Halflings

To outsiders, halflings have often seemed like a people without great ambition. They do not hunger for empire like the Kaldjari, they do not seek lost gods like the elves, nor do they strive for the heights of magic like the Rauchstav gnomes. But to assume that halflings are without purpose is to misunderstand them entirely. They are not a people who seek to change the world—they seek to thrive within it. And in this, they have always succeeded.

On Encara, halflings built communities that endured wars and disasters without ever seeking conquest. They survived not by strength of arms, but by resilience, adaptability, and an unshakable sense of kinship. Wherever there was land to settle, trade to be made, or a road to follow, there were halflings.

Thaedros, with all its dangers and mysteries, is no different. Though the loss of Encara was a deep sorrow, the halfling folk have refused to dwell in grief. They have set about the work of belonging—finding the best places to farm, creating new trade networks, and weaving the first threads of culture and art in this uncertain new world. Where others struggle to claim and control, halflings listen to the land, adapt to its rhythms, and build lives in the spaces between the big folk, as they always have.

Each halfling nation has brought its own strengths to Thaedros. The Charyeok have become healers and caretakers of the land, seeking ways to mend the wounds of this fractured world. The Riccavari and Émervais have restored warmth and culture to the settlements, turning empty roads into well-traveled trade routes and filling fledgling taverns with laughter and song. The Zan'tari have carried news and knowledge across vast distances, while the Calarro have begun taming the wilds themselves, forging new bonds with the creatures of Thaedros.

Though small in stature, halflings are a people of great endurance. They do not build kingdoms, but they build homes, and no matter how strange or dangerous Thaedros may be, the halflings will see it tamed—not by war or conquest, but by living, thriving, and belonging.

Halfling Folk