Humans
Human Traits
Ability Score Increase. All your ability scores each increase by 1Special Class Considerations
Most human civilizations do not worship any gods, however Human Paladins and Clerics can still exist, and would likely hold the concept of their domain over any ineffible being. DMs should handle patron checks at their own discretion. Blade Dancers and Free Cities humans are more likely to worship gods or spirits, though for Free Cities humans they are most likely adopted from another culture.Basic Information
Biological Traits
Humans vary widely in appearance in terms of height and build. Their eyes can be shades of blue, brown or green. Heterochromia, a condition where a single eye contains two colors or each eye is a different color, is uncommon, but not unheard of. Humans are the only race in which this trait has been observed. In the Empire of Man, and as a result The Free Cities, most humans have skin colors ranging from pale white to olive brown. Their hair can be shades of red, blonde, brown and black, and can grow long and thick.
Natives of the Dragon Dominion tend to have darker skin and darker eyes. Their hair tends to be thicker and grow more up than down. Their skin ranges from olive to deep brown.
Civilization and Culture
Common Etiquette Rules
Humans families are primarily patriarchal, wives generally take their husbands names and live under their husbands. In the Kingdom of Man it is not uncommon for several generations to live in the same home, as young families will often stay with the parents of the husband while trying to earn their own land to start their own life.
Common Dress Code
Human style and clothing varies massively from sub-culture to sub-culture and from region to region. Many Humans in the Free Cities have adopted Elph like clothing, wearing bright colors and flowing silks. In the north of the Empire of Man, people prefer furs and leathers, dressing against the cold of the northern seas.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The Kingdom of Man
The Kingdom of Man is the oldest of the modern Human nations. The lands of the Kingdom are generally considered the ancestral home of Humans, though there are other, unrelated, Human civilizations outside of Kir'mair that. The Kingdom of Man was formed in reaction to the Urkaise Incursion when two Human nobles consolidated local armies to push back the Incursion and defend the Human Race. Kir'mair is generally considered to be the cradle of Human civilization, despite the existence of large human populations on other continents that may predate recorded human civilizations on Kir'mair. Until fairly recently the Kingdom was known to be xenophobic and isolationist. From the early years of the Incursion the kingdom had remained closed to all outsiders, and was only opened up after peace was established with The Urkaise. Today, members of any race may freely travel throughout the Kingdom, provided they enter through an official port or checkpoint and have the proper papers, though Spyre is the only city where non-humans are permitted to settle. The Kingdom of Man has been responsible for most of the technological advancements of Humanity throughout the centuries. The Incursion and the subsequent war is generally credited as the catalyst that lead to most of this invention, including the system that would one day become the rail, Aisloch powered engines, and thaumaturgic prosthesis. Citizens of the Kingdom of Man are less likely to travel than other humans, however they are allowed to freely come and go from their home country, unlike Urkaise. They tend to see themselves as superior to other races, particularly other Humans.The Dragon Dominion
The Dragon Dominion is a city state that formed during the Incursion. The city and surrounding lands that would become the Dominion existed long before the Incursion, and remained untouched by the Urkaise during the war. The city lays on the western edge of the White Stone Wastes, which are notoriously difficult to cross, even in small groups, and the prospect of moving an army across the desert through hostile forces was one that intimidated even the mighty Urkaise Empire. Settlements in the area have existed since the time of The First Empire, though they were never a part of it. The White Stone Wastes served as a physical barrier for nearly all invasions, and many of the settlements were primarily made up of mercenary troops exiled from The First Empire, and as such possessed significant defensive strength. As the war drug on, the lack of trade and the forced isolation of the desert kingdoms took its toll. Eventually the civil war broke out in the kingdom. The mercenary troops and noble families went to war over generations of compiled issues in what would come to be known as “The War of the Hundred Headed Dragon”. When the dust cleared, twelve mercenary troops and noble families formed an alliance to govern the newly independent city state of the Dragon Dominion. The Council of Twelve still rules the state. A leading representative of each mercenary troop or noble family sits on the council and each troop and major house maintains its own army, and it’s own quarter of the city. Each troop has its own order of secession for their seat on the council. Some of them pass their power on like a royal family, others elect their official, and some even pick their leader through gladiatorial combat. For the most part Citizens of the Dragon Dominion are accepting of other races. The Twelve ruling houses exist almost like tribes in the modern city state, each one with it’s own members, laws and customs. Citizens of each house have their own morals and beliefs, however they all value strength and cunning. If you need to convince a Dragon of something, your best bet is to drive them to their knees with your sword and tell it to them cleanly and concisely.The Collective and the Free Cities
The Human population in The Free Cities is politically and culturally different region to region and city to city. Each city has a distinct government, but generally speaking two groups rule the humans of the continent. The largest, oldest and most accepted of these groups is the Tradewinds Collective, sometimes simply called The Collective. The Tradewinds Collective was the name of the mercantile alliance headed by Crassus the Rich in the Kingdom of Man before his attack on the Urkaise. It is named for Crassus’ flag-ship, one of the largest merchant vessels in known history. The Collective only technically rules over the Free City of Haven, however their military and cultural influence extends to most human villages and towns in the eastern half of the Free Cities. Haven was founded as a refuge for exiles and escaped slaves, and as such they are generally welcoming of anyone, though like most humans they tend to distrust the Black Bloods. The next largest of the ruling human groups is the Rail Collective. Though originally a part of the Tradewinds Collective, the Rail Collective considers themselves a distinct group. They rule over the Free City of Gapbreak, and manage the rail that connects all the Free Cities except Ghostwood. The Rail Collective originally consisted of several merchants and engineers brought together by Crassus to construct the Rail and unite the cities, however the Treaty of Kindwater was not clear on how the Rail should be regulated. The builders stopped at what would become Gapbreak for an extended period of time, as they had to either cut through the canyons and mesas of the area or go around them. The city grew out of the camps, originally consisting mostly of infrastructure for the rail, including storage, repair facilities and interchange services, as well as lodging for workers and travelers. Today Gapbreak is the second largest human ruled city in the world, second only to Haven, though it is much more diverse in terms of population. Because of its proximity to Black Blood lands, most escaped slaves come to Gapbreak first, and some of them never leave. The city is large enough and the underground shady enough that even Slave Hunters have a hard time finding anyone. In addition to fleeing slaves and Black Blood agents looking for them, Gapbreak is home to many families or individuals coming from the west, east, or north who simply do not have the money or resolve to continue along the Rail. Despite the eclectic nature of the city, Gapbreak is still lead by a council of human merchants and nobles, much like Haven and the cities of the pre Empire old country.The Exiles
When the Leopold III began consolidating power behind the Irons, he was met with resistance of his isolationist policies. Several powerful nobles spoke against the king in private meetings and salons, and Leopold believed they were plotting to overthrow him. In an attempt to consolidate his power and quash these rebellions before they could begin, the king exiled a dozen noble houses, along with their retainers and minor nobles serving under them. Upon leaving The Kingdom, the Exiles fought among themselves continuously, disagreeing on every decision as they sailed in search of a new home. Over time, the exiles fragmented, going off on their own in smaller and smaller groups. Today, Exile humans can be found all over the world, some have even managed to return to Kir'mair. They do not exist as a formal nation, however most of them do not recognize any other authority but their own and some consider it their mission to depose Leoplds dynasty. Exiles tend to hate the Urkaise even more than humans of The Kingdom.The North
There is some debate whether the northern most lands of the Kingdom of Man were ever truly conquered. They allow the kings to claim their land, though they do not collect taxes from the north. They are allowed to serve in the Kingdoms armies, but no king has ever pressed Northerners in to service. Leopold III lead campaigns to try and fully pacify the north, but was never successful, and eventually settled for the policy of mutual indifference. Northerners are tough and determined, they’re instantly recognizable in most parts of the kingdom for their thick furs and long and wild hair and beards. They are often compared to the bears that roam the mountains alongside them. Northerners often seem out of place in the cities or universities of the south, often louder and more animated than their southern cousins.Other Human Civilizations
Most other human civilizations are either isolated from the rest of the world or too small and fragmented to be mentioned. In the jungles south of the wall ruins remain of a large human civilization that apparently dominated much of the continent before the arrival of the Black Bloods. Pockets of this civilization still exist, though most of them are enslaved by the Black Bloods. Little else is known of this civilization, some unknown catastrophe apparently scattered its people, and its written language has been completely lost. Some legends and stories exist in oral traditions among slaves within the Black Blood empire, however the line between history and legends has been blurred over the years. The Blade Dancers are an island culture in the southern seas, they’ve remained completely isolated for centuries, and are believed to be the oldest continuous human civilization in existence. On first contact, the Itinerant Militia were immediately attacked by one single Blade Dancer who cut down twenty soldiers and wounded a dozen other before a village elder arrived and established communication. Since first contact, a single port has been opened to outsiders. A limited number of outsiders are allowed on the islands at any time and are tightly regulated. Technically only the warriors of the islands are known as Blade Dancers, however since only the warriors are allowed to leave the island, the most outsiders refer to the entire civilization as the “Blade Dancers”.Common Taboos
There are very few things that are considered “taboo” in Human culture. Even religion, while almost universally not practiced by Humanity is not considered forbidden. It is however usually viewed as a curiosity, and Humans will often study other religions academically, especially by humans living in the Free Cities, who are continually exposed to other cultures and races.
History
The Forgotten Empire
The Forgotten Empire, or "The Empire that Never Was", was, if it existed, the first known major human civilization. That being said, those records are only recently discovered, largely incomplete and in many cases nonsensical. Among believers of the Forgotten Empire, it is agreed that at some point in its history it suddenly ceased to exist. There was no invasion, war, conquest or plague, just at some point in Human history, all reference to the Forgotten Empire and its ruler ceased and all existing records were either destroyed or lost. In the last few decades, hidden rooms and stores of scrolls and art have begun to be unearthed in The Kingdom of Man and Urkaise Empire, referring to a massive Empire and its ruler, only ever referred to as “The Emperor”. Using these documents the disappearance of the Forgotten Empire has been traced to shortly before the founding of the first several kingdoms in the Old Country and in the South of Kir'mair. Some references in the history of the Blade Dancers are believed to be to the Forgotten Empire. Maps show that the empires bounds stretched across most of the known world, even showing large holdings in the South where the Black Bloods now rule. The Empire seems to have existed before the Elph arrived in the Free Cities, though its founding date is currently unknown. After the Forgotten Empire disappeared, several independent Human kingdoms rose up simultaneously in Kir'mair and the south of Shin Ferin. Following the disappearance of the Empire, these cities frequently warred over border disputes or resources. This infighting lead to the establishment of a number of mercenary troops, several of which became the ruling tribes of the Dragon Dominion. Many people question whether the Forgotten Empire ever existed, much of the accounts border on legendary, and some believe that the “histories” discovered are equivalent to fairy tales or heroic epics.The First Empire
During the time of The First Empire, technically two empires existed simultaneously but had no contact. The civilization that is traditionally referred to as “The First Empire” existed in Kir'mair, where the Kingdom of Man and The Urkaise Empire now exist. The Capital of this Empire was close to the modern day city of Urkala. At the time, there was no record of the Forgotten Empire nor its ruler, so for many years it was believed that this was the first ever unified kingdom of Humanity. At the same time as the First Emperor was unifying the many human city states of Kir'mair, the human clans in the south of Shin Ferin were engaged in a period of inter-clan war. Out of this war, one prominent leader emerged and began piecing together an empire whose name is lost to history. The name of this leader is also unknown, as the languages and writings of these clans has been lost over the generations. Today the Black Bloods have enslaved nearly all of the humans in the southern jungles. Oral traditions of the empire persist, and although it's founding date is uncertain, it remained in power until the Black Bloods invaded from the far south. Some human cities and kingdoms were not part of this empire, many island civilizations or isolated mountain cities remained independent, however these cities were mostly wiped out or enslaved by The Black Bloods. Before the unification of The First Empire, mercenary troops had become extremely common in the old country. The kingdoms and noble houses that dotted the land were constantly at war over one thing or another, however very few of them kept large standing armies. Seeing these groups as a threat and a possible weapon for nobles that resented his rule, The First Emperor forcefully ejected all of mercenaries from his land and made the practice illegal. Some of these troops dissolved, however some of them left the kingdom and traveled through the desert to lands outside of Imperial control. These mercenary troops, such as The Cursed Sons, and The Cats Tail continued operating in the desert, and would eventually become some of the twelves groups that formed the Dragon Dominion. As the First Emperor expanded his borders, the conditions for his poorest citizens slowly worsened. The emperor had drafted many farmers and hunters into his service when beginning his conquest, promising them riches and titles in return for their service. These men became the evangelists of the Empire, spreading news of the Kings generosity and fairness. As conditions worsened the people began to blame the Empire for its lies and unfulfilled promises, however the Emperors agents blamed the farmers and hunters for spreading lies of promises that were never made as a power grab. In one night that would come to be known as The Festival of Mud, the Emperors soldiers turned against the farmers, hunters, and poor citizens that begged the emperor to fulfill his promises, believing as they did that these promises were never made. At the end of the night, hundreds were dead on both sides, and one man known as “The Beggar King” stood as the clear leader of an anti-imperial movement. The Beggar Kings rebellion lead to a rapid collapse of the nobility that propped up The First Empire, as servants and serfs turned on the nobles they served. Soon after the central government of the empire collapsed, the Beggar King disappeared and his followers were left mostly directionless. In the wake of the rebellion, cities and villages began establishing independent governments, many lead by counsel. Some of these cities formed into small coalitions, and some elected to establish central figureheads, and a new nobility was established at the upper echelons of this society, however the feudal system of The First Empire was never reestablished.The Incursion
At the time of the Incursion, the Human kingdoms had returned to the days of border wars and trade disputes, however they were not prepared for an enemy like the Urkaise. The kingdoms were mostly disorganized when the Urkaise crossed over the mountains to the east, and cities and kingdoms fell in rapid succession. This led to the dissolution of many old alliances, as kingdoms and cities that were farther form the border believed they were safe from the invasion, however this proved incorrect as The Urkaise continued to expand into the countryside around the mountains. Two minor lords in a city that no longer exists decided to look outward in their war with the encroaching Urkaise. They pulled together a small army of well trained and loyal soldiers, and slowly started conquering or enlisting the help of fringe kingdoms and mercenary troops in the still mostly free western and northern parts of the old country. Both of these men claimed the name Leopold, and both held their own capitals and armies. It is believed that the two lords would travel between the two capital cities in secret, rotating which leader held which front. The twin fronts managed to halt the Urkaise expansion briefly, but after several years of virtually motionless fighting, the Urkaise suddenly refocused. The entire Urkaise army shifted and attacked the desert city of Red River, overwhelming it and crushing Leopold’s armies in the south. The king did not flee however, and was allegedly decapitated on the cities walls by the emperors own personal guard. As a show of contempt, the Urkaise burned Red River to the ground and executed every human that remained. This aggressive maneuver would prove to be the undoing of the Urkaise Incursion. The campaign in the west gave the northern forces time to rally and take back several key strategic positions on the mainland, as well as establish supply lines. It is also during this time that medics at the University in Spyre discovered and began building the first thaumaturgic prosthesis. The development and mass production of these magically augmented limbs lead to quicker recovery time for Human soldiers. With these new tools, humans could take life threatening injuries in battle, be crushed to near death, and be back in the fight stronger than ever within days. With their newly immortal army and their strengthened position, Humanity was finally able to fight the Urkaise expansion. Perhaps most importantly Humanity was able to regain some land in the north, and construct fortifications in a valuable choke hold that would become known as Leopold’s Irons. Historians generally cite the completion of the Irons as the beginning of the end of the war, and within the generation of their completion an uneasy peace was established between the newly born Empire of Man and the interloping Urkaise Empire. When peace was first established below The Irons, the current King, Leopold III, began consolidating his power and isolating the Kingdom from other human settlements. Some nobles were resistant to these policies and began meeting in secret to discuss the ramifications of the Kings policies. When the king learned of these gatherings he exiled dozens of noble households, including retainers and minor related nobles, from the kingdom, believing they were plotting to overthrow him and open the kingdom.Crassus and the Expedition
During the reign of William I, the second king to ascend the throne after peace was established, negotiations began to open up trade between the two historic enemies. A large faction of merchants and nobles resisted this movement, and William feared that he would face another mass exile of his people. The most dividing issue at this time was slavery. Slavery was still legal in the Urkaise Empire, and many humans were still held as slaves south of the Irons. In addition, many felt that the Urkaise had never been made to properly pay for the slaughter at Red River. However the king moved forward with the trade agreement and the first human merchants were allowed to cross into Urkaise territory and trade at the markets outside of Urkala. After a year of peaceful trade at the Wall Markets, Human ships were allowed to travel through the straits and into the harbor at Urkala. One merchant, Crassus the Rich, saw this as an opportunity for revenge, rather than for peace. On the first day of the week in which humans were allowed in the harbor, Crassus docked his flagship, The Tradewinds, early in the morning. By noon the markets were full and several other ships had docked and began trading. As the sun dipped low, some unknown signal caused the market too erupt, merchants threw off their cloaks and flipped their carts to reveal armor and weapons and began attacking the guards. Unknown to the guards, at this same time, ships had docked all around the mainland and disembarked smaller raiding parties that were attacking forges and plantations around the empire, freeing slaves and disrupting production. Many of the men Crassus had enlisted were either seasoned veterans of the Incursions, or powerful noble mages. With these combined forces, Crassus was able to push the Urkaise guards out of the harbor and barricade the gates. Once the Urkaise were pushed out of the harbor, the Humans set the markets on fire and fled back to their ships and into the Bay of Tears. They sailed through the straits and out into the channel between the mainland and Spyre, then to the open sea north of the desert kingdoms where they met the rest of their fleet. Ships loaded with soldiers and freed slaves sailed to the capital of what would soon become the Dragon Dominion, only to be turned away by the rulers, as they were dealing with a building rebellion. Crassus and his followers then turned to the west, hoping to find a more forgiving land over the horizon. After weeks at sea, the Human exiles arrived in the west and were greeted with the full might of the Elph Lords army. The Elph presented the humans with land on which to build their new home, which would become Haven, the first major human settlement outside of Kir'mair King William I condemned the rebels and tried desperately to repair the relations with The Urkaise Empire. He issued arrest warrants for Crassus and all of his generals, to be carried out immediately if they should return to The Kingdom of Man. The rebels would be turned over to The Urkaise Empire for punishment, should they ever return to Kir'Mair.Common Myths and Legends
Religion and faith
The Human race is unique among all the races of Mair. With the exception of the Blade Dancers, no known Human culture worships any gods or practices any kind of ancestral religion, and there are no records of any Human religions or gods ever having existed.Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The Kingdom of Man was founded in reaction to an invasion, and is still mostly an isolationist kingdom. Because of this it’s citizens can sometimes be xenophobic and fearful of other races, especially the Urkaise.
Most other Humans, with some notable exceptions, are welcoming and accepting of outsiders. Especially in the Free Cities.
Lifespan
70 years
Average Height
1.68 meters
Average Weight
60 - 90 kilograms
Geographic Distribution
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