Races of Vathis – Halflings: Small in Size, Big in Heart
Big things come in small packages.
This age-old adage is believed to have originated from (and is almost exclusively used to describe) halflings. While they are the smallest race to inhabit the civilization of Vathis they are one of the hardiest. Having endured a past full of hardships, trials, and tribulations, this small race has survived thanks to their bravery, sociableness, and persistence when it comes to dying. Boasting no place to call their own, halflings exist across the world in places you’d most expect, as well as in places you’d least expect. They are fast friends to all races (save for gnomes) and are generally seen as hospitable and helpful. While there are some that would take advantage of this perception for their personal gain, it is for the most part true.
Halflings are short humanoid figures generally growing to be around three or three and a half feet tall.
Their skin complexion can vary but strays towards tan or olive. They resemble small humans with slightly pointed ears, large feet, and heads slightly too large for their bodies. Though many uninformed larger folk confuse them with gnomes, halflings boast that their ears are pointier, and that gnome noses and eyes are freakishly big. They can also drink a gnome under the table. The appearance of halflings can vary depending on where they live, but their size is an obvious giveaway.
The halflings once lived in several cities and settlements in the area now known as the Borderlands.
Sandwiched between Vavaire in the east and Cypress and Aurezia in the west, the halfling lands were unknowingly situated in an area that became a hotbed for war and conflict. At first, the halflings were amicable to living under the rule of the larger races, and they pledged their cities and settlements to whatever rule held domain of the surrounding lands. The thought was that this would allow halflings to receive the protection of their armies. They hoped, fruitlessly, to avoid invasion or attack. In practice, the opposite happened. Due to their location, the Borderlands became a battleground for countless wars and military conflicts. Little by little the halflings were forced to abandon their homes and flee as refugees to other nations. The final straw was the corruption and fiends brought into the world by the Shattered Hand. This influx of danger led the halfling homeland to become inhabitable, and the race scattered across Vathis in terror.
Nowadays, halflings are integrated into the society of others.
The majority of their safe havens are in Vavaire, Aurezia, Cypress and Erygis. Here the halflings fill niche roles and take jobs that are well-suited to their small size. Due to their stature, halflings often create their own burrows within larger settlements. These burrows feature halfling-sized apartments and a few select quaint shops. Within these small communities, halflings continue traditions they had in their homeland, keeping their unique and jovial culture alive. These threads of their old civilization represent a pervading desire from the halfling people to take back their nation. While most consider it a fever dream, there are always foolhardy, young, and dream-filled halflings who gather to crusade into the Borderlands. While the number of these crusades has dropped after the first few major excursions failed, the ideals they held exist within halfling culture. All it would take is one brave halfling to rally the forces of other halflings and large races alike to begin making headway into the frontier of the Borderlands and reclaim the halfling’s home.
