Witch-king like character? Interesting, well right off that bat if you mean what I think you do it wouldn't work as a High House. Maybe repurpose one of the tribal spots in the north if your thinking of having a character with some magical power. It fits the theme in Nordheim for having the weird and empire threatening stuff. If you can PM the GM's the details on your idea that would be helpful.
@ShorticusThangoradrim, but Thangor works for now^^ :D
Pffft, you can't even live one with nature!
Also, HUGE WORK IN PROGRESS!
The Eloia
Location/Geography
The northern territory of the Eastern Auran Belt is a rocky desert of flat plains in that raises toward the east coast. The Eloian wastes northern borders are marked by hills and a small mountain range that sees heavy storms during the winter months. South of this mountain range leads into a uneven plateau which is largely a steppe landscape, too variable in temperature, and too infertile for proper farming, to make cities viable outside the small lakes and oases that dot the landscape. Giant scorpions, dune wyrms, and sand dragons plague much of the Herema Desert. Packs of vicious carnivorous reptiles called spikebacks also make their home here. The desert is roughly 100 feet below sea level, sloping at a gradual decline from the east coast over 10 miles.
General Introduction
Among their own kind centaurs are sociable creatures, but they have been known to become rowdy, boorish, and aggressive when under the influence of alcohol. In recent years, the tribes of the Eastern Auran Belt have united into a single tribal federation. Centaur family bonds have correspondingly diminished in importance as the tribes have slowly become more militarized. They still have defined family roles in short, the males hunt and protect the tribe's borders while the females aggressively defend centaur civilians while administering the day to day operation of encampments.
History
(You can detail the history of your nation here. How they were formed? Any major events like wars, political changes or catastrophes? Really, you know better than me what you wish to write here. History is good for giving other players story hooks to establish some relationship with your nation. A good history section tries to incorporate knowledge from other NS to do exactly that, a shared history.)
Government & Society
The tribal society of Eloian centaurs regards freedom and personal choice as the highest virtues. As long as an individual’s choice do not hinder the welfare of another centaur of the tribe, these once peaceful creatures leave all decisions in the hands of the individual. The seemingly unorganized society of the centaurs is actually bound by an openness and camaraderie that more civilized cultures have long since lost. After all forming strong bonds with those in the herd is not only desired but necessary as many simple tasks humanoids take for granted require the aid of a trusted friend. Such as the cleaning of one's hooves or mane. Honor is also prime among the Eloians beliefs. Their harsh existence, full of death and hardship, molded their culture to believe the gods would measure them on their behavior on the living plane.
Centaur lairs look little like the permanent structures of other races, consisting of a series of beautiful oasis consisting of peaceful streams in rocky regions and perhaps a few scattered lean-tos. Although these lairs seem simple and unprotected, they provide more protection than even the stoutest walls by allowing the swift moving centaurs to encircle approaching foes or easily flee if pressed too hard. In recent years, three major centaur tribes have been united under the Eloia alliance having assimilated smaller ones. The dark maned Morthian tribe, The vicious Ulgothi, and the enigmatic Tarbarii clan.
An Eloian tribe historically usually looked to a druid to lead them or act as designated speaker along with the tribes warriors holding sway. Each tribes druid would take the title of sheikh. However, the sheikh's ultimate power was limited by tradition and important decisions are made by the tribe's council of elders.
In modern times, the bulk of centaur society is structured more like a massive army under the control of a powerful warlord—specifically, Arazororn Khan, or Arazororn The Mighty of the Tarbarii. In reaction to the drought of their current realm, the Eloia have mustered and organized under the Morthian, Ulgothi and Tarbarii tribes turning them into a single large fighting force. Arazororn Khan has kept the most powerful druids of the three major tribes as advisors, a step toward allowing them a voice even under his rule. The Tarbarii occupy the highest position in this tribal hierarchy, followed by the Ulgothi, and then the Morthian. The Tarbarii are ruthless and dictatorial, conscripting the less powerful centaur tribes into service and forcing them to fight according to the combat strategies and orders of battle laid out by the Tarbarii high command.
With the lower body of a large horse and the upper torso and arms of a human, centaurs combine speed and strength in their powerful forms. A centaur is as big and heavy as a horse, standing 7 feet high and weighing about 2,100 pounds. Brown dominates most of a centaur’s coloring, the long hair on the top of the head and the glossy fur of the horse like body ranging from a light tan to a deep dark brown. A centaur’s humanlike torso has a swathy, earthy dark caramel complexion/ In some more isolated tribes the rare individuals, other colorings emerge, such as white, gray, or black but these are extremely uncommon.
Economy & Industry
The Eloia have always been a hunter-gathering tribal society. Centaurs are skilled in horticulture and cultivate useful plants near their lair. In dangerous, monster-infested areas they plant thick barriers of thorn bushes around their lair, dig pits and set snares. Centaurs survive through a mixture of hunting, foraging, fishing, agriculture, and trade. Though they dislike dealing with humans, but prefer trading with elves, especially for food and wine. Trade partners are paid from the tribes treasury, which consists of the booty of slain monsters or gained in raids. Due to their cultivating skills, they often grow herbs and spices near oasis’s and trade these to foreigners to supplement their trade deals.
Relgion
The centaurs are generally a very spiritual people that combine nature worship with ancestor worship. This worship was always fairly militant and violent, with rites that routinely ended in ritualistic combat between centaur tribes or between individuals from the same tribe. Years of struggle and border warfare have hardened the centaurs to the point where their religious observances are even more violent and martial than they had been, especially with the Morthian's aggressive campaign of attacks on humanity. Centaurs still have a deep reverence for their nature spirit (whom they vehemently deny is an aspect of the human goddess Melandru) but these days they focus on the proud, wild, and free aspects of their spirituality far more than the growing and nurturing aspects.
In brighter times, Elonian prides gathered around massive "ancestor trees," where they believed the spirits of their forebears watched over them. According to arcane scholars, the fruit of these trees was seen as divine, possibly as a way to pass down spiritual wisdom from one generation to the next.
Military Overview
As a rule, many centaurs are known to often shun the company of strangers at least among the human races. They are deadly archers and fearsome melee. In accordance with Eloian civil and social structure, outstanding obedience and firm discipline provides the backbone for their military. The strong bonds built within the heard from a lifetime of hunting, fighting, and grooming together has forged a fighting force that has unmatched cohesion. A unit of centaurs moves like a flowing river with a mind of its own. Each perfectly mirrors his partner, moving and weaving at the beat of unsaid commands. A harmony of social movements perfected by long years of necessity.
A battle against a warherd is akin to a war against a school of fish. A school of fish armed with arrow, sword, and lance. Centaurs generally avoid battles unless they are assured of victory. Their response to hostility is a swift retreat, perhaps after launching a few arrows to discourage pursuit. In larger engagements they use the same tactics only half of the 'retreating' centaurs will circle around to lie in ambush or attack the foe from the rear.
In war tribes are often organized under leaders, who have earned their title often by merit and skill. An Arban commands up to ten men, a Zuun commands at least one hundred, a Mingghan a Thousand, and finally a Tumen which is second only to the Khan himself command tens of thousands. The Tuman answer directly to the Khan during times of war.
Units: Warchief Mightiest of the Herd and often given the rank of Tuman, it is the Chief, or sheikh in their tongue, who will decide whether the Centaurs of his tribe will fight or not. Prickly and notoriously easy to offend, it is a skilled Druid indeed who will secure the aid of one of these mighty champions. These sheikh are powerful spellcasters in their own right, often raising up brambles and the like in key locations on a battlefield.
Centaur Heavy Archers The main weapon of the Centaur army is the composite bow, and as centaur warriors are born equal parts man and steed, they make excellent horse archers. These warriors have exchanged the mobility of light armour for the protection of heavy lamellar armor, allowing them to take a little more punishment from both ranged and melee weapons. While still faster than the mounts of most other nations thanks to their incredible endurance.
Centaur Archers The most common troop type amongst the Eloia, raised from a very young age to wield the bow with deadly accuracy. Equipped with a compound bow and hand weapon, and lightly armoured for manoeuvrability on the battlefield, these warriors can pepper their enemies with arrows and stay clear of trouble or lead the enemy into ambushes with false retreats. It should be noted Centaurs have created a kind of composite recurve long bow strong enough to punch through even plate at mid range.
Centaur Heavy Lancers These elite Centaur shock troops exchange mobility for heavier armour on both rider and mount. Supremely skilled warriors who excel in armed combat and possess the speed of a horse combined with the stamina of a human, they are armed with a lance and mace known as a 'gulda' and armoured in a lamellar cuirass called a 'khuyad'. Their body armor is divided into five parts and designed to protect every part of their horse body, including the lower torso where human and horse meet.
Eloia Warriors Eloia Warriors are medium armoured companies which form the backbone of Eloia's army. These companies are formed from Centaurs who cannot afford expensive heavy armour. Still, their lighter armour protects vital body areas and allows these warriors to be fast and agile. Without heavy armour and with lightly armoured horse bodies, these units are cheaper to equip and make deadly, mobile cavalry that can strike hard and pull out quick, and then repeat until the enemy has had enough. Such forces often recycle back and forth between two or three companies, with this fatigued companies remain out of combat until recycled back int the fighting once more, much like how humanoid armies dismount and remount fresh horses. This lack of needing to dismount to recover means Centaur forces can rejoin the fight faster than other cavlary forces.
