Lion Centaur

Lion Centaurs are proud - some would say haughty - by nature. Their society is rigid and hierarchical in that they generally settle disputes by contests, whether martial, athletic, or otherwise. In these rituals, emerging victorious is all-important, as the loser feels intense pressure to exile himself from the community, or even commit suicide to atone for his disgrace.
Lion Centaurs are social beings in that they do not like to live alone. Within larger settlements, they tend to congregate in extended families that can resemble lion hunting packs in their structure.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Lion Centaurs have the lower body of a lion and the upper body of a Man. Both males and females alike have fair hair that they allow to grow long and flowing. Coloration for Lion Centaurs depends upon the geographical location to which they are native, with those living in temperate to hot climates having hides that are tan or golden brown. Lion Centaurs who live among frosty mountain peaks or near the Everwinter Sea, on the other hand, may have white hides.
Lion Centaurs also have retractable claws that they often use in melee contests as well as hunting.

Ecology and Habitats

Lion Centaurs normally live on semi-arid plains and savannahs, although there are rare reports of communities living in most climates in Thoroth.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Lion centaurs are carnivores and prides will often hunt prey together, feeding scraps to their young.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

As Lion Centaurs age, their facial features become less and less human and more and more leonine.

Average Intelligence

Due to their pride, Lion Centaurs do not spend much time in thought reasoning through their actions. They are not less intelligent than humans, just more impulsive.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

A Lion Centaur's birth name means nothing in Lion Centaur society, only to identify you in the pride until adulthood. Instead, the names that carry weight in Lion Centaur society, and the names they choose to go by, are the titles they have earned through feats of strength, bravery, hunting, or some other grand accomplishment.
In fact, for an adult Lion Centaur to introduce themselves by their birth name is considered the most dishonorable thing they could do in their society. This signifies either a Lion Centaur that has been too cowardly or inept to achieve a title, or one who is hiding their title due to the shame it brings them (i.e. "the exiled" or "Brotherslain" etc.).

Beauty Ideals

Males in Lion Centaur society often braid various talismans and trophies into their billowing manes of hair on their heads to signify their prowess in battle.
Females in Lion Centaur society will often die their pelts with deep reds in patterns to specify their cultural status.

Courtship Ideals

Females are gained by impressing them through displays of strength and power or by challenging their current mate to martial contest.

Relationship Ideals

Lion Centaurs are one of the few races in Thoroth that culturally practice polygamy. Familial units (prides) will be broken into a single alpha male, and his female wives. The females in these prides will also have their hierarchical structures largely based off of hunting prowess and fertility.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

All Centaurs speak a common language that varies only slightly in various dialects between sub-races. This is known to other races simply as Centaur-speech. It regularly involves a lot of body language including ground clawing and tail flicks, and utilizes various auditory sounds akin to the noises of the corresponding animal breed.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Lion Centaurs are proud by nature, but have no particular racial prejudices.

RPG Datasheet

AG 0; CO +4; ME 0; RE -2; SD 0; EM -2; IN 0; PRV+4; QU 0; ST +6
Channelling -5; Essence -5; Mentalism -5; Poison +15; Disease +20
Body Development 0.9.6.5.3; Arcane PP 0.5.4.3.2; Channeling PP 0.5.4.3.2; Essence PP 0.5.4.3.2; Mentalism PP 0.6.5.4.3
Soul Departure 10 Rounds; Recovery Mult. 1x
Languages 8; Background Options 5
Special Abilities: Natural Attack - Lion Centaurs have retractable claws that they may use instead of melee weapons. They may make unarmed attacks as Medium Claw attacks.
Languages: Starting Languages - Centaur-speech (S8/W6). Allowed Adolescent Development - Centaur-speech (S10/W10), Common-speech (S6/W6), and Plains-speech (S6/W6).
Everyman Skills: Foraging, Hiding, Hunting, Stalking, Tracking
Restricted Skills: All Athletics, Gymnastics skills

Lifespan

100 years

Average Height

5'6" - 6'7"

Average Weight

300 - 600lbs

Average Physique

Lion Centaurs are terrifyingly strong, often able to take down any wild prey they may be hunting with their bare hands, utilizing their fearsome claws.