Halflings
Halflings, also known as Kinsavanch’Luo’Win-Wingagollopterix, are a race of small humanoids, found on Apa Axas. Small in stature, but giant in personality, the Halflings of Apa Axas are amongst the most hospitable and welcoming creatures one could imagine. If one can find one of their well-hidden oases of tranquillity in the madness of Apa Axas, if one approaches with due respect and they bring a party favour of their own, a weary traveller can expect to be greeted with reverence, a joyful celebration, a flagon of one of the world famous Halfling Draughts and a pipe filled with the most luxurious pipe weed one can imagine. Most Halflings enjoy a simple existence, in harmony with nature while living their lives in quiet satisfaction. Despite this idyllic situation, many young Halflings grow impatient with the slow, somewhat dull, villages they grow up in, and seek to explore experience, in a phase of young adulthood often referred to by the Halflings as “Restless Foots”. Youngsters experiencing this are often looked down upon by their elders, despite them also having gone through it, and it can take them all across Apa Axas, and in rare cases, even beyond. While many of these Restless Foots return to their village, happy that they have experienced more of what the world has to offer, some decide to remain on their journeys, earning them the title of “Driftfoots”.
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Despite their reputation for laziness and the outright rejection of other, more restless ways of life, the Halflings are particularly famous for their cuisine, with the most famous Halflings such as Dorgon Whittingfloyd being renowned chefs throughout Apa Axas. In addition, many Halflings choose to become bards, and many classics still heard in taverns throughout the Seven Kingdoms, such as “The Dragonborn's Roar”, “One Bastard Elf” and “Two Pints of Mead and a Packet of Pork Rinds” are Halfling-penned. These songs have spread far and wide on the backs and tongues of Halfling Bards, who gain the Restless Foot status. These bards helped to invent the College of Valor, while other Halfling Driftfoots may turn to crime, using their dexterity and excellent sneaking skills to great effect.
History
The Halflings are descendants of The Most-Favoured, a savage race of violent humanoids created by The Vida Quda to inherit Apa Axas after The Great Stagnancy. The Most-Favoured were divided into two castes; the larger and more brutish Serithals, and the small and sneaky Furithals. While the Serithals enjoyed the bounties of their burgeoning empire, the smaller Furithals were forced into scavenging on the outskirts of their civilisations. However, when Gloom Mona offered sanctuary for these small folk, half of them refused, instead wishing to brave the light and find peace on their own terms. Those who left with Gloom Mona were known as the Gloams, later Gnomes, while those who stood above eventually found a peace in simplicity and became the first Halflings. This attunement with the natural world is said to render the Halflings as the Vida Quda’s favourite race, and are therefore the ones most deserving of her Lady Luck Blessing, which is where the uncanny “Halfling Luck” stems from.
Common Myths and Legends
Halflings do not often share myths and legends, as Halfling culture often favours a focus on the present. However, some traditions remain, often spread by the Driftfoots that explore the wider areas of Apa Axas.
One of the more common legends is that of the Squireshire, a mythical hero, armed with The Luck Blade who will lead the Halfling people to noble victory in times of great strife.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Halflings are often dismissed by larger races, being viewed as weak or lazy, however, there is a common saying on Apa Axas: “Only a fool looks down on a halfling” as their cunning, stealth and ruthless dexterity can allow the Halfling to be far more deadly than their stature would predict. This dismissal even impacts the terminology of the Halfling species. The name Halfling is not actually the name of the race, instead it was a derogatory name bestowed upon them by the early Elves. However, the Halflings are notoriously difficult to insult due to their relaxed and carefree nature, and instead took the name in stride and adopted it as their moniker when dealing with other races. The reasoning behind this is convenience; the Halflings refer to their species as Kinsavanch’Luo’Win-Wingagollopterix, which can be translated into common as “The Folk who are fleet of foot, wise of mind and full of heart, who bear witness to the world only at the behest of the mighty Vida Quda, the Lady of Life who laughs our souls into joy”. As such, most modern Halflings prefer the new term as to save time.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
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