Life After Death

[TakeMeT0TheFae 970]

~* A Halfling's Afterlife *~

 

Like many other belief systems, Halflings believe that there are two possible places that one may end up depending on the course of their life; one for those who have lived ‘good’ lives and a place for those who have lived ‘bad’ lives.  However, unlike many other beliefs one does not gain access to one or the other through strict adherence to a set of rules.  Instead, the actions Halflings take during their lifetimes and how they treat those around them is what determines their final destination.

The Golden Wheatfields

 

The Golden Wheatfields is where any decent Halfling will strive to end up and most do make their way there after their life has concluded.  One must only strive to treat those around them with respect, help their community, and be a good person in order to find themselves here in the never ending sea of grain.  Even if one stumbles every now and then through their life, as everyone does, it is merely the intent to do good that counts and this is something that is rarely missing from the wee-folk. 

 

This world is everything a Halfling could hope for, a large hill sits in the middle of it which has countless burrows for all the Halflings who have made their way there throughout the ages.  Song and dance are always close at hand as the endless feasts keep the residents' bellies full and hearts happy.  The ale never stops running, laughter never stops coming, and music is always filling the air with it’s soft melodies as the decent wee-folk from everywhere are able to live without fear of being raided or going hungry.  It truly is heavenly.  Around this hill golden wheat is planted as far as the eye can see, almost seeming as if it never ends.  Many choose to spend their days tending to the crops, finding the utmost joy in tending to the land even in death. 

 

Many families live in burrows together, up to 20 generations sometimes living in the same burrow which can grow as big as an entire village.  Yet nothing is ever too far away to walk, as time does not matter.  The only worry is who will tell the next story as Halfling history is told and discovered all around this most splendid of places. 

 

Arugula’s Tide

 

This place is the golden wheatfields mirror in every way; food and drink being unheard of, crying and wailing replacing that of laughter, no crops to tend to, no friends to catch up with.  In fact, this realm consists of nothing but dark murky water in which the poor souls who wind up here float, a giant whirlpool which continuously sucks them in and drowns them over-and-over again, storm clouds delivering a constant downpour of rain which ensures no one here can ever feel the warmth of dryness again, and lightning which is always quickly followed by thunder to assure even if one was able to fall asleep they will not be granted that relief for long.  You see, Halflings prefer to have their feet planted solidly on land, to feel the earth between their toes.  So, when the place of punishment for the wee-folk was thought up by the gods above, it only made sense to never allow them that pleasure or security ever again. 

 

Instead, those cursed to spend eternity in Arugula’s Tide simply float in an endless ocean, constantly being sucked into a giant whirlpool in the center where they drown, before bobbing back up on the outskirts only to repeat the process so many times they lose count.  To make matters worse, sometimes Arugula themself will show up, devouring some poor soul and sending terror throughout their realm before disappearing into it’s murky depths once more. Though many people do not find themselves here, parents often tell stories of this place to their children to make sure they behave.  Though it is rare, some unfortunate souls have been sent here through the ages, cursed to forever float in a sea of darkness.

[NotEvilAtAll 10906]

"Sure do 'ope tha' E'ernal Golden Whea'fields don' need res' seasons loike crops down 'ere on Almaris!" says Filibert Applefoot with a smile, working away at the fields of Honeyhill.

[HobbitForHire 215]

"Oh so now Billy Bob decides who goes where?" Elyse ponders. "Accordin' t' wha' laws? 'onestly. It seems loike t'ere should a' least be an oppourtuni'y t' defend yerself" she says, pouring over some local laws as she heard the tale being told.