History

In an attempt to escape their war-ridden land, the Humans set sail. Their ships, lost in a storm, delivered them to the land of Noar, a collection of continents and small islands far from the reaches of their lost world. Their tools and weapons were far superior to that of the local people, invoking the very same wars the humans had tried to escape in a land grab that would go down in history as one of the worst genocides in Noar.

“Our arrows were harder than bone and able to tear through a man at a distance, stopping the tribesmen from advancing.

The horse tribes were a fierce people, deadly when it came to close-ranged combat. Their men were relentless and their women just as vicious. Even their horses were weaponised, trained to down a man and stomp the life from him. We held them back, but never seemed to dampen their spirits. It was only with fire that we finally won, burning down the grasslands they so heavily relied on. They marked their borders with the lifeless bodies of our kin, and to this day, we dare not cross the fjord.” Brett Richard - Leader of the Freefolk.

Legends

There are very few legends surrounding the Humans, however, this has not stopped other races from having their suspicions. Legend tells of a Mixed Blood who will one day come to rule the world— a prophecy that leave many to assume their heritage may intertwine with human ancestry, given the ambitious, ominous, and destructive potential of such a fortelling. Some say that if the world burns, it will be at the hands of Humans.

Appearance

Humans come in all shapes and sizes, seeming to adapt to their environments faster than others. For example, those who live in hot climates often have darker skin, while in mild to cold climates, their skin is a lot lighter in tone. Their hair colours also range from a silver-blond, to an inky-black, and everything in between. Red and brown hair are the most common shades, with eyes the colour of simple browns, blues, and greens. They do not have vibrantly coloured eyes like the Ecrede, who can range from deep purples to vibrant reds, and so are often a lot easier to pick out in a crowd.

Physically, Humans range in stature and height, most standing around five and a half feet tall, if not a little taller. Of course, there are always extremes at either end of the scale. They are prone to weight-gain, especially as they eat foods that have been heavily refined, such as flour and sugar. As they adapt so well to other cultures, they also tend to try different foods, that while normal to one race, seem very strange to them, and don’t always have positive reactions. Some of the cannibal races, like the Ontari and Merfolk, are a bit too extreme for the average Human.

Humans are known for wearing far superior gear than most of the other races. They understand how to make steel, chainmail and quality pieces of plate-armor, something most other races are yet to master. Dresses, fancy shoes, belts, cloaks, and fashionable undergarments are all commonplace in Human culture. Other races, such as the Ontari and Ecrede, have described human clothes as heavy, hot, and difficult to breathe or move in.

Racial Ability

Unlike the races they live among, Humans are not afforded the same special gifts that set them apart from the rest. Their racial ability is their adaptive nature and the endurance to overcome obstacles put before them by choice or environment. Due to this, they are much faster and hardier creatures than most. When they fall, they get back up again and again. They assess and learn quickly, with the need to survive a heavy thought on their minds.

OOC Note: Humans do not have a racial ability. Instead, you may take the 15 perk points for this race and distribute them into any of your skills.

Philosophy

Scholars, Adventurers, and Philosophers, Humans have always strived to improve, upgrade, discover, and advance in self, technology, and race. They never seem to rest, always toying with new ideas, exploring different outcomes or ways to improve existing items, trends, ideals, and places. They are a race who fancy themselves to exist at the top of the food-chain, forever developing tools to make every day chores easier. Famed for standing back in order to see the bigger picture, Humans are leaders in the field of technology and infrastructure, forging the way when it comes to building and expanding.

Perception

Humans are regarded by most as a hard, uncaring race who struggle to respect the cultures and boundaries of other races, even though they are capable of great empathy. Each race have their own differing opinions about Humans, and though time has healed some wounds, there are those who will never see eye to eye with this race.

Culture

Some say that Humans are without culture in Noar. Being the youngest race in the world means that a long period of cultural assimilation has taken place. They learn by seeing and doing, by trying again and again until they succeed. Though admirable in body and spirit, this had not afforded them much time to create and develop their own beliefs. The Ontari see them as a plague, the N’jiin consider them thirsty for knowledge. Wyvern are curious, yet wary of Humans, and the Ecrede hold little trust for them, but understand that Humans are going nowhere fast, and thus trade with them.

Theirs is a culture of oppression, defiance, victory, and prosperity. They strive always for bigger and better, relentless in their attempt to grow, adapt and fit in, as to encourage change. Ambition can blind a man, just as easily as it can an entire race, and the Humans lack of care for their surroundings and the world of Noar has more often than not landed them in hot water.

Language

Common was said to have been brought to the shores of Noar by the Humans. Common is now considered to be one of the most widespread and highly used languages in all of Noar, usually taken up by most as a second language. The Common Sign is also a language, though one used by few, and involves a set array of hand gestures assigned to letters, actions, or objects. It is another means of communication when someone is incapable of hearing the Common tongue.There is no universal guide on how to teach Common Sign, therefore many individuals differ in what their signing actually means. Family members who can interpret often travel with these impaired individuals.

Education

Humans have a rather regimented education system, expecting all children to attend public funded classes from the age of seven right up until the age of seventeen. Children spend six hours a day in a classroom, learning by doing, copying, reading, and working together. They are able to write and speak common well by the age of ten, by which time they are permitted to focus on more interesting subjects, such as history, science and technology.

Once they graduate from their schooling system, they are able to go onto universities, situated in only two of the major cities of Noar, Aramane and Renmere, where the influence of Human culture has spread far and wide. Here they may choose to study a great number of different topics, becoming experts in their fields of interest.

Though the rich and the poor are able to attend this early form of education, University is restricted to those with the money to pay for it. Most of the poor end up in physical or trade jobs once they have graduated, with some even being drafted for the military. There is no extra help given to those who fall behind, and though most schools are public, it is not mandatory to send ones children there.

Music

Humans, being so adaptable and inquisitive, have learned to master a wide range of instruments. There is no specific instrument that defines them as a race, as above all else, they enjoy variety.

Craft

Humans strive to improve existing plans, models and ideas. Their ideas, while individual and unique, are more often than not simple tweeks to current creations. Bigger and Better is the motto, though there is something to be said about the simple and often refined creations of those native to Noar.

Traditions

Humans are big on celebrating birthdays, graduations, workplace achievements, sporting events, and other moments that bring them joy, including certain times of the year, but especially New Year. Marked by the first of Bloom, New Year is a celebration of the beginning of another year, and is thought of as a fresh start. Many Humans choose this time to set themselves goals in the form of resolutions, individual promises they make to themselves in order to aspire personal growth over the following year.

Birth

Most births take place in places specific to healing: infirmaries, medic buildings, or sometimes, though more rarely, at home with the aid of a professional nurse or doctor, trained in non-magical healing. Both parents are usually involved in the birthing process, which can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Most difficulties surrounding birth occur within this and the Mixed Blood race, with one in three mothers experiencing difficulties beyond the norm, and one in ten generally don't make it through the process. These statistics, nonetheless, do not seem to deter the race, who rank second in number on the population list, after N’jiin, closely followed by Mixed Bloods.

Marriage

Marriage is a contract between two people of either gender, promising to love, protect, and serve one another until death. Of course, unlike other races, divorces, though frowned upon, are not punishable. No one is outcasted or despised for their decisions to seperate. Assets are split equally, no matter who earns more or owned more at the start of the marriage. This offers a lot of freedom and security, features that some Humans are known for. As there are no religious ties in Human marriages or culture, individuals are seldom weighed down by conflicting belief systems in Human society.

Weddings are celebrated with close friends and family in a ceremony where two individuals make promises to each other. The ceremony is reasonably short, but celebrations can go on all afternoon and even into the night. For Humans, marriage is a celebration of choosing the one person they love most in the world, and making it official. Most couples get engaged before marriage, with the majority of couples remaining this way for at least a year before they tie the knot. In Human culture, the man proposes, usually with a ring or other precious jewel or item to express his love for his partner.

Faith

Faith doesn’t play a very big role in Human culture, though some individuals have chosen to follow certain gods, heavily influenced by other races, and usually only in settlements outside of Aramane and Renmere, considered to be two of the most densely Human populated cities.

Death

The lives of the dead are celebrated by Humans during funerals that take place less than a handful of days after an individual has passed. Stories about the individual are shared, and flowers decorate and line the coffins of the dead. Speeches are usually given by family members and sometimes even close friends, before the coffin containing the dead individual is lowered six feet into the earth. Couples sometimes choose to be buried side by side. Once a person is buried, the family and guests eat and mingle in a less formal setting, able once again to share any memories they have.

Graves are marked with headstones or plaques, making a note of who the individual was, how long they lived, and any of their famed achievements, marking the life of the person buried there. Though frowned upon, many graves are looted by bandits, as these sites often go unprotected, with little ro stop graverobbers from helping themselves to any treasures buried with the dead.