Wayward Halfling Youth

Art by Pajazet

As a rule, the halflings of the Green Downs are highly community-minded. They shun overt expressions of individuality as being arrogant and pretentious, preferring to focus on the practical matters of life. However, it is natural for the youth of any society to push back against its norms and values, and halflings are no exception.

In Hinnisch society, it is to be expected that young people will try to act out and rebel against society. The halflings have known this paradigm for generations. As such, they do not push back against it - they know it is natural for their sons and daughters to seek out independence when they reach a certain age, and as long as they are not disturbing the peace, they are allowed to do as they please. The wisdom of the elders holds that the wayward youth will return to the ways of their parents sooner or later; until then, it is best to allow them to live as they please. Fighting against their youthful whims will only encourage them more.

When life in the Green Downs is so heavily focused on the hearth and the fields, and it is considered gauche to be too concerned with matters outside of the home, teenage rebellion, in halflings, tends to take the form of leaving their burrows in search of more adventurous activities than they are used to. They may wish to see more of the world, and to deal with the ways of big folk, integrating into society more than is common in the isolated Green Downs. This period of wanderlust is so common and accepted, it has become something of an unwritten rite of passage in halfling society - in some communities, to leave the home and live among big people is a ritual anticipated by everyone in the village at the cusp of their adulthood.

Most commonly, halflings on this excursion will find work in a given trade in human lands, plying the skills they are familiar with from their time on the farm. They may serve as farmhands or shepherds, or they may ply their trade at woodcraft (the Hinnisch are known as great carpenters). However, it is not unheard of for them to find work in less honest trades. Their quick wits and their ability to fit into tight spaces are valued skills for burglars, and many a halfling has found lucrative work among thieves' guilds and roving bands of treasure hunters.

Typically, a halfling's excursion from their society lasts a few years, and ends with them returning to the Green Downs to marry and establish a burrow of their own (men also grow out their sideburns at this time, as a visual marker of their adulthood). The majority of halflings quickly realize that the farming life is a dependable one, and far less risky than one on the road. However, some of them do choose to stay in human society, which has led to many of them integrating into the settlements of big folk. In this way, they have spread far and wide beyond their homeland in the Green Downs, and can be found just about anywhere in the known world.

Worship in the Green Downs

The halflings of the Green Downs do not construct temples. In the Hinnisch philosophy, to build a specialized edifice for prayer, with all the statuary and ornamentation that entails, is too pretentious. The Hinnisch folk prefer things to be tasteful and practical, and there is no need to pray in gaudy building when one can do so at home.

Nor do the halflings have any priestly or monastic orders. Preferring to live for themselves and to be unbothered, they have little use for rigid hierarchies that arbitrarily allot power to some people over others. Instead, halfling religious traditions emphasize the value of community, and of communal life.

The practices of the Green Downs, though ostensibly part of the same traditions as the formal Pantheonist cults, have little oversight, and they have diverged in numerous ways. A key point is that the halflings believe that anyone can lead worship - if the prayers are written down, the sacrifices to the different divinities are understood, and the people know how to interpret signs that the gods are pleased or not, then there is no need to turn to an external authority for such matters. Holy symbols in the Green Downs are not the purview of clerics, and just about every family keeps a talisman or two to ward away evil spirits, just in case.

In lieu of temples, the halflings observe communal worship in their neighbor's homes. Every other Starday, and on holidays, a given community - usually about 20 to 30 families in the same general vicinity - gathers at the burrow of one of their number (the position rotates such that a different family hosts the service each time, usually hosting once every year), where the head of the household leads them in prayer.

This entails much more than simple worship, however. Much of the Green Downs consists of isolated homesteads, so these meetings present a rare opportunity for the community to come together and for people to catch up on local gossip, considering their only other opportunity to meet up with their neighbors might be on market days. Also, given the halfling propensity for gastronomy, these meetings always include a communal meal, which tends to take up much of the day. A portion of the food is set aside for the gods as a sacrifice, but for many this ritual is merely a formality and the real appeal is getting to share in the company of one's fellows - and to partake in the food, of course. It is no small undertaking to feed an entire clan of halflings, and every host family typically spends several days in advance preparing for the feast, which often includes delicacies seldom enjoyed on ordinary days. To cook a worthy feast and to impress one's guests is an important mark of good burrowkeeping.

Though they are intended to bring the community together, it is not unheard of for halflings to rope any travelers who might be passing through or staying nearby into their services - sometimes among the congregation, and sometimes to help prepare, if they are hosting. They have been known to insist on this, whether the travelers like it or not. Even still, there are plenty of reasons for travelers to look forward to a Starday in the Green Downs. For many, a Hinnisch Starday service is as good a place to hear rumors and local news as any tavern - not to mention to get a good meal and a pint or two of ale, and for free at that. Those unfamiliar with Hinnisch practice, however, should take note that, while ordained priests and monks of most Pantheonist orders study magic and can offer their services to worshipers, most halflings do not - if one is in need of healing, they may need to ask around for an herbalist.

Friday Encounter: Gold Rush

This encounter is probably best suited to a town, either one the PCs are currently staying at or one they encounter on the road.

While the PCs are at some public space (such as a town square, inn, or tavern), they hear a great commotion all around them as one of the villagers runs in, waving around a map. They explain the news - apparently, a group of treasure hunters were recently passing through this area, and they pinpointed the location of the burial mound of an ancient king somewhere nearby. As was typical in the area, the king is surely buried with a great treasure hoard.

Now, the whole town knows there's a untold riches buried nearby, just waiting to be discovered. This certainly isn't something the people are willing to keep to themselves. Now, it's a race to find the burial mound, and the treasure, before anyone else does - and the PCs are tied up in the middle of it all!

This encounter could easily kick off several sessions in the campaign. The idea is to throw the party into conflict with a number of different factions with a common interest. The town agrees that whoever can discover the treasure first rightfully gets to keep it, but everyone would like to get a hold of it for different reasons. If the PCs decide they want to get in on the hunt as well, they may end up butting heads against the other factions, or they might decide to ally with one or multiple parties - or even play them against each other!

A few rival parties are listed below, but feel free to add your own if you run this encounter. To give the PCs more of a hook to get involved, it's a good opportunity to bring in existing NPCs the party has met before - possibly enemies, but possibly even allies to stir up conflict.

• The Treasure Hunters: A band of itinerant adventurers looking to get rich quick by whatever means necessary. They aren't from around the town, and many of the townspeople distrust them, citing their nature as outsiders as a reason to cast doubt on what they say. Nevertheless, they boast of many accomplishments and heroic deeds, and have won some villagers to their side. Consists of Edmund von Schlosser, a stoic and dutiful but not very bright fighter; Trude Dreschner, a nervous mage; Ingiz Kibiteb, a canny, scheming, smooth-talking dwarf; and Hermann, a local with romantic ideals and delusions of grandeur swayed by the adventurers' tales and motivated to join their cause.
• The Nobles: Led by Dame Berit Hoekstra, a knight in service to the local lord; she feels that the wealth would strengthen her family's treasury, and has pressed her retinue into service in seeking out the hoard. She comes from a proud lineage of knights and looks down on the common people, but believes strongly in the ideals of chivalry and will not willingly lie or misrepresent her cause. In addition to Dame Berit, the party also includes her squire Erik, a mild-mannered boy who wishes to impress her but is afraid to speak up; and two men-at-arms named Sigmund Grosse and Natascha Sonnen.
• The Destitute: A band of beggars, farmers, and other poor sorts who have banded together under the leadership of Brenno Edernsert, a local who has appointed himself as a self-proclaimed champion of the people who wishes to stand up for the common folk against the oppression of the elite. They openly spurn the nobility, but insist that the treasure must go to those who could use it most and do not believe in hoarding wealth for personal gain. They insist on dividing the treasure up among each other, so if the PCs join in they may end up with a smaller piece of the pie. In addition to Brenno, the party also includes Hilda Dreier, the daughter of an ailing farmer who wishes to support her family through uncertain times; Arne Olson, a monk seeking alms to distribute to the poor, and Matthias, a runaway slave looking to buy back his freedom.
• The Outlaws: A gang of brigands hiding in the woods on the outskirts of town who have also gotten wind of the treasure, and would be happy to have it to line their purses. They have no interests in benefitting anyone other than themselves, and have no loyalties to the town or anyone in it, existing outside of society. They are not afraid to use lethal force against anyone who gets in their way. Consists of Hector the Red, a calm and cold-blooded swordsman; Leberecht von Baren, a boisterous, hot-tempered brawler with a taste for ale; Gustav Durr, a clever cutpurse who would rather hide in the shadows than engage threats directly; and Tanja Strobel, an expert markswoman who is keen on making ambushes.
• The Lone Wolf: Franz Sauter, a gruff old mostly-retired mercenary whose years of experience have made him grow cynical and weary of the world. Still, he thinks that he has one more brush with his glory days in him, and sees the treasure hunt as an opportunity to rekindle that spirit. He insists on working alone, arguing that he knows how to handle himself, and isn't interested in sharing - or in admitting that he would need to rely on help from anyone.

To give the PCs time to interact with the different parties, make alliances, or scout out the area, it's best to run this encounter over a period of several in-game days - perhaps a week, but you can adjust this period to be longer or shorter depending on what you're looking for in terms of pacing.

There are six possible locations for the treasure, shown on the diagram here. This information represents the treasure map shown to the party, so it's helpful to provide your players with a copy; their characters know where the treasure could be, but not where it actually is.

Each hex equals three miles, requiring an hour to traverse. Roll a d6 to determine which location the treasure is at. Once a creature is in a hex containing a possible treasure location, they must make a DC 20 Investigation check to search the hex. On a success, they know whether or not the hex contains treasure; on a failure, they waste one hour looking, but can reattempt the roll at a DC of 5 less (this can stack multiple times).

The first night, none of the competing parties will attempt to search out the treasure, but the second night, one party will make a move; the third night, two parties will make a move, and so on. Determine which party will make a move randomly, then roll 1d6 to determine which location that party will attempt to search. The rules for searching a hex are the same for the competing parties as they are for the PCs.

The party can spend one hour meeting with any of the competing parties, though they may or may not share information with them depending on their relationship with the PCs. Keep track of which hexes each party has searched to determine what information they might be able to share with the PCs - though they may also try to mislead them, if they see them as opponents!

If the PCs manage to find the treasure before any of their rivals do, it contains 1000 GP's worth of gold and jewels per party member, plus one magic item that would be useful for each member of the party (DM's choice). Even if an NPC party gets to the treasure first, though, that doesn't preclude the PCs from trying to take it from them...

There are a number of ways to customize this encounter. In addition to adding more rivals, you can add monsters, hazards, or additional threats as you wish to add to the challenge - and interesting interactions could occur if the other parties run into them too. You could even run the burial mound as a dungeon with its own traps, puzzles, and guardians if you want to give the PCs an extra challenge in retrieving the treasure. An alternative way to trigger this encounter would be for the PCs themselves to find the treasure map, and for them to be a little too loose in talking about it while in public - if the locals learn of treasure nearby, it's only a matter of time before word spreads...

The Halfling Heartland

Halflings can be found in just about any corner of the known world. Of all the humanoid races, they are the most integrated into human society; although they have their own villages, many of them live alongside humans, and vice versa. Halflings - or Hinnisch, in their native tongue - migrated just as humans did, and although they tend to live comparatively sedentary lifestyles, they still found places to settle across the continent, wherever there was pleasing climates and arable land.

However, all halflings claim descent from their native land, the Green Downs - a fertile region in what is now central Vardessy, where the foothills of the rough Schaderbergen Mountains to the southwest give way to rolling highlands and lush valleys. This area boasted good soil, bountiful woodlands, and was a place of relative safety and peace, sheltered from the outside world. In a sense, it was the perfect place for halflings, and the ancestral culture of these people was shaped by the terrain in which they first settled; a culture that still holds strong to this day.

There are halfling villages across Vardessy and beyond, but the Green Downs boasts the highest halfling population in the Empire. A heavily agrarian region, it has no large cities; the vast majority of its populace live in either small villages or solitary homesteads. This is just as the halflings like it - away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, they prefer to focus on the simple things. As the Hinnisch proverb goes, as long as the sun is shining, there is food in the pantry, the livestock are healthy, and the crops are growing, there is no reason to be concerned about anything.

Of course, the halflings of the Green Downs are not without merriment in their lives. Some travelers hold their taverns to be among the finest in the land (if a bit cramped for big folk), and they gather at weekly communal meetings at each others' burrows, where there is much drinking, singing, and dancing to be had. Ostensibly, these meetings are for the reading of prayers and the offering of sacrifices to the gods (Eostre and Solenna being the most prominent in Hinnisch practice), but they also serve as opportunities for local communities and extended families to reunite, and for news and rumors to be shared.

The Green Downs are not a single province of Vardessy - several duchies and counties claim parts of the land under their jurisdiction. However, in practice, the halflings hardly know their feudal lieges' names. Their relationship with the rest of Vardessy is somewhat of a mutual agreement of isolation - the halflings stay out of Imperial business, and the nobility is content to let them govern themselves. Their lives are so mundane that conflicts rarely come up anyway, and when they do, it is usually a matter uncomplicated enough that the patriarchs of the affected families can come to some settlement. But of course, adventure can be found anywhere, for those who know where to look, and the Green Downs holds wonders of its own.

Crownlands Hex Map, Part 2

Once again, another two-part hex map. Fortunately, the remaining two regions should be more sparsely populated, so this is likely going to be the last of this size.

Click here to enlarge

Each hex equals six miles. See here for part 1.

Crownlands Hex Map, Part 1

Another month down, another hex map for the Year of the Gazetteer. Once again, this is going to be a two-parter; see here for the other half.

Click here to enlarge

Each hex equals six miles.

Friday Encounter: Rickety Bridge

Here's a simple environmental puzzle that forces players to rethink how they manage their inventory and how they approach obstacles with limited resources at their disposal. It could be used either in a dungeon, on the road, or in a wilderness environment.

The party will find their path is suddenly blocked by a deep chasm, with steep cliffs plunging 200 feet below. The only direct route across is via a rickety rope bridge - and it is obvious that it will not be able to accommodate a great weight. The PCs will likely have to leave heavier gear behind in order to get across.

It is best to tell the players the mechanics of this encounter so that they can make informed decisions about how they want to approach it. The bridge cannot bear weight greater than 300 pounds; if a load of 300 pounds or more crosses the bridge, it will automatically collapse, sending any creatures on the bridge plunging into the abyss. Furthermore, creatures bearing a load greater than 200 pounds will need to tread carefully in order to avoid putting undue stress on the ropes. For a creature bearing a load of 200 pounds to cross the bridge, they must make a DC 10 Dexterity check, or the bridge will break under their feet. For every additional 10 pounds they carry, increase the DC by 2. A creature bearing less than 200 pounds can cross the bridge without issue.

A "load" here should include the creature's weight and the weight of any equipment it is carrying or wearing - if you don't know exactly how much your character weighs, assume 150 pounds for a medium-sized creature, 75 pounds for a small-sized creature, 100 pounds for a dwarf, and 175 pounds for a goliath. A creature of large size or greater will automatically cause the bridge to break; a creature of tiny size or smaller can cross the bridge without incident.

There are a few ideas at play here. In order to make progress across the chasm, the PCs will likely have to abandon equipment, including heavy armor, treasure, and other useful things, as well as any horses or beasts of burden they may be traveling with. Whatever is on the other side, they'll have to deal with it without such assets. In a hostile environment, there may not be a guarantee that their equipment will still be where they left it if they return to the other side of the bridge to reclaim it, and the presence of such items piled up on the ground may tip enemies off to the PCs' presence nearby. Even if the PCs feel the risk of crossing the chasm is too great, such an obstacle can encourage them to seek out alternative routes, which might cause them to focus their exploration elsewhere. And if the bridge does break, now the remaining PCs will likely have to find another way around anyway!

By default, a fall from the bridge will almost certainly kill most PCs, unless they have access to feather fall or similar effects. However, you could also shorten the drop and have another area to explore below the bridge (or, conversely, change the fall to a drop into a spiked pit). Another option would be to replace the chasm with a rushing river, which could carry PCs - or their gear, if they attempt to ferry it across - downstream.