People of Xanth
Centaurs
Several crossbred races in Xanth are descended for
horses. Foremost among them are the centaurs. From the waist
up, centaurs have the heads, arms ad chests of humans. From the withers
down, they have the four-legged body and tail of a horse. The centaur
race in Xanth started many ages ago by three human men and their mares
who had wandered into Xanth and drunk from a love stream. Centaurs
are fierce fighters and strong-bodied. Even a filly can hoist the
weight of her equine body using only her human arms. Centaurs, though
partly magic in origin, have full magical talents. However, polite
centaur society considers magic obscene, so few of their talents have been
described, let alone realized by their possessors. Centaur Isle is
the center of learning in Xanth. Even the least intelligent centaur
is more brilliant than any human. Centaurs have a high regard for
honor, and a centaur's word is inviolate. They are independent in
nature and have perfectly developed powers of observation. They are
the humans' most important allies.
Winged Centaurs
Winged centaurs are a new species starting in Xanth
they began from centaurs and hippogryphs mating. Winged centaurs
are not accepted by the other centaurs so the small band of them keeps
mostly to them selves. All winged centaurs have the talent of making
them selves light by flicking their tail at them selves, because only when
they are light enough can they use their wings to fly.
For some good centaur
pictures go here
Mermaids
Merwomen remain youthful in appearance throughout
their long lives, but the males (mermen) grow old and grizzled unless they
counter the ravages of time with a protective magical charm, such as a
firewater opal. Mermaids have the upper body of a human and the tail
of a fish, they can breath both water and air. There are two different
kinds of mer people Merwomen and Mermen who live in salt water.
And Mermaids and Mermen who live in fresh water. A fresh water mer
person can not stand the salt water just as a salt water mer person can
not stand the fresh water. Some mer people are able to split their
tails and turn them into legs for walking on land, however they prefer
their natural state.
Harpies
Harpies have the heads and breasts of women; and
the bodies, great greasy wings, and short ugly legs of vultures.
They come from the love-spring cross of a human and a vulture. They
can fly, and their talons are sharp but chipped and stained from lack of
personal care. Most harpies are ugly and dirty, but the youngest
females are beautiful and clean. It is only after decades of bitter
and abusive spinsterhood that they begin to neglect themselves. Male
harpies are rare and when no male harpies are hatched, the females propagate
by mating alternate generations with men and with vultures. The few
male harpies are considered to be princes.
Goblins
Goblins are ugly humanoids half the height of a man,
with large hands and feet. Their heads are as hard as stone, so it
is impossible to hurt one by crushing it, but their hands and feet are
very soft. The goblins blame the harpies for blighting the sight
of the female goblins so they were only attracted to the weak and ugly
males. Goblins claim they used to be the handsomest, smartest, and
bravest of all the half-human races. Because because of the harpy
curse, in the long run only the goblin wimps were able to find wives, so
there is nothing left in the goblin caves but beautiful females and ugly
males.
Ogres
Ogres talk in simple rhyme, they are twice man height
and their strength is legendary. there is no limit to what they can carry.
Ogres' arms are like tough gnarled wood and their faces do not look even
that good. Ogres pride them selves on their ugliness and stupidity.
they bash first and ask questions later.
Demons
A demon can change their form to anything they wish,
usually anything that will torment a person. They can phase in and
out through walls. Very little can keep a demon out of a place it
wishes to go. If one senses that it can make mischief, it will come
back again and again unless physically or magically prevented. Some
demons have horns and barbed tails but others only have a slight glow in
their eyes. The Demon X(A/N)th is the
most powerful demon but he hates contact from anyone, so he does not behave
like the lesser demons.
Dragons
In Xanth there are three types of dragons.
Steamers, smokers, and fire breathers. Steamers can shoot hot steam
from their mouths, this can be just or more effective than fire.
Smokers shoot hot smoke from their mouths, this is effective because it
also blinds the victim making them easier to chomp. fire breathers
(can you guess) breath fire. All dragons are covered with thick metallic
scales, they are very hard to kill and should be avoided at all costs.
The most famous dragon is Stanley Steamer the Gap Dragon.
Naga
The Naga are part human part snake, they have the
head of a human and the body of a snake in their natural form. They
can however change into either full snake or full human. the king of the
Naga people is Nabob. Naga have no magic talent other than the changing
of their form, they must have arisen from a human and a snake meeting at
a love spring.
Humans
Humans came into the peninsula of Xanth in waves.
They cut down the trees and killed the animals of Xanth. the first
wavers built a enclosure and brought in Mundane food and animals.
But to their surprise, their children were born with magic talents.
The environmental effect of Xanth was to imbue each real creature born
there with a talent. These humans liked the idea of children with
magic and decided to stay. Several violent waves of people came then
and it was not until the forth wave that people started respecting the
land, it was then that Magician caliber talents began to appear.
Every human in Xanth has a magic talent from the lowest spot on the wall
kind ( to make a spot of color appear) to the great magicians.
Fauns and Nymphs
Fauns and Nymphs are innocent, pleasure loving
magical creatures, perfect in form, but possessing no long term memories
or extraordinary intelligence. Every day is new to them. they
quickly forget any hurt they have suffered. Nymphs are slim, lovely
female creatures who resemble teenage girls of extraordinary beauty.
Fauns were the original counterpart of nymphs: handsome, slender
young male being with the horns on their heads and dark brown fur on their
legs and the hooves of a goat. Some Fauns and Nymphs have formed
symbiotic relationships with trees, they help the tree and the tree helps
them. the ones who have done this are more intelligent and have better
memories.
Other Races of Equine Descent
Pegasi: winged horses these are not
common in Xanth
Hippocampi: Sea horses with the head
and forefeet of horses and the tails of dolphins. the forefeet end
in flippers rather than hooves, and the tail curls in a muscular loop when
at rest.
Night mares: They appear to be nothing
but sleek, pretty Mundane equines, solid black even to their hooves, except
that their eyes glow faintly, and their hoof prints resemble the face of
the moon. Night mares carry dreams to the sleepers of the outside
world who need them. The purpose of night mares is to force a dreaming
mind to suffer the pangs of conscience or regret, the realization of the
consequences of evil. The Night mares are immortal. They are
led by the Night stallion or Dark horse his name is Trojan.
Day mares: They are happy, careless
creatures who do not work at the same frantic pace as their nocturnal counterparts.
Day mares are invisible and bring day dreams.
Unicorn: Unicorns are rare in Xanth
but some of them do exist. They rome the land carefree but their
horn can be a deadly weapon if they are angered. Only the most innocent
of people can see a unicorn.
Horsefly: An insect the size and
shape of a horse with fully fledged pinions.
