[Proposal] Modernization Of The Human Subraces

[PtahWithin 1320]

After this thread emerged, I spent some time speaking with Knox about what to do. Humans by far have the largest variety of cultures, yet almost all identify as one of the original subraces: Northerner. This is not because most of those players actually identify with the culture of the Northerner or the idea of it, but because it is the only human subrace that isn't short and isn't black. The Halflings have never had strong connections with the human playerbase, which both sides are perfectly fine with. Southerons are immensely outnumbered by 'Northerners', and have always been. How can the most diverse of the four races have the vast majority of its players identify as only one of three of its subraces?

 

In my talk with Knox about this, we searched for ways to resolve this. One can understand that Southerons are different from Renatians, and both are different from the Raevir, or the Subudai: but how do you apportion the human cultures into sensible groups? I believe I have found the answer: scale them by distance from civilization. Reform the human subraces into the cultural groups of Heartlander, Highlander and Farfolk.

 

HEARTLANDER

 

If your culture is urban-based, has a refined nobility that values aesthetics, and has or could allow a merchant class, then they fall into the Heartlander cultural group. Heartlanders make up the metropolitan masses of humanity, and are often more intellectual and sociable.

 

Proposed Heartlander cultures:

• Renatian - The archetypical urban human. But perhaps this group is not necessary - one could simply call oneself a Heartlander and be done with it.
• Auvergnian (link) - A recreation of French culture.
• Illatian (link) - An adaption of Italian or Venetian culture, they fit well within this group.
• Salvian (searching for link) - The people of the former Kingdom of Salvus

 

HIGHLANDER

 

If your culture is rural or based in the wilderness, has farmers and craftsmen, and has some focus on ancestral tradition, then they fall into the Highlander cultural group. Highlanders are the more unrefined and rustic of the human race, favoring skills of survival, craft and strength.

 

Proposed Highlander cultures:

• Raevir (searching for link) - Having similarities with Slavic and Russian culture, the Raevir arguably fit the best within this group for their large agrarian peasantry.
• Hansetian (link) - As they have traditionally lived within colder climates, Hansetians fit into this culture group due to their remote and independent lifestyle.
• Adunian (searching for link) - Though they have some elven ancestry, Adunians have been part of human society for many years and so are considered a human culture.
• Northerner (link) - The 'actual' Northerners of the old system who follow the lore as it is described on the wiki.
• Kaedreni (searching for link) - The Kaedreni could be placed within Heartlander, but they have had traditionally a hardy soldiery based far from large population centers.

 

FARFOLK

 

If your culture is thought of as coming from a distant or exotic land, is not based on a medieval european one, and may have uncommon appearance, then they fall into the Farfolk cultural group. Farfolk is the general term that humans use for all humans that are culturally and possibly historically foreign. Their defining characteristics are a heavy emphasis on peculiar traditions, often with a social structure unlike either the Heartlanders or the Highlanders.

 

Proposed Farfolk cultures:

• Subudai (searching for link) - As they fill out all of the factors to their fullest extent, the Subudai and their descendants fit well within the Farfolk cultural group.
• Southeron (link) - Tied with their black skin, they seem a possible candidate for Farfolk. However, their lore says they are considered mostly farmers, and so they could be wiithin the Highlander group. More confusing still, they are said to live almost entirely within cities and are renowned for their social skills, which should place them as Heartlanders! I am uncertain what to do about them: should their lore be rewritten? Should they be replaced with a similar yet more definite culture?

 

Italicized cultures indicate that there may be issues with placement that must be resolved. It is likely that I have missed some human cultures, and so if you know of one do please post what it is, as well as links to any relevant lore posts. From there, we can sort out placement.

 

There are also a number of cultures which I have intentionally left off of all of these lists:

• Halfling - They have, and likely always will, remain separate from the human playerbase in all aspects. Indeed, they already have their own race in the persona plugin, and their own subforum, and so I see no reason to include them in this system.
• Easterner - I have learned that this culture is not in fact human in origin at all: according to their lore, the Easterners were founded by a group of wood elves. They do take humans into the culture, but the majority of its players are elven and I do not think it can be argued that they qualify as a human culture at all.

 

Some would question the wisdom of changing them in this way. Most of them aren't very physically different from each other, and not nearly as much as the physical differences of the elven subraces. However, one must realize that the humans are in a unique and precarious situation. They are the most populous of the four races, and the most diverse yet the most constrained by their subraces. We must adopt a more sensible notion of subracehood as groups of cultures in order to:

1. Reduce the confusion of new players with regards to human cultures,
2. Not disenfranchise existing human cultures,
3. Allow for the smooth categorization and existence of human cultures yet to come, for we know that they shall emerge.

What do you think?

[mmat 7460]

And I helped! :)

[Devland99 180]

I'd like if there was a Norse/Scandinavian culture.

[DISCOLIQUID 2702]

I am in full support of this idea. :) 

[Cracker 4570]

Pretty good! It's better than most systems which either fail to categorize the sub-races or borrow IRL classifications to a frustrating extent.

 

All I can advocate is a renaming for "Acrebound"; it seems a bit off compared to the other two. Northmen? Frostfolk? Highlanders? I'd prefer something which continues the theme of [prefix][cluster of humans] like Heart-lander or Far-Folk.

[John Ivory 4547]

This is actually a good idea, I support.

[PtahWithin 1320]

Pretty good! It's better than most systems which either fail to categorize the sub-races or borrow IRL classifications to a frustrating extent.

 

All I can advocate is a renaming for "Acrebound"; it seems a bit off compared to the other two. Northmen? Frostfolk? Highlanders? I'd prefer something which continues the theme of [prefix][cluster of humans] like Heart-lander or Far-Folk.

I believed that the name was alright, and I struggled to find one. It has to be able to be something that everyone between simple peasants and hardy viking-esque warriors would we proud to be called. Those three suggestions favor the latter and do not describe the former very well. Would it make sense to call a Raevir a Frostfolk, for example?

 

But, I am willing to hear more alternatives.

[DelaneyG 1279]

I would just like to put in my two cents: Good idea

[Cracker 4570]

I believed that the name was alright, and I struggled to find one. It has to be able to be something that everyone between simple peasants and hardy viking-esque warriors would we proud to be called. Those three suggestions favor the latter and do not describe the former very well. Would it make sense to call a Raevir a Frostfolk, for example?

 

But, I am willing to hear more alternatives.

 

Highlander is my personal favorite out of those three I proposed, since it gives a contrast to the more soft "Heartlander" and elaborates on the rugged traditions fostered by said cultures. As founder of Raevir culture, I think it'd also be fair to categorize them under Frostfolk, since the rply inhabited the Aegan North which was naturally cold. Northmen is obviously the easiest name for new players to grasp, but it also is difficult to utilize due to its geographical connotation which doesn't always correlate with maps.

 

I'll try to think of others as well, but Acrebound seems a bit soft and out of pattern. Still a great job on taking initiative though; this should've been done a long time ago.

[Raptorious 1899]

I do agree that Acrebound should be renamed, I like Highlander quite a lot I think it fits the theme of cultures that exist under it as well as for future cultures.

 

I also don't think that Kaedrini culture is quite Acrebound/Highlander and much more Heartlander based. Mostly because Kaedrinis are essentially Renatians, but warmongering and order-centric. Though I'll leave arguing that point up to the experts.

 

Other than that I fully support this idea, well organised and a good structure to the new classification of Humans.

[PtahWithin 1320]

Highlander is my personal favorite out of those three I proposed, since it gives a contrast to the more soft "Heartlander" and elaborates on the rugged traditions fostered by said cultures. As founder of Raevir culture, I think it'd also be fair to categorize them under Frostfolk, since the rply inhabited the Aegan North which was naturally cold. Northmen is obviously the easiest one, but it also is difficult to utilize when maps are switched and Northmen end up in a frosty south.

 

I'll try to think of others as well, but Acrebound seems a bit soft and out of pattern. Still a great job on taking initiative though; this should've been done a long time ago.

I'd prefer not to have two of the names contain '-lander', just to keep them apart. If we do adopt Highlander, then perhaps Heartlander should be changed. Frostfolk I would rather not have since it makes a presumption about the geographic origins of the cultures, which may not be true for others. Northmen, as you said, can make things confusing as maps change.

 

Can you also send me a link to the Raevir lore?

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

I support this wholeheartedly, except Adunians are more like Bretons from the elder scrolls the way I see them. They have elven blood in their ancestry but are predominantly human in appearance, thus making them an official human subrace. They would fit under Acrebound Imo.

[Cracker 4570]

I'd prefer not to have two of the names contain '-lander', just to keep them apart. If we do adopt Highlander, then perhaps Heartlander should be changed. Frostfolk I would rather not have since it makes a presumption about the geographic origins of the cultures, which may not be true for others. Northmen, as you said, can make things confusing as maps change.

 

Can you also send me a link to the Raevir lore?

 

Personally I think its acceptable to have two out of the three have the -lander suffix, because both the "-landers" would have intermingled throughout history due to their close proximity in Aegis, while the "-folk" imply an exotic connotation which is distant from the two majority groups which make up the humans, the Heartlanders and Highlanders. The -lander bit could potentially imply "native to the Aegan continent" while -folk among other suffixes imply nearby islands or entirely distinct continents. 

 

Another possibility is Runesmen, to harken to their more barbaric (and perhaps pagan) past.

 

And sure I can send it soon™ though it'll only be ready™ when its ready™.

[IrishPerson 693]

Decent.

[Snoop 365]

Salvians are considered a noble culture of elegance. However the culture has just never been expanded upon.