Centaur

Skilled hunters and warriors, centaurs are have the upper body of a human and the lower torso of a horse.

Appearance

Most often found on the frontier edges of civilization, centaurs have a wide variety of appearances. Skin tones often are deeply tanned, but similar to those of nearby humans, while their lowers bodies resemble those of local equine breeds. Their hair and eyes are generally dark with broad facial features. The overall shape of their lower halves is similar to the breed of horse they most resemble. Most stand over seven feet in height and weigh over 2,000 pounds, although there are local variations—from the lean bodies of steppe horses to heavier mountain hunters. A relatively short-lived race, centaurs rarely make it much past 60 years old.

Habitat and Society

Aloof towards other races and even at odds with others of their own kind, centaurs are an old race that is slowly coming to terms with the modern world. Most still live in tribes far from civilization, while some have abandoned their isolationist traditions and adopted a more cosmopolitan life. These few iconoclastic individuals are generally shunned by their tribes, making the decision to leave a weighty one. In some rare cases, however, whole tribes under progressive leaders have come to trade or make alliances with other humanoid communities—typically elves, but sometimes gnomes, and rarely humans or dwarves. Many races remain wary of centaurs, though, largely due to legends of territorial beastmen and the regular, violent encounters the centaurs have with stubborn settlers in expansionist countries.