Homebrew Eolin Species Details

Elderlin Egisalla, looked out over the tiny gathering of faces of the younglings of her van.  As the Elderlin it was her job to educate them and to pass on the tales of their people and their van's forebears.  She interlocked her fingers before her in front of the light linen tapestry; using the firelight to cast a shadow of some great bird upon its surface as she began to make to appear as if flapping its great wings.  "Long ago, Thishad the Raven Rider was out for a flight..." She smiled softly to herself as she watched their small eyes widen at the play of the shadow of her hands in wonder.  Regis the Younger, her grandchilder was smallest of the bunch, even by the standards of their diminutive race, with the fluff of his curly brown locks barely cresting the two-foot mark.  He gave her a warm bewildered smile that brought her out of her light reverie, "Well, he was out for a flight along the Shamrock Hills of Barleymill, when his sharp eyes spotted a roving band of orcs.."  her fingers fisted together to roughly make the shapes of a creature's bulky head and shoulders.  Her eyes lifted out over the younglings to take in the gaze of her van and all their lovely carved wagonhomes and to the many cookfires before deftly tossing a little flash powder into the flames of the small fire.

Many Eolin find comfort in the long road or the lazy river currents or even out on the open seas.  They gather in extended clan-like families that they call Vans and traverse the world in their flat-bottomed bumboats, katamarans or small covered wagon homes.  Nothing alights the hearts and eyes of Eolin as much as new lands and new and interesting cultures and peoples.  Few Eolin ever settle down into a life of peace and quiet of farming or rural living and fewer still settle within larger towns or cities for too long.  Those who do are often those Eolin who have just come out of their youngling years and into the first years of adulthood and more often than not have done so in order to mingle with the locals or more likely find adventure.  See there's an ember deep within the souls of all Eolin.  They can never find a way to completely douse it but more often than not they fan its glow into a flame.  A flame taht calls for them to seek out new experiences, friendships, places and adventures.  To them, high risk means high reward and ever do their wanderlust and adventurous spirits push them ever onward.  All Eolin love music and storytelling and when arriving in a new community they quickly begin to network their arrival.  Often first by sending the younglings out in small troupes to perform and dance for the locals.  These performances often come in the forms of small plays or acts of agility accompanied by music.  These younglings are often dressed brightly in loose breeches, vests and sporting sashes, and often accompanied by two or three adults Eolin dressed much the same.  Their bright colors serve two purposes; the first to keep track of their younglings and the second to draw attention to their shows.  Often the adults carry harnesses that they will attach to their shoulders as they hold nets underneath so that the younglings can perform displays of tumbling or tightrope walking for gathering crowds. The third adult often sits nearby with pea and shell games or games of chance for the gamblers in the crowds.  Often these third individuals are the most dangerous as they double as enforcers whenever necessary.  Meanwhile, those members of the vans that have just come into their own go out in drab clothes, and wear "uncomfortable" footwear and pickpocket the unwary and often do so under the guise of human children.  Finally, the rest of the Van remain just outside of town, anchored along nearby riverbanks or the shallows of whatever port they find themselves in.  The more distinguished and older Eolin often enter these communities in order to find replacements or repairs on any damage to their vehicles or to replenish stores.  More often than not these older Eolin are using the same coin that their younger adults have just acquired from these same citizens.  If coin is short, the townspeople suffering or poor, or city folk too wary the Eolin will work out some deal where they can work off the payment of the deal.  As Eolin spend much of their time abroad, sometimes they broker rumors and information concerning nearby lands or even faraway places to the locals who have long ago realized such information is pertinent and reliable. As of recently, Eolin have come to trade goods or labor in exchange as mail carriers between communities of the larger folk, and even if only passing near such gatherings of folk, are sought out for this very reason. This bothers the Eolin not at all, as it grants them the opportunity to befriend new folk from all over.

Small Wanderers

The diminutive Eolin survive in a world full of larger creatures by staying on the move, avoiding notice or, barring that, leaving merriment in their wake. Standing about 3 feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive for centuries in the shadow of empires and on the edges of wars and political strife. They are inclined to be lean, weighing between 25 and 35 pounds.

Halflings’ skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually sandy brown or black and wavy. They have brown or hazel eyes. Halfling men often sport some kind of facial hair; often long sideburns, drooping mustaches, goatees but beards are rare kept amongst them. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.

Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures hidden from prying eyes, and often keep it in the form of small gems kept only in case of emergency or to repair something broken in their van or to afford some other thing needed such as foodstuffs or repairs of cookware.

Kind and Curious

Eolin are an affable and cheerful people. They cherish the bonds of family and friendship as well as the comforts of companionship and cookfires, harboring few dreams of gold or glory. Even adventurers among them usually venture into the world for reasons of community, friendship, wanderlust, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple things, such as an exotic food or an unfamiliar style of clothing.

Eolin are easily moved to pity and hate to see any living thing suffer. They are generous, happily sharing what they have even in lean times, and it is exactly this reason that the other races always look past their suspected petty crimes and cons.  Whenever, a wagon is broken down on the road or a boat floundering, if a van is nearby, they always stop to help. Despite the fact that Eolin may be a little shady when it comes to collecting a little bit of coin in towns or cities; when out on the open road they never deem it necessary to acquire other people things. In fact, the opposite is true, as they often will not only help those in need but give them a meal and put their many hands to work helping those folk in need. 

Blend into the Crowd

Eolin are adept at fitting into a community of humans, dwarves, or elves, making themselves valuable and welcome. The combination of their inherent stealth and their unassuming nature helps Eolin to avoid unwanted attention.

Eolin work readily with others, and they are loyal to their friends, whether halfling or otherwise. They can display remarkable ferocity when their friends, families, or vans are threatened.

Ever-Roving. 

Most Eolin live in small, peaceful roving communities within their ever-moving domiciles.  Some vans move about by painted wooden wagons pulled by shaggy ponies, some by riverways in their multiroomed flat-bottomed bumboats, and some along the coast in their seafaring katamaran home that only seek anchor in bad weather. They never seek to establish or build kingdoms of their own or even hold land. They typically don’t recognize any sort of Eolin nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them. Families preserve their traditional ways despite the rise and fall of empires.

Many Eolin live among other races, albeit only briefly or for short periods of time, and this if often with companions, lovers or friends of other races. Though in time; usually within a span of a year, the wandering life calls to them, and they cannot ignore it for long.

AFFABLE AND POSITIVE

Eolin try to get along with everyone else and are loath to make sweeping generalizations—especially negative ones.

Dwarves. “Dwarves make loyal friends, and you can count on them to keep their word. But would it hurt them to smile once in a while?”

Elves. “They’re so beautiful! Their faces, their music, their grace and all. It’s like they stepped out of a wonderful dream. But there’s no telling what’s going on behind their smiling faces—surely more than they ever let on.”

Humans. “Humans are a lot like us, really. At least some of them are. Step out of the castles and keeps, go talk to the farmers and herders and you’ll find good, solid folk. Not that there’s anything wrong with the barons and soldiers—you have to admire their conviction. And by protecting their own lands, they protect us as well.”

Exploring Opportunities

Eolin usually set out on the adventurer’s path to defend their communities, support their friends, or explore a wide and wonder-filled world. For them, adventuring is less a career than an opportunity or sometimes a necessity.

Eolin Names

An Eolin has a given name, a family name, and possibly a nickname. Family names are often nicknames that stuck so tenaciously they have been passed down through the generations.  However, Eolin can any sort of name as they often hear names on their wandering that they enjoy the sound of and use it name one of their children at first opportunity.  Some of the more popular Eolin-specific names are as follows: 

Male Names: Altyr, Ander, Kincade, Corrin, Eldos, Errich, Finn, Garret, Lindal, Lyle, Merric, Milo, Osburn, Perrin, Reed, Roscoe, Thisdal, Wellby

Female Names: Andry, Bree, Cassie, Cora, Euphemia, Jillian, Kithra, Lavinia, Lyddia, Myra, Nevi, Pearl, Portia, Seraphina, Shaena, Thistle, Vanna, Vyrna

Family Names: Berrybush, Goodmeade, Greenbottom, Highbranch, Hilltopple, Leafellow, Tealeaf, Thistlethorn, Tosspebble, Underbough

 

Eolin Traits

Your halfling character has a number of traits in common with all other halflings.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and Charisma by 1.

Age

A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her first century.

Size

Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 30 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Fearless

You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself. When you fail a saving throw to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you succeed on a saving throw in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Wanderer's Skill

Due to the nomadic lifestyle and self-reliance of your people, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Insight, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, or Survival.

Eona's Gift

When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Eolin. The Eolin language isn’t secret, but they are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all Eolin speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.