Humans

"You think you got an eye on what they're capable of, but by the Book, they've got surprises! In my grandfather's day, it was dwarves that ruled the west. Now only Carinthia keeps them where they belong. Another generation and they'll have us all by the ear."
-Manon of the Emerald Tower, one of Aqualonde's political salons
In many ways humans are a familiar sort of people to us all. In the land of Halinor and beyond, of course, they take this basic formula and apply it to a myriad of results. The time of man has not been one of historical triumph, of course, but in recent centuries the ascension of humans has been to the forefront of politics. Despite their short lives, their drive, innovation, and pioneering spirits have brought them great achievement.
Character Traits
Human characters start off with the following modifiers to their stats and abilities
Ability Score Increase
Your ability scores each increase by 1.
Age
Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Size
Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.


Humans in Halinor
No matter which corner of Halinor you visit, you are certain to find humans there. Whether in the capitals or the outlying villages they have spread out from their ancestral home in D'yadya to the whole of the continent--and beyond across the seas.
Aqualonde
The humans in Aqualonde have found a place that welcomes their creative insights and ideas, and the relatively egalitarian nature of Aqualonde means that they have had a chance to win influence and power. While a force to be reckoned with, humans have not claimed all the power for themselves. The distribution of influence and the shifting sands of power mean, however, that whoever remains 'on top' of the power structure here is favored more toward the elves. They're simply better suited to maintaining the complex web of alliances to succeed in Aqualonde, but this does not mean that the novelty of human representatives from the salons or guilds is too rare.
Avosa Tesota
Avosa Tesota is the city of misfits, of half-breeds and daring--of course humans are here and they make their presence felt. Whether on sea or land you can find humans across all strata of society here.
Carinthia
Carinthia is the stronghold of the elves. All the highest positions of power belong to them and have been part of the elves' arsenal since the inception of the city. Humans find their home here, but they are the lowest rungs of society; farmers if naught else, or laborers in the grungy undercity of Carinthia proper.
D'yadya
Widely considered to be the 'birthplace' of humanity, humans 'grew' up here alongside the halfling tribes which no doubt contributes to their ongoing good relations. Now of course the D'yadyans are either refugees or under the thumb of the Vociran Empire.
Shurevaire
Shurevaire continues in the tradition of Aqualonde, creating a society where more than just one's heritage matters for success. In that vein humans found their opening and have flourished in both the academic and societal parts of the young island city-state. Their curiosity and drive for creating new things has endeared them; over the years, contributions and familiarity have made humans as much a part of Shurevaire as the elves themselves.
Tarwa'kem
Tarwa'kem counts itself as the premiere example of overcoming the prejudices of the elves and instead give credit, accolade, and respect to anyone, regardless of their heritage, as long as they can thrive in the markets. Humans, with their ingenuity and perserverence, have made fine additions to this cutthroat land, but beyond this, they have actually 'supplanted' the dwarven dynasty before them. Now it is the Karo-kems, a human-dominant bloodline, that ostensibly leads the nation. True to form, marriage alliances with important dwarven families are often made with more minor branches of the Karo-kem family, but the primary line is truly a human one. Humans often see this as a sign that Tarwa'kem is truly a land of opportunity for them.