Etxera
Etxera was the heartland population for all the Halflings in Vals'kar, a sprawling network of tunnels and villages connected by kinship and a love of the land. Its original borders encompassed everything south of the Havswallow River to the Wickwood Cliffs.
Etxera Halflings don't share the usual optimism and grace of their ancestors, but instead wield bravery and strength as barriers to what has proven to be an oppressive world. Vescania knew Halflings, while brave, weren't a warring population and sought to sack Highburg through Kille's unprepared fields. As such, a significant part of the war was fought in the Kille Plains; weapons and remains are often uncovered by the Halfling families expanding and recovering their population.
At One With the Earth
When the first burrows were hollowed out in the Kille Plains some time after The Great Sacrifice, the Halflings that made up the town numbered fewer than 200. It wasn't for lack of joy in child-rearing or difficulties in having children; the Halflings simply didn't need or desire a larger population. The tight-knit community found joy in everything they did: cooking, cleaning, hunting, and farming. Like the Elves of Nivasa, the Halflings of Kille balanced their existence with the beautiful plains they called home. Nature, too, respected this balance, and for a time lives were lived longer, without sickness, and in unabated bliss. Eventually, so pleased with the balance with which the Halflings lived, the plains blessed the families with fertility and their numbers began to grow.Tunnels and Towns
Surprised by their booming numbers but keen on respecting the land, the Halflings continued to hollow-out empty hillsides for their expanding families to grow. So quick were the gifts of children being brought to life that families started digging exclusively for themselves, creating wide networks of tunnels linking close and distant relatives through honeycombed structures. Not wanting to forsake extremely distant cousins, more land was excavated and towns began to appear just below the surface. Older Halflings lacked the physical fortitude to spend hours a day digging, so instead they turned to selling that which they had excess of. A thriving community of benevolent and selfless creatures took hold beneath the flowering plains and for generations the Halflings knew nothing but peace and prosperity.Making Friends
Brave and fool-hardy, those Halflings who spent more time on the surface farming, hunting, or fishing eventually ran into the Tieflings of Dhacha across the Havswallow River in the small fishing village of Felhook. Their generosity in food and gifts made the communities fast friends and the Iaak taught the Halflings of religion and sacrifice in exchange for joy and celebration. Though the Halflings did little but acknowledge and respect the messages brought to them by the Iaak, their impact on the downtrodden people of Dhacha was palpable across the region. Suddenly, the Iaak began enjoying life instead of suffering through it. Explorers from Marka also came through Kille eventually, exposing the Halflings to concepts such as the free-market and accrual of wealth. Untempted by the obviously evil machinations of gold, the Halflings nevertheless shared the joys of life and love with the Humans. While eventually a great source of pain, this relationship would also end up saving the Halflings from extinction.The First War
When the Halflings learned of the attacks across Astagua, led by the power-hungry nation of Vescania, they donated food, supplies, and good spirits to the war effort. Though brave, the Halflings had no experience in the ways of war, but understood the joint effort was imperative to the freedom of the continent. Plus, their recent acceptance of unifying the states of Astagua meant they had almost a familial obligation to helping their friends. Unfortunately, when the road east through Karinga proved too treacherous and ineffective for the Vescanian military, they elected to sail around Astagua and make landfall just south of the present-day Kille Memorial, mistaking the mouth of the Havswallow River for a delta they dared not cross. Vescania attempted to use the Kille Plains as a distant colony from which they would mount attacks against Highburg, but their heavy war-machines kept falling through the hollowed ground. Siege towers, trebuchets, and catapults sunk into the ground, crushing families of Halflings or sealing them from the surface. Faithful to the idea that Highburg and the other peoples of Astagua would come to their aid, the Halflings hid from Vescania as long as they could. For some, it was weeks in their homes before they succumbed to starvation or dehydration. For others, it was mere hours until they suffocated, buried in their homes by an enemy they never met. Thousands of Halflings died, unable to mount a counter-offensive or run for safety. In the months of Vescania's occupation of the Kille Plains, the Halfling population fell to 90% of what it had grown to be. Memories, knowledge, love, and life were snuffed out in painful, lonely weeks that changed the Halfling way of life forever.A New Life, Above
Heartbroken and betrayed, the surviving Halflings isolated themselves from the rest of Astagua after the war. Determined never to trust again, they started to rebuild Kille, this time north of the plains and above ground. Their lack of know-how in building surface structures slowed their efforts until the friends they had made in Felhook, largely untouched by the war, came to their aid. Humans, Tieflings, Elves, and Orcs assisted the Halflings in the construction of modern-day Kille. The Halflings, grateful but still distrusting, thanked them for their help and requested that they leave. Since then, the number of non-Halfling residents in Kille can be counted on one hand. Resentful of the world, they are slowly starting to open up again, fighting the fear that their families may once again be routed by enemies they never knew they made. To that end, many of the survivors of the Kille massacre seek to avenge their losses. Naturally brave and unnaturally angry, they make powerful combatants. Those fortunate enough to be able to call one a friend also have themselves an unquestionably loyal ally. More-so than any other native to Astagua, they've embedded themselves in organizations across Vals'kar, looking for ways to forget or avenge their past or to protect their families by distancing themselves from them.I've met a lot of Halflings in my day, and all of 'em look angry. Best not to cross 'em - they've got nothin' else left to lose.
History of Unified Council Delegates:
758 2E - 759 2E: Wilver Goodmeadow 759 2E - Present Day: Gideon Havswallow
Founding Date
The Mass Dying
Type
Geopolitical, Barony
Demonym
Etxeran
Leader
Notable Members
Related Species
Comments