The goal of this document is to outline important events in halfling history.
None of this set in stone. If some aspect of what I've written is, in your opinion, inappropriate to halflings, tell me! I may not agree but I'd love to discuss it and I'm open to compromises that are consistent and reasonable. Many of the choices I've made are arbitrary, but if you don't make choices and put them out for review, you never make any progress.
If something written here seems appropriate to halflings generally but conflicts with the way you wish to play your halfling character, creatively explain why you are an exception to the rule. The typical halfling is fictional and does not exist. Everyone has quirks, habits, background or preferences that are outside the norm, thank goodness.
Halflings are less concerned with record keeping than most. Oral histories and folktales are the main sources for the following information. The first solid date in halfling history is 1018 BA, the year of the Dark Famine. Prior to that only the order of events is known. Dates are shown here only for the convenience of cooridination with other histories.
[A note on naming. Often, in creating names for things related to halfling history, I have used a combination of Spanish and German to create a name that sounds less generic.]
1500 BA - Halflings migrate. They are early pioneers. They settle along the Great River, and begin to farm.
1450 BA - Additional waves of humans have arrived. They jostle for the prime areas along the river. Halflings begin to resent humans whom they call "grochos" meaning large, numerous and rude.
1400 BA - The Leavetaking - Halflings migrate northward. The migration is directed by the iron willpower of two halfling women: Noma & Tik Moreisen. They travel northward, over the central plains. They cross the Edengast mountains through Nunshal Pass where they are harassed by wendecka. They push onward, cross the southern river and form an initial settlement called Abrigault "Unexpected bounty". It is still very much a dangerous frontier settlement.
1395 BA - Two delvings (fortifications) begun; one at the original settlement, one to the northeast. The building of these is masterminded by Cavan Tief. Far Walkers founded as a group of traveling troubleshooters. The beginnings of the militia is formed around defense of the delvings.
1350 BA - Initial delvings enhanced, and another begun to the northwest around a location named Cavangrot (after Cavan Tief).
1275 BA - The central area is mostly settled and "safe". Palisadra is discovered and almost immediately occupied, as are the silk worms of the high plateau. The worms are considered nuisances and are hunted almost to extinction to keep them from upsetting the burgeoning farms on the plateau.
1250 BA - Meshra used as slaves on the northeast frontier to aid in farming the moors and marsh. They are considered animals and property. 1
1185 BA - Fen friction along the western border, resolved by 1160 BA.
1171 BA - Weavers and herders in the high plateaus manage to domesticate the silk worms native to the area.
1018 BA - The Dark Famine brought on by a 9 month drought.
1016 BA - Recovery begins with help from southwestern predominantly ranching area.
1013 BA - The first Halfling Harvest Festival is celebrated
1010 BA - A substantial population surge occurs.
972 BA - A cooking school is established and work on The Gastronomica (exhaustive book of recipes and food knowledge) begins in Abrigault. Many leading halfling familes contribute their heriditary recipes books to this charitable work. A few greedier familes refuse to do so. The first great Deducer (halfling male) is crowned. This is not a political post.
950 BA - Invasion by sea from the Human Kingdom of Nordfell. Palisadra is taken after a heroic defense. Enemy mystic employs spelled-arachne to root halflings out of smials (hill burrow homes) and defensive positions. Halflings driven from north of the rivers. Fields are salted inspiring the defenders with rage. Invaders eventually driven back. A final defeat of reinforcements in the Moors of Nevelstrud.
910 BA - The Amblian begin to coalesce and carry trade goods in wagon-home caravans. These are small groups of 10-20 halflings, usually younger ones of the same extended family who set out in wagons pulled by ponies attempting to establish a new home but found they more enjoyed the traveling, trading and adventure. Pockets of hallfings in other parts of Shan-Deral were often originally Amblian.
827 BA - Coup by Verd Negrazon with help of the Far Walkers and a good number of the militia. Poison is placed in the food of 3 members of the ruling body.
825 BA - Work begun on a human-style castle by Verd that was to be called Anziege. It was looked upon with disdain by most halflings.
823 BA - dissident halflings are tried summarily and thrown in the Grey Smial (a dungeon-esque excavation)
819 BA - Bandits are in the Blight and raiding merchant caravans of all races.
812 BA - Verd "Foulheart" overthrown and killed. Ruling body reestablished. Purposeful food poisoning becomes a capital crime. Deducers begin to carefully test their poison detection abilities and develop a resistance to some of them. Partially finished castle left as a reminder.
810 BA - Bandits rooted out by a joint Fen - Halfling force.
672 BA - A concerted push by halfling weaving concerns pushes halfling cloth products to the fore in Shan Deral. They had been gaining market-share slowly for years. Brightly colored dyes and a tight, smooth weave are the main distinguishing factors.
* 652 BA - Balmord invades the Fen valleys but is repulsed with heavy losses. The frontier of the High King's territories is established at the river ??
527 BA - Research at Abrigault discovers a method of food preservation, over the next few years, it is refined to be usuable by almost everyone?
* 343-332 BA - Forthar carries out a series of campaigns against the northern kingdoms, beginning with his conquest of the Halflings (341 BA) and ending with his nominal conquest of Nordfell (332 BA). Nordfell was never completely pacified and remained a thorn in Forthar's side for the remainder of his reign.
335 BA - Halfling building practices begin to include more exterior structures to accommodate the forced integration of the occupying forces and the lack of appropriate space for new smials.
* 121 BA - The Nordvar Dynasty, still ruling in the northern Human kingdoms and ruled by the High King Stell Sargrimm Nordvar, develops ambitions of unification, aiming to defeat and exterminate the Flaidoier Dynasty and eliminate the southern High King. Mindful of past defeats at the hands of the Fen, they decide not to embark on hostilites with that race, but instead seek an offensive alliance with the Fen. In these negotiations it was the Halflings, led by the famed Jumblie Short-Toe, who acted as the principal negotiators. However, the final round of negotiations was temporarily halted when Jumblie Short-Toe was prevented from attending. The rumour has it that it was his obsession with food that prevented his attendance, but the exact details are known only to the Halfling people.
139 - Joint thoom-halfling research reveals semi-sentience of meshra. Sentinels force meshra emancipation. Northeastern farmers most unhappy. The rest of the halfling protectorate is appalled and guilt-ridden as realization sinks in.