Centaur

The Centaur are a playable race of Desert Nomads, who love to roam free, sprint fast, and enjoy just about any kind of competition.

Nomads of the dunes:
Centaurs have a fond love for wide spaces, and the freedom to travel. Perhaps this is why they populate the sweltering deserts of Rai’Kor: a flat desert continent. The lands are brimming with Centaur Nomads, moving from one spot to the next. Despite being one of the largest populaces in Rai’Kor, there is no Centaur city; just camps that move from place to place.

The flat plains of sand are like an open road to a Centaur. They are never ones to stay in the same place for long. Even well-established Centaurs will still take time out of their busy schedules to roam the wilds for a couple of days. They race in the wind, hooves thundering and tails streaming behind them. For the ultimate expression of a Centaur, is the freedom to go wherever they want.

Beings of two-halves:
Centaurs have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of muscular humans, displaying the entire human variety of skin tones and features. Their ears are slightly pointed, but their faces are wider and squarer than those of elves. Below the waist, they have the bodies of small horses, with a similar range of coloration- from various shades of chestnut or bay to dappled or even zebra-like striped patterns. Most centaurs style their hair and their tails in a similar way. The upper bodies of centaurs are comparable to human torsos in size, and their lower equine bodies average about 4 feet tall at the withers. Though they are smaller than a human rider mounted on a horse, they fill similar roles as cavalry warriors. messengers, outriders, and scouts.

Competitive by nature:
Most Centaurs worship the god Bradwarden: a centaur deity that holds domain over athleticism, sportsmanship and the competitive spirit. As such, Centaurs live their existence looking for new challenges to overcome. They will often race each other as they travel across the deserts.

Once a year, the Centaurs host a gauntlet comprised of several events, all of which are displays of skill, speed, cunning and athleticism. There are races, archery contests, combat displays, obstacles courses, and all manner of other sports. The gauntlet is open the entire region, and more often than not it is attended by a mix of Centaur and Minotaur. The stands however, are filled with travellers, foreign merchants, and all and any manner of races. People from all over the world come to Rai’Kor to see the sporting event take place.

The Caravan comes first:
Centaur are communal beings. Oftentimes a group of like-minded Centaur will establish what they call ‘a Caravan’ to journey through the flatland deserts of Rai’Kor. They will travel together and split the tasks of keeping watch, establishing camps, scouting ahead and driving off threats.

These Caravans start off small, with maybe a group of friends deciding to form one. However, through their travels they will inevitably pick up more Centaur along the way, and Caravans soon boom in populace, often reaching the hundreds. At this point, Caravans more often resemble moving towns instead of a collection of scattered nomads.