The Human Races

Traits

Common features

The interesting thing about humans is that they are easily recognizable, but have very few common features. Not only has their appearance adapted to many different climates and environments, they have also been able to mingle with other races to varying degrees. Sentients used to be called humanoids because humans were so widespread and any other race could be compared to them as a base. It was once believed that humans were the basis for every other race, but this has mostly been debunked with genetic research. Nowadays, people with partially human ancestry are recognized as a human subrace. These subraces can be very distinct from each other, so they will be described separately.

Purebred humans

This subrace has become rare after the Fey Fall, partially due to diseases such as CCD, and partially due to the increased racial mingling that occurred during the first few decades of rebuilding. They can mostly be recognized by their round ears as opposed to elves, smooth skin as opposed to draconic races, small canine teeth as opposed to orcs, and tall build as opposed to dwarves, gnomes, and halflings. Other than that, there is still a lot of variation in their appearance. Their height can lie anywhere between 1.50 and 2.10 meters, and their weight is even more variable. Their hair can be blond, brown, black, or ginger. Their eyes can be blue, brown, grey, or green. Their skin tone can vary from pale to brown or yellowish hued.

Fear of oblivion
Purebred humans tend to want to leave their mark, have an impact on society, to be remembered beyond their relatively short lifespan. They are generally ambitious in seeking glory, wealth, and power. To have remained purebred after centuries, these humans have also had a fear of extinction instilled in them over many generations. Nowadays their desire for purity can manifest as traditionalism at best, and outright racism at worst. Stereotypically, purebred humans can be seen as arrogant and snobbish, but they are also known for their perseverance and dedication.

Elvenborn humans

As the term humanoids was replaced with sentients, the term half-elf was replaced with elvenborn. These humans have inherited some distinct features from elven ancestors, such as slightly elongated ears, a slender build, more vibrant colorations of hair and eyes, and an innate resistance against enchantment magic. Interestingly, while elven men are incapable of growing facial hair, elvenborn men can sport full beards. Elvenborn humans are shorter than purebred humans but taller than elves, between 1.50 meters and 1.80 meters in height. Their weight varies between 45 and 80 kilograms.

Holistic perspective
Elvenborn humans tend to experience the world differently than either of their ancestors. Living much shorter lives than elves, they are more down to earth and in tune with the present times. But because they can live twice as long as other humans, they tend to be more focused on long-term consequences than short-term gains. Elvenborns generally keep the bigger picture in mind with everything they do while still feeling the human drive to make a change.

Orcborn humans

Especially in the south of the continent, most humans nowadays are considered orcborn, with traces of orcish ancestry in their bloodline. The easiest feature to distinguish them by is their skin colour. Whereas fullblood orcs always have green hues in their skin, orcborn humans only inherit their grey skin pigmentation, sometimes manifesting in piebald with the more human pink or brown tones. Their faces can be more angular with prominent brows, cheekbones, and chins. Not all orcborn have orcish tusks protruding from the mouth, but their canines are generally larger than those of other humans. They are on the taller and heavier end of the human spectrum, between 1.60 and 2.10 meters and between 80 and 110 kilograms.

Emotional burden
The sad truth is that for many orcborn humans, their bloodline began with a distant human ancestor being enslaved by orcs. Nowadays the term half-orc is a slur referring to this unpleasant history, and orcborn human relationships are founded on equality and love. In Greza, orcborn humans fit in well amongst the majority of orcs, but in other cultures they tend to struggle. Stereotypically orcborn humans are impulsive and passionate, which would make them bad at monogamous relationships. Their physicality and strong emotions are not always valued or even tolerated. Sometimes a change on either side is necessary for orcborns to feel like they belong.

Scaleskin humans

An enigmatic subrace that is very rare, but very recognizable. Aptly named, they have thick skin with usually symmetric patches of scales on their lower limbs, backs, sternum, and forehead. The pattern of scales versus skin differs individually, as well as the coloration of these places. Some scaleskins have bands of bright red, black, or yellow, while others have muttled spotty green and brown scales. Less common colours are blue and white. Two other features scaleskins tend to have are slitted pupils and a long, pointed or even forked tongue. Their range of height and weight is similar to that of purebred humans, not leaning towards any side of the spectrum.

Mysterious and magical
The true origin of this subrace is unknown. They are not descendants from draconic sentients. It is believed that their bloodline was magically influenced by a serpentine primordial or deity. Apart from their snake-like features, they also possess innate magical abilities, and snakes are magically drawn to them. Because of this mystery around them, scaleskins are often shunned or treated with suspicion. Most of them accept this distance. They prefer to be unique over trying to fit in, and generally interest themselves with the more occult or obscure facets of life. They can be nomadic, never really settling down where they do not feel like they belong.

IAMI-periods

To equalize the life stages of all the races including very diverging lifespans, and ensure that they can be categorized correctly when it comes to rights, taxes, and healthcare, all ID cards also share their racial Infancy-Adolescence-Maturity-Index, or IAMI. For the human subraces, this is so variable that these periods have been established for each subrace separately:

Purebred humans:
Infancy: 0-11 years
Adolescence: 11-18 years
Maturity: 18+ years
Lifespan: 90 years

Elvenborn humans:
Infancy: 0-15 years
Adolescence: 15-25 years
Maturity: 25+ years
Lifespan: 250 years

Orcborn humans:
Infancy: 0-8 years
Adolescence: 8-16 years
Maturity: 16+ years
Lifespan: 70 years

Scaleskin humans:
Infancy: 0-12 years
Adolescence: 12-20 years
Maturity: 20+ years
Lifespan: 110 years

Culture

Humans have differing personalities and ancestries, but they no longer have a distinct culture like most other sentients do. They are highly adaptive, and have made themselves welcome in all the other countries by becoming one with the local customs. Human cultures did exist on the continent before the Fey Fall, but afterwards they have mingled to such extent that there are only small traces of such traditions left, even among purebred humans. The most prominent remaining feature is the Common language, which was originally based on the language used by humans on this continent. Likewise, many humans use a naming convention that is separate from other races and cultures, which is thought to be inherited from ancient human civilisations.

Naming conventions

Humans have a first given name and a final family surname, with in between any number of names, sometimes in archaic forms, which are similar to the given name of their (grand)parents to pass on names from generation to generation. Sometimes even the first name is equal to that of a parent, or at least based on it. Examples of human names are:
Unisex names
Alex, Billie, Bobbie, Casey, Cory, Danny, Fran, Gabby, Izzy, Jamie, Jo, Kit, Lynn, Mel, Nicky, Ray, Sandy, Stacey, Taylor, Val.
Feminine names
Amanda, Amy, Brenda, Brittany, Carolyn, Cynthia, Debra, Diane, Elizabeth, Frances, Grace, Helen, Jacqueline, Jennifer, Judith, Karen, Kimberly, Lauren, Lisa, Mary, Megan, Melissa, Natalie, Olivia, Patricia, Rebecca, Rose, Sarah, Shirley, Susan.
Masculine names
Aaron, Adam, Benjamin, Brandon, Carl, Dennis, Edward, Eugene, Frank, Gary, Harold, Henry, Jack, Jeremy, Jordan, Keith, Kyle, Larry, Mark, Nathan, Peter, Philip, Ralph, Robert, Russell, Stephen, Thomas, Timothy, Vincent, Walter, William.
Family names
Bennett, Clarke, Davis, Evans, Green, Hall, Jones, King, Lowell, Moore, Parker, Smith, Turner, Walker, Wood, Young.