(Predominantly Chaotic Good)
Government: The halflings of Boldsky Borough are governed by a single elected leader whose only qualification is to be the bravest in the land (referred to as ‘the Bold’). Elections are held every ten years and consist of a season-long festival rife with tests of daring-do and courage. As a result, the leadership of the clan sometimes borders on the edge of recklessness. The leader’s power is checked by a separate council of other prominent figures (usually runners-up in the election festival) and always includes an appointed representative from the other two boroughs. Lesser official positions are usually filled by the first halfling to say “Someone should really do something about that,” which leads to a very laid-back form of government.
Economy: Boldsky halflings primarily subsist on fishing and trinket-crafting, though their natural thirst for adventure lends them to hire themselves out as deckhands to any ship that happens to be passing through. A select few actually become privateers on the open seas, but they have trouble keeping non-halflings in their crew since a good portion of their booty is sent back to their homeland. Boldsky relies on their Westwind and Vinehearth brethren for skilled labor and manufactured goods. Their largest import from the other islands is various foodstuffs and alcohol.
Religion/Spirituality: The Boldsky take a very laid-back approach to religion. They believe to have once dwelled on Whitefang Mountain and treat the tall peak as a patron deity. Particularly religious halflings will go on pilgrimages up the mountain to commune with the spirits of the island and their forefathers. Every year the Bold will leave an offering at the foot of the mountain to ward off harmful spirits and predators. The Boldsky have a very strong sense of community, stemming from a long tradition of having to band together against predators and invaders.
Lifestyle: Boldsky settlements are simple things, usually constructed from a variety of tents, netting, and impromptu wooden/earthen structures. Very little permanent structures stand in any of their villages, making it easy for their people to spread out and live on their own. The Boldsky have little sense of ownership and property, which commonly irritates their visitors and neighbors. Most villagers contribute to the community by their own volition, either by trade, craft, or entertainment. Villagers who do not contribute to their communities are frequently prodded until they become productive, or they leave for the open world.
Diplomacy: Among the chief responsibilities of the Bold is to sit on the Whitefang Tribunal, which acts as a single entity for representing halfling interests in the outside worlds. They have largely managed to remain neutral in the squabbling of their coastal neighbors, but the increase in halfling privateering has caused the other nations to turn their attention to them. The Far Isles Trading Coalition especially has been the loudest voice in greater policing of the halflings, and relations have been strained of late.
Military/Defense: Warriors of the Boldsky are experts in raining death from the tree-tops and from griffon mounts which are reared by a small militant community at the foot of Mount Whitefang. The Boldsky have not had to rise to defend themselves in many generations, leading some to believe that their military has atrophied with time. They would be wrong.
Variants: Boldsky Halflings function as the halflings printed in the core rulebook.
Prominent Figures:
- Milan Vargus the Bold (CG, Swashbuckler): The current leader of the Boldsky clan won the title four years ago by taming the Griffon Matron. Bold and reckless, he embodies the borough perfectly.
- Shana of Whitefang (N, Oracle): Believed to be the embodiment of the mountain that protects them, Shana is afforded special treatment by the villagers. Young and beautiful, she was born with damaged eyes.
- Captain Dirk Grinsworth (CN, Ranger): One of the more prominent privateers and in charge of defense for Halfer’s Cove, he has a Letter of Marque from New Arcanus.