Jynxling (Jin-ks-ling)
Halflings that are native to the primal forests of Usoram, jynxlings are chaotic and capricious. Jnyxlings resemble normal hallings in most ways, but have a dark-greenish tinge to their skin. They are able to call upon the forces of luck to inflict people with curses of bad luck.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Jynxlings speak Sylvan instead of Goblin.
Average technological level
Like most races of Usoram, the jynxlings prefer to utilize primal magic rather than advanced technology.
Common Etiquette rules
Many jynxling families have small rules and familial customs that those who enter their household are expected to follow, lest the bad luck of the family fall upon them. Such rules often change and shift over time as new members experience luck unique to them, adapting them to more match what they perceive as lucky or unlucky.
Common Dress code
Jynxlings wear simple and unremarkable clothes similar to normal halflings, but the often have more trinkets on hand, such as family rings, tribal piercing's, or strange handheld fetishes. The jynxling believes heavily in superstitions that surround such items, and will try their hardest to maintain them with care.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Many jynxlings flip coins to help them decide what actions to take, leaving their actions entirely up to the will of fate.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Jynxling parents flip a coin over their newborn, believing that the result of the flip will determine if the youth will be a Attractor or a Syphoner. Attractors are believed to draw bad luck and hold it around them. They can then send this bad luck towards their enemies. Syphoners are believed to be able to drain good luck from others, causing their enemies to fumble as their luck runs out. Attractors are viewed as noble but unfortunate creatures, as they take bad luck from other creatures only to suffer from it themselves. Syphoners are viewed with a mix of jealousy and pride, as a parent is glad that their child has better luck, but resentful that their luck is being taken from them.
Coming of Age Rites
Jynxlings who come of age must partake in some daring act that is unlikely to succeed, to see how strong their luck truly is.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Jynxlings bury their dead in family plots that are divided into sections based on the deceased status as a Attractor or Syphoner.
Common Taboos
Jynxling are extremely superstitious, especially of urban legends and ideas surrounding luck. If one believes that it is bad luck to do some action, such as sailing with a woman on board a boat, most jynxling will refuse to take such action unless being heavily compensated for it. If a jynxling warns a friend not to do something because it will bring bad luck to them, and that friend partakes in that action anyway, a jynxling is likely to abandon the friendship and never speak to that person again,
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of Jynxlings worship Hixo, the halfling god of luck, but can be found worshiping other members of the halfling pantheon.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Many jynxlings have strange beauty practices, often partaking in oddly specific rituals designed to make them appear more attractive, such as applying an exact amount of makeup or dressing in very specific ways depending on the weather.
Gender Ideals
Individual families have their own ideas on gender, as some consider one gender to be unlucky in certain roles, while others do not. The overall balance of jynxling society doesn't place any one gender over the other.
Courtship Ideals
Like with gender, courtship rules vary by family, as some families believe marriage before middle age is recipe for disaster, while others believe that marriage must be achieved as soon as one reaches adulthood. This often leads to schisms between families, especially when two members of opposed houses try to ignore their traditions.
Relationship Ideals
Like their normal cousins, jynxlings form strong relationships and can easily make friends outside their race, but their ability to curse others with luck has made others very wary of them, often to the point where their friends attempt to shower them with gifts and favors to avoid any bad luck sent their way. This has led many jynxlings to expect such treatment, and leads the them wanting special treatment from others that can cause parasitic relationships to develop.
Major organizations
Many jynxlings serve in the Sika Empire as scouts or messengers. It is also common for those seeking to ward of bad luck to either hire a jynxling as a consultant, or to even bring a jynxling along when they fear bad luck is coming in the hopes that the luck will be drawn to it.
Random Jynxling Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-50 | Misty Border | Fate's Favored |
| 51-76 | City or Village | Successful Shirker |
| 77-86 | Hills | Reckless Luck |
| 87-94 | Primal Forest | Fey-Wise |
| 95-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
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