A question about native halflings.

[Order of Saint Aurelius]

I have noticed that populations and communities of halflings are native to core domains such as Darkon, Sithicus and Invidia.
Does Barovia have any native communites of Halflings and If so would they speak balok, have Barovian names and or customs?

[ethinos]

The thread about natives in Barovia mentions this: "There are small populations of halflings in the western cities." Unfortunately, that's all it mentions about them. Depending on how much the halfling family has assimilated with Barovian culture, they could possibly have adopted native sounding names to fit in. However, a proud halfling family may retain their halfling culture. Speaking Balok is pretty likely, if the family has been situated in Barovia for more than a couple generations.

[Emomina]

Barovia's total population: 27,700
Humans 98%  Half-Vistani 1% other races 1%

With Deganwy and Dvergeheim existing within Barovia you can extrapolate how many halflings are native to Barovia, so its not many at least.

[DM Tarokka]

There are quite a bit halflings in many other domains which are mentioned or used on POTM. Just to point at 2 of them:

Dementlieu: Population: 13,600; Halflings: 3% (Port-à-Lucine pop 5,400. halflings: 3%)

Borca: Population: 34,200; Halflings 4% (Levkarest pop 8,500, halfling 5%)

Definitely it's high likely finding a native Halfling somewhere.

[DM Tarokka]

Oh well, since I unshelved some books:

Darkon: Population 117,300, halflings 14%

Necropolis: Population 26,800, halflings 17% (but undead)

Falkovnia: Population 64,300, halflings 2% (mostly slaves)

Hazlan: Population 26,100, halflings 4% (mostly slaves)

Richemulot: Population 45,330, halflings 5% (good chance them being wererats)

Missing information from gazetteer V if anyone wants to fill in. The countries which are not mentioned may host halflings in the 1-2% in which they say "Others" but may be a very very sporadic, incidental and non-influential number.

[Emomina]

here's the nations from V:

Nova Vaasa: 67,700 and halflings 5%
Tepest, Keening, and the Shadowrift are very not likely, near impossible backgrounds for a halfling

[HellsPanda]

Also considering how halfers live, they will live in harmony with the local community

[Order of Saint Aurelius]

Thanks for the response.  Two more questions.

1- I was thinking of rolling up a halfling whose is from Vallaki, ie orphan or maybe his clan lives in the city or nearby. Would it be cheesing if he knew barovian customs, spoke the language and had a barovian name?

2- Also, I was reading GAZ 4. Do Kender exist in Sithicus? It mentioned on page 116, that a strain of "Sithican Vampire" are Kender Vampires. So, does this mean a population of Kender exist in Sithicus? I can't find any other mention of them living in Sithicus.

[HellsPanda]

The halfer commonwealths would be isolated communities, that live in a form of symbiosis, mixing halfer culture with the local culture, so after awhile they would be similiar.

But I don't think there would be a commonwealth around vallaki, since they seem to live towards the western parts of Barovia

[Norture]

Well, there -are- Borcan hin, which would have a few cultural similarities (But also many differences) to Barovia. Although the concept of a Borcan hin is disturbing. I'm imagining Vasco as a hin, and it's sort of creepy.

[ethinos]

Thanks for the response.  Two more questions.

1- I was thinking of rolling up a halfling whose is from Vallaki, ie orphan or maybe his clan lives in the city or nearby. Would it be cheesing if he knew barovian customs, spoke the language and had a barovian name?

As long as you choose to be a Barovian halfling at character creation, I don't see why it would be cheesing. I still think human Barovians would probably look down on halflings though, native or not.

2- Also, I was reading GAZ 4. Do Kender exist in Sithicus? It mentioned on page 116, that a strain of "Sithican Vampire" are Kender Vampires. So, does this mean a population of Kender exist in Sithicus? I can't find any other mention of them living in Sithicus.

In our section on Native PCs, it mentions this in the Sithicus section: "There are rumors among the elves of a xenophobic tribe of halfling-like beings called "kender" dwelling in the northeaster hills of Sithicus, but the elves believe it is a haunted region and avoid it whenever possible."

However, I don't believe kender are a supported subrace yet.

[Bluebomber4evr]

Sithicus does have kender, but there are not many and those that aren't vampires are crazy-paranoid.

(And a note about the word "hin"--this term for halflings is only used in Faerun and Mystara. Ravenloft natives wouldn't use this term).

[Budly]

Sithicus does have kender, but there are not many and those that aren't vampires are crazy-paranoid.

(And a note about the word "hin"--this term for halflings is only used in Faerun and Mystara. Ravenloft natives wouldn't use this term).

Pitics? 

[dutchy]

Necropolis: Population 26,800, halflings 17% (but undead)

Falkovnia: Population 64,300, halflings 2% (mostly slaves)

Hazlan: Population 26,100, halflings 4% (mostly slaves)

Richemulot: Population 45,330, halflings 5% (good chance them being wererats)


so we can conclude that the halflings are not as happy and free and funny as the regular halfling in the outskirts seem to be, most want brains get whipped or turn into a furbal under certain curcumstances.

[HellsPanda]

halflings have suprisingly strong will power, and will more easily than humans return to the base form of halfers when freed.

[Norture]

(And a note about the word "hin"--this term for halflings is only used in Faerun and Mystara. Ravenloft natives wouldn't use this term).

I had no idea, thank you.

[Dread]

There's also Delagia and Rivalis in nothernmost Darkon, which are explicitly towns with a majority halfling population.

[ethinos]

I think the OP was really just interested in the existence and practicality of implementing a Barovian halfling though.