Humanity
The term "Humanity" is a high level trans-realm category given to a broad class of similarly patterned species which are the most frequently encountered apex sapient type within the timestreams of the local Discontinuum. The baseline variant of Humanity is defined by the Stability Council to be the specific species which has developed on Earth Zero. This is, however, merely a technically convenient reference point for the benefit of comparative anatomical and conceptual studies amongst academics and does not presuppose that the Earth Zero strain of humanity is special in any other way.
Although in relatively recent Stanza, the specific line of humanity from Earth Stable has extended its range by spreading into the Discontinuum like a stain of ink in water, the majority of the species classified as human do not share common ancestors but have simply developed in parallel under the same evolutionary laws and with similar environmental conditions, leading to similar anatomical and intellectual results.
On the face of it, this might be thought odd. There is no obvious reason why "humanity" should be expressed preferentially over other body plans and other modes of being that might just as well come to dominate their timestreams. So why do we see humanity in so many varieties? The answer is simply one of selection bias. Within the wider Discontinuum it is certain that humanity is nothing special, but the local Discontinuum is more or less defined by the operation of humans within it, in some shape or form. We can even say that "humanity" provides what little common structure there is to link together the archetypes and evolutions within range of the Stability Council.
Basic Information
Anatomy
All the species grouped under the umbrella term of "humanity" share the common features of bipedal locomotion coupled with a pair of manipulative limbs called "arms". Bone, muscle and blood provide the skeletal structure and the mechanism for energy distribution around the body. For any species to be categorised as "human", a single "head", set above the arms must support the main sensory organs and house the brain.
Genetics and Reproduction
Humans are divided into two sexes and it is a defining characteristic of the group that they give birth to live young. This excludes certain otherwise similar species which incubate their progeny using eggs.
Growth Rate & Stages
All humans are mortal with varying but finite lifespans, between fifty and two hundred Earth Zero years. This distinguishes the group from species such as the Fey or the Blood Iris Sisters, which possess many of the other characteristics of humanity but are (normally) immortal. The relationship of humanity to an inevitable death within a relatively short lifespan, produces a profound effect upon their collective psychology which is an essential aspect of the group.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Although this has been the subject of fierce debate amongst scholars, it is currently considered that a dietry pattern allowing for the omniverous consumption of both vegetable and animal derived nutrition is a defining characteristic of humanity. This excludes some species, both of a purely carnivorous and herbivorous nature, which have occasionally been grouped with humans by some thinkers.
The argument in favour of adopting the currently accepted dietry criteria, is that it greatly influences the social structures under which humanity operates and provides a strong link between species sharing this chracteristic, explaining many other shared psychological and practical aspects of their civilisations.
Behaviour
To be accepted as a member of the class of Humanity, a species must exhibit a minimal level of intelligence and culture. Advanced civilisation is not required but there must at least be the potential for it to develop under the right conditions.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Examples of species that belong to the group can be found widely within the Discontinuum but are thought to be especially common in the local regions of the metaverse centred on Earth Zero.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
All humans possess the basic five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The first four of these must be localised to the head, whilst the last one is always a distributed sense. Species which lack any of these capabilities or which implement them in other ways are not considered human by definition.
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
There are many languages spoken in the numerous realms where humanity can be found, but perhaps the most important, although certainly far from the most commonly spoken, is Discontinuum English, a variant of the Earth Zero language known as English.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Most forms of humanity can, on rare occasions, breed with members of the Fey species. Any children resulting from these unions are always mortal, sharing the body plans and characteristics of the mortal parent. Amongst the Fey, such individuals are known as Ajan Lapset, the Children of Time. The label is in turn applied to the descendants of these bloodlines until a certain special "golden gene" disappears from their inherited ancestral legacy, after which they are considered to have reverted to their baseline species.
Only the Fey typically keep track of the lines of the Ajan Lapset. Those rare humans who have mixed species ancestry are quite often unaware of it.
Lifespan
Between 50 and 200 years
Average Height
From 1.5 to 4 metres
Average Weight
Between 50 and 200 kg
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
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