BRCS:Chapter one/Character/Halflings, Cerilian

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Halflings seem to be harmless, good-natured folk, but they harbor hidden secrets. Most people assume that the name halfling refers to their stature, but only a handful know the truth. Halflings were once creatures who could pass freely between Aebrynis and the Spirit World. In the early years of the Anuire Empire a darkness arose in the Spirit World (now called the Shadow World) and halflings made Aebrynis their permanent home.

Halflings in Cerilia have little culture of their own. Instead, they've adopted the language, culture, and customs of the Big Folk around them, while keeping a few aspects of their own culture intact. They'll never take up arms against each other - halflings feel free to use weapons in the defense of their homes or families, but consider fisticuffs the only acceptable form of violence against other halflings.

The halflings aren't a numerous people, but they can be found almost anywhere humans live. Living in the shadow of their larger neighbors, halflings don't see the sense in a government larger than a small village or their extended family, and are happy to count themselves citizens of whatever human land surrounds them. It's not unusual to find a handful of halfling farmers near a human village, or a neighborhood of halfling craftsmen in a larger town. Nor is it unusual to see halflings walking the streets of a human city, mimicking the lives of the humans around them, or playing courtier in an elven court.

Cerilian halflings stand about 3'6" tall and resemble small humans. They tend to be plump, and are fond of creature comforts. Halflings can pierce the barrier that separates Cerilia from the Shadow Land by concentrating. This allows them to detect evil, detect undead, or detect necromantic magic with a high degree of reliability. Exceptional halflings can develop this ability to allow them to enter and exit the shadow world in places where the barriers between worlds are thin. Halflings avoid revealing these abilities to people they don't trust.

Racial Abilities: Cerilian halflings have the following racial traits:

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
  
• Small-sized (3'6" to 4' tall), base speed of 20 feet. As Small creatures, halflings gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying capacities are three-quarters those of Medium-size characters.
  
• +2 racial bonus on Listen, Climb, Jump, and Move Silently checks.
  
• +2 morale bonus on saving throws vs. fear.
  
• +1 racial attack bonus with thrown weapons and slings.
  
• Shadow Sense: Halflings possess the ability to attune their vision to the shadow world. This provides them with a limited ability to sense undead, necromantic magic, powerful evil, and areas where the veil between Aebrynis and the Shadow World is thin. These abilities function just like the spells Detect Undead, Detect Evil and Detect Magic (necromancy only) and are usable at will. Exceptional halflings can take advantage of this ability and learn to enter and exit the shadow world [refer to the Shadow Walker, Shadow Guide, and Improved Shadow Guide Feats].
  
• [Cerilian halflings do not gain the +1 racial bonus to all saving throw gained by Player's Handbook Halflings.]
  
• Automatic Language: Any, based on region.
  Bonus Languages: Any cultural human dialect (Anuirean, Basarji, Low Brecht, High Brecht, Rjuven, or Vos).
  
• Favored Class: Rogue.
  

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