The Borrowers
The Borrowers: The Hidden Folk of the Big World
"What the giants see as junk, we see as tools. What you forget, we find purpose in."
Who Are the Borrowers?
The Borrowers are a miniature race—no taller than a spool of thread—living in the margins of the human world. Where others see walls and dust and forgotten clutter, Borrowers see civilization.
They make homes behind radiators, beneath floorboards, inside hollowed-out books, and even within the walls of Hillmere House. Theirs is a world of craftiness, caution, and courage.
They do not take—they borrow. And when a pencil goes missing, or a sock disappears mysteriously?
It may just be in the hands of a Borrower, repurposed for something incredible.
Life in Hillmere House
In Hillmere House, Borrowers live under a rare Pact of Peace.
Gone are the feuds and tribal rivalries. Here, ingenuity rules. They build rotating camps from forgotten tools and discarded treasures. Safety is a daily invention, and every hallway is an expedition.
Their society runs on resourcefulness, cooperation, and wit.
Daily Life:
A Toothpick becomes a spear, a matchbox becomes a bunkhouse, thread spools are pulleys, zip lines, or wheel hubs, half a candy is a feast. A sugar cube? Currency.
Children are raised on stories of heroic scavenges and daring runs to the “High Places” (tables and counters), and young Borrowers dream of one day earning their badge among the Ironhollow Scouts.
Borrower Traits (System Flavor)
Tiny Stature: They can slip through keyholes, pipes, vents, or gaps in wood.
Improviser’s Soul: Any mundane object might become a trap, weapon, or tool.
Heightened Caution: Keen senses and incredible balance help them avoid towering dangers.
Lifespan: About 50-60 years, most serve their clans by 10.
Culture: Equal parts scavenger, scout, engineer, and dreamer.
In the cracks of humanity’s world, the Borrowers thrive.
In Hillmere, they stand united.
And you are about to become part of a story passed down in folded paper scrolls, tied with string, and tucked behind the paneling for future generations to read.
Mechanics:
DnD 5E (2014) with variations
-No magic
-available classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Rouge, Ranger, Monk
-backgrounds: none magic based
-Feats: start with one feat, no magic based feats
-equipment/ crafting: equipment acts relatively the same, except that it is not flavored the same.
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