Halflings of Terafa

The name 'halfling', unlike 'elf' or 'dwarf', is not one that the people so called chose for themselves. Instead, halflings were named as such by humans, as a reflection of the small stature of these folk.

This curious naming reflects two things about halflings, in that it reflects both their origin and their relationship with another race.

There are several halfling peoples of Terafa. Although they are culturally distinct, they are one people, and the various tribes maintain mostly cordial relations on the relatively rare occasions when they meet in numbers.

In particular, all the halfling peoples share a common creation myth: they all speak of a forbidden love between goddess and mortal. So great was the prowess of this rogue that he dared sneak even into Choriam's heavenly palace and steal the heart of the heavenly princess Shallanah. Shallanah eloped with her paramour and bore him several children. But as the decades passed she discovered her folly, for her love remained mortal and their children likewise, and it tore her heart to watch them age, sicken, and die.

In time, Shallanah returned home, chagrined. But before she did she took steps to protect her children from the wrath of Choriam, fearful that her sire might punish her offspring for the sins of their father. To that end she reduced their stature, and charged them to wander the world always, and never to draw too much notice to themselves.

Today, the halflings of Terafa remain wanderers through the land. There are four families of halflings, though all four remain cordial, if somewhat distant, relations. A halfling from any of the four families can generally expect a hospitable welcome from any of their kin.

The most numerous of the families are the Holbytlan. These halflings wander the roads of Terafa in great caravans. They bring news of far-off places, exotic and interesting crops and trade goods, and a measure of good cheer and song when they travel. The holbytlan are also the most martial of the families, as their caravans tend not to be very agile, and so are at risk of attack from bandits and other menaces.

Next most numerous are the passive (some would say indolent) Arfarvegur, the river folk. Dwelling on large barges, these halflings make their way around the rivers and other waterways of Terafa. They typically follow a circuit through the years, retracing a fixed path with the passing of the seasons. As such, the Arfarvegur are much more insular than the other families, less prone to interactions with humans, and both less welcoming and less welcome.

Dwelling in the towns and cities of men are the Arbergur, the urban halflings. The most settled and least mobile of the families, the Arbergur tend therefore to be few in numbers and low in profile in any given settlement. They focus on hiding, rather than mobility, for their safety.

Finally, travelling the seas in the ships of men are the Oameni. The most scattered of the four families, these halflings are much-demanded crewmen for merchant vessels, as their small stature and agility makes them ideal for many tasks onboard ship. The Oameni pride themselves on travelling further than any other halflings, and when members of the four families gather, they tend to take the honours for the best stories told.

About Subraces: In the days of 1st and 2nd Edition halflings were divided into three subraces (Hairfeets, Tallfellows, and Stouts). In 5e, they are divided into two (Lightfoot and Stout). Neither of these has any great correlation to the four families. A player should simply choose whichever subrace best fits the character they wish to play, which can be associated with any of the four families. (Or, indeed, could be an orphan from the families, or some offshoot branch of the family tree...)

One Last Note: The Vistani

For my ongoing Ravenloft campaign, I have decided to recast the Vistani as halflings, and reuse some of the lore I have associated with the Holbytlan family. The Vistani will be a halfling family offshoot that is in some way touched by darkness, and is therefore able to pass through the Mists at will, and have some ability to read the Tarokka due to their connection to the Dark Powers.

The reason I am recasting them in this manner is that the Vistani are one of the more problematic elements of Ravenloft lore, tying as they do into a caricature of Romani people. (Unfortunately, D&D settings were particularly bad for this, especially in 2nd Edition days. This particularly harms the Forgotten Realms, which has large number of sub-settings that present a mangled history, with clear parallels to several real-world cultures that are presented in a caricatured or racist manner. I don't envy WotC the task of trying to reconcile that with modern sensibilities in this regard.)

It is, of course, worth noting that simply making the Vistani non-human is not enough to negate this issue. However, it is a first step towards recasting them entirely, divorcing them from a problematic origin and moving towards something I'm happier to actually use. And since they're one of the key setting elements of Ravenloft, being able to comfortably use the Vistani is something of a must.