Halfling

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Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting
Halfling
With their short statures and
tendency to blend into the
background, half lings don’t
receive much notice from the other folk
of Golarion. Their origins date back to
the beginning of humanity. From the
very start, they seem to have always
walked alongside mankind, living in
human cities, adopting human customs,
seeing to the common needs of humans
as cooks, entertainers, and menials. It’s
easy to take them for granted.
Half lings themselves take nothing
for granted, and always keep their eyes
open for the next opportunity to survive
and even thrive. This impulse often
casts them as servants, with half lings
attaching themselves to human families
or institutions as a matter of symbiotic
survival. In devil-tainted Cheliax, such
servitude often comes in the form of
slavery. Here, half lings are known as
“slips,” and Chelaxians treat them with
scorn and contempt.
Half ling slaves are less effective than humans but
last longer, maintaining an unparalleled optimism and
willingness to endure. They rarely revolt, seldom struggle
overmuch, and get along with the master’s children.
Language: Common or Halfling
Favored Regions:
Andoran, Cheliax, Galt, Isger, Molthune,
Nidal, Taldor, Varisia
Names:
Most halflings have two names: one adhering to the naming conventions of the
community they support and one of halfling origin.
Male Names:
Antal, Boram, Chimon, Etun, Evan,
Guile, Hakon, Jamir, Kaleb, Karum,
Lem, Liek, Miro, Neg, Rocur, Sumak
I was surprised to meet Illis
Stoutholm on my way back from
Highhelm, where my own entry had
been denied. With a smirk on her
face, she told me that she had been
living with the dwarves for nearly a
decade. After asking me to call her
Illis, she added that she was looking
forward to returning to her people
back home in Vellumis. That was
nearly a year ago, and it might be a
coincidence, but aren’t the soldiers
of Lastwall resorting to dwarven
rank-and-file tactics nowadays?
—Findell Hearthstone,
Highhelm merchant
Favored Deities:
Desna, Sarenrae, Erastil, Norgorber
Female Names:
Anafa, Bellis, Chandira, Eireen, Etune,
Filiu, Giana, Lissa, Marra, Onaga, Piria,
Rillka, Sistra, Sophone, Vaga, Yamyra
Only their physical weakness keeps
half ling slave costs reasonable, but
even then they exceed nearly every
other race in value.
Despite their close involvement
in many facets of human society,
half lings have a tendency to be
ignored and underestimated. Their
ability to blend into the background,
be it at a social gathering or into the
comforting shadows of a dark alley, is
unparalleled. They know when to bend
with the wind, but when they have the
chance to seize a grand pile of gold or
fame they never let the opportunity
pass by. Often blamed for putting
themselves into danger, the small folk
simply cannot resist the temptation of
a new adventure, a daring heist, or the
lure of the unknown.
Fortunately, their superior sense for
danger allows them to survive these
hazards and has granted them the
reputation of being exceptionally lucky.
It is no surprise that superstitions revolving around luck and
fate have become common among half ling-harboring lands,
and some cultures even assign mystical value to the small
folk. Rich Katapeshi traders hire half ling servants almost

exclusively in an attempt to benefit from their luck (and their
aptness at illicit trade), and many children’s tales feature
exceptionally lucky half ling heroes.
Being lucky is second nature to nearly all half lings, and
while many demystify their successes with tales of superior
ref lexes, unmatched skill, or inscrutable cunning, a few
half lings stand out by an unmistakable lack of luck. Instead,
these individuals seem to bring mischief and bad luck to
adversaries, and as a result they are avoided or even feared,
especially among cultures heartily embracing superstitions.
Half lings themselves believe this occurrence to be a rare
blessing of Desna, and children bearing this gift are often
ushered into the study of magical arts.
Due to these attributes, and in contrast to their stable and
altruistic communities, half ling society has a hidden, darker
side as meaningful, developed, and important as the face
maintained for the unassuming public. Almost all half lings
possess a strong opportunistic streak that is most prominent
during their younger years. During this time, many stray
from the rules of the community and involve themselves in
the disdained affairs of thievery, subterfuge, adventuring,
and vagabond life. They often join guilds and try their hands
at various professions or seek out other half ling settlements
so as to mingle with different cultures.
While humans are considered to be the building blocks of
Golarion’s society, half lings are the mortar that reinforces
these communities by sustaining a common sense of purpose
that supercedes the individual’s need.
In most human communities, a small percentage of
half lings forms a subpopulation with various interests that
seems to be immersed and absorbed, merely dabbling in the
community’s affairs. In truth, the half lings benefit from
the techniques, approaches, and protection their symbiotic
society offers them. In return, they use their positions,
interspecies knowledge, and constantly growing inf luence
to stabilize society, avert conf lict, and maintain a prosperous
balance of power.
Despite their curiosity-driven wanderlust, half lings
possess a strong sense of house and home that develops over
the years. A half ling takes great pride in his domicile, often
spending above his means to add to the common comforts
of home life.
Half lings usually adopt the religious beliefs of the societies
with which they merge. Unsurprisingly, many half lings
worship the gods of humankind, such as Abadar, Iomedae,
and Shelyn. Despite their practical commitment to faith, it is
very rare for half lings to become clerics, paladins, or similar
devout servants of these deities. More often, these rare,
enlightened, individuals choose Desna, Erastil, or Sarenrae
as their patrons. Rumors also tell of a disturbingly large
cult venerating the treacherous aspect of Norgorber. These
apparitional preachers usually remain in the background
and, being half lings, have perfected the art of blending in
Characters: Halfling
Coming of Age
Halflings reach adulthood after a little more than 2 decades,
and most halfling communities have a habit of celebrating
a halfling’s coming of age ritualistically. The exact time of the
festival is usually determined by a certain task the fledgling must
perform. Its nature is generally specified years before the child
has any hope of completing it, and might range from acquiring
a certain amount of wealth to the preparation of a feast for the
entire family. Many apprentices try repeatedly before they are
able to match the challenge through skill or adept cheating.
After succeeding, the halfling is given a token to remember
the accomplishment. This item often carries the additional
promise of freedom from the community but usually bears
little actual value. An ancient gold coin to start a collection,
an ornamental dagger to sever the chains of comfort, a pair
of boots to travel the world, or a dubious treasure map help
to toss the curious youngling out into the world.
and avoiding attention. Nonetheless, the growing number of
bloody deeds and assassinations that oddly benefit half ling
communities make the cult’s emergence difficult to deny.
Due to their homogenous communities, many half lings
refine and differentiate their social lives by joining groups and
societies of interest that often serve as open and legal fronts to
the infamous shadowguilds. Most of these organizations are
intercultural and geared toward older participants, revolving
around trade, art, or diplomacy. Despite these economic and
peaceful trades, however, a newly founded elitist duelist
league continues to quickly expand. The league teaches fast,
dexterous fighting styles with undeniable roots in the back
alleys. Its techniques possess a certain panache that turns
even the most unassuming half ling into a bladewhirling
dervish. This approach appeals to the younger generations,
who desperately long for a f lirt with danger.
Half lings stand just shorter than gnomes but make up
for what they lack in stature and strength with bravery,
optimism, and skill. The bottoms of their feet are naturally
covered in tough calluses and the tops often sport tufts
of warming hair, allowing for barefoot travel. Most have
almond skin and brown hair with hues that tend to darken
closer to the Inner Sea.
Forever living in the shadows of their taller kith and kin,
half lings dress in whatever styles suit the human culture
in which they dwell. Half ling slaves tend to dress slightly
better than their free cousins, especially in Cheliax, as their
owners tend to use the half lings as status symbols.
Emotionally, half lings embrace nonexclusive extremes.
They are easygoing but excitable, prone to laziness but
frenetic when roused. Ironically, their greatest strength
is their perceived weakness—half lings can count on the
advantage that they are continually underestimated, an edge
they exploit mercilessly.
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