Humans (Hu-man)
Overview
Said to be created by Mehena to be her chosen children, it isn’t an exaggeration to say that humans are the most dominant force on Ekrune and the eastern side of Asora. Humanity is best characterized by its tumultuousness and diversity, and human cultures run the spectrum from savage but honorable tribes to decadent, devil-worshiping noble families in the most cosmopolitan cities. Humans’ curiosity and ambition often triumph over their want for a sedentary lifestyle, and many leave their homes to explore the innumerable forgotten corners of the world or lead mighty armies to conquer their neighbors, simply because they can. Human society is a strange mash of nostalgia and futurism, being enamored with past glories and remembered “golden ages,” yet at the same time quick to discard tradition and history and strike off into new ventures. Relics of the past are kept as prized antiques and museum pieces, as humans love to collect things—not only inanimate relics but also living creatures—to display for their amusement or to serve by their side. Other races suggest this behavior is due to a deep-rooted urge to dominate and assert power in the human psyche, an urge to take, till, or tame the wild things and places of the world. Their attitudes toward other races are thus a curious mix of exoticism and even fetishism, though usually with a very superficial level of understanding and appreciation of those cultures, alongside a deeply rooted arrogance that means most humans have a hard time regarding themselves as anything other than the default standard of society. Humans are gregarious, often friendly, and willing to mix and interact with others, but their sheer obliviousness to their off handed marginalization of others is what often bothers other races when dealing with them.Physical Description
The characteristics of the ethnicities of humanity have been shaped before the Calamity. From the dark-skinned tribesmen of the Parched Wastes to the pale and barbaric Illuskan raiders of the northern and western lands, humans possess a wide variety of skin colors, body types, and facial features. Appearance is hardly random, of course, and familial, tribal, or national commonalities often allow the knowledgeable to identify a human’s place of origin on sight, or at least to hazard a good guess. Humans’ origins are also indicated through their traditional styles of bodily decoration, not only in the clothing or jewelry worn, but also in elaborate hairstyles, piercing, tattooing, and even scarification.Society
Human society comprises a multitude of governments, attitudes, and lifestyles. Though the oldest human cultures trace their histories before the Calamity, when compared to the societies of other races like elves and dwarves, human society seems to be in a state of constant flux as empires fragment and new kingdoms subsume the old. In general, humans are known for their flexibility, ingenuity, and ambition. Other races sometimes envy humans their seemingly limitless adaptability, not so much biologically speaking but in their willingness to step beyond the known and press on to whatever might await them.Relations
Humans are aggressive, and their drive and numbers often spur them into contact with other races during bouts of territorial expansion and colonization. In many cases, this tendency leads to violence and war, yet humans are also swift to forgive and forge alliances with races who do not try to match or exceed them in violence. Proud, sometimes to the point of arrogance, humans might look upon dwarves as stubborn drunkards, elves as flighty and haughty, halflings as cowardly thieves, gnomes as twisted maniacs, orcs as savage thugs, and beastfolk as nothing more than monsters —but the race’s diversity among its own members also makes many humans quite adept at accepting others for what they are when society allows for it. Humans may become so absorbed in their own affairs that they remain ignorant of the language and culture of others, and some take this ignorance to a hateful extreme of intolerance, oppression, and rarely even extermination of others they perceive as dangerous, strange, or “impure.”Stats and Meta Info
Ability Score Modifiers: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Size: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size
Type: Humans are Humanoid
Base Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common and their ethnic language. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
Skilled: Humans gain 1 additional skill rank at 1st level and 1 additional rank whenever they gain a level.
