Races: Centaurs
Note: Most information on centaurs is not canon due to the fact that we had very little information provided on them.
During the War of the Gods, a mounted legion of elves fought for the gods of light. They had a deep telepathic bond with their animals and considered their horses friends and family. Yet, both elf and horse wanted to be even closer. They spoke to Marfa about it, and the goddess agreed to bind elf and horse together. Their bodies and minds were combined and became the centaurs.
The centaurs are an elusive race and have an extreme affinity to nature and animals. They hardly ever leave their forests, partially because the human world upsets them, and the fact that humans have a hard time accepting so a strange being as a centaur. In fact, many traveling centaurs run the risk of being hunted and killed as monsters. For this reason, only the most desperately curious youths and outcasts leave home.
Astrology and precognition play an important role in centaurian culture. At least once for every generation, a seer is born into every centaur tribe. Centaur seers and astrological scholars spend many hours a day plotting the course of the cosmos and predicting natural occurrences. As with all fae races, centaurs have long lives. The average centaur lives for around 500 years, while seers can live up to a thousand years. Centaurs come of age in their twenties, and have the same reproductive cycle as elves, only able to conceive once every ten years. Centaurs have a twelve month gestation, longer than elves or horses, and bear a child that is more developed than a human or elf baby. Centaur foals are around the size of horse foals, with a torso of a child that appears to be five or six, and they can walk within hours of birth. Despite the size of their humanoid half as children, newborn centaur foals are little more intelligent than horse foals, but more developed physically and cognitively than elven babies. They age slowly, compared to horses, but at about the same rate of elven children, after their “head start” at least.
It is impossible for a centaur to reproduce with any race or horses. However, there have been some intimate relationships between centaurs and elves. Intimate “relations” with horses is strictly taboo in centaurian culture, but it has been known to happen.
Physical AppearanceCentaurs have the upper body and torso of an elf, which is connected to the withers (shoulders) of a horse's body. There is quite a broad variety in build of both halves of their body. The original horses Marfa bonded to the elves were of a variety of breeds—from lean, leggy runners, to mighty warhorses. Their torsos have to be balanced to match. So, a centaur with the equine build of a warhorse would need a broader, more muscular torso for balance. Their facial structure remains true to their elven roots, being beautiful and sharp, yet delicate. Their ears match elves' ears, being long and tapered, measuring 5-7 inches in length.
Unlike their elven ancestors, centaurs have a broad variety of coloration on both halves of their body. Centaur hair (or manes) match their tails, as a rule. So, centaurs can have any color of hair, brown, blond, silver, red, or black. In the cases of piebald (pinto) centaurs, their manes may be a mix of white and another color. Their skin is commonly fair, but in the case of some dark furred centaurs, their skin may be dark to match their coats. However, no centaurs have black skin on their elven body, even if they have black skin on their equine half, under their fur. Dark brown seems to be the only pigment to match black coats. Centaurs have many eye colors; blue, green, and violet come from their elven side, while brown and gold come from their horse side. Their equine coloration covers a broad range, including, blacks, bays, grays, chestnuts, browns, sorrels, palominos, and piebalds. (See the Horses page for more information about equine colors.)
Centaurs are fond of tattoos and piercings. Many tribes have their own designs used for genders, classes, and ages. A young centaur will get their first tattoo around the age of 20 to signify their passage into adulthood. Tattooing is a painful process, which is why it's first use is in coming of age ceremonies. Most young centaur girls get their ears pierced around the age of thirteen, and receive later piercings throughout life. Eventually, they end up with about five piercings per ear. In some tribes, men pierce only one ear several times over.
MagicCentaurs are natural shamans like the other fae races. They can equal the elves in power, but few centaurs chose to take their shamanism to the same level of power as elves. Centaur shamans to not seek to make contracts with king spirits for the fact that finding a portal to the realm of a king spirit requires travel.
Due to their seclusion, there are no centaur sorcerers or priests.
Race Relations- Centaurs to Humans
Centaurs have a number of problems with humans, mainly because humans just don't understand them. Most humans don't even know about centaurs, and when they do encounter humans, centaurs are often mistaken as monsters. They also find that humans are too destructive and don't have enough respect for other living things.
- Centaurs to Common and High Elves
Since no centaurs live in the Forest of No Return, centaurs and high elves are rather unfamiliar with each other. However, they are very familiar with common elves and live in the same forests. They keep their villages separate when they live in the same area as elves, but they still work closely together in protecting their forests. The elves sometimes turn to the centaur seers for guidance as well.
- Centaurs to Dark Elves
For the most part, centaurs despise dark elves because of their history with Falaris. The feel about the same as common elves when it comes to dark elves. The exception is to centaurs and dark elves of Blue Dragon Island. The dark elves who moved to the island abandoned their evil roots and now co-exist with the centaurs of the island.
- Centaurs to Half-Elves
Centaurs have their reservations about dealing with half-elves, because of their human heritage. However, the Glassy Woods centaur tribe has been known to take in half-elf children abandoned by the elves and raise them as herd members.
- Centaurs to Dwarves
Centaurs feel the same way as elves in regards to dwarves, but upon meeting a dwarf and realizing that they're mostly good people, a centaur would more readily accept them than an elf.
- Centaurs to Grassrunners
Centaurs have rarely met grassrunners, but after their initial curiosity, they would accept a grassrunner in the same way they do elves.
Centaur Tribes
Glassy WoodsThe Glassy Woods are home to the largest centaur population in Lodoss. This tribe co-exists with the common elves that live in the forest, though they live separately in the forest. This tribe is especially distrustful of humans and rarely sends out members of it's herd.
Blue Dragon IslandThis centaur tribe is more secluded than the rest, especially since there are no regular passenger ships to take them to and from Lodoss. They share this island with a clan of dark elves who abandoned their roots with Falaris to live peacefully.
Mossian CentaursIn the secluded forests of Moss, there are several small centaur tribes, or herds, that want more than anything to be left alone. They fend for themselves and do what they can with shamanism to protect their lands from human incursion.
Humans | Elves | Dwarves | Grassrunners | Centaurs
