Humans
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Additional Information
Social Structure
In keeping with Humanity’s tendency toward variation, Human society has branched out from the moment the first Humans arose ages ago. Human society differs dramatically between continents, and even between neighboring counties in Terrinoth. Whereas the baronies and their inhabitants are bound by a strict and complex code of oaths, duties, and obligations, they share borders with the Free Cities, whose people generally share a belief in self-reliance and independence and have a far more flippant view toward tradition.
The inherent nature of the surrounding lands seem to impart its own character on each Human civilization wherever they arise. It’s almost impossible to imagine the regimented life of the baronies surviving for very long in the fractured, disconnected islands of the Torue Albes, or the Lorimorian life of leisure and poetry holding much stock in the Borderlands. Thus, Humanity has often lived with the need to master the world while being a servant to it. Humans have carved out paradises from frozen rock and burning desert sands alike, changing themselves in the process, and they will likely not stop until all of Mennara is charted on their maps.
Structurally, Human societies tend to adopt some form of hierarchy, with power consolidated in a few individuals who govern from the top. Most Human territories have a stable high authority, such as the Empress in Lorimor, the Caliph in Al-Kalim, and the numerous councils of Guildmasters in the Free Cities. Even in the eastern wastes, the normally anarchistic blood-touched still respect and obey the authority of those chiefs deemed worthy enough.
Though they have innumerable differences, Human cultures tend to share more bonds than even they might realize. Dozens of languages can be heard in the markets of Tamalir, but nearly all the speakers can, at the very least, understand common speech, a simple tongue birthed in the days of the Elder Kings. When separated from their cultures of origin, Humans tend to naturally gravitate toward other Humans, forming new communities out of a distinct necessity for companionship.
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The most learned minds in all of Terrinoth have argued about the exact nature of Humanity for generations. At times, Humans have proven themselves to be little more than brutes, greedy for power and violent in their hunger for glory and riches. At other times, they have demonstrated a spirit so noble as to outshine any other, driven by a profound need to see goodness triumphant in the world.
In truth, from the most opulent spires of Lorimor to the frigid towns of Isheim, all Human societies are in some way or another predicated upon a few simple desires. Humanity, more than any other race that dwells in Mennara, defines itself by the challenges it faces. When it is cold, Humanity seeks to create warmth, and when it is hot, it seeks to create a cool place to rest. When Humanity hungers, it seeks to feed itself, and when Humanity is dominated, it strives with all its might for freedom. The Humans who live in Terrinoth and its surrounding lands are the descendants of explorers, conquerors, warriors, and scholars, and no amount of time could ever dim their spark to seek out, to explore, to build, and to stand for something. This is the driving force at the heart of every Human culture, whatever their location or form of governance.
To the Humans of the Daqan Baronies, order and duty are prized as the highest standards. Their greatest heroes are paragons of loyalty and adherence to the law. Meanwhile, their neighbors in Terrinoth's Free Cities tend to be more cosmopolitan, adventurous, and willing to appreciate the finer pleasures in life.
Elsewhere, in Lorimor, art and civics are the most highly valued pursuits. Many of Lorimor’s emperors rank among the finest artists and poets ever to put brush to canvas or quill to parchment. In the Caliphate of Al-Kalim, politics and magic are considered equally worthy pursuits, and the Sayr-Savim take great pains to hold on to the mystical origins of their ancestors. To the people who dwell in the savage parts of Terrinoth and beyond, the sparsely populated areas of Isheim, the isolated, untamed islands of the Torue Albes, or the Borderlands along the blighted Ru Darklands, power and brutality are often the sole measures of virtue.
Humans Across Mennara
Though their appearances and sizes seem to have no limit in their variety, Humans aren’t subdivided into localized variations with unique rules. This is due to their far-roaming nature, for Humans have spread from their origins in the Ru Steppes to occupy nearly every nook and cranny of Mennara. Their restless nature also means many don’t stay in the lands their ancestors settled, thus spreading their customs and traditions as they go. That doesn’t mean, though, that Humans are all the same! Players can use the character's home city or land to aid in selecting the two non-career skills they pick as part of character creation, in order to add flavor to their new adventurer.
Heroes from Tamalir, for example, might have Streetwise and Knowledge (Adventuring), representing the city’s rough nature and starting point for so many quests. Those from Forge might favor Mechanics, while characters from the friendly village of Dragonholt could go with Charm. Humans of Greyhaven could have Discipline and Knowledge (Lore), even if they aren’t actual scholars at the university. Denizens of Nerekhall may have picked up Coercion and Deception in life in the dark city. The furtive peoples who dare live along the Borderlands would also use Deception, but matched with Stealth to avoid notice.
Humans from outside of Terrinoth can similarly benefit from skills that stem from their location. The piratical islands of the Torue Albes make Brawl and Skulduggery clear choices, as do Athletics and Resilience for the frozen lands of Isheim. Knowledge (Geography) and Leadership work well with the subjects of the Lorimor Empire. Those who have lived in the jungles of Zanaga likely have become skilled at Athletics and Survival—or they wouldn’t have lived long. The Caliph’s peoples, though, may excel at Alchemy and Charm to represent the learning and social skills of that far-away land.
Terrinoth Human
Starting Abilities
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
BR |
AG |
INT |
CUN |
WILL |
PR |
|---|
- Starting Wound Threshold: 10 + Brawn
- Starting Strain Threshold: 10 + Willpower
- Starting Experience: 110
- Starting Skills: Humans begin with one rank in each of two different non-career skills. You still cannot train these skills above rank 2 during character creation.
- Ready for Adventure: Once per session as an out-ofturn incidental, a Human may move one Story Point from the Game Master's pool to the players' pool.
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