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Mutton y u no PoW

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Country Name:
Government type: Tribal Confederacy

"Let this hereby end all past and future grievances between us. With the spirits of our ancestors as witness and with the blessing of all chiefs, we have convened, deliberated and settled that all the bounties of this land are to be shared equally by any of our own who live and work for them. And whosoever breaks this bond of friendship shall be punished as seen fit by the laws of his own kin. This, we swear to uphold. From this day forth, we are all as brothers, bound by duty to rise when harm would come to any other as if it would to us, or we be put to death."

Ruler: Several - each tribe is guided by its own Chief, and each tribe has a different type of organization. Some may have rule concentrate in a single individual where others may share responsibilities with others.
Location:

Capital City: none
Language : Various - Present-day centaur tribal languages all started off as regional dialects of the same archaic language, increasingly becoming diverse over time as they picked up words and expressions from neighboring cultures or trade partners. The common characteristic of all these languages is the use of various clicks, the direction in the mouth the sound emanates from signifies a cardinal direction, with suffixes that also tell the time of day. At any given time between two partners, both know not only what is being discussed, but where it happened, where it was coming from, where it was heading and when this happened, these being present in every-day language thereby giving speakers an unparallelled sense of cardinal direction and cycles of time.
Currently, a sign language is being used, adopted earlier on by all to communicate with other tribes and other peoples if there is no shared language. A foreigner would most likely be taught in using this sign language when trading with them before learning any of their tribal languages is even a possibility.
Species: Centaur
Army
No tribe possesses a professional, standing army, instead defense falling into the hands of their hunters and men overall. Ordinarily, men hunt while women tend to the household, but in times of crisis when men would be away for an extended period or do not return, the women assume the duties of their men as well, up to and including serving in combat.
For this reason, communal child-rearing is commonplace. If disaster strikes a given family, there is a network of extensive relatives and godparents to fall back on, and the elderly, held in high regard and possessing greater than average wealth are usually the ones that take in unclaimed orphans until they come of age to be apprenticed to a tribal specialist, or as a last resort, given to a different tribe.

Physical conditioning is extremely important to success as a hunter and a fighter. Both boys and girls undergo physical conditioning and training in arms during their childhood, being expected to be ready to join their parents by age 15. From this point on, men and women receive training in different areas by their parents, fathers training their sons and mothers training their daughters, as applicable. Men learn complex hunting tactics and receive further physical conditioning and survival training, whereas the women are taught how to negotiate, trade, run the household and tend to various animals as well as treating illnesses and injuries too trivial for a Mender.




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History
Just as their languages, histories and origins myths have diversified across the tribes as time went on. Centaurs possess no written language.


Outsiders tend to encounter centaurs mainly through trade. Possessing the endurance and skill to navigate the steppes, neighboring nations find it advantageous to trade their goods to them and have them travel across to another empire, then return with wares from there. Such practice has set lucrative traditions for all parties and has consolidated the centaurs' reputation as nomad traders of the steppe, purveyors of exotic goods and services.


Pic: (optional)
Religion : - on its way -
Population: ~ 1mil 200-400thousand spread across 58 - 62 tribes

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Species Form (only if you aren't playing humans)

Name: Centaur*
(given that each tribe has their own name for themselves in their own dialect as well as for others around them, for the purposes of convenience, they will be referred to as centaurs first and foremost, with a reference then to their given region)

Physical Features: Humanoid torso, horse body. All centaur share powerful muscles at the back- and sides of their humanoid torsos, conveying to them significantly greater power for stabbing, slashing, striking and drawing, hence the preference toward such weaponry. Should they rear up, they can put even more weight and force behind their swing. Because they have the large surface area given to them by their equine bodies, their upper parts can swing further from where a human's center of gravity would be, allowing even wider strikes without any risk of becoming unbalanced.
Centaur have two hearts, one inside the human torso's rib cage and the other inside the horse body's rib cage. The two hearts operating in tandem allow for a very efficient blood flow and even if the centaur receives a grievous injury to their human heart, they may survive thanks to their secondary heart. However, damage sustained to the horse heart remains lethal, due to the high amount of shock losing the larger of the two hearts causes to the body. Having two hearts also helps them in situations where one heart suffers arrhythmia or otherwise becomes disabled but uninjured -in such a circumstance, the one heart may be restarted and/or rebalanced by the other.
The digestive tract within the human torso is also mostly unchanged, with the exception that its lower parts lie deeper inward, toward the horse body. From here, it connects to the equine gastric and intestinal tract, which acts as an additional means of deriving nutrients from a given meal, allowing centaurs an overall more efficient metabolism than humans or horses. They also have two sets of livers and two sets of lungs.
Finally, centaurs do not have human kidneys in the humanoid torso, nor a gall bladder. Instead, these organs are found in the equine part of their bodies.
Regional info below, drawings of each to come.

Northern Tribes - make the inhospitable, frigid forests of the taiga forestland their home. They are hardy and well-adapted to the hardship that comes with the lifestyle their environment demands. Expert trackers, survivalists, powerful and enduring in their pursuits, the sheer strength of a centaur of the north is nothing short of legend. A tribe has low numbers, for only the strong live to reach adulthood.

• Physical Characteristics:
  - largest of all centaur
  - thick skin with fat layer and thick fur
  - hair color varies from black through brown to red
  - large bodies with shorter limbs
  - males grow horns


• War Gear:
  - protect themselves with chain on top of padded cloth, with occasional hammered metal and splint
  - carry additional throwing spears
  - adorn themselves with fur shawl of a great beast, further adding to their already imposing stature
  - armed with long-bearded axes wielded in both hands

Western Tribes - inhabiting the rolling hills of the West, guarded by mountains to the west, their northern and southern neighbors; the hill tribes of the West are by far the most prosperous, tending to live stock and sharing their bounty with their allies for their continued support. Voluntary trade is no more at home than here and personal freedom is highly valued. With the western mountains being rich in ore, it is no surprise that the recent trend towards double handed swords has begun here. Their tribes have the second largest number of all.

• Physical Characteristics:
  - slightly larger than average size, putting them between centaur of the south and north, though tending more toward the prior
  - blonde and red hair colors are common
  - tattoos of the individual's deeds and accomplishments are common
  - longer than average limbs
  - possess the greatest stamina of all centaur


• War Gear:
  - wear very little or no armor
  - always apply war paint for battle, giving themselves fierce visages
  - may carry an additional shield for protection against ranged attack
  - weapon of choice is the double handed sword, wielded in both hands

Eastern Tribes - tribes of the steppe occupy the largest expanses of land of all tribes and keep few domestic animals in addition to being hunter-gatherers, following game migration. They are renowned for their excellence in marksmanship and speed. Their tribes are average-sized compared to others, but there are significantly more of them by comparison.

• Physical Characteristics:
  - smallest of all centaur, their small size and short limbs offering them excellent nimbleness
  - characterized by dark skin and epicanthic folds
  - hair typically straight and black



• War Gear:
  - armor comprised of leather and scale, with fur being common among north-eastern tribes
  - carry round, rawhide shields and curved sabres
  - weapon of choice is an X-shaped double recurve with four limbs, all attaching to a single string, offering massive power in compact form

Southern Tribes - the centaur an outsider is most likely to encounter, they inhabit the bordering forestland that leads into the vast open steppe to the East and the rolling hills of the West. They consider themselves the guardians of entry to centaur lands and take their role very seriously. They are masters at blending into their forest environment and their territory is notoriously ridden with traps and ambush sites. Their tribes have the largest number of all tribes, given that their main form of subsistence is inter-tribal trade as well as trade with outsiders.

• Physical Characteristics:
  - average size, proportionally analogous to a typical horse
  - larger than average ears, highly apt at picking up sounds and able to be angled just like those of a horse
  - dark brown or black hair, typically grows in curls


• War Gear:
  - armor consists of padded leather with hooded cloak to break their silhouette
  - always carry a bow and quiver as well
  - weapon of choice is the one-handed spear with round shield

Picture: (optional but very helpful)

Also, for my history it would be very useful to know whether the map we're using represents the circumference of the world, whether the map's West is to the east of its East? Knowing whether or not that is the case should help me a lot in figuring out the etymology for my nation. :)

Well, the world just got a whole lot more interesting.

Attila said
Also, for my history it would be very useful to know whether the map we're using represents the circumference of the world, whether the map's West is to the east of its East? Knowing whether or not that is the case should help me a lot in figuring out the etymology for my nation. :)

There is more beyond the map but it isn't yet the focus of the RP. Pushing the boundaries to a full world would certainly be a thing I would do, but the RP has to last long enough for me to do so and the current map filled enough.

That is horrifically massive. The entire plot of land is populated solely by Centaurs, too? Between Lumenor and this Centaur Confederacy, there seem to be very few humans in the Steppes.

Atilla, are you alright with the history that I established for the southern portion of the Steppes? The Light Conquest?

Hm, it appears my cats have been placed relatively near the bears.

Honestly, I'm still not happy over my history section. Muttonhawk, would you be up for a large part of my history section having to do with your bear people and vice-versa?

Did someone spill coffee on the map?

I'm thinking the centaurs would have driven the humans westward in earlier times, since they are pretty much unmatched in the open. I've read your history and if the centaurs were in those lands at the time the Light Ones were passing through, they would have done what they do best: outrun them at every turn, inflict damage if they were being pursued and generally avoid pitched battle while making the stay of the enemy as inconvenient as possible, depriving them of supplies, sleep and so forth.

Anything centaurs can't fight they will simply avoid.
However, having read your history raised an interesting idea: the Light Ones traveled through their lands once, not stopping and settled lands far beyond, to the south-west. That would have taken them some time before the conqueror Light Ones decided to make a return trip the same way they came.
This time though, they would have been facing not disparate tribes, but a single, massive horde of the entire collected centaur kind. They could have been the reason the centaur tribal confederacy would have been founded. Now depending on what you would agree upon, we can range from the Light Ones being simply routed, taught a lesson or obliterated entirely.
Do note that centaur combatants are hunters by nature and they would have lured them in through ruses into traps.

As far as my territory is concerned, I was facing a difficult dilemma. Not only are my people nomadic, meaning they need plenty of space, but they're also tribal, with an untold number of tribes present that are constantly moving across these lands with the seasons and weather patterns. Population density is extremely low so none of this land is actually settled or even routinely secured.
There's nothing stopping people from just going in there. However, the area mainly denotes a designation of land centaurs see as their own and they will kill trespassers on sight if they find them. And in open field, it's difficult to hide for long, particularly if the ones you're hiding from have every physical advantage on that terrain.
So you may go and squat there for a while and live in fear of discovery every waking moment when you lay your head down and wonder whether this will be the last time you woke up. With tribes continually migrating, settling here without the centaurs' consent is practically impossible.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this :)

Attila said
I'm thinking the centaurs would have driven the humans westward in earlier times, since they are pretty much unmatched in the open. I've read your history and if the centaurs were in those lands at the time the Light Ones were passing through, they would have done what they do best: outrun them at every turn, inflict damage if they were being pursued and generally avoid pitched battle while making the stay of the enemy as inconvenient as possible, depriving them of supplies, sleep and so forth.Anything centaurs can't fight they will simply avoid.However, having read your history raised an interesting idea: the Light Ones traveled through their lands once, not stopping and settled lands far beyond, to the south-west. That would have taken them some time before the conqueror Light Ones decided to make a return trip the same way they came.This time though, they would have been facing not disparate tribes, but a single, massive horde of the entire collected centaur kind. They could have been the reason the centaur tribal confederacy would have been founded. Now depending on what you would agree upon, we can range from the Light Ones being simply routed, taught a lesson or obliterated entirely.Do note that centaur combatants are hunters by nature and they would have lured them in through ruses into traps.As far as my territory is concerned, I was facing a difficult dilemma. Not only are my people nomadic, meaning they need plenty of space, but they're also tribal, with an untold number of tribes present that are constantly moving across these lands with the seasons and weather patterns. Population density is extremely low so none of this land is actually settled or even routinely secured.There's nothing stopping people from just going in there. However, the area mainly denotes a designation of land centaurs see as their own and they will kill trespassers on sight if they find them. And in open field, it's difficult to hide for long, particularly if the ones you're hiding from have every physical advantage on that terrain.So you may go and squat there for a while and live in fear of discovery every waking moment when you lay your head down and wonder whether this will be the last time you woke up. With tribes continually migrating, settling here without the centaurs' consent is practically impossible.Let me know what your thoughts are on this :)

So your centaurs completely removed humanity from existence in almost an entire region of the map? That's very impressive of them. They seem to be less bickering tribes in a loose confederacy and more of an unstoppable hive-mind. That goes double for your claim that any entry into their mostly unpopulated, completely undefended and massively over-sized area would inevitably result in the death of the people entering it.

In regards to the Light Ones: there was no return trip. They never went back the way they came, not because they were defeated when they tried, but because they didn't WANT to go back. Otherwise, they wouldn't have left in the first place. They started in the east, travelled west, conquering and then abandoning everything in their path, until they reached the sort of land they were looking for: Lumenor. You're welcome to say that the Light Ones encouraged the centaurs to band together by virtue of their having defeated (or at least capably ignored) the centaur tribes, but there would've been no defeat of the Light Ones for the centaurs to pride themselves over.

Pepperm1nts said
Did someone spill coffee on the map?

lol'd

Ah, my mistake, I've misunderstood "Days later, the Light Ones occupying the lands of the five eastern tribes left, leaving the tribes to fend for themselves as they settled along the lakes and lived peacefully with the Lairreen.". I was under the impression they left to the East and not actually settled there.
Okay then, that would change things.
I think a massive force like the Light Ones could have been the catalyst for the formation of a tribal confederacy in case they return and to offer every tribe, great and small, the protection they wouldn't be able to get on their own. This later kept growing into what they have today, through tradition and common benefit.

And just because they don't need an authority to tell them what to think and how to feel doesn't mean they have a hive mind. They can recognize property value, they can coordinate, organize, and they're not human. They won't behave like humans and they won't have the same priorities, as I'm sure your nation won't either.
The driving away of others is not particularly hard. You merely have to drive them off from the bountiful places over and over until their choice is to either leave or starve.

As an aside, I don't plan on the entire territory being nothing but steppe. I'm feeling like there should be a taiga transitioning into tundra in the North, so it's more gradual than the abrupt white on the map.

I do feel the territory is a bit much and when I mark it I'll likely cut it down to some small piece of territory within that area. What'd then need to happen then if you want to build a horde like that is to go Temujin or Seljuq and take it.

ASTA said
Hm, it appears my cats have been placed relatively near the bears.Honestly, I'm still not happy over my history section. Muttonhawk, would you be up for a large part of my history section having to do with your bear people and vice-versa?

I am definitely open to ideas. What did you have in mind?

Dinh AaronMk said
I do feel the territory is a bit much and when I mark it I'll likely cut it down to some small piece of territory within that area. What'd then need to happen then if you want to build a horde like that is to go Temujin or Seljuq and take it.

Alright, what about their population? No one offered any suggestions and I don't really want to stick some arbitrary number there..
What I would ask is that you include territory in the North for the centaurs, so I could have those lands having been historically occupied by northern brethren that have a different life style compared to those on the steppe.
Also, I've been considering making the south-east of their territory savannah. Or would that make sense geographically?
Overall, I'd like to diversify them physically, based on which regions they inhabit.

I really need to post here...

Populations with various margins of error:
Kingdom of Aylsfyn - Yellow - big island - 1,090,000 Humans
Veden - Blue - arable river source with some hills - 63,400 Humans
Akataneka - Pink - swamps, coastline and other arable bits - 940,000 Humans
Romeq-Intik - Green - a number of small islands - 8,500 Vilitii Elves
Thernopolisian Empire - Purple - lake and streams, protected by hills - 2,100,000 Humans with other humanoids
Dominion of Ordov - Maroon - fertile river delta and coastline - 4,020,320 Humans
Graeg - Light Blue - large expanse of cold hills, coast and fjords I think - 100,000 Humans
Saviana - Orange - one small island - 150,000 Savian Elves
Kingdom of Fenia - Dark Green - coastline between two rivers, quite arable - 250,000 Humans (with fantastic facial hair)
Lumenor - Light Grayish Brown? - Large territory bordering three big conjoined lakes on the edge of the steppe - 2,000,000 Lumen Humans
United Tribes of Heima - Dark Blue which is not darker than Veden - Large territory up in the tundra with coastline - 100,000 Humans
Reinnam - Dark grey - large hilled and mountainous peninsula, volcanic (which I would assume makes it nice and fertile) - 200,000 Saphri (mostly ginger Bruce Lee clones)
Azu Warbands - Red - Some hills, river and lakeside - 60,000 Azu (decentralised angry cat people)
Uraka Federation - Light Green - Hills, river and lakeside - 480,000 Kharis (bears that are not cavalry), 696,000 Humans, 24,000 members of other races.(1,200,000 total)
Zivaria - Blue which is I suppose between the shades of Veden and Heima - Small island, but water-dominant species - 51,000 Zivar (Shark elves)
Adrathielish Empire - Dark Pink - Large chunk of fertile delta region with river and coastline - 900,000 Humans with traces of other races

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09KL2HUXE6Q&t=37

As for you, Attilla, I'd say you could get away with at least 1 million with all that space to share, but there may be other viewpoints.

EDIT: Also note that current rate of population growth might be a better indication of how well the various populations are being sustained, but I'm no demographer or anything, there's a whole bunch of things. This is just a snapshot to give you an idea of what other people chose to start with.