Cervidans look a lot like centaurs, with the head and upper torso of a human and the body, legs, and tail of a deer. Their fur comes in many different shades, from light tan or golden brown, to reddish or dark brown, and the exceptionally rare albino white. They typically have a white or pale cream underbelly and tail tip.
Their human half differs in appearance as much as a normal human, except for their slightly pointed ears. The males have small, two- or three-pointed antlers on their head as well.
They are built light and fast, with long, slender legs and a slight, thin body. They are not strong enough to carry people on their back, unless the human was extremely light, and they'd probably politely decline when asked, anyway, unless it's an emergency.
Lifestyle
Cervidans live in small groups deep in the hearts of forests. Their houses are simple, basically just tents to shield against the elements, made of cloth or leather or other materials at hand. Their clothing is made of pretty much the same stuff. Their deer halves may have thick fur to protect against the weather, but since their human half doesn't have that luxury, they use shirts, vests, jackets, etc., sometimes dyed or woven with special designs. It's essential; some cervidans do live in snowy areas.
Like deer, male Cervidans are known as harts, the females are hinds. Calling them bucks or does would be considered a minor insult.
Cervidans are generally peaceful, shy creatures who rarely venture outside their forests. In fact, until recently, most people did not even know they existed. They despise fighting and avoid killing whenever possible. The only exception is when hunting.
Cervidans are omnivores and eat a wide variety of plants, nuts, and berries as well as hunting for gamebirds and rabbits, etc. Generally, the hinds stay home and tend gardens or gather nuts, berries, and herbs, while the males do the hunting. Most are skilled with a bow and arrows. Falcons and hawks are often raised and trained for use in hunting, and the lucky few who have flitters often train them for the same purpose. Otherwise, they don't keep pets. Cervidans hunt rabbits, birds, and the occasional boar or other larger creature, but deer are considered sacred to them and it is a crime to kill one, the traditional punishment for which is banishment and exile for the unlucky cervidan who hits a deer.
Cervidans mate for life, and are very devoted to their mates. Birth is extremely difficult and ackward for the mother, because of their size and shape, which is why most couples only ever have one child. Two children is rare, any more than that is virtually unheard of. Babies are capable of walking minutes after birth, and have a fawn's body with white spots and the head and torso of a five or six-year-old child. They age faster than humans and are considered adults by fifteen. They can live for fifty years, up to sixty or seventy sometimes.
Government & Religion
Cervidans don't have much in the way of government. Individual villages are completely self-governed, with little interaction between villages. There is a council of five of the oldest cervidans in the village, with the Council Head being chosen by the other council members every two years. They handle any disputes or issues that may come up, and they decide whether someone is guilty by majority vote, which is at least 3/5, and if found guilty, what their punishment is.
The highest offenses, namely treason, murder by killing another cervidan, a human, or a deer, and the like, are punished by exile. The offender in question is given clothes, food, and some basic items to survive, and all of their other belongings are confiscated. They are then sent away from the village and banished from other cervidans. Banished cervidans are extremely rare, but they usually end up near or in human cities.
As far as religion goes, cervidans believe in Great Spirits that watch over everything and manipulate certain important events. They also believe that people become lesser spirits when they die. They regard deer as sacred and believe that to kill one will bring the Spirits' wrath down on the killer and their entire village.
Close friends are sometimes referred to as 'heart sister' or 'heart brother', which can also apply to deer which tend to live near cervidan villages.
Cervidans live all over Myrithica's surface, but almost exclusively in deep forests or very secluded areas, so they are not often seen, and until recently, few humans even realized they existed.
History & Origin
Cervidan, being peaceful creatures that keep to themselves, have a very uneventful history. They prefer to avoid war, and any skirmishes that happen among cervidan from time to time are dealt with quickly, and usually with little violence.
They do not keep many reliable records, so it is hard to tell how long they've been around, but they seem to have existed on this world for around a thousand years, at least. The origins of the cervidan are unknown. As far as they're concerned, they've always resided in the forests. (Cervidan, as a whole, tend to be more concerned with the present, than the past or future.)
Council Member: Okinoeno
Council Member: Akelopera
Council Member: Dateis
Council Member: Mesera
Council Member: Edafi
Council Member: Maloem
Council Member: Lesone
Council Member: Idielli
