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. Their religions are generally centered around the Dreamers of the Maw one way or another.
Community Size/ Distribution
The Maw has similarities to 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. The total population of Halflings in the Maw is somewhat smaller than all the residents of Andorith City but much more widely spread out.
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.
Tools and Weapons
A unique weapon of the Maw is the Mantis Blade.
Iconography
Iconography is a critical tool for communication and expression in forest halfling society. Abundant examples are integrated into handmade objects, carved or painted into natural formations, and integrated into halflings own bodies, especially on the ears. Being able to identify, interpret, and draw symbols is a vital component of forest halfling education. Symbols may arise from historical epics, the natural world, folklore, kennings, ritual gestures, word play such as homonyms, and accumulated tradition.
An iconic example would be an image of the sun, three quarters above ground, rising behind (and seemingly embraced by) the silhouette of a tree adorned in only half its leaves. The color of the sun, tree, and ground are vital to divining meaning, as is species of tree, number of leaves, and the placement of the sun to the left side or to the right side of the tree.
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 are incorporated as a syllable of their names, frequently suffixes at the end of their name.
Literacy is common.
More information on the Halfling language can be found here.
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)
Recreation
Forest halflings invented the game Rattlejag, a popular competitive physical-contact dice game that has successfully spread beyond the borders of the Maw. In Andorith proper, the game is known as Expreto.
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