Human

## Humans

A human monk

> Through a storm of flint and iron, in a sea of blood, flesh and steel. Through a path of scorched, grey soil, a nameless Warrior lays their face, their sight blinded - not by the soot, but by the Light of the Holy Mother, the flicker of their heart by now dim, their fire, about to die out.
>
> unknown, The Journey to the Light

The Humans are quite recent, compared to the hardy Dwarves, or the wise Rus'alka, late to arrive on the world. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they tend to be so stubborn, and strive to achieve as much as they can in the few years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the others, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of this world — however, they tend to lack any actual specialization. Humans tend to be easily gullible; they’re often blinded by greed and hate.

## Appearance

Humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. Physically, they are quite similiar to the [Elves].

TBW

## Society

Due to their nomadic origins, the humans have developed a myriad of different nations. In Vestalia, most human nations take the form of autocracies, feudal monarchies, though free cities are also quite widespread in the south. While they are generally patriarchal, with male individuals usually holding higher positions of power, both economically and politically, the Empire of Terraverde is one of the most important exceptions, with female figures being respected and seen as equal. Most Verdians believe in a motherly Deity, Lux, which led them to respect and revere women, especially older mothers. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.

TBW

## Culture

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious of all races, which led to them having widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the many different lands where they have travelled. They build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture can preserve traditions with a history far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. Humans often seek to earn glory in the eyes of their kin by amassing power, wealth, and fame, which tends to make them even more ambitious and stubborn. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups. They are very pious and religious. The recent cult of the Holy Mother Lux has spread all over the Northern part of Vestalia, perhaps due to its origin as a derivate of the many different cults in the area. In the south and the far east, humans worship deities similiar to the ancient elven ones, often with different names. While the latter live in harmony, the cult of Lux (or *[[New Vestalian Pantheon]]*) recognizes every “pagan” cult as heresy, and dictates its destruction through the help of missionaries, or in the worst cases, holy wars. Though, if one were to pay some attention to the history of Lux, they’d find many similiarities with the figure of [[Mokosh]].