The Prophecy of Discovery - Hin get Hardcore(er)

[Wafflecone]

Man halflings are boring right? Well, unless your not a n00b who only knows how to do Tasslehoff Burrfoot or Napoleonic cliche's. Seriously people, they're a very interesting race with alot of angles and nuances, and thats before you get into the setting specific Stargazers. At once nomadic and sedentary, halflings are down to earth, pie in the sky, good, evil, and everything inbetween and can be found in pretty much any walk of life. If anything, their biggest flaw has always seemed to be that they lacked a culture of their own - assuming you completly ignored Luiren and despite the fact that halflings intergrate well they tend to live in their own closeknit community like fantasy immigrants.
 
I've been playing a halfling and I was reading 'Faiths and Pantheons' for more tidbits about their culture and gods I could intergrate into the character, when I read the entry for Cyrrolalle- the halfling god of friendship, friendship, and domestic living. Doesn't get much gayer then that, right?
 
Oh no wait. But it isn't. Because Cyrrolalle is in fact, NOT the worst god ever. Because she just got hardcore. Check this shit out, direct from the sourcebook.
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"For more than a millenia, Cyrrollalee (seer-oh-lah-lee) busied herself with overseeing the mundane minutia of the stewardship of halflings' homes. She encouraged camaraderie among her subjects, always with an eye toward ensuring the safety of each halfling's individual dwelling. Of late, however, she has expanded her view of home from the literal to the metaphorical.
 
Scholars have long said that the hin are a race on the rise, a youthful species waiting for a cultural and political blossoming. Cyrrolalee agrees, believing that the time of the halfling is now, and that in order for the hin to ascend to their rightful place of honor and resepct, the race needs new homeplands beyond the border of Luiren. Cyrrollalee, naturally, would ward such a homeland, and her clerics lead evangelical missions across Faerun, searching for a suitable location for this homeland and urging all halflings to join the call. The open door of Cyrrollalee's holy symbol has transcended it's original meaning as the entrance to a single halfling's comfortable home to represent the open door inviting hin from across Faerun to walk the path of their race's glorious future. Cyrrollalee's change in perspective has swelled the ranks of her faithful and catapulted her from a docile deity whom all halflings nominally honored to a symbol of hin pride, a rallying point for those halflings seeking a better place for themselves and their race."
 
..."The church recognizes no official holidays, but cyrrollalee herself has deemed the forthcoming Day of Discovery as a universal day of celebration for all hin. None know when the new land will be discovered, but all believe it will happen in their lifetime. The hin homeland they seek is not a racial origin point (indeed, spotty archeological evidence supports several claims at such a place), but a location at which all branches of the hin race can come together in harmony and mutual advancement. The church has hence suffered some hits to it's credibility in Luiren, whose residents believe they are living in just such a locale. Given that the search countinues, however, Cyrrollalee must disagree."

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Yes. thats right. The Halfling goddess of friendship believes in a policy of manifest destiny and an Empire ascendent by divine mandate. For real world examples of how bad/great such an ideaology can turn out, please see almost every country ever including Germany and the United States.
 
The future belongs to the humans? Please. My ass. Humans can't cooperate with each other for five minutes, let alone to forge an empire. The Elves, the Dwarves? Too few too lethargic and too morose, they lack the youthful energy necessary to reclaim their past. Gnomes? Lack the drive and vigor.
 
Every race except the smallfolk have had an Empire. Every race except the smallfolk have built nations. And every race has fallen from their heights due to their own hubris.
 
Halflings are nothing if not down to earth.
 
EMBRACE YOUR COMING HALFLING OVERLORDS, FOR WE SHALL BE BENEVOLENT TITANS.
 
PS: I don't suppose a copy of the EFU:A forums still exists where I could snaffle my very long 'team halfling' post from group management there? It had alot of historical info about the Halfling race and Luiren.

[Wafflecone]

 
 

From left to right: Arvoreen, Brandobaris, Cyrrollalee, Sheela Peryroyl, Urgolan, Yondalla

 
 

We discussed above Cyrrollalee's encumbant hardcoreness, her belief in halfling manifest destiny and imperial power. Lets take a look at the rest of the Pantheon.

Arvoreen
Lawful Good

Portfolio: Defense, War, Vigilance, Warriors, Duty
Domains: Good, Halfling, law, protection, war
 

Worshippers: Hardcore crushbots, John Rambo, By any means necessary mofo's, Isolationists

Dogma: Vigilance against attack protects the community. Prepare an active defense, drill continuously, and leave nothing to change. Put down danger before allowing it a chance to rear it's head. Seek out allies, no matter how unorthodox. Stealing from other halflings or allies is never acceptable, but thieving is not dishonorable when employed againsy enemies to better the odds in later combat.

So basically, we have a Lawful Good diety that proposes pre-emptive strikes, sneak attacks, stealing, and making balls-out-crazy alliances. I LOVE halfling honor!

 

Brandobaris
True Neutral
Portfolio: Stealth, thievery, adventuring, halfling rogues
Domains: Halfling, Luck, Travel, Trickery

Worshipers: Daredevils, magnificent bastards, thieves, con artists, adventurers of all stripes, crazy mofo's

Dogma: Seek excitement and danger wherever your feet take you, for risk-taking leads to life's greatest rewards. Lust for the thrill, not the treasure, for greed obscures the true prize of the experiance. at the end of the day, the halfling with the wildest tale is the most honored in the eyes of the Irrepressible Scamp.

Cyrrollalee
Lawful Good
Portfolio: Friendship, trust, the hearth, hospitality, crafts
Domains: Family, Good, Halfling, Law

Worshippers: Cooks, Guards and Watchmen, innkeepers, explorers, future imperial overlords. Basically, if Helm and Cooking Mama had a baby it'd be Cyrrollalee. Plan accordingly

Dogma: Be generous in friendship, and welcome all friends into your home and trust. Never betray the trust of a host, break and oath, or violate the sanctity of another's home. The Day of Discovery approaches, when all hin rally around a new home based on dignity, companionship, and love.

And becoming supreme halfling overlords.

Sheela Peryroyl
True Neutral
Portfolio: Nature, agriculture, weather, song, dance, beauty, romantic love
Worshipers: Bards, Druids, Farmers, Rangers,

Here's a Special Tidbit: All Toril's nonevil nature deitires value her as a cool mind and level-headed thinker capable of disarming tense diplomatic issues with forthright honesty and warming smiles. Such qualities make her the perfect 'celestial mediator' when tensions flare between such worthies as Silvanus and Waukeen. This role has transcended to the mortal realm, where even some non-halflings give honor to Sheela Peryroyl before entering a pact or important negotiation.

Dogma: Living in harmony with nature requires a careful balance between the wild and the tame, the feral and the tended. The need to preserve wild growth is equal to the need to take in the harvest. While nature can be adapted, it should never be evolved, never forced; work within the framework of what already exists.

And fuck up anyone who says otherwise.

Urogalan
Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Earth, Death, Protection of the Dead
Domains: Earth, Halfling, Law, Protection, Repose

Worshipers: Geneaologists, gravediggers, undead hunters, Necromancer crushing crusaders - basically he's a halfling Kelemvor

Dogma: Earth is the giver and recieve rof life, providing shelter, food, and wealth to those whose toes embrace it. The Sacred soil is to be reveared as the mantle of THose Who Have Been and the shelter of Those Who Will Be. The thanatopsis of He Who Must Be reveals that death is to be embraced as a natural end, thus giving honor to the life that was.

As halfling Kelemvor, you can imagine this guy goes around kicking undead ass all day long. Also, keep in mind most halfling fortifications and homes are built at least partially underground in burrows, like a bunch of weed smoking Prairie Dogs armed with knives, making this diety very culturally important too.

Yondalla
Lawful Good
Portfolio: Protection, Bounty, Halflings, Children, Security, Leadership, Wisdom, Creation, Family, Tradition

Worshipers: Family people, Leaders, Paladins, Good natured ass-kickers, Halfling centrists

Domains: Family, Good, Halfling, law, Protection

Interesting Tidbit: Yondalla is forgiving, slow to anger, and kind, but when her charges become threatgened she acts with bravery and ferocity that has gained the respect of even her most warlike godly comteporaries.

Thats right. Tempos respects Yondalla. Don't mess with her.

Dogma: Those who seek to live in accordance with the Way of the Provider will be blessed with a cornucopia of riches. Although violence should never be welcomed, the Protector's aegis extends to those willing to fiercely defend their home and community. Lead through example, knowing the activities of those you lead so you can shoulder their burden if need be. Treasure your family, for your parents gave you life, and your children are your future. Care for the aged and the weak, for you never know when you may be one of the strong laid low.

And if you cross the halfling race, we will straight up murder you and leave your peices in a ditch.

[Kinslayer988]

I like the idea of a "hardcore" and interesting turn to halflings but I think it could have been presented better. Either way, I love the idea and hope others get in on this.

[Nightshadow]

As halfling Kelemvor, you can imagine this guy goes around kicking undead ass all day long. Also, keep in mind most halfling fortifications and homes are built at least partially underground in burrows, like a bunch of weed smoking Prairie Dogs armed with knives, making this diety very culturally important too.

I think it could have been presented better.

What? How would YOU improve this? This is golden! :P

[Keeper of the White Wyrm]

Halflings are NOT candy addicted annoying twerps.

They are perhaps the most lawful good race in Faerun. Not one of their deities is evil.

[AClockworkMelon]

I play a hardcore halfling and I've met some other hardcore halflings in the last few days. I suggest you all make hardcore halflings, too, so we can be hardcore together.

[The Beggar]

Hin Power!

*MILITARISTIC FIST PUMP*

 Hin Power!

*MILITARISTIC FIST PUMP*

Hin Power!

[Nightshadow]

More than that, not one of their deities are chaotic. It's all LG, LN or TN.

[Luke Danger]

I [fucking] LOVE HALFLING HONOR!

Here comes HALFLING DEATH!

[Kinslayer988]

In reality most halflings are Lawful Good leaning people not evil corrupt drug society. There are only chaotic because that is how the other races view them.
Same with the gnomes as well.

[lovethesuit]

This is the best thread.

[Wafflecone]

The best way to explain halflings is that they tend to be affable, good natured, and down to earth, but god help you if you cross them.
 
A humans honor depends on how he treats his enemies. A halflings honor depends on how he treats his friends.
 
Treating your enemies fairly is stupid.

[Wafflecone]

More Halfling Info
 

O Hai thar.
 
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a player faction, just yet, but a small movement is growing from a handful of Halfling characters to form a Halfling centric player faction, led by a cleric of Dalliah Thaun (and if you don't know who that is, apparently your everyone but us).
 
Halflings have a bad (good?) rep as the most laidback of the demi-humans, content to wander around being neutral good, eating pies and smoking the chron- PIPE WEED. TOTALLY PIPEWEED.
 
And while this is mostly true, Halfling culture has within it the seeds of isolationism, homocide, and religeous zealotry.
 
Yeah. Thats right. Halflings. They're alot more hardcore then you think. During the Hin Ghostwise war thousands of years ago, the Strongheart halflings led by Chand the Hunter slaughtered the Ghostwise halflings down to almost the last woman and child. I'll be sharing the details later, but suffised to say, half the halflings were so bummed out and horrified by what Chand did they left Luiren forever, adopting a nomadic lifestyle and becoming the lightfoot halflings who've become synonymous in Faerun with 'halfling'.
 
Halflings are ruthless little bastards when you get right down to it. They just act nice around the tall people. When it comes to the protection of the family, the burrow, or the race, they adopt an 'anything goes' mentality. Halfling honor is based heavily on how you treat your friends and relatives- enemies merit absolutly no special treatment, especially enemies of the race.
 
If your interested in a Halfling, good reading is the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, as well as Races of the Wilds. Also, a link to a wiki page never hurt!
 
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Halfling
 
Classes: Any
 
Races: Halfling
 
Goals: While generally following a neutral good template, the groups primary goals are the propogation and protection of the halfling race by any means necessary, as well as possibly missionary work in bringing the faith of the halfling pantheon to the native stargazers.
 
Remember what happened to the church of Helm? 'Nuff said.

"Three major subraces of halfling dwell in Faerun: the lightfoot halflings, the rare ghostwise halflings, and the strongheart halflings of Luiren in the south. Like the rock gnomes, many halflings live among the Big Folk in the human lands. They are resourceful and quick, perfectly at home among the sprawling human settlements or living apart in their own settled communities.

The halflings name for their race is the Hin, though most accept "halfling" with a shrug and a smile"

Ghostwise Halflings

These wild, nearly feral halflings rarely leave the confines of the deep forests. Strange and reclusive, they form close-knight communities because of their amazing talents and are uncomfortable with strangers. Like other halflings, they refer to themselves as the Hin. They do not have another name for their subrace, because their culture is almost entirely cut off from the outside world and their awareness of other kinds of halflings is very low.

Regions: The Chondalwood, south of the Vilhon Reach, is home to a number of Ghostwise settlements. Other forests inhabited by these reclusive folks include the Methwood between Chessenta and Unther, and the Forest of Amtar south of the plains of the Shaar.
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Lightfoot Halflings

The most common type of halflings seen in the world, the Lightfoots are the most likly to give in to their desire to wander. They are at home living side by side with folk of many different races and cultures. Lightfoot halflings are more likly to worship nonhalfling deities then any other halflng subrace.

Regions: Some lightfoot halflings are wandering traders, craftsfolk, and entertainers. A clan of several extended families may settle in a human town for a year or two, working and trading, then pick up ntheir stakes and move on for reasons known only to themselves.

Many lightfoot halflings prefer a more sedentary existence. The kingdom of Luiren is the ancestral homeland of the halfling race, and some lightfoots live there. Other lightfoots settle permanently in just about any land in which humans live. Any region entry for a human land is acceptable for a halfling character.
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Strongheart Halflings

While the lightfoot halfling value the experience of travel and the sight of new lands and people, the stronghearts are a more organized, orderly, and industrious race. They build to last, and fiercely defend their homelands against threats that their lightfoot kin would simply flee. Northland humans familiar with the easygoing ways of the lightfoot halflings are suprised to learn that some halflings are capable of a warrior tradition and aren't afraid to show a hint of arrogance or confidence in their own abilities and strengths. Strongheart halflings enjoy athletic contests and value exceptional skills of all kinds.

Regions: Strongheart halflings make up most of the population of the land of Luiren. They are uncommon in other lands."

"Capital: Beluir
Population: 838,080 (halflings 92%, humans 4%, elves 2%, half-elves 1%
Government: Benevolent theocracy
Religeons: The Halfling Pantheon, Tymora
Imports: Metalwork items, livestock
Exports: Ale, beer, fruit, grain, produce
Alignment: LG, NG, N

Luiren is the only realm of Faerun rules and inhabite nearly exsclusivly by halflings. It is the homeland of the Strongheart Halflings in much the same way that the Great Rift is the homeland of the gold dwarves. Small numbers of lightfoot and ghostwise halflings live here as well, but nine-tenths of the halfling population is made up of the stronghearts - infact, the term "luiren halfling" is widely taken to refer to the strongheart folk, even though it is not always strictly accurate.

Luiren's folks are farmers, artisans, and merchants, as are the folk of most lands. Luiren's rich green fields feed the great rift, and it's orchards produce oranges, limes, and lemons greatly in demand in the nothern lands. Luiren woodcarving is superb, on par with that with Tethyr, and pieces of woodworking are traded too. While few people think of halflings as possesing any real military tradition, the Luiren folk maintain well-organized militias led by the monks and clerics of the local temples and supported with powerful divine magic. Halfling archers and clerics standing their ground with strength and skill have crushed more than one invasion of humans, orcs, or gnolls from the Shaar.

Luiren boasts no real government other than local authorities, but the temples of the halfling pantheon tie together society and collectivly govern the land, generally under the guidance of the Temple of Yondalla. The Devout Voice of Yondolla Faran Ferromar (LG male strongheart halfling Clr13 of Yondalla) is the preeminent leader of the faith and thus the effective leader of Luiren.

Luiren halflings don't see themselves as half of anything or anyone, and generally refer to themselves as hin.

Life and Society

Most of the Luiren folk live seminomadic lives, dwelling no more than six months or a year in any one city. Luiren's city eflect this wanderlust and mobility. Clans, families, businesses, and temples maintain permanent dwellings and hillside holes - complete with jobes and duties, normally - that are open to newly arriving individuals or families. At any given time, only three-forths of the living quarters of Luirens cities are occupied. Before leaving a home, halflings who want to be welcomed back clean and ready the home they've been living in for it's next occupants. Unless they've been extremely bad tenants, their neighbors and friends help.

Teamwork is important to the Luiren hin. Compared to the halflings native to the north, the hin emphasize group effort and communal work over individualism. Individual halflings don't often remain in the same gorups for long. The groups themselves tend to endure, but the halflings filling the roles one season are not guaranteed to be present, or even part of the same social group in another city, two seasons later.

Humans, elves, dwarves, and even gnomes have a difficult time understanding how Luiren society can appear so orderly and lawful when it's individual members change their stripes the way other people buy new cloths. Luiren hin know that outsiders think their ways are strange, but find it disturbing that outsiders maintain the same habits all their lives.

The one habit that Luiren folk enjoy far too much to leave behind them is their dedication to the Games. Luiren's games are local, regional, and kindomwide sporting events followed with interest by the nations citizens. The type of sport thats played during the Games constantly changes. At the moment, the two most popular sports are ridge running and kite fighting. Ridge running is a kind of competetive obstacle course inb which teams form different cities compete in races. Magic cast bthe competitors during the races is allowed, but participants who use magic can also by targeted by magic cast by members of the other team. Kite fighting is "art-free" meaning it is conducted free of magic of all types.

It's rare for halflings raise din northern Faerun to visit Luiren and have any desire to stay - most halfling immigrant find the land and it's ways strange. But some nothern halflings emigrate to Luiren and stay forever, and some Luiren hin can't wait to escape their home nation and live like northern folk.
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Major Geographical Features

Monsters of the forests and swamps once plagued Luiren, but over many generations the Hin have tamed large stretches of the land. The land is fertile, rich in game, and pleasent-looking. But it's also full of wildlands that resist all attempts to pacify them. These days, young hin warriors and mages keep an eye on the wildlands to keep monsters from troubling the roads and cities. Foreign adventurers are welcome to "try their luck" in Luiren's forests and swamps, and can even keep half the treasure they find - a bargain, given that the monsters obviously took the treasure from Luiren's folk in the first place.

Lluirwood: This dense forest defines Luirens nothern borders. Druids, rangers, and some rogues of Luiren feel most comfortable in the Lluirwoods sothernmost parts. Other hin seldom venture into the forest, lacking the skills required to stay one step ahead of the monsters that come down from the Toadsquat Mountains. When the tall mouthers, trolls, and other beasts make the mistake of venturing out of the Lluirwood, they're usually quickly dealt with by Luiren militia, Yondalla's clerics, or hin hunters. But the Lluirwood remains dangerous to travelers.

Mortick Swamp: The Mortick Swamp, the only Swamp in the region, is infested by a large number of merrow (aquatic ogres) and scrags (aquatic trolls). These hulking monsters often raid the lands nearby, carring off livestock and plundering foot stores. A powerful ogre shaman or chieftan known as the Bog King leads the merrow, and sometimes succeeds in bending the scrags to it's will as well.

Southern Lluirwood: South of the Lluirwood, and west of Luiren, the Soutehr Lluirwood is mostly untamed The eastern flanks of the frest is relativly tame, patrolled by militia units from Luiren and halfling druids and rangers. Beholders and yuan-ti roam the forests deeper zones.
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Important Sites

Luirens cities welcome foreign travelers in peace. A small number of human merchants and craftsfolk have taken up residence in the cities.

Beluir (Metropolis, 27,210): Outsiders think of Beluir as the capital of Luiren because it's the biggest city and contains a high temple to Yondalla. None of Luirens cities are really the center of authority, but froeign diplomats and emissaries come here first in search of the Devout Voice of TYondalla. Great Sea merchants make port in Beluir to buy Luiren's produce and handiwork.

Chethel (large city, 14,512): This port town is one of Luiren's main trading cities. Roughly one-tenth of it's inhabitants are elves and half-elves. Of all Luiren's cities, Chethel seems most like an ordinary human city. a few families who have befriended the elves choose to stay put, placing a veneer of stability over the otherwise nomadic foundation. The other long-term residents are hin who make a fine living at boat-building.

Thruldar: Lying on the esternmost verge of the Lluirwood, Thruldar is a ruined Estagundan town watche dover by several nearby tribes of Ghostwise halflings. About a hundred years ago, a powerful evil druid allied with dark trees and murderous plant monsters destroyed Thruldar, but the nearby ghostwise tribes slew the druid and raised magical wars to contain the druid's minions in the ruins. The druid's ghost and numbeous plant monsters still lurk in ruined Thruldar, along with what is left of the town's wealth.
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Regional History

Thousands of years ago, Luiren was an unsettled wilderness roamed by three great halfling tribes: the lightfoots, the stronghearts, and the ghostwise. The three races fiercely defended their woodlands against all intruders for centuries, driving off Dambrathan barbarians, packs of rabid gnolls, and sharing the Lluirwoods resources. Feuds between the tribes were not uncommon, but for the most part the three tribes lived in peace.

Around -100 DR, an evil spirit entered the forest. Under the leadership of a powerful cleric named Desva, the ghostwise halflings fell into darkness, worshiping Malar and florifying in violence and bloodshed. Feral ghostwise hunters, their faces painted like skulls, prowled the forests in search of halfling prey. They grey ever stronger as Desva led them deeper into Malar's worship, teaching the greatest hunters to take shapes as werewolves and poisening the forest
s natural predators with maddening bloodlust. For a generation the Lluirwood was a place of death.

In -68, a strongheart hunter named Chand became warchief of his tribe and struck and alliance with the war chief of the Lighfoot tribe. The two united to root out the madness of the ghostwise halflings. Over three years each ghit wise stronghold was found out and destroyed, until Chand himself slew Desva of the ghostwise in -65 DR. The fighting was merciless and awful - entire ghostwise villages were burned and their folk killed. Chand held to his purpose and saw to it that no hin warrior stayed his or her hand.

In the aftermath of the Hin Ghostwars, the Ghostwise halflings were reduced to a handful of their former number. Most were exiled from the Lluirwood, although a handful who had repudiated Desva and joined with Chand's warriors were allowed to stay. Those who left settled in the Chondalwood, taking an oath never to speak unitl they had atoned for the animal-like savagery of their past. The atonement is long past, but to this day Ghostwise Halflings thing long and hard before they choose to speak.

Many of the lightfoots, horrified by what Chand and the stronghearts had done, chose to leave the Lluirwood. They became a nomadic people spread across all of northern Faerun, adopting the customs and traditions of the folk they traveled among.

The stronghearts remained in the Lluirwood. Unchecked by the lightfoot or ghostwise ways, they began to clear the forest and settled in semipermanent villages that grew larger and more permanent with each passing generation. They changed from woodland nomads to settled farmer and craftsfolk, defending their lands against numerous invasions and raids over the years. In time some lightfoots returned to the new realm of Luiren, but this is now a strongheart land.
"       

Helpful reading materials-

Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Races of the Wilds
FR: The Shining South
Races of Faerun
Hero Builders Guide

[TootsieRoll]

The best way to explain halflings is that they tend to be affable, good natured, and down to earth, but god help you if you cross them.
 
A humans honor depends on how he treats his enemies. A halflings honor depends on how he treats his friends.
 
Treating your enemies fairly is stupid.

I could not have said this better if I tried!
 
 Roll up some Hins!