「Imperial halfling」 is an umbrella term used to cover the cultures of the halflings who dwell within the Empire of Anbennar, most prominently those of Beefoot descent in Beepeck and Orston as well as the Moonfoot halflings who dwell along the Luna River.
History[]
Prior to the formation of the Empire of Anbennar, the Free City of Beepeck reigned as the sovereign state of the Beefoot Halflings who dwell along the marshy mouth of the Widderoy. In addition, across the Dameshead the Moonfoot Halflings lived in small farming enclaves along the Luna River, gifted by the Damerians to refugees fleeing alongside the gnomish founders of Giberd in the aftermath of the Dragonwake.
Afterwards, the citizens of Beepeck made use of their privilege as the halfling elector of Anbennar to establish trading quarters in most of its major cities including Anbenncóst, Vertesk, Damescrown, and Esmarainé. These new neighborhoods in the Luna cities like Indlebury and Bluehart would also draw in the local halflings as customers and trade contacts. This diffusion of Beefoot influence with the existing Moonfoot culture would give rise to a joint Imperial Halfling identity that would last until the annexation of Beepeck into the Small Country following the Blackpowder Rebellion, after which Beefoot would once again be considered separate from the remnant Imperials.
Cultural Traditions[]
The typical Imperial Halfling is a busy one; while the urban populace derive much of their working ethos in imitation of Beepeck–to be as 「busy as bees」–those who dwell in the countryside are also driven in their jobs, helping make their settlements along the Luna some of the most agriculturally-productive lands outside of the Small Country.
One might describe Imperial Halflings as legalistic nitpicks, and that would be correct in part: often taller folk will trod upon the rights of their halfling neighbors due to their perceived physical weakness. In reaction, halflings of the Empire have learned to invoke obscure laws, regulations, and loopholes in order to preserve their holdings as well as becoming well-trained in the art of rhetoric; Beepeckers in particular are infamous for their fast-talking dialect intended to confuse strangers and obfuscate their intentions.
Despite this strain in interracial relations, most Imperial Halflings are rather open and welcoming of other cultures in comparison to their more provincial kinsmen in the Small Country. This is in part due to the influence of the Damerians, who have welcomed halflings, gnomes, dwarves, and elves alike into their heartlands.