Overview
Ancestry
As described in Chapter 1, there are four historical tribes, or ethnicities, of humans across Hauther: the Evar, the Luvar, the Jovar, and the Gatar, which later became the Thyrellans, the Casperians, the Jovar, and the Hudu respectively. In more recent times, humans of Thyrellan and Casperian descent have begun referring to themselves simply as Hautherians since they have interbred a great deal over the centuries and since the Thyrellan empire is long over. In addition to the four races mentioned above, another player-character race of humans is provided here which represents the very few foreign-born humans who have somehow been fated to live out their days in Hauther.
Anthropometrics
In general, humans typically stand from 5.2 to 6.2 feet tall (1.6 to 1.9 meters) and can weigh from 110 to 275 pounds (50 to 124 kilograms) or more, depending on the individual’s body composition. The mean height and weight for men are slightly higher than for women of the same age.
Life expectancy varies upon the environment and social conditions of the individual. In most circumstances, humans with better means and comforts, such as the wealthy, have a higher life expectancy (+10%), whereas humans who suffer from harsh living, such as in the outlands, have a lower life expectancy (-10%). In general, humans who reach adulthood and die of natural causes have a life expectancy of about 54 years for a man and 51 years for a child-bearing woman. Women who don’t bear children see an increase in natural life expectancy to about 58 years. Other than size and age, the physical appearance of humans in Hauther are curiously varied, as described in each description below.
Hautherian Human
Racial Template
Character Points: 1
Included:
Languages:
Hautherian: Spoken (Native) [0], Literacy (none) [0]
Evaran: Spoken (Broken) [1], Literacy (none) [0]
Optional:
Quirks:
Ashamed (Evar Heritage/Lineage) [-1]
Disdain (Other Races) [-1]
Dismissive [-1] (Evaran Trait)
Imaginative [-1] (p. B-164) (Luvaran Trait)
Proud (Evar or Luvar Heritage/Lineage) [-1] (p. B-164)
Languages:
Evaran: Spoken (Native) [+2], (Accented) [+1]
Luvaran: Spoken (Native) [3], (Accented) [2], or (Broken) [1]
Description
The predominant race of all the humans on the continent, Hautherians are usually a blend of Thyrellan (Evaran) and Casperian (Luvaran) descent, though it isn’t unusual for Hautherians to have some Jovaran or Hudu ancestry. The Evar originated in the northwest of Hauther where they settled in places such as Thyrell, Iridan, and Rhoendir. Their archetypal characteristics were very fair to medium skin, light brown to brown hair, brown eyes, and a reputation for arrogance or intolerance. Their most significant contribution to Hauther, for better or worse, was their prowess in magic. On the other hand, the Luvar originated from the northeastern lowlands and coasts of Hauther and ended up settling around the natural harbor that became the city-state of Casperia. Their archetypal characteristics were medium to olive skin, dark brown to black hair, hazel or brown eyes, and a reputation for imaginative or unconventional thinking. Their most significant contribution to Hauther was seafaring and developing trade with other continents.
Naturally, the appearance of most Hautherians ranges anywhere between the two tribal archetypes, but around a quarter boast less common features, such as the blonde or red hair of the Jovar or the dark skin of the Hudu, suggesting a more diverse ancestry. Aside from appearance, there are nearly no differences between Hautherians of predominantly Evaran or Luvaran descent as they are viewed and treated equally by the other ethnicities and races. There are some family lines, however, that try to distinguish themselves by claiming an uncorrupted lineage from one tribe or the other, but even they cannot claim complete purity, much to their denial or disappointment.
Languages
By way of the empire, the Evaran language has had the most influence in what is spoken across Hauther today. During the empire, Evaran was instituted as the common tongue for commerce and governance, but what ended up being spoken in the markets was a pidgin language with Evaran at its core. Today, that commonality persists, but with the empire over, the pidgin language has evolved into Hautherian, a stable creole of largely Evaran, with some Luvaran and even less of Jovae and Huduan. Despite its influences, the dominant language of Hautherian remains Evaran. Hautherian was quick to be adopted in large cities with diverse populations such as Casperia. However, in the scattered communities of the outlands, the form of Hautherian spoken more closely resembles Evaran, which often requires someone skilled in the “old tongue” in order to communicate.
In contrast to Evaran, Luvaran, is considered to be more smooth, romantic, and sophisticated. Although it was suppressed during the Thyrellan empire, it has been maintained as the premier language of literature and poetry and therefore the language of the social elite. As a result, the Luvaran that is spoken at most high-society functions and theatre productions today is largely the same as in the golden days of culture and art in Casperia. Other “lower” forms of entertainment are typically spoken in Hautherian because the audience of such entertainment are the common folk.
Roles within Society
Hautherians are likely to be of any role within society, from the highest of nobles to the lowliest of beggars. However, Hautherians tend to have it better off than their Hudu and Jovar counterparts in almost every field, being the foremen or sergeants rather than the laborers or privates. This isn’t to say that there aren’t Hautherians in these roles. In fact, since most of the human population within the majors cities can be considered Hautherian, it would be impossible to have so many chiefs. Rather, if there were a group of individuals who were being considered for promotion, a Hautherian would most likely be selected over a the others. Similarly, if the same group were being considered for hire as a servant, the Hautherian may be seen as the most reliable and competent to other ethnicities. Such bias hans’t gone unnoticed, especially by the other human ethnicities and races, but it is well entrenched in Hautherian society, making it unlikely to change.
Hudu Human
Racial Template
Character Points: -6
Included:
Disadvantages:
Social Stigma (Minority Group) [-10] (p. B-155)
Languages:
Huduan: Spoken (Native) [0], Literacy (none) [0]
Gataran: Spoken (Broken) [1], Literacy (none) [0]
Hautherian: Spoken (Accented) [2], Literacy (none) [0]
Skills:
Savoir-Faire (Huduun) IQ [1]
Optional:
Advantages:
Medium [10] (p. B-68)
Sensitive [5] (see Empathy, p. B-51)
Languages:
Gataran: Spoken (Native) [+2] or (Accented) [+1]
Hautherian: Spoken (Native) [+1]
Skills:
Captivate Will -2 [1], (p. B-191)
Description
Originally known as the Gatar, the Hudu eventually assumed their name after their mysterious religion, Huduun. The Gatar originated in the southern end of Hauther, a vast area known as the Southern Swamplands, where they were able to practice Huduun largely undisturbed until the Thyrellans came through. Once the Thyrellans established their empire, they returned to the Swamplands they had passed by earlier and made many forays into the Southern Swamplands to “purge the black practices of Huduun from Hauther and bring the righteousness of Daeus to the heathens.” Despite their best efforts, the Thyrellans were only partially successful. While most of the Hudu bowed to the will of the Thyrellans, at least outwardly, a number of Hudu fled deeper into the swamps where the Thyrellans found it difficult to follow, leading to rumors of dark Huduun cults that still live in the deepest parts of the Southern Swamplands even to this day. The Hudu never integrated completely into society, even after the fall of the Thyrellan empire, largely because of the Daeist church’s attitude toward Huduun. Today, the Hudu are relegated to the fringes of society and typically keep to their own people and customs.
The archetypal Hudu has medium brown to dark brown skin, black hair, brown eyes, and a reputation for being extraordinary storytellers. Nowadays, this ability is utilized mostly by Huduun fortunetellers who try to build a sense of wonder with their readings and a willingness to pay coin for their services. In addition to storytelling, some mages and anthropologists have noted that the Hudu population is reportedly more likely to possess an uncanny “sixth sense,” which manifests from being able to read people well to supposedly being able to hear spirits. Whether this occurrence is an influence of their religion or their religion a natural extension of this occurrence is still being debated today. Regardless, it is yet another trait many Huduun fortunetellers claim to have to eek out a living.
The Hudu’s most significant contribution to Hauther is mystical in nature, namely the mediums and fortunetellers plying their trade in Casperia and a few other towns across the outlands. Even though the Church of Daeus condemns Huduun fortunetellers as anything from charlatans to heretics, it is hard to find an average citizen who has never visited or thought of visiting a Huduun fortuneteller to seek answers to their problems or communicate with lost loved ones. A common concern, however, is whether a client has found an authentic fortuneteller or a charlatan as there aren’t any regulating bodies for such services. Even if there were, the fact that one had visited a Huduun fortuneteller has been enough to besmirch persons of status in the past, which makes seeking recompense seem immaterial.
Language
Huduan is a creole language composed primarily of Gataran, the Hudu’s traditional language, and Evaran, but because it harkens from the initial days of Thyrell’s push for conquest before they returned to bring the word of Daeus to the Swamplands, it predates Hautherian, if only slightly. In addition to the necessity of knowing Hautherian, most Hudu can also understand and speak some Gataran because it is spoken mostly by Huduun priests during the older, more traditional rituals. However, the Hudu rarely speak Gataran in mixed company as it is mistakenly considered by the Daeist Church to be only a dark language that only invokes evil spirits and curses, which frightens the ignorant and brings unwanted attention.
Although a little bit of Huduan has made its way into the Hautherian lexis, the Huduan word that has transcended the cultural divide and become universal is zombie, the term from which plague zombies were derived. Otherwise, Huduan remains largely a language spoken in the back alleys of Hudu slums.
Roles within Society
As mentioned above, the Hudu live at the fringes of society. Those who have the ability (or claim to have the ability) work as fortunetellers. Such trade is profitable for those with the best reputations, but it is difficult to make a living when no one knows your name and advertising your abilities could make you the target of Daeist outlash. Those Hudu who don’t work in the fortunetelling trade still participate in the workforce as laborers. Whether it is street sweeping, house building, cargo loading, or as a blacksmith’s striker, it is almost guaranteed that a Hudu will be there.
Jovaran Human
Racial Template
Character Points: 3
Included:
Languages:
Jovae (Native) [0], Literacy (none) [0]
Hautherian: Spoken (Accented) [2], Literacy (none) [0]
Skills:
History (Rhyehall) IQ -2 [1]
Optional:
Disadvantages:
Code of Honor (Jovaran) (See Code of Honor (Pirate’s), p. B-127) [-5]
Quirks:
Free Spirited [-1]
Proud (Jovaran Heritage/Lineage) [-1] (p. B-164)
Description
The Jovar is the only tribe of humans to have retained its original name over the centuries. Before the Thyrellan empire, they were a number of clans that originated in the hills and lowlands around the southern end of the Hirols and northward on the eastern side of Hauther toward where Casperia is today. When the Thyrellans came to their lands in conquest, the Jovar resisted fiercely, unwittingly giving Casperia time to prepare. However, the Jovar weren’t able to defeat the Thyrellans, especially with their powerful wizards, and scattered across the lands to live as nomadic clans, ever resisting the Thyrellans and their authoritarian rule. Today, much of the Jovar still roam the same lands of their ancestors in what has become known as the outlands.
The archetypal Jovar was distinguished with very pale to pale skin, white, blonde, or light brown hair, blue or hazel eyes, and a tradition of raiding neighboring clans. They never united under a single ruler, though there are records of very large clans that eventually broke apart into waring factions. This tradition of raiding compelled the Luvar to the north to build the first walls around what would later become Casperia. So in a sense, Casperia wouldn’t have become the city-state it weren’t for the Jovar.
The most prominent contribution the Jovar have made to Hauther was in runesmithing, the craft of inscribing runes onto objects to instill them with magical properties. Each clan had their own master runesmiths who used their own unique set of runes. As a result, any Jovar weapon with runes inscribed upon it could be traced back to the clan that made it. Because the Jovaran way of runesmithing is so similar to the Nokhen way, there are some sages who theorize the Jovar must have had early contact with the Nokhen dwarves, particularly since many Jovaran clans lived in the foothills of the Hirols. However, there is no way to verify such theories as neither the Jovar nor the Nokhen are particularly talkative with outsiders about their craft.
Language
Since there were numerous clans of Jovar, there were different languages spoken by each clan. Over time, their language merged the way their religion had done. The interbreeding and raiding between clans lead to a linguistic core called Jovae, albeit it with many dialects. Jovae may have unified into a stable solitary language even further had to not been for the Thyrellan empire dispersing the clans into roaming bands, and with the advent of the Revenarum, the fracturing has continued. Today, the Jovae that is spoken in the settlements of the outlands may differ from that spoken by the wanders, but each should be able to understand the other, more or less. In game terms, this means that Jovar from different areas may speak to each other anywhere between an accented to broken understanding.
Roles within Society
As a people, the Jovar are quite independent and free spirited, leading to a dislike for the confines and drudgery of settled life in a typically Hautherian community. Some, however, have done so in the smaller communities, the largest being Dussleholm. There they typically work for themselves in traditional trades as blacksmiths, trappers and tanners, leatherworkers, bakers, fishermen, and even sometimes as runesmiths. Jovar in Casperia don’t usually stay for very long, citing the overcrowding, both physically and ideologically. They either find their way to smaller places, such as Raynham or Dussleholm, or to the outlands as wanders and raiders.
The Jovar that prefer the wandering life typically find it with other like minds in the outlands. Many of the Jovaran bands wandering the outlands claim to be the original bloodlines of one Jovaran tribe or another, and though it is quite possible, they are equally likely to be the descendants of many clans who have had to group together for survival. Some even claim to be Chivar, the battle priests of the Jovar. Whatever the case, because of area in which they live, it is often necessary to raid towns or other bands in order to survive, which is something the Jovar know a great deal about. Some even raid the caravans that the Silver Guard transport through the outlands to supply Dussleholm and other outlying communities.
Foreign Human
Racial Template
Character Points: 17
Included:
Advantages:
High TL (4+) [5] (p. B-23)
Social Regard (Respected +1) [5] (p. B-86)
Unusual Background (Foreigner) [5] (p. B-96)
Languages:
Hautherian: Spoken (Broken) [1], Literacy (none) [0]
Native Tongue: Spoken (Native) [0], Literacy (Broken) [1]
Optional:
Languages:
Hautherian: Spoken (Accented) [+1]
Description
Although quite rare, foreigners to Hauther aren’t unheard of. How or why they ended up on the “forbidden land” may vary, but a common story is that such individuals were surviving crew members of a vessel that fell upon disaster or attack at sea. The typical characteristics could include any seen in the human tribes of Hauther as well as more exotic features not seen before. Since any characteristic that is typically found in humans somewhere across Ferron could be found in a foreigner, players are encouraged to choose characteristics that play up the exotic nature of the character.
Language
Just like their features, foreigners will have different languages, most of which won’t be understood by Hautherians as such languages fell out of use in Hauther not long after the forbidden zone was established. Therefore, it is usually up to the foreigner to learn the local tongue, which usually means a broken level of Hautherian for new arrivals to an accented level for those who have been in Hauther for a while.
Roles within Society
Aside from their exotic nature, foreigners have a slight technological advantage over Hautherians. As a result, they tend to find themselves in roles related to their knowledge. If a foreigner can find his or her way to Casperia, there are any number of nobles who would offer good coin in exchange for consultation and training in the technology, medicine, and affairs of the rest of Ferron. Academic institutions would also likely offer what they could to garner new developments of the outside world, whereas craftsmen, builders, and even artisans would leap at the chance to learn new techniques. Government officials in Casperia have been known to offer foreigners positions as translators and negotiators with foreign smugglers, and they have been rumored to have offered a new ship to at least one captain who swore to continue his smuggling efforts.
There are some foreigners who find that their knowledge of technology isn’t as useful as their ability to use it, specifically those who use the latest blackpowder weapons. Demolition experts and pistoleers have found their way into the employ of a militia or two, and it is rumored that some may have even joined the Silver Order to fight against the Revenarum. Whatever they bring to Hauther, foreign humans usually find that if they can survive the initial landing and travel to a refuge, they are well received.
2.2b >>