The lands north of the Dymrak Forest are home to a large number of Centaur Clans.
These are of a barbaric and warlike race, placing great value on physical strength, courage and honour. They are a proud race and often show a hostile attitude towards non centaurs. The Centaurs often wear their hair Mohawk-style or spiked. They cover their upper (human) body with runic tattoos and in times of war use blue war paint. The
Centaurs worship spirits of nature and ancestors as well as the Immortals of Nature (Terra, Ordana, Djaea and Faunus). They speak a form of archaic Traladaran resembling the old Vandar tongue.
The clans are divided into two major tribes;
the Firemane Tribe and the Stormwind Tribe.
The Firemane Tribe is a chaotic and wild bunch. They tend to have red hair and gold-brown eyes. This tribe is known to be the most aggressive and warlike. They are rumoured to occasionally sell human captives to the Iron Ring, and have had an alliance with Grizzelda, one of the Witches of Dymrak
(See the Witches of Dymrak) in the past. The Firemanes live in the lands between the Kelvin Moors and the Lake of Lost Dreams.
Fire is holy to the Firemane Tribe. Their leader is Rathanuk Flamehoof, a powerful warrior easily recognised by his flaming red lion-like hair and a scar below his left eye.
He wields a powerful scimitar, said to burst into flames when engaged in combat.
(Centaur 7, HD7 Hp 56, St 14, Dx 13, In 11, Wis 10, Co 12, Cha 12, Al C, Sword of Flaming),
The other clan, the Stormwinds, is considered to be more reliable. Still, the Stormwinds dislike outsiders and prefer to stay away from civilisation. However, someone meeting with the Stormwinds will notice that they have many humans living among them. These humans find acceptance by the centaurs, in spite of the usual resentment most of that race have for humans. The Stormwinds live on the Kelvin Moors. They have black hair and deep blue eyes. Stormy weather is considered a blessing by the Stormwinds. Their leader is Arthane Stormchild (Centaur 6, HD7 Hp 56, St 17, Dx 12, In 10, Wis 15, Co 13, Cha 14, AL N) an aging, yet powerful centaur warrior, with greying black hair worn in a ponytail, who is never seen without his great spear and a rune carved hunting horn hanging from a leather string around his neck.
There is a third group of centaurs also living in these lands. These are the Clanless, a group consisting entirely of centaurs and chevalls many of whom are druids (See Monster Spellcaster Rules). These centaurs act as judges, sages, storytellers and healers and enjoy great respect from all centaurs.
The most powerful of all the Clanless is the chevall druid Loshad (see B10). He was trained by a treant druid (Treant 10, Druid 7, HD 10, Hp 79 St 15, Dx 12, In 13, Wis 18, Co 13, Cha 14, AL N) known as Master Temor. Loshad works to protect horses, and preserve the peace between the centaurs. He hates the werewolves of the realm with a passion and has sometimes allied himself with werewolf hunters from Kelvin in order to destroy this evil.
Notes
● Argos the Worrier and Attura originally appeared inWho’s Who Among Dragons by Bruce Heard.
● Gelphora was created by Agathokles and first appeared in his adventure Dymrak Dread.
● Loshad the Chevall originally appeared in module B10 Dark Night’s Terror.
● The Seer and the Eye of Traldar first appeared in the module DDA3 Eye of Traldar.
Before the Thyatian invasion the westernmost Traladaran people used to keep to themselves, as they were isolated from other Traladaran settlements by ominous forests full of humanoids and other dangerous creatures. The small fishing village of “Old Halag” had both daring fishermen that sailed into the Gulf of Halag catching big game with long lines and coastal fishermen using nets. In the flat lands around Old Halag you could find some excellent farmland where thousands of farmers made their living. All of these people had together built a walled inland town
-“New Halag” - which was protected both from pirate attacks from the sea and from humanoid attacks from the forests. There, fishermen and farmers could exchange goods under the jurisdiction of a Mayor appointed by all the male elders of the region -- all free men of 40 years of age and older could vote. The Mayor was appointed for life (or until his wits failed him) and he sat in the council with an elder fisherman and an elder farmer that together had the power to veto the Mayor's decisions or remove him from office if they agreed he was unable to lead.
When the Thyatians invaded in 900 AC and took over Marilenev (renaming it Specularum) the Halag region was mostly unaffected, since it was far away and not in any way a trade center that was tax worthy.
The Halag Traladarans were very superstitious and regarded halflings, elves
they kept to themselves as they had done for centuries, not even trading with the halflings in the Five Shires just across the Gulf of Halag.
Their age-old isolation was brutally broken in 970 AC when the Ludwig von Hendriks and his Hattian cavalry suddenly came crashing out of the woods into the plains with far greater speed and coordination that any humanoid raid. The Traladaran swere overwhelmed and many farmers could not flee in time to safety behind the walls of New Halag. The attacking Hattians had taken many farmers hostage and threatened to kill them before the walls unless Halag opened its gates. The horrified populace was at first indecisive, but the elders bade them stand firm. But after the displays of cruelty before the walls, many farmers faltered, fearing that their family