Halflings are a race short in numbers as well as size. Those who have not become an integral part of Human society now inhabit an independent pastoral state, which is wholly contained within the Empire and lives under its protection.
The origins of Halflings stretch back at least as far as those of Humans, but, now, partly due to their peaceable nature, their numbers are on the decline.
Halflings are an overfed and peaceful folk, more concerned with the welfare of their crops and herds and the timing of the next meal than with military pursuits. They are excellent hosts, welcoming and trusting, happy to provide food and shelter to travellers. Nevertheless, they are a determined, even stubborn, race and will defend their homes, livelihoods, and lunch with considerable vigour, even though they are not effective fighters. They may strive manfully to raise a militia in the face of some threat and may show considerable individual courage in defending their homes, but their size and un-warlike nature counts heavily against them.
Halfling communities tend to be small villages, nominally headed by an Elder. Elders meet occasionally to discuss common issues over a large banquet, but overall organisation is very loose, with little or no formalised government. Halfling religion and folklore revolves around their lifestyle and their main deities are concerned with fertility and the weather. Their legendary heroes tend to be Halflings who reaped bumper harvests or organised enormous banquets in time of famine, rather than great fighters or explorers. Adventuring is somewhat frowned upon, but some Halflings may travel in human lands, hiring themselves out as cooks and the like. There is something in the nature of Halflings that does not sit well with magic; they are the only civilised race in the Old World that has not created its own forms of sorcery. Halflings do not distrust or fear magic the way that untutored humans do, but they show little interest in it. Some Halflings do become wizards, but, despite the efforts of a small lobby, there are no colleges of magic in the Moot and almost all Halfling wizards have studied under a human master or at one of the colleges in the Empire. One or two have achieved high positions and respect from their human colleagues, but even the most powerful Halfling mages receive little honour from their own kind.
Physique[]
Halflings vary between three feet and four feet in height. They are rotund, squat, often pot-bellied, and nowhere near as powerfully-built as Dwarfs. They do not grow beards or facial hair, other than the sideburns sported by elderly and well-to-do male Halflings, but their hands and feet are covered in hair and are surprisingly large for such small people. The hairiness of their feet is a constant source of pride to all Halflings and they generally go around barefoot.
Alignment[]
Special Rules[]
Halflings have Night Vision with a range of 20 yards.