Human

Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world.



Humans are a race of people in Remnant that are distinct from Faunus in several different ways. The most notable of these differences is the Humans' lack of 'extra' animal attributes and abilities, a trait unique to the Faunus.

Socially, Humans maintain greater civil rights than Faunus, and, as a species, make up one of the, if not the, premier power(s) in the world.

Summary
Humans are social mammals. As tool users with unusually large information processing centers in their brains, they compensate for their relative lack of physical strength and speed through their ability to adapt their environment to their wants and needs.

Humanity's use of tools and ability to augment their natural abilities with refined materials from their environment permit Humans to be the dominant species on Remnant. Such skill also helped to purge large areas of their eternal foe, the creatures of Grimm.

Human culture is strongly based on the concept of morality, ethics, and law. This makes their near-instinctive fear and hatred of the Faunus race that much more curious. The instinctive need to gather and control resources felt by all Humans has led to them dominating the planetary economy.

Some Human-controlled corporations, such as the Schnee Dust Company, use Faunus labor in conditions that are "controversial," to say the least; However, the exact meaning of this particular statement has yet to be shown or otherwise specified. Although racist attitudes toward Faunus are not uncommon, they are still frowned upon, at least in Beacon Academy.

History




Humans have been at war with the strange species known collectively as The Creatures of Grimm ever since their creation. It is unknown why these creatures are so instinctively hostile to Humans, but it is this history of conflict that has most likely shaped the development of Human culture from its earliest days. Ancient cave drawings, such as those seen in the caves in the Emerald Forest, depict this conflict between Humans and the Grimm.

It is quite possible that the struggle with the Grimm could have driven the early Humans to extinction. This outcome was averted by the discovery of Dust. Using Dust, Humans were able to create weapons and technology that could defeat the Grimm, using their Aura to control and manipulate it.

The Rise of the Kingdoms


The use of Dust-powered weapons and tools drove back the Grimm. This gave Humans the breathing space they needed to develop their civilization further.

As time passed, many Human civilizations would rise and fall before coalescing into the four Kingdoms of Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas. These Kingdoms would endure where others fell thanks to the presence of natural barriers and human tenacity. It is not unlikely, however, for people to venture outside of the kingdoms. Roaming nomads and villages are not uncommon and located throughout the planet, though the threat of the Creatures of Grimm remains significant, and beyond the safe haven of the Kingdoms such pocket settlements can disappear overnight.

Relations between the kingdoms is currently peaceful, but this has not always been the case. Approximately four or five generations before the present, the Great War, the largest-scale war in recorded history, tore Remnant asunder. An ideological struggle, it appears to have been focused around the concept of individuality vs. collectivism, while motivated by greed and ignorance. Its ending 80 years before the present day is still remembered and celebrated throughout Remnant, as it is considered to be the starting point of the current unprecedented era of peace between the four kingdoms. This day is also marked by an extremely high level of activity by Hunters, with even first-year students at the Academies engaged in active field operations of one sort or another.

Atlas still possesses a powerful, highly-mechanized military that includes air fleets, battle mechs, and robot soldiers. Most of the other Kingdoms only call upon their citizens for military service during times of need; thus, Atlas' level of preparedness suggest it is among the few to maintain a standing army. During the unveiling of a new generation of weapons in Vale, a statement by Atlas' James Ironwood strongly implies that Atlesian military technology is commonly used by all the other kingdoms, as well as various private and state organizations, for security purposes.

Human-Faunus Conflict


Not much has been disclosed about the Faunus Rights Revolution, although it is known that it was a fairly large-scale conflict that lasted at least three years. The cause of the war is attributed to the Humans' attempts to confine Faunus to an area of Remnant known as Menagerie.

Facing permanent subjugation, the Faunus fought back, leading to a full-scale war. After a series of military victories considered by historians to be very much against reasonable expectations, the united Faunus race forced the Humans to the negotiating table. Although the settlement of this conflict theoretically led to equal standing between Faunus and Humans, the underlying hatreds remain. Many Humans see Faunus as 'animals' and treat them as such.

As a consequence of this ongoing discrimination and oppression, there is a strong and growing Faunus civil rights movement, protesting the exploitation of Faunus and discrimination against them. Additionally, the White Fang, an organization set up in the aftermath of the war to promote unity, equality, and peace between Humans and Faunus, has become radicalized and has turned into a powerful terrorist movement. So powerful is this movement and so extensive are its activities, that it now represents a major threat to continued overall peace between the races.

Modern Day


Modern Human society is a cosmopolitan mix of the traditional and the technological.

Humans primarily live in the Four Kingdoms, where agriculture, industry, and life may continue without continual threats from the Creatures of Grimm. Faunus integration is such that large numbers live in traditionally Human areas.

International trade and cooperation is largely entrenched with many organizations, such as the Schnee Dust Company operating in several kingdoms and transporting their wares all over the globe.

Although most commentators regard the modern era as unprecedented one of peace, there remain many problems. As well as the continued threat of the White Fang, there is a growing issue from organized crime in the major population centers.

Sometimes these criminal organizations are powerful enough to outstrip police forces' ability to contain them. For this reason, the ancient tradition of trained Aura and Dust-wielding warriors known as Hunters continues into the modern age.

Trained at such institutions as the world-famous Beacon Academy, the Hunters remain persons with a vocation, having determined themselves to hone their natural talents as fighters and protectors before spending their entire adult lives defending civilization against the numerous threats surrounding them.