Centaur

A Centaur has the body of a great horse topped by a humanoid torso, head, and arms. Reclusive wanderers, they avoid conflict but fight fiercely when pressed. Roamers at heart, centaurs love open spaces and the freedom to travel. As much as they can, centaurs run. They race the wind, hooves thundering and tails streaming behind them. A combination of the traits of humans and horses, along with their affinity for wilderness survival, gives the centaur incredible strength, slightly less than twice the strength of an average human and the dexterity of an average elven archer. They are also known for their astounding ability to take much punishment, and for their wisdom. They are as fast on land as a horse (usually up to 2000 feet a minute when running), and like dwarves and orcs, they have darkvision.

A centaur that can’t keep pace with the rest of its tribe is left behind. Some such centaurs vanish into the wilderness and are never seen again. Those that can bear the loss of their tribe might take up residence among other races. Frontier settlements value the nature knowledge of their centaur residents. Many such communities owe their survival to the insight and acumen of a centaur. Centaurs had good relations with the Wood Elf and Firbolg races, being as they were both creatures of the forest. They generally despised humans and dwarves but weren't actively hostile toward them and tolerated gnomes and halflings. It was said that centaurs had a superstitious fear of dragons and giants. Most Centaurs worshipped Tempus and Sylvanus.

Centaur tribes range across lands with mild to hot climates, where a centaur requires only light furs or oiled skins to deal with inclement weather. They are hunter-gatherers and rarely build shelters or even use tents. Centaur migrations span continents and take decades to repeat, so that a centaur tribe might not retread the same path for generations. These long-ranging patterns can lead to conflict when centaurs encounter settlements of other creatures built along their traditional routes. Despite their reclusive nature, centaurs trade with elves and with the caravans of other benevolent humanoids they meet during their wanderings. A trader might save the life of a wounded or an elderly centaur unfit for long travel, escorting it to a settlement where it can peacefully live out the rest of its days

Civilization and Culture

History

The Great Calamity / The Heliocide had a profound affect on all races inhabiting Astara, fundamentally changing the way many cultures survived. The majority populous of many races were wiped out entirely, and those that survived were left in utter desolation. The years following the Calamity consisted of mass migrations of displaced cultures, forced to move somewhere safe or intact to start anew. During this time, alliances were forged and broken, ancient treaties abandoned, and a lawless chaos ensued. Most were desperate, and resorted to whatever measures necessary to survive. This greatly impacted the behavior of not only individuals, but cultures as a whole, as seen with the re-emergence of unsavory practices like cults, slavery and cannibalism. As such many races had evolved throughout the calamity, some only vaguely resembling their former selves. See below for some important distinctions of this race:

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Lifespan

60 - 70 years

Average Height

7ft - 8ft

Average Weight

~ 2000 lbs