Halfling

Halflings are the tinkerfolk or the wandering people of Eridus. They are rarely found in the same place twice. Many people can say they have seen a halfling settlement, but when they try to find it again, it has disappeared. The reason being is the halfling people are nomadic and no one can say if this is how it was from the beginning or if this is a recent change for them.

There are wagon communities of halflings as well as boating communities of halflings. The wagon communities range from traveling merchant trains to wandering circus shows. They stop near a settlement or group of settlements of one of the other common races and work the area for a time before packing up and moving on. Halfling boating communities range from a single ship run by an entire family of halflings, or possibly a fleet of merchant or cargo ships owned by a clan of halflings. Halflings work the rivers and the common merchant trails constantly in motion, never overstaying their welcome.

HOMELANDS

It is hard to say if halflings ever had a homeland of their own. If they were run off their land they never show it, never talk about it, and never brood over it. There are theories that the expansion of the other common races pushed the halflings out until there was nothing left for them. If this is the case, there is no evidence of their settlements anywhere. Unless you count the tent marks in the clearing by other settlements.

If halflings have a homeland of their own then it is in constant motion. If asked they will tell you, “Our home is here!” wherever their tent is. They are known as the riverfolk for those that move about the rivers doing their business, or the tinkerfolk that travel by wagon caravan. In either case they have always been known as traveling people and there is nothing in history to dispute this claim. There is no evidence of a halfling empire anywhere.

RELATIONS

The riverfolk bring news to the settlements or homesteads along the rivers. They bring trade goods from afar or provide passage to other parts of the land. They are always friendly and hospitable and are welcomed just about anywhere they boats take them along the river.

The tinkerfolk are nothing short of a traveling village. They will pitch a stake near another community and work hard at whatever that community needs from them. They earn their keep and, more often than not, sorely missed when they finally move on. They busy themselves at odd jobs around the area, never imposing and never pushing for a handout.

Whether it be the riverfolk that delivers their services along the waterways, or the tinkerfolk that travels from community to community, rarely do you find a traveling halfling that overstays his welcome. More often than not there are a few inhabitants of a nearby settlement that wished the helpers in the fields had stayed a little while longer.

Noteworthy Clans

There are a few well known halfling clans that deliver their services and their aid on a regular basis or on a regular traveling schedule:

The Burglefoot clan is well known for their river shipping company "The Far Reachers." They have fairy boats and cargo vessels working throughout the mainland of Eridus.

The Topplesteeder halfling family is known around Southern Eridus as river farers, but they are actually a tinkerfolk clan. They travel the waterways until they come to a new community and set anchors on the shore nearby. They turn a stretch of river into a small tent village while they work the area. When they have earned enough they load up the river boats and set sail for the next site.

The Pinderbottom halfling family travels the rivers of northern Eridus. They are open for any business the river can provide. They will take passengers, ship cargo, or anything else a paying customer needs.

The Raggemidas halfling clan are actually one of the more notorious nomadic clans, traveling throughout Eridus. They are well known as merchants, collectors, and laborers and they will do anything necessary to earn their keep. They drive hard bargains and they are not against dirty dealing or illegal activities.

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