Centaur
Centaur are a species native to the Land of Faerie that are often described as a hybrid of two species, having the upper body of an Elf and the lower body and legs of a horse or a deer.
Centaur are said to be excellent warriors, possessing great strength and speed, a herd of charging Centaur is said to be a terrifying, and final, sight to behold. Centaur are also known to be great hunters, with an affinity for the natural world. This is often attributed to their Divine Patron, the God of Hunting and the Wilderness, Artemis.
Centaur and Satyr are closely related, with it believed that they share a common ancestor. Due to both species' hybrid-like appearance, it is often speculated that the ancestor of both the Centaur and Satyr was a Mammal that had accidentally wandered into the Land of Faerie, only to become transformed, over generations, by the strange Faerie Magics that permeate the Plane.
Centaur often gravitate towards a nomadic lifestyle, usually living in small herds alongside other Centaur. The majority of Centaur can be found within the Land of Faerie, but many Centaur also make Exorsia their home, primarily as part of the roving nomadic tribes of Terrasmus or as members of the many druidic communities across Exorsia, such as the Eternal Grove in Elderan.
Faerie Centaur
Within the Land of Faerie, Centaur can be found living among the Fae Courts or even as Wildfae, members of unaligned settlements or as and part of wandering, nomadic Centaur herds that travel across the land, living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Many of these herds can be hostile to travellers, known to raid and pillage, but a majority of Centaur herds are friendly enough, happy to trade supplies or information.
A large number of Centaur within the Land of Faerie are also members of the Baccheia, a hedonistic cult who worship the God of Wine and Revelry, Dionysus, by throwing exuberant parties of drink and drugs across the Realm of the Fae.
Exorsian Centaur
Exorsian Centaur tend to stick to the wilds, with it rare to see a Centaur in a town, let alone a city. Centaur often find the settlements of two-legged folks difficult to navigate, especially as most cities are cramped, not designed to house the large, four-legged bodies of Centaur, who are unable to move around freely in such environments.
Instead, Exorsian Centaur are more often found within the vast wilderness of Exorsia, such as the nomadic Centaur herds that wander the vast Beast Plains of Terrasmus. These herds can range from aggressive raiders, waging wars against the local Hobgoblin warbands and Orc tribes, to reclusive hunter-gatherers, living in tune with nature.
Many Centaur can also be found living within the vast woodlands and forests of Exorsia, either as herds of nomadic hunter-gatherers, or as members of some of the many druidic communities across the world, such as the Eternal Grove in Elderan, or the Omerdin Grove in Terrasmus. These Centaur often live as peaceful naturalists, protecting and tending to nature, or practicing druidic Primal Magic.
Appearance
Centaur are quadrupedal with a long flank, four hooved feet and a humanoid-looking upper body. Their lower body and legs are often said to resemble that of a horse or a deer, depending on their sub-species.
There are two different sub-species of Centaur, "Centauri-Cervidae" and "Centauri-Equidae". These species don't have many biological differences beyond appearance. Centaurs of the Cervidae family have the lower bodies of deer, often have antlers and are generally smaller in size than Equidae Centaurs. Centaurs of the Equidae family have the lower bodies of horses, and are generally larger in size than Cervidae Centaurs.
A Centaur's upper body, including the head, torso and arms, often resemble that of a Wood Elf, with wide pointed ears and sharp features. Their hair is often long and braided, trailing down their back to their withers. Unlike Elves, Centaur often have thick body hair across their torso and arms, particularly among males of the species, who are also known to grow long beards. Centaur of the Cervidae family also often have antlers protruding from the top of their heads, these antlers are usually larger for male Centaur than for female Centaur.
Complexion: The skin of a Centaur's upper body have tones similar to Humans, ranging from a light pale complexion to a dark brown one.
Hair: Centaur head and tail hair ranges from shades of black, brown, blonde or ginger, commonly turning grey or white with age. A Centaur's hair is usually a darker shade than that of their hide.
Eyes: Centaurs tend to have green, brown or hazel coloured eyes.
Hide: A Centaur's lower body is covered in short hair, usually of one colour, ranging from tones of brown, black or grey, but their hide can also be dotted with splotches, stripes or markings of another colour. A Centaur's hide is usually of a lighter colour than their hair, and also loses it's colour less frequently than their hair.
Maturity
Centaur mature around the same rate as Humans do, reaching adulthood by the age of 18.
Reproduction
Centaur reproduce similarly to Humans. The gestation period for a Centaur is approximately 11 months.
Ancestry
Faeria-Fauna
Diet
Omnivore
Native Language
Sylvan
Patron Deity
Artemis - God of the Wild
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