A relatively young species that has thrived. Humans are now the most populous of the intelligent species due to rapid breeding and cross fertility with other species. Human empires regularly fight other and each other over land, culture, or past grievances.
Several different branches of human culture exist often with varying appearance. The Main continent of Sula has humans with skin that is typically white, pink, olive, or ebony in color. Meanwhile humans from Burgandry (Thule native land) have yellow to brown skin.
The local empire Helen is located on the Southern end of the Sulan continent. Helen is loosely based on Ancient Greece but had been subject to Albienne conquest (Militaristic Roman/Spartan empire) who were then conquered by the Thule (Asian barbarians with psychic powers from over sea)
This ends up with a nation of Helenese commoners, Albienne business class, and Thulish nobility. The Thule have been adept at playing off the tension between the Helenese and the Albienne to retain control as a minority population.
Add to this that Helen is an old empire and old empires had lots of magic so the magical taint gives it a bit of a Chernobyl feel and gives the dangers of living in a hot zone.
Nearby nations include a somewhat primitive Aztec state, an isolationist Asian superpower, some dark skinned tribal societies, and many more human ethnicities as you get farther away. See Sula for a list of major human cultures.
Special rules on Thule background :
Thule background gives access to psychic backgrounds for bard and sorcerer classes.
Thule have an issue with necromancy as it is a sacrilege. Thule practicing necromancy or using its powers lose all psychic powers for good.
Below are notes for various human cultures as written up in a past Gurps campaign.
Thule (see Thule culture)
Appearence - yellowish skin is common among the aristocracy while brown skinned is often seen among laborers who work the fields. Hair is typically brown to black. Both men and women wear their hair long.
Region - originally from burgandry
Magic - very rare. 1/10000 has magical abilities. Nobility will sometimes dabble.
Psionics - common. 1/10. All Thule can buy special psionic abilities.
Religion - common. Ancestorial.
Status 2+ 10+
Duty (Service to Clan) -10
Rank (Administrative) 0
Legal Immunity (bear weapons and armor) 10
Native Language Thule 0
Literate (Thule) 3
Wealth - Usually Comfortable or better 10
Racial Memory 15
Medium 10
Albienne (see Albienne Culture)
Appearence - Skin is either white or pink. Hair is blond, red, brown, or black. Noses have prominant 'aristocratic' ridges.
Region - Nourthwest Sula.
Magic - very rare. Considered a major blemish on a family. 1/1000 may have magical abilities. Expected to serve as a witchhunter.
Psionics - extremely rare.
Religion - uncommon. nationalistic
Status 0 0
Rank (Merchant) (5/level)
Native language Sula-Modern 0
Sometimes literate 0(3?)
Wealth - Average 0
Seth Tribes
Appearence - Skin is brown to ebony. Hair is black. Faces and shoulder are typically broad.
Region - Southwest Sula.
Magic - uncommon. 1/100 may have magical abilities.
Psionics - extremely rare.
Religion - common. primitive/naturalistic.
Status -1 -5
Native language Hausa 0
Rarely literate 0
Wealth - Usually Poor or Struggling -15(-10)
Tech level - frequently One behind -5
Desert tribesmen
Appearence - Skin is beige to brown. Hair is dark. Faces and shoulder are typically thin.
Region - Midwest Sula.
Magic - uncommon. 1/100 may have magical abilities.
Psionics - extremely rare.
Religion - common civilized/beast blend.
Status -1 -5
Native language Aramaic 0
Rarely literate 0
Wealth - Usually Poor or Struggling -15(-10)
Tech level - frequently One behind -5
Plainsmen (Boro Horsemen)
Appearence - Skin is beige to reddish-brown. Hair is dark. Faces are hatchet shaped.
Region - South-Eastern Sula
Magic - common. 1/20 have magical abilities.
Psionics - rare.
Religion - common civilized/beast blend.
Native language Plainstongue | Boro 0
Rarely literate 0
Status 0 0
Wealth - Normal 0
Tech level - normal 0
Animal handling ?
Helenese (See Helen Culture)
Appearence - Skin is white to olive. Hair is often dark. Bodies are rather curvacious.
Region - Southern Sula
Magic - uncommon. 1/100 may have magical abilities.
Psionics - extremely rare.
Religion - Fallen out of favor but once common. Polytheistic, Spiritualistic favor trading. Beast.
Status -1 -5
Native language Helen 0
Rarely literate 0
Wealth - Usually Poor or Struggling -15(-10)
Tech level - frequently One behind -5
Romani
Appearence - Skin is bronze to mahogony. Hair can be light (red, blond) but is usually dark (brown, black).
Region - Wanderers.
Magic - common. 1/25 may have magical abilities.
Psionics - extremely rare.
Religion - common. Trickster based.
Status -1 -5
Native language Romani 0
Rarely literate 0
Wealth - Usually Poor or Struggling -15(-10)
Tech level - frequently One behind -5
Social stigma (Minority group) -10
Romani History -
When the racial purification of Albienne started people of mixed or unknown descent were forced to serve in the foreign legion. Morale was abysmal the legion was used as expendable troops and often used in the subjugation of other people of mixed descent. When Albienne suffered defeat in the Albienne Lothian war. The foreign legion were not immediately called back as they were mostly undesirables who were not wanted back in Albienne lands. When the invasion from Burgandry cut off the foreign legion the legion commanders took off for Albienne abandoning the army.
Abandoned by their own country the legion broke up into many bands of different ethnicities and went searching for a new land. The roaming people came to be called Romani after the Roaming legion that they had been members of. Homeless these people traveled as tinkerers, mercenaries, and sometimes bandits. Often persecuted never welcomed the Romani are a sad part of the Albienne legacy.