Human

## **Biology**

**Purity:** 90-100%

The most well known and respected species in all of Mirror Domain, a Human is a bipedal creature between 4 and 6 feet tall. In order to be considered Human an individual must be almost indistinguishable from what we know Humans to be. A Human will not have any unnatural hair or eye colours. No extra limbs including wings, tails, horns, etc. Minor unnatural traits may be ok on occasion, as long as it can be easily hidden. Pointed canines, skin markings, sharp fingernails, etc are usually ok as long as an individual puts in the effort to keep them hidden. Purity is based off of looks, after all, so if no one will ever see your impure traits they may as well not exist.

Human behaviour is what all creatures strive for. Their intelligence is extremely well respected, and oftentimes just being a Human will make people look at you as wise or intelligent. They’re known to have stable emotions and an emotional understanding that’s far greater than that of a non-Human creature. Both sympathy and empathy are considered very Human traits. Humans are known to act more rationally than lesser beings because of this.

## **Personality**

Humans are intelligent, curious, and ingenuitive beings. They have a myriad of complex social behaviours that are far over the heads of many lesser beings. What they lack in natural abilities they more than make up for with their intellect. A human may not be able to fly or breathe fire, but they’ve found natural and non magical ways to accomplish both. Intelligence is a gift, and they’ve used that to rise themselves to the very top of the purity scale nearly uncontested.

Curiosity is a staple when it comes to humans. Other species' curiosity leads them to learn and understand what’s already in place, but human curiosity has led to new information and discoveries to be made. Science as a whole was pioneered by human innovators. They want to learn, and the drive to learn more and understand more about the world they live in is what puts them apart from all the rest. Human ingenuity was enough to take down a god without the use of magic, after all. No other race can lay claim to such an accomplishment.

## **Civilization/Culture**

Human society is pretty much exactly what you’d expect. They heavily value education so most children are put into school from a very early age. Most humans are in school from ages 4 to around age 18, although it’s not uncommon for them to continue on with their education well into their twenties and thirties. Educated humans are the ones in charge of the world, so to speak, so its only natural they’d value it so heavily.

It’s no secret that humans more or less only look out for themselves. Seeing as they’re on top of the scale it’s not uncommon for their culture to simply forget or erase the needs of lesser beings. Their society is human centric with very little thought put in to the needs of others. Human laws are made in humans' favour, shopping districts are filled with products safe for them even if they can be dangerous or deadly to others, social norms are centered around their own natural instincts and biology (as scarce as they may be). A human will smile at a Kodin with no regards to the fact Kodin view bared teeth as threatening, as an example.

That being said, while humans often view themselves as better or more pure they aren’t against the ideas and innovations of other species. If anything, they adapt to them. Humans weren’t the ones to discover the different variants of magic, but once the information came to light they took it for a ride and started a domino effect of discoveries. Humans were incapable of flight so they searched for ways to accomplish such feats in spite of their physical limitations. Lesser species are often their muses. They offer a different window into the world that can help solve a problem otherwise unsolvable.

## **Relations**

Humans relationships with other species is almost directly related to their place on the purity scale. The higher up one is the more respect they give to them. Creatures like Whiver or Sinvian are often exploited by humans because of their intelligence. They’re not smart enough to avoid their rule or escape from their grasp, which was resulted in many of their kind to become enslaved or treated as pets.

In general Humans have the best relationship with other human races. Elves, Drexel, and Satyr are held in the highest regard. That being said, they’re still somewhat looked down upon for their impure shortcomings. It’s not to say they aren’t civil or even friendly with each other, but they’ll never be fully accepted as human as far as humans are concerned. Not only that, but many lesser species view all four races as human, which only breeds resentment.

## **History**

Humans are one of the oldest races in Mirror Domain, existing all the way back in the Before Times. The species originated in the country of Bane where early humans built up their first villages and towns near the shoreline of the Shallow Sea. Early humans sustained themselves by growing crops with the vast amount of water they had available and fishing in the nearby ocean.

It wasn’t until the discovery of Mirrors when things really began to take off. A human invented them, after all, even if that human was a god. It didn’t take long for them to figure out how they worked and exploit them. From there Humans expanded their home range and almost immediately began taking over every single body of water available to them. For a brief while they dominated the entirety of the known bodies of water before the Kodinic war broke out and pushed their borders back a considerable amount.

Humans weren’t always at the top of the purity scale. Actually, when the scale was first used as a means of discrimination by Lord Lykan humans were fairly low on the scale. It wasn’t until after their kind dethroned the rogue god and reclaimed the world for themselves did they take the top spot on the social hierarchy.

Ever since the downfall of Lykan humans have more or less been uncontested in their position. No one dares bring down the race that brought down a god. Its their most well known and shining achievement. Whenever conflict with humans arise the enemy always has that thought in the back of their mind, even if it’s only briefly. It shaped their entire role as a species.

## **Religion**

Humans follow the god Tilvet, as he’s believed to not only be the inventor of Mirrors but also an ally in the downfall of Lykan. Tilvet is known to bring good luck and good fortune to all, and humans really take that to heart whether they’re religious or not. But while this is a very common and prominent part of human culture that doesn’t mean every human is a follower of god. Many of them question the existence of the gods due to their critical eye on the world. It’s not uncommon for a human to denounce the notion entirely, even if that’s outside the realm of understanding to most other species.

While humans may not worship other gods, it’s extremely common for them to research the history of them. Humans commonly know as much about other local species gods as they do themselves. A human in Vertgate will know just as much about Life Bringer as any Kodin there even if they don’t follow or believe in that god. It’s all part of the pursuit of knowledge.

## **Languages**

Language is a very strange thing for humans. Natively they speak Standard, but humans very commonly research and learn the languages of any and every species. With the power of knowledge there’s no language outside their reach if they really strive to learn them.

## **Names**

Human names are very commonly related to water or weather in some way. Water is the most pure and valuable resource on Mirror Domain. It’s a rarity only few can afford, so naturally they’d see words related to it as suitable names. That being said, these names aren’t as blatant as one might think. Human names still very much sound human.

Last names are commonly related to past trades the family line delved into. Blacksmiths with the last name Smith, fishermen with the last name Fisher, so on and so fourth. Last names are a bit more flexible, however. It’s not uncommon for a human to adopt the last name of a partner, which has lead to many humans having non-human last names.

## **Adventures**

Humans are an extremely adventurous race. As stated above upon the discovery of Mirrors they almost immediately expanded their borders to encompass as much available water as they possibly could. The only real thing that stops humans from enveloping the entirety of Mirror Domain is the backlash they get from other races. Humans can find a way to adapt to just about any environment, so no one area is ever truly out of reach.

Seeing as they’re essentially the rulers and peacekeepers of the world it’s not uncommon for humans to send members of their own out to act as diplomats or to make trade deals. Governmental work is one of the most common reasons for humans to explore the world. That being said, it’s not uncommon for a human to travel simply to see the sights. Vacationing is very common among humans.

## **Abilities**

Adaptability is the name of the game when it comes to humans. They’re generalists; able to pick up just about any skill imaginable and expand upon it as needed. They may not be the biggest or strongest physically, but they’re able to problem solve and find a way to overcome just about any difficulties they may face. Not only that, but many of them have found ways to not only match the natural skills of other species, but surpass them entirely.

   Magic is decently commonplace in human society. Their intelligence greatly aids them in learning the skill, so naturally they’d do so. Their mana pool may not be as large as other species but they’re smart enough to divy their magic in a way that’s efficient. They certainly don’t squander their abilities, that’s for sure