Humania

Humania was once one of the most prosperous kingdoms in Andara, stretching from the shores of the Western Gulf to the fens in the east. Once magic entered the realm however, this burgeoning nation quickly began to fall. All of Humania west of the river Hart became Westerlent, and its borders with other empires remain much the same as before the Adventus Arcanum. The eastern edge, however, was shattered by a multitude of uprisings and invasions. Smallfolk pushed in from the north, fatally underestimated by the humans, who did not expect their foe to be armed with such powerful magic. Orcish tribes established themselves in the mountains and steppes of what would become Bargob, and finally deepfolk cut off any remaining human outposts in the far eastern reaches of Shadowfen. What remains of the mighty Humania is a small stretch of birch forest and overworked farmland between the river Hart and the river Inker.

## Geography

Humania is a relatively flat kingdom, save for a small mountain range known as the Eltencrag mountains that lie towards the southern border. The Bloody Wood, a historic site of conflict between orcs and men and a cultural site for the orcs, is particularly sparse on the Humanian side of the border as it is regularly harvested by peasants for firewood.

The floodplains of the river Hart support a large part of Humania's agriculture, thanks to a number of efforts early on in King Edvard's reign to feed the population. This valuable area of nutrient-rich soil manages to grow carrots, potatoes and some soft fruits while most other fields will only be able to produce coarse grains or cabbages. Both the river Hart and river Inker connect Humania to Westerlent, Warmwood and Deepwood, allowing them to conduct what little trade they are willing to engage in with the neighbours they are slowly coming to trust.

## History

The earliest known usage of the name "Humania" dates back to the Age of Dawn, in the a book written by the ancient elvish explorer Hiveyo, some time between 1151 and 1156 AD. Hiveyo described the kingdom as such:

> "*Under the rule of the newly-crowned King Mernard, the human tribes have unified into a single kingdom by the name of Humania. The largest and most powerful tribes were elevated to great houses, and give order and rule to smaller portions of the kingdom under King Mernard's guidance. It is my belief that civilisation has finally made its way into humanity, and that King Mernard seeks to forge a long-standing dynasty as though he were emulating the elves themselves." -* Hiveyo in *'The Lands I Saw'*
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Many scholars believe that the word 'Humania' has been used to describe human territory long before the estimated foundation of the kingdom known as Humania, with some going as far as to suggest that humans are actually named after Humania, as opposed to the other way round. Nevertheless, the history of Humania continues to be sporadically recorded in varying accounts for the next five centuries.

Towards the end of the 1600's, border tensions and territory wars had seen significant shifts in the geopolitical climate, with the shape of Humania changing greatly over the years. By 1689 AD, the final major territory war was brought to a close when Queen Matlbeth Arrius signed a peace treaty with Jarfang Haago. Queen Matlbeth had brought a generations-long quest for peace, started by her great-grandfather Gerad Arrius, to a close as a firm border was agreed upon with Kozgomogh. Eager to move forward from past mistakes and tragedies, the newly-reformed human kingdom was named Halovia, and existed as such for 752 years.

The last trueborn member of the Arrius dynasty, Olvera Arrius, died of an inherited illness in the spring of 3 AD. Leaving no heirs, rule of Halovia fell to the Undercrypts, a family of aristocrats who had been far more powerful and worthy of rule for some time before Olvera's death. Around half a century into the Age of Stillness, the Arrius dynasty had long since died out, and their ideals of peace and kindness had faded into obscurity. Sensing weak neighbors beyond the horizon, King Tymer Undercrypt set about raising one of the biggest human armies ever seen, with the vision to take back lost territory and claim new lands from those not strong enough to hold it. As the border wars began, humanity's lust for conquest and bloodshed shone through as it had centuries ago. In 52 AS, the humans decreed that their kingdom would be known as Humania once more.

## Settlements

Many of the settlements of old Humania either no longer exist, or belong to other kingdoms today. Old ruins are scattered throughout central Andara, though many of the villages and towns that were built in what is now Shadowfen are gradually sinking into the mire. Nevertheless, some of the ancient human cities still exist in Humania, as well as a scattering of towns and villages.

### Wyndhowl

The once-proud capital of old Halovia still remains today, but is a shadow of its former self. These crumbling, overgrown ruins were once a proud metropolis and a marvel of human architecture. Though heavily damaged by countless sieges and wars in the past two centuries, much of the wear and tear this city has suffered has been wrought by the passage of time. Despite much of it lying in ruin, the sullen folk of Wyndhowl still make it a home, and the city has much of the traditional amenities one would expect to find. Market squares, smithies and bakeries can all be found sprinkled throughout the maze of crooked streets. A few buildings have managed to stand the test of time relatively unscathed, such as the Knottengard Cathedral, the largest of the Gallow Church’s temples devoted to Humania’s strange deity: The Hanged Man. At the centre of the city lies Hesterly Castle, the home of King Edvard and the few remaining members of the royal family. The royal catacombs beneath the castle hold the remains of previous kings and queens, along with memories of a better age.

### Voltrann

Something of a newer settlement compared to other human cities, Voltrann was originally a small village but has been expanded into a huge fortified military camp that guards an ore-rich mine. As wealth began to grown around the mine, fortune seekers flocked to it and it quickly became the second city in new Humania. Despite its rather paranoid fortifications and large military presence, the folk of Voltrann are generally happy and relatively well fed. Armour forged in Voltrann has unparalleled anti-magic properties, and it is said that mere chainmail could allow its wearer to withstand dragon's breath.

## Culture and Tradition

The people of Humania, known as mundanites, are the only demographic in Andara that innately lack the ability to cast magic due to the fact they cannot interact with the weave. As the surrounding civilisations experienced a collective golden age with the return of magic, Humania suffered its downfall. Thus, many of the mundane humans harbour a bitter hatred of all things magical, partly out of fear and partly out of jealousy.

### Military

*Main article: Humanian Military*

As a kingdom both forged and burnt by the fires of war, Humanian culture places great importance on the military. Young mundanites are eager to join the fight against their kingdom's enemies, and taking up arms in the name of the king is an indisputably honourable cause. The army and its many subdivisions are involved in several aspects of the Humanian way of life besides fighting wars. The city watch, border guards, and witchhunting militia are all branches of the army, and are thus usually privy to the same resources as other soldiers. It is not uncommon for individuals move between different branches of the army throughout their military career, as the skillsets of one are often interchangeable with many others. Commanders and captains enthusiastically encourage regular movement of troops between battalions and companies, believing that the mixing and exchanging of experience and expertise bolsters the strength of the army as a whole.

### Religion

*Main article: Religion in Humania*

While a handful of mundanites follow the old faith, the overwhelming majority of the population are members of the gallow church; a strange religion unique to Humania, and one of the only monotheistic religions in the known world. The gallow church worship the Hanged Man, who they believe to be the patron saint of the mundane. Nooses are part of their religious iconography, and thus can be seen almost everywhere in Humanian civilisation. Even the banner of Wyndhowl is shared with the symbol of the Hanged Man, and the brown noose on a black field adorns the shields and surcoats of its militia.

### Marriage and Family

Strangely, marriage is a mostly secular part of Humanian culture. The traditional vows of marriage bear no mention of the Hanged Man, and are a simple few words where the newlyweds will vow to protect and love one another, even in death. Families in Humania are incredibly close-knit, and a single family unit will often be fairly large and include grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in addition to a father, mother and children. As such, a family will typically grow as large as the house can support, and even then it is commonplace for extra rooms to be built onto a house to accommodate more family members.

### Food and Drink

Lacking many of the herbs and spices found throughout the rest of the world, some consider mundanite food to be somewhat bland. Though this is a matter of opinion, it cannot be denied that mundanite food can make a filling meal out of next to nothing. Thick soups and stews are commonplace, and meat is seen as something of a delicacy due to its rarity.

Traditionally, mundanites enjoyed a plethora of fine wines, ales and mead but in their current circumstance, they cannot afford to waste valuable farmland on such luxuries. A few small breweries still exist, though the price of ale is rather steep compared to the rest of the world.

## Ecology

Humania covers far less land than it once did, and as such its biodiversity is a shadow of what it used to be. Deer, badgers, foxes and squirrels hide in the forests and wilds far from mundanite hunting parties surrounding the larger cities and towns. Wolves and bears have also learned to steer well clear of civilisation, dwelling only near the borders of the kingdom. Far more abundant in the kingdom are those animals which thrive in the company humans, such as rats, crows, and feral dogs. Oozes are particularly prevalent in the sprawling sewers of Wyndhowl, thriving on the excessive filth and muck produced by the dying city.

There is little diversity in Humania's flora; besides patchy woods of birch and blackthorn, and tangled swathes of brambles and nettles, there is little more than nutrient poor grassland covering most of the land.