Halia Thornton was a Zhentarim agent and the original guildmaster of the Phandalin Miner's Exchange in the late 15th century DR.[1]
Description[]
Thornton was a calculating agent with huge ambitions. She wished to further the Zhentarim cause by taking over Phandalin and adding it to their territory. Thornton wished to do this by slowly establishing her guild as the governing body of the village.[1]
Personality[]
She was a fierce but patient woman who was dangerous to cross.[1] She had few qualms about helping those who seemed like valuable business partners, and equally few qualms about stabbing those same people in the back if it suited her (or even if they were simply rude to her).[3]
Possessions[]
Thornton owned a house to the southeast of the Miner's Exchange.[1]
Relationships[]
She was not harassed by the Redbrands, the local outlaws, even though all the other businesses seemed to be. She desired to control the Redbrands to bring the town under her iron fist.[1]
Halia was a dedicated agent of the Zhentarim. When she met adventurers whom she thought could be useful to the Zhentarim, she would invite them to join the Black Network[1] or refer them to Urlam Stockspool in Triboar for work.[4]
History[]
In the Year of the Scarlet Witch, 1491 DR,[note 2] Halia wished to exploit adventurers that had come into town. She would tell them the location of the base of the Redbrands, and where they loitered, as well as offer them a reward for their leader's head. Halia hoped that she could use this information and the reward as leverage to control the new adventurers into doing her bidding. This way, she could assume leadership of the Redbrands.[1]
During an ongoing regional conflict between the Cult of Talos and a sect of Myrkul followers, Halia kept close tabs on both groups' spies operating in Phandalin, although she was not averse to working with them if the opportunity made sense.[3]
Following the decision by Phandalin's townsfolk be governed by a Town Council instead of a Townmaster, Halia campaigned for and was successfully elected to a two-year term on the council, alongside retired soldier Sildar Hallwinter and the former Townmaster Harbin Wester.[5][2]
In the Year of the Duplicitous Courtier, 1496 DR, Halia was killed by the sect of the Zhentarim loyal to the Manshoon in Waterdeep as a way to muscle in on Phandalin. She was replaced at the Miner's Exchange by the Zhentarim affiliate and Manshoon-loyalist Sharna Quirstiron, who convinced the town that Halia had left Phandalin because the mines were failing under her oversight.[2] This disappearance of one of their town councilors led to another reorganization of Phandalin's political structure in which the remaining two councilors, Harbin and Sildar, vied for the new position of mayor.[5]
Rumors & Legends[]
Halia had come across information that the Redbrands had a goblin contact who knew the location of Cragmaw Castle.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Canon material does not provide a year for the events described in Acquisitions Incorporated, but Jerry Holkins answered a question via Twitter and stated the year was 1496 DR. Unless a canon source contradicts this assertion, this wiki will use 1496 DR for events related to this sourcebook.
- ↑ Pages 30‒31 of Lost Mine of Phandelver describe the eruption of Mount Hotenow (1451 DR) as occurring "30 years ago", which would place the adventure in 1481 DR. When the adventure was later remade into Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, this 30 year time frame was kept (pages 50 & 53). However, pages 103 and 179 of Acquisitions Incorporated, a source published after the former, state that the events described in the adventure happen five years after both Lost Mine of Phandelver and Princes of the Apocalypse. Since the latter is explicitly set in 1491 DR, and considering this answer by Ed Greenwood about dating the adventure, this wiki will use 1491 DR for events related to both versions of the adventure.
Appearances[]
- Adventures
- Lost Mine of Phandelver • Dragon of Icespire Peak • Storm Lord's Wrath • Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
- Referenced only
- Storm King's Thunder • The Orrery of the Wanderer
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Wizards RPG Team (July 2014). “Lost Mine of Phandelver”. Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 15–18, 50. ISBN 978-0-7869-6559-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jerry Holkins, Elyssa Grant, Scott Fitzgerald Gray (June 18, 2019). Acquisitions Incorporated. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 105–106. ISBN 978-0786966905.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Shawn Merwin, James Introcaso, Will Doyle, Bill Benham, Christopher Lindsay (2019-09-04). Storm Lord's Wrath. Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit. D&D Beyond. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2021-06-28.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 231. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jerry Holkins, Elyssa Grant, Scott Fitzgerald Gray (June 18, 2019). Acquisitions Incorporated. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 101–102. ISBN 978-0786966905.