Halflings
"Refreshments?" my host asked. Not waiting for an answer, he clapped twice. "Now, let us talk about specific delivery prices..." As he spoke, my attention was captured by the servants entering the room. At first, I thought them children but quickly reassessed the observation. Their downturned faces bore a maturity no child could possess. Sighting the hair on the backs of their arms and peeking out from their pant legs, realization settled. I held my hand up, interrupting my eager host. "I apologize for interrupting, but are these halflings servants or slaves?" I asked pointedly. "They've been in my family's possession for two generations," he responded proudly, puffing his chest out. "They're quite obedient. If you'd like to establish stock of your own, I could have some breed-"
I shook my head, sighing as I stood up. "When we asked for an accounting of anything that might impact our business, owning slaves would have been a critical item to include," I informed him sadly, settling my coat back on my shoulders. "We do extensive business with partners in Echelion, who aren't allowed to have auxiliary relationships with slavery. Whatever opportunities your product affords can't possibly outweigh the business we would lose. You might have saved us both some time by mentioning this."
There are no people on Tempax quite so oppressed as the halflings. Generally jovial, friendly, trusting, and inclined to help others, there are very few who have not been collared to put their natural dispositions to a more repulsive circumstance than their usual pursuits of leisure and hospitality services. The largest free population of the small furred humanoids is certainly among their growing numbers in Echelion, the one place they can reasonably be considered safe from slavers' nets.
Living for up to two hundred years at a time, a halfling is often considered a prize piece of property among well-to-do slave-owning households, passed from generation to generation much like a prized heirloom. After spending a lengthy period in forced servitude, would-be abolitionists of these victims are usually surprised to find them having accepted their circumstances, and even embraced them. More than one militant group attempting to free a group of enslaved halflings has been turned in by those they would rescue. This is not a result of any particular method of brainwashing, exactly, so much as a result of the halflings' racial tendency toward assisting others in need; it would seem it is easily perverted into considerations of outright servitude.
When left to their own devices, free halflings often establish long-running inns, taverns, brothels, and shelter houses, claiming a warm bed and a delicious hot meal will help even the worst of lost souls to find some peace. Such a location cannot be outdone for the experience of a customer. It also isn't unusual for towns in Echelion(and elsewhere, though more rarely) to have halflings working in supporting roles of the local government. These aides' keen business acumen goes a long way toward keeping books balanced and resources intelligently distributed.
Halflings and Magic
An interesting quirk of this off-shoot of humankind is their complete rejection by the forces of magic. Halflings cannot practice magic in any form, all their efforts failing entirely except to serve as an entertaining display of useless gestures and pantomimed movements. On the other side of the same coin, neither can they be affected by magic. Whether a spell is meant to heal or harm, charm or cure, it simply refuses to take effect when directed at a halfling. Bursts of magical fire leave them unscathed, but so too do large healing miracles by priests leave them still wounded. Potions are simply drinks of water for them, and magical items go dormant while being touched by a halfling. Although it is rare for a halfling to go traveling widely, given their dangerous status in the world, those who do often leverage this to become extremely capable scouts, spies, and assassins. Detection spells don't note their existence, and wards against trespassers don't trigger from a halfling's presence. If one ever wanted to eliminate an accomplished wizard in his or her sleep, a halfling assassin would surely be an excellent contact.Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Halflings haven't had enough contiguous free history to establish their own naming traditions. They adopt the naming conventions of those around them.
Major Organizations
The Free Blades
There is a group of halflings rumored to operate across all national and city borders. Supposedly having abandoned their usual instinctive drives, this shadow network works to free their brethren by way of targeted violence. Lawmakers and judges who strongly favor mistreatment of the smaller race, actual owners of halfling slaves, and slavers of any and every bent all scoff at the idea of The Free Blades... but still lock their doors and windows at night and hire guards to watch them sleep. Those who don't tend to wake up dead.Common Taboos
A halfling won't enter another person's dwelling without permission. Like their preference to help others, this isn't a taught behavior; all halflings display it naturally. Interestingly, and often a surprise to those who hope to use this as a defense against a hired halfling assassin, the permission need not come from someone with authority over the premises. Anyone can give their approval to a halfling to intrude on a home, so long as it is someone other than the halfling himself.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Halfings are by far the most accepting and embracing of any intelligent species on Tempax. A halfling business owner doesn't care what race walks into her building; they all need her help, even if some of them don't know it yet.
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