View source for Halvard Greyskein

== Halvard Greyskein ==

Halvard Greyskein is the proprietor of the '''[[Gilded Albatross]]''', a cold-weather outfitter in [[Luskan]] that caters to sailors, explorers, and adventurers heading into the far north. A weathered and loquacious man of indeterminate age, Halvard has spent a lifetime outfitting expeditions into the [[Sea of Moving Ice]] and has accumulated a repertoire of northern legends to match.

=== Background ===
Halvard runs the Gilded Albatross from Luskan's dockside quarter, stocking the kind of gear that keeps people alive in the deep cold — rings of warmth, enchanted boots, cold-resistance potions, and the like. He has an eye for what adventurers actually need versus what they think they need, and a habit of throwing in a piece of northern folklore with every sale.

Whether he has traveled into the ice himself or merely gathered stories from those who have is unclear, but his knowledge of far-north legends is extensive and delivered with the confidence of a firsthand witness.

=== The Goosebear ===
When the party visited the Gilded Albatross in [[Session 47 - The Sea of Moving Ice|Session 47]], Halvard told them the legend of the [[The Goosebear|Goosebear]] — a chimeric beast ''\"born of ancient druidic hubris,\"'' half polar bear and half goose, whose magically charged honk drives listeners to flee for miles. The tale lodged in [[Shade]]'s mind; she quietly raised the possibility that the legendary honk might not be a creature at all, but the [[Draakhorn]] itself.

In [[Session 51 - The Red Gold Reckoning (2026-06-28)|Session 51]] — both while corrupted and after his cure — Halvard renewed the pitch in earnest: he has offered to '''fund an expedition to the Goosebear's treasure hoard in exchange for a cut'''. The offer stands.

=== The Red-Coin Corruption <ref name="s51">[[Session 51 - The Red Gold Reckoning (2026-06-28)|Session 51]].</ref> ===
The 6,000 blood-red infernal coins the party spent at the Gilded Albatross in Session 47 spent two weeks quietly corrupting their recipient. When [[Deez Nuts]] returned in [[Session 51 - The Red Gold Reckoning (2026-06-28)|Session 51]], they found the shop obsessively polished, prices doubled, and a fresh sign on the door: "'''Gold only, no gems, no trade, no credit — no exceptions.'''" Halvard — manic, sleepless, counting his coins three times over — denied having any red coins while his eyes flicked to an iron-banded chest newly '''bolted under the counter''', holding a hoard of '''3,000''' of them.

[[Baelgrum]]'s '''Remove Curse''' freed him. Halvard surfaced from '''two lost weeks''' profoundly confused: "Who the heck would break in and ''clean'' everything?… I've never had a chest that was bolted down before." The party bought back his 3,000 red coins at face value with ordinary gold, and a grateful Halvard pressed '''three Greater Potions of Healing''' on them. He then sold them out his potion stock (one Supreme, two Superior, eight common healing potions — 6,400 gold) and three healer's kits, and bought back their ice-hunter outfits and spears.

=== Relationships ===
* [[Gilded Albatross]] — His shop; the name reflects both his trade and his affection for sailor's omens.
* [[Shade]], [[Karma]], [[Alexios]], [[Xanphina|Zan]], [[Gootcha|Gooch]], [[Keyleth|Key]] — Outfitted the party for their voyage north in Session 47.
* [[Baelgrum]] — Cast the Remove Curse that freed him from the red coins.
* [[Deez Nuts]] — Unwittingly the source of his corruption; also its cure. He does not know either half of that story.

=== Current Status ===
Active in [[Luskan]], running the Gilded Albatross, cured of the red-coin corruption (though missing two weeks of memory). Standing offer on the table: funding for a [[The Goosebear|Goosebear]] hoard expedition, for a cut.

=== Appearances ===
* [[Session 47 - The Sea of Moving Ice]] — Outfitted the party and told them the legend of the [[The Goosebear|Goosebear]].
* [[Session 51 - The Red Gold Reckoning (2026-06-28)]] — Found corrupted by the red coins; cured by Baelgrum; potions and a renewed expedition offer.

== References ==
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[[Category:NPCs]] [[Category:Luskan]] [[Category:Rise of Tiamat]]