Halfuns
Small of form, these people move through the Spheres unobtrusively. To survive in societies of people larger and stronger they have developed a nearly preternatural luck and the ability to only be seen when they want to. Valuing stories more than personal wealth, the more secret the more valuable, Halfuns are commonly found as historians, servants, spies, traders, thieves, and wanderers.
Cultures
To outsiders there seem to be clear cultural differences between different communities of Halfuns, but individuals move between each culture freely, often as they transition between periods of their lives. That is not to say that they move between each culture as they age so much as they move between them as their personality and whims dictate.
Itinerant Halfuns
The most commonly encountered, Itinerant Halfuns travel in caravans or on their own seeking out new stories and new experiences. They tend to be found in caravans, serving on ships, or traveling as part as an adventurer Compact. While typically a friendly and open people, because of their itinerant nature they can be looked at with suspicion away from the major trade hubs. This leads them to stay in a single place as little as possible.
Domile Halfuns
Adoption
The employer is never told they are adopted, but the Halfun will act as spy to gather information on the employee's enemies and work to stymie threats to their employer. Domile Halfuns are loyal to their Adopted employer first and other Halfuns second. Wars of espionage have taken place between households of Domile Halfuns with none being the wiser.
To survive the hostile world where they are at a disadvantage due to their stature, Halfuns attach themselves to the communities of other Ancestries for protection. Making themselves useful to the larger peoples, Domile Halfuns commonly are the assistants, secretaries, and servants of the wealthy and powerful. Filling these roles and their ability to be unobtrusive give the Domile Halfuns access to a wealth of information and stories of their host societies. When an employer is able to curry loyalty and devotion from their Halfun employees, the Halfun may Adopt a employee. The will attempt to cultivate their employer's power and prestige to make them a better protection from the outside world. There are many individuals and families who are unaware that their rise to prominence was due to their Halfuns working in the background.
Rural Halfuns
Rural Halfuns rarely are a part of a non-halfun settlement outside of Korvel and Val'a. Most commonly living in Shires, Rural Halfuns trade stories and lore about the world outside with their Itinerant kin. Typically Rural Halfuns are too young to set out on their own, middle aged halfuns seeking respite between journeys, or elders who have retired from the road.
Settlements
Caravans
Itinerant Halfun communities form the basis for many trade caravans across the Spheres. They often act as envoys form the Shire Settlements, trading to secretly enrich and support them.
Domiciles
Domile Halfuns are found in the households of powerful individuals of other Ancestries. They see themselves more as members of the household as opposed to the larger community the household exists in.
Shires
Pure Rural Halfun communities, Shires exist within the lands of other cultures, often times without that culture knowing of their presence. Buildings are built into hillsides and easy to mask and Halfun Primalshapers are common in such communities. More than one army has marched past a Shire seeing nothing but a particularly overgrown series of small hills. Often located near trade routes where a wagon or two can disappear from a caravan only to return a day or two later without comment. But these settlements do not just rely on camouflage to keep them safe. Citizens of a Shire are trained and drilled in sling and mounted combat regularly. As well, they will raise and train Mastiffs and other medium sized canids to ride and fight. Halfun Outriders come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly making for excellent guerilla fighters.
Religion
Halfuns have their own pantheons of Gods that syncratize with other faiths and Saints that are specific to Halfun societies. They tend to be Heroes and Legendary Leaders from the The Isolation raised to Divinities.
While in other cultures, they will revere local gods out of respect or to learn the stories of that faith. Their priests are rarely dedicated to a single god, but act as intermediaries to multiple Divinities. As well, Halfuns are less susceptible to making Pacts as they tend to focus on Primalshaping for magical power, but it is not unheard of.
History
Age of the Dragon Tyrants
While early in the Dragon Tyrant's rule Halfuns were valued as spies of the Tyrants as their rule continued and their interest in mortal affairs diminished they fell to the Dragonblooded Scions who used them extensively in their conflicts with each other for power and prestige. As the age wore on and the power plays became more destructive the Halfuns formed the backbone of resistance organizations, feeding them intelligence on the comings and goings of the Scions and feeding the Scions false information about their siblings and extended relations.
The Isolation
The isolation was not good for the Halfuns. As the Dragon Tyrannies fell and the Masses were forced into the wilderness the Halfuns, who were already a minority of the population, bore the brunt of the losses. This engendered a deep distrust of the other Ancestries and taught them the necessity for secrecy of the Shires. Some of the early Primalshapers were Halfuns but they did not share their secrets, creating the Sage branch of the tradition focused on shaping earth, encouraging fertility, and controlling beasts, with little interest in the transformative shielding them from the inevitable effects of Primalshaping.
The Expansion
The hidden Shires are overcome by larger forces expanding over their territory. As the outside world is impinging on their isolation, the Halfuns sent out spies to determine the state of their neighbors. Initially masquerading as itinerant traders, this necessity became a tradition. Depending on the personalities and drives of their neighbors the Shires either reveal or maintain their secrecy. Even when Shires are revealed, the Halfuns falsify their production to keep the perception of minimal strategic importance.
Nexus Wars
Maintaining their itinerant culture, the Halfuns become necessary to the rise of the Nexus Plantations and the Merchen Lords as the backbone of the caravans that supported their logistics. They are able to leverage this to insert themselves into the households of the rich and powerful. As useful servants and trusted confidants they prove their worth to their powerful patrons. With careful manipulation the Domile Halfuns are able to keep the Shires away from the gaze of those who threaten their independence and peaceful existence.
The Nexus Era
Secure in their position in societies, Halfuns move between their three cultures as they desire. They have extensive familial networks spread across the Spheres that they can draw on and their unobtrusive ubiquity allows them to move freely without suspicion. They do have a reputation of being petty thieves when younger, but it is generally accepted that it is something they grow out of, not just something they perfect as they age.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Additional Information
Social Structure
Halfuns tend to have flat social meritocratic hierarchies. A prestigious and capable Boss leads the local community and directs its efforts with the buy-in of the rest. Because of the Halfun's tradition to pickup stakes and move freely, domineering or tyrannical leaders are rarely able to maintain their authority. Elders tend to be the primary Boss within a social group, there are other Bosses of specific specialties. The position of Boss doesn't have an age requirement but does require the rest of the group to buy-in to their authority.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
During the Accords Era, Halfuns are spread throughout Civilization. However, before then their range was far less.
Baeon
Baeon is dotted with Halfun Shires that give homage to local lords to maintain their autonomy. Because of the Curse of the Wilds they developed Primalshaping early in The Isolation. While Itinerant Halfuns develop early in the Expansion, Domile Halfuns are rare.
Broken Plains
Because of lack of fixed settlement, there is little for Halfuns to latch onto. And because of the lack of arable lands, Shires never were created.
Burning Sands
Since there were no Dragon Tyrannies on Burning Sands, there were no populations of Halfuns in the Valley of the Faithful or the Barbarian Canyons until the Golden Path to Nexus is discovered.
Darkwood
There are no Halfuns on Darkwood as it was held apart from the Godswar and had no Dragon Tyrannies.
Duranti
Shires on Duranti before the Accords Era were uncommon but there. However, they were able to create Domile groups within Imperial settlements. Taking advantage of the Imperial Testing Halfuns were able to insert themselves into the bureaucracy and craft the Domile tradition.
Everburning Eye
As the Sphere was ravaged early in the Godswar, Halfuns were never able to create a stable population.
Grey Marches
Because of the lifelessness of the Sphere, Halfuns never settled it.
Korvel
Without Primalshaping Halfuns were unable to secure their Shires as elsewhere. This puts them at a severe disadvantage when dealing with outside forces. As such they are often kept as subjects or thralls.
Menzorastar
The Curse of Poison and lack of Dragon Tyrannies prevented any settlements from taking hold.
Nexus
Before it was discovered, Nexus was uninhabited, and Halfuns expanded into the Sphere as their parent cultures did as well.
Thousand Seas
Unlike other Spheres, Halfuns tend to live openly in their own island settlements because there are not high enough population centers to blend into and you can't hide an island. They tend to be minor powers but because control of multiple islands is difficult they are able to maintain independence. Unlike their kin throughout the Spheres, they have their own cultures not dependent on other Ancestries.
The exception is the Sultanate, where the Halfuns never created Shires on Lassam, but had to integrate into Human society. The Halfun population is small in the Sultanate but they kept their position in society as they had during the Rule of the Dragon Tyrannies.
Truehold
With no Dragon Tyrannies on the Sphere, there was no populations of Halfuns until contact with Nexus. With the rise of the Volkstahl the Halfuns were expelled or killed.
Val'a
While there were no Dragon Tyrannies on Val'a when contact with Nexus occurred the Halfuns were the only Ancestry that the Elves on Val'a. Since then the Shire Halfuns have integrated themselves into the House of Sun holdings and Domile Halfuns have integrated into the Houses of Star and Shard.
Val'Dorath
Before the discovery of the Nexus Golden Path there were no Halfuns on Val'Dorath. Once contact was made, Itenerant Halfuns pread throughout the Sphere. Because of the harsh environment of the Sphere, Shires never took hold on. And Domile Halfuns never gained a foothold in the courts of the Djarls.
Veil of the Sun
Halfuns never were used on the Veil of the Sun during the Godswar and never occupied them.
Average Intelligence
Halfuns are of average intelligence among the other Ancestries. However they have excellent recall and make excellent Sages and Historians as the keeping of stories is a cultural priority.
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