Halaster.
Halaster Blackcloak is a major recurring villain in the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Forgotten Realms.
He is a very powerful, old and, most of all, insane wizard who lives in the dark depths of Undermountain, in the land of Faerun. He appears frequently as the antagonist of the wizard Elminster as well as to various adventurers of the Forgotten Realms world.
Story
When he was young more than a thousand years ago, Halaster Blackcloak was known as Hilather, though where he spent his youth is never completely revealed. Some sources place him in the ancient Imaskari Empire. Whatever his nation of origin, it is known that he was more gregarious as a young man, creating and hosting magefairs and spellmoots, and taking many apprentices. However, as his power grew, he became more interested in aberrations and the misteries of the Outer Planes, which led to various extradimensional travels that eventually left him unhinged with a growing paranoia, hunger for power and viciousness.
In 168 DR Hilather, now renamed Halaster Blackcloak, arrived at the foot of Mount Waterdeep with his team of apprentices, collectively called The Seven. Halaster summoned demons and other fiendish creatures from the outer planes to construct his headquarters and claimed the nearby lands as his own. Most likely he chose the location because of Sargauth Enclave, an abandoned Netherese outpost buried deep beneath the surface.
Halaster refused to release the monsters and demons after they constructed his new home, instead sending them into the caverns to explore. Thus began a long series of journeys into the area now called the Underhalls, driving out the drow, duergar, and various underdark monsters that lived there. By 309 DR Halaster had complete control over the near-endless tunnels and caverns and began constructing the largest and most deadly dungeon on the face of Faerun, Undermountain.
By that time, Halaster had become completely mad and wanted nothing to do with the outside world anymore. He left his hold to live in Undermountain itself, allowing the keep to fall into ruin. Several of his apprentices came looking for him; he slew two before demanding the rest help him fortify his dungeon even more. One refused and managed to escape. Jhesiyra Kestellharp would later provide what little history there is about Halaster, the Mad Mage.
Personality
While he is in Undermountain, Halaster seems constantly distracted, always chuckling and muttering to himself over people and happenings only he can discern. He also has difficulty holding the thread of any conversation for long and he is quick to homicidal anger.
If he is ever removed from Undermountain, he regains some of his old lucidity. At these times, Halaster is calculating, methodical, and quite affable, though still thoroughly evil. Halaster can be honorable, and even noble in a twisted sort of way. He tolerates no insolence in any case, and remembers any slight or aid given to him. He also tries to get his own way in everything, driven by whatever he feels like doing at a given time, caring not for the harm he does to others in the process. Blackcloak's interests include collecting new monsters, magic spells and magic artifacts, but after thousands of years, nothing is really new and fun to him. Whilst waiting for such delights, he amuses himself by manipulating events and politics to suit his whims.
Videogame appearances
- The majority of the first chapter of Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark, the second expansion pack to the PC game Neverwinter Nights, takes place in the 3 deepest levels of Undermountain. Halaster himself makes an appearance at the very end of the chapter, and rhymes in all his lines, much to the annoyance of the villainous drow passing through his lair (and perhaps the player), but he never fights the player character.
- Halaster is briefly referred to by name in the PC game Icewind Dale 2 by the character Nickademus, who claims to have been one of the mad wizard's students.
Trivia
- In the 3rd edition of D&D, Halaster is a 25th level wizard with five levels in archmage. In the fifth edition, the character is revamped with toned down levels of 20.
- His official alignment is Chaotic Evil.