Humans

In the realm of Aurôrum, humans are bold, relatively short-lived, and widespread. They are also ambitious, industrious and creative, with names and cultures diverse enough that any background is the norm for a human in this realm.

Almost uniformly across the countries of Erôth, races heavily intermingle. However, some stand out as notably ‘human’. These nations are characterized either by a human majority in leadership roles, or their histories tracing back to humanity’s initial arrival on Erôth: Amulta, the Daelands, Escaria, Galderia, Taziondale and Yovance.

They are the most numerous people of Aurôrum taken whole, and on Erôth that is less true than it sounds. Here the Peren come near to matching them, which is a thing said of humans nowhere else in the world. Along with the hobgoblins, the two are the peoples who most often produce the sort of adventurer who ends up in a company on a road. A human may be met with anywhere on the continent, and alone among the common peoples that includes Silencio.

The Rise and Fall of Human Dominance

Historically, humans were once the great conquerors of this continent, dominating over 85 percent of its habitable expanse. The zenith of human ascendancy coincided with the collapse of the Mól Empire, as the removal of this major adversary paved the way for an unimpeded westward expansion. This era of expansion witnessed the birth and demise of numerous human nations, each vying to claim the mantle of the next great empire. Looking back, only a handful managed to carve a legacy memorable enough to be recounted by contemporary sages.

However, humanity’s focus on war came at a cost; they lagged behind in unlocking the secrets of magic, relying on allies for assistance. Their short lifespans made them more prone to mastering magic through devout worship of deities, pacts with ancient powers, or ancestral connections to magical beings, yielding clerics, warlocks, and sorcerers respectively. This magical deficiency eventually curtailed their expansion, as other races, notably the Peren, sought to claim land of their own, gradually eroding the human dominion.

Today, human nations control roughly half of the continent, encompassing two-thirds of Erôth’s habitable lands. This control is divided among the six remaining human nations. However, with each passing day, they cede a bit more territory to the Peren, the Karruk, and the burgeoning lizardfolk revolt in the northeast.

Regional Identity

Humans are versatile and adaptable, with a capacity to assimilate into and embrace the culture and regional norms of any society they find themselves in. That flexibility gives each of them a distinctive “regional identity”, as much a part of their background as what they spend their lives intentionally training to master.

Where a human comes from therefore says more about them than what they are.

Racial Traits

It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits. No class or alignment is more or less common among them, provided you have selected the right country of origin.

Ability Score Modifiers: Human characters gain a +2 racial bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.

Age: Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century. They become middle aged in their mid thirties and venerable around 70.

Size: Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Base Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.

Skilled: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

Settled: Your regional identity allows you to choose a second regional Trait.

Suggested Language: The language of your childhood depends on the region where you were raised. However, it is likely the language of your childhood was Peren. Peren also acts as the ‘common’ tongue in Erôth.

Variant Human

Versatile as humans are, they’re also known to hyper-specialize. You may trade the Skilled trait for one of the following.

Heart of the…: Fey, Fields, Mountains, Sea, Slums, Snows, Streets, Sun, or Wilderness.