Meranthic Peoples (mair-AHN-thik)
Meranthic is the most common term for Humanoids of varied human-elven lineage in much of the Greater Eridún Crux Region (GECR). Meranthic peoples are the most common Humanoids in the GECR by a considerable margin.
The term is rooted in the ancient Lorganite terms Mera ("elven") and Anthra ("human"). In general, the more cosmopolitan a plane is, the more meranthic its peoples: more pure-blooded humans (Ur-Anthra) and elves (Ur-Mera) tend to be from more remote civilizations. Meranthic peoples tend to be described as "humanlike" in elven societies and "elflike" in human ones.Range
Meranthic species are ubiquitous across the Known Universe.Meranthic Humans
Meranthic humans are the most ubiquitous humanoids in the Greater Eridún Crux Region (GECR). Most people described as humans are Meranthic humans; most people described as elves are Meranthic elves. Pure or basal humans (Ur-Anthra) are relatively rare.Meranthic Elves
Altnoréth, Eladrin, Enari, Drow and Halflings—despite each sometimes claiming to be purest elves genetically—are all species of Meranthic elf. Pure or basal elves (Ur-Mera; sometimes called "Sun Elves" or "Cliff Elves") are much less common.
Less widespread of the Meranthic elves include the reclusive, subterranean Shar (generally limited to the Dornnish Eighth; cousins of the drow) and the savage, arborial Kuru (generally of the Silurian Eighth; cousins of halflings).History
Both humans and merfolk (the latter being the direct precursors to elves) are among the earliest sentient races to appear in the Known Universe. Archaeological evidence has found the oldest signs of civilized Meranthic activity in Eridún and as such it's seen as the most likely candidate for cradle, or Genesis Plane, of all Meranthic life. This does not mean basal humans and elves originated here, just that it was the first known plane where both flourished in tandem.On Waking Materia
The vast majority of Waking Materia's population is rooted in interplanar trade and colonization, and as such tends to be racially heterogenous. The vast majority of Material humans and elves are at least somewhat Meranthic, with only small regions of hairy, broad-shouldered, Ur-Anthra or basal humans remaining around the Islands of Agåntyr and the Kalevan Freelands of Valamon.
There are no known populations of Ur-Mera or basal elves on Materia.Confusion Around Ur-Anthra & Arakh
As the vast majority of Material humans are heavily Meranthic, most would regard homogenous humans (who are taller, more wide-faced and broad-shouldered, with more body hair) as looking very Arakh-like, despite being fundamentally different lineages. (This is indeed the case in Agåntyr and Valamon: the meranthic mainlanders of the Broken Empire regard the more basal-human Agåntyrans to be larger and more "savage" in appearance, same with how lowland Valamonians view their cousins in the Kalevan highlands.)Secondary Arms
Most modern Materians are born with an extra set of shrunken, vestigial arms. For most, they are little more than a secondary set of shoulder blades, though in rare cases children are born with atavisms that cause these vestigial arms to partially or even fully present as normal, functioning ones. As one might expect, Waking cultures tend to treat these four-armed siblings with awe and often reverence. This is due to some remaining Ula'thau'la genetics from the First Age's massive Kelpeater Empire.
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