Humans
Humans were some of the primary inhabitants of Alagaësia.
The human race was not native to Alagaësia; along with the elves and the Urgals, humans came from some unknown continent across the Western Sea in ages past. The first twenty humans landed in what later became Surda; however, according to Orik Thrifksson, these humans merely came to visit. It is held among the dwarves that "the humans had completely forgotten us, except for vague stories about hairy-men-of-the-mountains that preyed upon children in the night."
The human culture was agrarian; most humans were farmers and peasants, and their technology was fairly primitive. Different regions had different customs and traditions. Some areas, such as Kuasta, were so isolated by the Spine that their inhabitants were considered somewhat odd by people from more urban areas. All humans seemed to have believed in some sort of fate or divine influence; most were superstitious. Several possessed magical or psychic powers; some were wizards or witches, others became Dragon Riders.
Traveling merchants were the primary source of news for many villages, as most people never traveled very far from their birthplace in their lifetime. Villages like Carvahall held annual fairs when traders came. Besides being something of a holiday, a fair was an opportunity for the villagers to sell their local wares and purchase items from distant lands.
Humans made up the vast majority of the citizens within the Empire. Some served in the army, but most were simply common peasants. Other humans were members of the Varden and citizens and warriors of Surda. |
