Humans

“When the world was newly created before the coming of the various races, a precarious balance was set in motion that the newly created world, and the forces within it be maintained. After the creation of life, each of the races was chosen to embody one of the two ascendant principals of either Yin or Yang. All except humanity, whose very nature precluded them from truly embodying either principal. Thus, were we given the ability to choose to champion the cause of Yin or Yang, or neither principal, to choose strict balance and neutrality between the ever-conflicting Principles. Upon the shoulders of our short-lived race rests the fulcrum of the scales of balance. We, by our very natures, have the power to tip the balance toward one side or the other, and in so doing, bring All Under Heaven low. Let us hope that we can continue to have the strength to shoulder such a heavy load.”

Sage, Tong Zhao-zi

Basic Information

Anatomy

Humans are a bipedal, warm-blooded, endoskeletal species consisting of four limbs and a single head. Physically, humans are the most diverse of the species when it comes to body type, height and weight, and skin tone. They can be short, tall, broad, scrawny, brawny, obese, or anything in between.

Biological Traits

The height and weight ranges for humans are fairly diverse with heights and weights ranging the gamut. However, most of these outliers are the exceptions which prove the rule. On average, male heights range from 5'7 to 5'10. With weights ranging between 120 and 170 lbs. Whereas, for females, their heights range from 5'2 to 5'6 with weights ranging from 100 to 140 lbs. Males of the species tend to be a bit larger and more powerfully built, with denser muscularity and denser bone mass. Females tend to have a wider hip to shoulder ratio to accommodate live birth and breasts for suckling young.

Genetics and Reproduction

Reproduction is accomplished between the male and female sexes of the species. Young are birthed live after a gestation period of nine months.

Growth Rate & Stages

Human babies are born mostly helpless and completely dependent upon adult caregivers. They learn to walk around the first year of life, go through an adolescent period of about 10 years, and reach sexual maturity between 12 - 14 years of age. Though, this can occur at a younger or older age depending on factors such as diet, parentage, or environment.

Ecology and Habitats

Humans range across the width and breadth of the empire. From the steaming jungles and savannas of the far south, to the frigid, icy steppes of the far north. Humans tend to shape their environment to suit their needs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Humans are an omnivorous species and freely consume both vegetable and animal matter.

Biological Cycle

Humans are considered to have reached adulthood around the ages of 15 - 16 dependent upon social customs. Old age is considered to have been reached around 60, and death usually occurs between the ages of 80 - 90. Though, again, this can happen earlier or later depending upon many factors including diet and environment. Due to a diet consisting primarily of fish and vegetables, many among the Daiyin people, or the coastal Taiyang, have lived to be over 100 years of age.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The family is the central structure of society for the human species. With age being of particular importance among the social order. The elderly are venerated, and cared for, by the younger generations. While the mother and father are the central figures and rulers of any household. From there, the pecking order is generally simple: going from eldest to youngest household member in terms of authority and respect. Due to the influence of the Great Sage, Tong Zhao-zi, this dynamic was broadened and made to encompass the empire as a whole. With the emperor and empress being made into both venerable elders and the mother and father of the "household" of the entirety of the empire.

Facial characteristics

The most notable, nearly universal, feature of humans are their slightly slanted, almond-shaped eyes. The epicanthal folds at the inner corner of the eye. This can be more or less pronounced depending upon ethnic group or even individuals. Among the peoples to the far south, the fold is nearly non-existent. While among the majority Dayang and Daiin peoples, it is usually fairly pronounced.
Hair is nearly universally dark. Ranging from a very dark brown to glossy black. Very dark auburn is also quite common among the Dayang. Eye color is much the same uniform, dark brown in color. Though oddities do pop up occasionally in hair and eye color. This usually denotes a non-human parentage somewhere in the bloodline. Skin tone ranges from a slightly paler skin tone among the Daiin peoples to being slightly darker among the Dayang, to much darker complexions at the southern, and even northern, edges of the empire.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The whole of the empire. With the notable exceptions of the Akuma Desert and the icy wastes at the far northern end of the Steppe of the Iron Warrior.