Humans

The humans of the world are the model humanoid race that all peoples are familiar with. They are a culturally and ethnically diverse race whose skin ranges from nearly white skin in the northern lands, to bronze or nearly brown in hotter climes. The origins of humanity, like most races, are not well understood because the religious authority of the Parthano Empire frowns upon archaeological studies and so human history prior to written records is extremely unclear. The similarities to races such as elves, dwarves, orcs, and centaurs shows that humanity certainly shares some kind of the common ancestry with the others.

While several barbarian clans exist to the northwest and maintain their sovereignty, the vast majority of human civilization falls within the great Empire of Parthos which dominates the continent. The Kingdom of Parthos began on the northern shore of the continent and gradually expanded across the continent. Humans willingly united, using the momentum and strength of the expanding human empire to expel most non-human races to the fringes of the habitable world. The exceptions to these expulsions were two mountain kingdoms of the dwarves, Redvael and Strond, submitted to be vassals of the Parthano Empire and the three invasions of the island homeland of the elves that were turned back by elven fleets.

While the barbarians of the North continue to worship older, primitive nature deities, the Empire of Parthos is dominated by an ancient monastic order known officially as the Antakirostoi, or "Bulwark of Piety" (From the ancient root words Anta, meaning faith or piousness and Kiro - Shield or defense.) This religious authority, however, is known colloquially as "the Temple" and is synonymous with the official religion of the Parthano Empire.