/lit/ - Literature

How do I tell the reader something about a fantasy character without doing a big "Concerning Hobbits" style info-dump? The first thing that happens in my story is a half-human guy contacts the protagonist - I need to explain that he's half-human, what the other half is, and how that makes people react to him, without derailing the scene he's a part of. Best thing I can think of is to have a random yokel stare and ask "what the heck are you?", but it seems like a cheap trick. Thoughts?

Hey everyone!
ITT: tips on how to improve your writing. Can be advice on anything, character development, writing pretty prose, choosing a good setting, etc...

Also if you have any questions or concerns about your writing feel free to ask.

I'll start off with advice a teacher back in high school gave me, "it doesn't matter if your first draft is shit. As long as you edit brilliantly."