Centaur
PC Statistics
Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Wis +1 Con -2 Dex
Favored Class: Druid
Feats:
Special Abilities:
Notes:
- Centaurs get a static model. Regardless of what is chosen during character generation, all Centaur have the same appearance. All Centaurs use a male Centaur model (the human half appears elven, the horse half is in fact a deer model.)
- The race should get Natural Armor bonus but the current NWN implementation is Deflection. This may be revised in the future.
Overview
Centaurs were created by the god Skern, who was born of the blood of O'Ma and Titania that fell from the sky during their horrific battles of the Fairy War. They can be described as half-horse and half-human, with their lower bodies being those of strong horses, and upper bodies being robustly human. Because they are indirectly a joint creation of two deities that are enemies, centaurs adopt a neutral attidude in the fairy conflict, and prefer to pass their time in hedonistic pursuits and carefree celebrations of the natural world that is shared by all. This does not preclude them from also being a very noble race with a sense of pride and morality, however.
Personality
Centaurs try to live carefree lives of joy and pleasure, always wating for a chance to satisfy their latest desire and passion. These can range from eating and drinking, to chasing new love interests, to celebrating the most recent holiday. (Nearly every day of the calendar for centaurs has some sort of holiday.) Behind this outward happiness lies a measure of confusion and sadness. Because they are neither an O'Ma nor a Titanian race, but rather a cross between the two, centaurs feel caught in the middle of the struggle between these two sides. They wrestle heavily with the views of their "grandmother", Titania, and their "grandfather", O'Ma. Some centaurs will try to adopt the views of one or the other deity, only to be snubbed or mistrusted by the deity's other followers, which can bring on depression for them. Sadness and confusion are rarely revealed to outsiders, or even one another, however. Centaurs make a point of being playful and happy, unless threatened. A few have accepted the reality of their existence and embraced in order to gain inner peace.
Physical Description
Centaur bodies are a combination of horse and human. Their lower half is that of a finely chiseled and muscular horse, ranging all the normal colors of that species: brown, rusty red, black, white, speckled, and more. Their upper half is that of a human, possessing distinct and beautiful features and a robust physique. Males have humanoid torsos that are rigidly muscular with broad shoulders and angular facial features. Females have luxuriously curved humanoid halves with stocky frames and chests and with classically beautiful faces and eyes. Hair color for both sexes can range from darkest black to lightest blonde, and eye colors are usually green or brown, though blues are seen sometimes.
Centaurs do not consider clothing to be necessary for purposes of modesty, but they will wear garments on their humanoid portions when traveling among other races. They are also fond of wearing naturally-made jewelry, constructed from shells, feathers, and other things found in nature. Sometimes they will also work decorations into the various pouches and satchels that they carry to hold their belongings or weapons.
Relations
Centaurs desire to have good relations with both O'Ma and Titanian fairy races, however more often than not when they attempt it, they get accused of taking one side or the other. This leaves them sad and dejected when they are put at odds with the local fairies. Some groups of centaurs have actively allied with one or the other group, but their loyalty is continuously questioned in such cases. For the most part, centaurs realize that pleasing both sides is nearly impossible, and they refuse to take a stand, desiring instead to pursue their own daily pleasures.
Elves and centaurs tend to get along very well because they both share a love of nature, and curiously enough this is true of gnomes and halflings as well. Dwarves are usually seen as stubborn and confrontational, and centaurs find them annoying because of this. This is also true of most evil races, and many humans.
Alignment
Centaurs are largely true neutral in alignment, refusing to distinguish at all between any form of morals or values as being right or wrong. They simply accept what is and what needs to be. If laws are necessary at the time, they will be tolerated, but only so long as they are useful. Some centaurs get caught up with the affairs of the world, and adopt a chaotic good approach, shunning laws, but desiring that good be done.
Centaur Lands
Most centaurs can be found in the forests of T'Nanshi, and some of the larger forests in the halfling lands of Ferrell. The halfling lands offer a place for the centaurs to live far away from most of the immediate and ugly battles of the fairy conflict, and they enjoy the neutral stance of the halflings on the matter. They have no country or lands of their own, and are nomadic in nature, wandering from glade to glade on a whim.
Religion
Skern is the patron god of centaurs, and most of them worship him, though a good number of the centaurs in Ferrell have taken to worshipping Berryn, the goddess of morning and spring. Berryn's ideals have changed the outlook of some centaurs and given them hope, as well as solidified their desire to be happy and free. Centaur beliefs do not revolve around worship, however. Deities are something of a side issue for all of them but those serving a church directly. They acknowledge the importance of deities, but only pray to them in times of perceived need.
Language
Centaurs speak a form of sylvan that is barely considered its own language. It is so similar to sylvan, in fact, that most scholars consider it a dialect. The majority of them also speak common, but do so in a thickly accented fashion that substitutes many sylvan words for things they cannot immediately recall.
Names
Centaurs are given names at birth. Traditionally, they are named after one of their parents or grandparents, and lots of names get recycled frequently. Often, when there are many centaurs in a herd that have the same name, some of them will adopt other names which are more descriptive. For example, "Vedreion" may become "Vedreion Star Eyes", which eventually may get shortened to "Star Eyes", or simply, "Star". One of their children may then receive the name Star, and the name propogation will change and expand in that way. Because of this phenomenon, last names are not common for centaurs, because they would be shortened and eventually chopped off.
Male Names
Aegis, Aledrion, Balantreion, Chandleron, Deneider, Dulondrios, Galapicos, Lithos, Kropites, Terites
Female Names
Aenia, Aerlona, Caltropia, Deonnia, Dalyth, Epona, Elande, Freidana, Lerasyne, Quianta
Adventurers
Centaurs who adventure tend to be idealistic and desire to make a difference in the world, usually in reference to the fairy conflict. Some will adopt similar attitudes to the elves and remain neutral in the conflict, but wish to create better harmony between nature and the other races.