Difference between revisions of "Human"

Revision as of 19:46, 29 September 2017

Most Humans of Greensward are descended from the initial Imperial response three thousand years ago. The two notable exceptions are the vagabond Vistani who claim to have escaped to Greensward from a distant land called Raven Loft and the isolationist Dahlmen who believe that they were freed from an ice prison before the coming of the Elves.

When the Imperial vanguard pushed through the Planar Gate into Greensward, it consisted of 50 Legionnaires, 100 mercenaries, and some 200 retainers who handled the supply train. These original groups have since separated, interacted, mixed, and developed into the groups that we now recognize as distinct enough to call a race.

The heterogeny of humans is such that few "pure" examples of any group exist outside of the extremely socially repressive Vistani. A human PC designates his lineage using the initials of the group to describe their makeup. For example, a human of largely Imperial stock would list their race as Human(I) while another character who is largely Kalostan with some Graven and Vistani influence might list themselves as Human (Kgv). Note that these influences may not necessarily equate directly to parentage, a child of two Imperials might exhibit some Graven influences from far back in their geneology that neither parent was aware of before.

Each subgroup has a number of defining perks common to the group. Characters who are for the most part of a single stock choose 3 perks from their group. Characters who are functionally equally divided choose two perks from one group and one from the other, while an extremely diverse character might have connection with all groups in which case they would choose a perk from three of the groups. No character gets more than three perks regardless of background.

Imperial

Since the fall of the Imperium, Imperial bloodlines have become synonymous with nobility. Efforts to "protect the blood" have led to a higher than normal incidence of inbreeding. This belief has spread to the other races, which means that street toughs will assume an Imperial has a fat wallet and a fatter head while some merchants may turn into sycophantic toadies at the sight of an Imperial in their shop. Wiser men among merchant and theif alike have learned not to put much stock in stereotypes.

Imperials are tall and can be well muscled, although the epidemic of the idle rich is obesity. They have rich olive skin and fair hair but very little facial or body hair to speak of. Their broad shoulders and large hands speak of their warrior history and their cultural obsession with cleanliness results in excellent complexions and remarkably good teeth but overbrushing has lead to a high incidence of baldness.

Kalostan

The Kalostan make up the bulk of urban society. They trace their lineage to the support crew of the initial incursion and during the early days of the Empire many were enslaved. While slavery is no longer common in Sepental, the stigma of servitude is still born by the Kalostan people.

The Kalostan are tall like the Imperials but slighter of build and exceedingly pale, with curly reddish brown or black hair and dark eyes. They prefer city life to the harsh labor of the fields and some have become prosperous merchants and bankers despite their reputation as butlers and maids.

Graven

The Graven are a humorless people, grey skinned and grey souls they say. They are prone to quiet introspection and pragmatic thought. Their apathy toward emotional ties causes some friction with the other races, be it their flippant attitude toward death or their tendency toward polygamy and communal living. They do not possess the normal taboos, even incorporating cannibalism into their funeral rites. They are not generally evil natured, however. Sadism and cruelty are viewed as inefficient and purposeless and selfless acts are sometimes executed just because it is the most rational course of action.

Graven are shorter than Imperials but sturdy. Both men and women are hairless, with extremely fit bodies as gluttony is seen as a waste of food.

Highland

The Highland folk are believed to be descended from the early Kalostan who resisted enslavement, fleeing to the harsh life of shepherds in the high mountains. Difficult life has made them strong and boisterous. "The Devil hates a happy man" is one of their proverbs, "Laugh today, die tomorrow" is another. They claim the Brawling God, Cremish, as one of their own. They are openly disdainful of the Imperials even now, who they view as the grandchildren of butchers.

Highlanders are tall as the Kalostan but much hardier. Their skin is heavily freckled and they praise red hair as a sign of Cremish's favor. Highlanders who abandon the high hills for the comforts of city life are prone to portliness as they are not used to there being enough food.

Southron

The Southrons are a desert people historically but many have taken well to city life. They are glib and fast-talking, which has made excellent barterers of them. They prefer carts and stands to permanent shops, partly because they are prone to sales pitches that lose their shine after some time to think about the details. In the desert they were nomads, and they continue the nomadic tradition for both excitement and the lure of better deals in the next town. The need to escape the wrath of disgruntled customers is often insinuated as well and some cities have refused Southron traders entry, forcing them to set up impromptu bazaars outside the gates that still seem to lure customers out to "the Coin Duel" as the Southrons call it.

Southrons are small as humans go and exceedingly dark complected. They dress in billowy robes of bright colors as a Southron with ugly clothes is seen as a bad trader.

Mamonil

The Mamonil were responsible for the breaking of the Empire. The Imperial Order of the Golden Dawn was originally a benevolent cadre of wizards who faithfully served the Emperor for ten centuries. Court Wizard Barnabus convinced the Emperor to grant governance of the Eastfold to the Golden Dawn, but in truth undermined the Emperor's power in preparation for secession. The secession should have failed easily, but Barnabus had become a Lich and made a pact with an Orcish horde dedicated to Mammon.

The Eastfold was fundamentally changed under the Tyranny of Barnabus, and rumors of Orcish as well as Diabolic interbreeding among the populace. The strain of the war weakened the position of the Empire over the decades as the stalemate dragged on. The oppressed factions under Imperial rule were necessary to field forces significant enough to repel the Orcs, but once they were finally victorious, the factions now had standing armies and no desire to return to their former state. With Barnabus and Emperor Lirus both destroyed in the last battle, the son of the Emperor was still an infant and the Regent did not have the skill to negotiate peace. In the middle of the negotiations the Regent was assassinated (possibly by Highland Barbarians) and the young Emperor was kidnapped never to be heard from again. All hope of reunification failed at this point.

The Mamonil have since shown no great betrayal, but all races still eye them with suspicion. Even the title Mamonil they have born with resignation. They accept that they will not be trusted, that even their most heroic actions will be granted less praise because of the memory of the Tyrant.

Dahlmen

The traditional image of a Dahlman is short, dark, and mean. They are certainly stocky and swarthy, but they are not so much mean and suspicious of outsiders. They are slow to trust but very diligent, which is to be expected of a people farming rocky ground in a short growing season. They are skilled hunters, able to track seals and ice bears across blowing glaciers but they eschew traps as cowardly and also ineffective. "Anything that stands still on the Ice is Bear food." is s early lesson for young Dahlmen.

Vistani

The Vistani are wanderers at heart, travelling the rivers and coastal waters in their brightly colored barges. Their craft are not built for deep water which causes one to question their story that they sailed to Greensward, and the Vistani tenet that only other Vistani deserve honesty of word or action brings further question to the truth of their tale.

The vagabond nature of the Vistani is more than just a cultural habit, if a Vistani lingers in one location for more than a month he sickens with a spiritual malaise called the Devil's Luck. Healing will become unreliable, arcane magic will become unpredictable (10% wild surge), and his constitution will gradually decline. Some say that the Devil's Luck can lead to death, but even worse for the proud Vistani it can result in a fundamental change of nature. To all external appearance the individual recovers and looks unchanged by the ordeal but on some spiritual level he has been 'rejected by the mists.' Any Vistani can tell that he is no longer one of them. This belief is so ingrained in the Vistani that the Vistani suicide rate in prison is nearly 100%.

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