This page serves as a source for information about how this subject is applicable to World 42 Roleplay. It may contain Lorebending information and such should not be considered 100% Jagex canon.
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An average human
This page serves as a source of information about humans as it is applicable to World 42 roleplaying characters. If you or someone you know feels this page is incomplete in any way, please do not hesitate to contribute as best you can.
A Brief History[]
Teragard[]
Humans originated on world known as Teragard; a cold and orderly world ruled over by seven families, the head of each family known as a Magister, who were/are responsible for dictating laws, traditions, and religion, as well as guarding the Schism. Teragard is a world without any sources of magic save for the Schism; a strange object that looks like a small black hole surrounded by a corona of crackling red lightning. It is from the Schism that Teragardians power their arcane technology and is the source of the Magisters' power. The Schism, being described as the heart of Teragard, feeds energy to the rest of planet by powering obelisks that collect energy from the lightning strikes that surround it. It was from this world that gods started sending humans to other planes, and this was the main source of human expansion to other realms, but there are documents that describe the Schism accidentally transporting nearbye humans to other worlds as well. Teragard likely remains the same as it did thousands of years ago when Guthix first brought humans to Gielinor, as it can be seen through the World Gate with its towers of red lightning still crackling in view.
First Age[]
In the first age, Guthix led a small population of humans to Gielinor from another world. Some speculate this world was Earth, but the truth was lost to history. For them, Guthix created rune stones with the power of the Stone of Jas, and the humans christianed the land RuneScape. Humans quickly spread to nearly every corner of the known map, as far northwest as the frigid Fremmenik Isles and as far southeast as the searing Menaphite settlements.
Second Age[]
The two millenia that made up the Second Age were largely populated by the prosperity of Zaros's empire and the presence of his tribe of powerful followers, the Mahjarrat. Many humans took to following this absentee god who somehow led them through a golden age while staying mischievously and manipulatively in the background. The second age was a time of higher culture for all races including the humans, but of their secrets there is almost no trace and no memory.
Third Age[]
The Third Age was the four millenia that spanned through the devastating God Wars, from the of Zaros and Zamorak's conflict to Guthix's Awakening and the setting of the Edicts of Guthix. During these wars, humans split diversely between all of the gods involved in the conflict. Although only Saradomin, Armadyl, Bandos, and Zamorak were remembered by history, many more gods participated in the fighting and bore followers out of the humans. It is likely that Saradomin was one of the most popular gods among the human population, but every party had at least a small population of devout humans fighting for their creed.
Many humans chose alternative routes, like the Zarosian bandits who stayed true to their fallen god even as it forced them into the desert wastelands to avoid being slaughtered. Others still retreated from the fighting, like Nardarine, the woman who founded Nardah.
Fourth Age[]
This was the Age of Mortals, the first two thousand years after the gods were banished by the Edicts of Guthix. For the first time in known history, mortals were their own masters. It was both a blessing and a curse, as the destructive wars had ended but the races across RuneScape were left with wounded, scorched earth upon which to rebuild civilization.
Initially, humans in this age were nomadic. They travelled around as hunter-gatherers living off of the land to survive. Over time, permanent and semi-permanent settlements formed, but even still, they were often the victims of attacks by vicious, pillaging enemies.
Gradually, the humans formed themselves a more solid presence on the realm. They formed alliances with other races, like elves, who were perhaps the most powerful race of the age, and the gnomes, who were weaker but much more advanced in their society.
Near the climactic end of this age, humans began to build up their own towns and cities. In 1937, a bridge was built over the river Lum, founding one of the largest agricultural towns on the mainland. They began establishing economic systems and rudimentary governmental systems across all of the southeastern map. Unfortunately, their progress and development was still limited by conflicts with Bandosian races like goblins, ogres, and in wilder areas, trolls.
The end of this age was marked by the discovery of rocks with the ability to absorb and hold significant amounts of magical energy. The Moon Clan, despite the best efforts of their traditional Fremmenik counterparts, travelled the world creating multidimensional runecrafting altars at locations with certain magical spikes. Although the secrets of runecrafting had not been unlocked to any except the Moon Clan at this point, the clan sold the runes the created to the humans on the mainland and it enabled magic to be practiced and used by more than just studied mages in institutions like the Wizard Tower.
These runes gave the humans enough fighting force to deter the assailants who had been terrorizing their settlements and hindering their progress, thus humans became the dominant world race.
Fifth Age[]
The unlocking of magic began the Age of the Dominance of Humans. Ordinary humans learned to use magic, leading to both the dramatic and quick expansion of Misthalin as well as the founding of Asgarnia and Kandarin. The new Misthalanian kingdom even overtook what was once a great Zarosian city now left buried and in ruin, Senntisten.
There was a single intra-human conflict that stood out as terrible and significant, which was a great campaign the Fremmenik tribes raged against the advancing human society. They attacked on the principle that only the gods should have power to create magic, and raged across all three major human kingdoms. The Fremmenik were stopped before they reached Varrock, but not before nearly wiping out the entire line of Imcando Dwarves, who used human-made runes in their celebrated work.
In the year 70, the Wizard's Tower - a premier institute for magical research - was burned to the ground due to an incident involving a ritual by the four groups of Wizards, attempting to create an anchor to allow teleportation through the Abyss (which was successful). Many important records and runecrafting secrets would be lost until rediscovery in the current day by The Adventurer.
Sixth Age[]
The death of Guthix marking the beginning of this age also marks the beginning of a time of great division, as the multi-religious humans will inevitably become divided between faiths.
This is the current year, Year 1 of the Sixth Age.
Accepted Lore[]
This section addresses details about humans that are widely accepted throughout the world 42 roleplaying community.
- Humans can vary from little or none to great magical ability. Although with a few exceptions, they generally need runes to be able to use magic.
- Humans do not solely follow one god; there are humans who practice nearly every religion. This includes Guthix, Zamorak, Saradomin, the Menaphite Pantheon and, although unlikely, lesser known gods like Zaros. They are, therefore, not bound to their religions as some other species. This is in contrast with, for example, werewolves, which are creatures of Zamorak regardless of their desired belief system.
- Humans are a race of a comparatively short lifespan. Even when set next to other "mortal" races like Gnomes and Werewolves, the natural period for human aging is very short. They would likely, in conditions similar to that of Medieval Earth, never naturally live past eighty or so years of age. This is set in contrast with the 400, 800, and 1200 year lifespans of other races.
- Humans are often hailed for their drive and commitment. Perhaps as a result of the immediacy of their much shorter lives, humans are known for throwing themselves mind and body into a cause and making progress happen in a life time or less, rather than over the course of an entire age.
- They are also a race known for their compassion - their humanity, if you will. They can both worship their chosen ideals en masse and also have a wide capacity for sympathy for those different from them. Though there are many cruel, biased, and hateful humans, they are one of the more accepting. That is, compared to races who despise all weaker beings or less intelligent beings or more violent cultures.
- Humans are by far the most flexible and balanced race. Unlike elves, who are predisposed to agility and light combat styles like archery, or trolls, who are mostly prone to belligerently hitting things with rocks, humans have the potential to become formidable in almost any area of study. They can study the entire combat triangle or become great master swordsmen; they can commit their life to blacksmithing but also dabble in crafting, fletching, and arson; they can be as clever as the gnomes or as headstrong as the dwarves.
- Humans are also quite fortunate in their own adaptability. The race of men is capable of dwelling in all manner of places, regardless of location, environment, or weather (provided they take the appropriate measures).
- Humans originate from a world known as Teragard.
Debated Lore[]
This section addresses details about humans in Runescape that are still subject to speculation and discussion. This can be either because of conflicting information in-game or because use of the detail in roleplay creates an unfair scenario (usually involving overpowering or another common roleplay problem).
- Some argue that humans of this time period would be shorter (5'0"-5'6"), unlike modern humans. However, many say that Runescape can't be compared to the time-frame of Earth, and that humans could very well be the same height as present-day humans. (5'4"-6'2")
- The above information has since been proven wrong, taking into account the height of tall humans such as the Black Knight Jailor, Ghommel, and Thok, among other surprisingly large people.
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Common Mistakes[]
This section addresses traits that inexperienced roleplayers often bestow their human characters but that aren't actually seen in humans on Runescape.
- Humans cannot interbreed with certain species, which are non-mammal (besides Mahjarrat or Demons) or unhumanoid.
- Humans are in fact, seldom if ever taller than 6'3" as far as real life lore and Runescape lore go, though in various sports there have been healthy humans taller than 7". Any taller than this, and your character likely has gigantism, an often tragic genetic disease. People with gigantism typically die young.
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Other Info[]
- Humans have the largest population of any race in the roleplay world.
- Unfortunately for humans, their flesh is considered rather enjoyable by several brutal races, such as goblins, minotaurs, werewolves, and zombies.
- Humans boast the greatest known physical feats of any race in Lore. The Wise Old Man of Draynor Village was shown to be capable of breaking the Kalphite Queen's carapace with a kick, whilst Thok is able to mine promethium ore with his head, overpower a gluttonous behemoth with his bare hands, and kill a large troll with a single headbutt. It is said that torva single-handedly defeated a small army of ripper demons, and that Pernix was able to move so fast in his fight with Nex, that for the first time in her life Nex had to run to keep up. The Adventurer also has excellent showings, the greatest of which involves lifting the enormous boulder which blocks the path to the God Wars Dungeon, a rock large enough to flatten a car.
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