Halflings

Aspects

History

Little is known of ancient halflings. However, they were believed to be peaceful and agrarian, and far less interested in affairs outside of their small community, and particularly opposed to adventure or conflict. Unfortunately, ancient dwarven conquests disrupted this lifestyle, and ultimately forced halflings from their native lands and as a result, they were never truly allowed to resettle as a unified nation. And while their chipper attitude and indulgent lifestyle lead the rest of the world to forget about their origins, halflings have never forgotten about the rest of the world and how it treated them.

This ingrained belief that the world owes them compensation meant that when they took to the stars, halflings saw a golden opportunity. It wasn’t the opportunity to claim a promised land and restore the lifestyle of their ancestors, but rather the opportunity to find the most treasure, break the most rules, fly the fastest ships, and search for a way to show the rest of the world what it’s like to feel small. As a result, the halfling population has boomed.

With such a big chip on their shoulders, halflings often find themselves as pilots, smugglers, and entrepreneurs. They have earned distrust from many of the other races, but for all their attitude, when Halflings find a world with a soft patch of grass, a warm sun, and something worth smoking, they tend to stay awhile. A halfling comedian once said of his culture, "You ever noticed how farmers give birth to rebels, and rebels give birth to farmers. I think we're a bit of both, that's why we're called half-and-halflings."

Fashion

Halfling fashion is widely varied depending on generation, and is often pushing the boundaries of what is considered to be acceptable. The reasons for this are considered to be reactionary, either to reference other cultures, or in attempt to subvert their own. Halfling hair tends to be colorful and curly, but styles tend to be radically different from each other, hybridizing shaved patterns, asymmetrical cuts, mohawks, mullets, rat-tails, as well as anything that a halfling believes will get a reaction. Their hairstyles tend to change frequently, however as they reach old age, permanents become more acceptable. Below the waist, halflings are similarly hairy, and most notably on the top of their feet. While this has traditionally been considered normal, more recent generations of halflings have taken to waxing or performing surgical removal of unwanted hair. Similarly, piercings and implants are become highly fashionable among younger halflings. These body modifications include ear-piercings, facial piercings, subdermal implants, and modified genitalia. Tattoos are also common, and are often logos, attitude statements, portraits of heroes, or sentimental imagery. Halfling clothing fashion is similarly varied, ranging from modest and course pants, long skirts, dresses, loose blouses, and suspenders, to synthetic miniskirts, shorts, fishnets, sporstwear, hotpants, corsets, and chokers.

Names and Gender

Halfing names consist of a first name given at birth and a surname inherited from the father or family patriarch. First names have a large variety, often borrowing from names from other species' traditions. Surnames are often a reference to an ancestor's profession or exploits, otherwise using idyllic imagery. While adolescent halflings often adopt a nickname or alias to express their individuality, it is rare to see even the most cynical and hardened halflings alter their surname unless it is to something that is even more colorful and optimistic. Halfling sociologists claim this is a cultural desire for a juxtaposition between positive imagery and dystopian reality, whatever that means. One exception is that Halflings wishing for anonymity often go by the surname Underhill. It's considered impolite, and even dangerous, to inquire too closely about anyone named Underhill as they are likely outcasts, in-hiding, or otherwise incognito. Examples include Doddie Oatthief, Chester Cottonroad, and Herbert Starpicker. Halflings hold a largely uncontroversial view of gender, selectively adhering to certain gender roles, while deliberately subverting others. Transgendered halflings, while rarely suffering from social discrimination among their peers, often fight an uphill battle against the prolific growth of body hair or development of ample breasts.

Halfling Attitude

Halfling communities tend to be small and tightknit, sharing belongings and resources, while placing little value in authority or rules. As a result many halflings grow up with a sense that wealth should be shared even without consent from the owner, and any appearance of prohibitory laws should be broken at the earliest opportunity. This philosophy can cause a variety of complications for halflings who move out into the larger exodian society.

This fundamental reaction to being told what to do puts them in conflict in nearly any career path. Halflings working government jobs tend to speak out against their superiors while undermining the authority of the institution by encouraging citizens to disregard its laws and procedures. Halflings in corporate fields tend to mishandle funds, ignore shareholder suggestions, and offer employees overgenerous compensation. Halflings in military organizations are immediately insubordinate, and experience intense dissonance when put in a position of authority over others. If coaxed into a religious institution, they have a tendency of asking probing and suggestive questions that tend to unravel a belief system, even causing schisms. In scientific pursuits, halflings have a tendency of distrusting the results of experiments, even ones they have conducted themselves.

All said, those halflings who learn to adapt to these various cultures are highly valued for their optimism, productivity, principles, and ingenuity. They work best in small groups of trusted colleagues and little oversight. If you find yourself working with a halfling, it is best never to make a direct request, but instead frame a task as both unusual and unlikely to succeed, chances are it will get done sooner than you would expect.

Halfling Meals

Originally, halflings practiced seven traditional communal meals to account for their high caloric need. However, as interstellar culture rendered local time largely meaningless, and halfling labor crews worked in staggered shifts, the tradition gradually shifted into a round-the-clock set of 12 meals. Halflings are still obliged to participate in seven of these meals during their day.

• 0:00 - Otherlunch

• 2:00 - Sneaky

• 4:00 - Dewbreak

• 6:00 - Breakfast

• 8:00 - Second Breakfast

• 10:00 - Elevensies

• 12:00 - Luncheon

• 14:00 - Tea

• 16:00 - Whistle

• 18:00 - Dinner

• 20:00 - Supper

• 22:00 - Munch

Halfling Music

Music is very important to halfling culture, being one of the few things they could preserve from their ancestors. It often mixes elements of country instruments and synthesized beats, tending to upbeat melodies that get the feet tapping no matter a person's propensity to dance. However, the twang of its antique instruments can evoke soulful and lonely hardship as well. Below is a mix of what you might hear while hitching a ride with a halfling labor crew.