hollow_boness

Halhorn was born and raised in Brandybrook with 2 brothers and a sister, named Linser, Finric and Verelle respectively. His family grew a great deal of tobacco and smoking herbs for the village, earning them the surname Hazebreath.

Originally, His family and about half a dozen others lived on the outskirts of Haelun’or. When the Silver State of Haelun’or declared war against the Elven Union, the halflings decided to migrate. They split themselves into 3 groups, each of 2 families, and went on their ways. This was in an attempt to disengage from the war and keep safe. This was two generations ago, and it was Halhorn’s grandparents that made the migration to Brandybrook. The families lived in peace in for about 2 generations.

He was a very outgoing child and made friends with most everyone he in his settlement, but he had 2 very close friends that he spent the majority of his childhood with. Balsam, a boy who he met when he was around 6, and Fern a girl who’s parents were friends with his, and the two had known each other from birth. Halhorn liked to play games with his siblings and friends but also made sure to study hard. His settlement had a village elder who taught the children folklore stories and things about the world around them, such as practical and recreational use for plants. Halhorn was far from the best of students but made sure to understand everything he was taught.

Among other things, Halhorn and his peers were taught that kindness and generosity are always of great importance. This was taught not only because halflings are peaceful and kind but because the generation doing the teaching (most of whom were born between the late 1710s and the early to mid 1720s) was raised during both the War of the Two Emperors and the Three-Month War. Though their settlement was isolated, news still reached them, and a portion of them even ended up drafted, this made those remaining realize how important kindness and compassion are.

In his teenage years he began to realize two things. The first being that he was attracted to men. He came to this realization one day in the summer, when he and Balsam were out playing by a creek. They had decided to swim, and something in him clicked. He realized he had a crush on Balsam. He never spoke of this but it came through in his actions, often spending more time with Balsam or going far out of his way to help the other halfling. 

The second thing he realized was that he wanted more than what his small village could provide. He wanted what he imagined the busy, bustling life of a city to be like. He wanted the flow of people, the big streets, the chatter of crowds, all of it. So he decided to leave.

It was a hard decision for him to make, he didn’t want to leave his family, he didn’t want to leave Balsam. But Halhron was always impulsive, and he consoled himself saying that he could always visit them if he wanted, that he could always return to the village if he didn’t like cities. And so he made up his mind. He told his mother,  Marigold, he was leaving, and she told him to write. He told his father, Falser, he was leaving and he told him to be careful. He told Linser and Finric and Verelle he was leaving, and they asked him “where to?”, he told them that he didn’t know, but he would tell them once he did. He told Fern he was leaving and she told him to not be gone too long, for she’ll miss him. And finally he told Balsam he was leaving. Balsam told him to be careful, and that he expects a long letter, detailing his journeys, for Balsam had always been fascinated with the idea of an adventure, but never wanted to stray too far from home. It was that night that Halhorn decided he must tell Balsam his feelings. He told Balsam “I love you. And I know you might not feel the same, or you might be disgusted with me, but I need to tell you. I’ve loved you for 6 year Balsam and I just need you to know that.” and Balsam stared at him, and he stared at Balsam. Then, Balsam kissed him. Barely a quick peck on the lips, but a kiss. He kissed Halhorn and said “Be careful, Halhorn. And write me when you can.”

That night Halhorn left. He was 23 when he left. And he has been travelling for 3 years, enjoying the freedom, and jumping from one city to the next, but never wanting to settle down. During his travels he has had many encounters with both good and bad people and things, the former leaving him with stories to regale and the latter leaving him blind in one eye and moderately scarred.