Human
| Human | |
|---|---|
| |
| Race | |
| Pronunciation | Hew-man |
| Archetype | Human |
| Nicknames | Exodians, War-Mongers |
| Languages | Common |
| Vampiric Conversion | Possible |
| Aetherial Affinity | Class B - Can Cast Magic |
| Roleplay Difficulty | Easy |
| Racial Traits | |
| Aetheriality | Physical |
| Max Age | 90 Years |
| Strengths | Adaptable, Charismatic |
| Weaknesses | Social Division, Greedy, Selfish |
| Height | 5' to 6'6" |
| Weight | 100 to 280 lbs |
| Eye Colors | Brown, Hazel, Blue, Green, Amber, Red |
| Hair Colors | Black, Brown, Blond, Gray, Red |
| Skin Tones | Ranging from Pale to Brown |
| Average Physique | Slender to Colossal |
| Aetherial Limit | Power V - Control V |
| Significant Demographics | |
|
While this doesn't mean your character has to come from one of these places, it's recommended they do. | |
Known across Amestria as the proponents of war and politics, humans are the most abundant and divided race. They pride themselves on commerce and a structured society with multiple levels of aristocracy. The origin of humanity is unknown, only that they have existed long since before recorded history. Humanity is resourceful and clever, able to exploit the weaknesses of others to further their own gains. Humanity is very diverse and has taken on many cultural identities, some of which were influenced by non-human cultures.
Humanity consists of many diverse and unique cultures, therefore this page only contains generalized information. See the Cultures page for specific information.
Contents
Physical Characteristics
Humans have the most average appearance of any race, with no exaggerated features. Their height ranges from 5 to 6 feet and they have typical levels of strength. Humans can have skin tones ranging from very pale pink or creamy olive to dark brown, and can also have yellowish or reddish tones in some cases. They can have hair colors ranging from black, brown, blonde, and red. Their eye colors can be brown, blue, green, hazel, amber, and red. The specific combinations of these characteristics will vary depending on the human culture in question. Humans are noteworthy for their ability to adapt to foreign environments, which has allowed them to settle parts of the world that other races cannot tolerate. Humans have a lifespan of 90 years, which is considered short by many race's standards.
Red Eyes
There is a bizarre mutation within humans that causes one in five people to be born with red eyes. This mutation did not start appearing in humanity until after the end of the Exodian Era, which has led to the common belief that it is a curse that was bestowed upon humanity for trying to achieve godhood. Vampires also have red eyes, and this has led to many people being accused of being a vampire over the years. In modern times people do not assume such things without additional evidence, but back in the early days after the fall of Exodia it was a common misconception. Scholars have confirmed that the red eye mutation could occur in any family line at any point, proving that it is not linked to heritage. The true origins of red eyes have yet to be discovered, but a clue has been found indicating that it only occurs in humans of exodian descent thus not occurring in pure skaeggen bloodlines.
Mental Characteristics
Humans have a tendency to form social groups with others that they relate to. This extends from the smallest friend circle to the largest civilization, and will often result in a mosaic of differing factions that may not entirely agree with one another. They are often aggressive towards other factions with different views, and will actively oppose them if they feel their security is at risk. These numerous and complex social situations have given rise to a charisma and ingenuity that exceeds the other races in the areas of warfare and politics. Humans could be considered to be of an average intelligence, superior compared to beasts and mundane compared to the other sentient races. They are however, very creative and praised for their ability to think outside the box. Humans tend to have less empathy for others compared to most races, with only Vampires being lower on the scale.
History
The origin of humanity is unknown, predating any form of recorded history. It is known that they appeared during the same time frame that the elves first came about, however is is uncertain which race was present first. For the longest time, humanity lived in small villages scattered throughout Amestria. Then came the discovery of magic, which soon lead to a golden age. They would go on to create the great machina city known as Exodia, and reign supreme over the world. This golden era did not last long however, as their boundless greed and corruption would eventually lead to the destruction of their civilization and their cities. The remnants of their empire would become the foundation for every modern human kingdom.
Humanity has endured many hardships since their fall from decadence, but have persevered and have become even stronger in the process. Remnants of their past still haunt them today in the form of superstitious beliefs such as the Exodian Curse, and various conservative religions. The dawn of a new technological era is on the horizon, and with it come the possibility of change.
Society
Human society is known for it's diversity, however most societies have a structured hierarchy and some form of bureaucracy. Aristocracy is prevalent in almost all human civilizations, and holds a considerable amount of power. Humans love stratification of the social classes and are always looking for ways to elevate themselves from the people below them. The aristocracy will often take form as great houses or dynasties which compete with one another for power over the state.
Machina Taboo
All human societies of exodian origin have banned the creation and usage of machina since the very beginning of the post-exodian era. Many people are afraid of such devices triggering another cataclysm, and this fear has passed down through the generations. The Exodian Curse is a constant reminder that humanity had once stepped too far, and serves to warn people against such an event happening again.
Politics
Although humans can be found operating under a multitude of government forms, the preferred government types of humanity are monarchies and dictatorships. There are instances where republics and democracies are preferred, but these societies are more prone to instability then the standard autocracies which humans prefer. Aristocracy is very prevalent in governments and governance over various districts and fiefs are often assigned to wealthy families in exchange for loyalty to the state.
Culture
There are many human cultures across Amestria, ranging from slight differences to major deviations. Humans located on the western end on the Exodius Continent tend to be more traditional and are less militaristic, while cultures located on the eastern end tend to be more progressive and very militaristic. Then there are human settlements on other continents, which have developed an entirely different culture through centuries of separation from the rest of humanity.
Here is a list of known human cultures:
Magic
The Aetherial Arts has always been a staple in human society. Humanity's advantage in being able to draw more aetherial energy then any other race (albeit mundane complexity spells) has been a key factor in ensuring dominance over local wildlife and other nations. Magic can mean the difference between victory and defeat in a battle, therefore most human nations invest heavily into Aetherial research and education. It takes a significant amount of time and practice for any human to even begin casting spells, resulting in a very slow education for aspiring mages. It is to the point where any significant mage losses within a military could take decades to replenish and will leave the nation vulnerable in the mean time.
In addition to being a military discipline, being a mage is also a respectable civilian profession. Most human mages only manage to master one branch of magic before they inevitably die of old age, but on rare occasion they might master two branches. Human nations host magic academies that specialize exclusively in training new mages, but are outclassed by the prestigious magic academies of the Aesiri. Most noble families send their children to Aesiri academies instead of human ones for this reason.
Religion
Olde Faythe
The olde faythe has remained within exodian society since before the fall of Exodia. The number of believers has decreased in the presence of the holy cardinal pontificate. Even so, those who still believe in heaven's divinity are more resolute then ever before. While most have turned away from the olde faythe in centuries past, a new stream of believers are coming into the fold as the corruption of the church grows more apparent.
The Church
The Holy Cardinal Pontificate, otherwise known as the church, is the most common religion in Amestria. The church preaches the cardinal teachings, which promises believers a place in the afterlife if they adhere to the church and teachings. Unlike other religions, the pontificate demands tithings to remain in good standing towards the the church. The religion has it's own sect of holy warriors known as Cardinal Knights, and above them are powerful religious figures known as maesters.
Military
War has always been a major aspect of humanity, and as a result military traditions are very prevalent in human society. From knightly orders to mercenary guilds, there are many different aspects to the human war machine. The tactics and equipment employed varies by culture, but one thing shared by all humans is their use of magic. Since humanity can draw upon greater reserves of aether then any other race, they possess a distinct advantage in sheer destructive power. The Aetherial Arts have always been a key component in the success of any human nation, and kingdoms which lack sufficient aetherial might eventually get overpowered by their neighbors. Not surprisingly, human rulers spend more resources on standing armies and military resources than any other race.
Military (1850 AE)
The use of firearms is regulated among the general populace in most human nations, usually requiring an expensive fee to be paid for a license. As these licenses are usually too expensive to afford, the general populace in human nations typically rely on more primitive weaponry. The use of bows, crossbows, and melee weapons are common among human nations due to their reasonable price and accessibility. While magic is the most powerful weapon at any human's disposal, the many years of dedicated education and prohibitive costs associated with attending a magic academy ensure that magic is more of a professional pursuit rather than a tool that just anyone can pick up and use. Among the populace which do have the right to use firearms, black powder guns such as muskets and blunderbusses are the most common due to their reasonable price. There are some wealthy human families which have access to modern firearms such as six shot revolvers and rifles which use brass instead of black powder and shot. These advanced guns are typically very expensive and are well outside the price range of most citizens.
Human militaries are in stark contrast to their respective civilian populations, where black powder firearms have largely replaced earlier weaponry. While the majority of foot soldiers wield firearms, human militaries are notorious for having large mage corps which employ trained mages to provide powerful support to the foot soldiers and control over the battlefield. Most human navies consist of a fleet of wooden warships armed with large cannons, however the more powerful human nations employ a new breed of warships which are powered by steam and use more advanced cannon designs. Despite significant advances in non-aetherial technology, military strategists still consider human militaries to be inferior to the Elin'Torai's military due to the superior advantage magic provides. Most human foot soldiers have minimal training with firearms, while Elin'Torai mages have had decades of dedicated study to the aetherial arts. Bullets are easily blocked by shield spells, rendering firearms ineffective against skilled mages.
Economy
The economy is emphasized in human culture, playing a massive role in their daily lives. Human economics is very much driven by supply and demand, with merchants sparing no expense looking for the cheapest goods and the best places to sell them. Frequent wars ensure that the economy doesn't stagnate, and often helps grow the economy. The human tendency to form stratified economies usually results in widespread poverty across villages and more prosperity within towns. This is compounded by heavy taxes placed on fiefs by their aristocratic overlords.
Technology
Humanity is generally behind other races when it comes to technology. This is not necessarily bad, instead of investing massive amounts of effort into new innovations, humanity improves upon what is already available. Many human traders are eager to profit from the distribution of newly imported technologies, ensuring a rapid spread in the use of such innovations. Humans are very progressive in the areas of warfare and economics, possessing advanced knowledge of military formations and high-level combat strategy. Humans also have specific fighting forms for various weapon types, along with dedicated schools teaching each style. In recent times humanity has attempted to steal the secret of Steam Power from the Kingdom of Thandolin, but only managed to seize crude drawings of the technology. The Kingdom of Rivera has since developed very crude steam engines, but the technology is still in it's infancy and it is assumed that the dwarves have far more advanced and capable designs. Almost immediately after developing the crude steam engines, the technology ended up being leaked and discovered by the Empire of Equestris. Many people are blaming the leak on the Holy Cardinal Pontificate, which is seated in the empire but also has a strong political presence in the Kingdom of Rivera.
Interbreeding
Kitsune
A human and kitsune pairing results in children each having a 50% chance to be pure-blooded kitsune, otherwise they will be a pure-blooded human. If the child is a kitsune, then their children will always be kitsune if the other parent is a kitsune. If the child is a human, their children have a 75% chance to be kitsune if the other parent is kitsune. However if both the child and other parent are human, then their children will have a 25% chance each to be kitsune, with each dual human pairing after this halving the chance of a kitsune child. After the ninth generation of dual human pairings, it is no longer possible to have a kitsune child.
Myth: If a kitsune is born to a ninth generation dual human pairing after the initial half pairing, then the child will obtain a tail every two years until they have nine tails. This child would also likely succumb to insanity by receiving too much power at a young age.
Sylfae
Half-human sylfae are actually quite common, perhaps even more common then pure-blooded sylfae. The maximum age of such an individual is somewhere between the two races, usually determined by the ratio of sylfaen and human blood in their family tree. A half-human sylfae will have shorter and more rounded ears, and will also have a more human-like frame. Their strength will fall somewhere between the two races, and their physical range extends to muscular. Eye colors will include the full range of both races, allowing for the otherwise impossible natural eye color of red in a sylfae. Psychologically, they will retain their unique sylfae traits until their bloodline is 80% predominantly human.
Assorted Info
- Red eyes have a certain degree of significance in many human religions.
- Despite the fall of Exodia, some humans still consider themselves a godlike race.
- Even with widespread poverty across smaller villages, human towns are well known for prosperity as a whole.