In the process of rebuilding our civilization, we must at some point contact other intelligent beings and tribes in the world. In the past, diplomats, soldiers, traders, and anyone else who would interact with the outside world would learn about the cultures, thoughts, and anatomy of the other intelligent beings in the world. We will maintain this tradition, and recover as much as we can of our history and knowledge of other intelligent beings.
The Five Common Beings
While our world is full of intelligent beings, must are confined to small areas, or like the dragons, exist in small numbers. Before the ground vine invasions, only 5 intelligent beings, us, humans, tentacled, djinn, and cultists, filled much of the world, and as we rebuild, it is almost certain that we will see the other 4 again, as well as other hives of chitinous.
Humans
Every society that encounters these beings notices the strong connection between humans have to animals and plants. It is the humans that first farmed and herded, who supplied the best products of farming and livestock, even hunting and fishing, and who used their connection and skill with wild areas to dominate the forests and open plains. The humans even seem to act like other animals much of the time, dividing themselves into tribes and groups, and leaders fighting for riches, status, and the chance to breed.
Taller than us, the humans walk like clawbirds, but have smooth, tan to brown skin, with no tail, and patches of hair rather than feathers. Our breeders have created some soldiers or workers with strength and endurance to match humans, but this takes time and effort to achieve how humans grow naturally. The creator clearly wished to create a being that could understand and master the beasts of the world, and manipulate other facets of nature, such as the plants, wood, and soil.
For much of our history, humans lived either in small villages or traveling shepherds, but they did not always live this way. It was several groups of humans who invented farming, and our earliest records describe us and humans living together in many cities, with human farming and physical strength necessary to build the first walls and temples. But the humans reverted to tribalism over time, as some rebelled, and some lost their territory to our own hives. While we established great civilizations, they remained in their forests and steppes, raiding, fighting, and exchanging their goods with us. Some established some petty kingdoms, and a few of these helped defeat our own great empires, but that was when the overgrowth attacked.
When we lost contact with the other beings during the overgrowth invasions, humans were being attacked and pushed back as much as we have, and it is likely that they have retreated to forests, although some of the horse tribes may remain on steppes. They may well be more civilized this time around, needing to organize to defeat the overgrowth. It is likely that the humans have maintained their skill with farming, herding, and hunting.
One of the strangest, and most frightening to one not used to humans, is the variety of animals found amongst them, some of these animals far larger and stronger than we are. The most common include tamed wolves, which the humans call "dogs", used for almost all tasks, tamed aurochs, called "cows" and "bulls", tamed horses, sometimes called "donkeys" or "mules" used for work and travel, wildcats, to hunt smaller animals, and fowl, called "chickens" used for food and eggs. Many more such animals exist, including clawbirds, rodents, wingbirds, feeder plants, and wisps, and one should make sure to ask the tribe or group one is spending time with about any such animals found.
Although bigger and stronger, humans are not generally as disciplined as we are, and in an organized foot battle, are usually at a disadvantage. Most humans understand this, and instead use their strength, speed, and skill with horses to gain advantages of speed and distance, using skirmishers and raiders to weaken us, than attacking with fast marching soldiers to fight where and when they wish. When humans join close battle, they are fearsome, bellowing and screaming at enemies, and entering a battle frenzy, smashing and striking even harder than one might expect seeing them outside of battle. Skilled commanders must read other archives to understand how to protect supplies, choose where to fight, avoid fear in their own soldiers, and defeat a frustrating enemy.
When understanding humans politics and organization, one must learn quickly how the tribe one of working with understands status. Almost all have more influential or less influential people, but some see themselves more as equals, some form leaders based on family history or gifts from higher ranking groups. In most human groups, even those where people are born into a status, ambitious beings can take status away from others, or loose status to others in a war or political fight. This fighting and politics can often
Humans forms hundreds to thousands of tribes, with little clear organization, but most follow one of 5 patterns
The first, and most well known, are horse lords and herders from the steppes. More than anyone, these groups understand beasts, using their skill with horses for fighting and trade, and their skill at herding for food. These groups are dispersed, fiercely independent, and the politics and status of members are hard to follow. In the past, they served as mercenaries and traders, if groups have survived the overgrowth, they are probably righting for territory.
The second well known groups are farmers, living near fertile fields or irrigated rivers. They are experts at understanding soil, and are expert farmers. These are the most status based societies, with groups of "nobles", acting like our commanders and leaders, separated from "commoners", acting like our laborers and soldiers. These humans are the most like us, but one must still be mindful of status fights, and complex politics. It is these tribes that sell us exotic fruits, food, clothing, and other such creations. Today, these groups are probably at the edge of steppes or forests, building up their farmland and irrigation systems.
From deeper forests come the third group, who have an affinity for plants. They are forest dwellers, living in small villages supplied by small farms, orchards, and hunting. They are fiercely independent like the horsemen, and almost as disorganized, but are more settled, and known for ambush rather than raiding. From these tribes come fruits, wood, and forest creatures. It is these tribes who are happiest in forests, and today, that is where they will be, fighting the overgrowth using the techniques they best know.
Along rivers, lakes, and coasts from the water dwellers. They are sea and river traders, and fishers. Sometimes raiders, they prefer to trade, and become wealthy through controlling seaways. Though less prone to fighting than others, the sea traders are still strong, and a few have used their boats to outmaneuver us and strike weak coastal hives. Today, these are probably in forests, carving out a space near the rivers, there they can beat back to overgrowth and make contact with others.
The final group are the rockworkers. It is these tribes who often served as miners, quarry workers, and stone haulers. These tribes assisted us in building projects, and throughout history have lives in rougher forest areas or near rivers, getting food however they could. They have learned to live in rougher, rockier soils, turning them with hard work into something workable, while extracting stones, minerals, and jewels from the ground. Though less violent than other humans, the stoneworkers are perhaps the strongest of already strong beings, and they make tough fighters when called into action. Today, they are most likely found at the edges of forests and rocky areas, waiting to capture back useful land.
