Halflings

"Halflings - now there's a mixed bunch for you. There's all sorts, and the term halfling itself merely means that they're short and have some other qualities. Usually. Kind of a catch-all term for a number of the short races. Ought to include dwarves in the mix according to some of my kind. Many Shadarian cities have a halfling quarter - you can get good meals there, but as everything is scaled for shorter than elfkind, getting about is difficult. There's good and bad. Down in Nihon, they've got their yin-yang 'dualities' philosophy. They've also got the humble and goodnatured k'kree and the grandiose and sneaky kitsune as living examples of that sort of thing. Here in Shadar, you mainly run into the mouselings - who tend to be quiet 'in the background' sorts of folk. They tend to be good at crafts, lousy at the High Art, and fairly sociable. Though there are definitely exceptions."
-- Keian the Wanderer, "A Wanderer's Journal"

During the First Age Of Man there was a period (c. 2210-2430 aka the Genecraftor Period) where genetic engineers made many races for many purposes. The Dwarves were designed for heavy gravity, the L-vers (Elves) for low or zero gravity, the Goblinkin as cheap soldiers.

The races of Aramar in this, the Seventh Age Of Man, known as halflings largely originated from this period where this new science/art form had been perfected before it became lost in the Second Diaspora. This origin of the species is only known to a few within the two empires.

The races of Halfling have two major points in common. All are shorter than a human, about half to three-quarters the height of a human or a Delphins. All are anthropomorphic to some extent. Though originally created as slave races, this has become forgotten by all save some of the Reptine.

The Most Common 3 In Shadar

Mouselings are among the most common and the most similar to the halflings of the Forgotten Realms and similar lands. They are bipedal mice, with little human features. Originally gene-crafted to be domestics, they remain neat and tidy and dextrous. Most often found near dwarven communities as the two are of similar size and the mouselings appreciate the dwarves for their smithcraftery and fighting prowess, while the dwarves find mouseling dexterity and fine attention to detail of use. They were originally called something else, but the term mouseling became popular during the reign of Mannin Shades and has stuck. Mouselings are most often of the Thief class by talent or skill, though not by actual practice. There are a few mages among their number, though there has never been a mouseling mage of better than Jaderank.
as for D&D Halfling. Add +2 to Alertness due to superior hearing and +2 to Cooking skill if possessed.

Orahm were originally engineered from ape stock to be mechanics and maintenence workers. Over the centuries, they have become architects and craftsmen of all stripe, though they remain mainly artificiers of some kind. It is their niche, psychologically and physically, and the non-skilled non-craftsman orahm is considered to be deranged by the standards of their kind. Orahm are short but powerful, with long arms and prehensile feet. They can be and are often Thieves by the most simplistic pigeonholing, but they rarely steal anything. In D&D terms, they most fit the niche for Gnomes though they are better climbers and far less skilled at illusions. Orahm rarely go in for the magical arts at all and seem ill at ease with such things. There have been a few orahm clerics, but these are few and far between.
treat as D&D Half-orc. Add Climbing skill as bonus proficiency. Use halfling movement rates.

Kirrfolk call themselves something different, but accept the term as an old phrase that works well enough. Kirr was a tribal hero in their legends who founded the race, and therefore the "people of Kirr" is acceptable. The Kirrfolk themselves are short (about 5') tall and thinly built feline anthropomorphs. Their fur is short and thick, they have blunt non-retractile claws, a short muzzle, and a long tail. Originally the race was engineered from cheetah, leopard, human, and puma genes. They are a race of sprinters whose speed is great but who tire easily. People of the Seventh Age attribute the term "catnaps" to Kirrfolk who normally sleep for periods of about one hour after every four awake. Kirrfolk tend to be somewhat monomaniacals who change their obsession frequently. They are most likely to become Rangers or Fighters, favoring weapons where their natural speed and hand-eye coordination can be most useful.
treat as D&D Elf with a Haste spell in operation. No nightvision or weapon bonuses.

Also found primarily in Shadar:

• Burrowers are a race of short, thickly built, marsupial anthropomorphs with thick digging claws. As the name suggests, they burrow elaborate lairs for themselves. (+1 CON, -1 DEX, -1 with all skills that require hands.)
• The Ottari are intelligent otters. Mainly found in Shadarian ports and oceanbound vessels. They take very little seriously except a good meal. (-1 STR, +1 DEX, -1 WIS, +1 CHA)
• The spider-like Weavers are counted among the halfling races despite a lack of humanoid features and that they are extradimensional travellers encountered by Shadarian spelljammers. (not suggested for PCs due to very limited advancement abilities and innate fragility.)
• The Lupine (wolf anthropomorphs) and Tortle (turtle anthropomorphs) are also counted as halflings, though this point is argued by many. Both were races encountered during the time Shadarian spelljammers plied the multiverse. (lupine +1 STR, -1 WIS) (tortle +1 CON -1 DEX)
• The Tarakne are a closed society within Shadar, a set of twelve clans of what look like half-elves to outsiders. Each clan has a specialized skill and specializes in a weapon. They are dedicated weapon masters who have elaborate rituals and are often found in mercenary employment. (no stat bonuses. race is a Kit for half-elves)
• In the mountainous areas of Cross Island are found the Raptors, so named by the late Mannin Shades. Their own language contains hypersonic components, so using an outsider term is acceptable to them - for outsiders. Dinosaurian warriors. (not suggested for PCs due to limited advancement)

The Most Common 3 In Nihon

Tallf are halflings from another dimension, a group that was encountered during the Delphins spelljamming days. They are slender elflike beings about half the height of an elf, with thick manes of (usually) dark hair. Though one can occasionally be found in a city and acting civilized, most prefer a more simple and nomadic lifestyle as hunter-gatherers. They are tough and wily fighters who use pack tactics and savagery to survive. Their classification is most often as Barbarians. Some tribes have also been known to worship dragons, which most dragons find embarassing at the very least. Their gender is subject to change based on a number of external triggers.
(use halfling stats.)

K'kree view the Thri-kreen as sort of a wayward big brother. While their numbers are not great, they are commonly encountered throughout Nihon. K'kree are insectile humanoids in appearance, very thin and covered in a smooth hard chiton that forms a natural armor. They are very law-abiding and disciplined, and they normally emit a faint perfume that denotes mood in a way that mandibles and bug eyes cannot. The most commonly encountered k'kree is a cleric/psionicist with their philosophical path being Hevrig. The major reason for their low numbers is a universal lack of ambition within the species.
(Use halfling stats. no nightvision but has 360degree vision. Natural AC equivelant to studded leather.)

Spirit Folk is the term for three seperate subraces that are accounted as halflings by many. Aasimar, tiefling, and genasi all fit into this category. Aasimar are those descended from the children of angels and beings of light. Tiefling are those descended from the children of demons and beings of darkness. Genasi are those whose ancestry contains one of an elemental nature. The numbers of each subrace are small, but together they form at least 5% of Nihon's total population.

Other notable halfling breeds in Nihon:

• Tortles and Lupine and Rakasta (turtle anthropomorphs, wolf anthropomorphs, and cat anthropomorphs) are technically not halflings as these villages are descendents of settlers from the days that House Rising Sun engaged in planar travel experiments (6th Age Of Man).
• Tengu or the raven anthropomorphs are rare but well respected. It is said that they perfect sword and naginata techniques that transcend skill into magic. (as halfling but add 12" flight)
• The rare kaeru or frog-people are neither strong nor handsome, and prefer an isolationist stance. Due to their skills swimming and difficulties on land, they are most often found on sea-faring craft. (as halfling but add 8" swim, 3" jump. no nightvision or weapon bonuses)
• The kitsune are anthropomorphic foxes who occupy a niche similar to the gnomes of places like the Forgotten Realms, except that they are not inclined towards work of any kind much less invention. The typical kitsune is a Thief/Illusionist and a self-serving opportunist. Not that they don't form friendships with other races (even another kitsune can rarely tolerate another kitsune) or that there are not individuals who have a code of honor, but their well deserved reputation is as con-artists and thieves. (as gnome thief/illusionist)
• Kenku are hawk-people, even rarer than the tengu. Specialists in the staff and Air Elemental magic, these are recluses who are rarely seen outside their village or the High Court. (as gnome, substitute Elemental Air for Illusion as specialty school of magic.)
• The weirdest race to be considered a halfling are the bunjarian - a blue blob of rubbery material. Their ability to adhere to surfaces and stretch and deform their surface gives them the ability to be get around but it is their fondness for eating green slimes and practically any kind of fungus, ooze, or pudding that makes them popular in ways not normally found for blue blobs. (not recommended as a PC due to limited level advancement and often alien mindset.)