Rentauri

The Rentauri (IAUSI: RENRSO777777192) are the dominant sapient species located on the planet Rentaurus, in the bottom of the Near-Earth Sector. They are known for their preservation of history and ancient culture (which is interestingly very similar to that of humans). A single Rentauri is known as a Rentaur.
==History==
It is speculated that the original Rentauri were steppe grazers that had the appearance of goats or cows on Earth, but with an arch in their back. The adaptation of hands and arms was for reaching high into the Manza trees to grab fruits. As more and more Rentauri stood on their hind legs, soon it became normal to walk on two hooves.
Pottery and signs of a written language are found near prehistoric settlements dated to 12,000 years ago. This indicates that the original herds of Rentauri slowly became more and more settled in their lifestyles. About 5,000 years ago, the Rentauri began their cult of "magic", similar to the Age of Awakening that would come on planet Earth thousands of years later. However, the Rentauri cherished and kept safe the magical powers, making sure that ordinary citizens could not obtain the magic and thus become rebellious.
However, there was a great warrior named Olgomoth the White, for his rare white hide, who united the magically-sensitive Rentauri, and overthrew this regime (akin to the ousting of King Zaram on Earth later). Olgomoth the White gave magic to the people, allowing them to construct great citadels and produce vessels that could traverse not just the sky, but the stars. However, Olgomoth was a cruel ruler, and he had something called Vos Traversi, which let him control the magic all over Rentaurus. Eventually, Olgomoth was assassinated by his closest general, but with Olgomoth's death, the magic on Rentaurus seemed to disappear.
For thousands of years after that, the Rentauri continued to live in the same way of life, which was like that of medieval Earth. The spacefaring nature of the Rentauri lost, and the powerful citadels no longer being built. The first advanced civilization to encounter the Rentauri was humanity (Irin Republic, very recently, in 2970), who helped uncover an ancient citadel named Pious Major, and convert it into a bustling, modern spacehub. Dr. Susan Kristoff, a famous astroarcheologist, is the head of a human mission on Rentaurus, learning more about "magical" technology and the days of old.
==Physiology==
Rentauri are classified as a humanoid species. This means that their outwards appearance has the shape of a human, but they are also very similar to bovine and caprine species located on the human planet. They have hooves like the even-toed ungulates, and an extended face matching that of a goat. The skin of a Rentaur is covered in fur, which varies from how northern a climate the Rentaur comes from (typically, colder weather means a shaggier coat). Also, male Rentauri have true horns that come in varying shapes and sizes. Internally, Rentauri are extremely similar to cows, and they are herbivores that chew their own cud as well. Rentauri have large brains though, and hands similar to that of humans. Rentaurs are generally a little smaller than humans, but many suffer from gigantism, known as the Warrior's Curse. These Rentauri can grow to around 11' tall (Olgomoth the White was said to have the Warrior's Curse, and stories depict him as 14' tall, but these are just rumors). 
==Society==
Rentaurus had always been a planet seperated into various kingdoms and tribes, with brief eras of unity (such as the one under Olgomoth). The Rentauri still worship magic, and consider some of the technology brought by humanity to be magic. One of the main issues on Rentaurus that the Irini have tried to tackle is the heavy use of drugs, specifically Miatai leaves. The main authority over the planetary affairs not long before the human arrival was the Circle of the Oracles, mystics and intellects who would make decisions about the Rentauri fate. Under human influence, however, Rentauri have begun to lose their ancient ways and work in the space service industry, with the ancient oracles lost. Cax, a native species of cat-like beasts of burden, are an essential part of the traditional Rentauri life, and are used to mount Irini police forces in the city as well.
==Notable Members==
*Olgomoth the White
*Holofi
*Honamoth
==Trivia==
*The name Rentaur was coined from the Greek root "taur", which means bull
*The Rentauri are modelled after the ancient mythological creature known as the minotaur
Category:Species