Centaur

THYLEAN CENTAUR

I once saw a stampede of centaurs going to battle against the cyclopes, west of Xanderia. There is no more marvelous sight in Thylea than their spears gleaming in the sun of the steppes, wild manes flowing, hooves thundering. That night, they feasted and sang under the stars, calling out to me from afar, but I confess that I was too afraid to draw near. —Leyland, Gladiator of Mytros A noble race that roams the great plains of the world, centaurs are both feared and respected by other intelligent creatures. Centaur legends claim that they are the offspring of a powerful god of war that came down to the mortal plane in the form of a stallion. They are proud of this divine heritage and demand that the proper respect be shown to them. Equine Nomads Centaurs possess a humanoid torso with a horse’s lower body. They are as varied in coloration and physical build as humans and horses. Their horse body can be chestnut brown, black as a nightmare, pure white as a unicorn, grey, and other colors between. They can be a single color, spotted, have white “socks,” or have hooves of different coloration. Their human bodies can be of any skin color from dark skinned to pale. Their human hair can be black, brown, blonde, or red—but it most often complements that of their horse body. Proud and Haughty Centaurs are a proud people. They view themselves as superior to all other races and demand respect and adulation. They can be vain about their appearance and are careful to be dignified and aloof in the presence of others. However, most centaurs are also fond of drink and once inebriated they can become loud, boorish, and dangerous. Centaur Tribes Centaurs are a tribal people. Centaurs are fiercely loyal to members of their tribe and will never leave one of their own behind. When they mate, they mate for life. If they join an adventuring group, they will often consider that group to be their current tribe and will be intensely loyal to their fellow heroes. They normally roam huge expanses of steppe land that they consider their domain. They don’t build settlements in these lands, but they are protective of them. While centaurs can be herbivores, they prefer meat and enjoy hunting, but they will resort to gathering fruit, nuts, and other plants if an area has been overhunted. Travelers who are respectful of the plants and animals in tribal territory are left alone, but those who disrespect nature or try to build permanent settlements of any kind will become a target of the tribe’s wrath. Centaurs in Thylea Centaurs are distrustful of the civilized races. In the First War that raged five centuries ago, thousands of centaurs were killed by the invading Dragonlords, and the centaurs have never forgotten or forgiven. The distrust is mutual, especially as centaur tribes are now flocking to the banner of Sydon and raiding outlying farms. Centaurs that enter a Thylean town or city will find that they are tolerated but kept under constant watch. The centaurs tend to worship the mother goddess, but they will sometimes offer prayers to one of the titans, Sydon or Lutheria. They never worship the Five.

Centaur Names Centaurs have names that are specific to their race. These names can often be difficult for members of other races to pronounce, so they can adopt nicknames when traveling with a band of non-centaurs. Male Names: Agrius (Agri), Amycus (Amy), Asbolus (Az), Bienor, Chiron, Cyllarus (Cyl), Dictys, Eurytus (Tus), Elatus, Eurytion (Yuri), Hylaeus (Hyla), Nessus, Perimedes (Peri), Pholus, Rhoetus (Rote), and Thaumas (Tom). Female Names: Agaria, Biano, Cylla, Diena, Eura, Hylonome (Hylo), Heranae (Hera), Nessicana (Nessie), Nara, Ponadata (Pona), Rhaelatisis (Rala), Rhaena (Rain), and Seranu (Sara). Centaur Traits Centaurs have the following racial traits. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1. Age. Centaurs mature at the same rate as humans. Alignment. Centaurs have a tendency toward Good. As a tribal people, they don’t lean toward the freedom of a chaotic alignment, but they don’t obey laws that they feel are unjust or ineffective. They lean toward neutral. Size. Centaurs range from 6’6” to 7 feet in height and weigh between 700 and 900 pounds. Your size is Medium, but you tower over most other races. Speed. Your base walking speed is 40 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. Charge. If you move 30 feet straight toward a target and then hit them with a melee attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 damage from the first attack. Mountable. As a bonus action on your turn, you may allow a single willing ally within 5 feet of you to hitch a brief ride on your back. They are carried on your back until the end of your turn, at which point they must disembark within 5 feet of you. While being carried, your rider is not considered to be mounted and they are not vulnerable to attacks of opportunity. Your rider must be a bipedal creature of your size or smaller. Quadrapedal Stride. Climbing or maneuvering in tight spaces is considered difficult terrain for you.