Centaur

Like elves and goblinoids, centaurs originate from the Plane of Nature, or the Feywild as it is sometimes known. Centaurs have the torsos of humanoids and the lower bodies of a small horse. Powerful and curious, quick to act and knowledgeable of the wider world, centaurs seek to experience life’s boundless bounty. The centaurs of Pelonia live in nomadic herds, beholden to their Emperor who rules the country and directs wars of conquest from the walled city of Tolui.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The upper bodies of centaurs are comparable to human torsos in size, and their lower equine bodies average about 4 feet tall at the withers.

Ecology and Habitats

Centaurs prefer wide open plains and grasslands in which they can run, unleashing their terrific top speeds.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Centaurs are divided into a wide variety of nomadic clans but there are two that are significantly larger than the rest:
Lagonna Merchant Families Lagonna centaurs travel in small merchant family bands called guri. These groups frequently trade with Aezune, which provides the biggest market for their wares, but they also do business with smaller communities and city states of Eshen. The eldest member of each guros typically leads their family. In times of discord, the heads of the guri gather to make decisions together. Other members of the guros work as traders, gatherers, packers, and scouts. A guros has several specialized roles required for success in travel and trade: a barterer, an omener, a courser, and preferably a koletra.
A barterer negotiates deals between the guros and other traders. Barterers must know the customs of other cultures and speak several different languages.
An omener is an oracle who reads messages from the gods in the natural world and reveals how the immortals would have the guros travel.
A courser explores new trade territory for their guros. They are expert trackers and navigators, able to venture deep into unexplored territory and unerringly return to their families.
Finally, every guros tries to travel with at least one koletra, one of the mighty, well-trained warriors of the Lagonna who are said to have the blood of the first, legendary centaur heroes. Koletras are said to bring good luck to a band, but are also usually fated to die in defense of their family. Not every guros has a koletra of its own, and guri share their best warriors among each other as a sign of goodwill and a way to forge bonds.
Pheres The Pheres roam the wild lands of Pelonia and its vassal states in small raiding herds. These herds are voluntary associations, in contrast to the family groups of the Lagonna. When necessary, several small bands join together in a larger herd to target particularly dangerous but resource-rich targets—be they humanoid traders or roving, greedy monsters. Bands also join together to defeat common threats; to hunt for game; or on the orders of the Emperor to execute a conquest.
The Pheres value physical strength, speed, and prowess in both hunting and combat. Often a band is led by the strongest and most dominant warrior, called the charger. However, some bands elevate a tactician or strategist to this venerated position. The Pheres can be brutal and greedy, but they are clever as well, and understand the value of strategic leadership.
Other centaurs in Pheres herds work as scouts, archers, warriors, and foragers. In addition, most Pheres herds contain a caller and a tromper.
Pheres callers are typically druids or rangers who can draw animal assistance to their herd. Callers often have one or more animal allies at their side, and can speak to animals to learn about the surrounding lands.
Trompers are the most powerful and feared warriors of the herd. Centaur legends say that when the gods first fashioned humans from the red mud of the eldest river, Pheres trompers taught them how to corner and kill prey. The story tells that, to repay this debt, humans of Aezune and Eshen owe the centaurs a portion of what they catch. While humans don’t recall this arrangement, the Pheres often cite it as justification for their raids.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

Though centaurs share the same basic physiology, the centaur bands are commonly associated with their own distinct traits. Lagonna band centaurs tend to be sleek and muscular, with powerful legs built for endurance rather than speed. They usually have coats of a single color, often with a shine that can look metallic in bright light.
Pheres band centaurs typically have long, nimble legs and lean bodies, and are often marked with natural color patterns on their hide. Pheres centaurs sometimes paint or tattoo their upper bodies to match the patterns on their lower half. Occasionally, a Pheres centaur is born with vertical stripes on their hooves, foretelling an exciting and adventurous life.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Common, Sylvan

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Centaurs have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of muscular humans, displaying all the human variety of skin tones and features. Their ears are slightly pointed, but their faces are wider and squarer than those of elves. Below the waist, they have the bodies of small horses, with a similar range of coloration.

Related Ethnicities

• Pelonian