Centaur

"I understand why they're commonly called centaurs. However, it should be noted that the Ibuhessi myths on these set people up for disappointment, and also probably death." Seyama Koto

Written by: jester2b

Cover art by: Rafael Sewa

Apex Abominations

Krallum plays host to many nightmarish creatures, like the brain-carving Umuderacs, the six-legged Backavac, and the invisible Stalking Grims. However, even these creatures fear the shills, ear-piercing shrieks of the Covekkon, or the Centaur, a horrific and aggressive abomination that stalks the wilds of Krallum. For many travelers, the last thing they ever heard was its raging cries, and the last thing they ever saw was its gruesome visage.

Morphology

The Centaur is a grisly monster that vaguely resembles a half-man, half-horse. Their skin is a deathly pale color across their entire body only discolored by the blood and gore of their victims. Their arms are long and lanky, with hands tipped by six-inch long claws used to tear their prey apart. Their head is a twisted mess of human and horse features, with a disgusting exposed maw of jagged teeth running down the snout and a disheveled crown of hair on the top of its head. A mane runs down the back of this creature, with long hair being in the mane and on the head signifying a female from their shorter hair male counterparts. Their hoofed legs and long and muscular, allowing them to run at frightful speeds and leap at their prey.

Habitat

Centaurs are almost exclusively found in the woodlands of Krallum, though there are reports of these creatures wandering in Luet. They choose to make their dens in damp caves or dig out small burrows in the forest. While on the hunt, Centaurs will wander miles from their homes in search of food.

Diet

These abominations are hyper-aggressive, opportunistic predators who will attack and devour any living thing they come across, even other Centaurs. There have been sightings of these creatures scavenging off of corpses in the wild on rare occasions.

Behavior

If one sees one of these creatures in the wild, run in the opposite direction and hope it hasn't seen you. Centaurs are hyper-aggressive hunters that will attack anything they see, loudly shrieking the entire time. Their onslaught is like that of a frenzied berzerker, only ending once everything around it is dead. Some have theorized that it may be possible for them to die of exhaustion if one were to fight for too long without rest, though none would dare test that.

Reproduction and Growth

Due to the sheer aggressiveness of these abominations, information on their reproductive habits and growth is scarce. What is known is that during their mating season in the spring, males and females briefly calm down when approaching each other to mate, then quickly leave before violence breaks out between them. It is believed that once the mother gives birth to their fowl, they abandon it for the fowl's sake, as the hormones keeping the mother Centaur from killing their child will wear off after giving birth. If the mother were to encounter their infant fowl in the wild, there would be nothing stopping it from killing its offspring.

Scientific Name

Abominatio Equus

Lifespan

40 years

Average Height

11 Feet (3.3 Meters)

Average Length

15 Feet (4.5 Meters)