We began a series on expanding the barely touched upon
cultures of non-humans in Golarion in July and we continue that series with
this month’s edition: the cannibal
halflings of the Kaava Lands. The Desert Dwarves we looked at
last month had a paragraph or two written about them which gave us a great
place to start. The cannibal halflings are barely mentioned in a sentence on
page 127 of the inner sea world guide. So we have practically nothing to go on,
other than we know they’re man-eaters and we know they worship demons.
History
Kenin-Ha which translates from halfling as “hungry jungle
people” is the traditional name of the halfling tribes who live in the Kaava
Lands in the Mwangi Expanse. Although many outsiders view the cannibalistic
Kenin-Ha as all one people there are actually a number of distinct tribes. Like
the tribes of the human Mwangi people, the Kenin-Ha have lived in the Kaava
Lands for as long as they can remember. Their oral history does not say how
their people came to reside there or where they came from originally. Some of
the tribes believe that this is the original land of the halflings and that all
the other halflings are descended from tribes that moved out of the jungle over
time.
The oral histories do say that at one point the Keenin-Ha
were once slaves to a powerful empire; perhaps those who ruled from the many
ancient ruins found within the jungles interior. The halflings seeking their
freedom turned to any sources that would grant it to them. The Demon Lord Zura
was the first to answer the call and offered the freedom in exchange for their
devotion. Although not all of the usually peaceful halflings agreed, a great
many tired of the yoke of slavery did.
The freedom of the halflings was bloody. In exchange for
her aid the ones that would become the Keenin-Ha had to prove their loyalty be
eating the flesh and drinking the blood of those who would not receive her
gift. After slaughtering hundreds of their own people the now cannibalistic
halflings fought of their oppressors, killing and devouring them as well,
before escaping into the jungle. Although Zura was the first Demon Lord to
offer the halflings power she was not the last.
Over the coming centuries disagreements amongst the
halflings split them into many differing tribes. Although they all remain
cannibals they did not all retain worship of Zura. Angazhan, Cyth-V'sug, and
Urxehl have all become patrons to some of the tribes in the Kaava lands. The
worshipers of Angazhan have nominally allied themselves with the Gorilla King
of Usaro. The Cyth-V'sug devotees are the most recent group to have strayed
from Zura as they were outcast after contracting a wasting disease. Urxehl’s
followers are probably even more brutal than Zora’s followers and of the tribes
they are the most likely to attack the other halfling tribes with little to no
cause.
Physiology
Keenin-Ha haflings differ very little from their other
halfling kin in terms of body structure. Their most distinctive feature is not
actually a natural occurrence. All Keenin-Ha have their teeth sharpened to fine
points. Although it doesn’t make their bite any stronger than civilized
halflings it does allow them to tear at the meat that is a part of their diet
better.
One of the few differences is smell. Because of the
Keenin-Ha are almost exclusively meat eaters their breath always has a strong
smell of rotting flesh. Races with a keen olfactory sense are known to be the
best trackers of the small cannibals because they can smell them coming from a
great distance off. The halflings themselves have gotten so used their own
stench that they never notice it.
Family
Like the more well-known halflings of Avistan and
Katapesh, the Keenin-Ha see family as one of the most important things in their
lives. Family is second only to worship of the tribes Demon Lord. The cannibal
halflings are incredibly protective of their immediate family and of their
tribe as a whole. Although many of the tribes fight among themselves to show
who is strongest and should lead, they will all band together regardless when
threatened by outsiders.
The Kaava Lands halflings do not keep to what one would
consider traditional gender roles. The strongest leads the tribe, the strongest
leads the family. A family unit is usually made up of a three and sometimes
four generations of the same line. The one who can prove they are strongest can
wrest power from the current family leader.
Society
A tribe can be made up as few as three or four families
to as many as ten to fifteen. Tribal leaders are usually those granted favor by
the Demon Lord that the tribe worships. Whether this is in the form of oracular
ability, the brute force of the battle priests, or on even on rare occasion one
is given the power of the antipaladin, it doesn’t matter. The Keenin-Ha see
divine gifts as sign that the recipient holds favor enough to lead.
The cannibal halflings must constantly raid for their
preferred form of sustenance, flesh of sentient creatures. Because of this the
Keenin-Ha constantly test themselves for battle. Only the strongest among them
can lead them to victory and so there are constant tests of power to see who
will be a war leader among the tribe.
The destructive nature of their patrons sows in how the
Keenin-Ha tribes acquire goods. Although they have some simple craftsmen such
as bowyers and fletchers as well as those who can create wooden weapons, they
do not aspire to any advanced methods of crafting. Anything the halflings have
they get through raids and slaughter. Metal weapons taken from the outsiders
who seek to travel through the jungle for trade are often prized possessions.
One thing that is common among every halfling cultures is
idea that a young halfling must perform some noteworthy task before being an
adult. For the Keenin-Ha this task is usually the youngster’s first kill. Like
the more civilized halflings, their cannibal cousins also hold onto a sacred
keepsake. Whereas beads, buttons, dice, and earrings are common among common
halflings, for the Keenin-Ha these keepsakes are usually bone fragments,
weapons of the enemy, or scraps of preserved flesh. In some cases the demon
worshipers have been known to keep an organ from their first kill worn as a
trinket.
Alignment and Faith
The brutal tribal life that the Keenin-Ha live as well as
their penchant for devouring the flesh of sometimes still-living humanoids puts
them whole in the category of evil creatures. Most commonly the cannibal
halflings are Chaotic Evil, but Neutral Evil and Chaotic Neutral are not
unheard of.
The Keenin-Ha are devout followers of their chosen Demon
Lords. Whereas most followers of creatures of the abyss do so out of fear of
something, the Keenin-Ha see the Demon Lords as saviors from their life of
slavery. Angazhan, Cyth-V'sug, Urxehl, and Zura are worshiped among the largest
number of tribes but a handful of small tribes worship other lords of the
Abyss.
Relations
Unlike more civilized halflings who find it easy to
ingratiate themselves with other races, the Keenin-Ha are almost universally
despised by others. The human tribes of the Mwangi expanse give the cannibal
halflings a wide berth, seeing them as an annoyance. The human colonists fear
the demon worshipers who will attack trading parties whenever they get the
chance.
The Keenin-Ha have few allies and it is more of a
tribe-by-tribe basis. Some of the Demon Lords the tribes follow make certain
interactions easier. Those that follow Angazhan see favor from the Gorilla
King, while those who follow Urxehl have found allies among the jungle trolls.
These alliances ebb and flow as resources dwindle or become abundant.
Adventurers
The Keenin-Ha rarely leave their jungle homes, but when
they do it is usually to further some plot of their patron Demon Lord or
perform some deed for their tribe. The most common class among all the tribes
is Barbarian.
Nature-based classes are common with Druid, Ranger, Hunters, and Shaman being plentiful. Medicine men, shamans, and witch
doctors of the tribes can be Clerics, Oracles, Witches, and
even Sorcerers.
What kind of cultures for other races would you like to
see? Would you use these cannibal halflings in your Golarion campaign? Would
you adapt them to your homebrew world? What other information would you like to
know about the Keenin-Ha?
If you are devouring the lore the CRB brings you just
like the Keenin-ha devour, well, you know, consider becoming a contributor on
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