Humans

Oh Humanity, often believed to be the originator of the concept of currency, Humans quickly discovered the value of specialization. Each human seems to think themselves an utterly unique creature, quite unlike anything that came before it, and yet they tend also to fear and distrust anything not like them. Yet at least for a time, any human can find the value in collaboration with those they deem useful, whether in furthering their own ambitions, trading coin for service, or dying for a vaguely defined ideal, humans are quick to find the common ground that can be traded for. Humans make easy alliances with anyone that can be useful but are sadly fickle in the duration they trust them, always dying out and being replaced by even more humans, its often difficult to tell from one generation to the next what humans will be there to greet the emissary of another race. Still, despite their self centered ambitions, humans have wrestled together a vague culture identity for freedom for some, liberty in moderation, and not so much violence that you can't relax at a tavern by evening's end.

Despite the rather chaotic and individualistic nature of humans, The Elves have been in recent years brokered an alliance with very strange terms. Dictating not trade or borders, and indeed they were quick to grant both easily, no instead they wanted a voice in small aspects of humans every day life, customs and apparent token gestures. Seemingly pointless rituals that tend to bore the greater populace but the elves seem content and mankind has been steadily gaining in civic structure and quality of life so there are little complaints heard among them.