Halfling
Nearly every race in Ardyn has an origin myth or two. The stories vary from realm to realm, but it’s clear that Corellon the Arch Heart wove the elves from grass, Moradin the All-Hammer carved the dwarves from earth, and so on. Halflings across Ardyn have no such stories, and no faiths tell of their god creating the small folk. Some speculate that Tymora the Change Bringer placed halflings in the world, but despite some of Mystra’s most devout priests petitioning their god to reveal the truth of the halflings’ creation, the Arcane Eye has remained infuriatingly coy on the topic.
For their part, halflings don’t much care where they came from. All they know is that they walked out of a hole in the ground one day to find a beautiful world spread out before them. Halflings are the hillfolk of Ardyn, and have lived as farmers for many generations. After surviving such harrowing times of The Scourging, halflings began to wish for a simpler, happier life away from such dark deeds and higher purpose. Some longed to explore the world’s farthest horizons, while others were just content to gaze upon the beauty of the same sunrise each morning. Plenty of halflings have joined the ranks of scholars over the years in desperate search of answers to the world’s big questions—where did we come from, and where are we going? But most halflings are content to leave the questions of past and future well enough alone, simply living in the present.
The diminutive halflings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 3 and a half feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive for centuries in the shadow of empires and on the edges of wars and political strife. They are inclined to be stout, weighing between 40 and 50 pounds.
Halflings’ skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually brown or sandy brown and wavy. They have brown or hazel eyes. Halfling men often sport long sideburns, but beards are rare among them. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.
Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.
Lifespan
A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.
Average Height
Halflings average about 3 or 4 feet tall
Average Weight
Halfling average about 50 pounds
Geographic Distribution
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