Centaur

**Centaurs** are creatures described as half man and half horse, although in modern times many depictions of Centaurs have become romanticized and even viewed as heroic.

## History

### Origins

The centaurs were usually said to have been born of Ixion and Nephele. As the story goes, Nephele was a cloud made into the likeness of Hera in a plot to trick Ixion into revealing his lust for Hera to Zeus. Ixion seduced Nephele and from that relationship centaurs were created. Another version, however, makes them children of Centaurus, a man who mated with the Magnesian mares. Centaurus was either himself the son of Ixion and Nephele (inserting an additional generation) or of Apollo and the nymph Stilbe. In the latter version of the story, Centaurus' twin brother was Lapithes, ancestor of the Lapiths.

Another tribe of Centaurs was said to have lived on Cyprus. According to Nonnus, they were fathered by Zeus, who, in frustration after Aphrodite had eluded him, spilled his seed on the ground of that land. Unlike those of mainland Greece, the Cyprian Centaurs were horned. It is said that the Centaurs also adopted the hunting methods of Artemis herself, mainly through her use with a bow and arrow. Some Centaurs have even come to revere the Goddess of the Hunt given their anthropomorphic nature. Female Centaurs in particular, known as the Artemidies, are closest to Artemis.

There were also the Lamian Pheres, twelve rustic daimones (spirits) of the Lamos river. They were set by Zeus to guard the infant Dionysus, protecting him from the machinations of Hera, but the enraged goddess transformed them into ox-horned Centaurs. The Lamian Pheres later accompanied Dionysus in his campaign against the Indians.

### Centauromachy

The Centaurs are best known for their fight with the Lapiths who would have been cousins to the Centaurs. The battle, called the Centauromachy, was caused by the Centaurs' attempt to carry off Hippodamia and the rest of the Lapith women on the day of Hippodamia's marriage to Pirithous, who was the king of the Lapithae and a son of Ixion. Theseus, a hero and founder of cities, who happened to be present, threw the balance in favor of the Lapiths by assisting Pirithous in the battle.

The Centaurs were driven off or destroyed. Another Lapith hero, Caeneus, who was invulnerable to weapons, was beaten into the Earth by Centaurs wielding rocks and the branches of trees.

## Description

The traditional tales of the Centaurs held them to be a brutal race prone to drunkenness, looting and defilement. Centaurs often drank and fought amongst themselves, participated in the raiding of towns and kidnapped women regularly, much like the Satyr, a closely related species. Originally, it was said that all centaurs were males, which is why they were so prone to abducting women, but the idea of the female Centaur, a Centauride or Centauress, did emerge in later mythology, especially in Roman mythology.

Although considered dangerous even in the days of ancient Greece, over time there have been examples of honorable Centaurs who have aided humans rather than attacked them. These Centaur were considered the exception rather than the norm, and possessed a mastery of their primal nature which they used to strengthen them further than their more savage brethren.

The original home of the Centaurs was said to be upon Mount Pelion, a mountain located in eastern Magnesia within Thessaly. The majority of the Centaurs were described as residing in caves, and using clubs to hunt for their food. In battle, Centaurs can wield a variety of weapons such as spears, axes, bows, and arrows, though outside of warfare they prefer fighting with fists, wrestling opponents to the ground, and trampling them beneath their hooves.

## Notable Centaurs

### Chiron

**Chiron** was a **Centaur** from Greek mythology, who served as a teacher for heroes. He was said to be a son of the Titan Cronus and the Oceanid Philyra, making him the brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia.

Chiron was notable for his youth-nurturing nature. His personal skills tend to match those of his foster father Apollo, who taught the young Centaur the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics and prophecy, and made him rise above the beastly nature of his species. Like satyrs, Centaurs were notorious for being wild, lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, violent when intoxicated, and generally savage; Chiron by contrast, became intelligent, civilized and kind, coming to be known as the "wisest and most just of all the Centaurs".

### Nessus

Nessus was a famous Centaur who was killed by Heracles. After carrying Deianeira, the wife of Heracles, across the river, he attempted to force himself upon her. Heracles saw this from across the river and shot a Hydra-poisoned arrow into Nessus' breast. As he lay dying, as a final act of malice, Nessus told Deianeira that his blood would ensure that Heracles would be true to her forever, knowing the blood to be infected with the Hydra's poison. Deianeira foolishly believed this lie and in time, his tainted blood would in turn kill Heracles when he least expected it. In the afterlife, Nessus became a ferryman on the river Euenos.

## Common powers

**Acidic Blood:** Centaurs blood is acidic, and may be pressurized within their bodies so that it spurts out when the skin is pierced.

**Charge!:** Centaurs are able to charge in a linear direction with superhuman speed and strength causing great destructive force.

**Digitigrade Legs:** Centaurs possess legs capable of digitigrade locomotion, meaning standing or walking on its digits, or toes.

**Enhanced Accuracy:** Centaurs can achieve complete and utter accuracy on distant targets, with the activity in their brain center for aim and accuracy drastically improved.

**Enhanced Archery:** Centaurs possess superhuman proficiency and skill in the bow and arrow, being able launch multiple arrows with one shot, use the bow as a melee weapon, etc. They can reload the weapon rapidly and efficiently, even with heavy mechanisms like the crossbow.

**Enhanced Combat:** Centaurs possess proficiency, capabilities and knowledge regarding general combat.

**Enhanced Durability:** Centaurs' physical durability, the ability to withstand damage, is extremely high, allowing them to take numerous blows of internal or external assaults before succumbing to the effects.

**Enhanced Endurance:** Centaurs can endure physical stresses beyond the capabilities of the greatest humans, enabling them to do things such as: tolerate extreme amounts of physical pain, having your limbs ripped off or having your bones completely crushed, being corroded by acid, and even resisting extremely painful headaches for prolonged periods of time.

**Horse Physiology:** Centaurs with this ability either is or can mimic into horses, including both wild and domesticated horses and ponies.

**Multiple Legs:** Centaurs have or more than two functioning legs, which make them more stable and harder to push over.

**Unnatural Size:** Centaurs either possesses a level of physical size either greater or smaller than that of a normal member of their species or is simply a member of a species that is naturally bigger or smaller than humans.