Halfling: Training and Upbringing

Halflings are brought up by the clan. Parents watch and care for their children with much devotion, but freedom to wander without restriction'though still within the clan's territory'is granted very early in life. Halfling children are encouraged to explore and indulge their natural curiosity as part of learning. However, almost all halfling children, regardless of their other inclinations, spend a lot of their childhood practicing rock throwing in many a game. These games have made the race rather deadly with anything on hand that they can throw, especially since they have a tendency to hit where it hurts.

The Clan Mother has a significant influence on most halflings as they grow up. Most of the young ones gravitate toward her for stories and wisdom for life. For this reason, many who come from the same clan have similar traits. The Clan Mother teaches them what she has learned from those who came before her.

Halflings are usually taken into an apprenticeship when they reach their late teens. The type of apprenticeship they find depends much on the natural knack each young one shows early on. The silent and agile types will join the clan hunters, the quick witted ones will join the traders, and the more passive ones will spend most of their time with the Clovers of Prunilla learning of herbs, cooking, or the healing arts.

When halflings reach adulthood, which is somewhere around their thirtieth year, it is not uncommon to have a large party to celebrate the occasion. Many clans spend the night (or nights) telling stories and sharing memories of the new adult, who tends to gain a more mature outlook with his or her peers. A few clans do have more complex rites of passage, but these rituals are never empty ceremonies and almost always have important reasons behind them.