Human

**Humans**, or **Terrans**, have flown amongst the stars for a thousand years. Humans have always been around in Etoile society. They often play roles in starship flight and maintenance, and have been inventors of many dangerous and deadly devices such as nuclear, antimatter, and exotic energy weapons.

Humans are one of the most culturally diverse races in the known galaxy; due to this, centuries of warfare have been fought amongst themselves. They are notable for their vast desire to understand and influence their environment, seeking to explain and manipulate phenomena through science, philosophy, mythology, and religion.

They are a neutral species, as they are swayed by both good and evil. As long as they get something in return, most are easily persuaded to join any factions or cause. Humans are valued for their innovation and are desired as engineers. If you want a job done, get anyone. If you want a job done well, get a Human.

## Biology and appearance

Like the majority of sentient species in the galaxy, Humans have a torso, two legs, two arms, and one head. Other sentient species with a body type roughly similar to Humans are often referred to as humanoid, since Humans are the most common example. Their heads have two eyes, one nose for breathing and olfactory senses, and a mouth for eating, breathing and communicating. Human arms have five-fingered hands for manipulation and five-toed feet. They come in two sexes, male and female.

Unlike quite a lot of other mammalian species in the galaxy, they have only a light covering of body hair, with males possessing more hair than females. Most of their body hair is concentrated on the head and (in the case of adult males) face. This hair is grown, cut, and styled for aesthetic or ritualistic reasons. The facial hair grown by adult males can be grown, styled, or shaven completely.

Even though they have an overall physiological uniformity, baseline Humans vary greatly in appearance. Their hair color ranges widely, usually from blond to dark and sometimes with hues of red or brown, changing to gray or white as they reach seniority. This hair can be straight, wavy, or curly. Their eyes typically come in shades of blue, green, gray, or brown.

Variety of skin tone is also seen among baseline Humans, usually limited to various shades of brown and ranging from pale yellowish brown to light brown and dark brown. Diversity in appearance is seen on many Human populations, and no particular features seem to be traceable to specific isolated communities on any locations.

In terms of lifespan, the average varies between 150 to 250 years depending on environmental and biological factors. Home-grown Humans of Earth commonly live to 200 due to over a millennium of gradual genetic engineering. Racial offshoots and offworld colonists vary the most.

## History

### Origin

Humans have a very long history reaching back far beyond the beginning of space travel, though the origin and early history of Humans was lost in the depths of the millennia. Whatever the original homeworld is or was, it is true that Earth is not that world, although the extreme majority of species, including Humans themselves, assume that Earth is the homeworld. Humans are among the few sentient species in the galaxy whose true homeworld is unknown, including the Reajura and the Hupwis for example.

### Pre-Earth empire and downfall

Prior to their arrival on Earth, Humans possessed a vast trade empire that persisted for thousands of years and spanned thousands of light-years across in a region of space within the vicinity of the Solar system, as well as other smaller regions in the "western" half of the galaxy. An unknown event, likely cataclysmic, eradicated over 99% of their vast numbers and completely collapsed their empire, and they took refuge on Earth in a last-ditch effort for survival. All of their knowledge and technology was erased, and the species started anew as hunter-gatherers.

### Exploration

Humans eventually regained the use of space travel during the mid-21st Century. In fact, by the time they were discovered by the Klak and the Ra-Shi, they were already present on a few scattered colony planets near Earth, thanks to the use of rudimentary subspace stardrives powered by antimatter. Earth grew into a planet-wide city in less than 500 years, and Humans made great leaps in stellar exploration, establishing thousands of colonies and a number of trade routes.

## Near-Humans

A few species in the galaxy seem to be closely related to Humans, sharing many physical traits. They are described as being near-Human and are believed to have descended from Humans on other worlds. The most prominent examples of near-Human races are the Rigelians and the Enterrans, among others; however, Enterrans are known to be a definite offshoot of mankind, while it is unknown if Rigelians are. These are mostly Human in appearance but have unique and distinct defining characteristics—Rigelians being elven in appearance, and Enterrans being frail and winged. The biological differences are small enough that Humans and near-Humans can typically interbreed.

The term "near-Human" is significantly more specific than "humanoid". While near-Humans are biologically related to Humans in one way or another, other humanoid species merely display general external characteristics, such as an upright bipedal posture.