Halfling
Halflings are a small humanoid race defined by a set of hereditary enchantments. The most visible such enchantment is the one that halves their vertical growth (as compared to humans).
Basic Information
Anatomy
Halflings are half as tall as humans. Their other measurements are not scaled down in a directly proportional manner.
Growth Rate & Stages
Technically, halflings are humans, and therefore follow human growth patterns. Most halfling traits are actually hereditary enchantments. That said, the enchantments are quite durable and the changes they make are significant. Therefore, studying halflings as though they were a separate species, while considered a bit tactless by some, is methodologically sound.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Among the things not cut in half by the enchantments on halflings is their appetite.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Western Espere uses games of various types as their primary form of internal conflict resolution. Halflings' luck enchantment gives them an (arguably unfair) advantage in the area. They have formed a pseudo-aristocracy on this basis.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Like all humanoids, halflings can be used as a source of spirit filaments. This is illegal.
Keeping a halfling around is one of the most evidence-backed "good luck charms" that one can ask for, though only so long as you're on good terms with them.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Halflings originate from Western Espere, and only a minority have decided to wander far from there.
Civilization and Culture
Historical Figures
The hereditary enchantments that differentiate halflings from humans trace back to Karah the Bold. Karah obtained these enchantments through a game with Mærkanin, making a series of bets that she variously won or lost.
The children of Karah the Bold each eventually played their own games with Mærkanin, creating several lines of halfings with slightly different sets of enchantments.
Kori was Karah's firstborn. He wagered attention and lost, and Mærkanin didn't listen to his pleas for another game. Kori's failure against Mærkanin inspired caution in his younger siblings, who bet what they could afford to lose on games they had assured they'd win.
Ingrun was the second child of Karah. She wagered her "footsteps" and lost. In the language Ingrun and Mærkanin played their game in, the same word also meant "footprints," twisting the loss into a positive enchantment for Ingrun. Mærkanin challenged Ingrun to a second game out of spite, and Ingrun won, gaining plant-based magic.
Bodil was the third child of Karah. She was born with severe allergies that her siblings lacked, so she asked to be able to eat without fear when she beat Mærkanin. The enchantment was more thorough than she expected it to be.
Felauge was the second son of Karah, and the youngest sibling of the family. He tried to avoid his promised game with Mærkanin as a child of Karah, which irritated the Patron of the West. Mærkanin eventually agreed to a rigged game just to get it out of the way, and Felague picked a simple boon of telepathy to avoid overplaying his advantage over Mærkanin.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Within Western Espere, halfling success has earned a mix of respect and resentment. Elsewhere, halflings are rare enough not to have developed much of a reputation.
