Centaur
Centaur are faekin beings, along with satyr, faun, minotaur, and dryads known as the Wildfolk, with humanoid torsos upon equine bodies. Much debate rages amongst scholars on whether to refer to a centaur's upper body as human or elven -- as faekin, they are far closer related to elves than men -- but to the centaur themselves, who know best, their upper bodies are just as equine as their lower.
This is evident in their facial appearance. Centaur possess horse's eyes with elongated, horizontal pupils, and have long, flat noses. Their ears are long, pointed and equine, twitching and rotating in response to stimuli and emotion. They have high, broad cheekbones, and are characterised as gazing down at shorter beings over them rather than deigning to lower their heads. Centaur come in as many coat colours as horses do, which extends to their torsos. They do however, present eye colours that are unheard of in equines, including hazel and green.
A centaur's torso meets its lower body at the humanoid waist, adding a minimum of two feet to the height of a horse in adulthood. As such, a stallion easily reaches eight feet in height or even greater. A mare by comparison more commonly stands at around seven from the base of her hoof to the crown of her head. In some regions, centaur may be found with statures closer to that of a pony in their lower bodies. This, with a proportionally shorter torso, results in stallions and mares of this variety rarely cresting seven feet.
Centaur are heavier than horses of comparable stature, to an average of an additional hundred pounds. This is theorised to be the added weight of the upper torso.
Being near faekin, far less removed than elves, a centaurs biology is hardly comparable to either humanoid species or horses. Being near faekin also makes post-mortem study of centaur almost impossible, as their mortal forms quickly return to earth upon death. A suspiciously horse-shaped log or outcrop of stone in a forest may in fact be the last reminder of a centaur's existence. They are however hardy beings, far less fragile than either their humanoid or equine counterparts. Centaur easily live to 150 or more, being considered culturally mature at the age of twelve and physically mature at sixteen. An elderly centaur is one over the age of 140.
Possibly to their fae influence, centaurs are pregnant for an average of fourteen months -- two to three months longer than horses. They rarely bear more than one offspring per pregnancy, and twins are regarded as a great blessing.
Centaur do not 'breastfeed' their young as would be recognised by humanoid races, nursing instead like horses and other quadrapedal creatures. Female centaur therefore do not have breasts.
The plural of 'centaur' is generally regarded to be the same as the singular, though just as other races often refer to dwarrow as 'dwarves', it is not uncommon to hear reference to 'centaurs'. Centaur may colloquially refer to themselves as 'taur' (this is also used as an adjective, such as a 'taur camp'), but it is considered offensive for other races to use this word without permission.
Like all wildfolk, centaur have the ability to blend into any natural surroundings, regardless of clothing or any other adornments. It is very difficult to spot a centaur who does not wish to be seen. One even may go unnoticed standing in the middle of an open field.
Centaur live in herds of 12 to 30 individuals, usually being extended family groups or a few smaller families living together. They have a nomadic culture, moving between fertile grazing grounds as the seasons pass. Centaur are often found to set up their encampments near mounds and standing stones. Centaur herds often include other Wildfolk, most commonly faun and minotaur. Herds often pick up other nomadic races on their travels, including giants and wood elves.
Centaur on the whole do not use written language and rely upon oral tradition to communicate their knowledge and history. It is the responsibility of specially trained bards known as 'Tellers' to compose songs and poems to document a herd's memories, and to keep the knowledge of their predecessors alive.
Centaur herds are largely matriarchal, being led by the eldest mares.
This is evident in their facial appearance. Centaur possess horse's eyes with elongated, horizontal pupils, and have long, flat noses. Their ears are long, pointed and equine, twitching and rotating in response to stimuli and emotion. They have high, broad cheekbones, and are characterised as gazing down at shorter beings over them rather than deigning to lower their heads. Centaur come in as many coat colours as horses do, which extends to their torsos. They do however, present eye colours that are unheard of in equines, including hazel and green.
A centaur's torso meets its lower body at the humanoid waist, adding a minimum of two feet to the height of a horse in adulthood. As such, a stallion easily reaches eight feet in height or even greater. A mare by comparison more commonly stands at around seven from the base of her hoof to the crown of her head. In some regions, centaur may be found with statures closer to that of a pony in their lower bodies. This, with a proportionally shorter torso, results in stallions and mares of this variety rarely cresting seven feet.
Centaur are heavier than horses of comparable stature, to an average of an additional hundred pounds. This is theorised to be the added weight of the upper torso.
Being near faekin, far less removed than elves, a centaurs biology is hardly comparable to either humanoid species or horses. Being near faekin also makes post-mortem study of centaur almost impossible, as their mortal forms quickly return to earth upon death. A suspiciously horse-shaped log or outcrop of stone in a forest may in fact be the last reminder of a centaur's existence. They are however hardy beings, far less fragile than either their humanoid or equine counterparts. Centaur easily live to 150 or more, being considered culturally mature at the age of twelve and physically mature at sixteen. An elderly centaur is one over the age of 140.
Possibly to their fae influence, centaurs are pregnant for an average of fourteen months -- two to three months longer than horses. They rarely bear more than one offspring per pregnancy, and twins are regarded as a great blessing.
Centaur do not 'breastfeed' their young as would be recognised by humanoid races, nursing instead like horses and other quadrapedal creatures. Female centaur therefore do not have breasts.
The plural of 'centaur' is generally regarded to be the same as the singular, though just as other races often refer to dwarrow as 'dwarves', it is not uncommon to hear reference to 'centaurs'. Centaur may colloquially refer to themselves as 'taur' (this is also used as an adjective, such as a 'taur camp'), but it is considered offensive for other races to use this word without permission.
Like all wildfolk, centaur have the ability to blend into any natural surroundings, regardless of clothing or any other adornments. It is very difficult to spot a centaur who does not wish to be seen. One even may go unnoticed standing in the middle of an open field.
Centaur live in herds of 12 to 30 individuals, usually being extended family groups or a few smaller families living together. They have a nomadic culture, moving between fertile grazing grounds as the seasons pass. Centaur are often found to set up their encampments near mounds and standing stones. Centaur herds often include other Wildfolk, most commonly faun and minotaur. Herds often pick up other nomadic races on their travels, including giants and wood elves.
Centaur on the whole do not use written language and rely upon oral tradition to communicate their knowledge and history. It is the responsibility of specially trained bards known as 'Tellers' to compose songs and poems to document a herd's memories, and to keep the knowledge of their predecessors alive.
Centaur herds are largely matriarchal, being led by the eldest mares.
Lifespan
150 years
Average Height
Stallions: 8 feet or more
Mares: 7 to 8 feet
Mares: 7 to 8 feet
Average Weight
1000 to 1400 pounds
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