The World of Men
The Human nations first appeared some centuries after the Elves, building their villages and cities in the east of the continent. As the long years passed, they spread along the coasts, forming major and minor kingdoms with distinct cultures. Of these, the most prominent has long been Harkad, which quickly developed a feudal government with ambitions of empire that soon saw a lasting, if at times tenuous, realization, but which has endured to this day.
Also prominent among the nations of Men in the East are:
-Talis, renowned for its silks and furs.
-Takegura, with its rich farmland and stealthy swordsmen
-Faradi, whose wealth is built on wool and enterprises of the baser sort.
-Ulai, where the finest spices are grown, and the roughest of merchants are made.
-Dedan, home to quiet herdsmen and the schools which teach the dark arts to Men.
-Selegar, where the mightiest of horses are bred, and from whence come human berserkers and pirates of renown.
During the Desolation War, some Men from Dedan and Selegar fled the sorcerous oppression taking hold of the East and after some time, settled in the far west of Pellorea, establishing the city-states of R’yun and Assur. Ry’un, meaning peace, is well-known for building ships and has had much trade with the Bawarra. Assur, on the other hand, has become a land of farms and herds and quiet study.
In the aftermath of the Desolation War, and during the conquest of eastern Melloren by Harkad, a number of small kingdoms grew from Harkad settlements between Melloren and the Glass Hills. Most of these presently lie in ruin as a result of the Integrity War, though a number of towns and cities persist to this day. They are usually referred to as the Border Kingdoms, though none are now ruled by kings, instead having councils or sometimes chieftains which the borderlanders call “mayors.” These remaining settlements have learned, at great cost, to live in a grudging peace with the Elves of Melloren, although certain elements among them desire and continually prepare for a time in which they can take the eastern forest once again.
Men are viewed by the other races with distrust, and sometimes hatred, because of their long history of being given to greed and being easily seduced by corruption and excess.