Hunger In The Jungle

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?

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