Race: Humans

What is a Human?

The humans of Butter Bay are very much what you would expect; they look very much like us, act much like we do—they essentially are us. The majority of humans are between 5’6” and 6’6”, but there are always anomalies, meaning that you could very well find a human that is much taller (or shorter). Some humans are as tall as 8 feet, but those are exceptional individuals and are not to be taken as the norm. Humans are sometimes extremely short as well, even being as short as hodekin in some cases, but again these are unusual cases. Most humans living in the Bay are much closer to 6 feet.

In terms of other features, the majority of humans in the Bay have light skin, though usually not as pale as an alfar. There are also a small number who have dark skin like an elben, and it is even theorized by some that the darker tone is a result of elben blood, but the theory is unconfirmed and those individuals do not share any other elben traits such as cold tolerance. The usual hair colour for humans is a neutral brown, but there is variance and some humans have blonde hair like alfar, or black hair like elben or uruk, or even red hair like hodekin. More than half of all humans in the Bay have brown eyes, but a sizable minority have blue eyes instead, often being quite vivid in hue. Some humans with uruk blood may even have brilliant violet eyes, but humans never have green eyes from alfar or elben blood.

What are Humans like?

Humans are a varied lot; they don’t have one specific trait that is common to most individuals like the other races. The one thing they do have in common as a race is that they are survivors. Barton Butter is seen as the ultimate symbol of their drive to live on, a simple man who saw what was happening and the coming consequences and did what was needed to stop it. Humans are viewed by the other races of the Bay as arbiters and peacemakers, primarily because of Barton Butter’s actions.

How humans see themselves is a more complicated matter as it depends on the individual. Some embrace the role of arbitrator of disputes, some become haughty and try to enforce their views on others, some shy away from expectations and refuse to get involved in the disputes of others. Only a small few truly accept and understand both the privileges and responsibilities that come from being seen as leaders, and see the difficult position that the war has put the humans of the Bay in. The other races expect the humans to step in and bring an end to the war, but both sides see themselves as being in the right; Baron Ebraen Coel fears the fallout of choosing either side as it could tear the society of the Bay apart completely. Both sides will always see themselves as right, and if the humans pick either side there will inevitably be resentment from the losing side.

And so the humans collectively walk a thin line, trying to be fair and hold the people of the Bay together. If they fail, the last century-and-a-half will be lost, and the legacy of those first struggling survivors of the Freeze will be destroyed. Leadership, real or imagined, earned or granted, is a heavy burden, and one that all humans share.

Human Society

The society of the humans of Butter Bay is perhaps more what you would expect of a medieval culture than of the other races. For most life is quite simple, they do their work in the fields or the mines, they hunt or they fish; in the towns merchants peddle wares purchased from craftsmen from around the Bay. The majority of humans are fairly poor, but the Baron’s government is devoted to maintaining the well-being of its people and even the poorest can be assured enough food and clothing to sustain them. This large lower class keeps the wealthier middle class merchants and artisans afloat. At the top of the heap are the nobles such as the Baron and his family, and the Lords of the various townships. Even the nobles, however, do not have the grand riches that one would expect of nobility; before the Freeze these were just petty aristocrats in a far greater empire.

Women are treated well among humans; though they don’t enjoy the same entrenched legal protection as they would in the Uruk nation, they are still far more equal than yadekin are among hodekin. Women generally take care of the home and children, rather than doing the heavy work of mining, but when the growing season comes they work the same long hours in the fields as men. In fishing villages many women serve as crew on the trawlers and there are even a small number of female captains. Finally, women do serve in the militia, but mainly in support roles; even so, a woman serving on the front lines in heavy armour may be unusual, but it is not considered surprising or controversial. Most people have at least some basic combat training, male or female, and all carry their saeges with them at all times, so no-one is ever without some protection.

In the Bay, survival and the propagation of the people is considered important, so everyone is expected to marry and have children, at least enough to replace themselves. Despite this, same-sex relations are quite common, especially among militiamen. While the hodekin don’t consider same-sex relations to be sex, the same is not true among humans. Cheating, however, is a less grievous offence, so long as you are discreet about it. Most women are willing to accept their husband having a bit on the side, so long as he comes home at night. It is also not uncommon for women to philander a bit, both with other women and with family of their husband. This is seen as acceptable because though the children a man raises might not be his own, they are at least blood.

Human Faith

The teachings and faith of the humans is the baseline from which the other races’ faiths are compared. Their story of Voland being born from the holy fires of Muspel and setting out to create the world is that which the others' are based on. It is said by some that Voland created humans first, that they were his most trusted and beloved children; he created the other races in attempts to improve upon his first creation, but was never able to surpass them. This isn’t generally understood to mean that humans are better than other races, only that they are the most basic, most even, and most versatile form of thinking being there is. Alfar may be wiser and elben smarter, uruks may be stronger, hodekin sturdier and yadekin nimbler, but humans have a strength of spirit that is unmatched.

The stories tell that while the other races raged against Bishal, trying to destroy her icy grip on the world, the humans were the first Keepers, watching over Voland’s body and healing him with their faith and love. Though other races held Bishal at bay and fought her demonic spawn for every last inch of the world, it was the humans who brought Voland back and stood by his side when he banished Bishal and her brood back to the frozen wastes of Nifel. This legacy of leadership and faith has lasted through the ages, through the kings of great empires, and finally through to Barton Butter, resulting in the survival of the Bay.

Monday: The Human Nation