Halas Martain is a member of the Wayfinder Foundation. While he is quite intelligent and erudite, he is an unscrupulous individual who has no compunctions about using treachery and deception to steal the accomplishments of others. Despite his faults, he knows more about Xen’drik than many sages, and he has contacts among groups of drow and giants. Recently, he has been approached by agents of the Order of the Emerald Claw; there are artifacts that Vol herself wishes to recover from Xen’drik, and Halas may be the man for the job.
Halas comes from Aundair, but little is known about his past. He has a dark secret: He is the child of forbidden love between members of House Lyrandar and House Phiarlan, and possesses an aberrant mark (pass without trace). He was banished from House Lyrandar and ordered never to return; this has fueled his anger and desire for personal fame. Halas can be charming when he wants to, but when dealing with other explorers he tends to be condescending and demeaning. He constantly boasts of his own achievements and belittles those of his competitors, taking particular joy in mentioning finds that he has stolen from other explorers.
Halas sells his services to others, and as a result he can be found working for the Order of the Emerald Claw, the Aurum, the Dreaming Dark, or some other group.