Humankind

Humankind

“Vessels of mortal flesh bound by the aspect of Will.”

All good stories require actors to fill the myriad roles. Each and every role written with a specific heart in mind. Thus the will of the divine to expand narrative drove the emanation of humankind, first among races and broadest of strokes. The race of men bear among them an example of every extreme, from those that could pass for a halfling to bears with a smiling face and nigh every pigment to boot. Among the ranks of humankind there exist four distinct races, the myths of each tied dearly to their geographies. Those geographies are oft the passion of men, as to the human it is the heart that proves right or wrong, truth, and purpose.


The Norden
Norden are a race of humans whose origins are scattered amongst the Westcontre’s northern realm of Norda. Tradition relates of nomadic hunting bands and woodland baronies, civilizations of seaborne raiders and mystical traditions of bygone eras whence men were nearer to their long lost forests of old. Where the divine sought stories of survival in the bleary forests and frigid night, there came the Norden.

Norden range in height from five to six and a half feet on average. Their skin is typically pale to lighter shades of tan or beige, usually reddening in the sun. Facial hair is common among men, with both men and women having coarse or wavy blonde to brown and occasionally red hair. Natural selection has led to their trending a harder build, men and women having somewhat denser musculature and heavier bones.

The Norden tribes emerged in the bleak northern reaches of Norda, a region defined by jagged fjords, unyielding glaciers, and forests clinging to life beneath perpetual frost. Their ancestors, exiles and wanderers from southern clans, sought refuge in this inhospitable land, fleeing subjugation and war. They named themselves the Norden, after the icy winds that howled ceaselessly through their new homeland, and pledged to carve a life where others dared not tread. The earliest Norden lived as hunters, fishers, and foragers, subsisting on the meager bounty of the land and sea. Over time, they adapted to the harsh environment, creating tools of bone and stone, taming hardy animals, and mastering the treacherous waters with longships hewn from frost-touched pine. Their survival depended on cooperation and resilience, and their laws were built around communal responsibility. To the Norden, no crime was greater than forsaking one’s kin.

Though isolated, the Norden could not avoid contact with outsiders. Southern traders brought rare goods—bronze, salt, and grain—but also disdain for the Norden’s "barbaric" ways. The Norden viewed outsiders with suspicion, a wariness that hardened into hostility when southern warbands sought to claim their lands. Such attempts were met with fierce resistance, for the Norden fought with the ferocity of wolves defending their den. Their warriors were legendary, wielding axes and spears with a fury born of necessity, and their seafaring prowess allowed them to raid distant shores when winters proved too lean.

The land itself shaped Norden culture, instilling in them a deep reverence for nature and the gods they believed dwelled in its wild places. They worshipped a pantheon of deities tied to the elements—Skathi, the goddess of winter; Njolfr, the storm-bringer; and Eira, the keeper of the hearth. Rituals and sagas preserved their history, recounting not only their struggles but the lessons learned from them.

Over centuries, the Norden became more than mere survivors—they thrived as explorers, traders, and storytellers. Yet their identity remained anchored to the unforgiving land of Norda, a region that both tested and defined them. To this day, the Norden are remembered as a people who forged strength from hardship and shaped their destiny with unyielding resolve.


The Levani
The Levani are a race of humans who originated within the Westcontre’s central and south-eastern lands of Levane. Where the divine sought stories of hearth and battle in the Norden, it sought power and glory in the Levani. Given manifest destiny upon a vast region marked by shifting dunes, fertile oases, and ancient trade routes crisscrossing the unforgiving desert, the early Levani found themselves living as nomadic caravans. Skilled in survival amidst the sands, they lived by the stars, guiding their herds of camels and goats from one oasis to the next, and traded incense, rare spices, and precious gemstones with distant lands.

Levani range in height from five to six and a half feet on average. Their skin is typically cream to darker shades of tan or beige, usually darkening heavily in the sun. Facial hair is common among men, with both men and women having coarse or wavy brown or black and occasionally straw-colored hair. Natural selection has led to their trending a leaner build.

The origins of their unity lay in the myth of Zahir the Unifier, a charismatic leader and tactician who is said to have descended from the desert gods. Zahir understood the futility of constant inter-clan feuds and the untapped potential of the scattered Levani people. Through shrewd diplomacy and decisive victories, he forged an alliance of clans, founding the city of Qarat-Zahir on the banks of the River Huran, one of Levane’s few permanent waterways.

Qarat-Zahir became a beacon of civilization in the desert, boasting irrigation systems that turned barren sands into fields of grain, dates, and olives. The Levani became adept at harnessing the waters of the Huran, digging qanats (underground channels) to expand their agricultural reach. This surplus of food allowed the Levani to grow beyond subsistence, leading to flourishing trade with neighboring regions.

Bronze tools and weapons marked a turning point for the Levani. Their artisans, inspired by the geometric patterns of the dunes and stars, created intricate designs in bronze and gold, setting their wares apart in the bustling markets of Qarat-Zahir. Meanwhile, the Levani army—armed with bronze swords, reinforced chariots, and a deep understanding of desert warfare—secured the empire’s borders and expanded its influence.

At its height, the Levani Empire stretched from the jagged cliffs of the Khalan Coast in the west to the emerald highlands of Tarqim in the east. Its cities, adorned with domes and spires that glimmered in the sun, were centers of art, science, and learning. Levani astronomers charted the heavens, while their poets composed epics that celebrated the gods, the desert, and the empire’s enduring strength.

However, the Levani’s rise was not without hardship. Periodic droughts tested their resourcefulness, and rebellions flared in the more distant provinces. Their resilience and ability to adapt—hallmarks of their nomadic ancestry—allowed them to weather these storms.


The Abessy
Power and honor, war and conquest, the divine had achieved much with two varieties of Man, and yet it did not yet satisfy. Emerging forth from the desire for worship, of palatial reverence and animistic folklore, there came the Abessy, peoples dark of skin and bright of eyes from the Westcontre’s unknown southern regions. Abessy range in height from four and a half to five and a half feet on average. Their skin is typically dark brown to heavier shades of brown or black, showing little effect by exposure to the sun. Facial hair is common among men, with both men and women having coarse or nappy black and occasionally brown or straw-colored hair. Natural selection has led to their trending a heavier, stronger build. The Abessy arose first amongst the verdant highlands of Abessia, a land cradled by rugged mountains, deep valleys and rivers that snake through fertile plains. In their earliest days, the Abessy were hunter-gatherers, roaming the forests and savannas of Abessia, surviving on the bounty of wild game, roots, and fruit. They revered the natural world, believing the mountains to be the thrones of gods and the rivers to carry divine blessings.

Change came with the discovery of grains and agriculture that flourished in the highland soils. Likely procured through cultural exchange with the Levani, this cultivation allowed the Abessy to settle, giving rise to villages and a burgeoning agrarian society. With stability came growth, and the Abessy developed intricate irrigation systems to tame the rivers and expand their farmlands. The abundance of food attracted traders from neighboring regions, bringing with them goods, ideas, and technologies.

The turning point in Abessy history came with the emergence of the Oracles of Abdar, a priestly caste that claimed communion with the divine. They interpreted the will of the gods through celestial signs and the rhythms of the earth, guiding the Abessy in matters of governance, warfare, and agriculture. The Oracles declared Abdar, a sun god of justice and prosperity, the supreme deity, and established his worship at the heart of their society.

Under the Oracles’ leadership, the Abessy transitioned from a loose confederation of villages into a unified theocratic state. They constructed monumental temples and obelisks in honor of Abdar, using advanced stoneworking techniques that drew admiration from neighboring peoples. These structures became not only centers of worship but symbols of the Abessy’s divine mandate and burgeoning power.

As their influence grew, the Abessy expanded their territory, assimilating or subjugating nearby tribes. Trade routes thrived under their control, bringing ivory, gold, and incense into their markets and establishing Azura as a hub of commerce. Their scribes developed a written script to record religious texts, trade transactions, and the laws decreed by the Oracles, solidifying their authority.

The Baejki
The Baejki people emerged on the mist-shrouded islands of Baejk, a land of rolling hills, dense forests, and rivers cascading into an indigo sea. In their earliest days, the Baejki lived as agrarian clans, cultivating rice in terraced paddies carved into the hillsides and fishing the abundant coastal waters. Their villages were scattered yet connected by a shared reverence for the spirits of the land, sea, and sky, whom they believed guided their fates.  Baejki range in height from four to five and a half feet on average. Their skin is typically cream to darker shades of beige, usually reddening in the sun. Facial hair is common, yet thin among men, with both men and women having silken, straight brown or black and occasionally straw-colored hair. Natural selection has led to their trending a lithe and muscular build.

The foundation of their rise was laid with the development of sophisticated irrigation systems, enabling the cultivation of rice and millet on a scale that sustained growing populations. Roads, initially footpaths through dense forests, were widened and paved with stone, linking villages to regional centers. The Baejki crafted bridges of wood and rope, daring the rushing rivers and steep gorges of their homeland. With these advancements, trade flourished, and their markets teemed with ceramics, silk, and metal goods.

The sea, however, was their true lifeblood. The Baejki became master shipbuilders, crafting swift, seaworthy vessels that could navigate both the coastline and the deeper waters of the Shimmering Sea. These ships carried merchants far afield, exchanging jade, spices, and textiles with distant lands. Maritime trade fueled the prosperity of emerging city-states, and the harbors of Baejk became bustling hubs of commerce and culture.

The unification of the Baejki clans into the Baejki Empire was spearheaded by the visionary leader Yon Myol, a chieftain-turned-conqueror. Yon Myol united the main island through a combination of military prowess and diplomacy, proclaiming himself the first Emperor of the Baejki. He established Gyon’do, a fortified city at the mouth of the Serene River, as his capital. Gyon’do became a beacon of learning, art, and governance, its towering palaces adorned with intricately carved wooden eaves and colorful tiles.

Under the Baejki Empire, a codified system of laws was implemented, infrastructure expanded, and naval power solidified. Their navy safeguarded the sea routes, ensuring the uninterrupted flow of goods and ideas. The Baejki also developed a unique written script, preserving their literature, history, and state decrees for posterity.

By the height of their influence, the Baejki were both architects of an enduring empire and navigators of the vast oceans, weaving together the threads of trade, culture, and governance. Their legacy remains one of resilience, ingenuity, and a profound connection to both land and sea.