Centaur Lore

Markings of the Herd

Though centaurs share the same basic physiology, the centaur bands are commonly associated with their own distinct traits.
Lagonna band centaurs are the centaurs of Riyū and 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 are the centaurs of Saol, and 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.

Lagonna Merchant Families

Lagonna centaurs travel in small merchant family bands called guri. These groups frequently traded within Haarengor before the war, which provided the biggest market for their wares, but now they must also do business within Fháchír and smaller communities hidden within Yer-Mardi 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.

Journeys of Discovery

When young Lagonna centaurs become adults, they often leave their band to travel the world on their own. This time of self-discovery, called a protoporos, can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years. The Lagonna believe that a protoporos helps young centaurs find their place in the world. An omener reads the signs of fortune before sending young centaurs on their way, guiding the first steps of their journey. While most centaurs return to the band eventually, some find their calling elsewhere. When the Lagonna tell tales of their greatest heroes, they often speak of centaurs who found their heroic destiny on a protoporos.

Pheres Raiders

The Pheres roam the wild lands between Setessa and Akros 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 or to hunt for game.
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 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.

Pheres Renegades

Pheres band members survive by working and fighting together, but still some centaurs choose to strike out on their own. These renegades often feel like outsiders in their own band. They might be pacifists, wishing to learn about other people rather than fighting them. Or they might feel a restlessness in their soul that nothing else can soothe. Though renegades build their own life away from the band, most retain some connection with their past. Some stories tell of renegades returning to help their band in times of need before disappearing once more.

Centaur Names

Lagonna centaurs tend to favor names of three or four syllables, often borrowed from cultures they have met during their travels. Pheres centaurs tend to have shorter, sharper sounding names, often appended with an honorific gained in battle.
Female Lagonna Names: Honotia, Kelitia, Lileo, Meloe
Male Lagonna Names: Aughus, Dririos, Ormasos,Volien
Female Pheres Names: Bido, Daxa, Saya, Tesia
Male Pheres Names: Eno, Roth, Skelor, Stihl
Pheres Honorifics: Threekills, Razorhoof, Unsleeping, Daggereye, Silentstep