| Races The Second Born Humans The Humans, created by Neutari, are Illcara�s most abundant race. They are the very much like the Avari in appearance except they have no wings and have a heavier bone structure. Human males range from 5.8 to 6.5 feet and between 160 and 220 lbs. Females vary in heights from 4.8 to 5.8 feet, and sometimes even 6 feet. However, they mostly remain relatively lightweight, sitting in the 85 to 115 lbs. range. In peak condition, Humans have well-toned bodies, but some train themselves harder becoming hulking behemoths of muscle. Like all Second Borns, Humans do not enjoy an endless life and instead live only to around 70 or 80 years of age. Although, several exceptionally healthy ones have been known to stretch as far as 100, but is rare. Humans were once ruled by a single king in a monarchy, but after the War of Those Born, their society was broken down by the First Borns and their own vagrant nature. They have since become independant societies within each individual town and overseen by Elven kind. Other societies have formed outside of the First Born influence as nomadic tribes, of sorts, always on the move to avoid being found. Controlled Humans bear a tattoo on the upper part of their right bicep of the First Born crest and are known as 'Lesser.' Those that don't bear this mark are known simply as 'Outsiders.' The Humans are industrious and intuitive; many of the world�s technological advancements have derived from human curiosity. Also, they are builders, enjoying vast, tall cities and strong, sturdy stonemasonry. They focus on no one aspect of life and instead dabble in a little bit of everything, making many jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none. Humans once interacted freely with all Illcara, but after the War of Those Born have been driven to isolation, trading mostly amongst their own. The Human language, Common, was largely accepted as Illcara�s international language. It is a very simple language to adapt to with an equally straightforward alphabet. However, what normally confuses many of the other races is the vast multitude of jargon mingled in with the language. That, and the plethora of double-meanings buried in each word. However, Common has now been deemed a 'lesser tongue' and deemed unacceptable in the presence of any First Born, thus they have had to learn Elven as a primary language. Many follow Neutari, for both his neutral outlook on life and because he forged them. Even still, many a Human has also turned to both Darkness, Light and many of the Warrens due to the vastly varying natures rife within Humankind. Many Humans are notable soldiers, but are specialists at no one path in life. Racial Skill: Variety Movement: 3 squares per day over land and water Lycanthari The Lycanthari are special breed of Human that seemed only a legend for the longest of ages. As it went, the first were a group of druids that sought out the Wild Elves to guide them towards a better understanding with nature. After being trusted and accepted, this particular group of Humans spent the years amongst the Wild Elves, learning what could about natures� balance and laws. After �the Conquest,� the druidic group came to despise their brethren, performing a ritual upon themselves that altered them both physically and spiritually, bonding them with nature indefinitely. They became more Elvish upon the ritual�s completion, bearing similar, yet smaller ears and slightly smoother features. Furthermore, they gained another gift that was kept a close secret; the former Humans could now alter their physical shape and shift into that of one natural animal whenever they wished. Thus were the Lycanthari born. In most every way, they are built like Wild Elves, though their features are not so angular and their pointed ears are of a same size as human�s. Another noteworthy feature are their eyes. Lycanthari have an animalistic quality to their eyes, not only do they seem to take in as much light as possible in the dark, reflecting it at times like those of a beast�s, but their eyes take on a yellow tint. With the amalgamation of lives, the Lycanthari age much like Humans, but at a slightly slower rate. Though they only live to an average of 250 years of age, it is still far longer than that of any Second Born. The communal lifestyle of the Lycanthari is very much like that of the Wild Elves, living in harmony with nature. Though they are not as artful in bonding their homes completely with nature, they still manage to do the least possible harm to their surroundings when constructing a place to live. However, it is their chosen way of life that separates the Lycanthari from their Wild Elf cousins. Long ago, a proud warrior named Oki Tanik developed a way of life he called �The Path.� The Path is a set of principals that prepare both men and woman to train themselves in battle, without losing their humanity and to lead with out forgetting the fundamental aspects of life. The basis of The Path is forged around the acceptance of death; once a warrior has accepted its own mortality, they are fearless of it and able to react based upon logical judgement. Also, honour plays an integral part in The Path. The strict code of honour is applied to all beings that abide by the belief. Everything about the Lycanthari way of life is based upon personal discipline and they dedicate their lives to living as to The Path. Instead of being ruled by one ruler entirely, the Lycanthari have a Chief who governs along with what has become known as �The Maw.� Eight members who are deemed the village's wisest and two mandatory members, the Chief and the Lead Hunter, hold seats in the Maw. The Lycanthari largely have kept to themselves over the years for the sake of self-preservation and that they have been constantly berated by their archenemies the Weres. However, since the War of Those Born, two cultures of Lycanthari have spread: those of the old ways, and those of the more liberal and new ways forged by Chieftan Finj, formerly Lead Hunter. While one stays with Grovesend, those of Finj's clan choose to explore the possibilities Illcara has to offer them. Lycanthari are brokenly versed in Common and Elven, but speak mostly their own language, simply named Lycanthar. Lycanthar differs greatly from both languages, sounding very curt, yet meaningful. When learned fluently, it rolls easily off the tongue, becoming very fluid. It�s alphabet is much more symbolic than any of the other races, each symbol representing a word or meaning something else entirely when placed next to another symbol. In truth, it is a much more difficult language to read and write than it is to speak. Like the Wild Elves, the Lycanthari follow Neutari, calling him the �Brother of the Path.� In truth, the Path differs greatly from the Balance, but many of its fundamentals are the same. The Lycanthari produce many great warriors, most of which follow The Path strictly, while others fight as monks or accurate archers. They are also renowned druids and shamans. Racial Skill: Shapeshift (chosen animal) Movement: 4 squares per day over land and water |
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