Human, Starhelm

Humanoid. Size medium.   Humans vary extensively from region to region, and even within the same community or city. They can be large or small, thin or fat, with lots of hair or no hair at all. Their skin and hair colour ranges from pale white to dark black, and everywhere in between. The typical Human height is from five feet to 6 and half feet, weighing one hundred and fifty pounds to two hundred and fifty pounds, with women being slightly smaller in height and weight, though some variances lighter or heavier can be found.

Humans have a typical gestation period of 9 months.

A Human typically matures at around 20 years of age, and can grow as old as 100 years, though they do not often reach that high age.  Most average around 70-80 years.

Humans are as varied as the stars but one thing runs through all Humans without fail; their desire to leave a legacy. Ambition, versatility, resourcefulness, and pride are hallmarks of Human nature and they can lead individuals or kingdoms to great heights or massive collapse, sometimes both.

Humans share all of these to one degree, some more than others. The greatest strength of a Human is their ability to navigate through these traits as the moment requires. The greatest and most honourable king might have fought his way through war, greedy for success or love, with a desire to build a kingdom of hope and community, filled with life and death. While this holds true for other races also, none embrace it more than Humans do.

Society rises and falls with the passage of time and what was once acceptable in years past is no longer. Humans value strength, wealth, wisdom, and family. Leadership typically occurs from the best candidate, but those traits may be different from settlement to settlement.   In Essillion, they keep to the traditional ways and have a king as their leader. He has a royal council, but they all must defer to his decision. His son will inherit his title and take over when he is dead. Priests, teachers, and revered military personnel are afforded prestige and privilege, with the nobility being the highest level, down to the middle class of merchants and tradespeople, finally ending in the peasantry.   Avandar has a different approach. Their city was founded on the ideals of escaping the old ways and doing something new. They established a council to give different voice to as many people as possible. They have a social structure as any city but theirs is divided amongst constituents who have representation for their interests. Their council manages six aspects of their city; Agriculture, Arcanum, Harbour, Merchant, Military, and Religion.   Barbarian tribes all vary with how they structure themselves. Most have a model of strongest is the leader, but not all of them share that ideal. Some are lead by their shamans, some are based on an Oligarchy, some a Matriarchy, and some have no clear leadership at all.

The Humans of the cities tend to be softer of skin and those that do not work hard labour have no calluses or rough skin. The Humans of the steppes are typically more broad of face and darker of hair. Nomad tribes have varying degrees of physical traits, depending on their environment. The Nomads near the Elves of Aspenshield and Brightbough are more often on the fairer side, and slim of build. The Humans of Essillion are more rugged and rough but still clean and groomed, while the Humans of Avandar are more tanned and wear brighter colours.

Plains; Starhelm (destroyed) ; Avandar (west) ; Essillion (east) ; Southguard Plains; Northguard Plains

Humans speak, read, and write a variety of languages, based mostly on their location. They also tend to learn the languages of other peoples they deal with regularly, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Goblin curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.

The most common languages Humans speak are Valespeech, Plainstongue (both northern and southern), and Avandarian. Kingstongue is an endangered language in Essillion but recent efforts have sought to keep it alive with the younger folk.

Worship:  Shards of Alucar; Sovereign Beings, Luminare Primes

The Humans were the third of the Founder Races to step through the Womb of Humanity, in the year 19 HE, and they were gifted the plains as their birthright. Magnus Starhelm was the first Human to enter the world and it only took about 5 years before he settled in the centre of a great plain in the northern end of the Pangaea of Haven. The city was named Starhelm and it became a centre of trade, culture, knowledge, and strength.

For over 5000 years Starhelm remained strong and continued to grow and prosper. It became the greatest city of its age, and no other city on the world of Haven or Aerith has come close. Its rulers are too numerous to mention, and its people have affected the world in a myriad of ways, not always to its benefit.

Humans roamed free in the north, south, east, and west, and found homes wherever they went. From the cold of the north, to the rainforests of the south, and everywhere in between, Humans settled.

Starhelm weathered the Ascension, and came to great power as the centre of the continent it resided on. All roads led to Starhelm, they said, and the trade that occurred there made it an integral component of the entire continent's health.

Shortly before the Fractioning, a large group of people decided to leave Starhelm City and make it on their own, at the western edge of Starhelm. They founded the city of Avandar and it quickly grew to rival the trade of Starhelm City. Trade with the Dovak people to the west, as well as any other seafaring vessel that made its way from Sangor, Abereith, or Challa made Avandar a very wealthy city.

Unfortunately, it did not have enough time to enjoy its prosperity.

The Fractioning was a monumental miscalculation by the Human Pinnacle Alucar, during his attempt to make his soon to be wife, immortal. The 12-gem-studded crown placed on her head exploded and its gems ripped through Alucar, destroying him in the process.

Several epic changes occurred that day, and Starhelm, and the world would never be the same.

• Starhelm City was destroyed in the blast, and the high-priest of Alucar, and his betrothed were instantly turned into the Witch Queen. The people of the city were either disintigrated by the blast or turned into Faded and Deathless on the spot. They heeded her commands, and she became the 'rightful' ruler of Starhelm City.
• The creation of Demons in Starhelm City, as those undead who spend a long time in the corrupted lands of the Witch Queen gain even greater power.
• Barrowhaven, to the north, and Goldensheaf, to the south were destroyed in the blast, killing tens of thousands, and blasting the very prosperous food production that Starhelm City enjoyed. The land around Starhelm City was unproductive, and became poisonous and toxic beyond redemption.
• Avandar, the newly formed trade city in the west had been ripped from the mainland, and set adrift in the ocean, just off the coast.
• The Dwarves of Forgehome, in the Barrier Guard had their western entrance demolished, and thousands were killed, cutting them off from the centre of the continent.
• The denizens of the Vale were somewhat protected, though they still felt the effects greatly.
• All trade to Starhelm from outside continents ceased immediately.
• And, most importantly, the Human Pinnacle of Alucar was fractured into 12 distinct personalities, each carrying a piece of Alucar's essence and power. These became the Shards of Alucar and through necessity they replaced him as the main centre of Human worship.  The destruction of Alucar, in the Divine Aspect had repercussions to the other Human Pinnacles in the other Aspects, as well. Lucia, the Water Aspect Pinnacle had her mind split in two; Vuseva, the formless Fire Aspect Pinnacle in Abereith exploded, forming 500 Genies; Li Ang, the Arcane Aspect Pinnacle had his form and mind split into an ape form.

Post-Fractioning, the Humans struggled, and were a disparate and beaten people. Avandar fought hard to just survive, and Essillion became the central Human city of the mainland, though just in the east. The Nomad tribes wandered across the plains, looking for ways to survive their harsh new reality.

Eventually Humans, as they tend to do, rallied and each city, and tribe began to prosper.

In the current year, a great effort to connect Avandar and Essillion across the entirety of the continent is underway, with an impressive Road of Opportunity that extends from Hollow's Point, down through the Vale, across the Southguard Plains, through Bogbrook, ending in Brightwave. It is a multi-year project that will serve to bring the entire continent back together.

The Dwarves and Halflings in the east are great allies to the Humans of Essillion and have been for centuries. The Dwarves, in particular have been kind to Essillion, giving up the rights to the mines in the mountains, which are historically Dwarven owned. The Dwarves of Shalehaven and the Humans of Essillion have long been friends and visit each other’s city often.   The Gnomes of Hollow’s Point are also on friendly terms with the Humans of Essillion and the Barbarian tribes in the north, near Aspenshield Forest. They trade items of value, knowledge of nature and mechanics, and help protect each other from any Goblin incursion above the Barrier Guard. The Mottled Peak tribe are particularly useful in guarding the borders against Goblins who try to establish any settlements or raid the Humans or Gnomes of Hollow’s Point.   In Avandar the Humans have allied with the Grippli to great effect. Without their help the Harbour Fortress of Brightwave might still be under Goblin influence. The swamps of the Grippli are infringing on old Human lands but the Humans of Avandar and the Grippli of Bogbrook have established a large trading route, giving each other great benefit. The Grippli have built roads and established schools and shops in Bogbrook, and the Avandarians have clear access to Brightwave and the lands beyond. In addition, the Humans help keep the Lizardfolk and Bullywugs at bay against the Grippli of Bogbrook and the surrounding areas.