I was born in a small Elven town on the outskirts of civilization. Aye, I know I'm a halfling, I'll get to that presently if you'll just be patient.  My mother an' my father, decent, hardworking folk, had been banished from their former village after the "prophet" of our town decided my birth would bring on bad luck- tryin to stir up trouble, he was.

So my parents took all they could carry (which wasn't much, with my dear mother 8 months pregnant and my father with quickly failing health) and set off into the world. It wasn't easy for them, and ye can be sure it didn't get any easier. When I was days away from bein born, my father collapsed and told my mother he could not go on any farther and to leave him be. My ever compassionate mother (I've always wondered if she didn't have a touch of empathetic blood in her yet) told him they could bed down for the night and lay down quietly beside him. The next morning, she found him dead.

She mourned his death greatly but could do nothing more for him than cover him with what foliage she could find and set on her way. not a day later she stumbled into the nearest town and begged for help. The elven folk of the village, being altogether kind people, agreed to take her in.  I was born on the 2nd day of the 7th month of Moliko the balance in the year of the amber phoenix, 339, and promptly named Shia, "One who causes trouble" in my native olvi tongue. And believe me, I earned it...

But I will not dawdle on insignificant facts. For the most part, I lead a happy childhood among the elven people, who accepted my mother and I as one of their own. At the tender age of 15, however, I developed a rather severe case of wanderlust and begged my mother to let me explore.  Although wary, she sent me off with her blessing, a couple of coppers and the clothing on my back. And so my adventures began.

I have not the time to tell you all the things I experienced. For years I traveled the realms seeking excitement and adventure. Yet somehow, I seemed to always be drawn back to the crossing bard guild and my merry bardic friends...

I decided, one night, after a particularly uncomfortable situation involving a rather angry wizard and a rather unprotected me that it might be time to settle down- just a little bit. So I (literally, I might add) ran to the bards guild and promptly joined.