Help me destroy a halfling village

[Dr_Rictus]

My PC party includes two halflings who are cousins, and I'm currently planning an adventure where they must go back to their home village and save it from the rampages of a band of Jerren (the evil halflings from the Book of Vile Darkness).

Thing is, the characters do not yet have a tremendous amount of background developed, but I want to create a sense of past homey familiarity to the place to contrast with the evil that has come to visit. To accomplish this, I want to develop pleasant, bucolic character sketches for ... well, to put it bluntly, victims.

So, anybody want to suggest some short descriptions for innocent halflings to be killed and eaten (or worse)? I'm all ears.

 

[DanMcS]

Rosengirdle Furlong (female halfling commoner 3), a local matron. She operates a small bakery which serves as a local gathering place, and also serves a small selection of local brews (dump the cliche inn, eh?). Rumored to be linked romantically with one of the old brewers.

Her children, Tomas, Rory, Daisy, Edwin, and Eileen (equivalent to human late teens to toddler, I don't remember halfling age brackets). The older kids work in the family business. Tomas dreams of being a great warrior. Eileen has just started wobbling about the bakery and chattering child nonsense, and will hold her arms up to be picked up by nearly anyone. The Furlongs live overtop their business; the ovens keep the whole place warm even in the bitterest frost.

Old Mister Furlong died two winters ago, rest his soul, when the worgs came out of the blizzard.

Parrafus Kerrickson (male halfling commoner 3), brewer of a fine stout. His brother Darran is a farmer, and gives a good family discount on barley, in return for first sampling rights. Perry (as he's known to his friends) spends a good deal of time at the widow Furlong's establishment, prompting the local wags to much gossip. Darren lives further outside of town, and alas, his neat cottage, lovely wife Ellen, and three children will probably be one of the first targets of the raiders. Darren wields a mean crossbow, as the rabbits in his garden have discovered, but he's no match for brigands.

You could steal quite a few characters from the very beginning and very end of the LotR trilogy, if you were so inclined.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Great stuff! Thanks!