City Human
The City Humans of New Crescendo are considered to be a bit more well educated, a bit more civilized, but not nearly as tough as their Tribal cousins. They live in and around the crater of New Crescendo, in mudbrick houses, and are the only humans in the world who have settled into a permanent location.
Naming Traditions
Family names
City Humans do not have family names, but children do take on their parents names, such as "___, son/daughter of ___." It's not too often that these get used though, and the tradition seems to be borrowed from High Elf culture, but there's not a lot of stock put into it, and the lineage is lost after only one generation.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Humans of New Crescendo speak Elvish, taking after the High Elves they live with. Where High Elves speak with eloquent precision, Humans are a lot more lax with the language, and while they speak the same language as the High Elves, they do not tend to use musical imagery or metaphor, speaking far more casually and simply.
Culture and cultural heritage
Humans don't have a clear idea of their long-term history. There are many stories they pass down orally, but they have no written histories to give a fuller context to anything. They know that they've been tied to the High Elves for over a thousand years, but considering the short lifespan of humans, that is an unfathomable amount of time.
Human culture itself is sort of a watered-down version of High Elf culture. They tend to follow-suit behind the High Elves, but are less strict with their customs and values than the Elves are.
Humans have houses, but not a lot of stock is put on what house you come from, or who your parents are. For the most part you're defined by the connections you make, and the value you have for others. But there's nothing sacred about this, nothing overly ritualistic about it. It's very transactional, and matter of fact.
Shared customary codes and values
City Humans do not have such a tight-knit community as other people in the world. While there is a general level of civilization that requires cooperation in New Crescendo, much of their basic needs are provided for them by the High Elves. Therefore, while life in New Crescendo is still hard work, people tend to trade valuable goods or services in exchange for things they need, rather than just a feeling of doing things for the common good, like you get with tribal Humans or the Wood Elves. While there isn't currency, and there are relatively few specialized jobs, a good deal of relationships in New Crescendo are transactional in nature. If you need some extra wood for a fire, you either need to trade for it or offer to do some work in exchange for some. This transactional economy is pretty complicated, and it leads to most of the population constantly doing odd-jobs for each other, though this is largely for supplemental goods. Most necessities are provided for everyone, either directly by the High Elves, or through a combination of effort between the High Elves and Humans.
Average technological level
Separating the technological levels of City Humans from the High Elves is difficult, as the two people are so intertwined, but the Elves tend to handle everything involving magic, while the humans tend to handle the gruntwork. So for instance, it is the Druidic magic of the Elves that cause the crops to grow from near seedlings to ready to harvest within a day, every day. But it is a legion of humans that work the fields and harvest the crops. It is the elves who grow their massive sailing ships, but it is largely humans who crew them, albeit under an elven captain.
In terms of technology that City Humans mostly use for themselves, they have mudbrick houses, stone tools a bit more advanced than what you'd find among tribal humans. Their leather clothes are a bit more sophisticated, they have domesticated goats and chickens, they have the pottery wheel, and so on.
Common Dress code
Humans dress in leather, and either go barefoot or have simple sandals. Many humans wear the exact same clothes every day for years, although sandals often need to be replaced.
Art & Architecture
Common Myths and Legends
The humans share much of their myths with the Elves, as their histories are closely linked together. Much of humanity's myths revolve around the gods, who humans are very dedicated to. They worship them, sacrificing animals on holidays, praying to them daily, and much of their culture is wrapped up in the worship of them. They do look at tribal humans as crazy zealots compared to themselves, but they are very dedicated in their own right.
Related Locations
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