The Coastal Herd
Aka: The Coastal Tribe
Known to be an ancient tribe within the Coastal Forests of Andaron and simply known as the Coastal Herd, or Tribe, the centaurs that live there have an ancient and rich history in the area. Rumored to have been there longer than some of the very trees, the Coastal Tribe has almost created a village amongst the forest. Creating crop fields nearby to the river that flows lazily through the area, and creating various types of housing, though most dwellings are tent like structures made up of thick material similar to hide. There are some thatch-type buildings, but those tend to be used more for any livestock or storage facilities than dwellings.
While Centaurs can easily be mistaken for Herbivores considering their Horse half, but instead they're actually Omnivores. The Coastal Herd's diet is primarily made up of Fish, Game, and Vegetables or Fruits from their Crops. They are completely self sustaining, but they have occasionally traded with other Herd when necessary, but not always. Though they tend to be quite amicable towards other herds in general.
Appearance
Centaurs are obviously Half Horse and Half Human. Their Horse half tends to dictate how tall they are, falling into the average range of however tall that breed tends to be. There is some variation, because one might have a slightly longer torso than others, but it would only be by a couple of inches. Their horse halves can be draft types, normal types, pony types, etc. Which is how they're designated than by whatever breed actually makes up their horse half.
Draft Type Examples: Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron, Fjord, Draughts, Breton, Friesian, Halflinger, Ardennes, etc.
Normal Type Examples: Arabian, Thoroughbred, Hanoverian, Lipizzan, Quarter Horse, Andalusian, Trakehner, MFT, Mustang, Lusitano, Morgan, etc.
Pony Type Examples: Welsh Cob, Connemara, Fell, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Falabella, Camarague, Shetland, etc.
Obviously their Horse Coloration is limited to Realistic Coloring.
For their Human Half, it's pretty simple, though there is some slight variance from normal humans. For one, their ears are always longer and pointier than a human's. Men also tend to have broader, flatter noses, and usually tend to be heavier than females, though not always. They have natural, normal hair and eye colors like humans.
In terms of Clothing, women tend to wear some form of cloth or shirt to cover their chest, whereas men tend to go shirtless. Either may put emphasis in their hair or tails, braiding them, or intertwining beads, feathers, etc. Women especially sometimes wear elegant jewelry like accessories on their horse halves.
Other Important Information
Gestation: 13 Months
It takes longer than a human and horse because of the amount and size of organs, as well as the size and proportions of the offspring. They come out slightly smaller than foals of that horse type's would be. Twins are nonexistent and not possible, it'd kill the mother and infants.
Lifespan: 250+ Years
They are considered Semi-Immortal Beings, with elongated lifespans, but no one knows exactly how long, as few rarely have died of what is considered Old Age.
Age Ranges:
Birth - 1 Year: Infant, Foal, Newborn
1 to 11 Years = Youngling, Foal, Child
12 - 18 = Yearlings, Colt, Filly, Teenager
18+ = Adult, Mare, Stallion, Man, Woman, etc.
Centaurs commonly use terms of both Humans and Horses interchangeably.
Behaviorisms:
- Tend to be Territorial of their Main Camp, but Care little about the rest of the area
- Strictly Monogamous; Marital Bonds are Considered Sacred
- Courting Cannot Begin Officially Until Both are 18
- There is a Vague Hierarchy but Nothing Abhorrent or Super Strict
- Mothers often carry their Infants or Newborns in sling like bags when making long treks or in dangerous areas
The Hierarchy of the Herd
The Coastal Herd is a Larger Herd, and is made up of different families and individuals. The structure of the herd is pretty simple, but rather dynamic in nature.
The Entire Herd is lead by a Chieftan and his Chieftess. This role is chosen by the Herd itself, but they're always the Heads of their Respective Family, basically the Oldest Adults still in their Prime.
From them comes the rest of the Heads of the other Families. Typically a "Family" is a Mated Pair, and their Offspring, though sometimes the Elderly Parents of the Mated Pair are also included. Basically? After the Chieftan and the Chieftess all the Prime Adults are next.
Then the Elders.
Then the Offspring.
The Leaders of the Herd Oversee them all, but they cannot bully the Heads of the other Families. Basically the Chieftan and the Chieftess make decisions for the Overall Herd, but they don't get the Say So over individual members of the families, that is up to the Family's Head.
If one of the Leaders is found overstepping, they'll likely be met with a duel as Centaur Families do not take kindly to another trying to come in and tell them how to handle their own.