Forest Halflings

Forest halflings live in the Green Maw.

Physical Description

Halflings evolved large eyes to see in the murky forest. Their hands and feet are equally dexterous (brachiation). Ears are an erogenous zone for these halflings.

Society

Forest halfling ethnic groups were historically defined by their alliances in the war. Outriders, Oaks, AntiOaks, etc. They are migratory, living around settlements and planted fruiting grounds. They cultivate fruits in the mid-level of the forest, mushrooms in the dark underlayer, and hunt the giant bugs native to the area.

Community Size/ Distribution

The Maw like pre-Columbian South America, pre-Ghengis steppes: the landscape is wild and dangerous. Communities are as likely to be friends as they are to raid each other. There’s need to put the fear of death in halfling children in the Maw. How does that affect culture?

Travel and Trade

There's room for a tinkerer who travels from village to village and may or may not sell shady or at least questionable produce. There is trade and bandits and communes of elves! Do not undertake travel lightly, and it is undertaken still.

Language

It is taboo to refer to a halfling doing something out of their gender proscribed time. If you want to refer to a halfling doing something out of their gender defined time, you must leave them unnamed while connecting them to a different halfling of the appropriate gender associated time. For example, if you want to talk about a Chaosgrown named Charleynee doing something in the past you would have to reference their Dragongrown friend Zenithdra, saying, "The friend of Zenithdra who likes to eat grubs did that yesterday."

Possession is expressed using the construction "_____of _____" as with the Spanish "de" or Japanese "no." There is a single plural pronoun for a group of halflings, they/them. the pronoun thee/theeir is used when the gender of the subject is unknown (be it because they are a child and their gender has not been assigned yet, because they are an outsider who's gender doesn't map easily onto halfling gender conceptions, or some other reason).

Halfling pronouns also function as suffixes at the end of their name.

Sex, Family, and Romance

In romantic matters, Halflings generally form groups of different gendered halflings called groves. Groves are the social ideal for raising children. Same gendered groups also occur, but aren't as common. There isn't much cultural taboo around same and different gendered groups or having "duplicates" of a gender in a grove.

In sexual matters, it is normal for halflings to have sex with members of their grove only. Having sex outside your grove is a sacred act and must not be undertaken frivolously. It is highly ritualized, and generally meant to foster procreation in cases where members of a grove are not able to produce a child on their own. Chaosborn are traditionally seen as the most sexually desirable partners.

The Four Genders

Halflings have four genders, primarily determined by personality traits. Changing one's gender is celebrated in halfling society. The prestige of mental growth and maturity needed to change personality traits, and therefore gender, is highly prized.

Dragongrown

Personality Traits

Positive: Resourceful, Scholarly
Negative: Scheming, Petty, Hoarding

Time

Past and Future. (time is a loop)

Pronouns

dra/dram

Power

Cooking (farming?)

Aesthetic

Fishscale leather clothing (with fishnet leggings obviously)
Pastel colors
Vocal instruments
Leather scent
Sour flavors

Body Type

Pointy teeth (perhaps filed)
Tattoos (hoard knowledge on your body)

Chaosgrown

Personality Traits

Positive: Funny, Quick-Thinking
Negative: Fatalistic, Dishonest

Time

Now, and never future

Pronouns

nee/ner

Power

Music

Aesthetic

Natural rubber latex accents (gloves, masks, boots, cloaks)
Neon (bright sap or bright dyes)
Wind instruments and String instruments
Flower scent
Bland flavors

Body Type

Ectomorphic bodies (taller and thin, long jumpers)
Long unkept hair

Heartgrown

Personality Traits

Positive: Honest, Determined
Negative: Foolish, Rude (tactless, bullheaded)

Time

Persistive tense, a flow state, ongoing

Pronouns

flee/fler

Power

Warfare (tradition, defensive)

Aesthetic

Furry animal leather clothes
Jewel tones (plants and camouflage)
Percussion instruments
Baked good scent
Salty flavor

Body Type

Dad Bod sumo wrestlers (dwarfy)
Short hair or bald

Dreamgrown

Personality Traits

Positive: Flirty, Strong (emotionally), Skeptical (questions authority)
Negative: Cranky, Melodramatic

Time

Outside of Time, Tree Time, deep past and future, mindful presentness

Pronouns

tris/trim

Power

Religion

Aesthetic (palm reader lady)

Linen
Primary colors (bold red, yellow, blue)
Ethereal instruments
Spicy scent
Sweet flavor

Body Type

Delicate, elfin, small bones, heroin chic
Leaf shaped ear body modification (subdermals and cutting away parts of large ears)

See also:

• Forest Halfling Youth Generator