Halflings

Standing at about half the height of a human, halflings are not native to Anestor. During the occupation, they were brought as slaves by the Marcisians. They served the Marcisians with the understanding that they were less than humans. It was believed that they made good servants, cooks, gardeners, and other menial jobs. When Anestor had its revolution, there were a great many halfling slaves in the country who joined the revolution with the understanding that they would be free citizens rather than slaves for the first time in their known history.
Generally, halflings are known for being pleasant, excitable and brave. Most live common lives, just getting by day to day. They love their food, drink and simple lives. While the majority of halflings live in homogenous communities called hives, some instead choose to integrate themselves more into Anestor's towns and cities, opening farms or inns, or even on occasion, becoming adventurers.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Halflings are half the height of humans. They have slightly pointed ears and are quite sturdy in spite of their diminutive size.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Elders in halfling hives are the religious and political leaders of their communities. They have lived the longest, and are the keepers of lore, so they deserve the respect of their people. When halfling farmers bring in harvest, or fishers bring in their catch, or brewers have a new batch of beer, some is given to the elders out of respect. Money is also shared with the elders which pays to maintain community items like the story halls.

Civilization and Culture

History

The Marcisians worked hard to erase the history and culture of their slaves. They believed that if halflings could not remember a time before they were enslaved, then they would never rally for freedom. It was illegal to teach halfings how to read or write, as was it illegal to brimg them into the home like a person. The halflings were not considered people, and treating them as if they were was illegal. Instead of living in their masters' homes, the halflings were kept all together in big barns or out buildings, where in spite of strict regulations to minimize any sense of cultural identity halflings might have, halflings formed close-knit communities.
Because elderly halflings were few and far between in those days, the elderly became cherished in the communities. They saw them as the most knowlegeable, because they lived the longest. The elders were the keepers of the oral histories, and they were also the leaders in halfling homes. Over the centuries, these elders developed mundane healing techniques to help fellow slaves after injuries on the job, and a pseudo-religion. This involved fortune telling using bones cast on the ground and wearing talismans stitched with hair, feathers and flowers for protection. The halflings became very superstitious under this religion, and would ask their elders for interpretations of their dreams or strange sights like a flower in the snow or a bird falling dead out of the sky. Based on the interpretations of these signs by elders in the past, halfling communities have many supersitions that vary between communities.
During their time enslaved, the halflings created a sign language to communicate with one another while working for their masters. They used this to communicate with one another while working, with no worry that their masters would know what they were saying. They also used these signs to discuss their religion, which they understood would get them into deep trouble with their masters.

When brought to Anestor, halflings saw a new slave race in the elves, but unlike the halflings, the elves did not accept their enslavement. Even after three hundred years of occupation, many of the elves continued to hope. Unlike the halflings, they still remembered some of their mythology, and that hidden religion and history gave them some hope for freedom, and during their time living side by side, the hope of freedom began to spread to the halflings as well. 
When the revolution began, many of the elves ran away to join the resistance, the halflings on the other hand, stayed behind, and the Marcisians trusted that they would not turn on them. They believed that they had destroyed any hope that the halflings had left within them.