Cidal
Short in stature but mighty of heart, the cidal are one of the most misunderstood races of Renarim, mostly due to ignorance. Most people have no idea that there are different kinds of halflings, as the ones they usually see are merely a part of the whole. In fact, many well-travelled people have wandered throughout Renarim without ever having seen the full spectrum of halflings. Some of these small folk cannot seem to experience enough of the world, while others are reclusive, fearful of the Big Folk or "Sigies" (pronounced S-eye-gees), and more than happy to keep to themselves.
The People
The cidal, or halflings, are a race that is short and live for about seventy to ninety years. In the company of halflings, one can hear them use special terms for each other: Picks, Stumps, and Loavens. These affectionate nicknames are used only by the halflings themselves, as other races merely refer to all of them as Halflings. If a non-halfling uses the terms incorrectly, they will be openly mocked and told to mind their place. But if that outsider uses the term properly, they will often find themselves receiving respect not often given to the usual Sigie. The official terms of Shadelins, Moundlins, and Shawlins are what the halflings use when referring to themselves among Sigies, and are what the few scholars that have sought out the halflings use as reference. Apparently, the halflings think that you have to use big names, or the big folk won't listen to you.Shadelins (Picks)
Shadelins possess a similar build to that of the elves, though they lack the graceful movement of the elder race. Skin tones range from fair to medium, with hair and eye color similar to that of the elves. Shadelins prefer to wear bright, bold - and often mismatched - clothing, and almost always wear their hair long - pulled into a single knot, two pony tails, or sometimes a multitude of braids. Males stand between three and a half to four feet tall, with females slightly shorter. Picks are extremely curious people, a trait that often ends their lives before their time. They are more carefree than their Stump cousins and are known for having extended periods of wanderlust when they will travel aimlessly across the world just because they want to see it. They have no real sense of personal property, and are often accused of stealing. Actually, Shadelins are not materialistic and merely like to examine new things for awhile before they grow bored and forget about the item. Picks tend to live in homes built within or high up in trees, with elaborate ladders and ropes to swing down from in case of unexpected emergencies. Of course, a Pick always has a Stump build his house while examining all of his tools. Due to their wanderlust, Picks often abandon their houses for years, only to come back to find their homes have been "picked" clean.Moundlins (Stumps)
Moundlins are of a stockier build than the Shadelins, with less accentuated ears, and resemble portly humans more than elves. They are usually shorter than their cousins, standing only three to three and a half feet tall, and prefer to wear more earth tones and practical colors. Their hair is often very curly and short, ranging from dark brown to black in color. They have medium to dark skin tones and eyes that are usually green or blue. Stumps are farmers and social creatures. They do not share the wanderlust of their cousins, but prefer instead a good comfortable home, hard work, good food, and good ale. They are materialistic in a mild way, liking good craftsmanship and items that have a long history. Stumps are well aware of Pick habits and will have special sets of cutlery, dishes, and "stuff" they bring out when Picks are around; they refer to these items as "Picklooms." These possessions are expected to disappear; in fact, Stumps will often get together and gossip about which Pick took what. If a threat appears to the community, Stumps are the warriors, stubborn as oxen and willing to take on any Sigie that gets in their way. The Stumps tend to live in homes build into, or resembling, the hills themselves. They often have vast cellars for keeping ale and other fine spirits, and frequently possess drying houses and smoking huts, as well. Stump homes always smell of rich foods cooking and dark ales brewing.Shawlins (Loavens)
Despite the fact that long term unions between Picks and Stumps rarely work, there are many examples of half-breeds in halfling communities. In fact, there seems to be a stage in a female Moundlin's life - between the ages of sixteen and twenty - where inexplicably, they find Pick males very attractive. These mixed blood halflings are obvious to the halflings themselves, but are much harder for other races to spot. They have the full spectrum of body types, facial features, skin tones, and eye colors of both Stumps and Picks. If you see a halfling with a thin body, long ears, and curly hair, chances are that they're a Loaven. Shawlins are the most likely halflings to become successful adventurers. They get their wanderlust from the Shadelin side, but the practical Moundlin side tags along and at least keeps them well-equipped. The name "Loaven" comes from a halfling delicacy called Loavenus. It is a sweet bread that the halfling make that, depending on which family recipe is used, tastes completely different. Some are caramel-oats, some are berries-wheat, while others are combinations of nuts, fruits and grains. Regardless, they all are hardy loaves that stay good for months, and will sustain a person on the road for days. Shawlins tend toward hillside homes, but will often spend time on flower gardens and wood/brick structures that, according to most Stumps, "stand out like a sore thumb." They also have a great love of bees, and often make homes for the insects to harvest honey. Stumps and Picks both love honey and the mead that comes form it, and are quite glad to leave the harvesting of honey to the Loavens. More Loavens enter the halfling clergy to serve as priests than their other brethren. Why Loavens are attracted to this profession is unknown, but many believe it is because they have the sense of both halfling selves.Language
The language of the halflings is an interesting one to listen to, as it is not really a distinct language, but rather a mix of many tongues. Halflings use many elvish words side by side with dwarven, gnomish, and words from various human dialects. It is almost as if the language is a mash of acquired words that the halflings have put together into their own. Stumps within Goodhome, their capital "city", have a very particular dialect, noticeable in the way they tend to pronounce long "e" as "a" and long "a" as "e". Thus a Stump will say "Have e good Dey." Picks, probably due to their traveling and greater exposure to other cultures, tend toward more human pronunciations of words. Loavens of Goodhome often talk with a slight accent, changing their e's and a's only once in a while.Culture and Society
Halflings live in small farming communities called "Hams" - such as Tottle-ham, Brook-ham, Blamen-ham, and Kendal-ham. Governing, policing, and militia are usually run by the Stumps or the occasional Loaven. Despite the obvious differences among them, the three subraces actually get along well. There is a fair amount of squabbling and bickering, not to mention the gossiping, but in the end they have a high level of acceptance for each other, and a definite balance exists between them. Without the Stumps, Picks would have no towns, no structure, and nowhere to call home. Without the Picks, Stumps would become bored, stagnant, and never hear about the outside world. Without the Loavens, the differences between the other two would become polarized. No matter which halfling is which, all of them love a good social gathering. Every halfling will celebrate their naming day with a tosh. This is a gathering of friends and family at the home of the halfling; basically, a dinner that will last throughout the evening. Many small courses are prepared, and a friendly competition always arises over how many different dishes of food can be presented before no one can eat anymore. Every dish is served with a different beverage, whether it be an ale, mead, or a strong spirit drink that the halflings make from berries called tanu. It is at toshs that Picks, Stumps, and Loavens get along the best. It is said the Stumps are too drunk to worry about the Picks, the Picks are too full to move, and the Loavens just pray for everyone to keep passing the dishes. It has been noted but never fully explained, but halflings (especially Picks) and dwarves do not mix. The two races just do not get along well.Trade and Commerce
Trade between the halfling lands of Goodhome and Kindwell and the rest of the world is sparse. Actually, most of the trading occurs only when elves and human merchants make the journey themselves. The halflings will trade smokeweed, tanu, ale, mead, honey, and some foodstuff in order to get metals, high quality crafted pieces of carpentry, and other items of interest. Picklooms are often traded for with these merchants. Two items made by the halflings are very unique, and therefore highly sought after by merchants. The first are cabinets that are made for holding small items for display. These cabinets are unique in that the halflings have become quite adept at building secret compartments and drawers into the cabinet without it being obvious. The second items are called Boxes of Wonder. These are small wooden boxes with a set of moving pieces on the top - squares that shift around like a puzzle. To open the box, you must first solve the puzzle. These boxes are often called "Pickholders" by the Stumps, as they cause many a Pick to stay still for awhile while they try to solve the puzzle.Religion
All gods are recognized by the halflings, but the Stumps favor the goddess Ma Meil (Miellyah) and the Picks worship Sheilin (Shinara). Loavens generally worship bot equally. The halflings tend to have their own names for the gods, taken from their regular names and shortened a bit. For example:- Lysora - Lysa
- Miellyah - Ma Meil
- Kith-Jora - Keithee
- Shinara - Sheilin
- Solanis - Sal
- Therassor - Teri
- D'hurgen - Hurgee
- Kharox - Old Grumpy
Values and Taboos
Halflings very much believe that it takes a village to raise a child. Children are very special to them, with everyone taking part in their care and upbringing. Even Picks, once they have a child, will not leave home for wandering until the child reaches the naming age of thirteen. When a halfling child reaches this age, they are allowed to pick a naming day. On that day there is a huge tosh, and the child will pick the name that they will go by for the rest of their lives, leaving behind the childhood name given by their mother. Overall, the halflings have very rigid ideas about what should have a celebration and what should not. Marriage is celebrated, a Naming Day is a special day, and harvest week is a great festival in most halfling communities. All halflings love gossiping. They will discuss the goings-on of the town, the nearby towns, this family, that family, and so on. Naturally, this gossiping often comes around to the ears of the people being gossiped about. Yet it doesn't bother them, for the halflings see gossip as idle chatter that all good people take part in because they are concerned for the well being of their neighbors. However, talking badly about another, or spreading mean or insidious rumors is frowned upon, called "Sigietalk," and considered one of the worst taboos. For a Pick, the worst insult possible is for someone to call them a thief. A Pick does not steal - he borrows, he picks up, he finds things, or he puts in his pocket and forgets about something. They really don't understand the concept of ownership, and they are so very curious. No halfling will stand by while another is in trouble. Even the most stubborn Stump will leave his fields to help another in need. Their sense of community is strong, making them a force to reckon with that many would discount.Halfling Traits
Your Halfling character will have the following traits.
Ability Score Changes. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, but your Strength score decreases by 2.
Age. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.
Alignment. Most halflings are lawful good. As a rule, they are good-hearted and kind, hate to see others in pain, and have no tolerance for oppression. They are also very orderly and traditional, leaning heavily on the support of their community and the comfort of their old ways.
Size. Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Gossiping Folk. You gain proficiency in the Deception skill.
Lucky. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn’t secret, but halflings are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all halflings speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.
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