Halfling

Halflings can be found in most corners of the world. While many still live in their original homeland, the Halfling Steppe of the Eastern Continent, their diaspora began very early in their history. Halflings now make up a part of almost all of the major civilization of the world and are at home in all but the most xenophobic of nations. Halflings were the first of the world’s people to tame horses and to use them as mounts.
Halflings do not worship a single god, and their devotions are likely to be inspired more by profession than by race. Those involved in trade are, naturally, inclined to be at least casual devotees of Filus , while craftspeople gravitate more towards Natanis . Andera is also a very popular god across all segments of halfling society since they tend to be a generous folk.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Plains halflings are wirier than their cousins elsewhere in the world, usually with tan skin and dark hair. Their eyes have epicanthic folds.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Plains Halflings, who still live in their ancestral homeland are semi-nomadic, with only a few permanent settlements. These provide them with resupply points during their travels and also make for convenient trading posts both with outsiders and among each other. The tall grasses of the plains hold no shortage of small game and interesting plants, but when they get sick of eating only what they can hunt or gather, the halflings rely on their more settled brothers and sisters for agricultural products which they have either grown themselves or traded for with outsiders. This interdependence leads to two broad categories of people within their culture, the truly nomadic herders and the settled or semi-settled camp folk. Whichever of these broader ‘tribes’ a halfling is born into, each young halfling is given the opportunity to experience both ways of life by the time they turn twenty. There is no set time when they are forced to decide between one way of life or the other, since the halflings still consider themselves to be all one people, so at least in principle there is no stigma in altering one’s lifestyle. In practice however most halflings make their more or less permanent life decision by the time they turn thirty, or they get married, whichever comes first. Virtually all plains halflings are skilled horse-people. This is particularly among the nomads, but even the more settled folk spend a good part of their lives in and around horses and they all learn to ride from a young age. Being mounted provides them with a distinct advantage in mobility and makes up for their small size when fighting foes larger than themselves. Archery is also a prized skill and many halflings are experts at shooting from horseback.
The Nomads: These are the folk among the halflings who feel the deepest connection with their horses, choosing to spend their lives traveling the vast plains with their herds. It is often a hard life, with fewer options and less luxuries than more settled people have available to them. It also has its benefits. The freedom of not being tied to one piece of land, and to see the sunrise from the vast unpeopled stretches of grassland is, they say, more than fair compensation for an occasionally monotonous diet. The nomads tend to form clannish groups of two to four families, moving with a sizeable herd of animals to follow the best grazing and most sheltered parts of the plains in bad weather. These clans may be a more or less permanent alliance, or they may form for a season or two and split up again as they move along. If there is one thing the nomads value almost as much as their horses it is their freedom. Families among this group tend to be large, with parents often having four or more children and few lines drawn between immediate and extended kin. The nomads value art that can travel with them such as beautiful clothing, intricately beaded hair ornaments and, above all, good music. Many of the worlds finest bards have come from among this culture, and since they often choose to stay with their own people, few have every heard the glorious music they make.
The Settled: The other major group of plains halflings live in settlements on the edges of the plains. Some of these are permanent towns and villages, others are smaller farmsteads, and a few are mobile, moving seasonally from one place to another. When such a settlement moves it is a major undertaking that only happens once or twice a year. Trading posts usually feature market stalls, banking facilities, and places to spend coin. Farming settlements tend to be focused almost entirely on food production, with only the amenities needed for their inhabitants. Tradespeople, craftspeople, and artists can be found in all of them, rounding out society and providing services that are always in demand. This group also has their share of bardic talent, although these are more likely to be encountered by outsiders.
Halfings who live on the very edges of the plains tend to be used to foreigners, but those near their heart may go their entire lives without seeing someone of another race. Some of the plains halflings have immigrated to other lands, most commonly The Free Cities to the south and the Narrows to the north. As a result, almost all of the halflings on the Eastern Continent have a similar ethnic look about them.