Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 OleOneEye Feb 07, 2004 18:34:55	Some two thousand years ago, there was an Oeridian sorceress named Yondalla who tired of the customs of her birthright. She tired of riding in the saddle every day on the hunt. She marvelled at the Baklunish cities she visited with the posh and easy lifestyles for those within. Eventually, she did the unthinkable, leaving her tribe to live in one of those cities. Baklunish people treated Oeridians little better than slaves, however, and her stay was a short and bitter one. Eventually, Yondalla fled back to her tribe. Yet the tribe would not allow back one who publically admonished its practices. In leaving for good, she called its chief "a barbarous oaf whom Erythnul hath won to his power." Humiliated at the rejection of her own people, Yondalla travelled far east to stumble through the Bramblewood Pass and into the Flaneass proper. There she met elves of the Kingdom of Celene. They received her well, and she spent years in an elvin village. She and the elf Arvoreen fell in love, frolicking in the wood of the Vesve. However, as the years passed, Yondalla aged while Arvoreen did not. It was Arvoreen who lamented, that he should never be allowed to age and die with his love in unison. To this end, Yondalla promised him an answer. They travelled to a small cave in the Highfolk Valley, giving their material selves to create the first halfling people. They were two females, one pregnant with Yondalla, the other with Arvoreen. They were born together and lived their lives in love and died together, ascending to be gods of the halfling people. In their lives, Yondalla mothered many children, as did their halfling parents. Yondalla and Arvoreen led their people to a prosperous and leisurely life. There once came a goblin warband through the Vesve to encamp some 15 miles from the halfling caves. Arvoreen would have none of this, and he assembled his twenty strongest sons. They crafted spears and marched to war against the goblins, but the goblins were far more numerous and experienced in battle, killing eight halflings before Arvoreen led a retreat to the caves. He needed a weapon that could strike from afar, so was the sling forn of necessity. The halflings immediately took to its use. The goblins soon charged en masse. Arvoreen and Yondalla directed the defense, slaughtering the war band to a goblin. After this trial, life was again peaceful and prosperous. Soon, the entire valley was teeming with the short ones. Halflings and elves had excellent relations, some even becoming amorous. From such unions were born the tallfellows, eventually to become nearly as numerous in the valley as the hairfeet. Brandobaris was a hairfoot full of adventure and wanderlust. Upon his 30th birthday, Brandobaris left the safe valley to adventure in the fabled Oeridian and Baklunish lands. For twenty years he travelled, having many exciting adventures while surviving on his natural stealth. He returned to the valley with stories the other halflings marvelled over. More halflings got the adventure bug and travelled into the human lands. Eventually, it became tradition for a halfling, on his 30th birthday, to venture into the world for excitement. For most, a couple weeks spent in neighboring villages was sufficient. However, many had more in mind with the desire to see the Baklunish Empire. With them they brought their slings, and became commonly employed by the Empire as mercenaries. At the time of the Baklunish-Suloise War, some 400 halfling slingers were employed throughout the Baklune Empire. Halflings first contacted dwarves when the latter arrived in the Yatils after the First Triparte Sorrow. It seemed as if the dwarves and elves would go to war. The intervention of the halfling Cyrrollalee managed to form an agreement between the three races. Dwarves and halfling got along reasonably well. Their unions begat the stouts, and they may be found wherever halflings and dwarves are found together. When Oeridians passed though the Thornwood Pass, they sought out the fabled valley of the halfling slingers. Baron Lum thought he would get legions of halfling slingers. Halflings didn't take well to waves of horsemen dressed in chain and brandishing sword and crossbow. The halflings nearly rose up in the name of Arvoreen to battle these aggressors. But Cyrrollalee again managed to calm relations. A detachment of 200 halflings were to be sent with Lum, and future Oeridian chieftains for some 100 years following. Halflings seemed to thrive with human contact, migrating across the Flaneass in the wake of human advancement. Normally, the more powerful humans have treated the short people well and with respect. Some notable events to the contrary were when Aerdy conquered the Highfolk Valley, leading to a pillage of the old halfling caves. Also, some 250 years ago, the King of Keoland forcibly ordered some 3000 halflings from across his Kingdom to settle in the Yeomanry, hoping that they would have a calming effect upon the rebellion-minded Yeomanry.
#2 Argon Feb 07, 2004 18:52:25	I like it! This was very good I have been writing articles on races and this one would make a nice creation myth for the halflings.