Sacred 2:Humans

Humans in Tyr Lysia

History

Humans are former slaves of the Elves. They were entrusted to the Elves so that they might become civilized, just as the Seraphim used to civilize the Elves. Currently, they do not have any power in the Elven region of Tyr Lysia. They are obedient laborers, assisting the Elves in building their palaces, erecting sacred buildings for the High Priests and cultivating the fields.

Slaves to Elves

The Elves have built a wall to keep the Humans in their own separate territory, known as Artamark. Nevertheless, some Humans come across the border, mostly imported as servants or laborers to do the work that the Elves consider to be beneath themselves. Humans can become free, but they will never be regarded as “equal.” Elves regularly use Humans as servants, and are highly prejudiced against them – they don’t view Humans as property, exactly, but neither do they believe that Humans are capable of advanced thought or civilization. The attitude of both the common Elves and the nobility towards the Humans is similar to the traditional attitude towards the “untouchable” caste in India.

Free Humans

Although most Humans in Tyr Lysia are slaves, there also are some enclaves of freed Humans. In both cases, they live on the outskirts of the city in slums and run-down areas. For the slaves that's the best their masters will provide, for the others that's all their Elven landlords will rent to them. Where free Humans have gathered in small settlements consisting of a few huts, they continue to be the victims of prejudice and occasional attacks, and they know they will never receive justice under the law.

Shadow Warriors

Frequently, an Elven Lord requires more troops than T-Energy can provide. In these cases, he has no choice but to literally pluck Humans from the fields. Each Elven Lord has a small group of Human elite fighters in order to drill and shape these troops and lead them into battle: the Shadow Warriors.

Humans in Artamark

The Human Homeland

The Human region of Artamark is primarily a feudal society, positioned just north of the High Elf region of Tyr Lysia. It is bordered by mountains, and the climate is one that supports several forest areas. The land of the Humans is green. Large woods cover Artamark. Beneath the trees the ground is fertile. The large variety of crops that grow here are responsible for the many tasty kinds of breads taverns serve in Artamark.

Behavior and Attitudes

The Humans of Artamark are friendly and open-minded toward strangers. Strangers are welcome in Artamark, but its inhabitants generally do not care for High Elves or Orcs. This is understandable as High Elves regard Humans as slaves whereas Orcs constantly threaten Artamark’s northern borders. Artamark is almost exclusively populated by Humans, with the bulk of them being in service to one lord or another. The political situation keeps things very agitated though, so one wonders how any of them manage to survive.

Culture

Humans aren’t particularly renowned for their architectural masterpieces. There buildings are mainly simple and practical, and they seem to have no eye for beauty. The thatched huts and houses they live in look picturesque, but offer good protection against common winter storms. Most people in Artamark work as farmers or craftsmen, but some go to the woods and try their luck as hunters. They kill game for meat and sell the pelts to passing merchants. Brigands who also live in the woods often robe these merchants.