Centaurs

Centaurs are one of the Races of Innworld.

Physiology

Appearance

Centaurs have the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse.

Physical Qualities

Speed

Despite having the lower body of a horse Centaurs are a tiny bit slower since they had a bit more mass from their human upper body. But with Skills they can become even faster than a horse.

Diet

Centaurs largely follow a vegetarian diet, though they can eat meat. Normally they don't eat grass or hay because they are too hard, but they do eat other types of soft grasses, like the ones found in Baleros.

Reproduction

Centaurs have the most complicated childbirth of all the Innworld species, as sometimes the baby Centaur can come out in the wrong direction, which results in the death of the foal, and sometimes the mother as well. A Caesarian Section is a reliable method that can deliver the foal safely.

Magical Qualities

Centaurs, like Humans, Gnolls, and Garuda. Can produce both excellent [Mages] & [Shamans] instead of just one or the other.

Special Abilities

Centaurs can run and do things independently with their horse and human halves, like talking while running.

Weaknesses

Centaurs don’t like being at sea, boats, and especially in small spaces. While able the swim, they still hate water as they are slow in it and thus vulnerable. They are also more fragile than other races. Breaking a leg is a serious concern among them.

Subraces

The offsprings of interspecies relationships have more noticeable physical traits compared to other species. They are often considered aberrations in Centaur societies, as well as 'non-threatening' by other males for the attention of females.

Lizaurs

The product of of a mixed Centaur-Lizardfolk union, they have scaled arms and torso, and a reptilian head and tail. They are shorter and more compact than the average Centaur.

Taurkins

Their upper halves have a furred appearance.

Elftaurs

The product of a Centaur mother and a half-Elf father. They have pointed ears and have a decade or two added to their lifespans. They are considered more acceptable by Centaurs than other mixed-species offsprings.

Behavior and Culture

Personality

Centaurs are touchy, haughty, competitive, and they don’t accept bad manners at all; the slightest offense will instantly be corrected, regardless if it causes trouble for all parties involved. Two centaurs fighting due to pride or wounded feelings is a common sight in a herd, and it makes them troublesome in a mixed-species group. If a Centaur dislikes someone, they will dress them down and humiliate them.

They are honorable and they take pride in not committing shameful actions. What they regard as shameful, however, might differ from other people's view. For instance, they don't consider ambushes shameful; it is simply a good way of fighting wars. Furthermore, their commitment to the idea of honor only lasts as long as they think the other side is playing by the same rules. If they were to think there was just a hint of underhandedness, the need for honor would go.

They have a stigma against members of their species who cannot run. For a non-Centaur to earn their respect, the ability to keep up with them on horseback is a requisite. They will gift glass beads to those who have earned that respect.

Population and Lifestyle

Centaurs are largely endemic to Baleros, and have few societies outside of the continent. The reasons for this are their aforementioned fragility, touchiness, and dislike of water and the sea, as well as their difficulties in reproduction expanded on below.

Centaurs are nomadic by nature. They prefer wide open plains, and dislike slowing down while travelling. They will cook while travelling by having multiple pairs of centaurs hang a cooking station between them. Almost all Centaurs will carry a long wooden claw to grab things off of the ground, called 'Centaurhands', so that they will not have to kneel or bend over to reach something.

Sexuality

Their culture doesn’t enjoy erotica, and nor do they like reading of intimate scenes. This is due to their respect for females as the only gender that can give birth. They also revere mothers and are very protective of children.

The reason for this culture stems from the complications that female Centaurs suffer at childbirth, which often results in the death of the foal, and sometimes the mother as well. Centaur mothers will at most have four children, and even then she'd be considered extremely prolific by their standards.

Because of this this Centaurs think females shouldn’t be treated like men. As such they don’t execute female prisoners, nor do they kill them unless it’s in a battle. Pregnant mothers are treated carefully regardless of the cause.

Like with Drakes, Centaur society is prejudiced against homosexuality.

Warfare

Many Baleriosian Companies hate employing them due to how much care they require. Their fragility, along with the need to keep morale high and prevent disputes, makes them a high maintenance species to employ as combatants. However, their benefits can make up for their drawbacks.

Centaurs make for excellent cavalry, and have advantages against those of other species. First, while they are heavier than horses, they are lighter than a horse and [Rider] combined, allowing them to be faster. Secondly, as they are mount and rider combined, they can react quicker and perform more complex maneuvers than a [Rider] could with their mounts. These give them a decisive edge in mobility over others.

On slick or slippery battlefields, Centaurs will wear studed horseshoes for traction.

Due to how hard it is to reproduce, their culture imposes restrictions on female soldiers. Thus, centaur militaries usually have a two to one ratio of males to females. A female combatant is expected to resign her commission if she gets pregnant and never return to the battlefield afterwards.

Laws

Centaurs that are deemed troublemakers, are expelled as outcasts. Most of these outcasts die or form into groups of bandits.

Music

Centaurs do not practice drums, preffering to use their hooves to make a rythmic beat.

Relations

Spiderfolk

Centaurs and Spiderfolk fought a war that resulted in the extinction of the latter.

Trivia

• If there was a ranking for bad-tempered species, Centaurs would probably be at the top of that list, competing for first place with Drakes and Minotaurs.
• They deeply resent being compared to horses, which they regard as incomplete rejects to their perfected forms. Despite that, they like sugar lumps, carrots, and having their backs scratched.
• Centaurs hate anyone touching their tails. Additionally, they hate being ridden by people they do not implicitly trust.
• Centaurs are also known as the Horsefolk.
• Horselord is a centaur-themed title.
• Centaurs can puke for minutes.
• [Roughshod Mercenary] is a common class among Centaur mercenaries.

Gallery

• 

  Male Centaur by FlauscheSoeckchen

• 

  Female Centaur by FlauscheSoeckchen

• 

  Child Centaur by FlauscheSoeckchen