Halflings

Halflings, also known as Hin amongst themselves, are humanoid creatures similar in shape to humans, who halflings call the “big folk”, but around half their size. Halflings get along well with most other races and are known for curiosity and tendency for collecting things.

Origin
Halflings trace their origins back to Yondalla, the patron deity of all halflings. Almost every halfling believes this, not as a religious reading, but as a hard fact. It is said that Yondalla had the power to create life from barren places, and, feeling that the world needed more people to till the land, created halflings from the earth. She instilled in them a sense of community and a humble appreciation of the world around them, and so halflings came to be.

Biology
Halflings are small in comparison with the members of most other races, standing somewhere from 2'8" – 3'4" tall and weighing on average between 30 – 35 lbs. In many ways, halflings resemble small humans and usually have the same proportions as the typical human adult. Most halflings have dark hair and eyes, regardless of their skin complexion which, although commonly ruddy in hue, has a similar range to humans.

Most halflings are incapable of growing true beards, though many have long sideburns. Halfling hairstyles are often complex, with strands woven together or braided. Although halflings have an affinity for collecting valuables, they do not tend to wear these on their person, instead preferring more comfortable clothing.

Halflings have lifespans comparable with, but slightly longer, than humans. A halfling is typically considered an adult in their early twenties and some live into their 150s. Halflings tend to have more children than the average human, with large family sizes of 6 or more being the norm.

Halflings are quick and dexterous humanoids, even given their size, with quick reflexes and an ability to recover easily from sudden danger. Halflings, who by large have a strong force of personality, are also intensely courageous and are more likely to retain their valor than most other humanoids, even when under the effects of a spell or other power. Beyond this, halflings have what can be best described as a lucky streak and have an ability known as second chance, that makes it less likely for them to be injured in perilous circumstances.

Additionally, the small size of halflings has an effect on their abilities. Halflings are, for instance, incapable of wielding larger weapons like greatswords or halberds.

It is sometimes said that halflings are weaker for the wear than other humanoids, and as a trend, halflings tend to be weaker. However, this is not a universal truth of the race. Similarly, although many have an excellent sense of hearing, not all do.

Behavior
Halflings are by nature joyful and friendly in their dealings with others. Because they live in a world where they are surrounded by larger creatures, halflings tend to avoid notice, often deliberately, or at the very least, act cordial towards the larger races. Halflings appear deceptively harmless, meaning they are often beyond the notice of enemies that might otherwise pose a threat to them.

The halfling mind is practical and halflings concern themselves with their immediate surroundings. They take pleasure in simple things, with few aspiring to greatness in the same manner as humans. Some halflings do become adventurers, but usually this is a practice taken up for reasons of necessity rather than personal drive. Because of this love for home and family, halflings make loyal and courageous allies, willing to put their own lives at risk for the sake of others.

While many halflings do not have the ambition for adventure that some races do, most prefer trouble to boredom; the race is notoriously curious. Halflings are courageous, moreso than many races, and their daring is often difficult to match. Many halflings also have a strong appetite for food and drink as well as narcotics and clothing. Similarly, many halflings are enthusiastic collectors, and love to hold on to possessions won through skill and daring.

History
Halfling history is, by and large, like the race, unremarkable. With the exception of the strongheart nation of Luiren, halflings do not even have a unified culture to call their own. Records and evidence seem to indicate that halflings, as a race, only appeared fairly recently, around the same time as dwarves. The original homeland of halflings is unsure, though it may have been within the area south of the Shaar and few were seen in the north until after the Hin Ghostwars, a tragic event which split the halflings into their current three subraces.

The halfling race has had many traditional homelands, though as a whole the race is typically nomadic. Many halflings who do not wander live primarily within human-dominated states. The center of halfling culture were, until relatively recently, the kingdom of Luiren on the continent Aezith. The land was devastated by a rampant magical plague, however, as was other halfling homelands such as Arnock and the Chondalwood. Since then the halflings have become even more displaced than before, though as a result they have also come together in unity even more tightly than they were before.

Since then, halflings have been found in their greatest concentrations within the continent of Usratia. Though formerly met with prejudice, halflings have earned acceptance through their skill as merchants and business partners. Halflings can also be commonly found along the coasts of Aezith, particularly human-dominated cities. In fact, human cities are often the most common place to find halflings, who frequently find ways to exploit the ever-changing climate of human societies, although dwarven cities are also accommodating.

Family
Halfling communities are tightly-knit groups found around the world, usually near the settlements of other races. Most halflings don't recognize the claims of kings or nobles as sovereign rulers but instead look primarily to their family elders to guide them. This focus on bloodlines has enabled halfling traditions to continue for millennia, relatively intact.

Religion
Halflings are not an overly spiritual people, but most tend to use deities’ religious dogma as guidelines for how to live life to the fullest. Yondalla is the most popular halfling patron deity by far, but the halfling pantheon, also known as “Yondalla’s Children”, are all commonly worshiped as well.

Yondalla
The creator of all halflings is widely respected by the whole race, even if they don’t follow her teachings. Those who do value the importance of family, community, security, and tradition.

Cyrrollalee
Cyrrollalee is the halfling deity of friendship and hospitality. Halflings following her teachings believe in an open door for strangers and new company, always assuming the best of people.

Brandobaris
Brandobaris is the halfling deity of adventurers. Halfling rogues especially admire this deity; Brandobaris’s domains include trickery, adventuring, thievery, and luck.

Urogalan
The halfling deity of death is seen as the protector of the earth and of the dead. He is a gentle deity, never feared, and is often a comfort to halflings dealing with much death in their lives.

Art
Halfling culture has a fondness for stories and legends and is rich in the oral tradition. So much care is put into the retelling of traditional stories and their preservation that halflings often unwittingly have access to lore about ancient and long gone cultures or empires that others have long since forgotten about. Many halflings are able to recall some detail of the ancient past, though it is usually wrapped in the shrouds of legends.

Leisure
It is said that "Cheese, bread, ale and more cheese are what fill a happy Hin's stomach." Sometimes the Hin made food goods for human neighbors, among which were sausages, cheeses, stews, and baked goods. Halflings themselves liked those foods as well, but made them chewier and more rubbery for their tastes and with no strong spices, instead using melding herbs. When Hin were left to their own devices, they produced flavored cheeses, sour grape wines, "Blue eyes"(Blue grapes), sour table grapes, and goat and sheep meats and their milk. In winter, the Hin have two stews ready all day; one lighter broth, and the other filled with more sustenance.

Enemies/Allies
Halflings, in general, try their best to get along with everybody, though exceptions do exist and ghostwise halflings are notoriously xenophobic. Lightfoot and strongheart halflings, however, are friendly and outgoing and are uncommonly adept at fitting into communities of humans, dwarves, elves, or gnomes. Most halflings, in fact, don't live in communities of their own but instead regions dominated by other races. This is particularly true in human societies, which attract halflings due to the comparative rapidity with which they change. It should be noted that halflings then to usually find insults directed at them to be amusing rather than insulting.