Overview
"My mother and father will always be my favorite humans, seeing as they gave me life and raised me. However, within each human there is a shared sense of urgency and impatience. Perhaps it is what makes them so pervasive." -- Ellian Branchwaith, of the First.
"Fragile, fast to die, often stupid, horny as rats, and most can't survive more than two weeks in the tunnels. But the few that break this mold are by far the biggest threat to us and the world." -- Rokano Meadmarrow, 2nd Cook of the 4th Hornfire Clan Family
Humans are, at least by all learned sources, the most numerous of the sentient peoples of Nib. They are the rulers and kings of nations, the driving force of the world economy, explorers, cartographers, sailors, traders, artists & artisans; you'd be hard-pressed to find a niche that doesn't include a human practitioner.
They are also some of the most emotionally driven people of the world. Certain humans are champions of good and justice, seeking out corruption and evil and striking it down. Others are some of the worst people to have ever lived. The dichotomy of good and evil marks the every day life of a human and it creates an eternal cycle of struggle for them. This may contribute to the vivacity and degree of energy they enjoy life at. They have many children, adapt, innovate, pass on, and learn skills faster than many other peoples. Even the elves, in their agelessness and wisdom, find themselves marveled at the speed at which an ambitious human can learn magic.
Most peoples, including other humans, would say that humans are blank slates, born neither good nor bad. The actions of the bad have had great repercussions for different people, other humans, cities, and nations in the past. Some would say they lean towards chaotic thanks to their lifestyles. But others would say humans are the most accepting and loving of Nib's peoples, and inclusive to all. This allows them to make friends and forge business deals quickly.
Regions
Humans can be found in basically every corner of the world, but prefer the comfort and numbers of towns and cities. The great magic-denying nation of Geneca hosts concentrated portions of humans-only settlements, the largest located at the Walled City of Eris-Iris. Geneca's humanism only exists within its ignorant borders, thankfully. The other nations, while most are heavily composed of human populations, have no such characteristics.
The aforementioned also means that certain humans have found homes in exotic locations such as The Tand, Iuan, Beteil, and The Gild Wald. Pirivuwy sees its fair share of human emigrants, but most do not remain human for long once they're there. Humans lead the charge in delving, archeology, and of course, anthropology. This sees them striking the frontier of the Sonder Hills, harshing the deserts on either continent, and even establishing an arctic community far north.
The grimmest land for a human is Mantel. There, the dwarves use humans serfs on countless farms and ranches to feed the vast underground megacities. Cut off from the rest of the world, they work all their lives for the paltry sums of crude gems they are given as payment. More than a millennium ago, a group of these humans commandeered a dwarven galley. After killing the dwarves onboard and outrunning their pursuers they sailed for over five months. Thankfully, the human's skills in fishing allowed them to survive until they eventually landed in a southern bay of Geneca. Circling back, the camp they formed in the bay would be named after the ship that led them to freedom, the DCS Eris, and the many beautiful flowers which filled the meadows by the bay, iris.
History
In the time between creation, Vol, the Blind Goddess of Apathy, is said to have gazed upon the Color of All Things after spending eons within her Domain of Stillness. This moment sundered the principles of the Goddess of Apathy for an instant. In her Domain of Stillness Vol created Nib out the fading memory of things she had seen in the encounter. The extinguished enlightenment made the world, and the tears the goddess cried at losing the insight of the Color of All Things hit the world to create life. The Blind Goddess, as she froze once again within the Stillness, would never be able to witness the results of her brief burst of emotion.
The first humans fell like rain, barely resembling their forms today. Overtime they advanced and developed, forming civilization and spreading over the world. Unfortunately, much of history before around -3400 MR is either lost or kept hidden from the world in dwarven achieves. After this time period, ancient civil centers like Lordinic, Yandyr (now Aom), Dellwind, and Rorano began to record histories.
Contact between humans, gnomes, and halflings have, for the most part, always remained friendly. A few minor conflicts have broken out between the three groups, typically over forests or springs. More often than not this leads to a successful, happy community featuring all groups.
When the Dematalyst occurred at the change of the era, resulting in magic's entrance into Nib, human industrial progress was virtually halted. The splendors of magic proved to be an enticing fruit for the talented humans to sample. In just over 4 centuries, human wizards have redefined the laws of physics, the existence of gods, the origin of the world, and stopped the cataclysmic end of the world on more than one occasion.
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