Humans

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General

Lore

Humans of Mercia

The earth-shaking under steel-clad hooves; a gleaming sea of blades, raised as one towards the sky; bright banners that invoke the might and radiance of Auros, the god of the noonday sun. Again and again, the knights of Mercia ride forth into the world, determined to shine the light of righteousness upon those who dwell in darkness or shadow.

The Mercians are natives of Riada, a sunken realm that lay in the great eastern sea, its spires gleaming each day with the rays of the morning sun. When this island home foundered, Mercian survivors landed on the shores of their present-day realm, which they conquered after a long war with an aboriginal people called the Imric. The Mercians see themselves as a divine race descended from the children of the sun god Auros, and they are at best unmindful, at worst disdainful of the needs and opinions of other, presumably lesser races.

The humans have good relationships with the mirdain of Merendil and the dwarfs of Dwergheim.

Culture and Religion

The Mercians worship Auros, a solar deity who they revere not only as the bringer of light and life but also as the father of their race. According to Mercian origin myths, Auros chose twelve wives from among the mortal races and brought them with him to the sacred island of Riada. Over the next twelve years, Auros fathered twelve children with each wife, and the resulting 144 half-gods became the ancestors of the Mercian race. Thus the Mercians believe, quite literally, that they are the progeny of their own god, and they see it as their filial duty to expand the reach of his light and teachings.

The Auran faith dictates that all life issues forth from Auros and that no matter how far from the light a creature has strayed, Auros will receive its life-spark after death. When killing a benighted or shadebound creature, Mercians believe they are sending it into the cleansing light of Auros.

How humans see the world

"What opposes the Blood Heirs of Auros? Insects. Like leaves, we brush them aside."

- Martin Winterworth, Knight of Malregard

"Our swords are harbingers of the day which always follows night. Do not pity the darkling creature as you slay it, for only through death can its spark rejoin the light of Auros."

- Catherine Southland, Knight of the White Order

"Through the strength of our sword-arms and the divine blood in our veins, mankind is destined to rule. Under human lordship, Agon will enter a golden age of peace and prosperity."

- Talaod Ridegate, member of the Monkfield guard

"Have you ever wondered why Riada fell? Or why the whispers of Malaut hold such allure for certain segments of the Mercian populace? The answers to these questions, and many more, await discovery among the ruins of the past."

- Jonn Redspire, nobleman and Son of Riada

"Dwarves and mirdain are our noble allies, who have found their own way out of the darkness. If mankind is to retain the friendship of these races, we must respect their cultures and beliefs."

Agnar Shale, diplomat to the court at Charybdis

How others see the Mercians

"Oooo! I harbinger dawn... Oooo! I've got sun blood in my veins. Looks like you've spilled some of that precious blood all over my axe, human! Wheres your sun god now, eh? Hehehe."

-Sir Bonehard the Cruel, orkish knight

"I will savor the look on humanity's collective face when the sun fails to rise and the world is plunged into Melek's eternal night."

-Uirash Yishku, alfar raider

"In vast herds, the noble human roams across the plains of Mercia. When they defend in numbers, humans pose a challenge for even the most experienced of mahirim hunters."

-Ardan the Old, mahirim hunter

"One more word about lights in the darkness and I will be forced to start banging heads... My human clanmates are capable allies, but they tend to be more than a little full of themselves."

- Storgrim Thorsland, dwarven clan leader

"Sometimes humans settle on a course of action without first considering all the implications, and once their minds are made up, there is no budging them. Since humanity is a young race, proper guidance from their elders and betters may yet learn them to temper their instinctive boldness with caution."

-Thiela Leafhelm, mirdain officer


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