Halfling

Halflings are ubiquitous across the Reikland, found working in service industries in all towns, with an entire district of Reikland’s capital of Altdorf, known as Haffenstadt, packed tight with hundreds of extended Halfling families supporting restaurants, taverns, pipeweed stores, and an enormous number of street-food hawkers. Halflings are also a common sight in many of Reikland’s villages, where it is not uncommon to find them employed to staff an inn or run a farm. They are communal creatures, preferring to live in close-knit family groups, sharing houses, rooms,and even beds with dozens of friends and relatives; everyone contributes and everyone shares. This interdependent lifestyle leaves many Halflings struggling with the concept of private ownership and space. Halflings are notoriously interested in recording their lineage, and many Halfling clans can trace their ancestry back many centuries to the very founding of the Mootland (their selfgoverned Grand Province in the Empire). The Elder of the Moot — currently Hisme Stoutheart — is the custodian of the Haffenlyver , an ancient embroidered scroll detailing the chief bloodlines of their primary clans, said to be the greatest treasure of the Halflings. Another peculiar detail is the Halflings’ strange affinity for Ogres. Despite their ravenous appetites, and penchant for eating whatever is at hand, Ogres tend to respect Halflings. Indeed, gangs of Ogre labourers are often overseen by Halfling gaffers, and most Ogre mercenary bands have a Halfling cook on staff. Halflings are short, apple-cheeked and beardless, resembling big-eyed, round-faced (and round bodied) Human children, and their sunny dispositions and curly locks only reinforce this impression. They are known for their enormous appetites in all things and their lack of concern for personal space (they’re huggers), social boundaries (‘Well me’ great aunt’s just shacked up with me best mate, and you should hear what they’ve been up to!’), and property rights (‘It’s not like he’s using it!’ this last has landed more than one Halfling in jail for thievery.