The ancient
human tribe of the Centoraurians has always
been located in the northwestern region of the current
United Kingdom of Santharia. Nowadays
the members of the Centoraurian tribe are split and can be found in two
different Santharian provinces, Xaramon
and Vardýnn. Centoraurian territories of
old were the shores at the Dark Sea, adjacent to the mighty
Erpheronians to the North
and the Kyranian territories to the East/Southeast.
Centorauria took its name from the vast region of the
Aurora Plains and means in
fact "Around the Auroras",
but many also refer to the Centoraurians simply as the "Horsemen".
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Picture description. A
calvalryman of the Centourians with his warhorse.He is wearing the
traditional light leather armour of his tribe.
Image by
Quellion. |
Appearance.
The Centoraurian tribe consists of white-skinned
people with various body types and complexion, eye and hair colour. They are of
an average height. However, a typical male Centoraurian is traditionally
displayed as sunburned thin, muscular with dark hair and blue eyes and with a
height of approximately 1.75 peds. A typical Centoraurian female is about 1.65
peds tall with long hair caught in a pigtail for the single. Married women have
a tattoo just over the ankle. This tattoo embraces the foot like a ring. The
name of her husband’s family is written with calligraphic letters between the
flora pattern of the tattoo, which is unique for every family.
The Centoraurians have developed a special relationship with their
horses. For centuries it were
their horses that provided them with the
necessary for their survival. They have mastered everything that has to do with
these animals. They are the best in taming, breeding and riding them.
Centoraurian cavalry accessories are notorious all over the southern
Sarvonian continent.
The Centoraurians are quite stoic with life and usually cynical in their
remarks. They have developed a phlegmatic approach to life with a subtle irony
for its vanity. Throughout Santharia
the Centoraurians are distinguished for their terse speech and way of life.
Coat of Arms/Sign.
The coat of arms of the Centoraurians represents a rider on a winged horse. This
coat of arms replaced the initial design as it now refers to the famous
Centoraurian hero Diraton of Caelum, who
lived and died during the Second Sarvonian War.
Diraton was caught by dark elves
of the Paelelon
and was meant to lead Beringstin
Dimeye, an Eophyrhim elf, to a secret
hideout where the humans gathered for
battle.
Diraton, faithful to his tribe until his
death, led the elves on his
horse into the Anaios Gap where he gave
his life in order to save many others of his
tribe (789 b.S.).
[Read
more...]
Territory.
Centoraurian territory changed significantly as time passed by. The traditional
Centoraurian Kingdom stretched from the Efirhal Island in the North to the
Magic Sickle in the South, covering parts of today’s
Santharian provinces of
Vardýnn and Ximax.
At the East Centorauria meets the Dark Sea, and the western border with
Kyrania starts at the
Shivering Wood at the South and
goes up to the Aurelian Lakes (see map).
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Map of the ancient kingdoms of Santharia (482 b.S.). Click
on any kingdom to read more details at other kingdom entries.
Picture drawn by
Artimidor. |
At the time right after the fall of
Milkengrad, the Centoraurian capital
fell to the forces of the Red Alliance in 617 b.S. and the country plunged into
chaos and several independent regions arose. These city states tried to preserve
their independence and expand their rule to the rest of their countrymen. From
617 b.S. till 580 b.S. the islands of Efirhal and Esperoth to the north were
given to a bulk of Stratanian pirates and Ashmari
mercenaries, collectively called the Turacanthians after the name they had
temporarily given to Milkengrad.
Thyslan and the nearby area of Thysland formed the homonymous duchy. Salsair was
the capital of the Aurorian duchy and Ximax
the capital of the Magicroth Common. The small town of Horth formed the small
duchy of Hypheria. At this time Helcrah emerged as another independent
Centoraurian state and gained its independence from
Caltharia. Kyrania annexed the area south of the
Aurelian Lakes.
However, after the reunification of Centorauria in 575 b.S. new territories were
added to the country. The island of Midlanir north of the Efirhal and some
territories till the Heath of Jernais were annexed from
Erpheronia, Kyrania
lost the area between the Aurelian Lakes and the Hčckra, while the independent
Helcrah joined Centorauria.
The country managed to hold these borders until the unification with
Erpheronia in 492 b.S. and the formation of the
Tharanian kingdom ten years later. Ever since the Centoraurians remained loyal
subjects of the Tharanian and later the
Santharian kingdom.
People.
The Centoraurians are without doubt one of the most tameless tribes throughout
the
Sarvonian continent.
They cherish freedom and they are willing to suffer for it. They are extremely
difficult to rule and often they decline to defiantly. However, they obey
willingly if they respect the person in charge. This is the reason why
Centoraurian officers enjoy a high esteem among the other
Santharians. The ideal for this people
is to ride free in the plains, as they have a strong bond with their
horses. Still, 15 centuries after the
ascension of Santhros many Centoraurians
refuse to abandon their nomadic life in the plains.
It’s not random that the first centaur
was created using a Centoraurian warrior and his
horse (or at least so the legend goes).
The Centoraurians are descendants of nomadic horsemen tribes and shepards that
found their homeland in the vast grasslands of the region. They were organized
at a clan based system centred on the herd. All the major cities in the country,
except Ximax and
Milkengrad, were initially founded as
winter pastures for them. As time passed by, the pastures evolved to more
permanent settlements and later on to whole city states.
This fact reflects in local society, which is still organised in a clan based
system. Each city enjoys an extended autonomy and supports its own military
units. Furthermore, there are still many who live following their flocks in the
Aurora Plains.
The Centoraurians are elite cavalrymen and they master the art of mounted
warfare. They have developed an effective technique of firing between the
horse’s steps, when the animal is in the
air, and this makes them extremely
accurate horse archers. Centoraurian
cavalry, light and heavy, is considered one of the best in the
Sarvonian continent.
The Centoraurians use horses even with
their infantry, to transport personnel and equipment. When the troops have to
leave their horses and march on foot
their morale suffers greatly. Furthermore, the Centoraurian infantry is not of
equal prestige or size as their mounted forces. The locals consider it inferior
and only the lower social classes, that can’t support a
horse, serve as foot soldiers. That’s
why the Centoraurian army consists mainly of mounted units. If it weren’t the
Helcrani infantry, Centorauria would
lack a pure infantry force.
The Centoraurian population is characterized by a remarkable tolerance to
foreigners. Everybody can be fully accepted to their society and enjoy the same
treatment as the locals as long as he/she can speak their dialect and respects
their ethics. A stranger can also become a citizen very easily; the only
prerequisite is that he joins the Centoraurian army, as citizens are considered
only those who take arms to defend the kingdom. For that reason, military
service is voluntary for everybody, but those who choose not to or cannot serve
aren’t considered citizens and can’t hold any public office.
In Centoraurian society the women play an important role. Although they are
considered citizens only if they are married to or born from one, they are
allowed to have their own fortune and are greatly respected as the cornerstone
of the society. Women take care of the house, the upbringing of the children and
ceremonial duties. Severe laws protect them from being mistreated or abused.
Housing.
The Centoraurians like comfort in their residence. They live in large
two-storied houses built in large estates. Their homes and the other auxiliary
buildings are placed around an open area, which is called "injerion". The word
derives from the Styrásh word
"In'jeνn" for "daytime" because there they spend most of the daytime. The name
was given from an elven wiseman who - in an
undefined historical era - taught the horsemen what later became the
Centoraurians art of architecture. No further information is available for him,
not even his elven name as the wise
elf is known as Mansaviour. The injerion was
initially used for advanced horse
training, which was a family secret, but soon it turned out to be the place
where most of the daily activities took place. Traditional Centoraurian
architecture clearly reveals the origin of these people as
horse breeders and trainers. Except the
main residence building, a Centoraurian house has its stables, workshops,
granaries and storage houses. Centoraurian architecture is greatly influenced
from the Helcrani and - especially
after 700 b.S. - adopted many of its elements and became more elegant and
sophisticated with emphasis to beauty as well as functionality. The plain
Centoraurian style combined with the
Helcran affection for beauty makes a rather interesting architectural
proposal.
Clothing.
Climate conditions in Centorauria vary a lot, since the country includes many
provinces which differ from each other considerably; from the mountainous
peninsula of Ximax, to the grassy
Aurora Plains and the islands to the north with their fair climate. That’s why there is
not a common way of clothing.
The typical Centoraurians, however, commonly wear cotton or leather blouses with
short sleeves which end at a short kilt till just over the knee. Usually they
wear pants under the kilt. Their feet are protected by Centoraurian riding boots
from soft leather. In winter they wear capes from fur, thick fabrics or leather
with hoods to protect them from the cold wind and rain. Their clothing is
designed for riders and is made to provide protection from the elements of
nature when on horseback.
The women of Centorauria wear usually long dresses without sleeves. The colour,
length and their style vary according to the fashion. On their feet they wear
sandals in summer. In winter they wear - just like men - leather boots, a dress
from thick cotton and on top a leather cape. Although, the whole appears rather
beautiful, they rarely pay so much attention as the
Milkengradian women to their look.
They prefer a plain dressing and a few - if any - jewellery, so that their
natural beauty is underlined.
Diet.
Centoraurians have no special habit except that they do not eat
horse meat. As a remnant memory of their
nomadic past, horse eating is considered
a serious crime and justified only in cases of extreme need. Centoraurian
cuisine is tasty and light and includes a series of recipes based on meat and
fish.
Weapons.
The Centoraurians use all kinds of weapons.
Their favourite though seems to be their own
Centoraurian Shortsword,
although they use it mainly as a secondary weapon. Very favoured are also the
Centoraurian Cavalry Sabres, Centors and Broadswords.
The Centoraurians are also often equipped with polearms of various types,
bows and use as secondary weapon mainly some
type of sword. Their army includes few
units equipped with swords as the primary
weapon, most of them manned with
Milkengradians and based in the city. For defence they have helmets
decorated with horse tails or sometimes
with horns and carry almond shaped and less often round shields. Most common
among the Centoraurians are chain and leather mails although heavy cavalry uses
full plate armors. They use also a variety of protecting armour for wrists, legs
etc. depending on the regiment.
Occupations.
The Centoraurians practice nearly every known profession. However, due to the
morphology of their country and their historical background very popular is
herding. There are many and large flocks of cattle, horses, pigs,
sheep and goats. Famous of course are the
Centoraurian horses that are sold at
high prices all over Santharia. Very
popular are also the professions related with
horses. There are many
horse trainers, riders, veterinarians
and manufacturers of every product related with
horses and riding. Furthermore, there
are many traders, sailors and smiths especially at the Efirhal Island.
Government.
The country initially was organized in a clan based system and later on was
change to a city states system. Eventually, after a long series of wars, the
country was united and ruled by an unstable dynasty of kings, who were
practically the sovereigns of the dominant city state. Although the kings
changed very often, according to the predominant clan, the country retained its
unity. When the Helcrani took over
Centorauria in 636 b.S., the government system changed to a more centralised
form, without losing though its liberal character.
The governmental structure of ancient Centorauria can be summarized as follows:
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The
Anactar (plural "Anactari")
The Anactar represented the “King”
of Centorauria. The title, with this meaning, appeared for the first time in
636 b.S. The Anactar is King,
Leader of the Army, Supreme Judge and High Priest. Compared to the former
Centoraurian kings the Anactar has
significantly more powers. However, a major margin of autonomy is left to the
cities.
Only the Anactar and the Fratric
Council exist as the local authorities of
Milkengrad. They are under the Count
of Voldar and obey him just like other
governors do. However, Milkengrad
has the privilege to be governed by their own governors and not by governors
assigned by the Santharian government
and therefore represents the only hereditary officium in Centorauria. When
Santharia was formed, the
Anactar honorarily kept his title
as governor of the Helcrani in
Milkengrad and Helcrah.
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The Fratric Council
The Fratric Council assists and advises the
Anactar. The Council consists of
the leaders of the seven helcrani
Fratrae (Fratragetae). The Fratric Leaders supervise - and often are - the
Anactar's ministers and have some
judicial duties too.
After 570 b.S. three Helcrani
(Centoraurian noblemen) were accepted to the Fratric council to represent the
rest of the Centoraurian citizens.
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The Ptoliarchs
The Ptoliarchs were the governors of the Centoraurian provinces. Their office
derived from the rulers of the ancient independent cities. They have both
political and military authority and are responsible for applying the laws of
the state. The Ptoliarchs belonged to the upper social classes and were
usually helcrani, i.e. descendants
of the ancient Centoraurian nobility or aristocrats that rose later on.
Production/Trade.
Centorauria produces a series of agricultural products and is self sufficient on
this matter. However, the main products of the country are the animals that are
bred there and manufactured goods. Although the country has a significant
production of raw materials, large quantities of minerals, cotton and wood are
imported from all over the world of
Caelereth and are processed to be exported back as
weapons, jewelery, household items,
clothes, furniture and ships.
Natural Resources.
There are minerals in the Efirhal, Helcrah and the peninsula of
Ximax, wood in
Vontron and plenty of
fish in the surrounding seas and the
Aurelian Lakes. There are also silkworms in Efirhal and a vast plain with the
thickest grass in the Sarvonian continent,
ideal for herd breeding. There is also rhodamine of the highest quality in the
island of Esperoth.
Holidays,
Festivals and Observances.
The Centoraurians celebrate the two equinoxes in the 21st of the Awakening Earth
and in the 21st of the Month of the Fallen Leaf. These two holidays were the
greatest in the kingdom of old and now are still celebrated as provincial
holidays in Vardýnn. The origin of these
festivities extends back to their nomadic past when the people'S life changed
with the coming of spring or winter. The celebration of spring consists of a
great feast. The clans gather and rejoice with wine, meat and music. The
celebration of winter is more spiritual and is mainly for paying homage to the
dead and preparing for the forthcoming winter. The Celebration of Winter is
called Chemonar and the Celebration of Spring is called Elenear, names of
Helcran origin that replaced the
initial names of Winterfeast and Springcome.
The Centoraurians celebrate also in many other occasions, none of which though
can compare in importance with the equinox celebrations.
Places of Notice.
The following
places on ancient Centoraurian territory
are worth to be mentioned:
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The
Magical Academy
of Ximax
The famous Magical Academy of
Ximax (also called the "Institute of
Magic" or the simply "School of Magic") harbours eleven towers, five of them
form the Outer Circle, six the Inner one. In the center of the Academy the Orb
of Ximax is located, an immensely
powerful sphere of magical energy. The
Towers of the Outer Circle have the following names: the Tower of the Guard,
the Tower of Metamagic, the Tower of Life Magic, the
Tower of Summonings, the Tower of Mental Magic. The Towers of the Inner
Circle (the Tower of the
Shadow, the Tower of the Sea, the
Tower of Earth, the Tower of the Skies,
the Tower of Flame, the
Tower of Light and the Shield Dome) are arranged in
a tight circle, with walls of mystic energy tightly binding them together. On
the inside of the Circle rests one of the wonders of
Santharia: the Tear of
Avá, the
Uarná'ésh-dél, the Orb of Ximax..., this immensely powerful sphere of
magical energy is the heart of the
Institute, and the entire City of Mages was built up around this phenomenon.
The only mortal beings allowed to enter the roiling energies within the Orb
are the Archmagi, during their induction and meetings of the Conclave. It is
rumored that the Orb is truly a place where the energies of the Gods can be
focussed; where the line between the Dream and Night is blurred, and it is the
only place where mortals may reach the divine.
Myth/Lore. The following
tales are often recounted when speaking about the Centoraurians:
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The Naming of the Centoraurians
At the times of the War
of the Chosen, there was a
centaur called Mithiras, who was originally a
condemned man from Naios and made into a
magical man-horse by the mad
magicians of the past. Something has gone awry in his creation and his mind
and memory were spared unlike at other
centaurs. He could not
stand the company of these mindless creatures, so he ran away and hid himself
in the depth of the woods of mid-western
Sarvonia. He liked the forest,
probably one of the few places that the
War of the Chosen did not
yet reach. There also was a village of horsemen
nearby. An army was once passing over those lands and the village was ravaged
and burnt. Those few villagers who were left, found refuge in the forest,
where they found Mithiras. Or, rather, Mithiras found them. At first they were
afraid of him, but later he was able to show that he was not at all like the
other centaurs.
He befriended the villagers, and helped them to set up a settlement in the
forest. They made him their leader and he remained so till the
war was over and a little time after. Some say that
later those people called themselves Centoraurians, but it is only a myth.
Nevertheless it is a legend, the Centoraurians themselves hold dearly.
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The
Phantom Eyes Forest
This small and eerie forest is located in the
Aurora Plains. It took its name from two bright red eyes that sometimes are seen by
travellers. There is a rumour that these eyes belong to a beautiful, but
invisible woman, whose vague outline appears when
she passes through mist, fog or rain. It is rumoured that she lets no armed
man inside the forest. However, it is told as well
that the phantom is not hostile; it is rather friendly especially with
children. There are various stories of children entering the forest and being
guided by her in a small clearing where some graves lie and are told a story
they can barely remember afterwards - a story of
broken mirrors, death and betrayal. It is also rumoured that these children do
well with their lives and are distinguished when they grow up. As time passed
by the phantom became more and more rare. However,
the forest retained its reputation for centuries. During the reign of king
Tephron the Phantom Eyes Knight Order was established which guards the grove
and prevents trespassers from entering.
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Information provided by
Curgan
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