Halfling
Halflings are one of the four civilized races native to Arginium.
Overview[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
During the Second Age, halflings were a servitor race of the elven empire of Delthoridan.
When the Elven Civil War brought down the empire and the majority of elves were slain in the conflict, humans rose quickly to supplant their former masters as the new leaders of the Continent. Having also been servitors, the halfling people were able to adapt to the changes, and to modern times continue to live alongside humans freely in the cities, towns, and villages across Arginium. It is estimated in current year that approximately 15% of the population of the Grand Commonwealth is halfling.
Description[edit | edit source]
Halflings vary in height and build, but are always shorter than the other races. Males and females alike average between 2’10” and 3'6” in height and mass between 35 and 45 pounds, depending on their height. Their hair colour varies, and can be shades of black, brown, blonde, or red. Their eyes colour also varies, and can be shades of blue, green, or brown . They tend to be fairer skinned than humans.
Magick ability in halflings is rare, with only 1 in 1,000 being born with the ability to wield it. Many among their society find magick frightening for its seemingly limitless capacities, but they know better than to not respect what it is capable of. This respect manifests itself in the more somber and cautious nature of their kind who are acanists. Halflings, on average, live upwards of 65 years.
Reputation[edit | edit source]
Halflings are very social and outgoing folk, who get along easily with the other races. Their earnestness and openness make them easily at home among the other civilised races, and their willingness to help other people as much as their own kind. In some cases, the very extroverted nature of halfling society can rub others wrong, of course, but they nevertheless are widely welcomed throughout Commonwealth communities. They are widely known as intensely curious people, with a penchant for collecting things, and have made a name for themselves as scouts, explorers, tinkerers, and sharpshooters.
Society[edit | edit source]
Like humans, halflings are family-oriented people to whom community is everything. They organize in stims that are named for the area in which they live, and resemble both neighborhoods within a greater community and an all-inclusive extended family. These stims encompass all halflings who live in an area, and even if they are not related by blood, they all are considered family by tradition. Halflings within any given stim refer to themselves and others in that community as "stimfolk", and these very close-knit structures work actively in preserving their homes, their livelihoods, and one another.
Halflings are almost equally split between those who are and aren't religious. Those who are religious are typically followers of the Communion of the Circle, the state faith of the Commonwealth.