Humans
The
impoverished inheritors of the great Empire, humans are a race of extremes
and balance. Flexible, sturdy and strong, humans can make their home anywhere
against any opposition. Cunning fighters, good tacticians and savage warriors,
mankind played leading parts in most of the history of the world.
Proud of their culture and knowledge, humans come in all sorts, from the
brutish barbarian who matches orks blow for blow and rudeness for rudeness
to the refined merchant or nobleman. Other races have considered them
in turn either too brutish or too dandified, and all other races have
had reason to fear their wrath.
Diminished in power now, the seed of greatness lies still in their breast,
ready to flourish at the first sunny day.
(Extract
from the "History of the World", by Vontalagon the Black)
Despite appearances, humans are quite different from both the former races.
Due to an obvious physical resemblance and compatibility, they were once
fancied to be far relations of the Elven people, some lost tribe who had
strayed into the plains and fell into moral and physical decadence.
(…)
(…)
The Elves describe them as short-lived wild tribesmen. The Dwarves, when they think of them, picture a big, clumsy child unable to concentrate. The Orks consider them good eating, unless the humans in question happen to be well armed and looking for Ork ears. Half-Orks both hate and fear their Human forfathers.
(…)
The word in the language of Dragons for humans means "Builders of Empires and Makers of Ruins."
(…)
Humans never cared about what other races think, not even other Humans. Other than Orks, the Humans are the second most populous race, and they are by far the deadliest of all. Humans are not experts of magic like the Elves, not as hard as Dwarves or quite as able to make their living off the worse wasteland such as the Orks. Yet they will prosper where Elves would be unable to survive, they wield magic powers that daunt the sturdy Dwarves and they can match the Orks for sheer savagery and outfight them in the field.
(…)
I have heard good arguments naming the Dwarves as the strongest fighters, the Elves as the best archers and most powerful mages, the Orks and Half-Orks as the most savage and cruel warriors.
Humans were the only race to develop professional men-of-war.
When trouble starts, I will bet my money on the humans.