The halflings are a rather peaceful people and few large conflicts can be found in their history. They generally prefer to gain the favor of potential enemies, or at least make them dependent on their commerce. If engaged in military conflict they typically avoid open war in favor of sabotage and guerilla tactics. They can be troublesome foes, and are both cunning and determined when defending their lands and families. Halflings know how to make good use of their size, and in battle they rely on ambushes and superior numbers. Ever since the Battle of Mervin Hill, when a band of orcs and trolls raided the halfling villages, every adult halfling has traditionally kept a weapon at home. Settlements keep bonfires that can be lit to signal trouble, and thus a militia can swiftly be rallied. Each village or town has at least one sheriff as well, whose duties include leading the militia and making strategic decisions. Bigger villages or towns are commonly surrounded by wooden palisades, and the hills are often tunneled to make swift escapes and ambushes possible. The Mervin hill borders are protected, as another result of the Battle of Mervin Hill. In the aftermath, the friendly elves of A'lure constructed outposts along halfling borders and manned them with rangers. The halflings happily agreed to support the outposts with needed supplies. A few years later the elves founded a rangers guild in Evylee in order to educate halflings who wished to participate in the defenses of their land. The nature-loving halflings proved to have talent for the path of the ranger, and today the border patrols mainly consist of halflings. Halflings favor one-handed weapons, such as daggers, knifes, short swords and clubs. They are often proficient in ranged weapons as well, such as short bows and slings, since this type of armament enables them to keep a distance from their foe. They wear light armor such as leather or padded cloth, and use small round wooden shields. Items found in households and farms, such as knives, scythes and wooden clubs, are common weapons of choice among the militia, and they seldom own good armor.