cities wiped out in the Calamity and the basis of the Zemnian language and the culture of the Empire itself.[9] Halas was born during the Calamity, long after the floating city of Aeor was destroyed, and raised in Zemniaz, which he referred to as "a half-cocked mageocracy steeped in extremely bureaucratic ways of government." When he grew beyond what it had to offer, he absconded with his research materials and other important things and began traveling the world. Becoming disgusted with the company of others, he began building a home for himself.[10]
Halas created an extra-dimensional manor with about one hundred interconnected rooms. He performed research inside his chambers[11] as he left magical artifacts around the world to transport people into the manor. He made a deal with a blue dragon, Thelashas, to guard parts of the manor in exchange for these objects bringing it food.[12] He brought other dangerous creatures into his manor as well.[13]
He discovered a curious simple extra planar chamber adrift across the planes and wanted to shackle it into his tower for research. Within the chamber was a swollen, beating heart without a body locked within a field of magical energy. His curiosity got the best of him, and he dispelled the field only to find the heart emitting a corrosive aura as it summoned fleshy tendrils to defend itself. Fighting the defenses of the heart over time from the safety of his tower, he managed to seal it within a cage of runic imprisonment. Halas discovered that the heart probably belonged to The Laughing Hand.[14]
Halas was joyous that the Gods kept themselves distracted with a lack of interest in the fate of this Laughing Hand. He cared not about the strange battles of the divine, letting them stay focused on their middling interests and efforts.[15]
He experimented with stolen samples of the heart's flesh and its regenerative properties. He theorized that it was possible to siphon the cursed flesh from the heart and institute its undying nature into a human body. He developed a series of magic clones of himself and hoped to eventually perfect one such clone so that he might claim it and become an eternal master of the arcane without having to resort to the imperfect and troubling process of lichdom.[16]
He failed in some experiments and needed to jettison them into the Astral Sea to make room for a new batch. He successfully developed a possible vessel and he needed to prepare his theories. He then researched methods of soul transference via customization of a magical jar and took notes of it in one of his ritual chambers within an astral dreadnought. Halas disappeared soon after,[17] likely before the Divergence and the creation of the Divine Gate.[18][19] He overlooked a disguised magic jar enchantment.[20]
"The Stowaway" (2x45)[]
Using Comprehend Languages, Caleb Widogast was able to read the name "Halas" from the symbol on a cloak recovered from the a portable hole created by the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks. Beauregard recognized it as an archaic Zemnian name, but could not remember any specific historical figure named Halas.[21]
The Mighty Nein and Twiggy were transported by the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks into Halas's extradimensional manor. They explored three of approximately one hundred chambers: a stone room with four different colored trapped banners, a library with hundreds of locked books, and the blue dragon's hoard. The stained glass panel in the library showing the layout of the planes did not include a representation of the Divine Gate, suggesting that it was designed before the Gate was created just after the Calamity.[22]
"A Storm of Memories" (2x46)[]
Caleb identified one of books taken from Halas's library as a transcript of public debate from the forum of Zeidel regarding the moral implications of arcane experimentation on prisoners of Ghor Dranas and warnings of the war with the gods. Zeidel was one of a number of extremely erudite societies in the Age of Arcanum that had harnessed crystals to make their city hover aloft. There were a handful of these mobile cities that could travel across Exandria, all of them, as far as anyone knows, wiped out during the Calamity.[23]
"Homeward Bound" (2x48)[]
Yussa Errenis recognized where the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks led, and the mage to whom it had belonged. Yussa said he had not personally met that mage, who had been missing for a very long time,[24] but there were "few in his circles that have not heard of his exploits in the past."[25]
"Dark Bargains" (2x83)[]
The Mighty Nein passed through the dreadnought's mouth and were transported into a laboratory room. In the center of this room was a table with a breathing body on it, which the party recognized as the body of Halas they had seen earlier in the Happy Fun Ball. While investigating the surroundings, Nott found a polished ruby with Halas' soul inside.
The party learned that at some point prior to the Divergence, Halas wanted to temporarily free himself from the burden of the human body, so he transported his soul in to the ruby. However, the ruby was defective and Halas found himself trapped. He told the Mighty Nein that if they would free him, he would reward them with treasure, he would tell Nott how to transport her soul from one body to another, and he would show them the way out of Heirloom Sphere.[26] The party decided to wait on their decision until they met with Allura.
The Mighty Nein retrieved all the information from Halas that they could get, saved Yussa, and exited the Happy Fun Ball, leaving Halas's body behind.
"The Neverending Day" (2x125)[]
The Mighty Nein had Yussa Errenis retrieve the gem containing Halas's soul from the pocket dimension in which it is normally kept. Caleb held the gem and spoke to Halas, who offered to trade information in return for Caleb allowing him to occupy his body. Caleb counteroffered that if Halas answered three questions honestly, they would see about answering another three "in different circumstances." Halas told Caleb of his past in the floating city of Zemniaz and how he came to begin building his home accessed through the Happy Fun Ball. He also spoke of Aeor, which he said had crumbled before his time, its "tumult within" and eventual destruction by the gods, and of the Somnovem and their fanatical belief in the power of the mortal imagination. To Halas's apparent knowledge, there had been no survivors from the fall of Aeor after its annihilation by the gods. Caleb dropped the gem after these answers, resisting Halas's apparent effort to possess him.
Relationships[]
Thelashas[]
Even though the blue dragon made a deal with Halas to guard the extra-dimensional manor in exchange for food and gifts, the dragon wishes to someday grow big enough to eat Halas and take the manor for himself.[27]
Character Information[]
Abilities[]
Spells Known[]
Halas's spirit is trapped within a gem, and he has not demonstrated an ability to cast spells currently. However, the following have been mentioned by him or appear in his notes:
Notable Items[]
Happy Fun Ball of Tricks- Twiggy stole the Happy Fun Ball from an unknown location (possibly an auction house) in Port Damali.[34] How it got there is unknown.
Set of winter clothes embroidered with his symbol(taken by the Mighty Nein from an extradimensional pocket opened by the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks[35])Magical hand warmer(taken by the Mighty Nein from an extra-dimensional pocket opened by the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks[36])Spellbook with the name burned out(taken from library by Caleb Widogast[37])Public Debate Records: Forum of Zeidel(taken from library by Caduceus Clay[38])Book on corrupted plant life[39] (taken from library by Caleb Widogast[40])Book on the ice fields of Eiselcross[41] (taken from library by Nott[42])Jar of magical ink(taken from library by Nott[43])- This ink can be used to copy 500 gold worth of spells onto any kind of paper.[44]
Jar of beads(taken from library by Twiggy[45])- Caleb Widogast cast Identify on the jar, later revealing to Nott that they were a type of non-perishable food.[46]
Appearances and mentions[]
- Campaign Two
- "The Stowaway" (2x45), mentioned only (first mentioned)
- "Homeward Bound" (2x48), mentioned only
- "Dark Bargains" (2x83) (first appearance)
- "Titles and Tattoos" (2x84)
- "Dinner with the Devil" (2x110), mentioned only
- "The Neverending Day" (2x125)
- "Cat and Mouse" (2x128), mentioned only
- "Between a Ball and a Hot Place" (2x129), mentioned only
- "The Streets of the Forgotten" (2x134), mentioned only
- Campaign Three
- "Red Moon Rising" (3x50), mentioned only
Quotations[]
- Yussa Errenis: (in response to whether Halas is good or bad) "At a certain level of arcane practitioning, morality becomes a bit ambiguous; but to the common man, I would say probably not a very... team player."[47]
- Halas Lutagran: In seeing the world, I began to realize one continuous truth: Everyone else is worthless, petty, frustrating, self-obsessed, and weak.[48]
- Halas Lutagran: Society is sick and destined to crumble. There is an illusion to the idea of community and working together, because every single time, it reaches a point where everyone tears each other apart, or something on the outside sees the community as a threat and destroys it.[49]
Trivia[]
- Halas has many similarities to Halaster Blackcloak, a powerful wizard who created the megadungeon known as Undermountain in the Forgotten Realms.
- If the Mighty Nein had allowed him to get free, he would have been uninterested in their issues and would have become a "Campaign Three problem".[50]
- Halas' current situation is somewhat similar to that of Dynios, a mage whose soul is trapped in the wizard spellbook of Prism Grimpoppy.
References[]
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 0:25:38. The body found in the Dreadnought appeared to be in its mid-fifties.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) at 1:28:06. Halas research notes are in Zemnian.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) at 1:18:34. A door in The Folding Halls of Halas has older Draconic runes on it.
- ↑ See "A Walk to Warmer Welcomes" (2x124) at 3:11:30. Matt notes that although he said the body was destroyed, it actually had been left inside the Heirloom Sphere.
- ↑ See "The Neverending Day" (2x125) at 47:30.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:23:35. Matt's description of the portrait in Halas's library
- ↑ See "Homeward Bound" (2x48) at 2:08:13.
- ↑ See "Critical Role Campaign 2 Wrap Up" (Sx56) at 2:33:19.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 0:33:04.
- ↑ See "The Neverending Day" (2x125) at 0:40:05.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) from 1:29:06 through 1:32:07.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 3:11:56.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 1:55:55. Caduceus learns through a Speak With Dead spell that a deadly "wailing creature" lives in the manor.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) from 1:29:06 through 1:32:07.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) from 1:29:06 through 1:32:07.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) from 1:29:06 through 1:32:07.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) from 1:29:06 through 1:32:07.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:27:26. Beau and Fjord note that the layout of the planes in Halas's library does not show the Divine Gate.
- ↑ See "A Storm of Memories" (2x46) at 1:12:02. One of the books in Halas's library is a transcript of a public debate in Zeidel, a city that was wiped out during the Calamity.
- ↑ See "Critical Role Campaign 2 Wrap Up" (Sx56) at 2:35:19.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 1:36:39.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:27:26.
- ↑ See "A Storm of Memories" (2x46) at 1:11:17.
- ↑ See "Homeward Bound" (2x48) at 1:52:15.
- ↑ See "Homeward Bound" (2x48) at 2:08:03.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 1:25:58.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 3:12:00.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 0:46:47. Caleb finds Halas's spellbook containing Clone.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 1:56:57. Halas mentions Feather Fall would be a way of reaching the exit portal in the ceiling.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 1:56:57. Halas mentions Fly is his usual way of reaching the exit portal in the ceiling.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 0:46:47. Caleb finds Halas's spellbook containing Magic Jar.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 1:56:57. Halas mentions Reverse Gravity would be a way of reaching the exit portal in the ceiling.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 0:46:47. Caleb finds Halas's spellbook containing Trap the Soul.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 30:33.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 1:33:49.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 1:33:49.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:54:26.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 3:00:01.
- ↑ See "A Storm of Memories" (2x46) at 1:11:20.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 3:18:44.
- ↑ See "A Storm of Memories" (2x46) at 1:12:46.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 3:01:20.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:57:43.
- ↑ See "A Storm of Memories" (2x46) at 1:10:24.
- ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:57:43.
- ↑ See "A Storm of Memories" (2x46) at 1:09:33.
- ↑ See "Homeward Bound" (2x48) at 2:24:05.
- ↑ See "The Neverending Day" (2x125) at 0:41:06.
- ↑ See "The Neverending Day" (2x125) at 0:42:13.
- ↑ See "Critical Role Campaign 2 Wrap Up" (Sx56) at 2:33:06.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Halas, by Rammaru (source). Globe by West Haberlein Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Halas, by Cristina Anaya (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Screenshot of Halas' symbol from "The Stowaway" (2x45). 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.
- ↑ Fan art of Fun Ball of Tricks, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of the Ruby, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.
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