Small Folk or Little People (Hobbits, Hin, Hobniz, Nelwyn, Hobledehoy, Tinkers, Travelers)

Small Normal
Attributes cap cost Race: Folk HAIR:
Strength 17 +3 GENDER: M/F EYES: Normal
Dexterity 22 -2 Weight: SKIN: Normal
Constitution 21 -1 Height: F 60% S 50%, H 40% Normal
Appearance 20 LIFESPAN: Hobbit 90 - 110 Move: 20
Bravado 20 LIFESPAN: Hin 85 - 100
Perception 20 LIFESPAN: Hobniz 120

Intelligence 20 LIFESPAN: Nelwyn 80 - 90

Will 20 LIFESPAN: Florien 70 - 80

Power 20 LIFESPAN: Prydn 50 - 60

Climate/Terrain:
Range:
Organization: Tribe / Clan
Society:
AP Cost 10
Disadvantages Mutations: Large, hairy feet, immune to normal
Reputation -3; environmental variation of heat and cold. (Hobbit,
Late Maturation I (age 30); Hobniz only)
Gluttony;
Dwarfism;
Reduced Move -2
Commonly: Pacifism (self-defense only); Addicted to Pipe-weed
Dislike water and boats; Distractible (quirk trait)

Advantages
Extra Fatigue +2; Acute Hearing +1; DR1 (soles of feet only);
Semi-literacy; Chameleon I; Silence III; Longevity
Small: As a Small creature, a Halfling gains a -1 size penalty to be hit, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls,
and a +2 size bonus on Hide checks, but uses smaller weapons than humans use, and lifting and carrying
limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
+1 to all saving throws
+2 to Bravado rolls to resist fear.
+WIL Apt to resist magic

Skills: Cooking, Climb, Jump, Move Silently, Stealth at -1 cost (pay cost of 1 level less than taking)

Varieties of Small Folk:

Hobbits Fallohide Stoor Harfoot
Hobniz Tallfellow Stout Hairfoot
Hin Lightfoot Strongheart
Nelwyn Dwarf-syndrome Little People
Prydn Stone Age Little People
Florins Primitive Little People, fishermen
Hobbledehoys Little People equivalent of Irish Travelers. May be of any variety.
Boggarts Traveling Little People Gypsies. May be of any variety.
Hoberdy Dicks Traveling Little People Tinkers. May be of any variety.
Small Folk, or Little People are not called Halflings. Halflings refers to Beast-Men half-man, half-beast.
Smallest of the speaking peoples, Hobbits average between 2 and 4 feet in height, and tend to be pudgy. They have large, hairy feet to the point of being furry. There
are three principal varieties: The Harfoots, Stoors, and Fallohides. The Fallohides are the tallest, averaging between 3 and 4 feet tall. They have fair skin, and of all the
groups, most resemble Men. Their numbers are small, however, and some observers have confused them with nearby mannish groups.
The most common Hobbits are Harfoots. They are the smallest and darkest, rarely exceeding 3 feet in height and having brown skin and hair. Neat and uniformly
beardless, they are in many ways the picture of the essential Hobbit.
The Stoors are the stockiest Hobbit Folk, and often appear shorter than some of the Harfoots because of their wide profile. Generally, however, they are taller than
Harfoots and shorter than Fallohides. Their coloration is also somewhat of a compromise, although they have curly brown hair which resembles that of their cousins.
Nonetheless, the most distinguishing features of Stoors are their huge hands and feet (large even by Hobbit standards) and frequent beard growth.
Endurance: Hobbits have a subtle ruggedness. When pushed, they can travel long distances over rough terrain, despite their normal relaxed regimen.
Lifespan: 90 110 year. They are considered adults at 30.
Resistance: their feet are nearly immune to heat and cold. Accordingly, they are nearly always barefoot. They have a simple resistance to magic
Special: dexterous, they move nimbly and quietly. Their long, strangely slender fingers allow them to craft fine handiwork and help explain their reputation as thieves.
Fears and inabilities: they shy away from the bizarre or unusual, but otherwise have normal dispositions.
Lifestyle: They are capable craftsmen, but are not friends of complex machines or magic. Their vices are few: 6 - 9 hefty meals a day, pipe-weed, and bright apparel.
They are comfortable, stolid, and prosaic. Some few adventurers exist. Small Folk have prodigious appetites; and value fine food and drink. Their diet consists of nine
meals a day two breakfasts, elevenses (brunch), lunch, two teatimes, dinner, supper, and bedtime snack.
Fallohides favor cool northern woodlands, Harfoots prefer hillsides and highlands, and Stoors tend to seek riversides and flatlands. This affects their living patterns. The
conservative Harfoots, for instance, always have sites for their traditional smials, or Hobbit-hole houses, while the Stoors and Fallohides have had to rely more on
surface dwellings of wood, brick, or stone.
They typically enjoy the simple life of farmers, millers, and craftsmen. Their structures are typically single story. They are monogamous. Harfoots and Fallohides trace
their lines through either the male or female. Stoors trace their through the female.
Religion is low-key and informal. It is a series of joyful celebrations of the gifts of nature. Mid-years (midsummers) is time for the summer festival, while the two Yule
days at the beginning and end of the year mark the beginning of the return of the sun and the march toward Spring. Harvest time is, of course, of special note.
Hobbits are basically cheery, conservative, unassuming, and peaceful folk. They tend not to be ambitious. Most are conformists who avoid the unknown and shun
adventure, preferring instead to stay within the comforts of neat, humble villages.
Fallohides are the most prone to mingle with the Big People. Stoors are the least likely to do so. Hobbits may be of any ethnicity currently extant.

At around 3 - 4 feet tall Hin definitely live up to the name "small folk". They have much the same proportions as the big folk, but based on their weights and heights
they aren't quite as slender as some humans. They have ruddy skin and usually have straight dark hair. Men often have sideburns but you hardly ever see Hin with
beards or moustaches. Their clothing is comfortable and practical.
The Hin are an agile and nimble race. They are excellent climbers, and sure footed on the ground. Their small fingers are particularly adept at manipulating objects.
Halfling hands make for excellent lock picking. Their agility and small size mean Small Folk can move silently and remain hidden more than the larger races. This fits
well with their tendency to avoid open conflict where possible.
Small Folk have prodigious appetites; and value fine food and drink. Their diet consists of nine meals a day two breakfasts, elevenses (brunch), lunch, two teatimes,
dinner, supper, and bedtime snack. They are excellent cooks.
Lightfoot Hin
The ubiquitous Lightfoot is definitely one of the "small folk" at around 3 foot, and weighing 50 to 60 pounds. They have a ruddy complexion set off by straight black
hair. Lightfoot men sometimes wear long side burns, but never beards or moustaches. Recently the pointed ears seen in some regions have been making an appearance
on some of the Lightfoot Hin elsewhere, possibly due to interbreeding with the Strongheart Hin. Their clothing is well made but with the emphasis on comfort rather
than on fashion. They almost always wear boots or shoes, and the trademark hair on the feet is no more so than in several of the human subraces.
Lightfoot Hin are of lithe build, agile and sure footed, and usually rather fit. They may be small and a little less strong than a human, but their fitness gives them an
advantage. Size for size it is much harder to knock out a Hin than a human.
The Lightfoot Hin are the most outgoing of all the Small Folk. Wanderlust is a strong part of their heritage and they travel widely. They tend to view those areas
populated by humans as a reasonable place to live. These are the Small Folk most likely to settle in towns and cities occupied by other races.
Strongheart Hin
Stronghearts have a similar basic build to the Lightfoot Hin, but their men folk are often well muscled. They have elongated pointed ears with an upswept lobe, similar
to those of an elf. Like their Lightfoot cousins they tend to have dark hair but this is not always the case. Sideburns appear to be the only facial hair sported by the
Strongheart men. They dress in comfortable and practical clothing. Their habit of wearing shoes has rubbed off most of the foot hair.
Strongheart are competitive and value athletic skills and games of coordination, especially throwing games. They have a stronger oral tradition than written, but
education and training is freely available, and this subrace is a little more versatile and well equipped than other Small Folk.
Strongheart Hin are the holders of the ancestral land. They are a civilized, well organized and industrious people - who have built many towns cities and built them to
last. These cities are populated with the usual array of merchants, artisans, craftsmen and common laborers. More organized industry and teamwork is the rule here
while the smaller settlements contain the usual farmers and cottage industries. Like most Small Folk they are fierce defenders of their homes. However, in places this
defense takes the form of well-organized militias and there is a strong warrior tradition. Hin may be of any ethnicity currently extant.

Hobniz
Hobniz are a short, plump race, derisively compared by many to small humans. Their faces are round and broad and often quite florid, often leading others to suspect
them of intoxication. They typically live in small burrows that exist both above and below ground, such burrows are always clean, dry, and homey.
Their hair is curly and is most noticeable on their heads and the tops of their feet, as they prefer not to wear shoes. Their typical life expectancy is twice that of humans
(approximately 120 years). Often called industrious, and ignored by many as hopelessly quiet and peaceful, Hobniz see wealth only as a means of gaining the creature
comforts they love.
Hobniz are neither forward nor overly brave, but they can be cuttingly observant and conversational in the company of those they trust.
Depending on their lineage, certain Hobniz characters might have night vision similar to that of the Goliaths. Any Hobniz character has a 15% chance to have this
adaptation. Hobniz fashions run towards knee-length breeches, vests, shirts and coats, in mixed colors. Stripes are common, though in war they are known to wear
mottled greens and browns, most likely for camouflage. Hobniz may be of any ethnicity extant.

Nelwyn
Most details of the Nelwyn's biology, including gestation, birth, onset of maturity, and life expectancy, matched human norms fairly closely. Although a single
population could vary widely in height, build, and even skin color, typical adult Nelwyns measured about three feet ten inches tall and weighed ninety pounds in
average. While grown Nelwyns were rarely stronger than human boys aged ten to twelve, they typically were more dexterous.
Society and culture
Nelwyns tended to be smart and well-spoken. Additionally, many of them showed great skills in craftsmanship, including archery, cooking, and weaving. Due to their
short size and timidity, they also showed a talent for staying out of sight of those they called "the larger folk." If necessary, they did not hesitate to take up arms to
defend their quiet lifestyle.
The Nelwyns were not very politically-inclined. Although each village had a council, its elected members exerted influence, but had little real authority. The council
heard the occasional legal dispute, and appointed a Prefect and an archivist. The "real," yet informal, leader of a Nelwyn village was its Aldwin, a sorcerer who served
as a spiritual guide and an educator to the villagers. Nelwyns may be of any ethnicity extant.

Prydn
Primitive, superstitious Stone Age Small Folk, they have a matriarchal society and practice polyandry. Members of a given family cut their cheeks to represent their
family each familys pattern differs. Their language is simple, and they use a for I, you, and often they, and sometimes for he and she.
If you have read Park Godwins Firelord and / or The Last Rainbow, you know the Prydn. If not, you dont. Prydn are dark Caucasians.
Patricius is rescued by the Salmon-fhain, a wondering group of the Prydn. Child-like in stature and barely tolerated by the other inhabitants, theyve learned to make do
with little, to move silently, and craft small bows and arrows that seldom miss. The picts call them by another namefairie.

Am I the teacher or the taught?That question weighs heavily on Patricius, now called Padrec by the Prydn who cannot pronounce his silly Roman name. Pagan they are,
but the folk of the Salmon-fhain are the best natural Christians Padrec has ever seen. Their love and reverence for life is best expressed in their languageamong the
Prydn to have a child is to bear wealth, and as the bringers of new life Prydn women have a position of power and respect that Padrec has trouble reconciling with his
patriarchal Augustinian training. But learn he does, and not the least of what he learns is that when a man and woman turn to each other out of love it is as much a part
of Gods plan as all the sermons ever slept through. He learns, and when his faith is all but destroyed by a betrayal wrought on the Prydn by his fellow Christians it is
the Prydn themselves who give it back to him. Even as, reluctantly, they must reject it for themselves. Dorelei, queen of the Salmon-fhain, prays her case to the
Christian god: Jesu, Son of Father-GodI leave farewells to the last. We are very sorry to leave You, but we must return to what we know, to Mother and
LughYou, who are a god of the small soul, will understand
Even when you spoke in riddles you were a gentle and generous god, Jesu. You gave us iron-magic. You gave me Padrec, who is my joy, and though he is gone from
You, have an eye to his care now and then. I do not think he can live without his gods any more than I can without mine.

And so it proves. The time comes when Padrec realizes that he cannot remain with the Prydn, but there is no sense of failure because there was no failure:

He saw the huddle of them paused together; then one who rode some way back toward his hill. Dont, Dorelei. Understand it. We have had such beauty. Miracles.
And this is one of them. I have found my own treasure.
For all the distance between them, he felt her close and read the acceptance in her stillness. They watched each other for a long time, the spring wind blowing between
them. Then Dorelei turned her pony and walked it back toward Cru and her people.

Florin
Homo Floresiensis, Flores Man, the Indonesian hobbits found by archeologists have returned. Florins are dark-skinned.