Altan Halflings

The Kingdom of Alten, located in the plains of Raldmar, is the native home of the Altan Halflings. Altans have approximately the personality of a small, angry dog. Occupying a small but isolated region, in the distant past Alten kept mostly to themselves. However, as Orcish nations grew around them, they felt increasingly boxed in, feeling threatened by the larger force. Alten was historically populated largely by halflings, and between their smaller size, population, and territory, the Altan people looked warily upon their new neighbors. Though the Orcs in the region were largely peaceful farmers, Alten's king ordered a strike against them using a new weapon, intending to scare rather than kill, hoping to chase off the Orc farmers. The weapon was massive suits of enchanted armor, bigger than an orc, that could be controlled by a halfling. Unfortunately, a field caught fire in the struggle, and several families were killed. The remaining farmers fled and despite that not everything went according to plan, the Altan people celebrated their victory.
All was not well, though, as word reached the Orcish kingdoms. One kingdom sent halfling spies, while the other sent an envoy to meet with Alten's king, hoping to reach a peaceful agreement if they had unintentionally encroached on Altan lands. The ill-fated envoy, having come in a large, slow caravan, arrived well after the spies. Unfortunately, the envoy arrived just as several of the spies had been uncovered. The envoy was summarily executed along with a number of travelers in the caravan. It is unknown whether any of the spies escaped the city with their lives, but a warning was returned to any nation surrounding Alten. Return on pain of death. Alten is a lone nation, and shall remain alone and unconquered as long as these plains remain and birds take flight in the skies.
In the present day, Alten has begun trading with other nations, but they still do not allow any trespassers on their lands unless explicit permission has been granted to them.