Human

Humans are the dominant racial group on the Continent, forming the majority of inhabitants in both the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire. Separate human cultures also thrive in regions beyond the Blue Mountains, namely Hakland and Zerrikania. Such is their cultural and social influence, elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings are commonly referred to as nonhumans.

Hailing from a destroyed world, humans first appeared in this world after the Conjunction of the Spheres. The Dauk and Wozgor peoples settled on the Continent long before the arrival of humans belonging to Nordling culture. Scholars speculate that the Empire's native inhabitants hail from a human culture predating those dominant in the North.

Humans and elves are not terribly dissimilar in appearance. Roughly sharing a similar size, elves have pointed ears, smaller teeth and tend to be more delicately featured. Humans also do not live as long (by far) as elves. Of note, since both humans and elves can easily interbreed, most humans today are believed to have elven ancestors.

Upon their mass arrival on an already populated continent, humans set about conquering lands already inhabited by the elder races. Throughout the Continent's recent history, humans have engaged in armed conflict with elves. This strained relationship also applies to the human experience with dwarves, halflings and gnomes. Many larger Northern cities were built on the ruins of elven cities destroyed in the past; such as Vizima and Novigrad, to name a few. The races do coexist in population centers and hubs, however nonhumans must pay a levy for simply being nonhuman. They are often subject to discrimination and several pogroms have taken place in the North.