Halfling
Cultural Information
The small humanoid before you is filthy, dressed in rags and has numerous worthless trinkets hanging from his person. You keep a hand on your purse and keep your distance, even as you flip him a coin. It is wise to give the halfling a little in hopes that he doesn't take all you've got. 1. What key concepts describe these people? Generally considered to be the lowest humanoid life form on Eldarr. Halflings are beggars and thieves in urban settings, for the most part. 2. What is their genetic legacy and how does it affect them? Thought to have derived from humans in distant past. 3. For what tasks are they especially suited/unsuited? Excellent beggars, thieves and scavengers. Generally treated with disdain by the rest of society. 4. How might they use their strengths? Almost exclusively live in large urban centres, being parasites on the rest of society. 5. How might they compensate for their shortcomings? They seem to revel in their lot in life, and take great stock in taking what doesn't belong to them from those around them. Often, halflings represent the real power in a thieves’ guild. 6. Where do they live? What is their primary habitat? Halflings are almost exclusively residents of large urban centres. Small communities of halflings still exist outside of the borders of the empire, however. 7. What are their homes like? How does the habitat affect their dwellings and lifestyle? Halflings typically live in the streets, alleys and gutters of the cities of Eldarr. 8. What is their level of civil construction and what are its characteristics? Halflings rarely build anything other than maze-like warrens in the sewers and abandoned buildings and basements. 9. What is daily life like? Spent begging, stealing, and developing scams. 10. What do they eat and drink? How do they react to other foodstuffs? Halflings can basically eat anything. Their tolerance of toxins and disease is quite high. 11. How do they express themselves artistically? What are their styles of music, sculpture, poetry, painting, plays? Grafitti is the most common artistic form. Street music, sidewalk art, and street performances, as well as acrobatic demonstrations are also common. 12. Do they farm? If so, what? For what purposes? How is food distributed? Typically not. However, outside the borders of the Acheron Empire halflings may operate typical farms of grains, vegetables, sheep and swine. 13. What does a farm look like? How is a farm organised? N/A 14. How do farms operate? What farming techniques do they use? N/A 15. What are their primary enemies, natural and cultural? Generally have no allies. The societies that they are a part of generally treat halflings with disdain and discrimination. 16. How do they defend against them? When someone expects little of you or pays no attention to you, it is easy to secretly exceed expectations. Halflings control much of the underworld in most urban centres, controlling wealth that rivals the civil tax base of the city that they live in. The halfling beggar on the street could be wealthier than the merchant he is begging from. 17. What is their culture? Their government? Their politics? Their economy? Halflings often organize themselves into gang-like structures, with individual halflings being ranked based on experience, profitability for the gang, and connections to halflings above them in the gang hierarchy. 18. What is their history? What's the real story, and what is misunderstood or misremembered? The halflings of Eldarr were originally based in the rural communities commonly associated with typical halflings of fantasy. With the development of the Acheron Empire, the halflings were quickly displaced from their rich farmland humans looking to feed the large human cities and armies. Left to their own devices, the halflings had no place to go but the large cities looking for work. The human-dominated Empire had no use or need for their halfling cousins, so entire communities of halflings were left with nothing but begging and crime to feed their families. The dexterous and charismatic halflings were well suited to this life, and so adapted well. The halfling gangs of today can still be traced to old halfling rural communities. 19. Who are their allies? Those in the underworld understand the role and importance of halflings. Criminals of all races often work with or for a halfling gang, either directly or indirectly. 20. What are their dreams, goals, myths, legends? Halflings wish to return to 'equal' footing with the other races as far as acceptance to society. However, their new culture still comes through. There are many halfling legends and fables about individual halflings becoming important to society as a whole through trickery and deception. 21. What is their religion? Halflings often privately worship Levistus or Ophaniel. 22. How does it affect their daily lives? Halflings often use religion as a front, pleading for alms for orphans or the ill in the city in the name of the AllFather. However, they usually keep their own religion to themselves, only using the name of or worshiping their chosen god among their own. 23. What crafts have they mastered? What special abilities or knowledge do they have? How do these impact their lives? Halfling's natural dexterity and charisma make them naturally inclined to a life of taking from others, either through physically stealing it or through persuasion. 24. What is the criminal code and how are crimes punished? Halflings have no regard whatsoever for the laws of the land, feeling that laws are society's opinion on what should and shouldn't be done. However, rules within a gang are firm and decisive. The rules centre around not holding out on the gang's take, not following the gang's direction, and not respecting your uppers within a gang. Justice is swift for infractions, with death being the usual measure taken. 25. How do they travel? Do they trade? With whom? For what? Are they good or bad at it? Halflings travel on foot within cities through the most direct route possible, be it through the sewers or over the rooftops. They have an elaborate system of fences and distribution for stolen goods. They are amazingly sharp at knowing the market value of goods and potential demand, so they can move stolen or scavenged goods efficiently and profitably. 26. Do they use magic? What is their attitude to magic? Halflings will use whatever will give them an advantage over others, including magic. 27. Do they use advanced technology? What is their attitude to science? Halflings are certainly not known for their adoption or use of technology. However, that is not to say that they would not use an item if it benefited them. It is usually just easier and more profitable to fence an item as it is to keep it. 28. How do they react to outsiders? Halflings are first committed to themselves, then their gangs. They have no love for others, given the usual reaction they get from them. They usually see others as a mark or a threat. 29. What weaponry do they use? Halflings prefer weapons that are easily concealable, such as daggers, hand crossbows, darts, slings, and such. They are rarely seen openly carrying a weapon, but are usually armed. 30. What are their personality archetypes? What are their cultural blind spots? What are the unspoken absolute beliefs that give society its foundation? Halflings are usually looking for a way to take what others have, either through deception, theft, or an elaborate con. They almost see it as a game, and assume that everyone else is playing the same game. Society expects nothing from them, and they expect nothing of society.Game Information (Pathfinder)
Why should I help you, human? Your people displaced us from our land, drove us into the sewers of your cities, and generally treat us like vermin. Why should I help you? Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you what you want, but you owe us. And believe me, interest is being added, and we will collect from you, my friend. Or we will collect from your family. It is your choice… The halflings of Eldarr represent the darkness of Eldarr, a product of racial intolerance and disdain brought about by the human expansion on Rhodania. They are the beggars in the streets and they are the silent face behind the crimes. Halflings of Eldarr use the following game-related information: +2 Dexterity, –2 Strength. Small: As a Small creature, a halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character. Halfling base land speed is 20 feet. +2 racial bonus on Climb, Acrobatics, Perception and Stealth checks. +1 racial bonus on all saving throws. +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. These bonuses stack with the halfling’s +1 bonus on saving throws in general. +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings. Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Orc. Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclass halfling’s rogue class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
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