Cervitaurs

Beings of both myth and whimsy, torn between the natures of both beast and Man.

Introduction/Origin After the discovery of Athera, there were many secrets on this unexplored land to be uncovered. Rumor had it that Athera was the the land that bore all origins of life. With the introduction of these lands came new creatures of all types, many of whose beginnings were explained, many of whose were not. But origins explained or not, the beginnings of all these new creatures had something in common: all were born on the land of Athera.

The Cervitaur have existed on Athera since long before its recent discovery. Stories told through generations depicted two beings at the core of their beliefs. Any who delved deep enough into their history would more than likely see similarities between these two beings and the Aspects of the Druids, Cerridwen and Cernunnos. It was even implied there may have been a cultural assimilation of the early Druids and Cervitaur somewhere down the line of existence from their creation to present day.

In truth, the Cervitaur were, at one point in time, discovered by early Druids; the similarities in their lifestyles had then brought them to live alongside each other for some time. The Cervitaur sought the knowledge of nature and balance that the Druids possessed, and the Druids acknowledged their desire for understanding and shared that knowledge with them. However, the Cervitaur had the inability to harness the Gifts of Nature, which largely set them apart from the Druids. Despite this hindrance, it didn't stop their desire to preserve the balance of nature that the Aspects strived to maintain.

Beliefs The Cervitaur serve Cerridwen and Cernunnos much like the Druids do, but more so in faith than ‘magical’ ability. They have an affinity for Cernunnos due to their similar traits, and what Cernunnos represents: beasts, the wilds, and chaos: the natural order.

Traits

Behavior

• Mischievous
• Untrusting/cautious of the races
• Protective of territory
• Attuned to nature
• Able to commune with beasts and nature
• Travel in groups/herds

Appearance

The cervitaur appear much like generic fantasy centaurs, but the difference would be that the Cervitaurs are half deer rather than half horse, the deer's horns included. The Cervitaur are entirely genderless and unable to breed, however when a new Cervitaur is formed it is born with a random set of characteristics which may lead to them appearing more masculine or feminine.

Chaotic Good / Neutral

The cervitaur are chaotic good/chaotic neutral following the flow of the natural order.

Cervitaur are birthed not by typical means. When cervitaur die, they are brought back into the cycle of life, growing into large trees where they rest. The tree over time will eventually bear a single fruit. Once this ‘fruit’ has ripened, the tree will wither and die, leaving the pod on it’s own. From the pod a new cervitaur will be born, bearing some of the memories from the last cervitaur it was born from.

Advantages/Disadvantages

• The speed of a deer
• Intelligence
• Can commune with nature

There are only a few that exist at a time. If they are killed, the tree that grows from them is vulnerable to harm. If the tree is destroyed before a fruit can be born, it ends the timeline of that Cervitaur.

Mentally weak, susceptible to mind magics Especially weak to fire

Red-lines:

• Are not centaurs
• Cannot be ridden
• Do not live in cities
• Do not become pets/ Wouldn’t want to be pets/Non-domestic
• Cannot use any other magic beyond communing with nature.