Dark Halfling

a.k.a. Jerren

During the following spring, the ensuing war between the Jerren and their enemies threatened to wipe out both sides. their homeland prairies were blood stained with death. Even with their new tactics, the Jerren would have lost, except that their previous decision opened the door to further malevolence. Soon the halflings were committing atrocities against their enemies that even the goblins and bugbears found repulsive. When the latter retreated into the hills, the Jerren followed them. Soon all that remained of the goblinoids were heads upon spikes positioned throughout the hills and grisly scenes that suggested bloody sacrifices made to evil gods.

Personality

Dark Halflings are ruled by strength and blood lust. No leader can manage to control more than a small band of these chaotic and evil halflings, and those who show even the slightest bit of weakness or mercy are quickly cut down. Like Wild Halflings, Dark Halflings live a nomadic lifestyle. They prey upon others for their food and most of their goods. The only things Dark Halflings produce are instruments of war and the poisons for which they are now infamous.

Physical Description

A Dark Halfling is very similar almost physically indistinguishable from a Lightfoot Halfling. In terms of physical stature that Dark Halfling tends to be leaner than other halflings. Dark Halflings look emotionally pained or angry to most but it’s their evil that is so profound that no one would ever mistake it for a normal halfling. In their rituals to dark deities, and the unnamed power revered by their ancestors, Dark Halflings sometimes cover themselves with ritual scars and self-inflicted wounds. Dark Halfings are always angry, bitter, and savage.

Relations

Dark Halflings prey upon any living creature that crosses their path. They crave blood and sacrifices to feed the insatiable hunger of the deities to whom they have sworn allegiance. Dark Halflings seek victims to victimize with their newly concocted poisons, corrupt spells, and specially fostered diseases.

Alignment

Any Evil, though many Dark Halflings are Neutral or Chaotic Evil

Dark Halfling Lands

Dark Halfling often live in hidden communities in places where they are hard to find, and their racial practices are difficult to uncover, whether these are city sewers, mountain peaks or deep forests, some will form bands and claim stretches of plains, prairie, and desert, far from any bastion of civilization. They are nomadic in nature, and the race is broken up into tribes that each claim large stretches of territory. These bands of communities tend to be small and self-sufficient, and they rarely mix with other races except when necessary. When different Dark Halfling bands meet by chance, they may turn upon each other; their nature often overcomes their desire to honor their common heritage.

Religion

Not particularly pious, Dark Halfings may give lip service to any evil power. However, they all secretly revere an unnamed power, the power their elders long ago bargained with to secure their victory at the cost of the corruption of their race.

Language

Dark Halflings speak a guttural dialect of Halfling, which uses the a Common Halfling script (though Dark Halflings rarely write at all) and all speak Merchant Tongue.

Adventurers

Dark Halflings are drawn almost invariably toward violent careers in which they can kill, degrade, and enslave others. Thus, rogues, assassins, blackguards, and many of the darker prestige classes are ideal for the Jerren.

Source Notes: Book of Vile Darkness