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some thoughts about centaurs
Apr. 21st, 2011 11:14 amDragon 103 has a centaur article which was okay; I don't entirely agree with it, but nobody's really an arbiter of fact when it comes to anatomically improbable mythical creatures.
I figure; centaurs are actually smaller-bodied, with the horse part equivalent to a tarpan, fjord, or other smaller, primitive horse (which will look kinda clunky when drawn). That would fit with the idea that centaurs came into being in times far distant to any fantasy game, and means they retain a fairly inflexible spine needed for longer runs. Potentially shorter, smaller centaurs are more capable of fitting into structures or underground than big 17 hh stereotypes, but I can't see any way trying to maneuver a horse half around inside would be comfortable.
Having a human and a horse style stomach means they are fairly efficient consumers for their biomass, which is part of why they might keep herds of cattle and probably why centaurs would be depicted as drunk and rowdy. Without any alcohol of their own (where's a part-horse nomad likely to get stuff to brew? Unless they chew up grasses to make booze, and even then it won't be very strong), and graced with an efficient pair of stomachs and little body fat, these are people who have really no ability to tolerate it.
These guys are nomadic and follow traditional patterns of movement in larger territory, which might put them on the odds with humans, orcs, or other more sedentary fantasy residents liable to claim big swaths of terrain as exclusive. I kind of see them as the big losers in fantasy worlds; they don't breed fast, and their ability to move away from trouble is the up side to being a culture constantly forced to move. That's part of why they have the reputation of being scholarly; knowledge is portable, and someone with a horse body can carry at all times what, for preindustrial types, is a pretty significant library. The only goods they really need from the outside world are luxuries they can't make - big metal items, books, and booze - so humans are going to have a really biased view of them.
Having horseshoes opens up a lot more area to centaurs, and a nomad culture is going to have more portable forges and smelters. Not the sort of thing that can churn out armor and big weapons, but the sort of thing that can knock out arrowheads as well as horseshoes. Part-horses with a low birth rate, no real armor, and the ability to shoot on the run are going to prefer engaging at range anyway.
The best way to heat a batch of horse bodied types is to cluster together for warmth. I figure they have some sort of big communal yurt type things they can easily assemble, dissemble, and use to shelter as a herd.
I figure; centaurs are actually smaller-bodied, with the horse part equivalent to a tarpan, fjord, or other smaller, primitive horse (which will look kinda clunky when drawn). That would fit with the idea that centaurs came into being in times far distant to any fantasy game, and means they retain a fairly inflexible spine needed for longer runs. Potentially shorter, smaller centaurs are more capable of fitting into structures or underground than big 17 hh stereotypes, but I can't see any way trying to maneuver a horse half around inside would be comfortable.
Having a human and a horse style stomach means they are fairly efficient consumers for their biomass, which is part of why they might keep herds of cattle and probably why centaurs would be depicted as drunk and rowdy. Without any alcohol of their own (where's a part-horse nomad likely to get stuff to brew? Unless they chew up grasses to make booze, and even then it won't be very strong), and graced with an efficient pair of stomachs and little body fat, these are people who have really no ability to tolerate it.
These guys are nomadic and follow traditional patterns of movement in larger territory, which might put them on the odds with humans, orcs, or other more sedentary fantasy residents liable to claim big swaths of terrain as exclusive. I kind of see them as the big losers in fantasy worlds; they don't breed fast, and their ability to move away from trouble is the up side to being a culture constantly forced to move. That's part of why they have the reputation of being scholarly; knowledge is portable, and someone with a horse body can carry at all times what, for preindustrial types, is a pretty significant library. The only goods they really need from the outside world are luxuries they can't make - big metal items, books, and booze - so humans are going to have a really biased view of them.
Having horseshoes opens up a lot more area to centaurs, and a nomad culture is going to have more portable forges and smelters. Not the sort of thing that can churn out armor and big weapons, but the sort of thing that can knock out arrowheads as well as horseshoes. Part-horses with a low birth rate, no real armor, and the ability to shoot on the run are going to prefer engaging at range anyway.
The best way to heat a batch of horse bodied types is to cluster together for warmth. I figure they have some sort of big communal yurt type things they can easily assemble, dissemble, and use to shelter as a herd.