Advantages
ST 20/40 (152 points, sencond number is for lower body only, racial default
is 20/40)
Hyper-Strength for cost of 1 Fatigue per turn arm strength is raised to 30/60 (30 points)
HT +2 (10 points)
Acure Hearing +2 (4 points)
Alertness +2 (10 points)
DR +2 (6 points)
Doesn't Sleep (20 points)
Extra Head (25 points)
Full Corrdination - Gains an extra attack (50 points)
Enhanced Move, 1 level (10 points)
4 legs (5 points).
Disadvantages:
IQ-2 (-20 points)
Appearance Unattractive (-5 points)
Bad Temper (-10 points)
Illiteracy (-5 points)
Inconvenient Size (-10 points)
Increased Life Support - Eats 3 times as much as an average human(-20 points)
Lecherousness (-15 points)
Low Empathy (-15 points)
Odious Racial Habit: Eats other sentients (-15 pts)
Overconfidence (-10 points)
Phobia: Mild Claustrophobia (-15 points)
Phobia: Mild Thalassophobia (-10 points)
Racial Reputation -2 - Uncivilized barbarians who lust for liquor and women (-10 points)
Self-Centered (-10 points)
Stubborness (-5 points)
Racally Learned Skills:
Running at HT (4 point)
Survival - Plains at IQ (2 points).
QUIRKS
Likes to drink to excess (-1)
The thought of wearing a saddle, harness or yoke is particularly odious Horse!?!>
Never wear anything on their lower bodies
It costs 140 points to play a Arcitenus.
Male Arcitenus average 7 feet tall and average weight is 1,000 pounds.
Although, most Arciteni are primitive, Arcitenus PCs are not required to have the primitive disadvantage
as there are Arciteni that live near "civilized" lands and so it is the player that should decide if he
wishes his Arcitenus to be "Civilized" or a "Primitive."
Being a race of two-headed centaurs, as might be expected
The Arciteni are very similar to their more common and familiar cousins the centaurs except Arcitenus are much larger than an ordinary centaur and the Arcitenus possess two heads rather than one on their broad, muscular shoulders. Each head is completely independent and in combat each head controls and fights with one arm so the Arcitenus get two attacks every turn at no penality. Aditionally, Arciteni are never really fully alseep, while their bodies rest and one head sleeps, the other remains awake and alert.
Another difference between Arciteni and centaurs is that an Arcitenus is capible of a burst of strength that a centaur is not. These are the only real physically between the races.
Many sages and scholars believe that the Arciteni are the brutish ancestors of ordinary centaurs, but opinions to their actual relationship and their origins differ. In his NATURAL HISTORY, Chiron the Wise takes the popular view that the orgin of this race was magical and recounts a legend common amounst the villages of the eastern steppes.
"In days gone by, they say, an adarian magician was summoned upon to assist the plainsfolk to repel a great migration of centaurs, in hopes that the warlike tide might be turn or held back. This the Adarian did for a time, bu means of complex spells and arcane lore, until at length it seemed the people were saved. Yet those who had called upon him for salvation proved unwilling to grant the magician the payment the Adarian now demanded, and in anger the magician used his powers now to summon, rather than repel the centaur invaders. He himself led the barbaric horse-men and conquered the land, proclaiming himself tyrant over the district. To protect himself, so it is said, the Adarian magician created a host of bodyguards, like the centaurs, but larger, fiercer and possessed of two heads for constant watchfulness. When at least the Adarian died, his followers dispersed, and the people of the villages once more gained their liberty."
Chiron's view of the Arcitenus' origins is one common in popular folklore. but disputed by many scholars and sages. The truth is long lost in legend and conflicting tradition and is not likely to be settled.
What is coomonly agreed upon is that the Arciteni are barbaric, and even more agressive and fierce than the typicial centaur. It is rare that one encounters an Arcitenus using sophisticated weapons, armor or other implements. They also tend to be uglier, more ill-tempered and even more fond of random destruction than their cousins. Luckily, they are much less common overall and thus not so frequently met. There range is much the same as that of ordinary centaurs and like the centaurs they usually roam in small migratory bands or tribes.
Since Arcitenus are so closely related to Centaurs, the following information on Centaurs is provided:
The Centaurs of the plains are a nomadic race, generally found in small bands. In appearance they have the lower torso of a horse, with a human body emeging from the horse's foreparts. A generally barbaric race, centaurs are wanderers who inhabit open grasslands or mountain valleys. Some are fairly sophisticated, but few have been known to settle in any one region for long. Because of their migratory preferences, centaurs can be found almost everywhere in temperate regions, though they are rareky encountered on isolated islands. Their appearance throughout several separate landmasses is something of an enigma, as they do not love the sea, and are very reluntant to cross it.
Centaurs are prodigious eaters, requiring vast amounts of fuel to support his or her great body weight. While centaurs do eat meat, the majority of their diet is made up of grasses, vegetables, fruits and berries. A wandering tribe of centaurs can strip a region bare in a relatively short time, before being forced to move on. For this reason, a full migrating tribe rarely numbers more than a few thousand individuals, and raiding bands are usually limited (generally 10 to 60 individuals, with 20 to 30 being most common).
The centaurs, despite their pastoral nature, are fierce warriors. Some bands or tribes will even hire themselves out as freelancers for a season or two. Writers have often marvelled at their raids and skill in warefare, as exemplified in the description from the Natural History:
"No village, hamlet or farm was safe from the depredations of the centaur migrations that year. As the centaur tribe passed along its chosen route, parties of warriors were dispatched to each side of the main column to harrass and raid the folk who had the misforture to dwell in those parts. Against common farmers these centaur warrior bands were unstoppable, ridding down all interference, setting fire to the villages and farms and carrying off all of the supplies. Women they seized and carried off as well, plus a few young men and children to be used as slaves. When the Centaurs were met by organized resistance, the result was often the same, for they could outride and outfight the finest cavarlry and overcome any but the most resolute bodies of foot soldiers."
Centaurs raiding parties commonly seek out two specific things: liquor and women. Having no talent for brewing or wine making, they satisfy their fondess for drink from the labors of others. In many lands, the drunken celebrations and brawls of centaurs have passed into legend.
No all centaurs are as savage as this however. Some are quite intelligent and certain bands have been known to develop higher levels of technological sophistication. Thought most arm themselves with clubs, simple spears and other such basic weapons, there are some bands and tribes equipped with elaborate armor, lances, fine bows and even very fine and well-forged swords.
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