The Human | Shadewood Hollow

The Human

Appearance: Humans appear much as they do today, with a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and eye colors.

Lifestyle: In the 1890s, human lifestyles center around hard work, whether in agriculture, industry, or small-town trades, with close-knit communities and family structures playing a pivotal role in daily life.

Lifespan: In the late 1800s, the average human lifespan ranges from 40 to 50 years, with some living into their 60s or beyond under favorable conditions. Disease, poor sanitation, and the physical strain of labor often shorten lifespans, and upon death, humans decay naturally with no supernatural effects.

Presently

Humans in Shadewood Hollow are a hardy and diverse group, drawn to the Appalachian coal-mining town by the promise of work and survival. In the 1890s, their days revolve around grueling labor in the Monaghan Mining Company’s coal mines, where wages barely cover the debts they accumulate at the general store. Local governance rests in the hands of Sheriff Ezra Calhoun, a man torn between his loyalty to the Monaghan family and his childhood ties to many of the miners. While his decisions often favor the company, the church provides a quiet counterbalance. Reverend Amos Green, with his steady sermons of hope and subtle rebellion, holds sway over the moral and spiritual lives of many townsfolk.

Beyond the mines and the pulpit, wealthy elites like Josiah Monaghan dominate life in Shadewood, controlling not only the mines but the livelihoods of nearly every resident. These industrialists maintain their grip on the town, crushing dissent before it can gain traction. Yet, even Monaghan’s iron grasp cannot silence the whispers of resistance growing in the shadows. Figures like Eleanor "Nellie" Daws, with her fiery speeches in the miners’ quarters, ignite a glimmer of defiance.

Among the working class, immigrant families—Irish, German, and Italian—bring their own traditions and form close-knit communities. Their resilience shines through hardship, bonding over meals at the saloon or prayers at the church. Maggie Finch, the town's herbalist, quietly blends old-world remedies with Appalachian lore to aid those too poor to afford a doctor. The general store serves as a meeting ground for miners and their families, where grumbles of unrest mingle with cautious talk of unionizing.

Despite their struggles, the townsfolk remain blissfully unaware of the supernatural forces that linger in Shadewood’s shadows. While they fight for better wages and a brighter future, ancient powers watch from the forests and caves—powers that might yet tip the scales in ways no human could foresee.

Hierarchy

Humans in the 1890s are structured around traditional societal norms:

Local Government: Sheriffs oversee small towns, maintaining law and order.
Religious Leaders: Churches hold significant sway, with clergy serving as moral guides and community leaders.
Wealthy Elites: Industrialists and landowners dominate societal decisions, shaping opportunities and maintaining control.
Working Class: Farmers, laborers, and shopkeepers form the backbone of society, often reliant on the direction of elites.

Etiquette

See Lifestyle page.

Core Abilities

Every human begins with these abilities:

Endurance: Exceptional physical resilience, enabling humans to withstand grueling labor, harsh conditions, or extended periods of exertion.
Craftsmanship: Proficiency in creating or repairing tools, structures, and everyday necessities using available resources.
Tool Use: Skill in handling and maintaining tools for work, hunting, or self-defense, ranging from pickaxes to rifles.

Specialization Abilities

As humans progress, they can select specialized abilities from the list below, learning one at a time, with a maximum of five in total. Humans may not advance past level 2.

Supernaturals, however, may choose up to four abilities from this list, along with four specialization abilities from their racial pages. They can learn one ability from this list and one from their supernatural racial list at a time.

Assassination: Expertise in discreetly killing targets for hire.
Animal Handling: Skilled management of livestock, horses, and other working animals, essential for transport or labor.
Arts & Crafts: Skilled in creating decorative items such as pottery, paintings, and handmade goods for personal or commercial purposes.
Banditry: Expertise in robbing stagecoaches, travelers, or businesses in the wilderness.
Blacksmithing: Skilled in forging and repairing tools, weapons, and other equipment necessary for survival.
Builder: Expertise in constructing homes, bridges, and infrastructure using period-appropriate materials and techniques.
Carpentry: Expertise in building and repairing wooden structures, furniture, and tools.
Cartography: Proficiency in mapping uncharted areas, documenting routes, and planning expeditions.
Child Care & Education: Skilled in nurturing and educating children, ensuring their well-being and knowledge development.
Cooking: Advanced skills in preparing meals over an open flame, preserving food, and effectively utilizing natural ingredients.
Con Artistry: Expertise in deceiving people to give away money or secrets through manipulation.
Dance & Etiquette: Knowledge of proper dancing and etiquette for social occasions, including waltzing and other ballroom dances.
Domestic Arts: Skills in home-making, cleaning, and organizing, ensuring the smooth running of household affairs.
Embroidery & Needlework: Expertise in creating beautiful hand-stitched items, including clothing, linens, and decorative pieces.
Entertainment & Music: Skilled in playing instruments, singing, or performing, often for social events and gatherings.
Extortion: Expertise in using threats or blackmail to gain money, goods, or services.
Farming: Skilled in growing crops and managing farm-related activities.
Fishing: Proficiency in catching fish using traditional methods such as nets, traps, and hand lines.
Foraging: Expertise in identifying edible, medicinal plants, herbs, and natural resources in the wild.
Floral Arranging: Expertise in creating beautiful flower arrangements, often used for decorations or as gifts.
Forgery: Skilled in creating fake documents, contracts, or money.
Gambling: Expertise in winning games of chance and manipulating games to one’s advantage.
Gunsmithing: Expertise in crafting, repairing, and modifying firearms.
Hand-to-Hand: Advanced skills in unarmed combat, including grappling, strikes, and takedowns for close-range encounters.
Herbalism & Aromatherapy: Expertise in creating soothing, healing, and relaxing remedies using plants, flowers, and essential oils.
Horseback Riding & Taming: Proficiency in riding, training, and taming horses.
Hunting: Employs skills and tools to pursue and kill wild animals for sustenance and materials.
Knife Fighting: Expertise in using combat knives, including disarming opponents.
Lawman/Peacekeeping: Expertise in enforcing laws, protecting citizens, and maintaining order in a community.
Masonry: Talent for crafting stone structures, roads, and defensive walls.
Medicinal Craft: Knowledge of herbal remedies, performing first aid, and treating illnesses.
Mining: Knowledge of extracting and refining minerals, gemstones, and metals.
Mounted Shooting: Proficiency in shooting while mounted on horseback, including handling revolvers or rifles at high speeds.
Prospecting: Ability to locate and assess valuable mineral deposits or other natural resources.
Revolver Mastery: Expertise in the quick-draw and accurate use of pistols/revolvers.
Rifle Proficiency: Skilled in using long-range rifles, such as lever-action models.
Robbery: Skilled in planning and executing thefts, including breaking into places or stealing from individuals.
Saloon Keeping: Expertise in managing and running a saloon, serving drinks, and maintaining business operations.
Sabotage: Skilled in secretly damaging or destroying property to cause harm or disruption.
Scout: Expertise in navigating unfamiliar terrain, spotting dangers, and assessing routes for safety.
Shotgun Handling: Mastery of shotguns, with an emphasis on aiming and reloading techniques.
Smuggling: Ability to transport illicit goods secretly while evading law enforcement.
Tea Brewing & Service: Proficiency in preparing and serving tea, including hosting formal gatherings with grace and charm.
Tanning: Proficiency in processing hides into leather and creating leather goods.
Tracker: Deciphers environmental clues and follows trails to locate people, creatures, or objects.
Trapping: Expertise in designing and deploying traps for hunting or securing areas.
Throwing Weapons: Expertise in using throwing knives, hatchets, or other thrown weapons.
Whip Mastery: Expertise in using a whip for both controlling animals and as a weapon for disarming or subduing opponents.

Limitations

Physical Fragility: Humans are physically weaker and more vulnerable than supernatural beings, making them easy targets in direct confrontations.
Short Lifespan: Humans age quickly, with their lives often cut short by illness, injury, or the harsh realities of the 1890s.
Lack of Natural Defenses: Without inherent supernatural abilities, humans are defenseless against magical, physical, or mental manipulation by other races.
Reliance on Tools and Technology: Dependent on tools, weapons, and basic infrastructure for survival, humans become highly vulnerable when these systems are disrupted or destroyed.
Limited Senses: Humans lack heightened senses, such as night vision or the ability to detect magical energy, leaving them blind to many supernatural threats.
Susceptibility to Disease: Humans are prone to natural illnesses, which can spread quickly in close-knit communities. Smallpox, tuberculosis, and the flu were particularly deadly in the 1890s.
Limited Knowledge of the Supernatural: Even those aware of supernatural forces often rely on incomplete folklore or ineffective practices, which may fail against actual supernatural beings.
Unprotected by The Covenant: Humans are neither bound by nor protected under The Covenant, leaving them exposed to the whims of supernatural races and the potential fallout of their hidden conflicts.

Procreation

Humans reproduce through natural childbirth, following biological processes universally understood across time and cultures. Humans are also capable of procreating with other supernatural beings, producing offspring who may inherit magical traits and unique abilities influenced by the other parent’s nature.