Halflings of Vastonia!

This page contains information about the realm's three culturized Halfling races, these three races include the Hairfoot, Stout and Tallfellow Halflings. All three of these Halfling races are very similar in many ways and need only a single categoric listing to explain them as a whole. However a combined overview of all three individual Halfling races will be listed below. Enjoy....

Halflings appear to be small humans with pudgy faces and stubby legs. They embrace natural surroundings and have a strong passion for the finer things in life. They are naturally fun-loving, vibrant people. Many Halflings are very curious, mischievous looking people, giving other's good reason to view them with suspicion. However most Halflings are pleasant folk, just looking for companionship and friendly conversation.

Not much is known about the origins of the Halflings, but they are recognized at one of the worlds first cultured races. Halflings never build great civilizations and almost never record historical events, but rather keep this knowledge alive through folktales and local lore.

Long ago Halflings were nomadic people, traveling far and wide across the globe. The Halflings were not necessarily warlike or aggressive compared to modern Halflings, but rather found a nomadic lifestyle more rewarding and easier to survive than remaining in one certain place. These long forgotten journeys attribute to the various subspecies of Halflings. This may also be the reason for their unique mythos and religious beliefs.

Halflings are now a much more settled (less adventurous) race and seldom wander far from home. However the long removed nomadic blood of the Halflings still run thick in some families, thus making them a bit strange among the rest of the shire but can be extremely valuable to a community as a whole. These Halflings almost always become merchants or users of the magic arts. Adventuring Halflings are very rare. Giving up a good home and one's family to seek treasure and/or fame seems more than a bit odd to Halflings. Retiring adventurers find it very hard to resettle down into a Halfling community, if they are accepted back into the community at all. Although dividing up their new found wealth and telling grand stories to the locals will definitely help the cause.

All three Halfling sub-races can be found within Tallwood forest. Other random settlements can also be found around the lands, but pale in comparison to the massive shires of Tallwood, which hold in excess of 7,000 Halflings. Please note that each sub-race have their own shires and only rarely can one find a mixture of such Halflings muddled into a single community.

General Traits, Life Expectancy

Hairfoot Halflings average in height from 2'7 to 3'5, weighing about 60 pounds on average. They typically have brown or sandy blonde hair and brown or hazel eyes. They live anywhere up to 150 years old. Hairfoot Halflings make excellent thieves, but also take pride in becoming great warriors. They can be clerics, but this is uncommon (1 or 2 per shire) and even more rarely become druids. Hairfoot who seek adventure often travel to Human lands, where they commonly train in armies as scouts. They also tend to take up less stressful occupations as inn keepers or tavern owners. Hairfoot almost always get along with other individuals who trust them. However earning this trust within non-Halfling communities can be quite bothersome (very hard).

Stouts are generally taller than most Hairfoot, averaging in height from 3' to 3'8 although they are much more stocky and resemble small dwarves, minus the facial hair. They weigh around 60-70 pounds on average, being quite robust and somewhat barrel-like. Stout rather enjoy crafts and other artistic endeavors that involve manual creativity. Stout shires are commonly found near Dwarven communities, since the two races tend to get along quite well. They have reddish brown or black hair and have dark green or brown eyes. Stouts live the longest of all Halflings and have been known to live up to 200 years of age.

Tallfellow are the largest of the Halflings breeds, averaging in height from 3'8 to 4'. They weigh about the same as Stout, being more slender. Tallfellow are more likely to take up careers as warriors than other Halflings, and commonly learn how to wield spears and to ride mounts. Tallfellow have blonde, light-brown or dark red hair, and blue or green eyes. They live to be about 160 years old. Tallfellow make good fighters and scouts,

All Halflings typically have large families, and it is not uncommon to find several generations all living together within the same burrow. Head of the family is always the eldest married couple, the female being head of the household and the male running the families industry.

Halflings always enjoy the natural comforts of their burrows, favoring soft beds, good food and fine drinks. They don't often drink excessively, but they do drink often. The exception to this being certain individual Stouts who have picked up these tendencies from their possible Dwarven comrades, which drink heavily and are almost always half-cut. Halflings typically enjoy mead's, sweet wines, and fruit liquors. Beers should be dark, thick and creamy, but nothing compares to that of Halfling brandy. The most powerful alcoholic beverage in all the lands (99.8% alcohol).

All Halflings enjoy labor when it involves clear practical results, although they never work, just to be working.

Social Structure, Government, Laws, Religion

Most Halfling communities are organized around the family. Halfling family names always sprout from their professions or from their places of birth. If more than two families have the same jobs within a shire, the eldest (most recent) family have the right to claim the name first. For example; cobble for a cobbler, or perhaps twiddletoes for a shoemaker etc. Younger generations tend to stick with the family occupations, and even if they choose to uptake a new profession, the family name usually stays with them. However they have full right to change it.

If a young adult Halfling starts a new profession, he/she keeps their name until either they marry or move to a new shire. In such cases, they are entitled to use their name (unless it has already been taken by another family of the same community). Generally family names are only changed if the profession is completely new to the shire or the family with the name has since deceased.

As for Halfling laws, they are very lax compared to non-Halfling communities. However they are considered very strict amongst themselves. A complete list of Halfling crimes and punishments can be found here. Government consists of a senior official called " Bailiff ". This person is in charge of organizing local militia's, guard posts, community regulations and many other tasks that require superior authority. Once a Bailiff is selected by the shire's peers, he remains in term till death or until retirement. Other times a Bailiff is forced to submit his power to another due to lack of competence.

Halfling's of Vastonia, with relationship to deities tend to be quite unique, worshipping some of the more rare demi-gods compared to the lands other races. Prayers and small services are casual but heartfelt. Most commonly a Halfling would worship Yondalla "greater goddess of Halflings", however a few other deities are also well respected. Evil aligned Halflings may also have deities they choose to follow, but only ones of completely indifferent mythos. EG the teachings of evil Human deities.

Armor, Weapons and Advancements

Halflings most commonly wear leather or padded armors. Only the best warriors seek to wear superior armors, but nothing more awkward than that of scalemail. Halflings almost always use small spears, slings, short swords and staves for weaponry, since these are readily available and easy to wield. Other small weapons that can be placed within a small sheath or pocket are also preferred. Eg. Knives or darts.

Hunting Strategies, Tactics, Local Game

Hairfoot enjoy a good hunt and are quite adept at soft movements, surprising on a 1-6 on a d10 (if alone and in familiar surroundings). Common game include; deer, rabbit, fox, martin, squirrel and other small creatures of the forest. On occasion a group of warriors/ hunters will partake in the hunting of large game, but only when the community risks starvation.

Trading Habits, Routes

In Vastonia, the main Halfling culture exists within a giant forest range know as Tallwood. Here only a few trade routes run between local shires, with only one trail running north to Dreknyr and the other leading south to the Human kingdom of Wellington. Halflings trade with anyone who cares to do business with them. They often send large caravans to the Human communities which provide them with staples they cannot produce themselves, always seeking a better deal through hours of bartering.

Use of Animals/Mounts

Halflings of Vastonia detest water and will only use boats when absolutely necessary to traverse such obstacles. Although they still bathe in small personal tubs in the privacy of their own homes. They typically only use ponies and/or goats for work, almost never riding such beasts of burden. They are very fond of dogs, cats and other small pets common to their lands.

Goals, Passions, Perseverance

Live a long happy lives, indulge in fine drinks, raise large families. The only invention the Halflings can claim as their own would be their hard brandy beverage, which resembles modern moonshine.

Education, Alphabet, Languages

Each Halfling sub-race has its own language dialect, although these dialects are much in the same. Only a few slangs and common phrases among the three Halfling races differ. Anyone attempting to learn this language must take great care in learning each dialect properly. A certain word in the Hairfoot tongue could mean a completely new thing in the language of the Stout. However, the language is collectively called "Halfling".

Magical Expectancy, Usage

Halflings rarely take up magical practices. At best a community will have one or two magic users and not more than a handful of priests. Becoming a user of magic often requires that the Halfling leave his/her shire to seek out a master. This is just one of many reasons a Halfling would leave the comforts of their home to explore the world beyond. Other members of the shire treat magic users with great suspicion, at least until they have proven themselves to be invaluable to the community. While clerics are held with great respect and almost always are treated like royalty.

Racial Customs, Burial Ceremonies, Celebrated Holidays

Halflings celebrate just about everything from births to weddings. One need only give good reason for such celebration and the party begins. Other times of celebration include; harvests, anniversaries, promotions, great accomplishments and much more.

Halflings bury their dead in the same manner as Humans. Small, private cemeteries are common and they treat these places with utmost respect. Desecrator's are immediately punished, being imprisoned or banished for life from the Shire where the event took place.

Housing Materials, Architecture, Skills

Halflings homes are always comfortable hollows dug beneath large tree stumps or secure mounds of earth. These places are referred to as Halfling burrows. They are fashioned to be spacious, yet cozy. Upon entering a burrow one would almost always find a small kitchen table, several tiny chairs, fluffy sheep wool pelts on a rounded bed, and perhaps a few entrenched fireplaces and plenty of small nic nacs. Blankets and pictures are commonly used to cover up the dirt walls, while thick rugs cover the floors. Occassionaly Halflings will construct houses within the trees, similar to that of Wood- Elves. More commonly a shire might include a combination of both living styles. Click here to view an example map of this sort.