Hauflin

Hauflin
The Hauflin people, in appearance are a combination of the Children of Earth and Children of Fire. These diminutive people have the slight-bone structure common of elves and the stature of Hill Dweorhs. They are Imagodai’s managers. They revel in the organizing of the different Children of the Elementals.

History
The Hauflin people have the most unusual and clouded history, with regards to their origin and are not all that concerned about correcting the misinformation. It is not exactly clear where these Children of Spirit originated from in the grand plan that Imagodai was working through. Her original Children of Spirit were not physical beings and the Hauflin are definitely physical beings. The Hauflins, called the "Little People" by many of the other races of Orenda, are perpetually upbeat and almost childlike in appearance. The Hauflins average about four feet ten inches tall in height, with slender bone structures, and youthful appearance that persists well into their dotage. Some of the more misled or rural Human populace have myths about Hauflins that do not flatter them and can cause issues for individual Hauflin in some areas of the Human controlled villages, towns, and their main city-state. Stories of Fae Folk abducting infants and young children and the magic of the Fae Folk being used to perpetually trap the children into their youthful appearance, creating the Hauflin race, are told by fear-mongering individuals and groups looking to use this misinformation as a means of controlling the populace.

This myth is far from the truth.

The "Little People" are a mix of the first four Children of the Elemental Gods. Imagodai saw how the Elemental Gods were reshaping their former brothers and sisters into the new peoples of Orenda. She saw the Aviarus, with their lighter bone structure making it possible to move swiftly and fly higher than the other peoples, and gave the Hauflin a lighter and more flexible bone structure. This made it possible for them to move quickly from task to task across the Orenda, carried by their feet, the hands and wings of the Aviarus, or upon the backs of a mount or companion. The Hauflins had to work with the Dweorhs and Elves, on the ground as well. So, Imagodai combined the most distinguishing features of the Children of Earth and the Children of FIre, their height and beauty. Imagodai's final touch was to add the essence of the Children of Spirit that loved helping her and placed that into the physical form she created, creating the Caretakers and Organizers of the Children of the Elemental Gods.

Ultimately, the Hauflins appearance solidified into what is seen across the World of Orenda, today. They are at the middle height of the Dweorhs, which ensured that the "Monumental Builders" would be willing to stop in their work and talk to the Hauflins. To deal with the Elves, Imagodai made sure to partially model the outward appearances of the Hauflin after that of the Children of Fire. The Elves, lovers of beauty, found the Hauflins to be precious jewels, compared to the rough rocks and fluttering feathers of the other non-human races. The name "Little People" was first coined by the Elves, who believed them to be kin to their race, a useful misconception while the World of Orenda was being formed.

SInce the completion of Orenda, the Hauflin have travelled the world helping connect all the other Children of the Elemental Gods. During these travels they discovered the Humans. The Hauflin feel to blame in bringing the attention of the Children of the Elemental Gods to the existence of the Humans. Especially, after some of the races started treating the Humans as "beast of burden", while not treated as poorly as a slave taken in battle or conquest they were still only treated as well as an individual's best mount or favorite pet. The myth about Hauflins and Fae Folk kidnapping infants and children among the Humans and ancient stories of the other non-human races may come from a time when Hauflin were known to spirit away newborns and young children to safe havens where they grew up without the oppression of hard labor for little comfort. The Humans that the Hauflin "saved" were the founders of the city-state that was founded after the return of Partumis. Partumis pardoned Imagodai and her children when he decided to banish all the other Elemental Gods. At the insistence of the Hauflin and Pookas, the other children of the Elemental Gods were also spared banishment and exile by Partumis, the condition of freeing all Humans from captivity and assisting in the creation of a "homeland" for them to live in.

Helpful, caring, child-like, natural organizers and wanderers, the Hauflin mingled with all the races of Orenda. The Hauflins never truly settled into any specific area. While the Hauflins have spread across the numerous communities of Orenda, they never appeared to change from what Imagodai sent out into the world originally, their original nature appears to make them unchanging, much like the Humans that Partumis planned to inherit Orenda.