Halflings

Curious and active, open but secretive, halflings are among the least understood races in Athas. Short in stature but stout in heart, halflings are always on the move with a friendly smile, a love of good food, drink and music, and a strong sense of community. Known as farmers, gypsies and showman, their innate curiosity and optimism allows them to see each day as a new opportunity, regardless of the danger it may hold.
==History==
The Halflings, known as Kuduk in their native tongue, originate from the west, on an island off the north-west coast of Athas known in those days as Eire (AYE-err). They lived in small, nomadic communities they called muintirs, which always moved along the rivers and followed the herds of red deer and they lived simply, in peace with nature. They lived in regions, divided by the needs of each muintir, that they called Shires. They had little need for technology or even magic, and were content to ignore and be ignored by the world outside their borders.
In 2337 CR, human explorers from the Arthedain Empire landed on the island and soon came face-to-face with the "Little People", who they referred to as halflings, due to their small stature. The Arthedain moved to found a colony there, much to the halflings chagrin. A small revolt broke out, as the native halflings fought against the human intruders. However, the humans were too strong, with armor that was too thick and heavy and knowledge of warfare, and after only a few years, Eire became a colony for the Arthedain people, re-named Albion. The halflings themselves were taken in and many were shipped to the mainland to work as slaves for the massive human empire.
Though Halflings were too small and too weak to assist much in the construction of some of the monuments that appear throughout much of western Athas, they were highly valued as caretakers, entertainers, cooks, messengers and scribes. Many served as pages for young nobles and Arthedain knights, and many served as bus boys in Arthedain cafes and as cleaners and servants during banquets. While the halflings were fed and tended to, they were not cared for and many of the humans they served did not see them as "real people" like Elves or Dwarves, and as a result most halflings were abused and mistreated. Many Halflings tried to escape and most were caught and hung by their toes as punishment. Some did manage to flee south into the faltering Osiri Empire (which will become an important part of their cultural identity) while others fled north, into the mountains, in the hopes that their master's would not pursue them there. As a result, there is even today a breed of strong, tall halfling barbarians known as the Hare Tribe. But for the most part, the vast majority of halflings remained as slaves to the men of Arthedain, both in the mainland and on the island of Albion, and they also served as pages in the halls of the Elves, although they were considered "Free Peoples" in Elf lands, for the elves despise slavery.
Throughout much of the second age, the halflings of the south became a part of the Varisian culture, and many took to the life of wandering nomads like the men there. While they stayed away from the Arthedain border much of the time, there were some halflings who snuck into the Empire to free slaves there, while others became crew members on pirate ships in the Inner Sea, with a few notable halflings becoming pirate captains themselves. Others traveled into the east and some further south, into the Jewel Hills, reverting to the nomadic life they once led in their ancestral home. In trains of Varisian nomads who would wander southern Arthedain, many of them included at least one or two halflings families.
In 3221 CR, the halflings staged a revolt, known as the Halfling War for Independence, which lasted six bloody years. They lost the war and its leaders were beheaded, their heads left to roll and lie at the bottom of a tall hill, known today as Headroll Hill. The treatment of halflings became worse in some human lands. However, this would later serve as the inspiration for a later generation of halflings in their war for independence.
When the Empire of Arthedain fell apart in 3403 CR, many of the halfling families that once served the nobility and upper class ended up dead or broken apart, as the nobles who found themselves on the end of the sword during that bloody time were often killed along with their servants, which included halflings. The halflings found themselves caught up in the human revolts that followed. Most halflings tried to find work in bandit camps or among the fledging nobles of a dozen warring states, while others stowed away on ships and caravans fleeing the ruined empire, many falling in to what they hoped would be a better life.
During the following years of change and uncertainty in the west, the halflings decided it was time to seize their own destinies and free themselves from their history of sadness. Many sailed back to Albion, taking it in a final revolt that ended in 3436 CR. They renamed their island Shireland and it became a bastion for freedom, with strict labor laws to avoid exploitation of workers, and a strong anti-slavery stance. Because of their centuries in the service of humans, halflings are no longer the simple, nature-folk they once were. While they still harbor a deep love for nature and growing things, they have also become accustomed to the comforts of modern living, and it has become a much more agricultural society than in days past.
Today, halflings come in two varieties: the Lightfoot Halflings, which are descendants of those lucky few who escaped into the south and the Fallohides, which are the descendants of those who remained in slavery, most of which are found in Shireland. Despite some major cultural differences, they share many similarities and thus are both described in this entry.
==Physical Traits==
Halflings stand around 3 feet tall on average, making it easier for them to go unnoticed. They have slim builds appropriate to their height, with dextrous hands and thick-soled feet. Their skin tone ranges from ivory (Fallohides) to medium-brown (Lightfoot). Most halflings have light brown or hazel eyes, but darker brown, green and blue eyes are not too uncommon. Blue eyes are considered especially beautiful among halfling people, while multi-colored eyes (such as one brown eye and one green eye) are considered a bad omen. Halflings are often very proud of the thick, curly hair that grows on their heads and the tops of their feet. Common hair colors are blonde to dark brown (Fallohides) and brown to black (Lightfoot), though red and auburn hair are common, too. They tend to style their hair according to their region, often mimicking styles that are popular with local humans. Some tint their hair with plant dyes to match the hair tones of the humans native to the area. Lightfoot halflings often have straight hair, which they often wear short.
While many halflings are chubby and affable, those who travel often display remarkable athleticism. Their bodies are agile, their movements quick and sure. Those who make more permanent homes in cities or the countryside still display these traits, but they are often hidden beneath a comfortable paunch. On average, Halflings live slightly longer than humans do, though not nearly as long as some other races, like elves or dwarves. This may explain why humans and halflings have gotten used to living together so well, as their lifespans are not shockingly different. A halfling understands the need to achieve and expand that humans possess and this often makes them able partners and companions.
Bravery and curiosity remain the defining characteristics of the halfling race, tempered by pragmatism and a cheerful disposition. New locations and new experiences tempt some halflings greatly, but their steady natures usually allow them to satisfy their curiosity without exposing themselves recklessly to danger. Unfortunately, interesting situations sometimes prove too much for even the most stubborn halfling, overriding their common sense. When danger does arise, halflings find a way to safety through their cool-headed resourcefulness--and through their legendary luck.
===Diet===
Halflings boast a robust digestive system that can handle even the spiciest and most exotic foods, but they posses a surprisingly refined palate. Halflings prefer the best food and drink available, but not necessarily the most elaborate meals. Simple, fresh ingredients prepared perfectly make a halfling diner happy. They are such inventive cooks, marrying different flavors and textures together with instinctive skill, that several of their creations have become iconic in different lands. In southern Spira, rare is the houseland without a dish of Jalrune tapenade, a dice blend of Spiran Olives, dried figs, garlic and herbs. In Rikea, most taverns serve the popular dish of pork loin from the eastern pig farms, simmered with chopped sweet onions and tart apples. In Terminor and the surrounding lands, halfling cooks create a sort of sweet desert tabbouleh by boiling local grains in milk and cinnamon, then mixing the plum grains with pomegranate seeds and chopped mint. Tavern and restaurant owners in many regions consider it lucky to have a halfling guest sample local dishes, and halfling travelers often find themselves served the same "lucky" dish at table after table, regardless of what they want to eat.
Halflings prefer pale ale over wine and exotic spirits, though some upper-class halflings prefer the taste of wine and those who sail the Inner Sea develop a keen taste for rum. Their nuanced palate makes them very discriminating when it comes to their drinks. Halflings who settle down and have access to significant funds, such as retired adventurers, often open taverns and spend years perfecting their house brews.
===Senses===
Halflings are never truly at rest; even while sleeping, their ears, pointed and slightly oversized, listen for sounds that might indicate danger, and as a result, most halflings are light sleepers. Their eyes, while unable to see in the dark, can grasp detail easily and can easily catch odd details or changes in their surroundings, and many halflings are used to glancing around constantly in case of trouble. Halflings have an excellent sense of smell and there are stories of halflings who can differentiate between beers from different breweries by smell alone. Their sense of taste is just as developed, sensitive enough to identify the spices in a pot pie with a single bite (or so the halflings say).
Because halflings believe in blending in is the most practical way of avoiding trouble, they have grown used to constantly observing their surroundings and halfling adventurers can quickly pick up on details that slip past others. Halflings make prized scouts among bandits and other traveling groups that see constant movement and combat, as they are keen at picking out ambushes. A halfling's keen senses of smell and taste are a part of what makes them such good cooks. Halfling servants frequently work in the kitchen and even adventuring halflings often insist on cooking for their fellow travelers.
Perhaps surprisingly, given their retiring natures, haflings have a reputation for bravery. while most consider halfling fearlessness to be a mark of strong character, it may have a basis in halfling alertness, as well. A halfling, being attuned to his surroundings anticipates threats and ways of overcoming them and can respond quickly and sensibly to any hidden danger. At least a small part of halflings' reputed bravery can thus be attributed to their exceptional senses.
===Stature===
Halfling's height ranges from 2 feet, 8 inches to 3 feet, 5 inches, on average. They tend to be both shorter and lighter than gnomes, making them the smallest of all the common races. Halflings' frames are proportional to their height tending toward slimness, and most races find their delicate features and lean figures aesthetically pleasing--although half-orcs sometimes scoff at such a diminutive people, referring to halflings as "toothpicks" or "splinters. Dwarves, while commonly more accepting of halfling's short stature, still usually refer to them as "cubs".
Halflings are weaker than other races, in keeping with their proportionately smaller frames. They are able to keep up with their adventuring companions for the most part, however, as halfling-sized gear is a lighter burden to carry. Halfling servants can manage cords of wood, baskets of produce and other household goods without much trouble, though full stewpots and water-buckets designed for human-sized users can sometimes prove too much for them. Halflings truly shine when agility is required, though, particularly when it involves climbing or balancing. Halflings have light bodies with low centers of gravity, making it easy for them to walk across narrow beams or inch along ledges. Their touch, flexible feet and their custom of going barefoot provide them with a particular advantage when climbing. On wealthy, Shirish estates, halflings are sometimes trained as acrobats and entertainers.
===Adaptability===
In many ways, the halfling race owes its survival to its adaptability. When stronger cultures enslaved them, they found their slaves to be quick to learn and easily integrated them into their culture. Unfortunately, these traits also increased the value of halflings as slaves and encouraged the Arthedain to continue to enslave them. Halflings are justifiably proud of their adaptable natures, and rely on this adaptability to keep them safe. They possess a strong sense of self, and remain calm and cheerful even when traveling into wildly different territory. Some individuals might find it difficult and disorienting to constantly change outward appearance and mannerisms, but halflings, confident with their inner selves, find that outward change comes easily. To a halfling, taking precautions to blend in when traveling in a new area is no different then dressing appropriately for the weather. A person wouldn't head into a snow-storm without a hat, gloves, jacket, cloak, parka and other vital equipment, so why go into Nimbal complaining about how evil Asmodeus is?
===Bravery and Curiosity===
The bravery for which halflings are noted manifests in several different ways. To a halfling, bravery does not mean taking foolish risks, putting one's life on the line for those too stupid to protect themselves, or jumping into danger eyes closed and feet first--or it might mean all of those things, in the right circumstances. Because halflings are loyal to friends and family, they are willing to take risks to protect those close to them. A halfling member of an adventuring group will go to great lengths to safeguard their companions. When a rescue missing is required, a halfling is quick to volunteer. When a mysterious doorway presents itself, the halfling is the first to try to see what lies behind it. Even sedentary halflings who live soft, easy lives in Shireland will jump to the defense of their friends and family. A companion who has not earned a halfling's respect receives none of this protective bravery.
Halflings also demonstrate bravery in the face of the unknown as a result of their curiosity. They find undiscovered country almost irresistible and even the most respectable halfling harbors a curiosity over what lies beyond the hills and a desire to travel the open road, a trait inherited from their ancient, nomadic ancestors. An even-tempered nature allows most halflings to prepare for such excursions and while halflings may eagerly traverse the road not taken, they usually take sensible precautions beforehand. From time to time, though, an opportunity so new or exciting comes along that the halfling has no choice but to stumble into it, falling into situations that require all of their cunning and luck to survive it, and they must often have to make do without their handkerchiefs. Because halflings prepare so well for disaster, they can, over time, develop a false sense of security. After a half-dozen easy escapes from dangers, a halfling may confidently believe they can take on any risk. it only takes one calamity to shake them back into sensible caution (provided they survive) but until then the halfling may swagger unconcerned through danger. Many halfling travelers fall into a pattern of caution, building to confidence, culminating in a brush with seemingly certain death and then plummet back to caution, at which point the vicious cycle repeats again.
===Luck===
Halfling luck may simultaneously be the most obvious and the most mysterious of their traits. So much legend and lore has built up around a halfling's good fortune that the trait has gained an almost supernatural status. The tales are common in taverns: the halfling farmer, bankrupt and destitute, who resolves to plant one final crop and turns up a box of gold while plowing the land. Or the halfling adventurer trapped in a cave system who leans on a secret door and finds his escape along with the treasure-chamber. Or maybe about the halfling servant who cooks dinner for distinguished guests one night the chef takes ill and creates such a fabulous meal that he is elevated to status as head chef on the spot.
Halfling luck is so legendary that some consider it good fortune to travel with a halfling and others hope that traveling with a halfling will cause some of that good fortune to rub off on them. Is luck an innate, mystical trait of the halfling people? It appears to be, at least in part. Certainly halflings have a history of falling into beneficial situations or out of dangerous ones without any apparent skill on their part. Some of their luck, however, can be attributed to their opportunistic nature. Halflings are always aware of their surroundings and ready to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Luck in many cases is being open to change and seizing good moments as they come. To a race as adaptable as halflings, always watching for changes in the environment that might signal a need for altered strategy, it's a simple thing to pick up and act on these lucky moments. A halfling's luck is, at least in part, his awareness, his lack of prejudice and his willingness to seize the moment. This opportunistic bent cannot entirely explain halfling luck, but it factors strongly into the iconic trait.
===Jinxes===
On rare occasion (about 1:100) a halfling appears without their race's natural luck. Instead, they show aptitude for manipulating the fortunes of others. Termed jinxes, these halflings can create ill luck for their adversaries and are targets of suspicion, superstition and fear among other races, even other halflings. Jinx's births are often marked by ill-omens, such as two ravens present near the birthing site, a mirror cracking or a red dawn. Children suspected of being jinxes are watched closely, and their childhoods are often filled with unusual incidents of ill fortune that strike those perceived as enemies, such as bullies or even strict parents. These incidents are rarely damaging, but jinxes none the less are ostracized from their muintir as soon as they come of age.
Many jinxes are also sorcerers, which could explain their supernatural ability to effect change in the fates of others. Superstitions about halfling jinxes pop up in many areas, particularly ones with superstitious beliefs. In Dunn, jinxes are respectfully avoided; no one wishes to offend a jinx, but no one wishes to get too close to one, either. Among Varisians, jinxes are shown respect and treated well as legitimate manipulators of fortunes. In Rikea, where halflings are seen as tremendously lucky, jinxes are seen as incredibly unlucky and are fearfully shunned, or even killed.
===Opportunism===
According to a halfling proverb, an opportunity spotted in a fortune made. Halflings are inveterate opportunists, though few other races see them as such. Opportunism is a subtle halflint trait, often confused with curiosity or bravery. In truth, halflings posses the ability to quickly size up a situation and decide how to make the best of it. Their curiosity leads them into these situations and their bravery allows them to act on it, but it is their opportunism that calculates the plans from which they benefit. In most cases, halflings remain unburdened by concern for laws, with the exception of many Fallohides. While halflings care about remaining members of society in good standing, if bending a law brings benefit and there is little chance of anyone finding out, most halflings won't hesitate to do so. Some halflings take opportunism a step further and stray away from the law and from societal approval. They take up illegal professions that suit their abilities, such as burglars, con artists or pickpockets.
Younger halflings demonstrate opportunism more than older ones. As a halfling enters middle age, they may give up their wandering ways and settle down. Halfling communities are generally forgiving of these returning travelers, seeing them as "having shaken the wanderlust out of their feet". Halflings who have had the chance to wander and experiment with new professions in their youth are likely to settle down happily and become valuable members of any community.
==Culture==
Halflings posses a strong sense of personal identity, colored by the cultural trappings in which they cloak themselves in order to blend in. In a similar manner, halfling communities maintain a strong central culture, shaded by the cultural influence of the larger community in which they live. No two halfling settlements are exactly alike, even in Shireland among the more conservative Fallohides.
===Birth===
Births bring with them excitement and celebration in halfling culture. To a race as positibe and opportunistic as halflings, a new baby holds a wealth of potential. Every baby could be a great hero, a famous artisan, a world-renowned chef or a prolific parent. Even in poor households with little to offer a new addition to the family, babies are celebrated as a reminder of the potential in each halfling and as a beacon of faith that halfling luck and tenacity will enable their people to survive.
Unlike many races that have faced a history of hardship, halflings always celebrate pregnancies and new births right away. While other races may see too-early celebrations as a jinx on the child's well-being, or a cause for regret if anybody dies, halflings seize the opportunity to celebrate now even if hardship surfaces later. Halfling infants are very robust. Pregnant females are not required to work in the middle and later stages of pregnancy and have access to good food and practiced midwives. Infant mortality in these areas is no higher than it is for humans. Most halfling mothers survive childbirth, as well. Birth celebrations involve plenty of food, singing, dancing and speculating about the child's future. It is the only traditional halfling ceremony where alcohol is not served; halflings believe a child should come into the world clear-headed and among sober folk.
===Coming of Age===
Halflings attain maturity at eighteen years old and communities like to celebrate these occasions. When the halfling is still a child, his parents and community elders agree upon an appropriate comin-of-age task, often influenced by dreams and omens. Most tasks are mundane and can be done in one or two tries, such as preparing a fancy meal for a banquet or swimming the breadth of a lake and back again. It could also be other tasks, as well, such as baking a loaf of bread from memory, drawing a picture or carving a wooden walking staff.
Once a halfling successfully completes their task, their family hosts a celebration. Food and drink are plentiful, as are music and dancing. At the height of the celebration, someone close to the halfling--usually a parent, but occasionally a teacher, mentor or elder--present him with a token to celebrate his achievement. The item may be symbolic, representing the task he completed or representative of the deeds the halfling may achieve in the world on his own. Halfling wizard often choose these tokens as their bonded objects. Afterward, there is often a grad fireworks display, much to the delight and amazement of the crowd.
===Dress===
When it comes to "traditional" halfling dress, the matter is a rather sticky one. While they have no "ancestral" style aside from loose animal skins and kilts, they have developed a taste of style akin to humans. While often times halflings simply wear human clothes tailored to their small stature, there are many common themes running through their styles, depending upon whether they are Fallohides or Lightfoot halflings.
Fallohide halflings tend to dress in fine, well-stitched clothes. Their clothes are often simple and do not usually have patterns, though they often wear brightly-colored waistcoats (often red or yellow) with gold or brass buttons. Fallohides like light, airy shirts that button all the way down with sleeveless shirts underneath, and fine pants (often green or brown) that fall to just above their ankle, to allow for comfort and mobility. Many also wear jackets, often made of cotton or tweed, that act more as decoration than function. These coats are typically worn to go well with the waistcoat, which is the main garment. Fallohides rarely wear belts, instead wearing suspenders. Many also wear bow ties or cravats as fashionable accessories, and many prefer hats in a variety of styles, though bowlers and "newsies" are the most popular kinds among Fallohide men. Women do not often wear hats, but many do wear bonnets. It is stylish for male Fallohides to wear spats on their feet.
Fallohides do not often wear jewelry, though many wear rings, often two or more. Fallohides tend to put a lot of care into their appearance and into their personal grooming.
The more nomadic Lightfoot halflings prefer simple, comfortable clothing that can stand up to mud, blood rain, snow and the wear and tear that comes with the traveling life. The fabrics come from natural sources, most commonly wool, linen and cotton. Lightfoots often use leather in their garments to lend strength and weather resistance. This leather usually made out of cow, horse or goat hide, and it may be either thin and supple or thick and inflexible, depending on its desired use. Fur is rarely used, and then only for trim or for warmth, usually in the form of entire animal skin is used as blankets. Lightfoots make many of their own textiles, but they often obtain additional supplies of finished cloth from other races through either trade or outright theft.
Lightfoots express their individuality by wearing brightly colored clothes in flamboyant styles, often with conflicting patterns or colors. They often wear sweaters over their cloths, even jackets in some cases and they sometimes wear eclectic outfits that mixes many different fashion styles together at once that seems both sloppy and dashing. Multihued garments are common and patterns range from the geometric to the abstract. When Lightfoots color their own fabric, they use dyes made from plants they have gathered along the trail. When they trade for finished cloth, they seek out jewel tones and patterned fabrics of every shade. Many Lightfoots also keep a plain black or brown outfit on hand to be used for clandestine affairs at night. Most adult halflings also own a plain, dark-colored, voluminous cloak that they can wrap around themselves when hiding. Gloves are common, especially fingerless gloves, and scarves in every shade and pattern are often worn by both sexes. Bandannas are common among both genders, but hats are an odd rarity, as the hoods of their cloaks and scarves serve the same function and they usually conflict with the rest of the outfit in terms of style.
Lightfoot halflings see their clothing as an extension of their personal style. A Lightfoot of either gender may wear a loose-fitting tunic with billowing, slashed sleeves belted over somewhat tighter trousers, plus a leather or fabric vest. Fastenings may be made of metal, polished wood, carved bone or ivory; leather laces are also common. Lightfoot women often wear peasant-style blouses belted with bright fabric strips over one or more long, swirling skirts in jewel-bright colors. Clothing is typically decorated with embroidery, often in geometric patterns representative of a particular muintir (or clan). Lightfoot halflings of both genders wear their hair in numerous braid or bound into ponytails and other styles with strips of dyed leather. Jewelry--the brighter the better, and this is true for both genders. Any Lightfoot may wear earrings, one or more necklaces, bracelets or rings and hair ornements at the same time, with little regard for how accessories look together. Most Lightfoot jewelry is made of carved wood, brightly colored glass, wooden beadwork or hammered gold or silver set with gems. This style is usually handsome and heavy, though not squarish like dwarven jewelry. By the same token, it is neither the sleek and graceful jewelry of the elves. Lightfoot halflings often supplement their own adornments with pieces of jewlery appropriated from other races.
All halfling clothing, regardless of origin, is styled for ease of movement and appropriate for the season. When quiet movement is called for, halflings wear dark clothing or oiled leather to avoid making noise. Halflings living in large cities where other races dwell often adopt the local style, though they almost always wear it in brighter colors.
===Love & Marriage===
Halflings are a romantic lot by heart, even the conservative Fallohides. Love is a vital part of life and the greatest of the Five Virtues, and halflings enjoy it to the fullest. Many halflings adventure for the sake of love and many halflings write songs and poetry about their loves, potential loves and lost loves.
Halflings do not court, as most cultures do. Instead, halflings have a tradition known as "dating". In order to achieve this status, a halfling male (never the female) will write some kind of song or poem, or perform a song or dance, draw or paint a picture or otherwise craft some kind of item inspired by his lady love. He presents it to her and states his intention to date her and if she accepts, the two are dating. Dating is not an exclusive affair and does not always end in marriage. Elders do not approve of those a young halfling chooses to date and a halfling can have several suitors at once. Kissing and other romantic activities are common among halflings and sex is not necessarily something for just husband and wife. However, it is still considered something important and to act upon it signifies a desire for marriage. However, halfings are expected not to have children until they are married, so this really comes with a catch-22. The official title of a dating halfling is "Suitor" and "Mistress".
After halflings have dated for at least six months to a year, the male (again, never the female) proposes marriage to his lady love by way of a song and presentation of a handkerchief. If she accepts, they are engaged to be married. A male in such a couple is known as the "Gentleman Suitor" and the female his "Lady Love". These engagements can last several years, but most are no longer than a full year. Most weddings take place in the autumn, which is the sacred time of their patron goddess, Yondalla, and a wedding in the Autumn is seen as good luck. Weddings are never held in winter, as it is considered bad luck.
The halfling marriage ceremony occurs in two parts: a ritual, followed by a celebration. A halfling priest of Yondalla performs the wedding ceremony. This ceremony usually involves the male dressing in a fancy suit in the local fashion and shaving his face entirely, even of sideburns. Males often slick their back hair or wear it ponytails if it is long enough. Women often dress in fine, often silk dresses with silk and beautiful, fancy designs and always in bright colors, like red, yellow or light green. She often wears braids in her hair, which is otherwise kept long and she always wears a wreath of white flowers in her hair. Each carries two flowers they picked (traditionally that morning) and at the end of the ceremony, give one of those flowers to the other. The ceremony itself involves the couple each singing a short, traditional wedding song and reciting a set of vows about loving each other forever, taking care of one another and being faithful and true to each other until the end of time. At the end of the ceremony, they exchange identical wedding rings (usually plain silver bands) with the names of their spouse etched on the inside in their native tongue.
The wedding ceremony is a very private event, with only the couple, priest, parents and a few close friends in attendance; these ceremonies often have no more than twelve present. It's considered unlucky to make the exact time and date of the wedding public, so while friends and family know a wedding is coming, they don't often know until it's over. These customs date back to Imperial Arthedain, when slaves were the property of their owners and marriage between slaves was outlawed. A completed halfling marriage in these times did not confer any legal benefit under Arthedain law, but was an important personal experience for halflings and made a social difference in their local community. Most notably, it gave social permission for a couple to have a child and that did make a difference under Arthedain law. The owner of a pregnant slave could demand that the father of the child must join the household and take up the responsibilities of their wives until they gave birth, and to help raise the child and lessen the burden on its household. Arthedain slave owners tried their best to prevent such fraternization lest they lose a valuable slave or gain unwanted infants that, by law, they were also responsible for. Halflings didn't stop getting married and starting families, of course, but had to temper the cries of their hearts with the wisdom of their heads. Weddings were elaborately orchestrated in secret, and the fewer who knew of the impending ceremony, the safer the betrothed couple were.
As the wounds of the past begin to fade, the celebration has become a highly public event. An entire community shows up for the celebration (including some from neighboring communities, many of whom aren't invited) and the festivities are among the finest to be found in any gathering, let alone the famous parties of halfling revelers. Beer, symbolizing fertility and prosperity (both domains of their goddess) flows freely at these functions. Sweet bites, such as squares of cake or taffy, symbolize marital harmony. Musicians, singers and dancers take turns performing through the night and often these celebrations can last for several days, long after the bride and groom have departed to their wedding bed, where they remain for several days. A traditional gift at such functions is a needed tool, a copper coin and a jar of honey, which when all is said and done is usually enough to last the newly married couple a month. The married couple often retreats and does not work for the duration of time their honey lasts them, which has given to calling the period of time after the ceremony the "honey-moon".
Married halflings are "allowed" to have children in the eyes of the community and married halflings are expected to remain exclusive and faithful to their spouse.
===Arts and Crafts===
Like humans and dwarves, halflings usually specialize in crafts and professions, with each person occupying a necessary niche in the community and providing a particular service throughout his life. Every community has a blacksmith, a wheelwright, a few builders, a butcher, various cooks, hunters, animal trainers, spinners, weavers, priests, tinkers, jewelers and general laborers, among others.
Crafts are the primary outlet for a halfling's creative side. Halflings create very little art for its own sake; there is usually little money in the endeavor. Why spend weeks making a lovely painting or statue that will have to be carried around for months and months, taking up valuable space? This is especially true for Lightfoot halflings. Better to carve up and paint children's toys and sell them at a local shop. Halflings do, however, enjoy embellishing the items they use in everyday life. Some paint designs of remarkable beauty on the sides of their wagons, carts or shops (depending on their location). Others make jewelry and others weave embroidery on an otherwise boring tunics or handkerchiefs. Such use of one's creativity is of use to both the community and to their own creative passions. Textiles, fashion designs, jewelry making, woodworking, pottery and other tactile art is all considered viable expressions of one's artistic self. Shirish halflings tend to value paintings, sculptures and other luxury art items much more than the Lightfoot nomads.
Music is an art form that every halfling can appreciate. It not only helps bring the community together but it can also bring in coin for the more vagabond-inclined among them. It provides the framework for dancing, an indulgence of which halflings of any stock are especially fond. Only when the need for silence is especially great does a halfling go without music. Someone in a camp or town is always playing an instrument and for the Lightfoot halflings, such musicians and singers set the tempo for their travels. Halfling music has become renowned around Athas, especially their merry songs and drinking songs, which can be heard from almost any tavern in any city after dark. Among their own listeners, however, songs speak of their sorrows and laments for the departed that can draw a tear from even the most stoic eyes are just as prized as the happy tunes, for happiness cannot exist without sorrow.
Halflings are especially fond of acting and plays are common in halfling towns, with one being put on at least once a week. They are also especially fond of poems and storytelling, and many halflings are prolific storytellers. This stems from their lack of a formal, written history until the founding of Shireland proper. Halflings have a strong oral tradition, and whether its around the campfire or a comfortable hearth, telling stories has been a tradition among the halflings as long as anyone can remember. During parties, it is considered good form for every guest to come with a story prepared. It is also bad form to embellish stories from their original form, thus halfling lore and legends have remained substantially the same throughout the ages.
===Religion===
Most Halflings are quite religious and maintain a deep reverence for Yondalla, the Provider and goddess of home, fertility and prosperity. Unlike other races, halflings do not typically pray to other gods among the Pantheon depending on the situation and they go to Yondalla for most concerns, whether to pay homage, pray for a safe journey or protection in battle or for a good harvest. They often leave coins and a little bit of food at wayshrined for the goddess. When praying to Yondalla, they typically are models of understatement. A prayer for healing might be, "I am in such fine health, yet I come to ask relief from this malady". A prayer for an intercession might begin, "A minor annoyance has been visited upon me...".
The primary teachings of Yondalla, and the main component most halflings try to live by, are what are known as the "Five Virtues". According to their beliefs, those who live virtuous lives by way of behaving properly will go the West when they die, and the best way to achieve this is by living one's life in accordance with the virtues prized by Yondalla, which are (in ascending order): Patience, Mercy, Honesty, Joy and Love. To be patient shows great maturity and wisdom. The easiest way to avoid conflict and achieve peace is by showing patience and understanding of others. To show mercy to others is twofold: by showing mercy to enemies and providing charity to those in need, you are opening the door to be shown mercy in the future. To be honest means to not lie, cheat or steal and to confess and ask forgiveness if you do. It also means to forgive others when they do such things, as doing so admits that we, too are fallible and to not forgive shows that you consider yourself above such sins. Be honest and forgive and you shall be forgiven. To show joy is not only to show kindness and spear laughter, but to be optimistic, to uplift faltering spirits and to stave off despair. Hopelessness is the enemy of progress and peace, so the greatest weapon you can wield against it is joy, for the joyful shall never be undone. Finally, to show love is the greatest of the virtues. Showing love means to put another and their needs above yourself, to put oneself in an uncomfortable mess for another's sake, to protect those who cannot protect themselves and to bring comfort to those in sorrow. To show love is also to show the other four virtues at once, so by showing love you are showing the true face of Yondalla.
Organized religious services occur rarely, usually only to celebrate holidays and to solemnize certain rites of passage, such as births, weddings and funerals. Most halflings never set foot inside a temple of Yondalla except when they're in a halfling settlement, such as a town in Shireland. However, they will often pay visits to the local cleric in their home or wagon whenever they feel the need for spiritual guidance. Offerings to the church are usually in the form of goods or food, though halflings are happy to contribute coin for special needs, such as repairing a temple or building a new one. A halfling wedding requires a cleric of Yondalla to sanctify the vows of the couple. At a funeral, a cleric or deacon coordinates both the grieving and the celebration parts of the ceremony and lights the funeral pyre.
===Death & Dying===
The much-vaunted halfling fearlessness extends even to death. Most halflings view death as simply then next great adventure. Though they do not court it, they take no pains to avoid risk, nor do they resort to necromancy or other magical means to stave off death. According to their beliefs, when a halfling dies, their spirit leaves this world and travels into the west, across the sea to a beautiful land of perfection and light where they can rest in peace forever more.
Halfling communities hold funerals to mourn the loss of companions and to celebrate their next great journey. Thus, a funeral usually has two parts: a grieving ceremony followed by a party. During the grieving portion of the funeral, the entire community gives vent to sorrow. The object of this portion of the ritual is to cleanse the souls of those left behind so their grief can move on, both literally and figuratively. After all members of the community have cried for as long as they need to, they sleep, then awaken to begin the Celebration of Remembrance. Tables are set up with places for everyone, including an empty spot for the deceased, usually in the middle of the biggest table. They roast meat, pile baked goods of all sorts onto crude wooden dishes and tap barrels of wine and ale. Everyone eats, drinks and dances.
From time to time, someone stands up and tells a story (often humorous) involving the deceased and tales of his life are woven into stories to add to the general tapestry of oral tradition that ties all halflings together. The storytelling and feasting lasts until everyone has fallen asleep, usually a full day and night. After the party ends, the body of the deceased, if present, is brought to a funeral pyre built of branches and twigs and set alight. His ashes are distributed to the westerly wind, to ensure his spirit has an easy time finding Paradise. The goods of the deceased are distributed among his family or, if no immediate family is present, members of his muintir. Barring that, they are donated to a church of Yondalla or other church. If a funeral is held for a halfling who later turns up alive, he must take another name because the old one has been laid to rest. Even if everyone knows who he is, he must begin again as a new member of the community and his muintir.
In regards to other gods, halflings don't make a fuss and will occasionally offer thanks, homage or prayers to gods other than Yondalla but this is rare. Halflings will happily enter temples dedicated to other gods and even attend services to be polite, so long as others are so understanding toward their own beliefs.
Halflings are also a superstitious lot, and tend to pay respect to a host of local natural spirits that rule over particular forests, lakes and marshes. This is passed down from their time as a tribe of nomads in the time before they were discovered by the Arthedain, when their belief system was a form of nature-worship. Despite no longer following such a system, halflings still follow all of the little rituals they always have.
===Community===
Family is key to halfling life, whether in the comfortable Hill-Holes of Shireland or the caravans of the Lightfoot nomads. They are devoted to their families; the affection between children and parents, siblings, spouses and extended family members such as grandparents and cousins is deep and unyielding. So great is the halfling devotion to family that when two halflings meet, they will likely sit and spend hours comparing their genealogies. Should a familial relationship be discovered, no matter how small or distant, the two treat one another like long-lost siblings.
The main unit of halfling society is called the Muintir, which is the word in their native tongue that roughly corresponds with the Common word "clan". A muintir is a group tied together by family relationships. The precise details of how muintir membership is decided is unclear and can vary from one to the other, but in most cases a halfling becomes a member of a muintir at birth. If the parents are part of two different muintir's, the child must choose which one to belong to upon reaching maturity (or age 18). A muintir is not overly large and tends to apply to either an extended family (such is the case in Shireland and for most Fallohides) or an entire caravan (as it is with the Lightfoot nomads). Membership in a muintir includes many perks, such as healthcare, shelter and family favors. However, there is no special significance tied to being a member of any muintir versus another, and one's "duties" to the muintir are negligible compared to that of a Dwarf and his clan.
The nuclear family is the foundation of halfling society. A married couple lives together in a single home or wagon. Once a child is born, one or both parents raise it to maturity. Grandparents and extended family do not usually all share the same home. The community plays a significant role in the development of youngsters because everyone knows what everyone else is doing. Halfling communities tend to be a chatty lot and have a tendency to gossip. Upon reaching maturity, a young halfling may choose to continue living with his parents or strike out on his own, but tradition states that once married, the halfling moves out of his parent's home into a house all his own with his wife to start his own family and begin the cycle anew. Younger families usually offer widowed or disabled elderly relatives a place in their house or wagon, however.
Fallohide halflings tend to live in hills, in comfortable houses carved into the interior called Hill-Holes (see Buildings, below). These hilly regions tend to have dozens of families living in them, and a set of hills are known as neighborhoods. Towns are built as a meeting place and trading post for several such neighborhoods, though halflings who live in above-ground houses are perfectly welcome in town. Towns usually have grocers, peddlers, taverns and other basic necessities and are almost always bustling with activity until night fall. These communities, while not close-knit, are well-informed of each other and social status is very important to them. These communities do not have many heroes nor do they produce many adventurers, as adventurers are seen as "odd folk" and the adventure they bring is often troublesome, dirty and makes one late to dinner.
The majority of Lightfoot halflings live in caravans that travel about the countryside, camping here and there for varying amounts of time before moving on. When a Lightfoot caravan camps in or near a community of other humanoids, the halflings take care to make their stay as beneficial as possible to the settled people. Able-bodied adult halflings hire themselves out as temporary laborers, working for pay at any job from building to farming. They also offer a variety of services to any town near their encampment, including cobblers, tinkers, peddlers, brewers, weavers or whatever kind of crafters the town may lack at the time. Such an arrangement can continue for a few weeks, or even a few years, before the halflings pack up their camp and move on. Halflings who work for pay treat their wages carefully, feeding their families first and squirreling the rest away, for they never know when the next payday will come.
===Halflings at War===
Halflings posses lean muscles and agile frames more suited for using quick, light weapons than swinging heavy swords. Slings remain popular choices for halflings in need of a weapon, and for good reason. Halfling's natural grace affords them great accuracy with slings, and the weapon's range enables them to stay out of range of deadly melee combat. In addition, halflings posses a much lower center of gravity than other humanoids, and they remain stable and surefooted while slinging rocks at their foes, and some halflings have designed more exotic slings to take advantage of this trait.
When they do engage in melee combat, halflings favor weapons that showcase their agility, such as rapiers, knives and whips. Although halflings are quick, their short legs prevent them from moving around the battlefield as quickly as their taller allies, so finding a defensible position from which to strike--preferably higher ground--is a strategy for many halfling fighters in melee combat. Their small stature allows them to hide more easily from danger, though, and in a rout, a halfling is more likely to go to ground than tro to outrun his foes.
Halflings tend to rely on guerilla hit-and-run tactics, ambushes and quick charges atop ponies or sturdy, fierce riding dogs. They are lightly armored, to allow more mobility. The backbone of halfling Warbands are slingers, who hurl vicious barrages of rocks at their foes from hidden locations or high ground, preferably somewhere with cover (like tree branches). If the battle starts to go against them, halflings retreat, regroup and launch a redoubled assault a short time later. Halflings rarely go on the offensive, however, and typically fight in organized groups only to defend their homes. They have a fierce hatred of slavery, though, and many halfling warbands will assist other armies in wars against opponents who are holding slaves.
===Buildings===
Halfling architecture has two distinct styles: Shirish and Lowlander.
Shirish architecture is very neat, very clean and very roomy. Shirish homes are comfortable, through and through: warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and never stuffy. Shirish houses are typically built in the ground, beneath hills, and have hard wood floors and walls and extremely nice, well-built furniture. There are many rooms and lots of round windows, and Shirish homes typically have large, round doors with handles right in the middle. There are always large parlors (sometimes two of them) where the halfling may entertain guests. They almost always have enough room for guests to dance or perform songs with instruments, assuming they brought any. These homes are sized to halflings, however, and many humans find them uncomfortable and awkward to move around in.
When without hills, such as in the Shirish Moors, halflings build small, single-story houses with large basements. They retain the neat, clean lines of the hill holes (as they're called), as well as the propensity for round windows and doors. They do not have large gathering spaces inside, but usually have a porch out of a back door for such purposes (for reasons of privacy). Halflings enjoy cooking outside in the summer, and these porches usually have a large, iron stove (built off the ground) to cook and grill meat and vegetables for such occasions.
Buildings of industry--such as mills, taverns and general stores--are built akin to the above-ground houses of the Moors, albeit with porches built along the front of the shop, for guests and workers to mill about during breaks.
Lowland style architecture is typically practiced only by Lightfoot halflings. Lightfoots have no homes or communities of their own (for the most part) and live almost their entire lives on the road as nomads. As such, they travel in large wagon caravans and they live out of said wagons. These wagons tend to be barrel-shaped, with rounded tops, windows and doors. The outside of the wagons are often painted in bright colors with intricate carvings and patterns, usually star, vine and sun motifs. The insides of these wagons are cozy with benches, tables and comfortable beds. These wagons can be large enough for just one or two occupants or large enough for an entire family. While a little cramped, these wagons provide the traveling nomads with everything they need. At the end of a day's travel, the halflings usually pull well off the road and set up the wagons in a circle, and they eat, drink and dance around the fire built within it. Near cities, the halflings set up the wagons outside the city gates, where they will often try to lure customers to their wagon-shops, which are built much like their living wagons.
Halflings who settle in large cities build their homes and businesses on two different scales: the ground level of a halfling building is usually sized to accommodate larger races, like humans and bears size in proportion to the rest of the city. The second floor is sizable and more in proportion to small creatures, such as halflings and gnomes, and all but the tallest dwarves.
===Calendar===
Halflings did not formally keep track of time before the coming of the Arthedain. In fact, they did not even keep a record of their own history. In the earliest ages, most halflings could not tell you their exact age, only the number of winters they'd seen. Of course, this problem was solved when the first generation of halfling children were born into slavery.
===Language and Names===
Halflings speak an ancient tongue known colloquially as "Shirish", though the proper name is "Kudukan". It is derived from the Sylvan language and is related to it in many ways, but differs in terms of syntax, as it uses a verb-object-subject" form, and it uses two forms of "to be", which makes it confusing for non-native speakers. Many little slang words, such as their propensity for saying "eleventy" or "twennlety" instead of 110 or 120, respectively, are well-known and commonly used by other races in the Common tongue, but the language itself it typically only spoken between halflings. It is the predominant and official language of the country of Shireland.
Halfling names are as adaptable as halfling themselves. A halfling's parents grant her a name at birth and she assumes the same surname as her parents. Halflings favor short, simple names and adopt a surname consistent with those of whatever region they currently live in. When a halfling marries, the woman usually takes the man's surname. Female halfling names usually end in a vowel or the letter "s" and have two or more syllables. Male halfling names usually end in the letter "o" or a soft consonant, and are typically only one or two syllables long.
Fallohide halflings bear their given and surnames (barring marriage) for their whole lives, but Lightfoot halflings, being the nomadic folk they are, have a rather curious custom: when a Lightfoot moves to a new region, she usually modifies her surname to reflect her new location, keeping the first letters or syllables the same but altering the rest. Thus, a halfling born in Varisia might be given the surname Kernis and adopt her parent's current surname, Albezci. After she grows up and travels for a time, she settles for a year in Spira, and changes her surname from Albezci to Albestin, to reflect Spiran naming traditions. The mutability to Halflingfamily names makes tracing genealogy particularly difficult, which frustrates many historians. Most Lightfoot halfling families know the different variations of their surnames and those used by ancestors, however, which makes the difficulty in genealogy significantly less for them.
===Myths and Legends===
Halfling culture is replete with stories. Every halfling wants to make his mark and become the stuff of legends, and some succeed. Every family has stories about the exploits of various aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and other relatives. Every muintir has stories about the exploits of its famous members. In addition, the race as a whole has legends about the halfling goddess and the best-known heroes of the race. Halflings tell their tales before the hearth in their comfortable Hill-Holes or houses, or before a campfire beneath the stars, either way after the day's chores and activities are done and supper is sitting comfortably in their bellies. They are also commonly told during long travels to pass the time, especially in the case with the Lightfoots, or in taverns and inns of other lands. All halfling legends are entertaining, and most praise the wit, warmth and deftness of the halfling race. Many tales tell of the slaying of dragons, and dragons are an important and popular source of myths and stories for the halfling people.
The following are some of the most popular halfling legends ever told. All are considered true--or at least, closer to truth than the tall tales of other races.
====Silinda and the King of Arendal====
Long ago, in a caravan that roamed the whole, wide world, lived a little halfling girl named Silinda. Fair of face and lithe of form, Silinda was always getting into mischief of some kind. On some days she would wander into the woods to look for elves, while others she would fall in with groups of human boys, who she would chase to prove she was just as fast. She was a clever girl with an adventurous heart, so it came aas a surprise to no one when, on the morning of her Coming of Age, she set off to find adventure instead of settling down for marriage like the other girls. She left with only a change of clothing, a blanket, her trusty sword, a set of tools her uncle had fashioned for her, some salve for wounds and enough food for one day. She had no fear of starving or of misfortune, only a wide-eyed wonder at the world that stretched before her.
After walking for several hours, Silinda heard a desperate cry. "Help me!" called a voice from the woods as she passed. Silinda moved as quickly as she could through the underbrush toward the sound, but could find nothing. At last, she looked up, she spotted a human man dressed in hunter's garb, hanging by his foot from a rope suspended on the highest branch of the tree. "Get me down, please!" he called in desperation, "I dropped my sword when the trap was sprung and I have no way of getting free!"
"Of course," Silinda said. After quickly spreading her blanket beneath the tree to cushion his fall, she shimmied up the tree trunk and out onto the branch. Drawing her trusty sword, she cut through the rope that bound him. "Thank you, little maid." the man said, "I was scouting for the prince's party when I ran afoul of this foul trap. I'm sure whomever left it would have returned by nightfall."
"That's alright," Silinda said. She introduced herself and said, "It's nice to meet you."
"I have no money to give you, Silinda," said the man, "But I will do you good one day."
Silinda thanked the man and walked on. Presently she began to feel hungry, so she found a pleasant grove of trees and sat down to eat her lunch. She unpacked the bread and cheese that her mother had packed for her and tore off a piece of each. Before she could raise a morsel to her lips, she heard
a small, reedy voice from somewhere near her feet. “Help us!” it cried. Silinda combed through the grass and saw a depression in which stood several pixies bound to stakes. Water from the recent rain had filled the tiny pit to just under their chins.
“How did you come to be there?” asked Silinda, casting an eye skyward as dark clouds began to roll in.
“We made fun of the wrong big one,” said one pixie miserably.
“We didn’t know it could see us until it was too late. It grabbed us and tied us to these posts. Evil it was—you could see in its glowing green eyes.”
“Well, obviously it had no sense of humor,” said Silinda, carefully grasping the top of the leader’s pole and working it
loose. In a few moments she had rescued all the pixies, who were not only soaking wet but also pitifully thin.
“How long have you been in there?” she asked.
“Days,” replied the leader. “We didn’t know whether we would starve or drown first.”
“Well, have some of my lunch,” Silinda said, giving the pixies her bread and cheese.
The pixies sighed their gratitude and fell upon the food, eating until none was left. “Oh, we have eaten all your food,” cried the leader.
“No matter,” Silinda said. “I can always find more.”
“We have nothing but our gratitude to give you,” said the leader. “But we will do you a good turn someday.”
Silinda bade the pixies farewell and set off again through the woods. Presently, she came upon an injured man lying on the path in a pool of his own blood. The corpses of several other men lay nearby. “Please, help me!” he said.
“Of course,” said Silinda, withdrawing the wound salve from her pack and sitting down to minister to his injuries.
“How did this happen?”
“I was part of the prince’s escort,” he said faintly. “We met a man on the road and told him to make way. Suddenly, he transformed into a horrible, demonic creature and attacked us. We managed to slay him, but I feared I was dead, too, because I could not go on.”
“What happened to the prince?” asked Silinda, putting the salve jar back into her pack and getting out her blanket.
“I don’t know,” said the man miserably. “He must have run off into the forest. I have truly failed.”
“There’s a burrow nearby that my family has used for hiding at times,” said Silinda. “Sleep there tonight; you will be safe.”
“You are most kind,” said the man, drawing the blanket around him. “I have nothing to give you, but someday I will
do you a good turn,” said the man.
When she had made sure the man was comfortable, Silinda departed. “I was going to sleep in the burrow myself
tonight,” thought Silinda, “but now I will just have to find another place.”
So on she walked into the gathering dusk. Rain began to fall, soaking her to the skin. Then, over the splash of the raindrops, she heard a small sound, like someone crying. She followed the noise until she came to a cave. Looking inside, she could see a tunnel mouth blocked by a pile of rubble. From somewhere beyond it came the sound. Silinda drew her sword and began digging at the stones
blocking the tunnel. Hours later, as she was prying at a particularly large rock, her blade broke.
“Fortunately, there isn’t much farther to go,” she muttered. She managed to clear the last bit, and out crawled a small human boy, no more than
ten years old. His once-rich clothes hung in tatters, and his face was dirty, but he was unharmed.
“Thank you,” he cried. “I saw that horrible creature and. . . and I ran. And then I ran in here, and the tunnel fell in behind me.”
“Fortunately, not on you,” said Silinda, putting her broken blade back into its scabbard. “We’d better get you
to safety.”
Silinda and the child made their way to the gates of a nearby human city. It had evidently been a quiet night—the gate guard seemed to have fallen asleep. Silinda lifted the child through the gate and began to creep quietly past the guard. Then she noticed the sheathed dagger at his belt. “I don’t
have a sword,” she thought. “But his dagger would do. And I might need a weapon here in the city.” She slowly removed
the guard’s dagger from its sheath and slid her own broken blade in to replace it.
“Hold!” cried another voice. “Stop, thief!” Evidently, there were two guards on duty. Silinda led the second guard a merry chase, but eventually she was caught, searched, and imprisoned. The guards took her pack with her fresh clothes and her thieves’ tools.
“A professional thief, eh? Tomorrow you’ll be hanged,” promised the guard. Now Silinda huddled miserably in her wet clothes with no weapon, no food, and no blanket. “But something good could still happen,” she thought to herself.
Sure enough, just before dawn she smelled a lovely scent. A freshly baked muffin flew through the bars on the window of her cell. As it fell to the cot beside her, the pixie leader appeared.
“We followed you,” he said. “And I thought you might be hungry.”
“Thank you so much,” said Silinda, munching on the muffin. “Now all I have to do is get out of here.”
“I can take care of that,” said a voice outside her cell. There stood the guard who had lain wounded on the road the night before. “The pixies told me you were in trouble, so I got back as quickly as I could. I’ve just relieved the guard on duty here.”
He unlocked her cell as he spoke and handed Silinda her bag. “Everything that was in it is still there,” he said. “Now get going.”
“Thank you!” said Silinda. “You saved my life!”
“As you saved mine, little one. Now don’t tarry.”
Silinda changed into dry clothes, then made her way silently through the corridors of the king’s dungeon. Several times, she had to hide when loud footsteps thundered past. Apparently, they had come for her at first light and found her missing. Finally she reached the main entrance. Two bowstring twangs sounded from behind her, and both guards fell asleep. Thanking her pixie friend once again, she
slipped outside.
“Who are you?” called a voice from the gallows nearby. “I was told there would be a little woman hanged today, and they can’t seem to find her. Perhaps it is you?” The burly executioner regarded her suspiciously. Backing away warily, Silinda tried to look like a human child as she said, “N-no . . . I was just bringing some food for the prisoners. My mother sent it over.”
Clearly not mollified, the executioner started in her direction. “She tells the truth,” said another voice, and Silinda felt her arm grabbed. Looking up, she saw the hunter she had rescued from the net.
“Come with me,” he said, pulling her along. Thanking him profusely under her breath, Silinda followed.
“But where are we going?” she asked. “To see the king,” replied her escort.
Not certain that this was a good idea, Silinda tried to wriggle free, but he kept hold of her arm until they reached the king’s audience chamber. “Here she is,” said the hunter, releasing her. Silinda, remembering her manners, bowed before the king and introduced herself.
“I understand I am deeply in your debt,” said the king.
“My son and heir has told me how you rescued him from the blocked tunnel, and my guardsman has told me how you cut him free from the orc trap. Please accept my apologies for your detention and near execution.”
“I was glad to help, your majesty,” replied Silinda.
“To express my gratitude for all you have done, I bestow upon you twenty acres of land just beyond the city gates. It is good farmland, but you may use it in any way you wish.”
“Thank you, your majesty,” replied Silinda. “But I was planning to travel and seek my fortune.”
The king frowned. “Then I bestow the gift upon your people. As long as any halfling lives upon it, the land belongs to your race. Should it ever be completely abandoned, it reverts to the throne. Does that sound fair?”
“More than fair, your majesty!” said Silinda, thinking what a pleasant place of retirement property such a piece of land might make for the older ones in her caravan. “Thank you again!”
Silinda and the pixies departed the city and set off to find her people, stopping to pilfer a bit of fruit and bread from the market stalls for their breakfast along the way. After all, she was still hungry and hadn’t wanted to bother the king with such trifles. When they located the caravan and Silinda related her
story, several of the elders of the community decided to go to their new land and make a permanent settlement. They established stores and services, a school, and numerous homes. The center of the property remained open, to provide a campsite for any halfling that came through.
Thus Silinda, the naughty and courageous girl, found a home for her people and she left to find many adventures. When she returned, she brought with her all manner of gold and jewels, and she became Sheriff to protect her people.
====MILO BOFFIN, the DRAGON-SLAYER====
Once there lived a halfling adventurer named Milo Boffin, arguably the most famosest of halflings. He was a handsome and clever rascal who had traveled the breadth of Athas three times over with his various companions and in that time had faced many strange creatures and outsmarted very bright creatures, and I'm sure you've heard a great many of those stories. However, despite all of his victories, Milo had not yet claimed a dragon’s hoard, and that fact grated upon him. He talked to his adventuring companions—two dwarves named Hurley and Munro, and a human named Lodon—and told them of his plans. They agreed to his plan and packed up some paints, brushes, marbles, picks, shovels, a few magic potions, several packets of Vampire Dust poison, weapons, and some food and water. Then they set off into the desert for the lair of a blue dragon that MIlo had heard about. He had also heard that this particular dragon wasn’t quite as bright as the rest of his kind.
For many days they traveled. The land grew ever more barren. The roads petered out to paths, then to hard-packed trails, then to nothing at all. At last, they spied a rocky crag rising from the desert floor. Circling it, they heard the snoring of a large creature coming from a cave mouth at the top of the crag. Sneaking inside, Milo beheld a blue dragon asleep on the floor and a pool of fresh water in a raised rock formation at the far end. Meanwhile, the dwarves and the human investigated below and proclaimed the crag suitable for their plans. Milo sneaked back into the cavern and began to paint the dragon’s scales. The other three began to dig at the mountain below the cavern floor. Then Milo took up a position at the mouth of the cavern and waited.
Eventually the dragon stirred, opened one great yellow eye, and saw Milo.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my lair?”, roared the dragon.
“My name is Boffin, and I was on my way across the desert when I heard someone crying out in pain,” he said. “So I climbed up here to see if I could be of any assistance. Where does it hurt?”
“I am a dragon, it doesn’t hurt anywhere!” the dragon snorted. “But you’re going to hurt quite a bit when I eat you.”
“Well, you could certainly do that,” said Milo, “But I don’t think meat would be good for you right now, and besides, I’m so puny I’d only be a half-bite for you.”
“Why wouldn’t meat be good for me?” said the dragon in confusion.
“Because you’re sick, that’s why,” said Milo, “Look at yourself.” The dragon turned his head back on his great, snakelike neck and gazed at his body.
“What’s happened to me?” he roared, seeing the lighter blue scales interspersed with his dark blue ones.
“I’d say it’s a classic case of Divermenticosis,” said Milo with a very serious tone, looking the dragon over, “It’s a rare disease of dragons. I read about it while I was studying my uncle’s books.”
“Never heard of it,” said the dragon with a shake of his massive head, “I should just eat you and be done with it!”
“Well, it might not be that,” said Milo, “You’d be hearing ringing in your ears, too, if you had it.”
The dragon stopped to listen and heard the rhythmically clanging hammers of the dwarves at work below. “I do hear something,” the dragon said.
“Oh dear,” said the halfling. “Look, you’d better not take any chances. I’ll stay here with you and try to cure you. It might not be possible if the disease is too far advanced, but you never know.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll eat you?” asked the dragon.
“You shouldn’t be eating any meat. You should stick to vegetables until you’re well,” said MIlo, “But you could eat me any time. If you do it today, you won’t know whether I could have cured you.”
“I guess I don’t feel so well after all,” said the dragon. “But will I know if it’s getting worse?”
“If the disease is advancing,” said Milo, “Your scales will continue to lighten, and you’ll start to shrink. That’s because it makes you regress back to an egg. And you’ll see little colored motes in front of your eyes when you wake up. So let me know if any of that happens, won’t you? Meanwhile,
I’ll make you some medicine every day.”
The dragon agreed and went to back to sleep. Milo set to work looting the dragon’s hoard, stuffing gold into bags and replacing it with bags of rock that the dwarves had mined from under the floor. He stacked the rocks high and covered them with gold pieces. The dwarves reported that, with the human’s help, they had cleared a 10-foot-square area beneath the floor and chipped away the underpinnings of the cavern floor until it was held by only a thin ring of rock.
Nodding, Milo repainted the dragon’s scales, stuck his multicolored marbles into cracks in the cavern ceiling, and drank a potion of growth to make himself taller. Then the other three went below to chip away the remaining supports, working evenly at three spots. Suddenly the floor gave way and fell as a whole piece, landing with a resounding crash on the new floor below.
“What was that?” said the dragon, waking with a start, as rock chips and marbles rained down. “Colors? I see colored motes!” cried the dragon.
“Oh, that’s very bad,” said Milo,. “Do you feel any smaller?”
The dragon looked around.
“Well, you look bigger than you did before,” he said. “And my treasure pile looks bigger too. And . . . the ceiling looks higher than it did before."
“I’m afraid it’s getting worse then,” said Milo, “I have a dose of medicine ready. Here, drink this.”
Milo produced a bucket of Vampire Dust poison mixed with water, which the dragon dutifully drank. “Now get some sleep,” Milo said.
Clearing the next ten feet of vertical space from beneath the surface was easier because the plate of rock that made up the cavern floor was no longer attached. The dwarves and the human simply left supports in place that could easily be knocked out when they wanted to move the floor down. The next time they did so, the dragon woke again with a start. This time, Hurley stood before him, wearing clothes identical to Milo’s and keeping his face turned away. “I’ve shrunk again,” wailed the dragon, noting that once again the halfling seemed taller, as did the cavern and the treasure pile.
“Take your medicine, then; it’s right there in the bucket,” said Milo from his hiding place beyond Hurley. The dragon drank again, and promptly fell asleep.
So it continued for the next few days. The dragon ate only vegetables and drank poison every day, which made him progressively weaker. Hurley, Munro, and Lodon chipped away beneath the cavern fl oor, dropping it more each day. Meanwhile, Milo substituted more and more rocks for the dragon’s treasure, which he cached at a safe distance from the lair. When next the dragon woke, he saw Hurley under the effect of a potion of growth. The next time he saw Lodon, and then Lodon under the effect of a potion. At last, the dwarves pronounced that they had reached the level of an underground lake. When they cut away the final bit of stone, it would destabilize the entire crag. When Milo had carried off the last of the dragon’s treasure, they removed the final supports, and all four friends ran for their lives. The cavern floor crashed down and splashed into the lake below.
The last thing the dragon saw was stone falling in on him from above. Some say that, too weak to claw his way out from under the avalanche, he drowned in the lake. Others say he was so lean by this time that he eventually wormed his way out, realized he had been tricked, and has been looking for a certain halfling ever since.
As for Milo, he split the take with his friends, and all four of them left the desert as rich adventurers.
Thereafter Milo outwitted many more creatures...but those are tales for other times.
Category:Races
Category:Fey Folk
Category:Free-People
Category:Native of the Material Plane