Hal is the smith of the Norgandian Settlement in Norgan, and he will not work his forge until he has a winterweed blossom. Bring him one Winterweed Blossom and he brews a physic, opens his Workshop, and starts smithing the region’s gear for you. Hammer and Tongs is the short side quest that unlocks all of that.
Quick answer: Hand one Winterweed Blossom to Hal at the Norgandian Settlement forge to finish Hammer and Tongs. You get 6,000 XP, Snowoak Bark, and Azure Ore, and his Manufacture menu unlocks.
Start the quest and find Hal
At the Norgandian Settlement, Hal works at the anvil, grindstone, and forge next to a thatched hut. He shifts among all three, and the prompt moves with him. While he is bent over the anvil, approach from the front; standing behind him will not show a prompt. When “Hail (Hold to Talk)” appears, keep the key pressed instead of tapping it. A tap only hails him; holding the key starts the conversation.
He asks you to bring back a winterweed blossom, which starts Hammer and Tongs with the task “Obtain some winterweed blossom.” He says the herb grows in an abandoned settlement north of the village and then east, and is easiest to spot at night, because its petals glow in the dark.
Deliver the Winterweed Blossom to Hal
If you carry more than one, do not eat the blossom meant for Hal. Save one for the handover so the delivery can go through.
Hal then says he will brew a physic and be fit to work the forge, that he can craft anything from the materials you bring him, including thermal gear that keeps you warm through a blizzard, and he warns you to beware the Norgan giant: “Don’t challenge it on a whim, or you’ll be sorry—if you live that long.”
Rewards and how to confirm it worked
When the talk ends, the screen shows “+6000 XP,” “+0 Dcp,” the materials Snowoak Bark and Azure Ore, and a notice reading “The Workshop.” A banner then confirms “Hammer and Tongs / You delivered the winterweed blossom to Hal,” and the quest leaves your active list. No gold is paid.
The two reward materials are exactly what Hal’s cheapest recipes ask for. The Smithed Barbaric Axe, for example, needs Azure Ore x1, which reads 1/1 right after the quest, along with the gold cost.
Open Hal’s Workshop
Hal does not offer Manufacture before the quest is complete; he will not craft without the blossom. Once it is finished, hold the talk key on him again.
Hal asks, “Have you need o’ my skills?” The menu now offers Manufacture, Buy, Sell, Talk, and Cancel. Select Manufacture to bring up the Workshop.
In the Workshop, the list is headed “Manufacturable Gear.” For each entry, you can see its Required Materials and Held/Needed count, Manufacturing Cost in gold, the piece’s numbers, and its Special Skills. The prompt says “Select equipment to manufacture,” and shows Tab for Special Skill and F to Confirm.
Hal’s first Workshop list
Right after the quest, and before the main quest Rumbles in the North is finished, the list holds 37 entries: 20 weapons (two per weapon type, including two shields), 5 head pieces, 5 body pieces, 5 leg pieces, and 2 cloaks. This is the list at that point in the story, not everything Hal will ever make. Costs run from 5,000 G to 15,000 G. Every entry carries the word “Smithed” except the two cloaks.
| Equipment | Materials | Cost |
|---|---|---|
 Smithed Barbaric Axe | Azure Ore x1 | 9,000 G |
 Smithed Patterned Brand | Azure Ore x1, Ponderous Bone x1, Barbarian Armor Fragment x2 | 12,000 G |
 Smithed Norgandian Shield | Azure Ore x1 | 8,000 G |
 Smithed Volucrine Hardshield | Azure Ore x1, Barbarian Armor Fragment x3 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Deerhorn Bow | Snowoak Bark x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Zephyr’s Arc | Snowoak Bark x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Rectrix x3 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Spearpoint Daggers | Azure Ore x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Taloned Steel | Azure Ore x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Barbarian Armor Fragment x3 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Yewen Cane | Snowoak Bark x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Gargoyle’s Perch | Snowoak Bark x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Direwolf Pelt x5 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Three-Fanged Axe | Azure Ore x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Brand of the Beast | Azure Ore x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Boltscale x3 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Coiled Wyrm | Snowoak Bark x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Numinous Conductor | Azure Ore x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Rectrix x5 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Twin Sarissae | Azure Ore x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Anointed Edge | Azure Ore x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Boltscale x3 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Rowan Arc | Azure Ore x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Soothstone | Azure Ore x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Direwolf Pelt x5 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Primal Orison | Snowoak Bark x1 | 10,000 G |
 Smithed Raptorial Liturgy | Snowoak Bark x2, Ponderous Bone x1, Boltscale x3 | 15,000 G |
 Smithed Frost-Hunter’s Band | Azure Ore x1 | 5,000 G |
 Smithed Rivet-Studded Circlet | Azure Ore x1, Barbarian Armor Fragment x1, Prismatic Stony Scale x1 | 7,000 G |
 Smithed Duskplume Headband | Azure Ore x1, Direwolf Pelt x1, Prismatic Stony Scale x1 | 7,000 G |
 Smithed Talisman Band | Snowoak Bark x1 | 5,000 G |
 Smithed Inkleaf Circlet | Snowoak Bark x1, Rectrix x1, Prismatic Stony Scale x1 | 7,000 G |
 Smithed Norgandian Tunic | Azure Ore x1, Barbarian Armor Fragment x1 | 9,000 G |
 Smithed Raider’s Tunic | Azure Ore x2, Barbarian Armor Fragment x2, Prismatic Stony Scale x2 | 12,000 G |
 Smithed Highland Coat | Snowoak Bark x1, Rectrix x1 | 9,000 G |
 Smithed Snowraven Vest | Azure Ore x2, Direwolf Pelt x2, Prismatic Stony Scale x2 | 12,000 G |
 Smithed Indigo Coat | Snowoak Bark x2, Rectrix x2, Prismatic Stony Scale x2 | 12,000 G |
 Smithed Hunter’s Snowboots | Azure Ore x1 | 7,000 G |
 Smithed Skirmisher’s Breeches | Azure Ore x1, Barbarian Armor Fragment x1, Prismatic Stony Scale x1 | 9,000 G |
 Smithed Snowstrider Boots | Snowoak Bark x1 | 7,000 G |
 Smithed Cragsman’s Boots | Azure Ore x1, Direwolf Pelt x1, Prismatic Stony Scale x1 | 9,000 G |
 Smithed Whitesilk Breeches | Snowoak Bark x1, Rectrix x1, Prismatic Stony Scale x1 | 9,000 G |
 Bloodstained Cloak | Barbarian Armor Fragment x4, Rectrix x1 | 7,000 G |
 Direwolf Furcloak | Direwolf Pelt x10 | 15,000 G |
The two shields on the list at this point are the Smithed Norgandian Shield (Azure Ore x1, 8,000 G) and the Smithed Volucrine Hardshield (Azure Ore x1, Barbarian Armor Fragment x3, 10,000 G). Across the 37 recipes you will need eight materials in total: Azure Ore, Snowoak Bark, Ponderous Bone, Barbarian Armor Fragment, Rectrix, Direwolf Pelt, Boltscale, and Prismatic Stony Scale.
Hal’s ready-made wares
Choosing Buy opens “Seller’s Wares” with 18 goods. The table lists the stock on hand.
| Item | Price | Stock |
|---|---|---|
 Fine Mincemeat Roborant | 1,000 G | 10 |
 Fine Roe Roborant | 900 G | 5 |
 Fine Harspud Roborant | 850 G | 10 |
 Regeneration Elixir | 10,000 G | 3 |
 Detoxifying Decoction | 500 G | 20 |
 Waking Powder | 400 G | 20 |
 Quenching Syrup | 400 G | 20 |
 Warming Salve | 450 G | 20 |
 Sobering Tonic | 450 G | 20 |
 Soothing Brew | 500 G | 20 |
 Parching Concoction | 200 G | 5 |
 Lantern Oil | 100 G | 9 |
 Lantern (Fueled) | 800 G | 9 |
 Arctic Camping Kit | 3,000 G | 1 |
 Explosive Arrow | 50 G | 99 |
 Tarring Arrow | 80 G | 99 |
 Drenching Arrow | 100 G | 99 |
 Blighting Arrow | 2,000 G | 99 |
With the Workshop open, your next job is gold and materials. The cheapest recipes ask only for Azure Ore or Snowoak Bark.
