Wetling (Wet-ling)
Halflings native to the cold wastes of Vatenrelm, wetlings have long, stringy hair and oily skin. This oil helps keep the wetling warm and allows them to move almost silently through water. Due to this, wetlings are excellent aquatic scouts, often sneaking onto enemies ships to gather information and perform sabotage.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Wetlings often speak Aquan instead of Goblin.
Average technological level
Wetlings are industrious traders, often trying to innovate a create new items for profit, although it's always up for debate whether on not the wetling truly acquired the item legally.
Common Etiquette rules
Wetlings are loud, boisterous, and other quite rude, having little patience for restrictive conditions or proper form. Wetlings love to gamble and wager, and thus it is common among friends to play a friendly game of dice in the morning or evenings, although many soon find their wallet drained over time of indulging with their wetling friend.
Common Dress code
Wetlings generally wear eel-skin or other aquatic-based gear, so that they can easily slip through water.
Art & Architecture
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Many wetlings toss a coin overboard when beginning a journey, as payment to Nilbi for a safe journey.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Devout wetlings baptize their young by pouring jars of seawater over them, to give them the blessing of Nilbi.
Coming of Age Rites
Wetlings born on land join a ship as soon as they come of age, sailing out to find adventure and profit. Few wetlings return to the area of their birth, instead continuing to sail and explore the open ocean. Wetlings born an a ship often continue to serve on the ship for long periods of time, hoping to increase in rank. Those that don't recive a new rank will often jump to other ships in the hopes of increasing their fortunes elsewhere.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Due to their more solitary natures, wetlings often follow funeral customs of those near them. Many who serve on pirate crews receive whatever burial is the custom for that crew. Wetlings who serve with only other wetlings usually simply loot the fallen and dump them into the ocean.
Common Taboos
Wetlings have few taboos, as they are always on the lookout for new opportunities for advancement. A wetling never outright reveals the schemes of another wetling, even when their goals come into direct conflict. They instead try to outmaneuver and outplay each other, or to silently sabotage the scheme.
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of wetlings worship Nilbi, the halfling deity of trade and guile, but sometimes venerate another member of the halfling pantheon or other water-based deity. Many wetlings focus more on earning coin and material wealth instead of any sort of spiritual growth.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Wetlings find longer hair more attractive, and are proud and eager to show off scars, as each scar reminds them of a past exploit.
Gender Ideals
Like normal halflings, wetlings have few gender roles, as both men and woman can achieve profit with cunning. Many pirate ships have superstitions regarding women crewmembers, so wetling females often disguise themselves as males to avoid such debates.
Courtship Ideals
Many wetlings develop friendly rivalries that often slowly evolve into romantic relationships as their continue to out-stage each other in their various escapades.
Relationship Ideals
While just as gregarious and outgrowing as most halflings, few other races place heavy trust in a wetling, and most of the bad stereotypes of thievery and betrayal that are commonly associated with halflings seem to extend from the wetlings. Wetlings often wonder why the other races feel so betrayed when they are simply acting in their best interests.
Major organizations
Most wetlings serve on the pirate crews of The Lawless Surf, but often find themselves working for whomever and wherever provides the most ample opportunities.
Random Wetling Characters
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-25 | Coastline or Island | Beachcomber |
| 26-51 | Ship-City | Providential Passenger |
| 52-70 | Tundra | Sharp Eyes |
| 71-89 | Underwater City | Deepsea Native |
| 90-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Comments