Human
Basic Information
Biological Traits
With their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. Human skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, and hair colors from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight males might sport facial hair that is sparse or thick. A lot of humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century. The material culture and physical characteristics of humans can change wildly from region to region. Nine human ethnic groups are widely recognized, though over a dozen others are found in more localized areas of Faerûn, and they are:
- Calishite: Shorter and slighter in build than most other humans, Calishites have dusky brown skin, hair, and eyes. They’re found primarily in southwest Faerûn and descended from the human slaves of the genie lords of Calimshan.
- Chondathan: Chondathans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost black. Most are tall and have green or brown eyes, but these traits are hardly universal. Humans of Chondathan descent dominate the central lands of Faerûn, around the Inner Sea, across the Western Heartlands, however, their lineage can be traced back to the natives of the Vilhon Reach.
- Damaran: Found primarily in the northwest of Faerûn, Damarans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Their hair is usually brown or black, and their eye color varies widely, though brown is most common. These prideful and headstrong people settled around the Sea of Fallen Stars and they are living remnants of ancient Narfell.
- Illuskan: Illuskans are tall, fair-skinned folk with blue or steely gray eyes. Most have raven-black hair, but those who inhabit the extreme northwest have blond, red, or light brown hair. These sea-faring people hailed from the Sword Coast North.
- Mulan: Dominant in the eastern and southeastern shores of the Inner Sea, the Mulan are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown, but in the lands where the Mulan are most prominent, nobles and many other Mulan shave off all their hair.
- Rashemi: Most often found east of the Inner Sea and often intermingled with the Mulan, Rashemis tend to be short, stout, and muscular. They usually have dusky skin, dark eyes, and thick black hair. A hardy and easily adaptable people, descended from the nomadic Raumathar who eventually settled in Aglarond, Rashemen and Thay.
- Shou: The Shou are the most numerous and powerful ethnic group in Kara-Tur, far to the east of Faerûn. They are yellowish-bronze in hue, with black hair and dark eyes. Shou surnames are usually presented before the given name.
- Tethyrian: Perhaps the most tolerant and independent groups of humans in Faerûn, these people were a melting pot of other ethnicities and greatly varied in appearance. Widespread along the entire Sword Coast at the western edge of Faerûn, Tethyrians are of medium build and height, with dusky skin that tends to grow fairer the farther north they dwell. Their hair and eye colors vary widely, but brown hair and blue eyes are the most common.
- Turami: Displaced population that settled in the land of Turmish, the Turami people are generally tall and muscular, with dark mahogany skin, curly black hair, and dark eyes.
Basic Traits
Ability Score Increase: Each ability score increases by 1.Speed: Base walking speed is 30 feet.
Language: Speak, write and read Common and an extra language of your choice.
Variant Traits
Replace the Ability Score Increase with the following traits:
Ability Score Increase: Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Skills: Proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Feat: Gain one feat of your choice.
Source: Player's Handbook
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Humans dwell in every corner of Toril and encompass a full range of cultures and ethnicities. Along the Sword Coast and across the North, humans are the most pervasive of the races and in many places the most dominant. Their cultural and societal makeup runs the gamut, from the cosmopolitan folk who reside in great cities such as Baldur’s Gate and Waterdeep to the barbarians who rage throughout the Savage Frontier. Humans find ways to survive and thrive almost anywhere. In locations where elves and dwarves have withdrawn, humans often move in and build anew alongside or on top of an earlier community. It follows, then, that the most common feature of humans is their lack of commonality. This diversity has enabled human civilizations to grow faster than those of other races, making humans one of the dominant races in much of the world today. It has also led to conflicts between communities of humans because of their cultural and political differences. If not for their penchant for infighting, humans would be even more populous and predominant
than they already are.
History
The origin of humanity was unknown. Unlike the elder races, humans had no unifying creation myth but they certainly are an ancient race, having originated since before written records existed. More confusing yet was that, while humans indeed were native to Toril, they had been found on other worlds as well, with the Mulani standing out as an example of human immigrants to Toril.
Regardless of their precise origins, humans were undeniably successful. While hardly the only dominant race of Toril, humans were one of them and the most recent to obtain dominance. In spite of this strength, or perhaps because of it, humanity was an eternally fractured and divided race, broken up into over a dozen ethnic offshoots. It was believed that this was in part because humanity, unlike most other races, did not emerge as a whole but rather in several places at once, thereby resulting in its diversity.
Why go on an adventure?
- Do you want to build a legacy that would last after you?
- Maybe you aim at gaining better political or social standing?
- How about glory to your name and becoming a champion of the land?
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