Difference between revisions of "Men"

Latest revision as of 22:21, 30 March 2019

It is held that Loelir the Lady of Light first sculpted the race of humans out of clay. She instilled them with a sense of drive not possessed by the other races. As a result, humans strive to greatness during their mere decades of life. Having been created by the Immortal of light, humans cannot see in the dark and their children fear dark places.

Physiology

The race of humans begin adolescence at around 13, and are considered adults by the time they reach 16 or 17. Humans live about 80 years on average, but some have been rumored to live as long as 120 years, and at that point, they're wrinkly, feeble old fogies, mumbling to people that aren't there. As far as hair, eye, and skin color, this varies greatly depending on the region of birth. Humans in the frosty north are typically fair-skinned with fair hair. Humans in the tropical south have darker skin, hair, and eyes.

Humans are able to reproduce with apsarava as well as vidari. Whichever race mothers the child is the deciding factor in the race of the offspring. A female human who mates with a male vidara conceives a human child whose natural lifespan is doubled. A female vidara who mates with a human male conceives a vidara child whose natural lifespan is halved. Humans and apsarava have similar lifespans. Tell-tale signs of mixed heritage could include height, ear shape, and hair, eye, and skin color.

Size

Human height varies more widely than that of other races, but males average about 5′8ʺ, human females average about 5′3ʺ. Human height is known to vary by region, but outliers occur constantly. Humans are Size 0.

Appearance

The appearance of humans is heavily dependent on the locale. The human world is filled to the brim with countless fashion styles, materials, and customs. Humans from one region may seem quite foolishly or strangely dressed to those from another. That said, a universal constant seems to exist among humans: money talks, so the rich are well-dressed by most standards. Human combatants and adventurers just love shields and armor. Societies which practice advanced metallurgy are often the home of noisy plate armor and weighty metal shields.

Personality

Humans are first and foremost ambitious; they strive to greatness and set lofty goals. Whether the events of their lives allow them to continue behaving this way is another story. Humans often lack the age-instilled wisdom of the longer-lived races having at the most 120 years to experience all the world has to offer (often much less). Humans vary in behavior much more than any of the other races and cover the full range from righteous, honorable heroes to despicable, sinister tyrants. Lastly, humans are the only race to fear what they do not understand.

Habitat

Humans live in all manner of places depending on region from stone halls to thatched-roof cottages. Their homes are usually made from nearby materials, and often consist of a mixture of stone and wood, wealth and availability allowing. Men also build vast cities and fortresses where a great number live together. Humans can be found in any climate: windswept plains, scorching desert, frozen tundra, sandy beaches, steaming jungles, forested wilderness, or stony mountains.

It's not uncommon to find humans living in the evengaran city states or in the vidari nations. On the other hand, it's rare to find humans living among villages of kulgeris, maghashi, and shou.

Diet

Humans enjoy a balanced diet of meats, eggs, dairy, fruits, nuts, grain, and vegetables: anything they can harvest or raise. They also love their substance use, so most human towns aren't complete without drinking, smoking, or dosing.

Society

Humans in each region have developed their own style of government and society. Some humans answer to a king, others answer to a council. Humans take to science far easier than the other races, for they are not as gifted with magic.

Humans observe the birth of their children by hosting great celebrations with family and friends. Humans worldwide have an average of 2 children, but some families are huge, and others nonexistent. Weddings are a time of great joy and are attended by the newlyweds' close family and friends with copious amounts of delectable dishes and fine wines. Humans greet death with a solemn and reverent attitude, many grieve and weep for their lost loved one and the vast amount of time that must be spent until they meet again in the afterlife. Humans bury or burn the deceased to allow them to return to the earth and clay from which they came.

Language

Humans speak many dozens of languages throughout Halestia. In recent centuries, a common tongue has been spread through the world, and while some people still speak, write, and understand the old tongues, pretty much anyone can speak at least a bit of the common language of humans.

Relations

The versatility of humans allows them to get along well with any of the other races, if they don't mind being called soft by the kulgeris or weak by the evengar. Out of all the sentient races of Halestia, they are most like the firnoy, for both take to farming, herding, and merchanting.

Occupations

If they put their minds to it, humans can be great at pretty much anything. Many are able-bodied laborers, skilled artisans, or hardened soldiers. Because of their affinity for science, humans dominate the ranks of chemists, astronomers, and inventors.

Combat

The human race is a wildcard in the game of warfare. Humans can unite beneath a banner, gathering any number of talents and hindrances together, while life and death hangs in the balance. It's this variety of skills that makes them effective, as successful warfare requires many different strengths, from strategy to firepower. Rank and file humans favor many kinds of weapons, especially depending on the resources available for construction. Humans fight with basically anything that could hurt somebody, especially a weapon that's lying around. Swords, spears, and polearms are extremely common for soldiers, but humans also invented the crossbow, gunpowder, and the firearm.

Motivations

Humans aspire to lofty goals thanks to their ambitious nature. Acquiring power or wealth, exploring unknown places, vanquishing their enemies, or simply meeting challenges head-on are common ambitions among the human race. They also possess personal motivations such as protecting their loved ones, making a name for themselves, and just getting enjoyment out of life.

Max Caps

The Max Caps for all humans is normal (10).

Powers

• Immutable – Due to their industrious nature, and many humans' aversion to magic, they receive +1 to Magic Defense.
• Workaholic – Humans receive the first rank in their first Occupation for free since they are quick learners and hard workers.
• Versatile – Spread throughout the world and subject to all manner of different environments and upbringings, humans have the potential for just about anything. Humans may choose any one Trump worth 2 points, or any two Trumps worth 1 point. While the cost may be waived, the requirements and incompatibilities listed are still applicable.

Societal Powers: Choose one of the following.

• District Managers – Humans like to be in charge. Many of them crave power, authority, or social standing, and some are actually pretty good at it. They receive a +2 bonus to Leadership.
• Innovative – Where you find humans, you'll find technology. Many humans are skillful tinkerers, machinists, mechanics, and saboteurs. They receive a +2 bonus to Machinery.
• Fight or Flight – Humans are often anxious, fearful, reactionary creatures. This inner unrest gives them an early chance to run for their lives or land the first blow. They receive a +2 bonus to Reaction.