**Race:** Human **Age:** 45 **Occupation:** Baker, Proprietor of Porter's Bakery **Alignment:** Lawful Good **Location:** Oakrest Village, Porter's Bakery --- ## Appearance Hal is a broad-shouldered, solidly built man with the comfortable bulk of someone who samples his own cooking. His face is round and friendly, perpetually flour-dusted, with laugh lines around blue eyes that crinkle when he smiles. His hair, once blonde, is graying at the temples and usually hidden beneath a flour-covered cap. His hands are the hands of his trade—strong from kneading dough, slightly burned from oven work, and always warm. He moves with surprising grace for a large man, the efficiency of someone who's perfected their craft over decades. Hal dresses in simple work clothes—canvas trousers, a linen shirt that's never quite clean, and his signature flour-covered apron. He smells perpetually of fresh bread, cinnamon, and wood smoke from the ovens. There's often a bit of dough stuck somewhere on his person that he doesn't notice. His expression is naturally warm and welcoming. He has a habit of wiping his hands on his apron when nervous or thinking. --- ## Personality **Gentle Soul:** Hal is genuinely kind, patient, and optimistic even when circumstances don't warrant it. He sees the good in people and situations, sometimes to his detriment. **Dedicated Craftsman:** Baking isn't just his job—it's his calling. He takes deep pride in his work and refuses to sell anything below his exacting standards. **Conflict-Averse:** Hal avoids confrontation whenever possible. He'll absorb small losses rather than argue, which some mistake for weakness but is actually conflict-avoidance born from deeper fears. **Deeply Sentimental:** He remembers customers' favorites, celebrates their happy occasions with special pastries, and mourns their losses with comfort food. He's emotionally invested in the community. **Quietly Faithful:** Hal has simple but genuine faith in Laurel. He doesn't preach, but he lives his beliefs through service and kindness. **Haunted by the Past:** Behind his cheerful demeanor lies unprocessed trauma from his son's disappearance. He uses work and service to avoid confronting his grief. --- ## Background ### Family Tradition Hal was born into baking. His father ran the bakery before him, and his grandfather before that. He learned to knead dough before he could write his name, grew up in clouds of flour, and always knew this would be his life. ### Marriage to Sarah At twenty-two, Hal married Sarah Millwood, a farmer's daughter with a beautiful singing voice. They were happy—genuinely, simply happy. She helped in the bakery, sang while they worked, and made their small home warm with love. ### Thomas Their son Thomas was born when Hal was twenty-seven. The boy inherited his mother's curiosity and his father's kindness. Hal taught him to bake, dreaming of the day Thomas would take over the family business, continuing the tradition. ### The Disappearance Nine years ago, when Thomas was sixteen, the boy went to Duskwatch to deliver specialty breads to a wealthy client. He never returned. Search parties found his wagon overturned on the Armsworth Road, bread scattered, but no sign of Thomas. Some claimed they heard cries from the Glade's edge. Others found strange tracks. Thomas was never found. ### Sarah's Grief Sarah couldn't endure it. The loss broke something in her. She stopped singing, stopped speaking, and eventually stopped eating. Despite Hal's desperate care and Sister [[Sister Malwen|Malwen]]'s intervention, Sarah wasted away. She died eighteen months after Thomas vanished, though Hal knows she really died the day they lost their son. ### Hal's Response Rather than collapse into his own grief, Hal threw himself into work. He bakes from before dawn until exhaustion forces him to stop. He tells himself that feeding the village is honoring Thomas and Sarah's memory. The truth is, when he's working, he doesn't have to think about the empty house. --- ## Role in Oakrest ### The Bakery Porter's Bakery provides Oakrest with daily bread and special occasion pastries. It's one of the few businesses that predates the current generation, a fixture of stability in an unstable place. **Daily Operations:** - Hal rises at 3 AM to start the ovens - Bakes bread through the morning - Opens the shop at dawn - Continues baking specialty items through the day - Closes at dusk, then preps for tomorrow **Products:** - Daily bread (various types—wheat, rye, dark bread) - Pastries and sweet rolls - Special occasion cakes for celebrations - Meat pies (popular with laborers) - Hardtack for travelers - Festival breads for religious observances ### Community Role Hal functions as an informal community barometer. People gather at the bakery, share news, and Hal remembers it all—who's getting married, who's sick, who's struggling. He's a soft touch, often "forgetting" to collect payment from families in hardship. ### The Comfort Tradition When someone in Oakrest dies or disappears, Hal bakes mourning bread—a dark, sweet bread traditionally given to grieving families. He never charges for mourning bread. Over the years, he's baked far too many loaves. ### Morning Ritual Hal's routine provides structure to Oakrest's day. The smell of baking bread at dawn signals normalcy, safety, continuity. When that smell is absent, villagers feel uneasy—it means something is wrong. --- ## Porter's Bakery The bakery is a single-story stone building with a wooden addition in back. The front faces Oakrest's main street, positioned to catch morning sun. **Front Shop:** - Display counter with day's offerings - Small seating area (4 tables) where customers can eat - Walls lined with shelves and hanging herbs - Wood-burning oven dominates one wall (visible from the shop) - The smell is heavenly **Back Kitchen:** - Larger ovens for bulk baking - Work tables perpetually covered in flour - Storage for ingredients - Cooling racks - Door leading to woodshed and ingredient storage **Living Quarters:** - Small attached home (rarely used) - Most rooms are dusty and closed off - Hal sleeps in a small room near the kitchen - Thomas's room remains untouched—a shrine of sorts **The Ovens:** The bakery has three ovens: two traditional stone ovens and one larger brick oven Hal's father built. Maintaining their heat is an art Hal has perfected. The ovens are never allowed to go completely cold—keeping them ready is part of the bakery's soul. --- ## Relationships **Sister [[Sister Malwen|Malwen]]:** Deep gratitude and friendship. [[Sister Malwen|Malwen]] helped care for Sarah in her final days and still checks on Hal regularly. He bakes special breads for the shrine and never charges her. She's one of the few who knows the full depth of his grief. **Mayor [[Mayer Harlon Deyne|Harlon Deyne]]:** Respectful but distant. Hal provides bread for the militia at reduced rates. Harlon feels guilty about failing to find Thomas, which creates awkwardness between them. Hal bears no resentment but Harlon can't forgive himself. **Mira "Bellringer":** Friendly. Mira buys pastries for the Gallows Rest and often sits with Hal when the bakery is slow, both understanding loss. They talk about anything except their dead loved ones, which is its own kindness. **[[Garrick Thresh]]:** Casual acquaintance. Hal provides bread for Garrick's workers. Garrick respects Hal's quiet strength and occasionally shares drinks with him, though Hal rarely drinks much. **[[Wendy Blackwood]]:** Business relationship. Wendy supplies flour and ingredients at fair prices. She secretly reduces her markup for Hal because she respects what he endured. Hal doesn't realize this. **[[Tom Ironheart]]:** Growing friendship. Both are craftsmen who find meditation in their work. They sometimes share quiet evenings discussing their trades. Tom has begun teaching Hal basic metalworking as therapy. **The Children of Oakrest:** Hal is beloved by children. He always has a small sweet for young customers and remembers their names. Seeing children grow up helps fill the Thomas-shaped hole in his heart, though it also hurts. --- ## Current Concerns ### Flour Shortages Supply disruptions mean flour is increasingly expensive and scarce. Hal refuses to raise prices on daily bread (people need to eat), which means he's losing money. His savings are dwindling. ### The Dreams Recently, Hal has been dreaming of Thomas calling to him from the Glade. Unlike before, these dreams feel different—urgent, specific. He wakes certain Thomas is trying to tell him something. He hasn't told anyone, fearing they'll think grief has driven him mad. ### Declining Health The grueling work schedule and poor self-care are catching up with Hal. He's developed a persistent cough, loses weight despite being surrounded by food, and his hands shake from exhaustion. Sister [[Sister Malwen|Malwen]] is concerned, but Hal insists he's fine. ### The Spoiled Batch Last week, an entire batch of bread spoiled overnight—turned black and foul-smelling. This has never happened before. Hal burned it all, but the incident terrified him. Was it bad ingredients? Sabotage? Something worse? ### Succession Worries Hal is only 45, but the thought weighs on him: when he dies, the bakery dies. There's no one to pass it to. The Porter family tradition, stretching back generations, will end with him. This feels like failing his ancestors and his lost son. --- ## Motivations & Goals **Primary Goal:** Keep the bakery running and feed the community. **Secondary Goals:** - Honor Thomas and Sarah's memory through service - Maintain the family baking tradition as long as possible - Provide comfort through food during dark times - Find meaning in work since he couldn't find his son **Secret Goal:** Discover what really happened to Thomas—not for closure (he doesn't believe in closure), but to know if his son suffered or died quickly. **Personal Wish:** Die doing what he loves, in the bakery surrounded by the smell of baking bread, rather than waste away like Sarah did. --- ## Adventure Hooks ### "The Baker's Dream" Hal privately approaches a party member who seems sympathetic, confessing his dreams of Thomas calling from the Glade. He asks if they've heard of the Deadwood doing such things—calling to loved ones. He doesn't hire them to investigate (can't afford it), but if they're going into the Glade anyway, could they watch for any sign of his son? This could lead to: - Finding Thomas's remains and giving Hal closure - Discovering Thomas trapped/corrupted somehow - Learning the Glade uses victims' memories to lure others - A touching moment if the party brings back Thomas's possessions ### "The Spoiled Bread Mystery" After the mysterious spoiled batch, Hal asks the party to investigate. He offers: - Free bread for a month - His grandmother's recipe book (contains surprisingly useful survivalist recipes) - Information about the village and its people - Emotional investment (helping a grieving father) Investigation might reveal: - Corruption from the Glade affecting food stores - Sabotage by someone trying to ruin him - Cursed ingredients - A warning sign of spreading blight ### "The Festival Bread" Oakrest's harvest festival approaches, and Hal needs special ingredients for traditional festival breads (a recipe passed down for generations). These ingredients grow in dangerous areas near or in the Glade. He asks the party to retrieve them, offering: - 100 gp - Special festival pastries with minor beneficial effects (treat as Heroes' Feast for 24 hours, but only +1 bonuses) - The gratitude of the entire village ### "The Last Porter" Hal collapses from exhaustion while baking. Sister [[Sister Malwen|Malwen]] intervenes, insisting he rest. He asks the party to help run the bakery for a few days (comical possibilities). This could involve: - Learning to bake (skill challenges) - Discovering why Hal works himself so hard - Meeting the entire village (everyone buys bread) - Uncovering a plot when someone tries to sabotage the bakery while Hal is vulnerable ### "Sarah's Recipe" Hal mentions his late wife had a recipe for a bread that could temporarily ward off despair and fear. He never learned it completely—Sarah kept it in her head. But [[Sister Malwen]] might be able to use speak with dead or similar magic to recover it. If the party can help retrieve this recipe, it could provide: - Actual mechanical benefit (advantage on saves vs. fear effects for 8 hours) - A way to honor Sarah's memory - Something useful for people suffering from the Glade's psychological effects - Emotional closure for Hal ### "The Competitor" A baker from Duskwatch arrives, setting up a temporary stall, selling bread at cheaper prices. It's clearly a ploy by merchants (possibly Thalia Crenn) to drive Hal out of business. The party might: - Investigate the rival baker's backing - Expose the scheme - Help Hal compete - Discover the "cheap" bread is actually using inferior or dangerous ingredients --- ## Sample Prices **Daily Bread:** - Small loaf: 2 cp - Large loaf: 5 cp - Specialty grain bread: 1 sp **Pastries:** - Sweet rolls (each): 1 cp - Meat pie: 3 cp - Fruit tart: 5 cp **Special Orders:** - Cake (small): 5 sp - Cake (large): 2 gp - Festival bread: 1 gp - Mourning bread: Free (never charges) **Travel Rations:** - Hardtack (1 day): 5 sp (keeps for months) - Trail bread (1 day): 3 cp (keeps for weeks) **Notes:** - Hal's prices are low for the frontier - He "forgets" to charge families in need - Special occasion items are priced to cover costs, not profit - He offers discounts to militia, laborers, and adventurers who help the village --- ## Combat Statistics (If Needed) **Hal Porter** – Baker & Survivor _Medium humanoid (human), lawful good_ **Armor Class:** 10 **Hit Points:** 22 (4d8 + 4) **Speed:** 30 ft. **STR** 14 (+2) | **DEX** 10 (+0) | **CON** 13 (+1) **INT** 11 (+0) | **WIS** 14 (+2) | **CHA** 15 (+2) **Saving Throws:** Wis +4 **Skills:** Insight +4, Medicine +4, Perception +4, Persuasion +4 **Senses:** Passive Perception 14 **Languages:** Common **Special Abilities:** _Master Baker:_ Hal has advantage on checks related to cooking, baking, or assessing the quality of food and ingredients. _Comforting Presence:_ Creatures who spend at least 10 minutes eating Hal's fresh bread gain temporary hit points equal to 1d4 + his Charisma modifier. This benefit can only be gained once per day per creature. _Community Memory:_ Hal has advantage on Intelligence checks to recall information about Oakrest residents, their families, and local events from the past 30 years. **Actions:** - **Rolling Pin:** +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage. (Hal is not a fighter, but if his bakery is threatened, he'll defend it) - **Burning Bread Peel:** +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4) fire damage if the peel has been in the oven. **Reactions:** - **Protective Shield:** When an attack would hit a child or innocent within 5 feet of Hal, he can impose disadvantage on the attack roll as he instinctively moves to protect them. --- ## Quotes _"Fresh bread in the morning means the world's still turning. As long as I can bake, there's still hope."_ _"Everyone needs to eat. I won't profit from hunger—that's not why my grandfather built these ovens."_ _"Thomas would be... he would have been twenty-five this year. He'd have been running the bakery by now, probably with ideas about new recipes I'd pretend to resist but secretly love."_ (moment of vulnerability) _"Sarah used to sing while we worked. The whole bakery would fill with her voice. Now it's just the sound of kneading and the crackling of the ovens. I've gotten used to the quiet."_ _"The Glade took my son and my wife. It won't take my purpose. Every loaf I bake is proof that I'm still here, still fighting in my own way."_ _"I dream of Thomas calling to me. Part of me wants to walk into that cursed forest to find him. The sensible part knows that's exactly what it wants—to take me too. So I bake instead."_ _"Mourning bread is tradition. When someone loses a loved one, you give them something warm, something that took effort to make. It says: 'Your grief is seen, your loss matters, you're not alone.' That's worth more than coin."_ --- ## Special Knowledge ### Information Hal Can Provide **About Thomas's Disappearance:** - Exactly where the wagon was found (2 miles from Oakrest on the Armsworth Road) - What was missing vs. what remained (bread was scattered but untouched, coin purse was full, personal items gone) - Strange details (wagon wheel tracks showed it stopped calmly, not a struggle; Thomas's shoes were found 50 feet from the wagon) - What search parties reported (strange sounds from the Glade, feeling of being watched) - Similar disappearances around the same time (Thomas was one of three that month) **About Daily Life in Oakrest:** - Who's struggling to feed their families (he extends credit and notices buying patterns) - Community dynamics (he hears everything—his bakery is a gossip hub) - Upcoming celebrations or events - Who's sick, who's grieving, who's in trouble - Children's names, ages, and family situations (he knows all the kids) **About Baking & Ingredients:** - Where different ingredients come from and how supply chains work - Which herbs and plants are edible or useful - How to preserve food for long journeys - Recipes that provide minor benefits (his grandmother's recipes have folk-magic elements) - Signs of spoilage, contamination, or cursed food **About the Festival Traditions:** - Old Oakrest celebrations and their meanings - Traditional foods for different occasions - The history behind certain recipes (some date back generations) - Protective folk rituals involving bread and grain - Stories passed down through his family **About Faith & Community:** Hal's simple faith and community integration give him insights into: - The role of Laurel's church in village life - How people cope with loss and fear - The unspoken rules of frontier community survival - Why traditions matter in dangerous places --- ## Special Recipe: Sarah's Warding Bread If the party helps Hal recover this recipe (through speak with dead or finding Sarah's hidden notes), it has genuine beneficial properties: **Sarah's Warding Bread** _Requires:_ Fine flour, honey, specific herbs (difficult to obtain), blessed water, exact timing **Effect:** One loaf serves 4 people. Those who eat a portion gain: - Advantage on saving throws against fear effects for 8 hours - +1 bonus to Wisdom saving throws for 8 hours - A sense of warmth and comfort that helps resist despair - Disadvantage on attempts to charm or compel them for 4 hours **Limitations:** - Difficult and time-consuming to make - Requires rare ingredients - Benefits don't stack with multiple servings - Only Hal knows how to make it properly (requires the recipe AND his baking skill) This makes the recipe valuable to the party for exploring the Glade while honoring Sarah's legacy. --- ## DM Notes Hal represents the quiet suffering that exists alongside more dramatic grief. He's not a quest-giver or plot-mover, but a window into the human cost of living near supernatural horror. His gentle nature provides emotional contrast to grittier NPCs. **Roleplay Tips:** - Speak softly and kindly; Hal never raises his voice - Show his grief through small actions (touching his wedding ring, pausing when mentioning family) - Demonstrate his exhaustion through physical tells (rubbing eyes, leaning on counters) - Let his love for his craft show—he lights up when discussing baking - Show vulnerability with trusted characters but maintain his dignity - Use food as his love language (offering pastries, remembering favorites) **Using Hal in Sessions:** - Start sessions with the smell of baking bread (description that grounds players) - Use the bakery as a information-gathering location (comfortable, non-threatening) - Let players witness his kindness (giving free bread to a poor family) - Create emotional stakes by threatening something he loves (the bakery, the ovens, the recipes) - Reward players who are kind to him (he remembers and reciprocates) **Thomas Plot Threads:** The mystery of Thomas's fate offers several possibilities: 1. **Tragic Closure:** Thomas died quickly; finding remains brings peace 2. **Horror Twist:** Thomas lives but is corrupted/trapped (rescue or mercy kill?) 3. **Lure Mechanism:** "Thomas" calling is the Glade using memories to draw victims 4. **Bittersweet Discovery:** Thomas saved others before dying—heroic sacrifice Choose based on your campaign's tone and what would be most meaningful for your players. **Mechanical Uses:** - Provide food-related buffs for exploring the Glade - Create downtime activities (learning to bake, helping in the shop) - Offer a safe NPC the party can protect without combat focus - Use his knowledge of the community to provide social navigation - Make him a barometer for Oakrest's health (when Hal struggles, everyone struggles) **Integration with Themes:** Hal embodies: - Endurance in face of loss - Finding meaning through service - The power of tradition and routine - How ordinary people survive in extraordinary circumstances - The importance of community care **Important Note:** Hal should never become comic relief. His grief is real, his exhaustion is real, and his kindness is genuine. While there can be light moments (teaching the party to bake, awkward but sweet interactions), respect the weight of his story. If players invest in Hal's wellbeing—helping him discover Thomas's fate, protecting the bakery, ensuring he has an apprentice—reward that investment with meaningful emotional payoff. A hug from Hal, tears of gratitude, or him naming a new bread recipe after a helpful character can be more impactful than gold.