Halfling

A race of closely human form, yet reaching only half human height when full-grown, halflings are uncommonly found as adventurers, preferring the comforts of home, family, friends, regular meals, and a leisurely smoke of pipeweed, and caring little for the world outside their lands. Even restless youngsters' adventures rarely go further than pilfering apples and mushrooms.

Yet those who choose a more venturesome path can be surprisingly talented and resourceful. Their small stature makes it easy for them to disappear into cover that would not hide a lanky human or elf or brawny dwarf. Their nose and ears may detect trouble coming before it comes in sight. When trained, a halfling may be the equal of any warrior with weapons of their scale -- dagger, sling, and short bow. And their broad, hairy, usually bare feet can move quickly and quietly. They are generally healthy and have quite strong constitutions, allowing them to tolerate or recover from wounds and ill-treatment quickly as long as their spirits are high. The race's generally peaceful nature also means that they have few enemies with actual grudges, and marauders are apt to underestimate their ability to vigorously defend themselves.

Young male halflings are highly sexed, and halfling society finds ways to channel that energy in useful or harmless directions, condoning self-pleasure or mutual solace with their close male friends, often before or after a bath. Most villages also have a few "aunties" who help teach young men about women and provide pleasurable release before the young men are ready to settle down. Local marriage customs vary; older, richer families may have more conservative, monogamous arrangements, while farmers and crafters often live in plural marriages with multiple husbands and wives sharing a household and each others' beds. Open, even publicly promiscuous sex is notable at planting and harvest festivals. Outside halfling society, it is not unknown for these "cute little fellows" to charm their way into the arms of comely females of much greater stature, and often the "little fellows" surprise their lovers with their energy, endurance, and recovery.

Halflings get along well with wood elves and sylvan types such as centaurs and fauns, and decently enough with those angry, always-in-a-hurry Big People (humans) and those stolid, humourless dwarves.

Halfling adventurers are often forest scouts, burglars, or warriors. Their charm and frequent love of poetry leads some to the path of bards. The ways of magic and high priestly devotion rarely match halflings' interests and talents, being too dry, serious, and ascetic to be worth missing dinner or a party, though occasionally one follows the path of the druids or healers.