Halflings

The Adopted of Noc are the halflings, who are called the Freeborn because the truth of their origins is unknown. They are sympatic, but which god created such a diminutive lineage and set them down in the titan-haunted forests of Breis is known to none. The halflings themselves have a mantra called the Litany of Origin, which they give as their answer whenever the question of where they come from arises: "I used to be there, then I came here." Similarly, travelling halflings traditionally name the last place that they slept when asked where they were born.   Small and often stout, with a love of home and good company, halflings are often regarded as quaint homebodies, but are as fierce as anyone in defence of their homes and kinfolk. In Breis, those homes are either in tree cities or in cities on the backs of Gantua, always with a simple, egalitarian form of government. After learning of other continents, many chose to travel, first in boats, then in wagons, to see new places, before finally settling in halftowns across the world. At every stage, they transfered or copied the wood and lacquer inlay from their tree houses, to deck houses, to wagonsides and to their halftown houses. These inlaid panels are always brightly coloured, and show scenes of the community's history.