Sildar Hallwinter

Sildar Hallwinter is a member of the Lords' Alliance and an ally of the Phandalin Five. Formerly a member of the Griffon Cavalry in Neverwinter, he was promoted to the rank of Lord Protector of Phandalin by Halia Thornton.

Appearance
Sildar Hallwinter is a human male in his early 50s, standing at around 6' tall with a muscular build. Sildar has a rugged, almost gruff look to him but has kind eyes with crow's feet in the corners. He has long black hair and a beard, which are turning grey at the roots.

Personality
Sildar is a kind man possessing a good heart and fierce loyalty to those he has sworn to protect. He was deeply troubled by Gundren Rockseeker's kidnap on the orders of King Grol, and has shown himself to be a steadfast ally to the Phandalin Five since their first meeting. He is courageous and valiant, shown by his fearless leadership during the Battle of Neverwinter, spearheading the griffon charge towards Lyn Armaal.

Background
Prior to meeting the Phandalin Four, Sildar Hallwinter was a soldier in the Griffon Cavalry of Neverwinter, riding his personal mount Breakspear. His prowess and valour brought him to the attention of the Lords' Alliance, which he eventually joined. At some point shortly before 1481 DR, he retired from service and took to mercenary work, hired to escort Gundren Rockseeker to Phandalin - however, he had his own reasons for visiting the town: namely, to investigate the disappearance of his good friend Iarno Albrek, a fellow Lords' Alliance member.

Chapter 1: Phandelver
Sildar and Gundren rode ahead of the Phandalin Four, who were transporting the dwarf miner's cart of supplies to Phandalin. However, the Four stumbled upon the pair's horses, dead in the road, before being ambushed by goblins of the Cragmaw Tribe. The Four slew all but one of the goblins and interrogated the survivor, Erg, who told them that Sildar had been taken to the "eating cave" of the nearby Cragmaw Hideout.

The Phandalin Four found Sildar beaten and semi-conscious, strung up by his wrists in the cave. Sildar explained to the Four the truth of Gundren's quest to find Wave Echo Cave, and that the hideout's leader, Klarg, has made a deal with a mysterious figure known as the Black Spider. The party helped Sildar reach Phandalin, and he rewarded them with gold and gratitude before heading to the Stonehill Inn to recover.