Humans are the children of the wind, heirs of ancestral knowledge and curious to a fault. Legends say Humans once travelled wherever the sky took them, exchanging knowledge, stories, and lore with all who would share their hearth. Since the Breaking, Humans have become one of the most feared Lineages of the Broken World, for when Decay overcomes them, they are transformed into unfeeling, undead Monsters that suck the minds and souls from their victims.
Infinite Variety and Adaptability
Of all the Lineages, Humans vary the most in height, body type, eye, and hair colour. Some Sages claim it is in their blood, as their nomadic culture once spread out across the lands and mixed blood with all manner of Lineages.
Before the Breaking
‘From the wind you came, to the wind you go. One final breath, one final journey. May blessed winds carry you to Valontor.’ — Traditional Human Funeral Rites
Before the Breaking, Humans roamed the lands collecting stories, myths, and knowledge of the people and places they encountered, gladly sharing what they knew with all who crossed their paths. When they died, their souls, along with all they had learned, returned to the great city of Valontor — the city of the gods. Here, the knowledge accrued in life by every Human was collected and recorded in a vast repository of souls, allowing future generations to access the complete history of all civilisations.
After the Breaking
‘To be Human is to resist. Resist the hunger inside. Resist the calling of Valontor. And resist the coming of the end.’ — Ava Parilien, Human Speaker
When the Weave first broke, Humans attempted to continue as they always had — as nomadic travellers. Despite its horrors, the Broken World still offered them a wealth of new experiences and knowledge to acquire. However, the true horror of humanity emerged when Decay began to seep into their bodies. They soon discovered that the once precious gift that allowed their souls to collect and share knowledge had been corrupted by the Breaking. As Decay sinks in, a Human’s soul becomes trapped in their body, creating a gnawing necromantic void that aches to consume the mind and souls of others.
Now when a Human dies, rather than soaring free, their souls become bound to their flesh. They rise as a Husk — an undead mockery of their former self. The only goal remaining in their rotting minds is to consume knowledge and return to Valontor. The city of the gods is now the city of the dead, with a churning moat of millions of undead abominations circling its walls and mindlessly seeking a way inside to fulfil their purpose.
The far-ranging Humans of the past have given up their sacred duty. Instead of wandering the world, they huddle in safe places, coveting what knowledge they have. Instead of open arms and warm fireplaces, they are greeted with fear and suspicion. No one knows if a Human’s curiosity is genuine or a sign that they are succumbing to Decay and simply hunger to consume.
HUMAN NAMES
Below are some traditional Human names, but like all traditions, not all Humans follow them. People of other Lineages raised by Humans might also have these names. Human names refer to people or locations from myth that have particular meaning to them.
First Names: Aang, Alois, Amaryllis, Amel, Anita, Arnaud, Aubert, Aure, Ava, Basile, Clelia, Eliska, Elosida, Erich, Faustine, Firmin, Helyette, Juvenal, Kahi, Khin, Lea, Lucien, Marietta, Marin, Mathias, Nathalie, Ninon, Ombeline, Perrine, Roch, Romuald, Servan, Sorm, Suy, Thiebaud, Vera, Vital, Yim.
Myth Names: Bloum, Cyr, Darios, Desaulniers, Dumont, Giroir, Godin, Latoru, Laurier, Oubre, Parisien, Rimbaut, Rommel, Rothanak, Semer, Sorya, Surette, Thibodeau, Tregre, Vithara.
Human Traits
As a Human, you gain the following Traits:
AGE
Humans are considered mature by age 20 and rarely live longer than 100 years.
SIZE AND SPEED
Humans range from between 5 and 7 feet tall, with a wide variety of body shapes. Your Size is Medium and your Speed is 30 feet.
STOLEN KNOWLEDGE
As a Human, you have picked up specific skills quicker than most. It’s almost as if you plucked them out of thin air — or more likely syphoned them from the minds of those around you. You gain Proficiency in two Skills of your choice.
VALONTOR’S CALL
If you listen hard enough, you can still hear the faint whispers on the wind, an almost imperceptible pull calling you to return to the fallen city of Valontor. While disconcerting, this pull acts as a natural compass, helping you navigate the broken world. You have Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) Tests to navigate the Broken World and orient yourself.
The Curse of Wind
As Humans are exposed to Decay, the corruption within their soul grows. Their flesh rots and thin wisps of ethereal air gather at their mouth. As this progresses, they find they can drain the minds and souls of others for sustenance.
• 1–3 Decay: Patches of your skin begin to blacken with necrosis as if you were a corpse. Faint, ethereal wisps gather at the corners of your mouth.
• 4–7 Decay: The putrefaction spreads across your body as chunks of skin rot and peel away, and you begin to crave the restorative power that comes from consuming the souls of others. As an Action, you can target a Medium or larger creature within 5 feet and force them to make a Wisdom Saving Throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution Bonus. If they fail, you syphon off a part of their soul. They suffer Necrotic Damage equal to your Constitution Bonus + your Level (minimum 2), and you recover the same amount. Once you have successfully fed upon a soul, you cannot use this ability again until taking a Long Rest. If you go a whole week without feeding on a soul, you suffer 1 Level of Exhaustion. If this Exhaustion causes you to die, you immediately rise as a Husk under the control of the GM.
• 8–9 Decay: Your body rapidly slides closer to death with every moment and you must constantly resist the urge to drain those around you. You double the amount of Damage dealt when you syphon a creature’s soul. In addition, if you go a whole day without feeding on a soul, you gain 1 Level of Exhaustion.
• 10 Decay: The deathly energies suffusing your body finally snuff out the last light within you. You die immediately and rise the following night as a Husk under the GM’s control.