Chiron

Centaurs - known as *Chiron* in their own tongue - are equine-like quadropeds native to Ur's High Plains.

They were briefly conquered by the Tiberian Ecumene until Cloven Freemane led the Centauri Rebellions.

After his death the Chiron banded together into the "Centauri Federation".

## History

### Origins

Centaurs originally dwelled in Vaalbara and were a sophisticated race of warrior-scholars, prophets, and stargazers, living in harmony with the Pan. They left the continent after forseeing the coming of the Rift, raising a land bridge from the bottom of the sea and migrating to Ur's High Plains.

### High Plains

Life on the Plains changed them into a savage, primitive race of nomadic herds.They managed to coexist with native men under a feudal arrangement. The human tribes gathered food for the Chiron, who otherwise would have spent much of their time grazing, and traded wild horses (whom the Centaurs treated like slaves). In return they were protected by the herds.

### Decimation

This way of life changed drastically when the Tiberian Ecumene built a road to Yavanna. This highway, better known as the "Corpse Road", cut across 4000 miles of wilderness and the Centauri's lands. Millions of slaves and thousands of legionnaires died in its construction, either worked to death or slain in grisly raids. At first the Tiberians appeased the herds, however, trade and mingling introduced them to alcohol, disease, guns, and steel. Many herds were absolutely decimated by alcohol, the Tiberians bribing them with enormous quantities of wine.

### Centurions

The friendliest herds were given weapons and armor, easily gaining an edge of their rivals. Their warriors competed to join the Century, an elite mercenary unit that served the Ecumene, patrolling the Corpse Road and fighting in the farthest reaches of the empire. Centurions gained tremendous status within the Ecumene. Although they were never afforded Citizenship they still leveraged enormous power over Tiberium's trade lanes.

The Centurions managed to herd the other Centaurs onto *Corrals*, vast but poor pockets of wilderness. There they were forced to consolidate into ever larger herds living in sprawling camps. For the first time females were treated as property, considered hardly above actual horses. Many sold themselves into slavery and to this day their children, known as "Draughts", still dwell in western Ur.

### Cloven Freemane

Among these slaves was a young foal, cast out from the *Corrals* not long after he was born and captured by a Centurions. They named him Cloven and sold him to the Crucible, the grandest of Tiberium's bloody arenas. Cloven grew into a fearsome champion and was well-loved by the crowd, eventually winning his own freedom. He took the name "Freemane" and returned home to the Plains. But there he found his people marginalized and oppressed, stripped of their dignity. Enraged by what he saw he rallied these herds together, leading grisly raids against the Tiberians. This inspired all the Centauri to revolt; even the Centurions were won over to his cause, ashamed of their own submission to the Ecumene.

### Centaur Rebellions

In time this revolt grew from simple raids into a full-fledged rebellion. Under Cloven's leadership the herds seized the Corpse Road and overran Tiberium's borders. The Ecumene was ill-prepared for such an invasion; it had still not fully recovered from its war with the elves and its Legions were stretched thin. Cloven struggled to keep the herds in line; most only wanted to pillage the countryside but he knew that, given time, the Tiberians would rally their strength and eventually push them back to the High Plains. The only chance they had was to strike at the heart, sacking Numitor and force the Tiberians to surrender. Unfortunately Cloven died within sight of his goal after coming up lame. His seemingly unstoppable invasion ground to a halt at Numitor's very gates.

### Chiron Federation

Leaderless and with the Legions closing in on them the herds retreated back to the High Plains. Those provinces they had already sacked suffered even more than they had before for the Centauri destroyed everything in sight. They gathered at Ironshod, the oldest of the Corrals where Cloven had first inspired his people to rebel. There they agreed to unify under a confederacy so that they would never again suffer such humiliation by human hands. This new state, the "Chiron Federation", was not a true nation by any definition. Instead it dealt with foreign interests, settled disputes among the herds, and organized war efforts.

### Today

Since the Ecumene's collapse 200 years ago the Chiron Federation has begun to unravel, lacking a common enemy or leader strong enough to unite the herds.

## Description

At first glance Centaurs appear human from the waist up and joined at the withers to an equine body, however, they have no relation to either men or horses. Instead they consider themselves to belong to a higher form of life altogether. They equine features (elongated snouts, large and wide-spaced eyes, long necks and ears) and the patterns and color of their skins match that of their coats. Their mane-like crest of hair is often styled into a Mohawk or top knot.

Centaurs rarely live past forty, usually succumbing to violence or injury (lameness in particular is crippling). The average adult can be over seven feet tall and weigh more than 1200 pounds.

## Territories

Most Centaurs still dwell on the High Plains and belong to the Chiron Federation but there are many distinct breeds who have settled elsewhere in the world.

* Draughts - descended from slaves and Centurions alike, Draughts dwell in what were once the heartlands of the Tiberian Ecumene (what are now the "Ashlands"). They are bigger and more organized than regular Chiron and have preserved many Tiberian customs, passing down weapons and armor as heirlooms. They remained loyal to the Ecumene until the bitter end and from time to time have dealings with the Undercity.
* Coldbloods, "Garron" - Garron are the biggest and burliest Centaurs, their shaggy pelts protecting them from the freezing elements. They inhabit the largest territory after the High Plains, their herds scattered across Troika and along the Pale Sea and the Dragonback mountains. They are very surefooted despite their massive size. They also have horns.
* Roan - Roans are native to the Wildergreen and Deadfall forests, though they rarely venture into the Oldgrowth. They have brown, white-spotted coats and are the smallest breed.

## Society

The Chiron are organized into herds numbering anywhere from dozens to hundreds of individuals (mostly adult mares and their young foals and foundlings), and spend all their time foraging. The biggest, strongest, and most virile Centaurs (Bulls) have their choice of mares in return for guarding the herd - they are also deliberately kept away, to prevent domestic violence. Bull herds are much smaller and tend to take up raiding in addition to foraging. Geldings are castrated prisoners kept as slaves and used as pack animals. In both herds leadership is obtained through strength and respect.

### Culture

They enjoy playing flutes and stamping their hooves in rhythm, and have a fine appreciation for drunken brawls. Yet they are also great astronomers (many of their rituals and migrations revolve around the movements of the stars). Their typical behavior can be short-tempered, drunk, violent, and territorial, yet they are caught between two natures. In their youth they possess an unbridled wildness that becomes tempered by age and experience.Their instinctive respect for strength means they despise underhandedness, having a deep loathing for magic of any sort.

Interestingly Centaurs of both sexes also have relations with regular horses, treating them like chattel.

### Language

Chiron do not share a common language and, before they were herded onto Corrals, may not have had one at all. Nonverbal communication is preferred but many now speak Tiberium's "Dead Speech" with varying degrees of success.

## Economy & Technology

Long ago the Chiron may have been a very sophisticated people but today they are subsistence foragers living in the Stone Age. Still, they readily adopt any tech they can loot, steal, or barter from humans (steel armor and weapons being the most prized). Many of their own tools and weapons are made of rock, bone, and sinew, and they burn manure for fuel. Their economy pivots on two things; raiding and bartering. They do not understand the value of money and instead give each other gifts (shiny trinkets, a bag of oats, a fresh mare or stallion).

### Fashion

Often warriors will wear scraps of armor, jewelry, and grisly trophies looted during battles. Feathers, flowers, and bones are also common ornaments. Few of their tools are made from metal; only the strongest warbands can afford to arm their Lancers with such finery.

### Diet

Because their digestive tracts are so long much of a Centaur's routine revolves around grazing; generally wild grains and grasses, oats, fruit, barley mash, etc. They are herbivorous creatures so their diets are necessarily vegan. They also have a taste for alcohol, which was introduced to them by Tiberians, although many choose to abstain for personal reasons. They still import huge quantities of wine as tribute levied on caravans travelling the Corpse Road.