Humans

The human race is native to Toril; images in sarrukh ruins from all corners of Faerun depict the reptilians standing on the backs of human slaves, when the elves first founded their civilisation they speak of the primitive humans living beneath the boughs of the great forests. Despite being native however, many groups (subraces) of human have arrived on Toril from elsewhere.

Ffolk

Regions

The an offshoot of the Talfir people that sailed to the Moonshae Isles and have remained in isolation ever since. There are other racial groups with ffolk ancestry in far off places (the Utter East) but these can no longer be considered ffolk.

Moonshae Isles: The ffolk exist only upon this island chain, and mostly centred upon the islands of Alaron, Gwynneth, Moray, and Snowdown. 

History

The ffolk as a subrace came to exist when a several groups of humans belonging to the Talfir subrace migrated to the Moonshae Isles beginning in 140 DR as they attempted to flee the evils of the Empire of Ebenfar.

The ffolk were later joined by a large immigration of humans from the Tethyrian subrace in 467 DR that were seeking to escape the evils of the Shoon Empire.

The mixing of these two subraces has resulted in the creation of the Ffolk subrace, although it is by no means a uniform mixing. The islands of Snowdown and Alaron contain ffolk with an almost equal mixing of Talfir and Tethyrian blood, whereas the island of Moray have almost 90% Talfir in their heritage

Outlook

The ffolk are inherently peaceful in nature, with a pragmatic approach to life. They work hard, acknowledging that without such toil their family will surely starve, but at the same time they are careful not to despoil their environment by taking more wood, food, or ore than is absolutely necessary.

Women are treated as equals in any task they can perform with sufficient skill, but child-rearing is seen as vitally important by ffolk society. The elderly and infant in society are provided for, but most elderly perish before they become a burden (often wandering into the forest).

Characteristics

Ffolk generally have olive skin, dark eyes, and dark hair thanks to their significant tethyrian heritage. However the close proximity of norl and illuskan groups and their inevitable mixing has led to a wide variety of skin tones, hair colour, and eye colour. The most unusual trait among the folk is for children to occasionally be born with brilliant, emerald, green eyes which is believed to be a sign of fey ancestry in the bloodline

Mulan

Regions

The Mulan people are present in many empires in and around the Old Empires region.

Chessenta: The Mulan of Chessenta are remnants of the original founders of Akanu but this region has been subject to waves of migration from western lands and the Mulan now form a minority in Chessenta, concentrated around the central and eastern parts. The Mulan tend not to mix with other ethnicities and often form the nobility in population strongholds so the number and purity of Mulan in Chessenta has remained fairly stable since the last migration.

Mulhorand: Mulan people make up an overwhelming majority of the population in Mulhorand with a minority Turami slave population.

Thay: Like Mulhorand and Unther, the Mulan form a majority ruling population in Thay with a minority Rashemmi slave population.

Unther: The Mulan are almost entirely the only subrace of humans present in Unther. A smattering of other human peoples are enslaved in Unther but these number change annually as slaves perish and new ones are acquired.

History

The Mulan are not native to Toril, they were brought to the Raurin region as slaves through one of the great Gates created by the Imaskar Empire after that empire suffered a catastrophic population collapse following a terrible plague.

The Mulan spent almost two millennia enslaved to the Imaskari as favoured slaves (but slaves nonetheless) before the greatest heroes from their homeland travelled across the Multiverse to rescue their people. The Mulan rose up against their masters and a great battle ensued at the very heart of the Imaskar Empire; at Inupras the capital city.

Following the emancipation of the Mulan and the other slaves of Imaskari, the Raurin Empire was founded amid the ashes of Imaskar, and the Mulan tried to build themselves a home in emulation of their one-time captors, lording over their own slaves. The Raurin Empire collapsed within two hundred years and the Mulan fled Raurin to head west and south.

Over the next few centuries the Mulan people scattered and founded a series of empires; Mulhorand, Unther, and Akanu, with their former heroes leading these empires as godkings. These empires have waxed and waned over the years to cover all the lands that today are known as Aglarond, Thay, Chessenta, Unther, Mulhorand, the Shaar, the Eastern Shaar, Luiren, Dambrath, Murghom, and Semphar. Unther and Mulhorand are the last vestiges of the Mulan empires, they were among the strongest and largest human empires to have existed in Faerun and they are the only ones still remaining.

Outlook

The Mulan tend to have a rather bleak outlook on life, they often believe that life is hard and they must suffer these hardships and survive in order to prove themselves. All Mulan regard themselves as superior to those below them (especially foreigners) and enslavement of lesser beings is just part of the natural order of the Multiverse.

Unlike other ethnicities on Toril, the Mulan are devoutly religious, including even the lower and slave classes. There is no superstitious lip service paid to the gods among the Mulan, and this is because for much of their history the godkings walked among the Mulan peoples and many were able to witness their miracles and divine power first hand (rather than from the mouths of preachers). It is only in Unther where these godkings still dwell on Toril, but that does not stop Mulan outside of Unther from devoting themselves to the multitude of gods they follow (even if they worship non-Mulan gods).

Many sages of humanity believe this unusual outlook may have been inherited from there original homeland (before coming to Toril) or may be a product of their millennia of enslavement under the chains of the Imaskari.

Characteristics

Mulan are generally tall and slim with olive skin, and dark coloured eyes and hair (although they are usually smooth skinned with little or no body hair; and almost all non-slaves shave their head).

Mulan have a natural curiosity about magic and an affinity of sorts which sees many of those with privilege and the means to afford it pursuing a career in the magical arts.

Nor

Regions

The Norl are the pure-blood progenitors of a subrace of humans that migrated north up the Sword Coast settling and conquering as they went. Over time the norl mixed with other subraces (primarily Netherese) to produce the Illuskan subrace. Only on a few scattered islands are the pureblood norl still present.

History

The norl are first noted as colonising the island of Ruathym around -3100 DR. Prior to that they had sailed up the Sword Coast establishing small settlements before moving on

Most of these fledgling settlements did not survive more than a few decades, suffering from attacks by hostile neighbours (that they probably raided previously) and strange new monsters not present in their lands, and natural attrition incurred by their raiding behaviour.

In the far north the norl settled around the lands that would one day become Luskan, and established a settlement known as Illusk, later mixing with nearby netherese to become the Illuskan subrace.

The norl now remain only upon islands in the Trackless Sea, such as Ruathym, Gundarlun, Tuern, Norland, Norheim, etc. It should be noted that the norl of Norland and Norheim are gradually mixing with Illuskans of the Kingdom of Gnarhelm on the Isle of Alaron that arrived in 852 DR fleeing the collapse of Stornanter.

Outlook

The norl are a hardy and warlike race, they approach every problem with energy and aggression until the problem is ended, meanwhile they work hard to survive in the difficult environmental conditions of their homelands.

Norl do not like magic, they do not trust magic, anyone using magic in their presence is likely to be slain or driven away immediately (especially if they are a foreigner). The norl tolerate the musical, magical traditions of their skald who are sometimes secret magic users and claim to receive visions from the few gods the norl venerate.

Magical items and magical runes are viewed differently from regular magical spells and powers, they are seen as inheritances from the ancestors or from giants (who have ruled over the norl at various times in the past) and so are culturally acceptable.

Characteristics

Norl are generally fair skinned and fair haired, with red hair being seen as a sign of favour from the ancestors or the gods. They are typically large and brawny.

Turami

Regions

Today the Turami are concentrated in the Vilhon Reach in the nation of Turmish, but historically they originated in the Old Empires region and can still be found in minority populations there, although Unther and Akanu long eradicated their native Turami populations (or drove them into exile), the Turami have since returned to Chessenta from the neighbouring Vilhon Reach.

Turmish: Considered home by almost all Turami in Faerun, this nation was founded in -37 DR and its overwhelming majority Turami population will fight to defend it from foreign threats.

Chessenta: The Turami in Chessenta are remnants of those driven into Jhaamdath who then fled east when that empire fell. They form a minority population in the western coast cities of Chessenta.

Mulhorand: While Unther and Akanu persecuted the Turami natives of their lands until they fled, the Mulhorandi merely enslaved the Turami and there persists a minority slave (and free) population of TUrami in Mulhorand to this day.

History

The Turami are descended from the true native humans of Toril. This lost ancestor ethnicity was enslaved by the sarrukh around the southern shores of the Lake of Steam by the sarrukh of Okoth, and slaves were taken by the sarrukh when they spread west and north across Faerun (becoming the Talfir and Tashalan peoples).

The Turami fled the fall of Okoth and hid in the great forests that covered the lands that are today known as Chessenta, Mulhorand, and Unther. They have been enslaved by the Imaskari and Mulhorandi, and persecuted into exile by the empires of Unther and Akanu.

The majority of Turami fled west to Jhaamdath and in the aftermath of the fall of that great empire they have established a homeland in the nation of Turmish.

Outlook

The Turami are an oddity among the human ethnicities in that they seem naturally at peace with themselves and with their surroundings. Most other human ethnicities on Toril have a natural tendency to acquire land, wealth, power, and they do so at the expense of the resources of the natural world and their neighbours.

The Turami are generally a passive people (unless threatened), who reach a natural equilibrium within the ecosystem (be that natural or artificial) they occupy. This usually results in them being ruled or enslaved by other ethnicities that seek to exploit their docile tendencies.

Scholars believe that this peaceful nature is due to the fact that the Turami may be one of the few human ethnicities on Toril that are native to the planet, and this may give them a connection with nature that other humans do not possess. This theory seems to be supported by a tendency towards druidism and rural living rather than the urbanisation common among other humans.

Characteristics

Turami are ebony skinned, tall, and muscular, with dark eyes and dark curly hair. Most Turami have little interest in warfare or magic, preferring the arts of agriculture and animal husbandry, although those that do pursue magical knowledge often practice a form of druidism that academics believe draws upon the power of nature and the planet itself. Turami appear to have a distrust of religion and all things divine; they often pay lip service to a variety of churches and deities in order to gain their patronage but very few Turami devote themselves to a single deity or bother to attend any but the most popular of public holy festivals.