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Races / Halfling
Alignment : good, neutral HistoryHalflings, sometimes mistaken for the stouter dwarves or the more wiry gnomes, are a race of people unlike most others. Standing at a rather diminutive height and with often rotund bellies due to their incessant desire for food, they are a generally cheerful and jolly folk. Originating near Val Miran, halflings were first "discovered," so to speak when they were recruited to engage in a number of quests, serving as jubilant (if somewhat apprehensive) additions to all manner of fellowships and epic crusades. Despite their best efforts to remain at home and enjoy the luxuries they often surround themselves with, they tend to stumble headfirst into more adventures than a blind peddler traversing the Volcano. The first such example was a male halfling by the name of Drogo Loosedrawers. Very much a homebody, Drogo was reluctantly and perhaps forcibly yanked from his home during the middle of his morning tea in order to set out on a quest with a half-mad elven seer and his cohorts. During their quest, Drogo fell in love with the world, and upon returning to his beloved hamlet, went about attempting to convince his people to see the great lands beyond their homes. After that first minor exodus from their native area, approximately half of the halfling population moved out into the world to find greater wealth with which to furnish their homes with greater decorations and appliances. The other half stubbornly refused to set foot outside of the protective hamlet and even went so far as to affectionately shun, if such a thing were possible (for few halflings ever get truly angry), those halflings who leave and return as bearers of trouble and bad news. Since then many halflings have scattered across the lands, spreading their numbers far and wide. Those that returned to their hometown eventually brought change to their traditional society, restructuring the village into a trading centre. Despite these reforms, few of their people have established solid businesses as they are a decidedly lazy race, preferring instead other, sometimes disreputable, methods of gaining capital. Regardless of any ethical shortcomings, halflings are overall a good-hearted and well-intentioned people. Usual HeightHalflings stand somewhere between faeries and dwarves at approximately three to four feet. HometownThe Halfling Hamlet, Val Miran, Maelbrim ReligionHalflings are typically a peace loving, warm-hearted folk, and as a result, very rarely (if ever) practice the religions of the Shadow or Chaos. However, some halflings are known to be quite greedy and therefore find themselves worshiping the ways of Guile and Greed under the powers of Chance. For the most part though, the halfling race is attracted to the lighter religions - Nature and Tranquility are particularly common choices. Physical FeaturesQuite diminutive, approximately half the size of an average human, Halflings have earned their name. In addition to their consistently stunty size, most halflings also share the trait of having substantially-sized stomachs. Other than those two characteristics, halflings tend to be as varied as humans. Like their dwarven cousins, they share an innate resistance to magic. It is said that this sprouts from their incredibly hairy feet, a trademark of the race. The hair is so valued that halflings will often not wear shoes to display the growth. SocietyHalfling society, especially since the Tribunal's centralization policies, has been largely controlled by their large neighbor, Val Miran. For those Halflings who still call that hamlet home, there is an official ruling body made up of an advisory council led by the most popular halfling to be found. The leader is more of a symbolic head, and it is the Council of Wisdom, comprised of the eldest of the halflings, who truly rule. Their government and population being too weak to maintain a standing army, halflings employ foreign mercenaries to keep the peace and rely upon the walls and military might of Val Miran for any major conflicts. Relationships with Other RacesHalflings, due to their generally cheerful disposition, get along quite well with most of the other races of Aabahran. They often associate with the neighboring humans, elves, who generally like halflings in a patronizing sort of way, and dwarves who feel a close kinship to them due to their physical similarities and their ethical sensibilities. Gnomes and halflings also have a strong rapport due to their habits regarding the consumption of mass amounts of food and drink. Politically, the halfling hamlet has historically been a protectorate of Val Miran and in a military and trade alliance with this city. |