Species File: Humans

Humans:

Humans are, understandably, a staple of most role-playing games. They are the most common species or race in that genre, and rightly so. You, the player controlling a character, are one. Unless this blog entry or the pen and paper book has been picked up by some entity previously unacknowledged by science as of the time of its publication. In which case, I apologize for my ignorance. Regardless, as the intended audience of this game is human beings, it would not seem right for that species to be excluded from selection.  Within the scope of MaL, however, humans comprise only a small fraction of the total sum of recognized sentient life.  Many creatures have been uplifted to sentient status over the millenia due to science and magic.  Many species have come into being independently of other species across the distant stars, some traversing them to settle or study those less advanced than them.  Many species come from outside the prime realm and either visit it for various reasons or have arrived as refuges or arrived by accident or design and been unable to leave.  Humans are but one species of many.  Humans are, however, a shrewd and crafty race, adapting to  change with determination and pride. Within MaL there are many different ways for any species to end up populating multiple planets, and humans are no exception.  Some have been magically deposited elsewhere in the universe through magical or scientific means, or come from a time-traveling future or an alternate reality long ago to settle in a different part of the universe from the one humanity came from.  Due to the number of magical and genetic aides available in many areas, there has been a lot of species interbreeding to create hybrids, but humanity has held a very powerful dominance in retaining much of their genetics when this has occurred.  As such, most humans are considered 'pure' as they have less than twenty-five percent genes from other species. This is certainly not to say that there are not those hybrids with other features, but that humans breeding with one another eventually weed out those traits except in the most powerful of species genetics. Those who have directly bred within two generations only have one or two traits from their non-human ancestors, whereas those who have a parent that is of another species will have up to four.

Humans typically have a name appropriate to the region and culture that they are from, as well as family names passed down from generations. Their natural maximum age is one-hundred, though some have lived longer without aid from magic, science or direct intervention from a higher-power as a result of their devotion, completely through natural means. Humans are born typically one at a time, but have been known to be born even up to eight at a time on the most rare of instances. They are born male and female, though the rare intersex due to genetic mutation from radiation, pollution or magic have occurred. Humans can be raised by other species quite easily, and are sometimes the adopted child of those who cannot reproduce otherwise, those who have lost their previous child, or for other reasons. Regardless of human parental upbringing or other, they mature at age twenty, but are fully capable of being recognized as an adult at an age of as young as twelve in some cultures, or whenever they succeed in a rite of passage. Humans tend to be quite intelligent and generally are able to focus better than species of lesser intelligence, as well as being more cunning on average. They have a capacity for remembering and rapid recall genetically, but some lessen this through various choices and environmental agents that impair this. In general, humans are able to learn relatively well if given the opportunity, and show an abundance of courage despite their lack of species-wide natural magical, soulful or mental abilities as are present in some other sentient species. Humans have an average speed, and lifting capacity. While some humans have disfigurements, unfortunate natural appearance, or even lucky natural beauty, most are a bit over the average of all species.  Humans can grow from anywhere between three-feet to nine-feet tall, but the average are between five-foot three-inches and six-foot two-inches. They are on average able to lift up twenty-five pounds unencumbered, and most can lift up to twenty-five additional pounds with only a slight decrease in speed. Humans may be all one species, unless their bloodline is mixed with that of other species, but they have many different races. Following, are a list of commonly known races and their genetic traits.  There are many more as humanity spreads across the stars and hybrid species are born. Their cultural traits depend on their environment for variation. 

The Podral are a coastal race of humans with tanned skin, mostly brown or black hair and eyes, and a general laid-back disposition unless angered. Even when moving inland, they tend to settle near large bodies of water.  The Hyten are darker-skinned with similar hair and eye-color, some also living near the Podral, though they are originally from other lands, and the majority live there still in mostly nomadic fashion. They tend to be taller and more muscular on average. The Greddyl have pale lightly sandy skin, almond-shaped eyes, and light freckling in some. Their hair comes in shades of blond, brown and black, and their eyes in shades of blue, brown and black as well. On average their beauty is a little higher than average, though their height is usually at least six inches shorter.

The Indeth are strong and fast, having creamy skin, freckling in some, and are native to the lands that typically have ample amount of Fey also living there. Their hair comes in shades of brown, black, and red, and their eyes in shades of green, blue, brown and black. They tend to have a high amount of strength, courage, stubbornness, and magical ability. The Bugnin tend to live along mountains. They have dark tan skin, hair in shades of blond, brown and black, as well as eyes in shades of yellow, blue, brown and black. They tend to be more aggressive than other human races, but not as wise. The Forinn have lightly red skin, and are usually both muscular and swift. Their hair comes in shades of brown and black, and their eyes in shades of red, brown, black and blue. The Unverti mostly live in colder climates. They are generally kind, having hair in shades of brown, black and gray, with eyes in shades of brown, black, blue, green and gray.

The bonuses and reductions for selecting any human race as your species are as follows: +1 FP, +1 INT, +1 WIS, +1 Beauty, and a knowledge of whatever language is most dominant in their culture, sometimes more than one. For a Podral Human, -1 on Shock Checks, +1 on REA, +1 on Charisma Checks. For a Hyten Human, +1 STR, +6 inches height, and -1 on FP. For a Greddyl, +1 Beauty addition to human +1, -6 inches height, +1 on Learning Checks. For an Indeth Human, +1FP, +1 on STR, +1 Courage Checks, -1 FIN, -3 inches height. For a Bugnin Humn, +1 to Attack Checks, +1WIL, -1WIS. For a Forinn Human, +1 Speed, +1STR, -1 Charisma Checks. For an Unverti, +1 EP, +3 HP, -1 REA.