The Creature Compendium

Cousin to the faun, satyrs are a humanoid species with the lower half of a goat and curling horns on their heads. While they choose remote locations to settle, they enjoy dancing and drinking with many other species and are associated with drunken revelry.

Category: Forest

History

Satyrs have a reputation not just for drinking and partying, but also with being sexually promiscuous and at times being rapists. Many stories of satyrs depict them pursuing dryads and other spirits for sex until the other is forced to transform into a tree to escape. They are often depicted as fertility symbols in Greek myths due to this, and often appear at celebrations of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry.

The most famous satyr in myth is Pan, an early nature god with the appearance of a satyr, who could inspire madness and ‘panic’ in others and was the inventor of the pan flute. He is also depicted with Dionysus at times.

Traits and Behavior

Satyrs are a humanoid species, with the upper body of a human and the lower half and rear legs of a goat. Their human half usually is dark skinned and has thick, curly hair; the men have curly or wavy horns. Their lower half is that of a mountain goat, with shaggy fur and thin hooves. Some satyrs have the horizontal pupil of a true goat, but not all; most of them have brown or yellow eyes.

Satyrs usually live in large groups that are semi-nomadic, traveling from area to area in a pattern over the year to follow seasonal food sources and herds. Their homes are temporary structures that they can take down when they leave and may carry with them. They greatly enjoy wine and alcohol, and often have the tools to make and age wine at all of their seasonal sites. Because of their fondness for parties and dancing, their campsites will be near large clearings or spaces capable of hosting whenever possible.

Satyrs prefer living in the woods, partially because of the number of other supernatural creatures that also live in the area, but they are well suited to living in the mountains and have created homes on tall cliffs at times. They are known to be a very friendly race, and rarely turn down the offer for a good time. If slighted or threatened, they are vicious and dangerous.

Satyrs bond in a ceremony closely resembling a wedding, as they are fond of any reason to throw a large party, but they do not see the ceremony itself as necessary to confirm a romantic bond. They may bond in a couple or in larger groups, and the group may travel between various satyr groups throughout the year or create their own herd if they have enough members to support themselves. Satyr children are raised by their parents and their bonded partners, but may be watched over by other members of the herd.

Kids will reach puberty by the age of 9, and are considered adults at the age of 20. While a satyr may stay with the same herd for their entire life, it is common for them to leave and join other herds for a time before circling back to their first herd.

As with fauns, they are very fond of nature and the forests they live in in particular. However, unlike fauns, satyrs are omnivores and actively hunt for food and leather. They create a number of crafts from the materials collected from hunting, and make sure to use every part of any animal they kill. Bones, horns, and even teeth will be used for various crafts and tools, and a thanks will be said over the body before they do anything else. They usually wear clothing made from dyed leather, but may weave their own cloth or trade for it. They are fond of bright colors in their clothing, and use a variety of natural dyes to achieve this.

They do have a long history of trading for materials not available in the woods, such as metal bands for wine barrels and instruments, or fabric not available in their area. They give away their wine and small crafts in exchange, and usually have some party to celebrate afterwards.

Satyrs are very fond of dancing, drinking and partying. They will invite anyone they like to join them, and offer food and drink freely. It is polite to bring something with you, whether that is food or an instrument to play, or cards for a game, but satyrs are fairly easy going and so long as you are an enjoyable guest they will welcome you. They greatly enjoy the opportunity to try new kinds of alcohol and food, but it should be noted their wine is supernaturally strong for a wine and it may not compare to anything you can bring. It should also be noted that even a kid will have a higher tolerance for alcohol than most humans; a drinking contest is not advised if you want to remember the next week.

Satyrs can live up to 500 years, growing tougher and slower as they age, and by the end they may have to be carried when the herd travels. Generally the elders of a herd are the leaders, but younger satyrs can petition the herd as a whole to take up a position if they feel strongly about the herd needing their guidance. Younger satyrs may also decide to take a group and start a new herd to travel elsewhere. Some choose to find settlements with their cousins the fauns instead, if they are committed to their quieter lifestyle. Fauns also may join a satyr herd, and the species are close enough to allow for mixed species children. Mixed species pairs are not uncommon, though they are more common in satyr herds than faun ones.

While satyrs have a reputation for being forceful and violent, they are generally only violent if threatened. Dryads are not fond of them due to the noisy and energetic they are, but do not fear them. Satyrs will attack violently if their herd is threatened, or if their neighbors (dryads, fauns, any other species they are friends with in an area) are in danger, which may be the cause for their reputation. If properly slighted, they are of a salt-the-earth mentality and will destroy any chance of that enemy ever coming back. Their version of harm is also a bit more broad than others, considering permanent damage to the forest they live in as a threat and even littering can be a slight.

Satyrs are fast, reaching speeds of 30 miles per hour, and can climb almost entirely sheer cliffs and tall spindly pines. They can also jump great distances, even if they usually use this skill to show off in their dances.

Satyrs prefer the forests due to the abundance of available foods, but can live in a wide variety of areas, and have a high tolerance for the cold. They may wear coats or cloaks in the snow, but these are usually more for the opportunity to wear more colors than the temperature. Their sense of fashion tends to be bright and eclectic, and they take pride in being able to effectively move through the woods unseen despite these choices.

Satyrs have a very small amount of magic, which they use to create their wine and make it stronger and provide a feeling of euphoria. The effect isn’t dangerous, generally, as it is only strong enough to make one feel lighter and more like having fun that night, but large amounts in a human can produce a manic feeling. Satyrs themselves only feel a mild pick-me-up, and are not always aware of how much stronger the effect will be on humans. Please party with satyrs responsibility.

Weaknesses

Satyrs are hardy and can take a lot of physical damage to be harmed; they at times seem to gain a berserker rage when attacked. If you have reached the point of them physically attacking you, your best bet is to get away, as any satyr that is already that angry will not rest until you are dead, and their herd is likely not far behind them. Satyrs may pursue you out of the woods, but not far; you would be wise to avoid entering any deep woods again, however, as they will spread word of what, exactly, you did to anger them to anyone they meet.

To keep this from happening in the first place, be polite, a good guest if you go to their parties (there is no shame is saying no!), and don’t attack or harm their friends or home. This could be anyone you meet in the woods, and the woods themselves.