Humans

All men are brothers and sisters. No crown shall divide us, nor shall a noble or lord. We are all to be united under one banner called Faith; and the Lord that holds that banner is Aine, our God. --Allfather Warren Kemp

Humans have long served as one of the most dominant races on Veska. They are heavily divided due to recent tensions, but have recently been unified together through a mutual belief in Aine, the primary creator God of mankind. They are known for living relatively short lives compared to the rest of the races in the world of Veska, but make up for it with their ability to adapt and survive most situations faster than many others.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Humans come in many different shapes and sizes based on their ethnic background. Each ethnic group has their own distinct traits or qualities that sets them aside from others. All in all, they're generally no different from you and I.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Human social structure remains rather consistent in most societies. While illegal and abolished in most countries, slavery is still legal in Devkarth. Aside from that, human society has always valued faith and the Church over all other things. The words of holy men and women are thus, generally seen as the closest thing to a King's decree. Even then, many of the human civilizations find themselves unified by the word of the Holy Church of Aine. Tregaron answers to the Hunters, and even then, they value the words of a cleric over a soldier.
While all human society answers to nobles of some sort, the nobility is usually no longer just someone born into power. Soldiers can easily raise themselves in the hierarchy through hard work, and in time, any pauper can find themselves swaddled in silken robes or polished armour. This used to not be the case some 40 years ago, where nobility was primarily handed down through family names. However, the recent Mordencrast conspiracy has lead to men being quite apprehensive of nobility, and far more trusting of the Church.
Long story short, human social structure is pretty much lowest-class -- that is the peasants, workers, and farmers, and slaves at the bottom slice of the pyramid, in the case of Devkarth. Above them would be the soldiers, whom in turn are commanded by military generals that also often act as prefects or officials to their local territory; they answer to either the Church, or the Hunter's guild.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Humans are among the most numerous race in the world of Veska.

Average Intelligence

Human technology is often considered among the most advanced in the world, with the only exception belonging to the Dwarfs. That being said, their ingenuity is not to be underestimated. They're among one of the few nations capable of producing functional firearms, though they still remain far from the convenience of the bullet or shell-based weapons the Dwarfs employ.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

The names are variable and dependent on ethnic background, as different cultures have different naming conventions. The most common naming convention that can be found in the world of Veska for a human, however, is just about any European name.
Males: Charles, Henry, Oswald
Females: Olivia, Marian, Claire

Average Technological Level

Human technology is the same all around; for the most part, they've reached a level of technology where they can effectively harness steam to power electricity. Weaponry is also on the cusp of further development, with proper firearms being far more popular than armour or steel.

History

Being one of the most prominent races in the world of Veska, human history goes back far. Unlike many of the other races found in the world of Veska, humans happened to be a bit more numerous, yet still remained divided from one another purely due to the different islands. The first of the human kingdoms can trace themselves back to the Sahali empire; a wide-spanning civilization that controlled multiple isles across the world. This ancient culture managed to flourish until it split off into separate factions found across the world, including the Elves in Kalni.
In Tregaron: Humans were left at a perpetual feudal state for centuries. The entire island was heavily scattered into tiny fiefdoms that constantly expanded and shrunk in size. Many different ethnic groups could be found in this time. The violence and warfare lead to the inevitable culling of countless cultures, but a few managed to survive to this day. Most notably, the three noble kingdoms that managed to establish control over Tregaron.
The Villish managed to take control of the north eastern half of Tregaron. They became renown for their incredible warriors, while the Belrose had seized control of the south. Meanwhile, all of Mordencrast, along with much of the western country, had fallen under control of the Vanks. These three noble families later formed a pact that would lead to the unification of all Tregaron, placing it under one banner rather than several.
Unfortunately, the nobles one day grew to covet the long lifespans of the Elves, and demanded from them the secrets to living either long, or immortal lives. The Elves, though reluctant, had agreed to help the nobles primarily out of fear. They were a very small kingdom compared to Tregaron, after all. The result had unfortunately backfired, and while the Elves insist it was on the hubris of man, men still, to this day, blame the Elves for 'tricking' them. The backfire resulted in the creation of vampirism, which plagued the noble houses from then on.
The noble houses remained this way in secret for years after, but were eventually exposed of their evils when the Blood Curse began to spread across Tregaron. The Elves were then targeted in a bloody crusade, which lead to not only their near-extinction, but the collapse of Tregaron society. Nobility collapsed; and the peasantry would no longer obey what they saw as blood-sucking demons. Fortunately, it only took a year of this depression before a Pastor named Malachi would become the first Hunter, and from there, he trained more to keep on the mantle of hunting those afflicted by the curse.
Since then, the Hunters have now been seen as the new form of 'nobility' to Tregaron, as both the protectors of the people, and the leaders.
This also later triggered the men of Tregaron to leave on a pilgrimage in hopes of starting a new life, which caused humanity to be even more scattered, gathering into several colonies under the watchful eye of the Church.
Llyne: Llyne populated by tribal humans from the start. It wasn't until the interference of the Church that everything changed; missionaries from Tregaron had left the country in hopes of finding safe land and spreading the word of Aine. This later lead to their colonization and inevitable conversion, which fortunately, was a relatively peaceful change. In time, Llyne became what was known as 'The Promised Land;' a beautiful island perfect for the people of the faith to live upon.
Devkarth: Very little is known about the Devkarti history. Unlike most of the other human civilizations, the Devkarti worship Amelia, a far more vengeful deity that's even quicker to raise arms against those that would dare question or oppose their faith. Amelia is, for all intents and purposes, the same deity as Aine. The Devkarti and the rest of human civilization accepts most doctrines and faith to be very similar to each other's belief.

All in all, most of human history is divided based on the ethnic groups, but many trace themselves back to Tregaron, with many actually being born in old colonies formed to escape the war-torn era of the island. Refer to the ethnic groups (when they're finished) for more in-depth looks on human civilization.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Humans generally have a bit of apprehension towards interspecies relationships, with only a few exceptions being in place. While it isn't necessarily outlawed, relations with Elves or other fae-worshiping species tends to draw a lot of scrutiny from the Church, and subsequently, everyone else due to how common Aine's worship is.
The Devkarti on the other hand do not scrutinize such a concept; interspecies relationships are almost always acceptable among their kind.

Scientific Name

Homo Sapiens (Humans)

Origin/Ancestry

Vanks, Villish, Torman, Devkarti, Sahali, Mokbaren

Lifespan

60~70 years.

Average Height

Between 5'4~5'9 in height.

Average Weight

Roughly around 120~190 pounds.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Humans vary on placement and culture. Most of those living in Tregaron have white or pale skin, while those in Llyne are typically olive or tan skinned.
The Devkarti humans range in darker skin tones; from tan to dark.

Related Ethnicities

• Devkarti
• The Torman
• The Vanks
• The Villish

Related Myths

• Spindlespine
• The Kuru Kemi

Related Materials

• Echo Stone