Culture

	The centaur race were originally hunters.  They came to Rifts Earth and still
managed to keep to their old ways.  When the Cyber-Horseman showed up, this changed
how things worked, slightly.  The New centaurs brought with them government and
science.  The two worked together and built their city out of the wilderness.  When the
two realized that they were worshipping the same gods, the more quickly things began to
happen.  The three Houses were formed as an alternative to one powerful Chief.  Their
gods approved of the transformation and helped along the fledgling centaurs.  Soon, their
society rose to a power in the northern forest.  It is no super power, but is the best kept
secret of the wilderness.  Their fighters are superb and their engineers are marvels in of
themselves.
	The military holds a firm reign over the centaur peoples.  Every person in the city
does a mandatory two-year service with the military to learn the ways of the warrior and
his code.  Each citizen respects the military and holds them in the highest esteem, second
only to the demi-gods and the House heads.  The average personality of the common
soldier is that of respect.  Any one centaur in the city upholds the highest moral code, for
both one’s self and one’s family.  To dishonor oneself in battle is to humiliate one’s
family, leader, and god.  These soldiers tend to be fierce combatants and are honoarable
in every way.  However, the soldiers do tend to drink more heavily than the average
citizen.  Many bar room brawls have started because one drunk soldier took offense to a
slight at his honor.
The average citizen is content and have the luxuries of most modern day cities. 
They are still intensely proud peoples and have their own strict codes of behaviour.  Due
to the mandatory military service, these peoples are honor bound and live life as
respectable citizens.  There are very few, if any, troublemakers within the city.  Those
that do exist are dealt with swiftly and mercifully.  Since most crimes tend to be
misdimeanors, they are usually given a period of community service.  Those that commit
capital crimes are given a term of military service with only minimal pay, or as with
those that commit murder, a quick death or exile.  For many centaurs, being exiled is
considered a fate worst than death, so many choose to be executed as one final way to
save their family and god from humiliation.  Any and all trials are held before a council
of the three House heads.
	Most of the Old Centaurs prefer to live as their ancients did, refusing some of the
more blatant technologies, such as the tele-screens and computer terminals.  That is a
personal choice and is respected among the entire city.  The typical centaur, whether
New or Old, tend to view most outsiders on a one for one basis.  Every person, whether
man or creature, is given an oppurtunity to prove oneself to the centaurs.  They are noble
creatures and view freedom and life as a priority.  They are quick to defend the underdog,
as long as the underdog has not betrayed the centaurs or proven themselves unworthy of
saving.
	The typical dress of the Old Centaurs is the flowing robes, togas and gowns of
ancient Greece in the summertime.  During the winter months, they don heavier shirts
made from deerskin and throw thicker blankets over their lower bodies.  The New
Centaurs tend toward wearing the latest humanoid fashion, if younger, while the older
centaurs tend to wear either nothing at all, or simply a robe emblazoned with their family
crest and/or god’s crest.  The humanoids wear something similar to this or can choose
from the small shop owned by a trader/tailor from Tolkeen.  Each citizen is allowed to
carry one sidearm, but simply choose a dagger, short sword or, as in most cases, nothing
at all.  This shows their extreme confidence in their protectors and they also feel they
don’t need them.
	The New Centaurs erected schools and made schooling a part of the society.  All
centaur children attend the school for the first ten years of life and learn, among other
things, Dragonese, the official language of Ixion, rudimentary math skills (Basic Math)
and to write Dragonese.  Aspects of geography and basic survival skills are taught should
one be caught outdoors.
	The currency system is that of either hard currency, like gold and silver which is
printed in coin by the government, or by trade and barter.  Any credits found in the city
are reserved for use by the House of Artemis and is earmarked for use in foreign trade. 
Since trade is limited, there is very little in the way of credit currency.  The city treasury
holds a pitiful sum of only five million credits.  They do, however, hold a more
impressive amount of hard currency totaling 107 million credits worth.  
	The city also hosts its own version of the ancient Greek Olympiad tournaments. 
Every four years the people compete against one another to see who the reigning
champion will be.  The competition is man vs. man, centaur vs. centaur, and for the
exceptional events, man vs. centaur.  The rewards conferred upon the winners are special
privileges in the area honorary titles, a specially crafted gold gilded weapon of choice
and the recognition of being a champion.  The people also bestow their own privileges,
with the most typical being that of the centaur/human receiving better deals, rates, etc. 
The demi-gods are not allowed to participate, but are included as the judges.