Humans

## Physical Appearance

   Humans are the scale by which all other medium-sized humanoids are measured. They are the universal “average”. Shorter than elves and orcs, taller than dwarves, thinner than orcs but more stocky than elves. Humans also have a wide range of skin colours, with those in the centre of Morianna and the North having paler, more pink-toned skin, and those along the coast and in the South having darker, brown-toned skin. Humans have the smallest ears, with a gently pointed tip that sticks upwards, against the skull.

## History

Humans are considered the “original” species. Due to their short lives compared to dwarves, elves, and orcs, they are able to have more generations and therefore more change. All species are said to have broken off from humans at some time in the ancient past, more than 15,000 years ago. Elves were once humans, but a powerful influence of magic gave them long life and altered their appearance. Orcs on the other hand, developed from humankind before the Time of Many Waters, when the orcish lands were thick and lush forests. Even dwarves were humans who adapted themselves to the mountains where they made their home. However, all other races deny these facts, and each race has their own creation myth as to how they came to be.

Written human history stretches back at least 5,000 years, with Morianna constantly in strife and struggling with the other races. This is the first period of peace that has been ongoing for any significant length of time.

## Alignments

Humans are the least refined in their alignments. The people of Morianna range across every inch of the spectrum, depending on their upbringing, their parents, their home, and their education. No one human can be said to be the “perfect” representative of their race. However, the human ideal of adaptability and empathy best lends itself towards Neutral or Chaotic Good. Humans tend to follow their own moral code and seek to change or fight against perceived tyranny.

## Society & Culture

Human culture varies greatly within Morianna. The two largest differences are between Coastal Morians and Central Morians.

Coastal Morians are flexible, both intellectually and morally. More likely to serve their own interests. At the same time, they are also more accepting of outside races and of strangers. The coastal cities are known as being friendly to travellers and offering them hospitality more readily. However, these cities are also rumoured to hold more crime, due to their easy access to transportation methods such as ships, boats, and wagon roads. The coastal cities tend to be large, clustered cities, over-crowded and urban-centric.

Central Morians are more rigid in mannerisms. They are wary of outsiders and lean slightly more towards racism (in a xenophobic manner, not in a hostile manner). Central Morians create farming communities, with small center villages for markets and other necessary services, and residences spiraling outwards, creating sprawling cities that are often referred to as counties or shires. This isn’t to say that Morians are not friendly, they are known for always offering a drink to visitors and having much better taverns and pubs, due to a thriving brewery population for both mead and ale. It is just that a Central Morian is more likely to be suspicious of offers from strangers and of hiring strangers to do work for them.

### Gender Roles

Morians believe in gender equality. Men and women can both own land, inherit, and own businesses. Morian noblewomen are permitted to serve on the country’s Parliament. Morians also believe in equal education for females, and in allowing women and men to both learn fighting. They also recognise, however, that women and men are physically different. So when a job advertises for “strong men” it is not sexist, but rather advising female applicants that they may be physically unable to perform the job. Morian armor is specially designed for both male and female anatomy, giving each gender an appropriate rate of movement.

### Half-Bloods

Half-humans most often find that human society is most welcoming of them. Most of the half-bloods who have human blood will live and work in Morianna. They are treated as citizens of the crown as long as they have a single native parent. In fact, half-bloods can often have an advantage over normal humans due to racial bonuses giving them special skills.

### Linguistics

Common was originally the human language, and so the country focuses its energy on teaching it. Very few other languages are spoken in Morianna, except in bi-racial households or in coastal cities where being able to communicate on a second level is helpful. Common has over the years integrated with sayings and words from other languages, especially swear words, and these are often used in human communities. Human poetry tends to be in song form, humans love to integrate poetry and music.

### Education

Morianna does not offer a country-wide educational system, but each county handles this. Children learn first at home, and then at the age of 6 will attend a local primary school until age 12, where they will learn basic reading, writing, arithmetic, and history. After 12, it is the parent’s responsibility to continue their education. Nobles will attend prestigious private schools or will hire private tutors. Middle class families are increasingly sending their children to private academies as well, as the middle class grows in wealth. The poor are left to either self-teach, should they have a thirst for knowledge, or go without. Self-teaching is possible due to the county libraries, which offer a limited selection of books and scrolls for education.

For most professions humans adhere to a general apprenticeship program, focused in on local guilds and organisations. Guilds will employ 3-5 Masters, who will oversee between 8-10 Journeymen, each of which will have 3-5 Apprentices underneath them. Journeymen who have completed their training but who don’t have a position at their home guild are encouraged to travel and find opportunities in other guild locations, and can either teach or actively practice their skill.

### Architecture

Humans have a long history of varied architecture. This too varies in Morianna depending on your location. Most rural communities employ wood and stone homes that feature thatched or wood shingle roofs. Near the coast, they prefer brick buildings that can withstand the more powerful storms coming off the water, especially as they require the use of wood for ships and boats. Glass is an expensive feature granted only to the middle class and the rich. The poor instead use thin sheets of paper glued onto wooden frames to allow light to come into their homes. Some homes in the south are known to be built of clay bricks and tiles baked in the sun and built with special mud only found in those places. Castles are not common, the castles that do remain are ancient structures owned by nobility, and the single castle in the capitol that is home to the royal family.

## Government & Laws

Morianna is a constitutional monarchy. The royal family has the ultimate power to veto any laws that come through, and can put special Acts forward in Parliament to be voted upon. However, Parliament can veto these Acts to cull the royal family’s power. Parliament is made up of a noble from each county, who acts as the representative for his or her county. They put forward laws and requests that are examined and then voted upon by the rest of the Parliament. Within their own county, the citizens are given a voice as well. Councils made up of elected citizens make decision that impact their local county. These councils are also empowered to act upon abuses of the nobility, and can bring complaints of noble abuses to the Crown. The royal family and Parliament can then vote to punish the noble, most often by fining him and distributing the fine amongst the citizens of the county, but they also have the power to remove the noble’s title entirely and strip him of his lands and wealth.

There are many cities in Morianna however, that do not recognise the authority of the Morian government. These independent city-states are located within the borders of Morianna but for whatever reason have chosen to ignore the rule. The Morian government attempts to police these cities but often ignores them. These cities adhere to their own laws and have their own ways independent of the Crown.

Most laws in Morianna are common “civilised” laws. Murder, rape, theft, and other basic crimes are outlawed. The laws tend to focus on physical rather than mental crimes, so most religions are not under the thumb of the law nor are the academies and guilds. Necromancy is outlawed but most magic is not policed or enforced within the country due to the general low-magic environment.

## Economy & Resources

Morians are an agricultural people for the most part. Farming and ranching are the primary professions in Central Morianna, where sheep, goats, pigs, and cows are all raised and their products sold. Wool and dyes are common exports to other nations, as is leather. Wheat, corn, and potatoes are the primary crops but there are also plenty of vegetables such as celery, cabbage, carrots, and peppers, as well as fruit orchards like apple, pear, and berries of all kinds. The heavy forests of the nation are home to the lumber industry,who export to the coastal cities and to other nations. Coastal Morians have a thriving shipping and import/export industry, as well as a healthy fishing industry, relying on fish and crabs as their primary protein products due to the restricted access to farmland on the coast.

The guilds of Morianna are prized for their workmanship, and guild locations are plentiful, everything from shipbuilders, weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, and everything in between.

## Religion & Worship

The humans of Balarume are most free in their choice of devotion and praise. Very few religions and or churches are banned within the human Kingdom. Due to necromancy and other dark magics and acts being banned within their political boundaries, the following gods are both frowned upon and outright illegal.

**Oblivion,Heriot and Savdar**

Due to their Economic livelihood, most of Morianna worships, if not recognises **Boreshk** as their primary deity.

## Marriage & Relationships

Both men and women are encouraged in families to do equal work in raising children and in household chores. Most often the partner with the higher paying job will continue to work, and the partner will stay home and take care of the house and raise children.

Most humans marry for life, however marriages are not legal constructs in human society. Rather, a marriage is a partnership, and is treated as such in the courts. Each partner contributes what they can to the “company” of marriage. Should they have a falling out, the courts will examine what each of them contributed and distribute evenly. Custody of children is given to the parent with a higher earning capability, regardless of whether they worked during the marriage.