Halfling

History

Halflings, sometimes mistaken for the stouter dwarves or the more wiry gnomes,
are a race of people unlike most others. Standing at a rather diminutive
height and with often rotund bellies due to their incessant desire for food,
they are a generally cheerful and jolly folk.

Originating near Val Miran, halflings were first discovered, so to speak
when they were recruited to engage in a number of quests, serving as jubilant
(if somewhat apprehensive) additions to all manner of fellowships and epic
crusades. Despite their best efforts to remain at home and enjoy the luxuries
they often surround themselves with, they tend to stumble headfirst into more
adventures than a blind peddler traversing the Volcano.

The first such example was a male halfling by the name of Drogo Loosedrawers.
Very much a homebody, Drogo was reluctantly and perhaps forcibly yanked from
his home during the middle of his morning tea in order to set out on a quest
with a half-mad elven seer and his cohorts. During their quest, Drogo fell in
love with the world, and upon returning to his beloved hamlet, went about
attempting to convince his people to see the great lands beyond their homes.

After that first minor exodus from their native area, approximately half of
the halfling population moved out into the world to find greater wealth with
which to furnish their homes with greater decorations and appliances. The
other half stubbornly refused to set foot outside of the protective hamlet and
even went so far as to affectionately shun, if such a thing were possible (for
few halflings ever get truly angry), those halflings who leave and return as
bearers of trouble and bad news.

Since then many halflings have scattered across the lands, spreading their
numbers far and wide. Those that returned to their hometown eventually brought
change to their traditional society, restructuring the village into a trading
centre. Despite these reforms, few of their people have established solid
businesses as they are a decidedly lazy race, preferring instead other,
sometimes disreputable, methods of gaining capital. Regardless of any ethical
shortcomings, halflings are overall a good-hearted and well-intentioned people.

Usual Height

Halflings stand somewhere between faeries and dwarves at approximately three
to four feet.

Hometown

The Halfling Hamlet, Val Miran, Maelbrim

Religion

Halflings are typically a peace loving, warm-hearted folk, and as a result,
very rarely (if ever) practice the religions of the Shadow or Chaos. However,
some halflings are known to be quite greedy and therefore find themselves
worshiping the ways of Guile and Greed under the powers of Chance. For the
most part though, the halfling race is attracted to the lighter religions

• Nature and Tranquility are particularly common choices.

Physical Features

Quite diminutive, approximately half the size of an average human, Halflings
have earned their name. In addition to their consistently stunty size, most
halflings also share the trait of having substantially-sized stomachs. Other
than those two characteristics, halflings tend to be as varied as humans. Like
their dwarven cousins, they share an innate resistance to magic. It is said
that this sprouts from their incredibly hairy feet, a trademark of the race.
The hair is so valued that halflings will often not wear shoes to display the
growth.

Society

Halfling society, especially since the Tribunal's centralization policies, has
been largely controlled by their large neighbor, Val Miran. For those Halflings
who still call that hamlet home, there is an official ruling body made up of
an advisory council led by the most popular halfling to be found. The leader
is more of a symbolic head, and it is the Council of Wisdom, comprised of the
eldest of the halflings, who truly rule. Their government and population being
too weak to maintain a standing army, halflings employ foreign mercenaries to
keep the peace and rely upon the walls and military might of Val Miran for any
major conflicts.

Relationships with Other Races

Halflings, due to their generally cheerful disposition, get along quite well
with most of the other races of Aabahran. They often associate with the
neighboring humans, elves, who generally like halflings in a patronizing sort
of way, and dwarves who feel a close kinship to them due to their physical
similarities and their ethical sensibilities. Gnomes and halflings also have a
strong rapport due to their habits regarding the consumption of mass amounts
of food and drink. Politically, the halfling hamlet has historically been a
protectorate of Val Miran and in a military and trade alliance with this city.