Humans
The theorised origins and history, as based in myth, religion and modern research on the human species on Pangea
Humans is one of the primal and native races of Pangea. Having existed according to most modern research, all the way back in the pre-dawn age of the earth alongside halflings, dwarfs and orcs. Being ambitious and curious creatures they have always managed to find their way into positions of power, being today the most dominant and common species by far. Not always being the case pre-collision, their relationship and motives with other races varies greatly. It is commonly said that; ''in the human heart lies both the brightest dawn and darkest night. Traces of both celestial power and abyssal might.''
Later it was argued that humanity instead evolved from lesser creatures, across many eons in the dark cauldron of oblivion, among many other races. That the spark and the dawn, simply represented the day that many species became sapient. Wether from divine will or chance, is still forever up to debate. This was then later backed up by the late second age discovery of ruins and temples dating back before the dawn, containing scriptures describing the habitual existence of different kinds of humanoid lifeforms. The direct source of these of course being lost to the collision and therefor never re-examined by modern scholars. The only source being texts analysing and describing the discovery, by now long-dead archaeologists of the second age.
The theory argues both this in abstract and in literal sense, without concluding anything concrete, but the idea gathered enough headway and popularity, especially among philosophers in a post-collision society, where everything the Pangean people thought they knew, was once again upended. According to the paper all souls, even that of deities and extra-planar species, are a fragment of one larger soul that exists on higher point on the spire. This soul creates life as we perceive it, through its dreams and thoughts. Simply referred to as The Being. Through the expanse of existence, we slowly achieve higher states of unity with this being and with that access to profound knowledge and a higher collective self.
This theory giving way to an all knew movement, calling themselves The Projectors.
-Elandor Lin-Starllor, on the subject of humans, 1812 AE, The Third Age
Humans have one common trait, that is abounded in their kin, but rare in the cosmos; adaptability. Not in terms of physicality or survivability, but in spirit. They seem to mix and alter with every coming wave of ideas and disasters, making them flourish, despite a shitty hand dealt by fate. Wether that being as an individual or a species. This is the one thing, that makes human society grow and survive, when so many other fall to the tides. They adapt and ultimately persevere.
As they told their story, it was revealed to a high-ranking priest that they had worshipped an unknown deity, and for that, they were banished. Once again the sailors found themselves at sea, and once again that same God came to their aid and this time showed them a new land further north.
Here he revealed himself to be Dagon, one of the lost forgotten powers of the Old World. He told them that he was but one of many strange and more powerful entities that were banished by the light of the first dawn. The sailors cast themselves at the feet of Dagon, forever in his service. He granted them powers, and they used those powers to raid and plunder along the shores of the Ellisiat empire. There they would be cursed by the new Gods, and slowly gain a following.
And as Dagon and his ilk gained power, they were able to keep the Gods at bay with terrible unforgiving dark seas, and ferocious violence and carnage.
The Heretics formed the Esoteric Order and sought to find and release the Old Gods, and in their quest they had founded a new lineage, forever cursed by Helios and the Ellisat.
Today that lineage still exists within society, there are lands and kingdoms on the Isles of Defiance; Fränheim, and Dunheim, that worship the Old Gods. They are a warrior people, harsh and relentless, but not always chaotic or evil. There are plenty who have simply sought to escape the curse of their heretical lineage, or on the other hand, sought to reclaim a sense of freedom and control from the lands of the Sun.
The expedition group was lost for about 10 years before a new group was sent to investigate their disappearance. Here they found the group transformed, their skin had turned almost oil-black, or sickening green, and many of them were thick with fat and muscle in a strange blobby manner. Whatever these islands were, they had transformed the old expedition crew into a primitive group of fat hunters, that had settled the shores of the isles like they had always lived there.
The Tar’riens - as they would be called - were later discovered to be sexless, able to eat about anything, even most metals, with rumors of cannibalism. They had come to know a God of the Isles, whom they simply called Borolza the Great, who had blessed them with their new shape and abilities.
The mysteries of the Tar’riens are endless. Despite being sexless, they somehow give birth and multiply, their eyes are pupilless, and there are no children in their settlements. While some trade and small outside colonies have been established, for the valuable research and resources present on the isles, the Tar’riens have often turned hostile and violent when guarding their inner circle of secrets, and so much of it remains obscured.
The Feyfolk would become known for their free-thinking, philosophy, poetry, art, and arcane research. They formed the first democracies, and free city-states, all under the guidance and supervision of the trinity between the Silver Collective, the Prismatic Array, and the Twilight Covenant. The people, the mages, and the priests. Royalty would remain a strong influence on the trinity concordance but would not hold any true power.
The Feyfolk would fan out across the east and south, settling along the northern shores of Nadir, and taking back some of the wild lands of the Nelavir Expanse.
Among human cultures and lineages, the Feyfolk are in general terms looked upon as the most tolerant, open-minded, and progressive.
The humans settled among them and learned that the Giants were all dying, their kingdoms were withering into the dark, because of a disease that they couldn’t explain. And so the Frost Giants, in an attempt to cling on to eternity for just a sliver more, passed on their traditions and knowledge to the humans that had come so far. The magic that flowed in their veins was given on as blessings, and these humans across generations slowly grew and transformed into Giantkin. Not entirely human, not entirely Giants. All bearing the weight of eons. The stronger of the pack became what we know as Goliaths, even stronger and larger, but often less cunning creatures, but all sharing the same blood and culture.
Some Giantkin returned south and formed the bastion of the Endlans, while others migrated further south yet, to share in their knowledge, if just to keep it from dying. It was said that whatever claimed the Giants will one day come for all life.
Some grew accustomed to southern life once more, and found comfort in the new Gods, while others held tight onto the rope of the past, worshiping Frönlin the old god of the frost giants, God of Frost, Ice, and Eternity.
Goliaths as a playable race is presented in the Monsters of the Multiverse compendium.
After Eos was betrayed, and Helios hid beneath the horizon, Asmodeus began his ploy for revenge, by sending his many devils to the Earth. They would integrate with society, hidden by disguises, and slowly whisper and manipulate the Ellisat people into mistrusting the strength of their God. This saw the creation of the first handful of infernal bloodlines, Teiflings as they would become known.
In the Ellisat, and later, Pallisiat empires, Tieflings were widely mistrusted, and often found in poor districts if not enslaved or mistreated. While they have a much easier time in other corners of Zenith and beyond.
Despite this modern racial ''paradigm'' the diverse sapient life on Pangea lives in relative peace, with some exceptions. Like the isolationist Yan Isles near the east peninsula of Nadir, excluding all non-human races, only allowing humans of Nadiri decent. Or the autocratic kingdom of Polovia in southern Zenith disallowing interspecies relationships and procreation.
Origins
Creation myth
There exist many different theories, delving into the dark origins of humanity, even though very little is actually known about it. The creation myth from The Altar of The Sun, explains that humanity among many other races of Pangea, was birthed by the warm spark of the divine dawn, back at the end of the first age. Led from the gates of oblivion and onto the the lands of the sun by Eos, the daughter of the sun. In unity between the races, they went by the name Elisiat (People of the Sun).Later it was argued that humanity instead evolved from lesser creatures, across many eons in the dark cauldron of oblivion, among many other races. That the spark and the dawn, simply represented the day that many species became sapient. Wether from divine will or chance, is still forever up to debate. This was then later backed up by the late second age discovery of ruins and temples dating back before the dawn, containing scriptures describing the habitual existence of different kinds of humanoid lifeforms. The direct source of these of course being lost to the collision and therefor never re-examined by modern scholars. The only source being texts analysing and describing the discovery, by now long-dead archaeologists of the second age.
Post-Collision theories
After the collision and Pangea's discovery of other planes, creating the theory of the cosmological axis, new questions sprang up about humanities origins. A philosophical article called The Vessel of Complexity by a human named James Lancaster, published in 692 AE, the Thrid Age, by the Starfound Society, argues that all life is part of chained event called the Complexity Spire. Humans, among all the other modern sapient species, is placed somewhere on the lower level of this spire, called the High Mediator Circumference. The idea being, that life, through aspirering to be more complex in all things, gain a higher understanding of the universe around them, mediating it, until becoming it. As such, in a strange sorter roundabout way, sapient life creates itself:The theory argues both this in abstract and in literal sense, without concluding anything concrete, but the idea gathered enough headway and popularity, especially among philosophers in a post-collision society, where everything the Pangean people thought they knew, was once again upended. According to the paper all souls, even that of deities and extra-planar species, are a fragment of one larger soul that exists on higher point on the spire. This soul creates life as we perceive it, through its dreams and thoughts. Simply referred to as The Being. Through the expanse of existence, we slowly achieve higher states of unity with this being and with that access to profound knowledge and a higher collective self.
This theory giving way to an all knew movement, calling themselves The Projectors.
Society
''The true value of humanity, is its ability to under all circumstances argue itself into the center of the universe''.-Elandor Lin-Starllor, on the subject of humans, 1812 AE, The Third Age
Characteristics
Human society and culture is diverse, ranging from the high seat of power and knowledge, in Elysium, to the warm silk and spice laced streets of Argon. The thralls and servants of giants in the Arctic or the cult leaders and assassin in the colourless lands of Sheol. It would truly be difficult to define by one word, but if one word should rise above the rest, it would be adaptable.Humans have one common trait, that is abounded in their kin, but rare in the cosmos; adaptability. Not in terms of physicality or survivability, but in spirit. They seem to mix and alter with every coming wave of ideas and disasters, making them flourish, despite a shitty hand dealt by fate. Wether that being as an individual or a species. This is the one thing, that makes human society grow and survive, when so many other fall to the tides. They adapt and ultimately persevere.
History
The first humans, and perhaps the first civilization of Earth back at the first dawn, as brought to life by Helios. The Ellisiats spread out far and wide under the sun and created an empire worthy of his glory. A spark of his divine blood carried through them, and those of higher status and renown became leaders and ascended with celestial power, becoming known as Aasamir. The original Ellisiat were said to be glorious and awe-inspiring, but after the Betryal of Eos it fell apart, and never once saw its former glory again. The number of Aasamir dwindled, and today only a handful remain. Throughout history, Ellisat was renamed the Pallisiat, after Pellos made it his Empire. Later his line would be broken by the Fourth People’s Rebellion led by Ellison, one of the last Aasamir, who got closest to reviving the now-lost celestial era. Redeeming the great betrayal. Aasamir as a playable race is presented in the Monsters of the Multiverse compendium.The Heretics
Sometime around the third or fourth century of the Second Age, a group of sailors were affronted by an unknown entity while they were lost at sea. The entity told them it was a God, and said it would guide them home if they would just worship it. They agreed, and as promised found the shores of their home once again.As they told their story, it was revealed to a high-ranking priest that they had worshipped an unknown deity, and for that, they were banished. Once again the sailors found themselves at sea, and once again that same God came to their aid and this time showed them a new land further north.
Here he revealed himself to be Dagon, one of the lost forgotten powers of the Old World. He told them that he was but one of many strange and more powerful entities that were banished by the light of the first dawn. The sailors cast themselves at the feet of Dagon, forever in his service. He granted them powers, and they used those powers to raid and plunder along the shores of the Ellisiat empire. There they would be cursed by the new Gods, and slowly gain a following.
And as Dagon and his ilk gained power, they were able to keep the Gods at bay with terrible unforgiving dark seas, and ferocious violence and carnage.
The Heretics formed the Esoteric Order and sought to find and release the Old Gods, and in their quest they had founded a new lineage, forever cursed by Helios and the Ellisat.
Today that lineage still exists within society, there are lands and kingdoms on the Isles of Defiance; Fränheim, and Dunheim, that worship the Old Gods. They are a warrior people, harsh and relentless, but not always chaotic or evil. There are plenty who have simply sought to escape the curse of their heretical lineage, or on the other hand, sought to reclaim a sense of freedom and control from the lands of the Sun.
The Tar’riens
Post the formation of the Ethereum pact, many expedition groups set out to explore the far corners of the world. Some of the Twilight Borderrealms went further east and began colonizing Nadir, forming the cityscape of Argon surrounded by gem-crusted deserts and dunes, while others took to the Coiled Sea on the southern shorelines of Zenith. Here they discovered a set of strange moving islands, covered in a thick tar-like substance, with mountains, volcanos, and all kinds of unique flora and fauna.The expedition group was lost for about 10 years before a new group was sent to investigate their disappearance. Here they found the group transformed, their skin had turned almost oil-black, or sickening green, and many of them were thick with fat and muscle in a strange blobby manner. Whatever these islands were, they had transformed the old expedition crew into a primitive group of fat hunters, that had settled the shores of the isles like they had always lived there.
The Tar’riens - as they would be called - were later discovered to be sexless, able to eat about anything, even most metals, with rumors of cannibalism. They had come to know a God of the Isles, whom they simply called Borolza the Great, who had blessed them with their new shape and abilities.
The mysteries of the Tar’riens are endless. Despite being sexless, they somehow give birth and multiply, their eyes are pupilless, and there are no children in their settlements. While some trade and small outside colonies have been established, for the valuable research and resources present on the isles, the Tar’riens have often turned hostile and violent when guarding their inner circle of secrets, and so much of it remains obscured.
The Feyfolk
When the Ethereum pact was settled between the Gods, Astraeus migrated his people to the southeastern border of Zenith and founded a great many kingdoms before he retired to the backstage of existence. The Twilight Border Realms, also called the Hesperidon Border, were Astropol, Lipara, and Chrysothemis. The evening nymphs adorned in silks of purple, blue, and red, wedded the aspiring kings, with the blood of fey, and created a new lineage of people, the Feyfolk. These were not necessarily half-elven, but elves of all kinds were much more welcomed in these new kingdoms.The Feyfolk would become known for their free-thinking, philosophy, poetry, art, and arcane research. They formed the first democracies, and free city-states, all under the guidance and supervision of the trinity between the Silver Collective, the Prismatic Array, and the Twilight Covenant. The people, the mages, and the priests. Royalty would remain a strong influence on the trinity concordance but would not hold any true power.
The Feyfolk would fan out across the east and south, settling along the northern shores of Nadir, and taking back some of the wild lands of the Nelavir Expanse.
Among human cultures and lineages, the Feyfolk are in general terms looked upon as the most tolerant, open-minded, and progressive.
The Giantkin
In the early days of the Ellisats, before the first Twilight, and the first Night, when Helios still dominated the heavens. A group of humans felt strangely drawn to the north, and one day they went up and left. They journeyed thousands of miles along the shores and mountains, and into the deep Arctic until they found what had drawn them. One of the remnants of the old world, a kingdom of Frost Giants.The humans settled among them and learned that the Giants were all dying, their kingdoms were withering into the dark, because of a disease that they couldn’t explain. And so the Frost Giants, in an attempt to cling on to eternity for just a sliver more, passed on their traditions and knowledge to the humans that had come so far. The magic that flowed in their veins was given on as blessings, and these humans across generations slowly grew and transformed into Giantkin. Not entirely human, not entirely Giants. All bearing the weight of eons. The stronger of the pack became what we know as Goliaths, even stronger and larger, but often less cunning creatures, but all sharing the same blood and culture.
Some Giantkin returned south and formed the bastion of the Endlans, while others migrated further south yet, to share in their knowledge, if just to keep it from dying. It was said that whatever claimed the Giants will one day come for all life.
Some grew accustomed to southern life once more, and found comfort in the new Gods, while others held tight onto the rope of the past, worshiping Frönlin the old god of the frost giants, God of Frost, Ice, and Eternity.
Goliaths as a playable race is presented in the Monsters of the Multiverse compendium.
Tieflings
Malleus was the son of Helios, before he created the nine hells, and became known as Asmodeus Lord of the Hells. His relationship with the heavens saw that he was filled with anger and contempt, and all he desired and plotted with his entire being, was to ruin his father’s kingdom.After Eos was betrayed, and Helios hid beneath the horizon, Asmodeus began his ploy for revenge, by sending his many devils to the Earth. They would integrate with society, hidden by disguises, and slowly whisper and manipulate the Ellisat people into mistrusting the strength of their God. This saw the creation of the first handful of infernal bloodlines, Teiflings as they would become known.
In the Ellisat, and later, Pallisiat empires, Tieflings were widely mistrusted, and often found in poor districts if not enslaved or mistreated. While they have a much easier time in other corners of Zenith and beyond.
Third Age Civilisation
Many human settlements, townships, cities and metropolises like Elysium dot the devastated post-collision landscape of Pangea. With many humans being chief in having lead the endeavour to repopulate and rebuild from Zenith to Nadir. Now 1200 years after the collision and the start of the third age, humanity can be found at most high positions of power. Having founded the Constellation Counsel ruling over the collective affairs of all people of Pangea, occupying 7 of 12 seats, they have a lot influence regarding the world they inhabit, with most other races being at their feet.Despite this modern racial ''paradigm'' the diverse sapient life on Pangea lives in relative peace, with some exceptions. Like the isolationist Yan Isles near the east peninsula of Nadir, excluding all non-human races, only allowing humans of Nadiri decent. Or the autocratic kingdom of Polovia in southern Zenith disallowing interspecies relationships and procreation.
''Somewhere beyond the veil of dawn, created by a flicker of distant flame, it is said that humans evolved. Destined to carry the torch of creation and the passions enlisted by its fury. Ever cursed by the corruption, from which their birth was shrouded, their beating hearts would for ever more be locked in never ending conflict with darkness and its temptress. Their short lifespans burdened to be defined by wether they would overcome this darkness or fall to its power.''
The Grail of Dawn, Passage 1:5.
The Human Soul, Painted by Alina, 2032 AD, The Second Age
The Grail of Dawn, Passage 1:5.
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