Halflings, Overview
The origin of the Halfling people is utterly unknown, and they don't care so much about it. The Elves say that half-a-human results in a nice counterpoint to the humans, a person who can prefer laziness and constant leisure, laid back and content with what is. Humans are so often on the other end of the spectrum.
In any case, regardless of their origin, few Halflings choose the wandering and adventuring that can so often drive humans. The "little ones," as they are affectionately known to Elves and Humans, prefer staying at home in their village or town (or rarely district of a larger city), working less and enjoying more.
You can find a charismatic Halfing or two wherever Halflings might be found, holdling court (as it were)--in the local public house, a bard or storyteller (or bull-shitter) swilling ale or mead among friends and neighbors with ruddy cheeks and a pair of wooly feet up on the table.
A Halfling in their cups might lead the tavern in song at the top of their llungs, the company banging fists or mugs on the tables, maybe getting up to dance. Poetry might be reciteds, or stories told and retold. In public places where drinks are consumed, this can happen at any time day or night.
And so it is that a Halfling will rarely seek a life outside of hearth and home, rarely wandering off into the wide world. These "wanderlings" are looked upon with some suspicion (or perhaps a veiled admiration). It could be that a jumber of the littler people harbor a secret desire to do the same.
Halflings who receive training in an adventure class are exceedlingly rare. When they leave, usually they no particular goal. It's about wandering, wanderlusting, heading off a-walkinig in the world.
As such, there are two families of halfling, the Stout and the Lightfoot.
The Stout Halflings are home-bodies by and large, with appetites for food and drink that seems to exceed what's expected from people of their size. They are perfectly content to work a day--often as a crafter or shop-keep--and take to home and hearth, or the local pub, in the evenings and nights. They are know as jovial and kind, liberal with money and goo chder. They are suspicious of outsiders, but if given a good story or song (or a round of drink), they will bring swift friendship to the table.
Stouts rarely live in cities, instead preferring their "cubbies," as they call them: their burrows into the hills, decorated inside wutgh "that-and-thats," with pantries loaded with lardes of food, bags of tea, and usually a cask or two of drink as well.
The other family of Halfling is the Lightfoot. These are given more to introspective and sometimes even aspirations, sometimes even living willingly in larger cities! Those that leave home are usually of this type, and as well can discuss matters of a more intellectual nature, in a calmer and more sober way. Of course they can celebrate life like the heartiest Stout, but more often than not they will sit in courners and talk geography, biology, history, or some such topic.
Between the two families, the Stouts are more common, where the Longfellows are less often seen, at least in public. The two families almost always both live in every location where a Halfling might, which means in rural villages and hamlets, where hills for cubbies can be found.
In any case, regardless of their origin, few Halflings choose the wandering and adventuring that can so often drive humans. The "little ones," as they are affectionately known to Elves and Humans, prefer staying at home in their village or town (or rarely district of a larger city), working less and enjoying more.
You can find a charismatic Halfing or two wherever Halflings might be found, holdling court (as it were)--in the local public house, a bard or storyteller (or bull-shitter) swilling ale or mead among friends and neighbors with ruddy cheeks and a pair of wooly feet up on the table.
A Halfling in their cups might lead the tavern in song at the top of their llungs, the company banging fists or mugs on the tables, maybe getting up to dance. Poetry might be reciteds, or stories told and retold. In public places where drinks are consumed, this can happen at any time day or night.
And so it is that a Halfling will rarely seek a life outside of hearth and home, rarely wandering off into the wide world. These "wanderlings" are looked upon with some suspicion (or perhaps a veiled admiration). It could be that a jumber of the littler people harbor a secret desire to do the same.
Halflings who receive training in an adventure class are exceedlingly rare. When they leave, usually they no particular goal. It's about wandering, wanderlusting, heading off a-walkinig in the world.
As such, there are two families of halfling, the Stout and the Lightfoot.
The Stout Halflings are home-bodies by and large, with appetites for food and drink that seems to exceed what's expected from people of their size. They are perfectly content to work a day--often as a crafter or shop-keep--and take to home and hearth, or the local pub, in the evenings and nights. They are know as jovial and kind, liberal with money and goo chder. They are suspicious of outsiders, but if given a good story or song (or a round of drink), they will bring swift friendship to the table.
Stouts rarely live in cities, instead preferring their "cubbies," as they call them: their burrows into the hills, decorated inside wutgh "that-and-thats," with pantries loaded with lardes of food, bags of tea, and usually a cask or two of drink as well.
The other family of Halfling is the Lightfoot. These are given more to introspective and sometimes even aspirations, sometimes even living willingly in larger cities! Those that leave home are usually of this type, and as well can discuss matters of a more intellectual nature, in a calmer and more sober way. Of course they can celebrate life like the heartiest Stout, but more often than not they will sit in courners and talk geography, biology, history, or some such topic.
Between the two families, the Stouts are more common, where the Longfellows are less often seen, at least in public. The two families almost always both live in every location where a Halfling might, which means in rural villages and hamlets, where hills for cubbies can be found.
HALFLING PLAYER CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES
Curious about playing a Halfling character, either Stout or Lightfoot? Here is a link to the game-play attributes of the Halfling People. Although the two familiies might be different, their Attributes are the same. Visit this Halfling Attributes page to check out the statistics for playing a halfling!
Halfling Player Character Attributes
HALFLING RELIGION
Southern and Eastern Halflings groups have more commerce with each other, and they uphold a tradition of martial arts and meditative practices. Sometimes their caravans contain groups of monks and others practicing the Frujj, or “the Way.” They have commerce with the southern gnomes, whose religion is more esoteric, and this has been an influence over the centuries.
Halflings in the north and west often follow the religious pattern of the others, but there are also many who, influenced by the strong pantheons of the Aligorians, Narrans, and even Elves, have developed a more well-defined religion, with regular practices and patron deities. Their stories also reflect their respect for the gods and the heroes; they delight in telling these stories, and poetry, and in writing it themselves.
NOBBIN OF THE SACRED OAK
Nobbin is the Halfling Deity of the Sacred Oak… Depicted as a gnarled and ancient sage, with a high staff. Symbol is a great spreading oak tree in a circle. He beckons with gnarled tree-root hands, with arms outstretched. The grove is his being. It once stretched much farther into the Shadowhill, covereing the entire area of the module, but the goblin power drove it back over hundreds of years. Druid power waned, goblin power waxed.
NOBBIN has no particular hatred of goblins; he is far too wise and ancient for that. He does not feel anger; only sadness. A gentle kind of sadness for any death of life, and a glint in his eye for the irony of being alive at all..
His Druidic order are called the HobbiNobbiPopo; wiped out completely but for the great Halfling hero Toggen Highhill, in the fall of 499 y.c. (, in the Goblin Strangewar.
When depicted as the druidic Deity of the Sacred Oak… Depicted as a gnarled and ancient sage, with a high staff. Symbol is a great spreading oak tree in a circle. He beckons with gnarled tree-root hands, with arms outstretched. The grove is his being. It once stretched much farther into the Shadowhill, covereing the entire area of the module, but the goblin power drove it back over hundreds of years. Druid power waned, goblin power waxed. NOBBIN has no particular hatred of goblins; he is far too wise and ancient for that. He does not feel anger; only sadness. A gentle kind of sadness for any death of life.
When depicted as the druidic Deity of the Sacred Oak… Depicted as a gnarled and ancient sage, with a high staff. Symbol is a great spreading oak tree in a circle. He beckons with gnarled tree-root hands, with arms outstretched. The grove is his being. It once stretched much farther into the Shadowhill, covereing the entire area of the module, but the goblin power drove it back over hundreds of years. Druid power waned, goblin power waxed. NOBBIN has no particular hatred of goblins; he is far too wise and ancient for that. He does not feel anger; only sadness. A gentle kind of sadness for any death of life.
HILLFOLK HALFLINGS
The Hillfolk are people of myth and legend to most halflings. The former live a secluded life, venturing out from their hilly northern lands only to trade in the stone and gems they mine. They are of halfling height, but stocky and hardy, and usually more serious, less given to revelry for revelry’s sake. If you can pry it out of them, they tell amazing stories, epics of wandering elves, underground adventures to the depths of the mines and beyond, tales of goblin wars long ago, and mysteries of the unknown highlands to the north. Their attributes are that of a stout halfling.
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