Humans
Physiology
Humans are surprisingly frail bipedal creatures. However they make up for it with their ingenuity, persistence, and social structure. They have a knack for understanding and are sometimes incredibly intelligent. Humans don't tend to live very long, but breed relatively fast. Between the constant wars they rage, and the elements they usually live about forty spans. A lucky few will see sixty, and even luckier will live double the normal lifespan. Those that do live that long require a great amount of assistance, due to the ravages of living in the Wastes. For as frail as they are, they are the most populous race in The Wastelands. Their intelligence varies from primitive to developed.
History
It is said that in all cultures of the world of the Wastelands that humans were amongst the first beings here, and humans insist they shall be the last. It is this sense of pride and a hunger for power that has written the bloody and lost history of the human empire. Surprisingly not much is factually known about human history; it is spoken of as ghostly and legendary lore. The most common of these stories is of a time when great power was wielded on the planet itself and that is when humanity scattered, fearful of what they had done. The story is told differently from person to person, and region to region, but the same underlying moral is conveyed, "Why is it always the gentle ones who pay for everybody else's ambitions?". Despite the greatest and most told myth Humans have to tell, the actions of a few still regularly devastate humanity in the Wastelands. It is not known whether these words of wisdom are intentionally ignored, or gambled upon for short term rewards.
Social Culture
Humans have no problem working together, alone, or waging war amongst one another or anything. It is in this respect that they are among the most socially diverse cultures out there. They tend to stay amongst themselves, but that doesn't mean humans won't strike deals with other races to achieve similar and more frequently, personal goals. A humans strongest social bond is family, however large biological families are few and far between. That is why most humans join gangs, cults, and other social structures. Not out of desire, but a need to survive. The bond a human makes with an organization can be as strong as a real family and gives them the tenacity and ferocity to challenge immeasurable odds. Sadly, it is that same passion that drives humans to fight amongst each other. Many humans, particularly ones holding power, are rarely trusted by anyone because of the shady dealings they have used to attain and maintain their power. It is frequent of them to hire mercenaries and talkers to help promote their personal agendas.
Human diversity and ingenuity enable them to explore many lifestyles during their brief existence, but circumstances may sometimes take them on specific paths. Stubborn settlers scratch out a life among the ruins and eye strangers with suspicion while raiders and bandits wander the dunes in search of easy targets. Barter merchants wander from outpost to outpost, dealing to anyone in salvage instead of violence to survive. Mercenaries serve as bodyguards, hired guns, or bounty hunters with violence as their trade in business. Nomads wander from place to place as homeless settlers or trading caravans while Tribal famiies follow the seasons and animals as they live a simple existence of hunting and gathering (Interestingly, the social cultures of tribal humans are similar to tribal mutants). There's even stories of savage humans seen in the outer wastes: some feral and animalistic, others deranged and unpredictable from social isolation.
Exceptionally smart or talented individuals tend to become loners, and most tend die in a few years. Those that do walk alone and live usually make regular journeys to the more populated areas for supplies. They are regular enigmas, both feared and respected. On the other hand, they usually have a bounty on their head for their stash of goods, since being a loner is usually to your disadvantage.
Modern Day
Most humans today spend their days just trying to stay alive. For the most part they work cooperatively amongst their social group to make their quality of life better. Foraging, scavenging, and hunting are all regular chores. Some people specialize and make a profession out of it, which leads to old fashioned bartering of goods and services.
