Human

Humans are native to Ata, where they compete with Orcs for control over the plains.

Biggest seafaring race, with sea soraska being the only real competition.
Even before sea travel was possible, human mages traveled the world and facilitated cultural exchange between Humans, Dwarves, and Elves.
Humans have established at least one colony on all three continents, plus one settlement on the Ice Plains and several outposts in the Pyrmies.
Many ethnicities exist, but the two biggest are the Etelaan and the Sonnern.
- Etelaan: bronze-skinned, black-haired, and brown-eyed southwesterners who currently control most of the south and west
  - adjective=Etelaan, region=Etela
  - speak Etelaan
  - shorter on average
  - exceptionally collaborative, building a strong network of schools, hospitals, and libraries
- Sonnern: tan-skinned, dirty-blond-haired, and blue-eyed easterners who currently control the east coast
  - adjective=Sonnern, region=Sonnenland ("sun land")
  - speak Sonnern
  - militaristic, ruled by merchant-lords controlling armies of mercenaries
  - adhere to monotheistic religion called Sonnentum
    - worship the Sun, observing its rise every day
  - originally from northeast of Ata
- Tenga: dark-skinned, bald, amber-eyed plainsmen
  - adjective=Tengan, people=Tenga, region=Tanatenga
  - speak Tengan
  - were very powerful 1000+ years ago, with cities at key locations across the plains
    - decimated after bad earthquakes ruined their defenses and orcs invaded
    - forced to take refuge in other nations, as orcs maintained a presence in old lands
    - orcs left ~200 years ago after horrible wildfire destroyed all their crops and villages (first one since Shaitan's binding) and a group of Tengans reclaimed what was left
  - scholars (many Tengan) have returned to Tanatenga
    - they study ancient ruins to reactivate defenses against invasion and rediscover old religion, called Agama Lama
    - many families also moved back
    - worship of old gods has tentatively resumed
  - currently a magocracy
- Fune: brown-skinned, black/gray-haired, dark-eyed southerners
  - adjective=Funish, people=Fune, region=Funetochi
  - speak Funish
  - taller on average
  - the original seafarers, but Etelaan and Sonnern copied them
  - chose to be nomadic seafarers (and/or pirates) rather than be Etelaan subjects
  - primarily sail in the Pyrmies
- Shamal: light-skinned, dark-brown-haired, blue-eyed northerners
  - adjective=Shamalian, people=Shamal, region=Shamalia
  - speak Shamalian
  - rarely have red hair, which is taken as a blessing from the gods
  - pushed out of northlands by Orcs, and now live in the fringes of Sonnern territory
  - follow a religion known as Shamalism
    - each tribe is led by its Red Priestess, who in turn serves the nomadic High Priestess
    - gods manifest as animals to communicate
- Ogof: pale-skinned, blond/white-haired, and red-eyed cave dwellers in the mountains
  - adjective=Ogofen, people=Ogof, region=Tir Ogof
  - speak Ogofen
  - can't stand bright light, especially sunlight
  - persecuted by Sonnern, now only isolated tribes remain in the east
  - a great Ogof city is rumored to exist in the western mountains
  - different from other humans due to isolation in caves and some sort of magical influence
    - adapted for darkness and more magically adept
  - music is very important to them
    - long, low notes (especially throat singing) that reverberate in caves
    - gods respond in the echoes
    - can broadcast messages throughout entire underground using powerful drums built into the ground

Game Mechanics

Abilities

Some human cultures may place more importance on some abilities than others, but humans have no biological predisposition towards any.

Alignment

Humans generally share an alignment with their peers, which varies between cultures and generations. All alignments are represented to some degree.

Age

Humans reach adulthood at around 20. They have an old age threshold of 70 years and an aging rate of 5 years.

Human

Size
Medium

Speeds
Walk 30 ft.

Old Age Threshold
70 years

Languages
Any two languages of your choice, at least one of which must be a human language

Senses
—

Aging Rate
5 years

Subraces

Select one of the subraces below.

Common Human

Personal Calling. Humans are known for dedicating themselves to a skill or trade and perfecting it. You gain expertise in one skill or tool of your choice.

Perfected Skill. Before making an ability check that the expertise granted by your Personal Calling applies to, you can opt to not roll the d20. If you do, treat the check as if you had rolled a 15. If the roll would have been made with advantage or disadvantage, instead treat the check as if you had rolled a 20 or 10, respectively.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Adaptable Talent. Pick an ability score for each of the following categories: saving throws, attack rolls, and ability checks. You gain a +1 bonus to a d20 roll if it uses the ability score you chose for its category.

Each time you level up, or by training for 40 hours over the course of 5 days, you can change the chosen ability score of one category.

Ogof

Darkvision. Your unusually large eyes confer darkvision (60 ft.).

Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Perception checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Soulsight. You can sense the presence and location of magic within 30 feet of you when you are not incapacitated. This ability can't penetrate through 3 feet of wood or dirt, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, or a thin sheet of lead.

As a standard action, you can focus your attention on magic you can sense in this way. If you do so, you magically see a faint aura outlining the shape of the creature, object, or area bearing the magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any. You can use this action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses after a long rest.

Heightened Casting. When you cast a spell of 1st to 5th level, you can can increase the level of the spell by 1. The resulting spell level can't exceed half your level (rounded up). You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Suggested Backgrounds

Etelaan Almoner

Prerequisite: The ability to speak Etelaan

You spent time in the human nation of Etela as a social worker. You gain the following benefits:

You are proficient in one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, or Religion.
When you Help or receive Help to cause a roll to be made with advantage, that roll takes the highest of three d20s instead of two.

Sonnern Soldier

Prerequisite: The ability to speak Sonnern

You were trained in the stern combat style of the Sonnern military, which employs double lines of pikemen and greatswordsmen. You gain the following benefits:

You are proficient with the greatsword and pike. Once on each of your turns when you make an attack with one of these weapons, you can extend your reach for the attack by 5 feet.
You are proficient with medium armor. When you are wearing medium or heavy armor and are within 5 feet of an ally that isn't incapacitated, you can't be flanked.

Tengan Scholar

Prerequisite: The ability to speak Tengan

You studied the secrets of Tanatenga with the Tengan scholars. You gain the following benefits:

You can read Old Tengan.
You are proficient in Investigation and one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion.
You know two 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. The spells must have the ritual tag. You can cast these spells as rituals or using any spell slots you have. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Intelligence or Charisma, chosen when you take this background, and you can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for them.

Funish Sailor

Prerequisite: The ability to speak Funish

You learned how to sail from the Funish people. You gain the following benefits:

You are proficient in Acrobatics and Athletics.
You are proficient with navigator's tools, and you have expertise with water vehicles.
You are proficient with the scimitar. If you are wielding a scimitar in one hand and nothing in the other hand when a creature you can see hits or misses you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction to make a grapple attack against the attacker.

Shamalian Acolyte

Prerequisite: The ability to speak Shamalian; red hair

You were trained in the holy tenets of the Shamal. You gain the following benefits:

You are proficient in two of the following skills of your choice: Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, and Religion.
You know the thaumaturgy cantrip, as well as speak with animals and one other 1st-level druid spell of your choice. You can cast each of these spells once per long rest without expending a spell slot. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom or Charisma, chosen when you take this background, and you can use a druidic focus as a spellcasting focus for them.

Ogofen Sounder

Prerequisite: The ability to speak Ogofen

The Ogof taught you the ways of the Synau Dwfn, or "deep sounds." You gain the following benefits:

You are proficient in Perception and Performance
You are proficient with the drum and curtal.
You know the spells mold earth and earth tremor. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, chosen when you take this background, and you can use a drum or curtal as a spellcasting focus for them and other spells you know.
For you, earth tremor has the ritual tag and you can cast it as a ritual. When you cast it as a ritual, you can trigger the spell's effect as part of each action used to cast the ritual. To gain this benefit, you must use a drum or curtal as a spellcasting focus for the spell, and you can't move and trigger the effect on the same turn.