Humans

​Humans are unique among the great races because they don't know who their creator is. The emerged during the Age of Blood and were largely ignored by the gods and other races (busy killing each other) until they were needed as soldiers in the War of Air and Fire. As a result of not having a god of their own, humans are the primary followers for most gods (which has worked out well for them). Humans have been the most powerful race in Rojopotis for the last age, since the rule of the Preateri Empire.

Humans are one of the shortest lived races. Therefore if a human wants to accomplish anything, there is no time since the present. They learn fast, make decisions fast, and die fast. Humans are hugely diverse, both as cultures and as individuals.

## Playing a human

Because humans come from such diverse cultures, it's significant where you came from. If the campaign is taking place in Larnaca, it matters whether you are a Larnacan or a foreigner. Your character's perspective of the world will be very different if you came from highly structured Agroktima rather than the chaotic Tundramen of the north, or the diverse city of Liman Sehri. Since my campaigns generally take place in human countries, playing a human from where the campaign takes place gives you an opportunity to have existing relations to the people and places of the campaign.

## Classes

Humans, being the most populace and the most diverse race, can easily be of any class.

Fighters are the most common class for any race, and humans are no different. Humans are perhaps the archetypal fighters; it seems fitting the most diverse race playing the most diverse class. Knights and other soldiers of Larnaca, rexi and merchi of Agroktima, muharib and corsairs of Mamlaka are all examples of fighters.

Humans worship dozens of different gods, generally via their chosen saints. Most worship happens via organized churches run by clerics. Churches have holy orders, made up of knights and other warriors, a select few of are granted power by their saint and become paladins. In Larnaca most temples are dedicated to saints of Astarte, goddess of war and fertility. The Popess of Astarte is one of the most powerful people in Larnaca. The Order of the Shield of Saint Agathy (generally just referred to as the Shield) is the most powerful Astartian holy order, sworn to protect temples of Astarte, provide for children and mothers, and never shy away from battle with evil.

Most wizards, as generally imagined, are humans. They are the primary scholars in my world, often studying history, philosophy, and language along side magic at one of the few universities scattered across Rojopotis, such as the one in Salamis, Laranaca. Graduates of the university in Salamis join the College of Wizards. The term wizard is somewhat debated, with some wanting to use it for any university graduate, while others think it should refer only to people who know their own true name and are able to preform advanced magic.

Another term that has lost some of it's original meaning is bard. A true bard can do three things: feel the vibrations passing through Mishtar, harmonize with them, and add to the music of creation (producing magical effects). The term bard has been generalized however to all music players. Bards can be found in any human area. Bards generally travel from town to town spreading news and preforming for tips. Many bards have a noble patron who pays them to sing the nobles praise as well as keep people informed, such as the Royal College of Bards.

Almost every major human city has a local Thieves Guild chapter, and many have an Assassins Guild as well, although they tend to cooperate less. Even smaller places without organized crime have people who want to get into and out of places without being seen, namely rogues. Not all human rogues are criminals, many nobles employ spies and armies train saboteurs.

Human druids and rangers appear frequently in the wildernesses on the edges of human civilization. There are the Rangers of the Northern Steppe, Cossack-like wanderers that guard the halfling and human settlements along the Wald river, and rangers that guard the Larnacan settlers in the Wolf Wood. There are druids in the Deep Wood in the heart of Larnaca, and desert prophets who converse with spirits in the Mamlakan wilderness.

Well beyond the borders of civilization are various human barbarians. To the far north, among the tundra orcs and surface dwarves, live the Aanaar. They are nomadic moose riders and ancient enemies of the dwarves, who attempted to rule over them for millennia. In the mountains south of Larnaca are the Artaldea. They are feared and hated by the surrounding human and elvish settlements which the Artaldea will descend on in mass to pillage then disappear into the mountains. What do the Artaldea do with the wealth they pillage? Well much of it is given in payment to the secret
Artaldean monasteries, in exchange for letting their children be raised as monks. In turn the monks foil the attempts by enemy armies to stomp out the Artaldea, but the monks have their own purposes as well.

Human sorcerers and warlocks appear on rare occasion, as with other races.

## History

Humans emerged during the Age of Blood. They were short-lived, not-magically-capable creatures, so the warring gods, giants, and dragons had little interest in them. They got caught up in the War of Air and Fire, and the humans who sided with Fire (the losing side) were banished to the Underdark, eventually becoming Tieflings. During the fourth age, since humans could not compete with other races inland they spread out via the seas in crude ships. Some humans fought for the Shadow King in the Age of Darkness, but others joined with the elves in an alliance against him. Humans were weaker than elves and dwarves in the following ages, but multiplied greatly in number. Humans' connection to saints helped them advance in the Silent Age, but the rise of the Preateri Empire was still entirely unexpected. The empire conquered the entire world of Rojopotis (more or less) and transformed it, making humans everywhere more politically dominant and connecting the world. Since the fall of the empire there has been tension between humans left behind and the other races they used to rule over.