Terran Human
"Don't ever mistake humans for the weakest species in the Transpace Alliance. Across all three planets, they have proven time and again their tenacity, their will, and their cunning. Where some of us other folk may have perished, they have overcome, and then prospered. They've even learned how to prolong their lives to stave off death itself. Never, ever underestimate humanity."Humans who were left behind when the Arks took to space. They've endured an apocalyptic event, a post-apocalypse, and a long age of regrowth and redevelopment, and have now surpassed all that they used to be.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Humans, in spite of the passage of time and their many hardships, look no different than ever. The only thing that's changed is their lifespan, extended thanks to medical science.
Ecology and Habitats
Being humans, they absolutely will try to live anywhere and everywhere, no matter how inconvenient it may be.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Omnivorous
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Everywhere, including several deep-sea cities and a handful of space colonies in Terra's orbit.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Being too diverse a species to narrow down a handful of ideals, there is a single feature that is found attractive across all cultures and locales: High cheekbones.
Average Technological Level
In this era, humanity has access to advanced cybernetics, spacefaring vessels, space colonies, deep sea colonies, the use of psionics, and the mystical force known as arcana.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Argent, a mashup of ancient English, French, German, and Spanish, is the primary trade language of Terra and the outlaying space colonies.
The second most common spoken language is Italian, though it has long evolved from its origins. Third most common is Mandarin.
Most of the other languages Terra once had have died out, thanks largely to the apocalypse that happened so long ago.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries are the most common traditions across the species as a whole.
History
When a great cataclysm struck in 3054 AD and set off a chain of volcanic eruptions, and there was no way off the planet, humanity fled underground.
There, they began to dig, out and out, developing great cities below the earth's toxic, freezing surface. Some such places began as bunkers and silos, others started as small underground safe houses built earlier by paranoid individuals, but in the end, every last such location was used to its fullest potential.
Above, cities decayed, covered in layers of volcanic ash, and it took many centuries before nature could even begin to reclaim them.
Languages died and were born and reborn, cultures dissolved or merged, and the barriers between humanity slowly faded, all of them united under one cause: Survive.
Communications between these cities was nonexistent, any possible means at the time rendered impossible by an atmosphere unfriendly to broadcasting waves, and any sort of direct wired connection having been out of the question from the beginning.
Earth as everyone had known it was gone.
Then, one day, the sky was clear, and the atmosphere was clean, but the world was different. For generations, child after child had been told what the world once was, but all they knew were the sunless undercities they'd grown up in, and what salvaged books had told them.
The very first faction to crop up when humanity resurfaced were the Rekametors, or Reclaimers, a group founded in Old America for the purpose of scavenging the dead surface cities for old technology and historical records. When radio signals were again possible, ancient devices taken underground at the beginning of the catastrophe were given life again by fresh power cells, and then the first message was broadcast at the longest range possible, in a universal code invented in 2400 A.D.: "The surface is safe. Come up. Over."
Getting no response for some time no matter how often they sent out the message, the crew responsible eventually located a radio tower, and with much trial and error and a great deal of repairs, got it up and running. They broadcast the message again on repeat.
While it didn't have as great an effect as was hoped by the operators, the rest of humanity in time did slowly realize in stages that the surface world was safe enough again to support them. Eventually, the broadcast message was responded to - all the way from China. "Roger that. We have surfaced. Who else is out here? Over."
In 3680 AD, civilization of the surface began anew, although roving bands of marauders made life more difficult worldwide. As advancements were made and relations built up among the budding world forces, these marauders became less of an issue, though lawlessness outside of cities remained a major problem for several generations. These centuries were known no longer as 'Anno Domini,' but as 'Renovamen' or 'Rebirth.' The Rebirth era lasted just 3000 years before a new phenomenon swept across the planet.
When the first true psychics were born in 3028 RN, it caused a shock. When they were closely followed by children able to wield a potent, mystical force, it caused a panic. Human response was initially for certain groups to take these special children away from their parents for study, but soon there were too many. Within a year, adults started to realize they, too, could harness this mystic power that now seemed to infuse their world. It didn’t take long for someone to call it “arcana,” and the name stuck. While the results were varied and chaotic, and almost resulted in numerous small scale wars on many occasions, in the end people learned to harness this arcana with relative safety. Parents taught their children how to use it, but still no one was the wiser of how or why this mystical force suddenly came about.
Show Spoiler
Then, in 2029 RN, the first child was born who could stifle arcana and shut its users down. Seen as an asset by its community, the child and its family were moved into protective custody to be studied and used. Due to how the field the child generated affected arcanists and psychics, the power was soon dubbed “blunting.”
More blunters came to be as the years progressed, seemingly in proportion to arcanists, but at a fraction of arcanist and psychic numbers - only around 1 in 5,000 people are born blunt, while everyone else is at least somewhere on the arcane and psychic scales. Not only could they suppress arcana, but psionics, too. It didn’t take long for country militaries to weaponize blunters. In time, they learned how their energy fields worked, and were able to replicate their powers with technology, marking the first time in history of humans being able to counter metaphysical forces with metaphysical-mundane invention.
In 3030 RN, it suddenly became easier to channel arcana without self injury. Without warning, the deadliness of using it abated, and the chaotic nature of the force leveled out completely. Then, the first Fasar and Verith were made, and told everyone they were chosen for their roles by their world’s new gods.
At first the idea of “new” gods was repulsive to people, but that was soon forgotten in the face of the power of the Fasar and the Verith - the guardian of light and the guardian of dark, respectively. Each possessing the capacity for controlling arcana beyond the means of any human thus far, they awed the world with their feats of wonder.
When someone tried to kill them, the injuries healed so rapidly that it was like nothing even happened. In truth, they were given power by gods, and were practically demigods in their own right.
Set up to keep the balance of the world and its new arcana stable, they were dubbed the Balancers, and another new era began: Novus Terra, or New Earth.
Civilizations rose and grew, countries formed, alliances were built, wars were fought, and humanity pressed on with their new abilities and expanded their knowledge of the world and the surrounding universe. The living gods were discovered, and it was learned there were yet more, sleeping, formed of the dead, destroyed gods of the old world. New religions sprang up, the old ones all forgotten to history. In time, cybernetics advanced so much that they could extend human life. Space travel was possible again. Space colonies were possible again, and people sought out to reclaim the old stations and colonies still drifting in orbit. In these endeavors they were successful, and once more humanity gained a foothold in space, and before long common space travel was possible again. The world continued to advance.
In 19349 NT, a Verith successor went power-mad, and began his path of wanton, aimless destruction. He destroyed Fasar after Fasar, upsetting the balance with his selfish fury, and no one knew why. Nor, could any mortal stand up to him, though many armies tried. Several countries fell under his might, while others pledged their loyalty out of fear. This Verith, in his bloodlust, infused a group of fanatic followers with his power, but having little understanding of his power, it twisted the souls and inner biology of those it flowed into, transforming them into a people dependent upon the blood of the living just to survive. These were the first vampires. In 19352 NT, the destruction and insane demands ceased, and peace reigned once more. The Verith maintained his iron control over the countries who pledged their allegiance to him, but he was more reasonable, and was sometimes seen with a beautiful young woman. It did not take long for the sudden change in the Verith’s demeanor to be attributed to the woman, whose name was Herina. She is, to this day, honored as a Saint. Unfortunately, it was not to last forever, as the world finally saw its first corrupted Fasar successor in 20210 NT. Tame at first, he began making demands of the world, ‘tithes’ he called them, in return for his protection of the world from the outside forces that constantly sought entry, and for doing his job of maintaining the arcane balance. With two all-powerful, unkillable tyrants, Terra found itself at a loss of what to do, until, in 20260 NT, the Fasar challenged the Verith. At first it was for sport, and then things got out of hand, and the Fasar struck down the Verith’s lover. The Fasar’s prize was his own death, and his power sought out the next successor, but the Verith, blinded once more by rage and hatred, assaulted one Fasar after the other, caring not for the lands he destroyed in his aimless vengeance. Finally, in 20280 NT, a Fasar rose to power great enough to quell the mad Verith’s, but believing in redemption despite the Verith’s crimes, sealed him away deep in an underground chamber, severely weakened, but not dead. Not long afterwards, skirmishes with the vampires ensued, the vampires insisting they were still living people deserving of life and the rights that came with it, and the rest of humanity contesting them due to their typical violence and hunger. But, even after vampires learned to control themselves and calmed down, and even after peace treaties were made, small fights still occurred. Peace was only barely maintained by the current Fasar; a man named Cynric.
Fifty years later, in 20330 NT, a massive rent opened in the air in the middle of (new America), and foreign travelers came through... from the planet Vruanhai. When first contact was made, it was both wondrous and chaotic as both sides of humanity had to learn to communicate with each other again. Though, this was made easier thanks to telepaths on both sides. Elated to step onto their ancestral home, the humans of Vruanhai were quick to broker treaties and trade agreements, and their eleshad and veran allies were right beside them, enamored with the new, strange planet. It only took a handful of years for Vruanhai to forge an alliance with Terra and set up the first interplanetary Gate.
On the 24th of August, during the the year 21206 NT, a vampire-hating organization located and murdered the first and most powerful vampire ever made: Giltera. Giltera had been a king of sorts to the vampires, and had spearheaded the peace talks - he had also created many vampires, and was thus the head of the largest bloodline. When he died, the backlash of power weakened the stronger members of his line, and killed the weaker ones. The betrayal by the humans was enough to call forth the rage of all vampires, and grievous losses were inflicted on both sides. The Red War waged on until the Fasar stepped in to quell the animosity and broker peace, almost through sheer force of will and personality alone. This is not to say he wasn’t forced to kill both humans and vampires who kept trying to push it. When asked by the humans why he couldn’t just wipe out the vampires, he said: “Because they deserve the right to live, like anyone else.” And so it was that a second, shaky peace between humans and vampires came to be, but it didn’t cease the racism and unfair treatment of the vampires worldwide. Once more, the world continued on with relative calm, focused on advancement.
In 3680 AD, civilization of the surface began anew, although roving bands of marauders made life more difficult worldwide. As advancements were made and relations built up among the budding world forces, these marauders became less of an issue, though lawlessness outside of cities remained a major problem for several generations. These centuries were known no longer as 'Anno Domini,' but as 'Renovamen' or 'Rebirth.' The Rebirth era lasted just 3000 years before a new phenomenon swept across the planet.
When the first true psychics were born in 3028 RN, it caused a shock. When they were closely followed by children able to wield a potent, mystical force, it caused a panic. Human response was initially for certain groups to take these special children away from their parents for study, but soon there were too many. Within a year, adults started to realize they, too, could harness this mystic power that now seemed to infuse their world. It didn’t take long for someone to call it “arcana,” and the name stuck. While the results were varied and chaotic, and almost resulted in numerous small scale wars on many occasions, in the end people learned to harness this arcana with relative safety. Parents taught their children how to use it, but still no one was the wiser of how or why this mystical force suddenly came about.
Show Spoiler
[@article about how the force came about: it's deities!]
Civilizations rose and grew, countries formed, alliances were built, wars were fought, and humanity pressed on with their new abilities and expanded their knowledge of the world and the surrounding universe. The living gods were discovered, and it was learned there were yet more, sleeping, formed of the dead, destroyed gods of the old world. New religions sprang up, the old ones all forgotten to history. In time, cybernetics advanced so much that they could extend human life. Space travel was possible again. Space colonies were possible again, and people sought out to reclaim the old stations and colonies still drifting in orbit. In these endeavors they were successful, and once more humanity gained a foothold in space, and before long common space travel was possible again. The world continued to advance.
In 19349 NT, a Verith successor went power-mad, and began his path of wanton, aimless destruction. He destroyed Fasar after Fasar, upsetting the balance with his selfish fury, and no one knew why. Nor, could any mortal stand up to him, though many armies tried. Several countries fell under his might, while others pledged their loyalty out of fear. This Verith, in his bloodlust, infused a group of fanatic followers with his power, but having little understanding of his power, it twisted the souls and inner biology of those it flowed into, transforming them into a people dependent upon the blood of the living just to survive. These were the first vampires. In 19352 NT, the destruction and insane demands ceased, and peace reigned once more. The Verith maintained his iron control over the countries who pledged their allegiance to him, but he was more reasonable, and was sometimes seen with a beautiful young woman. It did not take long for the sudden change in the Verith’s demeanor to be attributed to the woman, whose name was Herina. She is, to this day, honored as a Saint. Unfortunately, it was not to last forever, as the world finally saw its first corrupted Fasar successor in 20210 NT. Tame at first, he began making demands of the world, ‘tithes’ he called them, in return for his protection of the world from the outside forces that constantly sought entry, and for doing his job of maintaining the arcane balance. With two all-powerful, unkillable tyrants, Terra found itself at a loss of what to do, until, in 20260 NT, the Fasar challenged the Verith. At first it was for sport, and then things got out of hand, and the Fasar struck down the Verith’s lover. The Fasar’s prize was his own death, and his power sought out the next successor, but the Verith, blinded once more by rage and hatred, assaulted one Fasar after the other, caring not for the lands he destroyed in his aimless vengeance. Finally, in 20280 NT, a Fasar rose to power great enough to quell the mad Verith’s, but believing in redemption despite the Verith’s crimes, sealed him away deep in an underground chamber, severely weakened, but not dead. Not long afterwards, skirmishes with the vampires ensued, the vampires insisting they were still living people deserving of life and the rights that came with it, and the rest of humanity contesting them due to their typical violence and hunger. But, even after vampires learned to control themselves and calmed down, and even after peace treaties were made, small fights still occurred. Peace was only barely maintained by the current Fasar; a man named Cynric.
Fifty years later, in 20330 NT, a massive rent opened in the air in the middle of (new America), and foreign travelers came through... from the planet Vruanhai. When first contact was made, it was both wondrous and chaotic as both sides of humanity had to learn to communicate with each other again. Though, this was made easier thanks to telepaths on both sides. Elated to step onto their ancestral home, the humans of Vruanhai were quick to broker treaties and trade agreements, and their eleshad and veran allies were right beside them, enamored with the new, strange planet. It only took a handful of years for Vruanhai to forge an alliance with Terra and set up the first interplanetary Gate.
On the 24th of August, during the the year 21206 NT, a vampire-hating organization located and murdered the first and most powerful vampire ever made: Giltera. Giltera had been a king of sorts to the vampires, and had spearheaded the peace talks - he had also created many vampires, and was thus the head of the largest bloodline. When he died, the backlash of power weakened the stronger members of his line, and killed the weaker ones. The betrayal by the humans was enough to call forth the rage of all vampires, and grievous losses were inflicted on both sides. The Red War waged on until the Fasar stepped in to quell the animosity and broker peace, almost through sheer force of will and personality alone. This is not to say he wasn’t forced to kill both humans and vampires who kept trying to push it. When asked by the humans why he couldn’t just wipe out the vampires, he said: “Because they deserve the right to live, like anyone else.” And so it was that a second, shaky peace between humans and vampires came to be, but it didn’t cease the racism and unfair treatment of the vampires worldwide. Once more, the world continued on with relative calm, focused on advancement.
Historical Figures
Fasars 1-15, Veriths 1-12
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Homo sapiens sapiens
Lifespan
140 - 500 years
Average Height
5'8"-6'8"
Average Weight
130 lbs - 300 lbs
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Widely variable, from shades of deep brown to a variety of pale, natural tones.
Related Organizations
