Halflings

The halflings tend to keep to themselves in smaller settlements and do not have a city state of their own. Most are agrarian and some Human cities will have an enclave or two. Most Halflings will settle an area and when the density is too high a few families will head out further into the plains to colonize a new settlement and create new farmland. The majority can be found on the plains west of the Shaleck Sea, on the coast of the Henob Sea, or on the west coast of the Dapha Sea.
Halfling culture is suspicious of ambition and adventure. They have an uncanny similarity to humans, so many assume they share the same lineage. Nothing could be further from the truth. Halflings cannot interbreed with other races. they don't get human diseases. Human drugs and alcohols have similar effects, but their metabolisms are very different.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Small humanoids with hairy feet.

Genetics and Reproduction

Mammals with live birth. Gestation is 9 months, they reach maturity at age 20.

Growth Rate & Stages

Halflings enter puberty at age 18, are adults at 20, and can live to be 100 to 150.

Ecology and Habitats

Prefer temperate plains, grasslands, forests and hills. Dislike extremely cold or hot locations.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Halflings have a very high metabolism and eat a lot for their size. They are omnivorous.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Halflings are family based and anarchistic. They do not believe in large complicated governments or complicated legal frameworks. Most Halfling enclaves number between 7 to 12 extended families, where the elders of those families negotiate decisions. They lead by charisma and story telling capability. When a location gets more than a dozen families in an area some will head out to settle a new location. Even in a city they may move to form another enclave.

Facial characteristics

Similar faces to humans, heads are slightly larger in proportion, have a slightly pointed ear

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Global.

Average Intelligence

Same as a human, similar cognitive function, brain evolved a lesser impact of fear over logical centers of the brain.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Halflings have the same perceptiveness and senses as a human.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

See Morderkainen's Tome of Foes.

Beauty Ideals

Halflings love nature, soil, green plants and prefer natural rustic forms.

Gender Ideals

Males and females have relative equality in society. They are not particularly gender fluid, but they are tolerant to any who are.

Courtship Ideals

Halflings love stories and they want to have an arc to their life so the story of the love interest has to have a quest, a challenge or some twist that will make a good story for both of them. A story they can add to over time and have their children retell.

Average Technological Level

Halflings that live in cities are familiar with that culture's technology, but don't obsess or covet it. Their specialty is agriculture and ecological development. They have low power low tech solutions and engineering to conserve water, increase yields, build energy efficient homes and their communes may look primitive but are of high quality and very comfortable. In a city a commune may occupy one building, and that building will have rain collection, living walls, grey water recycling, and solar heating and cooling.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Halfling is the common language of all halflings. It's script is unique, the language is how all of their stories are cataloged and maintained. This language is a cultural heritage they don't share with others.
They will speak fluently with the language of the dominant culture that surrounds them.

Common Etiquette Rules

Dinner manners are central and important to halflings as this is their primary social interaction, there are different manners for different meals throughout the day.

Common Dress Code

Halflings dress moderately despite the culture they live in, and tend to have practical clothes. Elders will have fancier dress than the rest of the commune, but that clothing could be several generations old, belonging to an important ancestor and kept in good repair.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Halflings are story driven and every object has a story, every piece of land has a story, and these stories are what records the wisdom of the halfling people. They loath the kind of history that other civilization clamor to build on ambition, instead they are focused on the daily lives in the moment and lessons to be learned every day.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Group ownership. The commune will have many tools, weapons, equipment and other resources that are owned by the commune and open to all to use. Few halflings are independently wealthy, most pool their wealth into the commune which the elders use to pay for new tools or materials for the commune and major purchases or grants from the pool take the whole commune to vote on it. An adventurer may have drawn their resources from the pool after a particularly good story about their quest. Personal objects are usually picked up along the way in their lives, or from their personal wealth, which again mostly goes into the communal pool. Halflings live very comfortably and they want others in the commune to do so as well.

History

From planet Aurux, the halflings were a utopian civilization that lived under the auspices of the Star Walkers. They achieved a balanced high tech civilization decentralized and spread over their home world.
After the crash they joined up with many different civilizations; Atlanteans, Aerolends, Ayorhah, Uthash, and many joined them in their cities, other immediately spread out to find good soil and set up their own self contained settlements.
When they live in cities with other beings they tend to have an enclave on the outskirts of the city in a self contained commune. Halflings tend to abandon their communes every 5 generations and spread out in new directions. They may return a century to two later based on stories and restart the commune.
They tend to be friendly with everyone they live near but live apart in the commune and stay out of city, kingdom or other business. They may have one elder who is their appointed spokesperson who may attend city functions or relay their concerns. They are loath to swear fealty to a liege lord or king, and would rather move further out into the wilderness than become embroiled in politics and legalities.

Common Myths and Legends

Halflings are superstitious and have many superstitions that are incomprehensible to others. However taken together they are again part of the storytelling culture they have built.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Halflings will try to get along with all beings if at all possible, and will take an optimistic outlook on any new encounter. However, they are also suspicious of outsiders to the commune. They don't share their language and if any visitors, even allies, are around they all stop speaking it and switch to the local language. 
The commune is the only allegiance a group of halflings have, they eschew politics with their city or neighbors. This makes them sometimes targets for bandits, nomads, and monsters. As such communes plan for defense and have roles for all members and tell that through stories.

Origin

Aurux

Lifespan

120

Average Height

3'-0" to 3'-6"

Average Weight

40lb to 50lb

Average Physique

Endomorphic and round, stocky build.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

similar to human ranges.