Anything But Adventurer Rules Friday: Black Hobbits of Antillia !

This is for Jeff, @ Jeffs Gameblog ....Tell me to steal a campaign, will you !.......

Much of what is known as the great western ocean is in fact dotted with numerous small and often lightly inhabited islands; one, unfortunately, is neither small, nor lightly inhabited: Antillia. 

Antiallia is a very large and oddly rectangular  island, with seven major cities, and is densely and almost exclusively inhabited by a race known colloquially as black hobbits. Named for their temper and disposition rather than their skin tone or coloration, the black hobbits of Antillia have been a perpetual thorn in the side of mariners and coast dwellers since time immemorial.
Unfortunately, Antillia is on several important trade routes, is rich in mineral resources, and quite poor agriculturally. The net result is a dangerous island full of short hungry comic-opera pirates and shady ‘merchants’ that nonethess constantly attracts merchant adventurers, hoping to trade food and textiles for gold and silver. It is suspected that in addition to mines, Antillia has ancient ruins and/or a connection to the underworld, due to the frequent circulation of ancient and strange coins, often of a squid headed or bat winged variety. Merchants can make considerable profit, particulalry on pies, but are advised to travel in strongly defended convoys, and go nowhere alone, and certainly not with a pie. Attempts have been made to suppress the constant low level piracy that surrounds the island, and has occasionally been successful, but it invariably returns quite quickly, at least partly due to the constant influx of merchant ships that “go missing”.

Attempts to blockade the island, or at least cut off trade have all failed. When the island runs low on food, it disgorges a vast horde of black hobbits in boats and ships of all sizes which swarm off the island looking for "grub".  Though many are sunk or turned back, far too many survive to raid and terrorize other islands and especially the coasts of the continent. Thus, creating such a situation  is generally resented by those nations not involved in the blockade or war. Invasions tend to fare even worse, due to the distances to Antillia, the huge population, and the logistical problems in a land where guerilla activity frequently involves short partisans leaping into the army food barrels and eating their way out; plus everyone else is raising the prices for everything, including water and dirt. Plus, trying to kill you.

It is conjectured that the well known dislike of water and boats by common Hobbits is due to their cousin’s tendency to invade coastal provinces, and insisting on visiting for extended periods of time when they find long lost cousins.

Black Hobbits: Trait: Small. (3d6 DEX, 1d6 STR & END) . Size : 1 meter tall, 25-50 Kg. Appearance. When fed, generally happy and having an eye kept on them: indistinguishable from common hobbits; when hungry, hungover, or generally cheesed off: Unkempt filthy mad-eyed Hobbit in a leather posing pouch, spiked or horned helmet waving a two handed axe or sword*, plus some kind of bow or javelin; generally running at you off of a cheap imitation longship screaming “GimmiesomeeatsyoubigbastardAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGHHHHDIEDIEDIEIDE!”

Culture:Savage/Physical/Urban , net modifiers; +2 END ; -1 SOC and EDU
Typical stats: 4A8655:
Base skills: Choose one of, Farming or Trade, plus one weapon (usually two handed)*
Typical City: C or E 794637



*well, two handed for them. Treat as blade or hatchet.