Human

## Human Race / The Race of Men

The human race, which has taken over the entire Continent and managed to change it so much, arrived there only five centuries ago. Hailing from a homeworld destroyed by themselves, humans first appeared in this world after the Conjunction of the Spheres, a cataclysm which affected the whole Multiverse. In a short period of time, it subjugated the races that had ruled it for millennia and create their own powerful civilizations. Humans turned the Elder People into their servants, destroyed them, pushed them into inaccessible regions or forced them to assimilate. They built kingdoms and magnificent empires on the ruins of ancient civilizations.

The conquered non-humans often despised the oppressors, but unlike them, the victorious humans took full advantage of their examples, building their own original civilization on this basis. The arts, sciences and crafts practiced by humans stand at a slightly lower level than those of their teachers - elves and dwarves. However, with organization and political achievements, humans far surpass them: after all, only they have their own sovereign states.

## Nordlings

> It's just a pity this solidarity and concord only lasted for the duration of the war, because, with peace, here we are divided again. Vizimir and Foltest are choking each other with customs taxes and trading laws, Demawend of Aedirn is bickering with Henselt over the Northern Marches while the League of Hengfors and the Thyssenids of Kovir don't give a toss. And I hear that looking for the old concord amongst the wizards is useless, too. We are not closely knit, we have no discipline and no unity. But Nilfgaard does!
>
> Blood of Elves

#### **Language**

Most speak a Common language, well educated people have the opportunity to learn the Elder Speech.

#### **Relations with other races**

They often distrust and fear elves. They fear the brutality of dwarves, whose baseness makes them resentful, but of all races they consider them the closest in character. They rarely take the halflings seriously. They know gnome culture poorly. They distrust the growing Nilfgaard Empire.

**Religion**: A wide variety of faiths, the most popular being the cult of Melitele and the Eternal Fire.

#### **Clothing**

Simple folk carry themselves simply and modestly. The attire of the mighty and wealthy is distinguished by the quality of material and expensive trimmings. The most common men's clothing is doublets, vamps, leggings, pants, while women wear themselves manly or clothe themselves in dresses, skirts and shirts. Coats, hats and hoods protect against the cold. Among northern peoples, uniforms are still rare; the function of a distinguishing mark is usually performed by a sash of the appropriate color, tied on the shoulder or helmet. Sometimes an emblem is also sewn onto the clothing. Peasants usually wear their hair long, tousled or braided. The hairstyles of the nobility are often trefoiled. Among the aristocracy, a simple military hairstyle – ‘under the helmet’ - has recently become fashionable. Maidens usually wear braids, married women hide their hair under headpieces or wraps, ladies from noble families trephine their hair and style it. Female warriors cut their hair short, while druids, sorceresses and harlots flaunt their natural loose manes.

This is the name Nilfgaardians give to the people of the Northern Kingdoms; the term refers to the Common language-speaking diverse nations living in the northern part of the Continent. The most important of their states are Aedirn, Kaedwen, Kovir and Poviss, Lyria and Rivia, Redania and Temeria. There are few who can keep track of the North's many kingdoms and duchies. No sooner had humans seized the land from dwarves and elves than shattered it into dozens of tiny pieces and continued the fight for control amongst each other. The Northern Kingdoms are divided, getting into various conflicts and often fighting each other. War is a regular, everyday, even ordinary thing for Nordlings. However, it is small-scale war - a border dispute or a melee of feudal lords. Large-scale conflicts, involving the forces of an entire state, are rare.

Their inhabitants are a mix of humans - physically, culturally, religiously and politically. They are diverse in their tastes, ethics, teachings and customs.

‘Non-humans’ often live in cities in the Northern Kingdoms. Although they are famous for their products quality, great banks and general social usefulness, they are not respected. On the contrary, their establishments are often vandalized by mobs, non-humans are victims of violence and crimes due to their racial affiliation, and commoners initiate pogroms on any pretext.

The Nordling pantheon is numerous and changeable, with some cults falling into oblivion and others undergoing major transformations. Various kinds of prophecies and prophets are very popular. Recently, many have been predicting the end of the world - according to these divinations, ice will come from the North to cover the Nordling Kingdoms. It seems that there may be a grain of truth in this, as the winters are getting longer and the days are getting colder…

#### Perks

* **Adaptable**: Humans start with 50 additional universal skill points.
* **Trustworthy**: In a world where non-humans can’t be trusted, humans look more trustworthy. Humans have an inherent +1 to their social skill checks against other humans.
* **Ingenuity**: Humans are clever and often have brilliant solutions to difficult problems. Humans gain Deduction 1 automatically.
* **Blindly Stubborn**: Part of the human race’s greatest strength is its willingness to charge forward endlessly, even into truly life-threatening situations. A human can summon up their courage and reroll a failed Will save up to three times per day, once every 2 minutes. This happens automatically.

## Southerners

 File:Two human nilfg.jpg

> Three kingdoms sprang from the four ships which beached on those shores; the stronger groups absorbed the weaker and so grew, strengthening their positions. They invaded others territories, conquered them, and their kingdoms expanded, becoming ever larger and more powerful. And now the Nilfgaardians are doing the same, because theirs is strong and united, disciplined and tightly knit country. And unless you close ranks in the same way, Nilfgaard will swallow you as a pike does a minnow – just as this wise druid said!
>
> Blood of Elves

#### **Language**

Southerners speak Nilfgaardian, the local dialect of the Elder Speech. They also often use the Common Speech.

#### **Relations with other races**

Reluctance toward Nordlings. Neutrality toward non-humans, whom they sometimes try to exploit for their own ends.

#### **Religion**

In the Nilfgaardian Empire the dominating religion is a state-cult of the Sun and it's living personification: the Emperor of Nilfgaard. This religion has much of a form of a formality then a real cult as such Nilfgaard isn't plagued by uprising and racism based in religious fanaticism like the Northen Kingdoms. Other religions are tolerated but priests as much as wizards are kept away from political influence. The Nordlings know very little about the cult of the Great Sun.

#### **Clothing**

Southerners usually dress modestly but elegantly. The most prized color is black, both in civilian and military clothing. Among nobles, white, wide orifices and lace cuffs are very popular. Warriors wear distinctive black armor with a white sun, which earned them the nickname ‘Blacks’ or ‘the Dark Ones’. Nilfgaard was one of the first countries to introduce separate military uniforms with patched symbols of military ranks and units.

Comparing Nilfgaard with the Kingdoms of the North, one is surprised how members of the same race managed to create two such different civilizations. They also find it hard to believe that they developed for so long knowing so little about each other. Nilfgaard is a nation of extremes. It is the largest, richest, most populated, most powerful and, without a doubt, the most ruthless.

The center of southern culture is the City of the Golden Towers, Nilfgaard on the Alba River. Its proud and enterprising inhabitants quickly made the surrounding nations dependent on them, creating a large, splendidly organized Empire. Ever since chroniclers began keeping records, Nilfgaard has unceasingly conquered, annexed, and vassalized their neighbors*.* The degree of internal organization of the Empire is indeed impressive, though at times frightening - one gets the impression that the state is trying to interfere in every aspect of life. A bureaucracy oversees the coordination and execution of imperial orders, while law enforcement and the elimination of internal enemies are handled by numerous secret and overt services. Even wizards, who in the north hold power as royal advisors, in Nilfgaard are subjected to the strict control of the Emperor and use their knowledge primarily in the service of the Empire, and they are kept at a distance from the court. There is usually no place for any religion to have much power in the daily life of the Empire's hardline population. In addition, imperial authorities carefully guard that no priests or wandering soothsayers meddle in politics. Northern cults are held in contempt. Slavery is legal here. They are a people who value cunning, intelligence, culture and familiarity. The Empire's inhabitants believe that "real" Nilfgaardians are only those born in the heart of the Empire, and not those born in the conquered provinces. The aristocracy promotes education and the arts, leading to a cultural renaissance. They resent the free Nordlings, considering them savage barbarians, while the peoples of the North return the favor by portraying the Nilfgaards as the source of all evil and descendants of the Aen Nilf (also incorrectly titulated as Black Seidhe). The citizens of Nilfgaard firmly believe that by conquering more lands they are fulfilling a noble mission to spread civilization. According to the Nilfgaardians, the Empire brings culture, prosperity, order and political stability to the North.

#### Perks

* Same stats as Northerners.
* Nilfgaardian Nobles can become Black Monarchs.
* Nilfgaardian Mages can master Golemmancy.

## Skelligers

 File:Two human skelli.jpg

> The Islanders — four of them, in shiny leather doublets trimmed with seal fur and belted with chequered woolen sashes - strode in with a sprightly, hollow step.
>
> A Question of Price

#### **Language**

While being able to speak without a problem in the Common Speech, they have their own language, the Skellige jargon, based on the Hen Llinge (Elder Speech).

#### **Relations with other races**

The people of Skellige do not hold racist views. Even though their relations with most of the North were always tense, to say the least, they are longtime allies of Cintra.

#### **Religion**

The islands of Skellige worship the goddess Freya and heroes, the most important of whom is the hero Hemdall. They also trust and believe in local druids, who are seen as wise men and act as diplomats, royal advisors, warriors, and wielders of magic.

#### **Clothing**

Compared to other people of the North, their clothing seems quite modest. The most common attire for men is a cubicle, drawn together with a sash or belt, accompanied by pants and leather boots. They are protected from the cold by coats, furs and doublets made of leather, usually sealskin. They rarely wear ornaments, although some men wear bracelets, and the custom of wearing collar-shaped necklaces, called torc, is also practiced. Women generally dress in long gowns, over which they wear aprons made of linen or cloth, pinned with decorative brooches. They also adorn themselves with bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

The inhabitants of these cold and windy isles are called simply the Islanders, by other Northerners on the Continent in particular. They are renowned as hard, tough, and decent men, while at the same time frightening when attacking their foes. They are a nation with deeply rooted seafaring tradition

Skellige lies in a mountainous archipelago consisting of the large island of Ard Skellig, the much smaller An Skellig and a myriad of smaller islets, including Faroe, Hindarsfjall, Spikeroog and Undvik. The largest stronghold is Kaer Trolde on Ard Skellig. The people of Skellige, though also counted as Nordlings, are actually Nordlings more because of where their country lies than because of their unity of culture and civilization. Isolated from the rest of the mainland, they have retained the ancient way of life and government that was common on the rest of the Continent back in the days of the first settlers and wars with the elves.

The islanders are mainly fishermen, sailors and pirates. Raised in a harsh climate and constant contact with the sea, they are a hardy people, brave, tenacious warriors and excellent sailors. They often embark on overseas expeditions on their drakkars as adventurous men eager for adventure and more valuable new booty. In addition to corsairing, they also engage in crafts and trade, selling amber, leather and tranny. They love war, and although they never aim for a pitched battle, and are adept at avoiding it if necessary, if it does come to a direct confrontation, they engage in it willingly, with knowledge and zeal. As great warriors, discipline and organization, based on absolute submission to direct superiors - members of the family elders - are, as it were, in their blood. They are divided into many often warring clans, over which the heads of the families have authority: Bonds. Authority over several families is held by the Jarls - the bravest and wealthiest of the Bonds, who also enjoy the greatest obedience. Its people are united under the King of the Skellige Isles, who's elected by the jarls of the seven major clans during traditional moots. In practice, however, the kings are from the same clan or at least related. Island poets - skalds - enjoy extraordinary respect among the countrymen, equal to that of the Jarl and Konung. Women and men stand on legally equal footing, and both train in arts of war and seafaring.

Islander society is united by a common tradition and an unshakeable moral code. There are specific rules prescribing hospitality and establishing the nature of gifts. Oaths must be upheld; injustice and rape demand retaliation and many more laws and rules. Honor is reinforced by valued qualities: courage, ability, generosity and brotherhood.

#### Perks

* Same base perks as Nordlings
* Skellige Men-At-Arms can become Marauders
* Skellige Bards can become Skalds

## Zerrikanians

 File:Two human zerri.jpg

> ‘Don’t interrupt. The company is strange (...) The silent knight Borch Three Jackdaws and his escort from Zerrikania, where–as is generally known–sacrifices are made before the image of a dragon. And suddenly they all join in the hunt. Strange, isn’t it?’
>
> The Bounds of Reason

#### **Language**

They have their own tribal language, but are forced to learn the Common Speech while outside the Zerrikania’s borders.

#### **Relations with other races**

The Zerrikan Amazons form a rather isolated culture. They know little about the lands beyond their borders, and have a rather neutral, purely servile attitude toward their people. In the Nordling lands, however, they are highly sought-after as mercenaries, valued for their ability and loyalty. They look upon non-humans rather distrustfully.

#### **Religion**

In Zerrikania, the cult of dragons is professed and they are considered the only deities in existence, offerings are made in front of the dragon effigy. The cult is overseen by priestesses.

#### **Clothing**

The most common Zerrikan clothing is a wild animal skin on the hips, a shoulderless patchwork, a spiked shirt and spiked gloves. It is common in their culture to decorate their bodies and faces through the art of tattooing. Before fighting, they don amulets made of feathers, tusks and animal bones, and paint their faces to ensure their undetectability and protect themselves from blows.

Zerrikania, home of the venomous Basilisk, has given birth to other equally hideous creatures. Among them are spotted spiders so huge that they trap elephants in their webs and the no-less terrifying tse tse flies. Because of its wildness, both in terms of climate and inhabitants, this dangerous area has never been further explored. News about it getting through to the rest of the world is very sparse. There is a wide variety of climatic conditions, from tropical jungles to vast steppes and deserts. Roots of the modern Zerrikanian realm are found within a great fertile canyon surrounded by steppes and harsh barren plateaus. People of this lush region believed they had been designated by Zerrikanterment, a colossal golden dragon, as his chosen people destined to guard and take care of dragons visiting the chasm

Inhabiting this wild, inhospitable land, the Zerrikanian tribes form a rather isolated, matriachal culture. They are female warriors. They are accustomed to fighting in self-defense; completely independent they can endure harsh discomforts. Reportedly, the best female archers are found precisely among these amazon women, in the steppe clans. Some are said to cut off their left breasts to better use their bows. In addition to being excellent at fighting from a distance, they are also capable of wreaking havoc in direct combat and will defend their own in a manner that is quite impressive with their famous sabers. The cult of strength and fitness they promote has earned them a reputation as good strategists and tough warriors. Zerrikanian women are highly sought-after as mercenaries in the northern lands: well-trained and very loyal - as long as the contract does not cause conflicts with their strict code of ethics.

They know nothing about northern deities, instead practicing a polytheistic religion that bestows worship on dragons. Their primary goal is to seek out dragons, worship and care for them. They do not hesitate to attack those who speak out against these creatures. The cult is overseen by priestesses. They study all religious knowledge and are proficient in writing.

By tradition, it's women who hold positions of power – they are clan leaders, priestesses, warriors, and teachers. However, the Zerrikanian community does not discriminate against men: they perform many important functions in trade and also in agriculture, extract raw materials in mines, take care of orchards and gardens, and raise offspring. They don't do this out of compulsion, they are not enslaved; such an order seems good and obvious to them.

## Trivia

* Text provided by the talented Nekohime, used with her permission.
* These texts were not taken from the TTRPG or elsewhere, they were written / translated from polish into english by Nekohime herself.