"What's a human? Well, you and me for a start. But you're probably looking for a better definition than that. Well... sit down, this might take a while."
Shaemus Caul, Professor of Human Biology, Borgriva University,
Suhr
The word 'human' is a strange on on Iora. Genetically speaking, the vast majority of organic sapient beings on Iora are human, and yet if you put someone from
Zehl in a room with someone from
Yozhov, you could be forgiven for thinking the two are entirely different species.
The cause of the astounding genetic diversity of Iora's human population is a subject of much discussion by biologists around the world. Some claim that
the Aether has caused a significant increase in the speed of the evolutionary process, others believe that the blood of the ancient gods still runs in the veins of Iora's population, and more still claim that commonly held beliefs about a people can effect the traits passed down to them by their parents. In reality, the truth is some combination of all the prevailing theories.
History
Realistically, talking about the history of humanity on Iora is just talking about Ioran history in general. To try and separate the two would be like trying to separate the light from the dark. While there are
other beings that have had a notable effect on Iora's history, it is ultimately humanity that has decided the fate of the world.
As such, it is best to simply reference the
World History category to learn the history of Iora.
Culture
As one of the only sapient species on Iora, human culture is strongly varied depending on where in the world you are. This ranges from the competitive and boisterous
Leior to the timid and isolationist
Baejahn and everything in between.
One exception is in the field of gender and sexuality. While it is true that all cultures behave differently, no cultures on Iora place any stock in gender or sexuality when judging another person. In fact, many cultures, especially those found in southwestern Uleon, have almost no concept of gender at all. Additionally, polyamory is relatively common around the world, and is the norm in several countries.
For a more extensive look at the various cultures of Iora, check out the category.
Physical Traits
It is the physical traits of the humans of Iora that truly set them apart from their Earth counterparts. Beyond the normal spectrum of human appearance, the people of Iora can have horns, tails, fur, scales, bioluminescent features, and much, much more. The prevalence of each of these features in a person depends strongly on the traits of their parents, and certain features tend to be more common in some nations than others. For example, the majority of people native to
Suhr have light grey skin, soot-like freckles, and fiery orange hair and eyes, whereas those native to
Tui have skin that comes in any color of the rainbow and feather like structures that grow out of their bodies.
For more detailed information about what physical traits are common in what nations, see the articles in the category.
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