Centaur

Centaurs are mutated creatures. They are a result of infection by the Forced Evolutionary Virus gone horribly wrong.

West Coast
Centaurs encountered in New California and Mojave Wasteland were created by the Master. The creation process involved tossing a varied mix of humans, dogs, cats and other types of animals into a Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV) vat to be infected by the virus, and then seeing what mutant chimera emerged as the virus produced rapid and unpredictable mutations. The resulting centaurs can differ quite radically in physical appearance from one another. However, all known centaurs are somewhat humanoid in appearance.

Capital Wasteland
Like their western counterparts, the Capital Wasteland centaurs were created by infection with the FEV along with the super mutants. Their birthplace, like the super mutants, is Vault 87.

Two-headed centaur
Centaurs are large, fleshy creatures consisting of human and canine components, named after its three pairs of leg-like arms. Centaurs walk along the ground on their massive gash-covered torsos, with movement similar to that of giant ants. The rear pair of arms serve as the creature's legs, connected to the pelvis and driving movement. The front pair of arms assist in walking, but are connected to the shoulder blades and considered arms when targeted with an Aimed Shot. The middle pair of arms may serve as legs, but are connected neither to the pelvis nor the shoulder blades. Each pair of arms has a bone structure similar to that of humanoids, although the hands only have three to four fingers.

Two-headed centaur centaurs have two heads, one being canine and the other humanoid. Each head is mounted on a thick, lengthy neck, converging into the main body and spine at the base of the torso. The canine head struts when walking and is used in attacking, suggesting some level of control over the body. Likewise, it is the only head labeled as such during an Aimed Shot. The canine head can also be seen biting at the human head, at which point the human head evades, suggesting some level of individual thought.

A large number of red tentacles spill from the creature's swollen groin and writhe around on the ground. They extend under the centaur's torso and may lash out from under the base of the neck. Centaurs also have a large rib cage and drooping spine along the back of the torso.

One-headed centaur
One-headed centaurs encountered in the Capital and the Mojave Wastelands are somewhat different from the two-headed creatures seen along the West Coast. A muscular humanoid torso sits upright upon a sloped, insect-like abdomen. When walking, the front two pairs of arms drive the creature forward, with the rear pair dragging along the ground next to the abdomen. The centaur's torso sways when the body moves, with the limbs moving in slow yet abrupt motions.

Jagged bones sprout from the creature's spine and along the rear abdomen. Similarly, numerous teeth-like bones surround the torso's abdominal muscles. A single human head sits upon the torso, connected with a thick, brawny neck. A pained expression is worn on the face, with three tongue-like tentacles sprouting from the creature's mouth and reaching the length of the torso. The centaur is covered in thick purple veins and its shoulders end in bony stumps.

Larger versions of centaurs, known as evolved centaurs, also exist in the Capital and Mojave Wastelands. While having generally the same body shape, evolved centaurs have tight, deeper toned skin and have grown a large number of tumors along the back. The creature's purple veins and protruding bone fragments are less prominent than the standard centaur. Evolved centaurs can also grow to be much larger and have darker-colored tongues.

Variations
Centaurs of all known varieties are not harmed by radiation but seem drawn to it, as they are often found in heavily irradiated environments.

Two-headed centaur
Physically, these centaurs are around the size of a bear, with a large, misshapen torso and six humanoid arms that serve as legs. A cluster of wriggling fleshy tentacles bloom out from their underside, scrabbling at the ground around them. Branching from their front halves are a pair of long, thick necks, with a canine head on the right and a humanoid one on the left. The canine head has a thick metal collar around its neck, adorned with spikes, not unlike an ordinary dog collar. The two heads are seemingly aware that they are not separate creatures, as the dog head can be seen trying to gnaw on the humanoid head.

So far, the two-headed centaurs have only been encountered on the West Coast, in New California.

One-headed centaur
This type of centaur retains the hands, arms, and only the human-like head of its two-headed "cousins." Unlike the two-headed version, however, it has three long, tentacle-like tongues coming out of its mouth instead of feelers on its back, and uses a ranged attack: a high-arcing, slow-moving saliva projectile that can carry lethal doses of radiation and is fairly accurate, even at long range. It is capable of igniting lingering gas vapors as well. In close quarters, it utilizes a long, three-pronged tongue to whip and slash at any intruders.

This kind of centaur can be encountered both in the West and the East of the former United States.

Evolved centaur


These centaurs are a bigger and stronger variant of a centaur. Having been exposed to much more radiation than regular centaurs, they have significantly more muscle mass as well as thick clusters of tumors growing from their backs.

Giant evolved centaur


An even bigger variety of the evolved centaur, the giant evolved centaur is the largest and most dangerous variation of a centaur to be discovered to date. One is located in The Devil's Throat.

Behind the scenes
In Greek mythology, centaurs were creatures that were typically half-human, half-horse. The human part would end at the bottom of the torso, where the hindquarters of a horse would begin.

The Two-headed Centaur has an uncanny resemblance to one of the monstrous shapes taken by the alien creature in John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi Horror cult classic; The Thing (a much more faithful adaptation of the 1938 short story Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell than the 1951 version, The Thing From Another World which featured a walking plant-man) in which said alien entity consumes genetic material from various dogs and humans, eventually producing such a misshapen chimeric appearance. Whether the similarity was intended or is merely a coincidence, the Two-headed Centaur remains almost identical, right down to the writhing mass of tentacles and tendrils.