Humans are among the most widespread and adaptable races of the world of Ulvenor. Their bodies may lack the natural strength of giants, the longevity of elves, or the toughness of dwarves, but humans excel at one thing that other races often underestimate—the ability to learn, change, and grow. Where other races rely on traditions and customs of thousands of years, humans are constantly looking for new paths, new knowledge and new ways to overcome obstacles. It is this feature that has allowed them to spread throughout the world. Human settlements can be found almost everywhere—in the fertile plains, on the harsh frontiers of civilization, and in remote regions where other races rarely venture. However, for a long time humans were considered inferior. Their short lives and ordinary physiques led many older races to believe that humans would never reach true greatness. This view changed with the advent of the Empire. Under his banner, people united, developed science and magic, and gradually rose to the top of the political and social hierarchy. Today, they are one of the most influential forces in the world of Ulvenor - and their story is still just beginning.
Humans arose as the least specialized but most versatile branch of the original humanoids. They are not the strongest, largest, or longest living, but they can adapt to almost any environment and adopt or combine skills that were highly specialized in other races.
tribes, soukmen and later subordinate peoples
Nomads have been a people of movement, survival and tribal freedom for many centuries. However, the Great War became a disaster for them, after which most of their world came under Imperial rule. Remnants of the old independence survive today only in the southeastern Free Kingdom.
kingdom, later empire
Humans began to take many cues from the elves, then the most powerful race of Ulvenor. From 2000 BC they founded the first kingdoms, from which Magnursia gradually rose. It was she who eventually created the vast empire known as the Empire, which has endured to the present day and remains the most powerful hegemon in Ulvenor.
Imperials are people who live in the heart of the Empire or in its fully integrated territories. Although they come from many different cultures, dialects and traditions, long centuries of common rule have created a strong bond and a similar way of life between them. They have become accustomed to the order, laws, and structure that imperial power brings. The rise of the Empire turned the Imperials into the most numerous human population in all of Ulvenor. In large cities, military fortresses and learned centers, they became administrators, soldiers, scholars and mages. It was among the Imperial people that the systematic study of magic first spread. Because of this, they are often considered educated, disciplined and very capable individuals. Imperial Man grows up in a world where knowledge and ability are valued—and where anyone can, at least in theory, rise high in the empire's hierarchy.
The Free are the descendants of the human nations that inhabited Ulvenor long before the rise of the Empire. Their ancestors lived in separate cities, clans and kingdoms, often scattered across the landscape without a unified government. Today, free people live both within the borders of the Empire and in its colonies or peripheral territories. Many of them accepted the imperial order only out of necessity. Open resistance would spell doom, so they learned to live in its shadow, keeping their own traditions in their hearts. Single people are often practical, independent and distrustful of authority. They are used to relying primarily on themselves and their community. Although they have been partially assimilated into Imperial society over the generations, many of them still retain the spirit of the old days - a time when humans were not subject to any throne.
On the far eastern edge of the Empire live nomads - people who have maintained their own way of life for centuries. Their ancestors once separated from other human nations and formed tribes wandering the landscape according to their own rules. They lived in smaller groups, relying on hunting, animal husbandry and a deep knowledge of the harsh landscape that became their home. As the Empire began to expand eastward, the nomads tried to escape its power. They wandered on and on, trying to avoid both his laws and his armies. Eventually, however, the imperial power reached their territory as well. In several bloody skirmishes, their tribes were defeated and the nomadic peoples found themselves on the verge of extinction. Yet they survived. Nomads are known for their incredible tenacity. They are used to living in harsh conditions, moving quickly and relying on each other. Although their numbers are not great and many tribes have been destroyed, the nomadic spirit still persists - free, stubborn and determined to survive even in times that seem against them.