Humans

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Effervescent

|| Perpetual GM ||
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Humans came to the world by complete accident. Their fall from the skies is documented as the Starspire; a falling star that caused devastation upon the land it crashed into. The true origins have been lost with time, though artifacts have been found scattered throughout Estwynd and even parts of Edros and Maldvir of strange technology. Thol holds within the royal vaults of Redden a weapon known only as The Soul Reaver that is said to be one of the oldest pieces of man made technology in functioning condition.

At first, humans were met with hesitancy and violence by both natives and beasts of the world. Eventually, they were able to strike peace and establish settlements that would grow into prospering cities for centuries to come. They lost their old ways quickly and adopted the ways of the new world. Estwynd remains the nation least influenced even down to the language in which they speak. Their colloquialisms are considered strange, and even after human cultures merged with elven, a few odd terms remain.

Within a few centuries, humans established many colonies throughout the world. Above all races, their population has boomed even with the setbacks of war casualties. Their life span tends to range within a 100 year mark.
 
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Allied Kingdoms: Thalls

Citizens of Thallas are called Thalls and were among the most prosperous kingdoms in the world during the First Era. Their rich farmland and far location made them less of a target for war which allowed for their population to expand considerably over centuries. They were ruled by the Royal Line of Malan since its inception, though it is uncertain if Thallas, the man who initially brought the humans to the land for safety, was a Malan. The monarchy remained in place until the Thalls were driven from the land in the Second Era.

Thalls are known to be rather beautiful in appearance no matter the social status. It is likely due to the privilege of prosperity, distribution of wealth, and lack of prejudice between social castes. There was strangely no such thing as a poor Thall and their crime rate was minimal. Criminals were sent to the dungeons essentially to rot away, and such prospects of a life were a deterrent, and Thalls tended to turn a blind eye to the inhumane law. And while among themselves they held no prejudices, they often frowned upon their neighboring human kingdoms for being what they considered to be lessors.

Fair skin and bright eyes accompanied with dark hair was the common look, though as the centuries came closer to the Second Era, darker skin tones intermingled as the Maldviri settled within the lands.
 
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Allied Kingdoms: Baladrui

To the North within the Allied Kingdoms is Baladur. Its citizens are known as Baladuri, though the Natives prefer to be called Busch. The kingdom is ruled by the line of Nalth, who as the origin leader single handedly slain a horde of orcs as they traversed into the Northern Mountains. From this fearsome warrior came not only a line of capable men and women, but a tradition within names to honor those who are heroes among men. Those deemed heroes have their names preserved as surnames to forge the line in legend by the addition of -son to the end. Anyone born of the line of Nalth bears the surname Nalthson.

Naming conventions are unique in this way with Baladuri. They do not carry a traditional surname unless their line is of a hero's, but they can be stripped of the line should they disgrace the name. This is decreed by the ruling Nalthson both in naming a hero and stripping one of the surname. Those without a hero's bloodline simply state who their father or mother is. Women who carry a hero's bloodline keep their surname even after marriage, and those who marry into the bloodline are granted the use of the surname. This causes a certain prestige and coveted social status, though most seek to become a hero rather than to marry into a bloodline.

Baladuri suffer through harsh terrain and climates. Their hair tends to be thicker and longer and men prefer to grow out their beards to varying lengths. They are fabled to be so tough they could take on bears single handedly, and are known to have well thought out tactics in battle. They are fair skinned folk with brighter hair colors and vibrant eyes.
 
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Allied Kingdoms: Busch

Busch, pronounced bu-ZISH, are humans that colonized in the Northern Mountains long before even Sol'davur was established. Their origins are unknown to a degree, though the elders tell seemingly fantastical tales of their ancestors' journey. They say that Titans reached for the stars, and when they did they grabbed hold of the spaces between as the light slipped through their fingers for the stars were as small as granules. And so they fell from their home and landed within the Bitter Lands never to reach the stars again.

From these Titans came the Busch who are similar in appearance to the rest of the humans in the Allied Kingdoms. They teach passivicity and patience as vertues and through the teachings of their origins they promote reasonable and mild aspirations. Their cultural attributes have hindered them both in societal advancement and in protection and preservation of their people. As the Baladuri sought to claim their land and the people, they could barely fight back and were easily overcome. Most of Baladur's slaves come from Busch people, and it was not until slavery was abolished that the Busch people considered merging with the Baladuri, but it would take over a century to do so.

Busch people are simple in nature, but incredible survivalists, trappers, and experts at hiding. Their villages have been known to appear seemingly empty when attacked, even when intended to be taken by surprise. To this, it is often joked that the Busch are a figment of the imagination. But they are not without their flaws, for their bonds with their people are strong and thus easily exploited. Using just one Busch has been effective in capturing whole villages as slaves. To their people, family is of utmost importance, and it is common for villages to treat everyone despite bloodline as family. When someone commits a crime, the elders gather around the individual and tell them of all the good things they have done in their life to remind the person not to throw it all away. Punishment is usually service to those who were wronged. Murder is incredibly rare and has typically been handled with exile.
 
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Allied Kingdoms: Fallenites

Known as the pock upon an otherwise beautiful alliance, Faledrin is home to far too many miscreants and criminals that populate the very small wealthy percentage. Every Fallenite, however, is looked down upon by the rest of the Allied Kingdoms, even their nobility. Due to their success in whaling, they're far too great of an asset to relinquish, and so through the trade of whale products Faledrin is mostly sustained. It's nobility holds most, if not all of the business throughout the lands, including farms. There is no such thing as a fair trial for Fallenites. The rulers in the First Era are a long line of usurpers running the throne with cold, power hungry, and murderous hearts. Corruption and bias is rampant, and due to the exacerbation of issues most Fallenites are confined to a life and lineage within poverty.

Fallenites tend not to have a grand life span. Disease and sickness take its toll considerably on the poor while the rich have house physicians to aid them, all of which are also born into a life of privilege. The great divide between social status has caused many riots and encited a couple of civil wars. Poverty takes its toll throughout their history, and many Fallenites struggle to survive. Deformities are also prevalent within Fallenites due to exacerbated health issues. Their skin is slightly more tan than their neighbors, likely due to the amount of time spent in the sun with hard labor.

The discovery of whale oil has been the main source of income for Faledrin for The better part of the end of the First Era and through the Second. Due to the ports that line their coast, it is easier for their whalers to harvest and bring back large quantities of the substance. This oil is the prime ingredient for all non-magical light until electricity replaced the substance. Oil lamps were created by Fallenite George Lacost, though the Thalls would argue it was their own Bartague North who was the inventor.
 
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Maldvir: Maldviri

Hailing from the desert lands of Maldvir in the Southlyn Continent, Maldviri own a vast majority of land, though a large portion is uninhabitable. They have an alliance with most of their neighbors to open trade on a wider scale, often offering assistance against Shadow Magic as a currency as they are quite the experts. Their skin is dark, and they wear light colors of whites, silvers, and golds and adorn themselves in decorative jewelry. They are ritualistic, claiming to be immune to Shadow Magic while worshiping the Inner Light. Some believe they may be using magic, while the magical society wholly believes if it is magic, it is unnatural and therefor should not be as celebrated.

They have one central ruler they call the Solasi, and to this Maldvir is often referred to as an empire. Under the Solasi are the Revered Houses that govern smaller portions of the land. The heads of these houses are called the Revered, and those who live on their lands pledge their loyalties to their Revered and their Solasi in exchange for protection and sustainability of life. The Revered are in charge of making sure their lands provide food and trade goods and train soldiers to protect their lands.

The more religious figures, such as Vindicators, transcend their oaths to their Revereds and move on to pledge solely to their Solasi, dedicating their lives to purging the world of Shadow Magic and its corruption.

There are some Maldviri who refuse to practice Inner Light. While it is discouraged, families will still support those in their care for their choices hoping that one day they will return to their Inner Light. More often than not, these individuals will live a more nomadic life and possibly even dabble in Shadow Magic.
 

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Edros: Bastillosi

Deep within the mountains that cross Mid Edros presides the human kingdom known as Bastillos. The Bastillosi people have been economically split for centuries in an ever growing divide between the rich and the poor. Those brilliant enough can garner cultural significance and higher status through innovation but may still be frowned upon even after their death. They praise music and art, the well-to-do often known for throwing extravagant parties.

Being mostly underground, their skin is typically pale with a sensitivity to prolonged sunlight. Eyes of blue, grey, and green are also quite common. There are natives with naturally darker skin and are often praised for what they consider to be a special aesthetic, especially when paired off with their vibrantly dyed clothing and metal adornments.

Slavery and civil war have been common themes for the Bastillosi people. Every hundred or so years, Bastillos would find itself in a civil uprising where the poor would fight the rich in an attempt for a better life. Even in their victories, slavery would always find its way back into society until the end of the First Era when slavery was abolished after a grueling civil war that nearly stopped all trade in Edros.

Magic has been forbidden in the kingdom even with the Cabal, though when the Cabal bought their secret reign they deemed only their magic fit to be cast. The Cabal ruled in secret over the Bastillosi people until the fall of the first World Tree.

Intelligent and creative minds crafted a lot of higher end technology within Bastillos that furthered not only their way of life but the standard of living for Edros. They hold the largest and most capable army and the only air naval fleet in Edros.

The people of Bastillos are governed by a matriarchal monarchy from a long line of Queens. Should a Queen be unable to provide a female heir, the rule is passed on to the next woman in the bloodline.
 

Edros: Leddimen

Leddimark is comprised of simple folk with a simple government. It is not a kingdom, but a country ruled by its people. They appoint delegates to represent them in a democracy with their highest power being that of Governor. Leddimark was one of the first human colonies to successfully gain independence from Bastillosi rule and has since made themselves an invaluable resource of food for Edros. With the aid of the Grey Hinterlands, Leddimen have maintained their independence for centuries and have even harbored fugitive slaves from Bastillos to smuggle them to the Allied Kingdoms.

Leddimark is a small country with no formal army. Leddimen have been grateful to their neighbors and allies, the Hinterlanders, for their aid against land wars and attacks. The late Governor Soloman Knoll was the ruler to insure their independence from Bastillos with a peace treaty, one that was nearly made null when the last war of the Second Era revealed Leddimen smuggling Bastillosi slaves out of Edros.

Leddimen are mostly comprised of farmers, but their system of government steadily grows and strengthens each decade. The government officials all only serve five year spans apart from the Governor, who is voted in every ten years. Voting is required of every citizen where in the span of three months each individual over the age of twenty must travel to the Capital to vote. Open Forums are often held in these months to encourage and educate citizens while providing a bigger chance for the candidates to hear of the needs of the people.

Despite their appearances, Leddimen are mostly well educated. Their standards consist of reading, writing, mathematics, and horticulture. A woman by the name of Sally Crawfield is still well known for her cross pollination of the native flowers honeybells and golden roses creating what she dubbed the Honeypot. It is a fragrant flower with a shimmering golden bowl-like bloom that smells and tastes of honey. It is quite popular in Edros as a romantic gift.

Leddimen prefer not to get involved in wars since they have little to contribute, and it is considered bad form to attack Leddimark due to the people providing so much food throughout Edros. With the Grey Hinterlands shielding them from the Orcish Lands, Leddimark has rarely seen a hostile orc, and in recent years the orcs have been working with them to find a way to make the soil of the Twisted Woods farmable so that they can expand.
 


Edros: Hinterlanders

Located in the Grey Hinterlands, the Hinterlanders are known for their vast, craggy lands too rocky for agriculture and habited by far less people than most expect. It is the location of refugees, sellswords, and criminals with an economy relying heavily in barter and trade. Most communities are governed by a Laerd, or a Lord of the Land, and are self-sustaining. Civil land wars are extremely rare due to how far most live from each other. Hinterlanders are loyal to their own causes and the Laerds they swear an oath to, and bother only those who bother them. Civil disputes are often handled in a fight to the death with the winner absolved of any crimes or compensated for any crimes against them.

The Swords of Steel originated from the Grey Hinterlands comprised of native Hinterlander sellswords and bounty hunters, and could be considered an army for both the Grey Hinterlands and Leddimark. They operate outside of Laerdship, often hired to bolster a Laerd’s army when needed or called upon to handle situations a Laerd’s people is ill equipped to handle. While some Laerds are not fond of the lack of jurisdiction on the Swords of Steel, acting against them would be a slaughter.

Hinterlanders often integrate immigrants from other kingdoms, offering them sanctuary under Laerdship should they need protection. Many Bastillosi slaves had fled to the Grey Hinterlands for a chance at a new life. Bastillos has fought against the Hinterlanders on occasion due to this resulting in wars Bastillos typically won until the Hinterlanders allied with the northern Orcish clans with a trade agreement. This bolstered them enough to settle any disputes with Bastillos and eventually led to the open trade with the Orcish Lands.

Without this trade agreement, Edros would not have become such a thriving trade route and a center for many imports and exports across the globe.
 
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