Endurance quantifies a person’s physical stamina and constitutional health—the capacity to withstand hardship, resist disease, and labor without collapse. It is the accumulated vigor of body and blood. Those with keen endurance can work a harvest from dawn to dusk, march a week without rest, and survive wounds that would fell others. Those lacking it are fragile, susceptible to sickness, and quickly exhausted.
Frail
Frail individuals are physically delicate and prone to illness. Even light labor leaves them exhausted, and their bodies are vulnerable to every draft and contagion. A frail person cannot march far, cannot endure hardship, and tires quickly even in rest. They are often plagued by small ailments and may not reach old age.
Unfit
Unfit folk lack the vigor for heavy labor. They tire quickly under exertion, require frequent rest, and are susceptible to common sicknesses. An unfit person can perform their daily tasks but cannot manage extraordinary labor, and a bout of fever may lay them low for weeks. They are not inherently sickly but lack the stamina for hardship.
Average
Average persons possess the vigor one expects of healthy folk. They can labor a full day, resist ordinary illnesses adequately, and recover from minor wounds and sickness without undue struggle. They tire but do not collapse, sicken but do not die, and constitute the ordinary human norm.
Robust
Robust individuals seem physically hardy. They labor all day without excessive fatigue, rarely sicken, and recover quickly from illness or injury. A robust peasant works the fields from spring to autumn with unflagging vigor; a robust soldier endures the hardships of campaign without particular complaint.
Hardy
Hardy folk are prodigies of physical resilience. They seem unable to sicken, tire slowly even under extreme exertion, and recover from wounds that would cripple others. A hardy person can march for weeks, labor at mining depths, or endure naval voyage through foul weather, all while remaining strong. Such vigor inspires awe.
In Practice
When a harvest must be brought in before storm, the frail worker cannot participate; they would collapse. The unfit worker manages a few hours and must rest, returning slowly to work. The average laborer works from dawn to dusk with a brief meal-break, tired but managing. The robust worker labors tirelessly for the full period, requiring only normal food and sleep. The hardy worker seems to draw energy from the work itself, working a day and a night straight and awakening fresh to continue.