The Skelfsider Clan are a major yet poor Halfling Clan. Having no special skills or trades which distingushes them from their brethren, they exist on the fringes of both Human and Halfling society. They take whatever jobs become available, finding work where they can, no matter how unpleasant. Necessity often drives them into illegal pursuits, though rarely with the relish displayed by the Lowhavens. They are also less cohesive, and less well connected, than the racketeers, with most larger towns and cities being home to one or more Skelfsider ‘warrens’ — almost a mini-rookery — where dozens of Skelfsiders eke out a living, squashed into sordid, unclean quarters.[1a]
Skelfsider Halflings can generally be found pursuing all the unpleasant jobs no one else wants to undertake. Gong farmer, rat catchers, and beggars are common professions, and many work as day-labour in abattoirs, docks, tanning yards, and lye manufacturers. Some work on the fringes of the law as grave robbers and outlaws, often being roped into the Lowhavens’ schemes as extra (expendable) muscle. Skelfsiders are unafraid of hard work, and many are honest, meaning some can end up in relatively secure employment, working for respectable businesses as seamstresses, stevedores, or clerks.[1a]