Halfling

The hardworking, affable smallfolk

Halflings are one of the Young Races, born of their gods before the Humans but towards the end of the reign of the Gods on the mortal plane. Small, crafty, and quick-witted, the Halflings are content to while away their days on their farms, which is their greatest claim to fame.

Halflings are the greatest farmers, ranchers, and agriculturists in Wandrei. Though the Elves are greatly in tune with nature, it is the Halflings' unique ability to tease the very best out of plants and animals that make them unmatched in the fields of the world. From their home, Chondalwood, near the Gnome nation of Windgrace, they ply their trade for everything from livestock, to produce, to forestry, to even more illicit substances, chief among them their greatest achievement: Pipeweed.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Shorter than the Dwarves but taller than Gnomes, Halflings are so named for their size, being about half as tall as Elves and Humans. Much like Gnomes, they are proportionate in size, looking simply like small men and women. Their most defining features are their slightly pointed ears and quite large and hairy feet, which most never cover with shoes or any other sort of foot cover.

Biological Traits

Halflings are laid back, easygoing, and quite hard to offend, and their amicable nature lends itself to friendship with a wide variety of people and even animals. They use their affinity for nature well, and their senses have been sharpened due to generations on the open fields, searching for predators both for their livestock and crops, and for themselves. Their large feet and nimble limbs make them excellent climbers and runners, and their small size makes them ideal in stealth situations.

Genetics and Reproduction

Halflings reproduce in the same manner as other humanoid races.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Halflings have facial structures similar to the average human, and individuals can vary greatly. However, all halflings have mostly curly hair, slightly pointed ears, and wider features. Their hair and eyes can come in any color, but tends toward browns and hazels, and their skin tends to be darker than most due to generations of being outside in the sun.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Halflings are found mostly in their nation of Chondalwood, but can be found in good numbers in Arkham Country, Pictland, and the Kraken Isles, and sporadically everywhere else.

Average Intelligence

10 INT

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Halflings are not necessarily any more perceptive than the other races, but due to their lifestyle and small size, they have become quite sharp-eyed and have great hearing. THey are no more likely than other races to have extrasensory abilities, nor can they see any better in the dark than an average human. They are, however, very dextrous, making them great climbers and quick on their feet.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Similar to the Dwarves, Halflings are given a first name at birth, and take their clan name as their last name. However, similar to the Elves, Halflings take an "adult" name when they come of age, making their "child" names a sort of middle name, though some may choose to keep their childhood names. This is not seen as childish or immature by the Halflings, as opposed to the Elves, but it is unusual.

Beauty Ideals

The greatest beauty standard that the Halflings carry is the wear on one's hands and feet. Since the average Halfling does not wear footwear, and they work the fields for a living, the more worn, calloused, and wrinkled their hands and feet are, the more beautiful they are said to be, by virtue of hard and rewarding work. Halflings also value curly hair, and wide facial features.

Gender Ideals

Halflings do not discriminate between male and female roles in society, and as such they do not mind so much should a person wish to switch gender roles. Transgendered people are not common, but in Halfling society are more accepted than anywhere else in the world, as they simply do not care should one wish to be something they were not born as.

Courtship Ideals

Halflings follow the same courtship rituals as humans, more or less, though arranged marriages and other such practices are still common, especially to merge the land holdings of influential families.

Relationship Ideals

Halflings are content with just about anything, and their laid back nature lends itself to easy comfortability with almost any partner. Divorce is not uncommon, however, since Halflings take a libertarian attitude toward individual emotions it is not seen as a frowned-upon experience; the two individuals simply wish to move on to other partners. Polygamy is also practiced in Halfling culture, though it is not as common as it once was.

Average Technological Level

Halflings do not really have their own technology, though they work closely with the Gnomes to develop better farming methods and technology. They do understand how progressive technology works, they simply do not really need it in day-to-day life. Steampunk Renaissance-Colonial technology.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Common, Gnomish, Halfling, Elvish

Common Taboos

Cannibalism and incest are the only real taboos Halflings have; murder and familial killing is frowned upon, but the individualistic approach to life that the Halflings have seem to make it not as severely condemned as in other peoples.

Historical Figures

Boros the Stout, Baggin Proudfoot, Velma Shire-Shepherd

Common Myths and Legends

See Myths and Legends.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Halflings do not make war; they have warriors to defend their people, from wild animals, roving Orcs, or barbarian raiders, however they do not actively seek battle. The only real antagonists they have are the Orcs, since the Orcs hate everyone, and the Drow, for the same reasons. They tend to steer clear of the sea as a whole, and so do not have much interaction with the denizens of the deep, but it wouldn't be hard to imagine the Deep Ones would wish to subjugate the halflings as well.

Scientific Name

Homo sapien dimidus

Lifespan

120 years

Average Height

2' 8" to 4'

Average Weight

35 to 100 lbs

Average Physique

8 STR, 12 DEX, 10 CON

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Halflings have darker skin tones than most other races, since for generations their people have spent most of their lives under the sun. They tend to have brown-tinted skin, though lighter and even darker tones are not uncommon. They don't have much body hair except on their feet, which are much hairier than a human or even a dwarf, and their musculature tends to be thin and wiry rather than bulky.

Related Ethnicities

• Arkhamite
• Pict