HALFLINGS of Midnight

[The Hive Mind]

Halflings are a race of tiny folk that some believe descended from the Danisil lineage of southern elvenkind. They call themselves the Dunni, or “the people” in their own tongue. They are almost as dark skinned as the Danisil, with the same coarse hair worn in small, intricate braids that mark their tribal membership. Their eyes range from common black to dark brown and green.

Where still free-living, the nomadic tribes dwell on the open plains in large hide tents they share with their extended families. The farming families have almost been wiped out by the advance of the Shadow, but a few groups still remain along the southeastern margins of Erethor. They dwell in cozy sod villages kept alive through their exceptional horti- cultural skills and the watchful presence of their wogren companions.

Halflings wear durable clothes of leather and fine, intri- cately woven wool. Sadly, most halflings now live in slavery, captured and forced to work in the occupied cites or military camps of Izrador’s armies. The free-living feed on their live- stock and crops, while the enthralled survive off what scraps they can scrounge, beg, or steal. The halfling weapon of choice is the spear, with which they protect their flocks, hunt wild boar, and skewer the occasional orc.

HALFLING RACIAL TRAITS

+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength
Small creature: +1 size bonus to AC, +1 size bonus to attack rolls, +4 size bonus to Hide checks; must use smaller weapons than Medium creatures and lifting/carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium characters.
Base lands speed 20 feet
Weapon Familiarity: Halflings gain proficiency with halfling lances as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Favored Region: Central Erenland.
Low-light Vision.
+2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Tumble checks.
+1 racial bonus on all saving throws
+2 racial bonus against fear effects
Natural Channelers: Halflings gain the Innate Magic feat as a bonus feat.
Automatic Languages: Colonial, Halfling. Bonus Languages: Black Tongue, Courtier, Erenlander, Jungle Mouth, Orcish, Trader's Tongue.
Favored Class: Any

HALFLING BACKGROUNDS

The agrarian halflings often rely on their nomadic brethren for protection and news of the outside world, while the wogren-riding nomads depend on their more stable agrarian kin for food, metalwork, and fine leathers. However, while the two groups are dependent on one another and often intermingle, they live very different lives.

Agrarian Halfling

Dexterous Hands: Agrarian halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on all non-metal and non-wood Craft check and all Heal checks.
Stout or Studious: Agrarian halflings gain either Magecraft as a bonus feat or Endurance and Toughness as bonus feats.

Nomadic Halfling

Skilled Riders: Nomadic halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on all Handle Animal and Ride checks when working with wogren, as well as on Concentration checks to cast spells while mounted on a wogren.
Bound to the Spirits or Bound to the Beasts: Nomadic halflings gain either Magecraft or Mounted Combat as a bonus feat. Additionally, nomadic halflings may begin play with an adult wogren mount (at one-quarter normal cost).