Human

Humans are as diverse as they are numerous. Pale and fair skinned on Albion, dark and hardy on Eridas, fair and noble in the Far-East of Ezura, humans have spread far and wide since their mythological beginnings. Some more xenophobic than others, all humans have a deep respect for the Elves of old and their arcane and martial prowess. They will not shy from making powerful friends wherever they can, even if those friends are exotic and looked down upon in human cities as a whole.

Humans on Calcaria can be divided into several different groups:

Humans of Albion

Aumontine - Hailing from the North of the continent, these men and women have a long tradition of brewing beer and pushing the boundaries of technology and their military. Today the Western Aumontines may refer to themselves as Sancrens, though they share the same history of Aumont as a whole.

Livonians - Living in the far East of Albion, Livonians pride themselves on cleanliness, music and the preservation of their and the imperial culture of Arran. Great miners, they produce much of Albion's metals.

Rivainians - Great winemakers and having a large love for entertainment, Rivanians are shrewd traders and diplomats. They see opportunity where others do not, and always know how to make gold in the poorest of situations.

Albans - Exceptional sailors and ship builders, the Albans of the South of Albion are its namesake: it was here that Arran first landed with his fleet of 500 ships and each and every Alban is proud of their long history on the continent.

Viks - Far Northern peoples, the Viks live across the Steps of Decay that connects them to Albion and are older than the humans who reside there. Skilled warriors and shipbuilders, the Viks are a shamanistic society that favours the strongest to rule.

Humans of Ezura

Menkan - The Menkan inhabit the middle kingdom of Far-Eastern Ezura and have seen much strife and civil war in the past millennia. Their bureaucracy and skills with a glaive knows no equal in all of Calcaria.

Jō-yoi - The Jō-yoi live under the young state of Higara in the lands of Gynth, or Genkai as it is known locally. These are good sailors and fishermen, and have a strong connection to the lands and its elements. They are also master duelers and their skill with the sword is unmatched.

Damarans - Found primarily in the South of Ezura, Damarans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Theirs is a simple life, dedicated to farming and the constant battle with the terrors that lurk in the Togatal Jungles to the north.

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

With their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. An individual can stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds. Human skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, and hair colours from black to blond. Some humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century.

Ecology and Habitats

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the many different lands where they have settled. When they settle, though, they stay: they build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarven houses and floren elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone.

Although some humans can be xenophobic, in general their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of nonhumans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Imperial Common, Trade Tongue, Calesian, Caltean, Damarish, Genkai

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents give their children names from other languages, such as Dwarvish or Elvish (pronounced more or less correctly), but most parents give names that are linked to their region’s culture or to the naming traditions of their ancestors.

The material culture and physical characteristics of humans can change wildly from region to region. On Calcaria the clothing, architecture, cuisine, music, and literature are different in the northwestern lands of Albion than in near-eastern Ezura—and even more distinctive in the Far-East. Human physical characteristics, though, vary according to the ancient migrations of the earliest humans, so that the humans of Calcaria have every possible variation of coloration and features.

Lifespan

~ 80 years

Average Height

5 feet - 6 feet

Average Length

100 - 200 pounds