Halfling

Halflings are one of the many races to sail to New Cadrith. Plucky, peaceful, and short, halflings are a common sight in the towns and cities of the Cadrithic Peoples, the second most common race after humans.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Halflings are short and stout, reaching between 3 and a half feet tall, and weighing 40-45 pounds. Generally speaking, a halfling lives around as long as a human, about 70 to 80 years. They tend to have several children, and although a family simply cannot feed so many mouths, this is considered a simple nature of halfling childhood. Tying into this, halflings are exceptionally nimble and almost supernaturally lucky, as well as surprisingly foolhardy for their height.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Halflings are generally a very positive and outgoing race, and freely welcome other friendly folks to enjoy in their hospitality. Halfling families tend to stick together, with little in the way of migration, and as a result, where halflings settle down, a halfling community will spring up around them. However, this is rarely a detriment to the communities of non-halflings, as the halflings prove to be excellent neighbours - not too loud, not too taxing on resources, and good cooks and brewers. Halfling communities are generally very open affairs, and halfling children can rely upon the emotional support and welfare of the whole community.

Facial characteristics

Halflings generally have very youthful faces, even into older age, and tend towards ruddy to pale skin. Facial hair is not common amongst halflings, but sideburns are a frequent sight. Nearly all halflings sport thick, wavy hair, usually some shade of brown, and any range of eye colour. Stout Halflings find growing facial hair much easier than Lightfoot Halflings, and ginger hair is more common amongst their number.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Halflings are very widespread across New Cadrith, but their two races have slight preferences in where they gravitate.
The Lightfoot Halflings are more often found in highly urbanised regions, with their natural slightness and cheeky charisma allowing them to thrive in heavily crowded Great Cities.
The Stout Halflings typically enjoy a more pastoral life, living in small communities and towns outsides of the Great Cities. The rumoured dwarven ancestry of the Stout Halflings makes for good labour, and for drinking visiting travellers under the table.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Like all Old Cadrithian races, the Cadrithic Pantheon is the predominant religion of the halflings. There is no particular Quintarchy favoured over another, and like with all races, the worship of Gods and their Aspects is down to an individual's preferences. However, there are still more common choices amongst the halfling communities.
The most common Halfling Gods are Deitus, God of Loyalty, Tarron, God of Labour, Nocthys, God of the Sea, Reyn, God of Natural Change and Mapata, God of Peace.

History

Halflings hail from Old Cadrith, and arrived on New Cadrith on the great arks that sailed from their benighted island home. Halflings were a small proportion of the Old Cadrithic population before the Great Disaster, but, as fate would have it, they quickly became much larger - a considerable amount of the halfling population left the island, and their skill in fishing kept the refugee fleet sailing all the way to New Cadrith, where Corrin Stoutlegs first laid eyes on the peninsula.
The halflings were keen to get to farming after spending so much time aboard the arks, and soon, taverns and eating establishments ran by enterprising halflings dotted up along the first streets of Firsland. A few of these drinking holes and inns are still running today, and fewer still are run by the same family that owned them, but they can still be visited, and visitors can expect the same charm and friendliness the original owners would have shown. All across New Cadrith, halflings in the military taking their families abroad, or just simply merchants seeking out new business, set up their homes in and around the Great Cities, making the halflings nearly as well spread as humans.
Human-Halfling children do sometimes crop up in places where the two communities intermingle - these Tallfellow Halflings, as they are known, tend to take after their human parents, but despite their increased height and hairiness, Tallfellows are always welcome in halfling homes - even if they need to stoop.

Historical Figures

Corrin Stoutlegs, who first spotted New Cadrith
Terbuck the Tall, who defended Firsland from Carrogan

Lifespan

70 years

Average Height

3'6"

Average Weight

40-45 pounds