Human

Humans on Toril were widespread, could be found in most regions and, in general, were fierce and disagreeable, which could sometimes lead certain other races to view them with contempt. They were renowned for their diversity and ambition, and although they lacked specialization, they could excel in many areas.

Names for Humans

Many races had their own unique terminology by which they referred to humans. Elves and halfling were known to call them the manyhanded, in reference to an old elven insult the "Manyhanded Curse," while orcs referred to them as the brittle bones. Brownies, halflings, korreds, and satyrs were all known to use the term hurbryn, meaning "heavy-footed." And Treants referred to humans as oroosh, meaning "never-stopping-talkers."

History

The origin of humanity was unknown. Although the Tel-quessir could claim the primal war between Corellon and Gruumsh for their heritage and the dwarves claimed to have been forged from the rocks of Abeir-Toril itself, humans had no unifying creation myth. However, they were certainly an ancient race, having originated since before written records existed and were frequently considered one of the creator races, though they weren't known to have actually created any species. 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. During the Days of Thunder (−35,000 DR to −30,000 DR) on the supercontinent of Merrouroboros, humans were a primitive race, similar to apes. Tribes of humans largely inhabited the land later known as the continent of Katashaka. They used simple tools, banged rocks together to make fire, and dwelled in caves. According to Bazim-Gorag, a batrachi (another of the creator races) they hid in caves in fear—he called them "Meat". 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.

Human ethnicities

While there were no natural human subraces, planetouched subspecies of humans were found in the Realms. These included the aasimars, genasi, and tieflings. There was also great ethnic diversity between humans in different regions. The following were the most prevalent and largest ethnic groups to be found in Faerûn during the last two millennia of the Age of Humanity continuing into the Era of Upheaval. They were by far the most common ethnicities found within the Heartlands of Faerûn: Faerûn:

Calishites: These dark-skinned folk were plentiful in Southwest Faerûn and were descended from the human slaves of the genie lords of Calimshan.
Chondathans: Although these humans spread across the Western Heartlands, their lineage could be traced back to the natives of the Vilhon Reach.
Damarans: The prideful and headstrong people that settled around the Sea of Fallen Stars were living remnants of ancient Narfell.
Illuskans: A proud, fair-skinned sea-faring people who hailed from the Sword Coast North.
Mulan: The humans of east Faerûn predominantly belonged to this ethnic group, a fact they held with much pride and arrogance.
Rashemi: A hardy and easily-adaptable people, descended from the nomadic Raumathar who eventually settled in Aglarond, Rashemen and Thay.
Tethyrians: 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.

Kara-Tur:

Issacortae, the shamanistic people of the kingdom in wild, western region of the Ama Basin
Koryoan, these proud and exuberant descendants of the Han lived in the Koryo Peninsula
Kozakuran, islanders of the Kozakura archipelago
Kuong, citizens of the jungle kingdom who spoke their own distinct language
Shou, one of the more influential ethnic groups that were found in the continent of Kara-Tur
Wanese, the ethnic people of the islands of Wa
Wu-haltai, the agrarian people of the eastern Ama Basin

Maztica:

The native Mazticans lived on a continent east of the Trackless Sea.
Azuposi, the matrilineal tribes of the Pasocada Basin
Green Folk, the short and dexterous people from the southern jungles
Metahel, a tribe of sea-faring humans from central Maztica
Nahopaca, hunter-gatherers of the central Pasocado Basin
Nexalans, a warring people from the Valley of Nexal in central Maztica
North Ones, desert-dwelling savage nomads from the northern wastes of Maztica
Payit, the proud and industrious tribe from Far Payit

Minor ethnic groups The following are ethnic groups which were either small in number, or who were most commonly found in lands far from Faerûn’s heartlands. In their own distinct regions, they might very well be the major local ethnic people.

Abbalayar, a group of humans who lived within a secluded city on Mount Abbalayat, within the Marching Mountains of Calimshan.
Arkaiun, the stout and dusky-skinned humans of Dambrath and Halruaa
Bavanese and Bertanese, the island inhabitants of Bawa and Bertan in Kara-Tur
Bawani, an ethnic group also native to the island of Bawa
Bedine, dark-skinned folk of North Faerûn who were once nomads of Anauroch
Chultans, tribal folk that lived in the eponymous jungle
Durpari, the swarthy followers of the Adama along the coasts of the Golden Water
Ffolk, the darker-skinned seafarers of the southern Moonshae Isles
Gurs, the nomadic descendants of the Rashemi that lived in the Western Heartlands
Halruaans, decedents of Netheril that settled in the Shining South
Imaskari, a people whose ancestors hailed from the fabled Old Imaskar
Itzas, an offshoot of the Payit people who lived in relative peace and serenity
Lantanna, the copper-skinned worshipers of Gond
Nars, nomadic tribes of traders from the grasslands east of the Giantspire Mountains
Netherese, the pure-blood remnants of the ancient civilization were scattered across Faerûn
Northlanders, the war-ready sea-faring people of the northern Moonshae Isles
Nubari, a tall and brown-skinned shamanistic tribe of the Malatran Plateau
Raumvirans, the descendants of the Raumviran Empire settled along the coast of the Lake of Mists
Pazruki, shepherding tribes who hailed from the Koryaz Mountains
Purang, Kara-turans native to the land of Purang in Malatra
Shaarans, the darks-skinned nomadic hunters of the Shaar
Sossrim, a silver-haired people who lived in the frozen lands near the Great Glacier
Tashalans, people that escaped the bondage of the Sarrukh
Tuigan, the 15 nomadic tribes that wandered the vast Hordelands between Faerûn and Kara-Tur
Turami, the displaced population that settled in the land of Turmish
Ulutiuns, an ethnic group of tribal Kara-Tur who traveled across the north pole of Toril to the Endless Ice Sea
Vaasans, descendants of Netheril that settled around the Moonsea region

Some ethnic groups were no longer present on Toril:

Han, an ancient people of Kara-Tur that were nearly wiped out by the eruption of the Kanko volcano
Talfir, a long-past group of people who lived alongside the elves in the Western Heartlands during the times of the Crown Wars
Tayanulchi, this tribe from the Ama Basin disappeared into the Land of the Snow Demons

Other ethnic groups of humans were referred to by the continent on which they lived:

Zakharans: A shorter, dark-skinned people who rarely left their homelands on the continent of Zakhara.

Related races Humans bred outside their race many times, resulting in the various half-human races like half-elves and half-orcs as well as planetouched such as tieflings.