Who Are You?
I am A Shade of Forest Twilight, wife of the Joy of the Arrow's Flight in the line of the Lord of Four Gifts.
Joyful life to you, my child.
Ever youthful, ever wild.
Who Are We?
We are the members of the Line of the Lord of Four Gifts.
We were created by Father Galin and Mother Earth, midwifed by the Gentle
Magician, Sarash. Though our line was enslaved by evil wizards who conquered
Sarash, we had our revenge. But first our ancestors were forced to serve
their conquerors, killing, making songs, doing work for the sorcerers who
bound our first ancestor and tried to ride our god like a nag.
When all the gods rose to smash Seshnela and its red-sworded legions, Galin freed himself at the call of the earth goddesses. With him, we turned on those who had bound us, and destroyed them. Lacking our unwilling support, their evil land was laid open to armies of the vengeful and they were cast down.
When the goddess Seshna withdrew her blessing from the evil king, we left that land to live here with the goddess Aldrya in Erontree. The Lord of Four Gifts and his brothers smashed an army of dwarfs in the Valley of Stone Tears, and this proved our worth and devotion to the elves who are Aldrya's representatives here.
Curse on Old Seshnelan blood
Those who drowned in ancient flood.
Slavers twisted mother's will
Fatal Screaming scours them still.
Now unbridled, jumped the gate
We are free to challenge Fate.
What Makes Us Great?
The centaur people are the strongest in the world, for we draw our power from the song of the earth. Alone of all beings, we are free-willed partners with the earth. We are not tied to the forests as the Aldryami are, nor bound to weak spirits as the animal men are. We are closer to the goddesses than even the human earth women, who have other things than the earth in their souls.
This is given from our Lord:
Lyre and Spear, Bow and Sword
Earthly power from our Mother
Makes our race like no other.
Where Do We Live?
The centaur people are spread all over the world, wherever the beauty of nature is abundant, in those blessed places where we may live in harmony with the spirits of the earth.
We are residents of the Erontree forest and friends to the elves that rule this place. We love the meadows and glens, and take shelter under the boughs of the Great Trees.
How Do We Live?
We serve the Council of Elders in exchange for their protection from the spirits that would otherwise cast us out of this beautiful place. We enjoy the bounty the Goddess of the Woods provides to her children, and we hunt the animals that prey on the forest. When outsiders threaten the forest, we hunt them too. Life is easy and pleasant, a joy always. The Goddess provides everything to us, as long as we protect her. Are we not blessed to avoid the lives of drudgery the outsiders are forced to live?
My brother, Raging Heart of Bronze, was chosen to guard a party of elves going north to Jorri. He said that for the whole trip out of the forest, all he ever saw were tiny men with broken spirits, tearing a poor life from the ground. They worked all day just to get something to eat. This is very sad. How would they ever find time to sing, or play the lyre?
Long the journey, far to roam,
Yet the heart returns you home.
What is Important In My Life?
Passion rules all our souls. Who can deny the power felt when a child is born, and her cries strikes to our center? The joy that can be found in the simplest thing cannot be explained to anyone who lacks our blood and heritage. They are all blind to the things that make us sing, or laugh, or cry. We are not made to feel things in small measure. Revel in the emotions that the gods have given us; they rule us as much as any King. They are a strength unmatched in any other race.
Battle is the thing our bodies are best suited for. We are strong, swift, large and gifted with the Three Weapons. You have told me yourself how good it feels to draw back your bow. Never hesitate to enter a good fight. When the time comes, abandon yourself to that feeling and you will know the true joy of the fight.
Poetry rules our minds, and can evoke all of the other things that we need. Sometimes only poetry will allow us the release we need from some particularly strong feeling or inspiration. You will feel it soon, I think. We play the lyre, because it is perfect to accompany poetry.
Love is the power that brought all things to the goddess, and will bring all things to you. Love rules our hearts, and is the center of our existence. Who can deny their proper husband in the correct season? Not I, and not you when your time comes. Love makes fools of us all, and we are stronger for it.
Mind, Heart, Body, Soul--
Four corners make up the whole.
Poems, Love, Battle, Passion--
All exert a fierce attraction.
Lacking not a single thing
Freely through our lives they sing.
Inspiring us in every part--
Body and Soul, Mind and Heart.
Who Do We Follow?
We follow my husband, your father, The Joy of Arrow's Flight. He gives our service to Sequoia, Son of Vronkal. Sequoia is High King Elf and leader of the Council of Elders for the Erontree Forest. He is the protector of the Goddesses.
Wise Old Elf, Great High King
Asks of us a single thing.
Guard his kin on summer nights
Guard his kin in winter fights
Thus we stand 'gainst ancient foes
With the King and a million bows.
What is the Difference Between Men and Women?
Men are wilder, given to great rages and fighting for reasons we do not understand. The leader of a line is the strongest fighter among his siblings, and also defends his wives against outsider males. Many bachelor males of the line cannot control themselves under the Husband, and leave the herd for a time. Many die away from the protection of the herd. Some form herds of their own, though most lack females. Some bachelor males are so driven by their needs that they consort with females of other species, much to the regret of all involved.
Women are more even tempered, but have long memories for the things that have harmed the herd in the past. Though a male may quickly fill with battle rage, he cannot sustain it for long without release.
We are loyal to our Husband always. Be proud of your father until you have a husband, who may be the next husband of the line. The Husband who picks you will be your protection from the advances of other males.
What is Evil?
It is taboo to take from the land without permission of the Goddess. Doing so makes you no better than a weak human, lost from your mother's breast. If you do not choose the Goddess's path, you must always take food from another's hand, never gathered yourself.
Sorcerers are evil. They tried to chain our ancestors, the very gods who birthed us. Their magic dooms them to shrivelled souls and a meaningless afterlife, and they are jealous of us for this. But they are too chained to their quest for power and domination to abandon it and plead forgiveness of the Goddesses.
Trolls and dwarves are evil. They wish to destroy the natural world--the trolls would consume it, and the dwarfs would turn it into a lifeless rock, like their god.
Chaos is evil. It destroys everything, for no reason other than that it is there. Chaos is a blight on the goddesses, and hideous in their sight. All sane people recognize this, and would aid you to kill it.
What is my Lot in Life?
Your lot is the happiest one any soul could ask for. You soul was made by the goddesses, and sent to me when your father quickened me. You are specially blessed to have been given the healthy body you have, and to know the joys that centaurs know. For that blessing, we are happy to serve the Gods all of our lives, and we advance in ability and power by the success of our service. You have many choices ahead of you--a god to give yourself to, a special way you will protect the herd and the forest, and so on.
When your seasons come, a husband will find you, and in time, you will have his children. Thus the lines are continued, and the Poem of our lives gains another stanza.
With the passing of many seasons and the coming of many children, you will feel the weight of life on your soul. This is the Goddesses' way of preparing you for the journey back to them. If you were not made ready this way, how could anyone leave this wonderful life with the glad heart that so pleases the goddesses?
When you die, the Elder Sister, Ty Kora Tek will carry your soul deep into the underworld. There you will speak with the goddesses of your life just past, and they will decide what is best for you in your next life. The god you choose to devote yourself to will speak most for you. If you are greatly blessed, you may become one of the goddesses' servants and know the eternal bliss of their immanent presence. If not, you will return to the world to another life and more joy, freed of the mistakes you make in this life, ready to take in the beauty of the world again.
Who are our Enemies?
The enemies of Erontree are our enemies. The Trolls of Guhan are the worst of these. They eat their way into the forest each winter, when the Brown elves sleep. Sometimes they raid in the summer, when there is the most food for them. They are strong and have black magic from hell, but they are not hard to beat one on one.
The dwarfs of Nida poison the rivers and air with their evil magics. They rarely come to the surface where we can fight them, but when they do, they are dangerous opponents.
The men of Oranor steal from the forest. This angers the Goddess, and we are the rage of the Goddess.
How Do We Deal With Others?
The good of the Line must always come first in your mind, soul, and heart. To live without the herd is to be crazed--like a male driven off after losing a fight with the Husband.
>
> Hi,
>
> Can someone tell me which tribe the Cold River clan in the High Pressure
> Front scenario in the Heroquest rules belongs to?
>
> Also, does anyone have information on centaur religions? One of my players
> wants to play a centaur with magic abilities related to singing and music.
> I think centaurs are animists, but would like some details and suggestions
> for a tradition or practice.
>
> Cheers,
>
> H�kan Jonsson
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Powered by hypermail