Humans

At first glance humans may seem an unimpressive species. They aren't as fair as the elves, strong as the dwarves, wise as the gnomes nor nimble as the halfling, and possibly worst of all, humans are certainly shorter lived than any of than the other four races. That said Humans have managed to become by far the predominate race in Idaria, and alone account for two-thirds the total poulation of civilized peoples. Their success is in no small part due to their tenacious and resourceful nature, and are capable and willing to thrive in any region of the world. Some even argue man's short life expectancy is itself a boon, forcing them to take risks the older races would not even dare. Where say an elf,for instance, would act cautiously, a human would be compelled to act courageously. A human simply may not live long enough to get another chance at glory, and will accept risks the other races would find unfathomable.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Humans have a basic body plan of two legs, two arms, central torso, head and an upright posture. It is rare but not altogether unheard of for a human to deviate from this recipe, but such things as tails or extra limbs are exceedingly rare. They are sexually dimorphic, having noticeably different male/female genders, which is further exemplified by cultural variations in clothing and hairstyle. Overal humans fall somewhere between elves and dwarves in terms of features like height, musculature and facial hair while maintaining a similar body plan. This has led some to speculate that humans are a hybrid race of elves and dwarves, which is a notion not widely enjoyed by any of the three mentioned species.

Genetics and Reproduction

A human mother can give birth (typically a single child per pregnancy, but multiple births are not all together rare) after a gestation period of nine months. This potentially allows a human woman two decades worth of child rearing years, and allows for the possibility of rapid population growth held in check only by the environmental limits.

Growth Rate & Stages

Humans are born completely helpless, and dependent on their mothers for a lengthy infancy, but mature steadily over the next twenty years. Upon reaching adulthood humans can produce children of their own, allowing for an exponential growth in populace in only several generations. If humans manage to survive all of the perils of the world they enter the elder phase of their life cycle. At this point it seems their bodies and sometimes their minds have begun to betray them. Eventually all human bodies deteriorate in spite of medicine or magic, and they cease to live. There is no set age at which this happens, but it is very rare for a human to live a full century.

Ecology and Habitats

Humans have adapted through ingenuity and genetic variation to every region and climate of the world. They can be found in hot tropical rain forests, arid deserts, freezing mountains and everything between.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Humans can eat nearly anything, a fact the other races find somewhat abhorrent. Meats, grains, fruits and vegetables make up most of a human diet, and most are able to digest milk products derived from other animals. Humans are also capable and sometimes too fond of consuming beverages made from fermented plants.

Biological Cycle

Humans are not overly affected by the changing seasons except perhaps a bit of weight gain during the winter months, but most humans refrain from pointing this fact out to one another as an act of courtesy.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Typically humans do not possess the most impressive sensory abilities. Notably their eyesight is limited to the daylight hours. Some humans may have access to innate magical senses, but this is far from the norm.

Scientific Name

Homo Sapiens Sapiens

Origin/Ancestry

There are a great variety of different ethnicities of human. The differences between the races are largely adaptation to their regional environment, and can mostly be categorized by varying shades of skin, hair and eye color.

Conservation Status

Humans are incredibly widespread and prolific, and face little danger from the world around them. In fact it is believed the only thing that could undo mankind is man itself.