Malataur

Malataurs are an aberrant branch of the centaurs, looking like a blend of man and mountain goat. Males carry great spiralling horns, while females have a small, sharp pair. They are not particularly fast, but they climb surely and cross rugged, mountainous ground with ease.

Males hunt in parties of four to twenty while females stay behind with the young. Apart from humans, malataurs are among the very few creatures that kill simply for the fun of it. They are cruel and value no other life, and often keep their victims' heads as trophies.

Though poor craftsmen in general, they make quite good shortbows, and the males are expert archers who shoot as accurately at a gallop as standing still. They are also clever trappers whose snares can be ingenious. In a fight they prefer to strike from afar with bow or javelin; up close they use hand weapons such as spears, daggers or hand axes if they have them, and otherwise butt with their horns or kick with their sharp front and hind hooves. A few wear leather armor stripped from humanoid victims. Being reasonably clever, they loot the dead of treasure, useful weapons and magical gear, throwing away or hiding in secret forest caches anything they cannot use right away. They are sometimes seen alongside gwylion, who unfortunately for them find them unattractive.